Crop By-products Research Articles

Enset in Ethiopia: a poorly characterized but resilient starch staple.

Enset (Ensete ventricosum, Musaceae) is an African crop that currently provides the staple food for approx. 20 million Ethiopians. Whilst wild enset grows over much of East and Southern Africa and the genus extends across Asia to China, it has only ever been domesticated in the Ethiopian Highlands. Here, smallholder farmers cultivate hundreds of landraces across diverse climatic and agroecological systems. Enset has several important food security traits. It grows over a relatively wide range of conditions, is somewhat drought-tolerant, and can be harvested at any time of the year, over several years. It provides an important dietary starch source, as well as fibres, medicines, animal fodder, roofing and packaging. It stabilizes soils and microclimates and has significant cultural importance. In contrast to the other cultivated species in the family Musaceae (banana), enset has received relatively little research attention. Here, we review and critically evaluate existing research, outline available genomic and germplasm resources, aspects of pathology, and explore avenues for crop development. Enset is an underexploited starch crop with significant potential in Ethiopia and beyond. Research is lacking in several key areas: empirical studies on the efficacy of current agronomic practices, the genetic diversity of landraces, approaches to systematic breeding, characterization of existing and emerging diseases, adaptability to new ranges and land-use change, the projected impact of climate change, conservation of crop wild relatives, by-products or co-products or non-starch uses, and the enset microbiome. We also highlight the limited availability of enset germplasm in living collections and seedbanks, and the lack of knowledge of reproductive and germination biology needed to underpin future breeding. By reviewing the current state of the art in enset research and identifying gaps and opportunities, we hope to catalyse the development and sustainable exploitation of this neglected starch crop.

Shear Strength of Unbound Crop by-Products Using the Direct Shear Box Apparatus

Shear Strength of Unbound Crop by-Products Using the Direct Shear Box Apparatus

Preparation and characterization of curcumin loaded caseinate/zein nanocomposite film using pH-driven method

Functional edible films manufactured from crop by-products is promising for food industry. In this study, antioxidant films prepared from self-assembled curcumin-loaded sodium caseinate (NaCas)-zein composite nanoparticles was investigated. Nanocomposite film-forming dispersions were obtained by dissolving curcumin into polymer mixtures with NaCas/zein ratios of 100:0, 75:25 and 50:50 at pH 12.0, and then neutralized back to pH 7.0. The colloidal particles showed an average particle size and ζ-potential around 131–184 nm and -40 mv, respectively. Regardless of the NaCas/zein ratio in film-forming dispersions, the curcumin presence enabled NaCas/zein film to exhibit red-yellow color and antioxidant properties as evaluated by DPPH radical scavenging activity. Surface properties of films were further characterized by contact-angle measurement and scanning electron microscopy. An increasing proportion of zein could significantly improve the tensile strength (from 3.12 to 7.85 MPa) and constrain moisture transfer as indicated by decreased water vapor permeability from 0.87 to 3.56 × 10−10 g·Pa·m-1·s-1. However, the elongation resistance of NaCas-based films was compromised from 50.5% to 30.8%. When the zein proportion in the formulation reached 50:50, curcumin showed the best stability under elevated temperatures and long-time storage. The underlying mechanism of this alcohol-free process to prepare zein-based nanocomposite film is also proposed and discussed.

Organic matter change and biogenic elements in different crop rotations

Тhe article presents the questions of the relevance of recycling organic matter and biogenic elements that enter the soil as a non-commodity part of the crop (by-products and root residues) depending on the yield of the main crop and crop rotation saturated with cereals, legumes and industrial crops.
 The share of participation of each culture in the formation of articles of the balance of plant biomass has been established. It was revealed that the recycling of nutrients occurs due to the receipt of leaf-stem mass and roots of corn, the return of nutrients was from the total input in the soil of nitrogen 55, phosphorus 50 and potassium 46%.
 The optimal crop rotation was calculated with 80% saturation with grain crops (including 20% corn for grain) and 20% technical (sunflower): biomass yield as well as its quantity returned to the soil with plant residues, including root crops 57%, while the share of the removed is the smallest among the studied crop rotations – 43%.

