Recycling Of By-products Research Articles

Oriented Deep Eutectic Solvents as Efficient Approach for Selective Extraction of Bioactive Saponins from Husks of Xanthoceras sorbifolia Bunge

The husks of Xanthoceras sorbifolia Bunge (X. sorbifolia), as by-products of industrial production, have brought a severe burden to the environment and caused an enormous waste of resources. Bioactive triterpenoid saponins are rich in the husks. To reuse the husks and gain high-quality saponin products, saponin-oriented deep eutectic solvents (DESs), as an efficient and selective extraction strategy from X. sorbifolia husks, were designed for the first time. The enhancement of the extraction rate was investigated by screening solvents from acidic DESs and response surface methodology (RSM) optimization. As a result, the tetrapropylammonium bromide-lactic acid (TPMBr-La) was the most efficient DESs, with an extraction efficiency of up to 135% higher than 70% ethanol. A maximum extraction rate of 72.11 ± 0.61 mg Re/g dw was obtained under the optimized parameters. Scanning electron microscope graphs revealed that damage to the microstructure caused by DESs enhanced the extraction efficiency. Moreover, the recovery of total saponins with D101 macroporous resin was consistent with the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Seven saponins were also identified by HPLC-MS analysis. Finally, TPMBr-La extracts exhibited 92.30 ± 1.10% DPPH radical scavenging rate at 100 μg/mL, and 92.20 ± 0.30% ABTS radical scavenging rate at 1200 μg/mL. Our current research proposes a selective and high-efficiency substitute for the extraction of saponins and might contribute to further DESs application in the recycling of by-products.

Natural Salicylaldehyde for Fungal and Pre- and Post-Emergent Weed Control

A sustainable, alternative weed control strategy is developed using salicylaldehyde (SA; 2-hydroxybenzaldehyde) as an active ingredient. SA is a natural, redox-active small molecule listed as a Generally Recognized As Safe food additive by the European Food Safety Authority and the United States Food and Drug Administration. The repurposing of SA determined that SA possesses both pre- and post-emergent herbicidal, fumigant activity, where the emitted SA from the source completely prevented the germination of plant seeds and/or the growth of the germinated plants. As a proof-of-concept, we developed agricultural byproducts (tree nutshell particles) as SA delivery vehicles to the soil, thus helping the growers’ sustainable byproduct recycling program, necessary for carbon sequestration. In plate assays, SA emitted from the nutshell vehicles (0.15 to 1.6 M) completely prevented the germination of six invasive or native weed seeds (monocots, dicots). In Magenta vessel assays, SA emitted from the nutshell vehicles (0.8 to 1.6 M) not only prevented the germination (pre-emergent) of Lagurus ovatus (Bunny Tails Grass) seeds but also inhibited the growth (post-emergent) of the germinated weeds. We determined further that soil covering (soil pasteurization) could be one of the practices to effectively deliver SA to the soil, whereby 1.6 M of SA emitted from the nutshell vehicles prevented the germination of the L. ovatus seeds maintained in soil trays covered with plastic tarp at 22 °C, while 0.8 M SA allowed partial (15%) germination of the weed seeds. Of note, SA also possesses an intrinsic antifungal activity that overcomes the tolerance of the stress signaling mutants of filamentous fungal pathogens (Aspergillus fumigatus, Penicillium expansum) to the phenylpyrrole fungicide fludioxonil. Environmental degradation data available in the public database indicate that, once released to the environment, SA will be broken down in the air by sunlight or microorganisms and, thus, is not built up in aquatic organisms. Altogether, SA can serve as a safe, potent pesticide (herbicidal, fungicidal) ingredient that promotes sustainable crop production by lowering the pesticide burden in fields.