The effect of fertilizing systems on the potassium capacity of dark gray soil

Purpose. Identify the features of changes in the factor of potassium capacity of dark gray soil under long-term systematic application of different doses of mineral and organic fertilizers. Methods. Field, laboratory, mathematical and statistical. Results. At various intensities of fertilizer systems and fertilizer ratios, it has been established that the long (30 years) use of organic and mineral fertilizers contributed not only to stabilization but also to the restoration of the stock of moving potassium in the arable soil layer in comparison with the initial data (1987).The growth of mobile potassium content was consistent with the increase in the agrochemical load in crop rotation. Conclusions. Long-term systematic application for 1987–2000 years mineral fertilizers in doses of 265–397 kg of NPK on the background of 10 tons of manure per 1 ha of crop rotation, in 2001–2010 years – 211–316,5 kg of NPK per 1 ha, and in 2011–2017 years – 217,5–326,4 kg of NPK per 1 ha on the background plowing crop by-products had a significant impact in the factor on the capacity factor of potassium of dark gray podzolized soil, ensuring it is elevated and very high level.

Intensity of microbiological processes in gray forest soils under the liming and plowing of crop by-products

Established that liming with single dose by hydrolytic acidity (1,0 Hg) slows down the processes of organic matter mineralization in gray forest soil: without mineral fertilizers – in 2,1 times, with mineral fertilizers – in 4,1, with plowing of the seed crop biomass and the by-products of the predecessor – in 1,4 times. The mineralization of nitrogen compounds as a result of liming also proceeds slower: without mineral fertilizers – in 1,2 times, with mineral fertilizers – in 2,2 times. Confirmed patterns that were obtained in previous years of research about the impact of liming on the activity of humus mineralization – it decreases as a result of liming with full dose (1,0 Hg) without mineral fertilizers by 66,7 %, with mineral fertilizers – by 4,4 %. The total biological activity in the soil without a mineral fertilizer increases as a result of liming by 23,0 %, with mineral fertilizers – by 42,5, at the background of exogenous organic matter (EOM) plowing – by 83,7 %. Liming allows to reduce the level of phytotoxicity of soil without mineral fertilization by 17,9 %, %, with mineral fertilizers at the background of EOM – by 12,2 %. Positive influence of liming is amplified in variants with introduction of organic matter into the soil (byproducts of predecessor and siderate). Plowing of siderate crop biomass and by-products of predecessor in crop rotation allows to slow down the processes of organic matter accumulation in soil. The application of liming and mineral fertilizers in combination with the introduction of EOM reduces the index of pedotropy in 2,1 times, only with mineral fertilizers (N60Р30К60) – in 1,5 times. Similarly, plowing of the EOM affects the intensity of other mineralization processes. The total biological activity increases as a result of EOM plowing into the soil: in the variant with the use of mineral fertilizers by 54,7 %, with mineral fertilizers and liming – by 28,9 %. Confirmed previously established laws regarding the impact of optimization of mineral nutrition on the activity of decomposition of humic substances: with an increase in the dose of mineral fertilizers in 1,5 and 2 times the activity of mineralization of humus decreases by 6.0 and 10,1 % respectively. With the improvement of mineral nutrition of plants, the amount of root extracts is increased, which is a more accessible substrate than humus acids, which leads to slowing down of the destruction of humus substances.