Industrial-environmental management in China's iron and steel industry under multiple objectives and uncertainties

Industrial-environmental management is a multi-objective optimization problem plagued with multiple uncertainties. Most studies only optimize few objectives and often neglect these uncertainties. This study builds a 6-objective optimization problem to quantify energy conservation and emission reduction (ECER) potentials in China's iron and steel industry. First, uncertainties are simulated through 100,000-time random sampling, NSGA-II and the mean-effective objective mechanism are applied to calculate optimal solutions. Finally, a global sensitivity analysis is performed to classify uncertainty parameters based on their impacts on objectives' performance. Results show: (1) There exist significant discrepancies between objectives' performance under certainty and uncertainty. For example, the deterministic CO2 intensity is 1148 kg/t, which is 11.93% lower than its value under uncertainty. Therefore, neglecting uncertainty increases the risk of noncompliance with policy targets as they might be too strict; (2) Two critical uncertainty parameters (steel ratios and technology penetration rates) have the most severe impacts on objectives' performance, hence, reducing their fluctuation can minimize uncertainties when estimating ECER potentials; (3) By-product recycling and energy efficiency measures have good performance in all objectives, thus, should be prioritized. Moreover, from 77-strategies assessed, 11 are identified as key-strategies due to their large ECER effects, hence, should be strongly promoted.

State-of-Art on the Recycling of By-Products from Fruits and Vegetables of Mediterranean Countries to Prolong Food Shelf Life.

Annually, 1.3 billion tons of food are wasted and this plays a major role in increasing pollution. Food waste increases domestic greenhouse gas emissions mainly due to the gas emissions associated with its production. Fruit and vegetable industrial by-products occur in the form of leaves, peel, seeds, pulp, as well as a mixture of them and represent the most abundant food waste. The disposal of agricultural by-products costs a large amount of money under certain governmental regulations. However, fruit and vegetable by-products are rich in valuable bioactive compounds, thus justifying their use as food fortifier, active food packaging or as food ingredients to preserve food quality over time. The present review collects the most recent utilization carried out at lab-scale on Mediterranean fruit and vegetable by-products as valid components to prolong food shelf life, providing a detailed picture of the state-of-art of literature on the topic. Bibliographic research was conducted by applying many keywords and filters in the last 10 years. Several scientific findings demonstrate that by-products, and in particular their extracts, are effectively capable of prolonging the shelf life of dairy food, fresh-cut produce, meat and fish-based products, oil, wine, paste and bakery products. All of the studies provide clear advances in terms of food sustainability, highlight the potential of by-products as a source of bioactive compounds, and promote a culture in which foods are intended to receive a second useful life. The same final considerations were also included regarding the current situation, which still limits by-products diffusion. In addition, a conclusion on a future perspective for by-products recycling was provided. The most important efforts have to be conducted by research since only a multidisciplinary approach for an advantageous investigation could be an efficient method to promote the scale up of by-products and encourage their adoption at the industrial level.

Processed animal proteins (PAPs) in animal nutrition: Assessment of the chemical risk of essential and non-essential elements

BackgroundProcessed animal products (PAPs) could be a great alternative to common protein supplements and represent a good example of recycling and valorization of by-products. Due to the reintroduction of certain types of PAPs in feed, a deeper knowledge of these heterogeneous matrices is needed. Thus, the aim of this study is to evaluate the levels of essential elements and inorganic contaminants in 55 PAPs considered as potential alternatives to common protein supplements. MethodsPAPs samples were analysed for essential (cobalt, nickel, chromium, copper, zinc, iron and manganese) and non-essential elements (arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury) by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer (ICP-MS), Graphite Furnace Atomization Atomic Absorption Spectrometer (GF-AAS) and dual cell Direct Mercury Analyzer spectrometer (DMA-80). ResultsEssential elements were found with the following decreasing order iron>zinc>copper>manganese>chromium>nickel>cobalt (mg kg−1). Only one sample was found non-compliant to lead concentration according to the European Union Regulation while negligible values of others non-essential elements were found. ConclusionsThis study suggests that PAPs could be a useful supplement for animal diet due to their natural content of essential elements. A careful monitoring of chemical elements should be required and eventually guidelines have to be drafted for a correct use of PAPs to ensure a safe and sustainable feed production.

Test on Concrete after Adding Foundry Sand

Abstract: Due to ever increasing quantities of waste materials and industrial by-products, solid waste management is the prime concern in the world. Scarcity of land-filling space and because of its ever increasing cost, recycling and utilization of industrial by-products and waste materials has become an attractive proposition to disposal. There are several types of industrial byproducts and waste materials. The utilization of such materials in concrete not only makes it economical, but also helps in reducing disposal concerns. One such industrial by-product is Waste Foundry Sand (SFS). WFS is major byproduct of metal casting industry and successfully used as a land filling material for many years. But use of waste foundry sand (WFS) for land filling is becoming a problem due to rapid increase in disposal cost. In an effort to use the WFS in construction materials, research has being carried out for its possible utilization in making concrete as partial replacement of fine aggregate. In India, approximately 1.71 million tons of waste foundry sand and in Punjab region, approximately 0.17 million tons of waste foundry is produced yearly. This experimental investigation was performed to evaluate the strength and durability properties of M20 (30 MPa) and M30 (40 MPa) grades of concrete mixes, in which natural sand was partial replaced with waste foundry sand (WFS). Natural sand was replaced with five percentage (0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%) of WFS by weight. A total of ten concrete mix proportions M-1, M-2, M- 3, M-4 and M-5 for M20 grade of concrete and M-6, M-7, M-8, M-9 and M-10 for M30 grade of concrete with and without WFS were developed. Compression test, splitting tensile strength test and modulus of elasticity were carried out to evaluate the strength properties of concrete at the age of 7, 28, 91 and 365 days. In non destructive testing, rebound hammer and ultrasonic pulse velocity test were conducted at the age of 28, 91 and 365 days. In case of durability property, abrasion resistance, rapid Chloride Permeability and deicing salt scaling resistance was evaluated at the age of 28, 91 and 365 days. Statistical analysis and comparative study between strength and durability properties of both grade of concrete (M20 and M30) were carried out at the age of 28, 91 and 365 days. XRD study was done to identify the presence of various compounds in M20 grade of concrete with foundry sand in varying percentages replacement of fine aggregate.

A pyruvate-centered metabolic regulation mechanism for the enhanced expression of exogenous genes in Escherichia coli

A novel Escherichia coli efficient expression system had been constructed in our previous study. The system was based on the overexpression of endogenous genes prpD and malK to enhance the expression of exogenous genes. In this study, a general regulatory mechanism of prpD and malK was first revealed through transcriptome analysis and many experimental verifications. We surprisingly proved that overexpression of malK could up-regulate the expression of prpD and propanoate metabolism, which leads to increased expression of exogenous genes. More importantly, the overexpression of prpD or malK could arouse a complex set of pyruvate-centered metabolic networks that mainly increase the energy supply (ATP), by-product recycling (acetate), and amino acids for the efficient expression of exogenous genes. This novel theory for promoting the efficient expression of exogenous genes will be useful in a wide range of fields. It also opens up a new perspective on the regulation of metabolism in E. coli cells.

Improving inter-plant integration of syngas production technologies by the recycling of CO2 and by-product of the Fischer-Tropsch process

This paper deals with the emission reduction in synthesis-gas production by better integration and increasing the energy efficiency of a high-temperature co-electrolysis unit combined with the Fischer-Tropsch process. The investigated process utilises the by-product of Fischer-Tropsch, as an energy source and carbon dioxide as a feedstock for synthesis gas production. The proposed approach is based on adjusting process streams temperatures with the further synthesis of a new heat exchangers network and optimisation of the utility system. The potential of secondary energy resources was determined using plus/minus principles and simulation of a high-temperature co-electrolysis unit. The proposed technique maximises the economic and environmental benefits of inter-unit integration. Two scenarios were considered for sharing the high-temperature co-electrolysis and the Fischer-Tropsch process. In the first scenario, by-products from the Fischer-Tropsch process were used as fuel for a high-temperature co-electrolysis. Optimisation of secondary energy sources and the synthesis of a new heat exchanger network reduce fuel consumption by 47% and electricity by 11%. An additional environmental benefit is reflected in emission reduction by 25,145 tCO2/y. The second scenario uses fossil fuel as a primary energy source. The new exchanger network for the high-temperature co-electrolysis was built for different energy sources. The use of natural gas resulted in total annual costs of the heat exchanger network to 1,388,034 USD/y, which is 1%, 14%, 116% less than for coal, fuel oil and LPG, respectively. The use of natural gas as a fuel has the lowest carbon footprint of 7288 tCO2/y. On the other hand, coal as an energy source has commensurable economic indicators that produce 2 times more CO2, which can be used as a feedstock for a high-temperature co-electrolysis. This work shows how in-depth preliminary analysis can optimise the use of primary and secondary energy resources during inter-plant integration.