Effects of hydrothermal treatment on enhancing enzymatic hydrolysis of rapeseed straw

Rapeseed straw is an annually renewable low-cost crop by-product, and it was submitted to hydrothermal treatment at temperatures ranging from 145 to 205 °C for various retention times (15–120 min). The enzymatic hydrolysis was conducted at a substrate concentration of 2% and an enzyme addition of 115 mg/g substrate. Results showed that increased pretreatment severity gradually degraded and removed hemicelluloses, and temperatures above 190 °C destroyed the crystalline structure of cellulose and led to partial delignification. The microstructure of the lignin was partially destroyed and particle-sized debris appeared on the surface of the cellulose fibres under the harsh treatment conditions. The glucose yield increased with an increase in severity and a higher saccharification ratio (95%) was achieved at a relatively low temperature (190 °C) and short retention time (15–30 min). These results suggest that hydrothermal treatment of rapeseed straw effectively dissolves hemicelluloses and remarkably enhances enzymatic hydrolysis efficiency.

Easy cellulose nanofiber extraction from residue of agricultural crops

Cellulose is found in the cell wall of plant fibers in the form of nanofibers. The Young’s modulus of the crystalline portion is close to 140 GPa whereas the tensile strength of nanofibers is estimated to be above 2 GPa. Cellulose nanofiber has the potential to become an environmentally benign substitute for conventional reinforcements, but the overall cost of production is prohibitive due to the high energy demand and low yields of the mainstream processes, along with the need for expensive devices for proper extraction. This study proposes the use of an affordable kitchen blender adapted to extract cellulose nanofiber from agricultural crop byproducts to reduce production cost. Preliminary results showed that blending of pulp fibers from grass straw produces nanofibers similar to commercially available morphologies. So far, the raw material for nanofiber extraction has been mainly pulp fibers from wood, but the availability of cellulose in plant cells other than fibers would make nanofibers accessible to a wider research community and accelerate the development of cellulose-based nanocomposites.

INTRODUCTION OF AGRICULTURAL CROP RESIDUES AS SUPPLEMENT FOR GOATS FATTENING AMONG ANIMAL REARERS IN GIPALMA MUBI-SOUTH, ADAMAWA STATE

Fattening has been defined as intensive feeding of highly nutritious feed to and promotes fast growth and fat deposition to achieve desired carcass growth and quality. The main strategy is to fatten young, lean male goat to obtain either from the farmer’s own flock or more often, purchased on the open market over a period of two to three months, with each farmer fattening between one and five animals. The goats are usually tethered or kept in a small sheltered enclosure at the homestead, and often fed and watered individually. Basal feeds used for goat fattening, such as hay and millet straw are supplemented with cowpea haulms, maize bran, rice bran and coconut flour which is derived from the crop residues. Poor nutrition is a major constraint in fattening small ruminants in Nigeria, this is because farmers often give the animals whatever is available, leading to waste when feed availability is high, and underfeeding when it is low (feed availability). Fattening of small ruminants as a business is very common in Nigeria. Small ruminants are usually reproduced on the farms or houses and are sold around festivities. (Christmas and Sallah) or when cash is required. No special efforts, other than grazing the animals, are made by many smallholder farmers and pastoralists to ‘’fatten’’ them. A similar situation exists for fattening of large ruminants (bulls) as a business. Most farmers in Nigeria sell their bulls once they have been introduced to ‘’fatten’’ these animals commercially. Goats are able to subsist and make appreciable gains in long dry season with crop residue-based diets that compare favourably with conventional concentrate rations. Some of the crop residues and by-products available are potentially good feed resources which degrade readily in the rumen, some however, have shown poor degradability and hence, require some treatments before they can contribute to animal nutrition.

Sesquiterpenes from stigma maydis (Zea mays) as a crop by-product and their potential neuroprotection and inhibitory activities of Aβ aggregation