Product diversification from pomelo peel. Essential oil, Pectin and semi-dried pomelo peel

Abstract Currently, agriculture has shifted to green production, in which the recycling of post-production by-products is a key issue. In the present work, by-products such as pomelos were studied to promote consumption and enhance the value of pomelo. From pomelo material, essential oils extracted from pomelo peels, pectin, and drying pomelo products have been diversified. In the extraction process of essential oils, the hydrodistillation method was applied in conjunction with the response surface method to obtain the optimal conditions of influence factors. These essential oils were quantified as well as determined for components by GC-MS. The pectin recognition process was done by immersion method in HCl acid (pH 2) and the drying process was made with a heat pump dryer under the effects of drying temperature, drying time and wind rate. The results of the essential oil products reached the highest (0.88 ±0.006 g) at the material size of 3 mm, the distillation time of 27 min, and the ratio of raw materials/solvents of 1/12 g/mL. The main components found in pomelo peeling essential oils included limonene (71.768%), γ-terponene (12,847%), α-Phellandrene (2.979%), β-myrcene (2.668%), 1R-α-pinene (2,656%), and β-pinene (1,191%). The pectin content was the highest under the temperature of 90 °C, extraction time of 60 min and ratio/solvent ratio of 1:32 g/mL. Under these extraction conditions, 48% of concentrated pectin content was obtained. Surveying conditions for drying white pomelo peels are capable of reversing: refunded drying pomelos are drying heat pumps in the following conditions: 50 °C drying temperature, the drying time of 90 min, and wind rate of 12 m/s. Product with hardness 309.862 N.

By-products revaluation in the production of design micaceous materials

One of the main objectives of a sustainable development and circular economy is the recycling of by-products generated in industrial and agricultural production processes. One of the possible solution is the use of such by-product materials in the synthesis of environmental adsorbents. In the current research, we present the synthesis of a high charge swelling mica with enhance adsorbent properties from blast furnace slag and rice husk ash. Moreover, to ensure the sustainable synthesis a natural bentoniteis used as Si and Al source. Thus, the current study investigated the fabrication of swelling high charged micas, Na-Mn (n (layer charge) = 2 or 4), from FEBEX bentonite, blast furnace slag and rice husk ash thorough the NaCl melt method. The reaction yield, cation framework distribution and structural characteristic of micas have been studied thorough X-ray Diffraction and Solid State Nuclear Magnetic Resonance. The yields of Na-Mn synthesis and degree of purity of the mica depends on the nature of these precursors. Thus, a sustainable, non-expensive and environmental friendly process has been evaluated.

Recycling of industrial by-products in concrete: Experimental study

The construction industry consumes enormous amounts of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) to bond the fine and coarse aggregates that give the concrete strength. However, the OPC causes many environmental severe impacts, such as the huge generation of CO2 gas and alkaline wastewater, which triggered concerns about the health consequences of OPC manufacturing. Therefore, the search for eco-friendly alternatives for OPC has increased rapidly during the last decades, such as the recycling of agricultural and industrial by-products. In this research, residuals of cement furnaces (the dust of cement furnace) and silica fume were mixed and the latter was used as a partial replacement for the OPC. Initially, the chemical structure of the cement dust, silica fume and the OPC were tested. Then, three different (0-45%) percentages of the cement dust and silica fume were added to the concrete mix. The mechanical properties of the produced concrete were investigated using a non-destructive method (ultrasonic pulse velocity) and compared with the properties of the traditional OPC concrete. The results showed the cement dust and silica fume contain the favourable oxides, and the best mixing ratio was 12.5% of silica fume, 12.5% of cement dust and 75% of OPC that achieved pulse velocity of 4102 m/s (the best compressive strength).