Maize (Zea mays Linn.) during industrial processing generates a vast amount of residues including stigma maydis, which is generally regarded as a waste and discarded. However, there are great medicine and economic value in the industrial crop wastes. With the aim of fully utilizing the stigma maydis as a valuable source of bioactive components, a phytochemical investigation on stigma maydis was performed, leading to the isolation of five new macrocarpene-type sesquiterpenes (1–5), named stigmenes A-E, along with a known analogue stigmene F (6). The chemical structures of all compounds were unambiguously determined by employing various spectroscopic measurements. Their absolute configurations were confirmed by comparison of the experimental and calculated ECD data. All compounds were screened for the inhibitory effect of amyloid-β (Aβ) aggregation, among which 1 exhibited the most significant inhibitory activity. Molecular docking was used to predict the putative binding mode as the mechanism of action against Aβ aggregation. In addition, neuroprotection against H2O2-induced SH-SY5Y cell injury for all compounds was evaluated, and 5 and 6 were the most active. In total, the results suggest that stigma maydis is a promising and valuable crop waste for the pharmaceutical industry of neurological diseases.

Biogas production and changes in soil carbon input - A regional analysis

The inclusion of biogas production into the agricultural system has modified crop management and as a result the soil organic carbon (SOC) cycle of the agricultural landscape. To evaluate the effects for the German federal state of Saxony this study determines: (1) the share of agricultural land required for biogas production, (2) the change in regional carbon input fluxes to soil during the time of the establishment of the biogas production considering also the quality of sources of different fresh organic matter (FOM) for the formation of SOC and (3) the differences in carbon input to SOC between the area influenced by biogas production (here “biogas fingerprint area” (BFA)) and the surrounding arable land.Based on the location of biogas plants the region was subdivided into biomass providing units (BPUs) where a part of the arable land was considered as affected by biogas production (BFA). We hypothesized that each biogas plant uses a specific substrate mix according to its capacity. The carbon fluxes for each BPU were estimated for the years 2000 (without biogas plants) and 2011 (with biogas plants). For the year 2011, the analysis included the area demand for production of biogas feedstock and digestate recycling.On average 17.6% of the BPU agricultural land was required to supply the biogas plants and dispose of their digestate. Per kilowatt installed electrical capacity this equates to 2.0 ha, including inter alia 0.4 ha for energy crops. Highest area requirements have been observed for biogas plants with <500 kW installed capacity. Between 2000 and 2011 the total carbon flux into soil increased by 2.1%. When considering the quality of different FOM sources the gain in carbon input was 2.8%. The BFAs showed higher carbon input to soil than the surrounding agricultural land due to high contributions from digestate and crop residues (esp. agricultural grass). This compensated the low carbon input from crop by-products (e.g. straw).

Fermentation Kinetic of Maize Straw-Gliricidia Feed Mixture Supplemented by Fermentable Carbohydrate Measured by In Vitro Gas Production

Utilization of crop by-products such as maize straw mixed with legume is expected to be able to overcome the limitation of forage availability during dry season and have similar nutritional value with grass. Addition of fermentable carbohydrate in this diet can be improved fermentability and reduced methane production. The objective of this study was to evaluate supplementation of ground corn grain or rice bran as fermentable carbohydrate in maize straw-gliricidiamixture. Treatment diets evaluated were: Maize straw + gliricidialeaf meal (Control/RO); Control + 10% ground maize grain (ROC); Control + 10% rice bran (RORB). Maize straw was chopped and ground then mixed with gliricidia leaf meal at ratio 60:40% DM. Maize straw-gliricidia mixture then supplemented either with ground corn grain or rice bran at 10% of DM basal diet (control). Sample was incubated for 48 hours, gas production was recorded at 4, 8,12, 16, 24, 36 and 48 hours. Study was conducted in randomized complete design. Results of the study showed that supplementation of fermentable carbohydrate from corn grain or rice bran was able to increased (P<0.05) rate of gas production by 24 and 18% respectively. However only in ROC potential gas production was increased (P<0.05) by 32% and percentage of methane production was decreased. From this study it can be concluded that supplementation of ground corn grain at 10% in maize straw-gliricidia mixture was able to improve diet fermentation and reduced methane production.

Aspectos fisiológicos y de aprovechamiento de &lt;i&gt;Acacia mangium&lt;/i&gt; Willd. Una revisión

Acacia mangium es una especie leguminosa de rápido crecimiento originaria de Australia y Asia central, cuyo uso se ha expandido por el resto del mundo debido a su ciclo corto, morfología, trabajabilidad de la madera y por su capacidad de adaptación a diferentes condiciones climáticas y edáficas. Adicionalmente, tiene potencial para el aprovechamiento de los subproductos (raleo, residuos de aserrín y lodos de papel) del cultivo y como recuperador de suelos degradados. Desde el punto de vista morfofisiológico, una característica destacada es la presencia de filodios, pecíolos ensanchados que se forman después de cuatro semanas de edad, cuando pierden las hojas verdaderas, y que realizan la actividad fotosintética que le confiere tolerancia a la planta en ambientes secos por tiempo prolongado. La asociación simbiótica con bacterias nitrificantes y hongos micorrícicos, facilita la toma de nutrientes en suelos de baja fertilidad. La floración de A. mangium se induce por genes que pueden estar relacionados con la temperatura, el fotoperíodo y la activación de señales por parte de la sacarosa y puede ocurrir en cualquier época del año, pero según su ubicación geográfica se presentan picos marcados en determinados periodos. A pesar de que en Colombia la especie ha sido cultivada desde años atrás, muchos aspectos relacionados con la respuesta de la especie a las condiciones de las regiones de cultivo, así como la calidad de los materiales genéticos introducidos, se encuentran aún sin precisar.

Dietary fat sources affect feed intake, digestibility, rumen microbial populations, energy partition and methane emissions in different beef cattle genotypes

The mitigation of enteric methane emission in beef cattle production is important for reducing feed energy loss and increasing environmental sustainability. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of different oilseeds included in fermented total mixed rations (whole soyabean seed (SBS, control), whole kapok seed (KPS) and cracked oil palm fruit (OPF)) on feed intake, digestibility, rumen microbial populations, energy partition and methane emissions in different cattle genotypes (Charolais crossbred v. Japanese Black crossbred). Three Charolais crossbred and three Japanese Black crossbred bulls were studied in a replicated 3×3 Latin square experimental design; genotypes were analysed in separate squares including three periods of 21 days each and three dietary oilseed treatments fed ad libitum. The cattle were placed in a metabolic cage equipped with a ventilated head box respiration system for evaluating digestibility and energy balance. As compared with Charolais crossbred individuals, Japanese Black crossbred bulls showed consistently lower dry matter intake (15.5%, P<0.01), metabolisable energy (ME) intake (13.8%, P<0.05), ME requirement for maintenance (10.3%; 386 v. 430 kJ/kg metabolic BW, respectively), faeces energy loss (19.2%, P<0.001) and enteric methane emissions (18.5%, P<0.001). However, these two genotypes did not differ in energy retention (ER) (P=0.80). Among the three dietary oilseed treatments, OPF exhibited higher NDF intake (P<0.01) and digestibility (P<0.01), which was associated with a larger (P<0.05) total number of bacteria in the rumen. In addition, the OPF diet contributed to higher ME intake and ER than that of the KPS diet, whereas the SBS diet presented intermediate values (P<0.05). The methane conversion factor of these crossbreds was not significantly affected by genotype (P>0.05) or diet (P>0.05) under the experimental conditions and ranged from 5.8% to 6.0% of gross energy intake. This value is lower than that reported by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (6.5%) for cattle fed with low-quality crop residues or by-products. Thus, our results imply that the Japanese Black crossbred cattle consume less feed and emits less enteric methane than the Charolais crossbred does, mainly owing to its lower ME requirement for maintenance. The OPF diet could be used to replace SBS for high beef production, although further studies are required to evaluate their application across a wide range of beef production systems.