Recovery of Chlorogenic Acids from Agri-Food Wastes: Updates on Green Extraction Techniques.

The agri-food sector produces a huge amount of agri-food wastes and by-products, with a consequent great impact on environmental, economic, social, and health aspects. The reuse and recycling of by-products represents a very important issue: for this reason, the development of innovative recovery and extraction methodologies must be mandatory. In this context of a circular economy, the study of green extraction techniques also becomes a priority in substitution of traditional extraction approaches. This review is focused on the recovery of chlorogenic acids from agri-food wastes, as these compounds have an important impact on human health, exhibiting several different and important healthy properties. Novel extraction methodologies, namely microwave and ultrasound-assisted extractions, supercritical fluid extraction, and pressurized-liquid extraction, are discussed here, in comparison with conventional techniques. The great potentialities of these new innovative green and sustainable approaches are pointed out. Further investigations and optimization are mandatory before their application in industrial processes.

Identification of opportunities for integrating chemical processes for carbon (dioxide) utilization to nuclear power plants

The energy and industrial sectors are responsible for more than 75% of global carbon dioxide emissions, which are primary contributors to climate change. Decarbonization strategies to reduce overall carbon dioxide emissions are urgently needed. Among the numerous decarbonization strategies that are being defined and implemented, a particular strategy of interest for the present work is “the Re-X or zero waste” strategy, which involves recycling, reuse, repurposing, and remanufacturing of industrial emissions, by-products, and waste in general. A circular value chain or Circular Economy is embedded within this strategy. In a circular carbon economy, efficient reuse of emitted carbon dioxide is considered. However, the stability of carbon dioxide implies the requirement of significant amounts of energy for its transformation into value-added chemicals or products, which must be supplied by low carbon emitting energy sources. Nuclear power plants are low carbon energy sources that, additionally to electricity, could also supply heat and radiation for chemical transformations. This work identifies the opportunities and challenges for the development of integrated energy systems to upgrade and transform carbon dioxide, involving chemical and nuclear energy. The analysis encompasses possible use of the different forms of energy that can be obtain from nuclear reactors (i.e., radiation, electricity, and heat), by reviewing the published literature on potential routes for its conversion. Our review indicates that an universal technology of the one-fits-all solution-type is an utopic dream. Instead, a suite of (contaminants tolerant) technologies for processing various concentrations CO2 and producing a variety of products is currently needed.

Fermentation as a Tool to Revitalise Brewers' Spent Grain and Elevate Techno-Functional Properties and Nutritional Value in High Fibre Bread.

Recycling of by-products from the food industry has become a central part of research to help create a more sustainable future. Brewers’ spent grain is one of the main side-streams of the brewing industry, rich in protein and fibre. Its inclusion in bread, however, has been challenging and requires additional processing. Fermentation represents a promising tool to elevate ingredient functionality and improve bread quality. Wheat bread was fortified with spray-dried brewers’ spent grain (BSG) and fermented brewers’ spent grain (FBSG) at two addition levels to achieve “source of fibre” and “high in fibre” claims according to EU regulations. The impact of BSG and FBSG on bread dough, final bread quality and nutritional value was investigated and compared to baker’s flour (BF) and wholemeal flour (WMF) breads. The inclusion of BSG and FBSG resulted in a stronger and faster gluten development; reduced starch pasting capacity; and increased dough resistance/stiffness. However, fermentation improved bread characteristics resulting in increased specific volume, reduced crumb hardness and restricted microbial growth rate over time. Additionally, the inclusion of FBSG slowed the release in reducing sugars over time during in vitro starch digestion. Thus, fermentation of BSG can ameliorate bread techno-functional properties and improve nutritional quality of breads.

Challenges and opportunities for more efficient water use and circular wastewater management. The case of Campania Region, Italy

By 2050, global demand for water is expected to increase by some 55% due to population growth and urbanization. The utilization of large amounts of freshwater in the world, generate huge volumes of wastewater of which, globally, more than 80% is discharged without treatment, thus causing impacts on aquatic ecosystems, human health and economic productivity. More sustainable practices of wastewater management are expected as a way towards circular bioeconomy (CBE) processes, whose goal is to implement closed systems promoting the systematic use of recycling, reuse and recovery of bioproducts and by-products and the reduction of waste generation. This approach, if adopted in the water and wastewater sector, can ensure environmental, economic and social benefits. The reuse of wastewater, on the one hand, reduces the volume of wastewater and the pressure on water bodies; on the other hand, the recovery of nutrients (P or N) and/or other high value bioproducts (biogas, cellulose, biopolymers) from wastewater offers numerous advantages in terms of supplying new raw bio-based materials that can be refed back to supply chains (thus substituting fossil resources) and, at the same time, producing cleaner water to be reused. Nevertheless, while in Europe many industries have demonstrated the ability to recycle and reuse water, in many regions of Italy the sustainable management of water and wastewater is not yet consolidated. In this study we explore the available technological, economic and environmental options concerning water use and wastewater treatment and we apply them to design appropriate scenarios for improved use efficiency and circular management. A comprehensive literature review of the most promising wastewater treatment processes for resources and energy valorization was conducted. The recovery of PHAs, struvite, nitrogen and algal biomass, as potential substitutes for conventional PET, phosphate and nitrogen chemical fertilizers and electricity, respectively, in addition to reusable treated water, were hypothesized and carefully discussed. Resulting scenarios are tested against the present situation of Campania Region (situated in Southern Italy) based on population and demand statistics, in order to develop strategies and policies potentially applicable locally and elsewhere.

Acoustic barrier simulation of construction and demolition waste: A sustainable approach to the control of environmental noise

The use of construction waste to build noise barriers is a considerable reason in determining sustainability and environmental noise control. The present study aims to analyze the sound absorption coefficient of concrete blocks from construction and demolition waste (CDW), to apply in computer simulation of noise barrier in urban area. Thus, the research presents a double environmental aspect, on the one hand, the reduction of sound pressure levels from road traffic noise and, on the other hand, the recycling of construction by-products. The sound absorption coefficient was characterized by normal incidence. To obtain the attenuation behavior of the barrier, the new sound absorption coefficient of the material was inserted in the SoundPlan database, acoustic prediction software. The results showed that the insertion of a simple barrier from construction and demolition waste (CDW) is advisable to reduce noise outdoors. As for concrete blocks from CDW for the building of noise barriers can become a sustainable alternative, mitigating the sound impact and/or the environmental impact. Current trends are oriented towards finding alternative sustainable materials for concrete, one example is the recycling of waste from construction by-products.

Chemical Composition, Antimicrobial and Insecticidal Activities of Essential Oils of Discarded Perfume Lemon and Leaves (Citrus Limon (L.) Burm. F.) as Possible Sources of Functional Botanical Agents.

Two essential oils were isolated from discarded perfume lemon and leaves (Citrus limon (L.) Burm. F.) by hydro-distillation with good yield (0.044% for perfume lemon and 0.338% for leaves). Their biological activities were evaluated against five selected bacterial strains and Aedes albopictus (Ae. albopictus, Diptera: Culicidae). Chemical composition indicated that both essential oils were rich in essential phytochemicals including hydrocarbons, monoterpenes and sesquiterpene. These constituents revealed some variability among the oils displaying interesting chemotypes (R)-(+)-limonene (12.29–49.63%), citronellal (5.37–78.70%) and citronellol (2.98–7.18%). The biological assessments proved that the two essential oils had similar effect against bacterial (inhibition zones diameter ranging from 7.27 ± 0.06 to 10.37 ± 0.15 mm; MICs and MBCs ranging from 1.6 to 6.4 mg/mL); against Ae. albopictus larvae (LC50 ranging from 384.81 to 395.09 ppm) and adult mosquito (LD50 ranging from 133.059 to 218.962 μg/cm2); the activity of the two chemotypes ((R)-(+)-limonene and citronellal): larvae (LC50 ranging from 267.08 to 295.28 ppm), which were all presented in dose-dependent manners. Through this work, we have showcased that recycling and reusing of agriculture by-products, such as discarded perfume lemon and leaves can produce eco-friendly alternatives in bacterial disinfectants and mosquito control product.

Dairy farming systems driven by the market and low-cost intensification in West Africa: the case of Burkina Faso

The increase in demand for dairy products in Burkina Faso is encouraging livestock producers to develop milk production. Three types of dairy systems (pastoralists, agropastoralists and market-oriented dairy farms) have been characterised based on a sample of 60 producers operating in the West and centre of the country. Pastoralists’ dairy operations consist mainly of zebus, rely on pasture for feed, store little fodder, and recover little manure. Milk yields are low (1.4 l/tropical livestock unit (TLU)/day) and milk sales are limited, but mostly benefit women. Agropastoralists’ dairy operations consist mainly of zebus, store more fodder for feed, use more concentrate and recover manure better. Milk yields are higher (3.1 l/TLU/day) and milk sales are threefold those of pastoralists, but less of the money generated by milk sales goes to women. Market-oriented dairy farmers’ operations are mainly made up of crossbreds, reared indoors and fed on fodder and feeds, store much more fodder and recover manure even better. They generate the highest milk yields (7.3 l/TLU/day), and milk sales are 2.5-fold those of agropastoralists. However, money earned from milk sales mainly benefits men. The study shows that the improvement in dairy systems’ technical and economic performance, which mostly rests on genetics and cow feed, but also on better recycling of agricultural by-products, is driven by a low-cost intensification and market opportunity (raising processors demand).

Effect of the inclusion of lemon leaves and rice straw by-products in the diet of dairy goats on the quality characteristics of milk and matured cheeses

The effect of the dietary inclusion of lemon leaves and rice straw by-products on the quality characteristics of goats’ milk and cheese was evaluated. Twenty-six Murciano-Granadina goats were used in a crossover design experiment; milk from each experimental group was collected to produce 60-days matured cheeses. Fat and dry matter content was higher in milk and cheeses from the diet containing by-products; medium-chain fatty acids and total free fatty acids were lower. Triangle tests revealed significant differences in the organoleptic characteristics of the cheeses between diets. However, when sensory attributes differentiating cheeses were evaluated individually, differences did not become significant. The inclusion of lemon leaves and rice straw in balanced diets with soya oil could be beneficial, as it does not appear to adversely affect the quality of milk and related mature cheeses, contributing to the reduction of the cost of the diet and the recycling of agricultural by-products.

Integrated Livestock Farming: A Holistic Management Approach

Small and marginal farmers can increase their economic yield per unit area per unit time by using a livestock-based integrated farming system. Waste materials are effectively recycled in this device by connecting suitable components. As a consequence, pollution in the air is minimized. The factors responsible for the farming system's sustainability are recycling of materials, byproducts, and waste material in an integrated farming system. The processing of eggs, meat, and milk provides nutritional protection and income to farmers throughout the year, thanks to the integration of various livestock components with crops. Combining crop and livestock enterprises will dramatically increase labor demand and, as a result, help to significantly reduce unemployment issues. ILFS offers enough resources for family labor during the year. The main issues for sustainable agriculture are food stability, natural resource conservation, and environmental protection. Integrating livestock is the way to go if you want to optimize the use of available resources while still protecting the ecosystem for economic development. Diversifying farm production, growing profits, enhancing nutritional security, and promoting nutraceuticals are all benefits of an integrated farming system.