Microbiology in the sugar industries

The environment of a sugar factory is conducive to the propagation of microbes that are introduced with the harvested crop. Further introductions are made from the machinery surfaces and water during processing. Each microbe type has a preferred range of temperature and water activity, so a factory may have different populations in different areas. It is important to detect microbial presence so appropriate control measures can be taken, and to conserve expenses when treatment is not needed. The most ideal detection methods in a factory will yield accurate results quickly and inexpensively. A mannitol detection method has been developed for the sugarcane industry, and subsequently applied to sweet sorghum and sugar beet. Conversion of sugar crop byproducts, such as bagasse, are a potential new value stream. An analysis was conducted to determine whether environmental conditions and the presence of microbes in bagasse affects the chemical composition, and subsequent application for novel uses. Fuel value was found to be negatively affected when bagasse was left uncovered and exposed to sun and rain. The fuel characteristics were maintained. Bagasse was also successfully pelletized and converted to biochar for stable storage and transport.

Cellulose Fiber Isolation and Characterization from Sweet Blue Lupin Hull and Canola Straw

In this study, cellulose fibers were removed from crop by-products using a combination of sodium hydroxide treatment followed by acidified sodium chlorite treatment. The objective was to obtain high recovery of cellulose by optimizing treatment conditions with sodium hydroxide (5–20%, 25–75 °C and 2–10 h) followed by acidified sodium chlorite (1.7%, 75 °C for 2–6 h) to remove maximum lignin and hemicellulose, as well as to investigate the effect of lignin content of the starting materials on the treatment efficiency. Samples were characterized for their chemical composition, crystallinity, thermal behavior and morphology to evaluate the effects of treatments on the fibers’ structure. The optimum sodium hydroxide treatment conditions for maximum cellulose recovery was at 15% NaOH concentration, 99 °C and 6 h. Subsequent acidified sodium chlorite treatment at 75 °C was found to be effective in removing both hemicellulose and lignin, resulting in higher recovery of cellulose in lupin hull (~ 95%) and canola straw (~ 93%). The resultant cellulose fibers of both crop by-products had increased crystallinity without changing cellulose I structure (~ 68–73%). Improved thermal stabilities were observed with increased onset of degradation temperatures up to 307–318 °C. Morphological investigations validated the effectiveness of treatments, revealing disrupted cell wall matrix and increased surface area due to the removal of non-cellulosics. The results suggest that the optimized combination of sodium hydroxide and acidified sodium chlorite treatments could be effectively used for the isolation of cellulose fibers from sweet blue lupin hull and canola straw, which find a great number of uses in a wide range of industrial applications.

Metabolizable Energy and Digestibility Estimates of mixed Diets of Crop By-Products as Readily Available Feeds for Small Ruminants

Metabolizable Energy and Digestibility Estimates of mixed Diets of Crop By-Products as Readily Available Feeds for Small Ruminants

Use of municipal solid waste incineration bottom ash and crop by-product for producing lightweight aggregate

Due to the growing amount of residues in Europe, it is mandatory to provide a viable alternative for managing wastes contributing to the efficient use of resources. Besides, it is also essential to move towards a low carbon economy, priority EU by 2050. Among these, it is important to highlight the development of sustainable alternatives capable of incorporating different kind of wastes in their formulations.Municipal Solid Waste Incineration (MSWI) is estimated to increase in Europe, where the accessibility of landfill is restricted. Bottom ash (BA) is the most significant by-product from MSWI as it accounts for 85 - 95 % of the solid product resulting from combustion. BA is a mixture of calcium-rich compounds and others silicates enriched in iron and sodium. In addition, it is categorized as non-hazardous waste which can be revalorized as secondary material in construction or civil engineering fields, previous weathering stabilization during 2 - 3 months. Taking into account the relative proportion of each size fraction and the corresponding material characterization, the content of glass (primary and secondary) is estimated to be around 60 wt%. Furthermore, as a renewable resource and according to waste management European policies, residual agricultural biomass has attracted attention in preparation of advanced materials for various applications, due to their low cost, abundance, and environment friendliness. Among this residual biomass, rice husk is a by-product of rice milling industry which has high content of silica and has been widely used in buildings as natural thermal insulation material.Weathered BA (WBA) with a particle size less than 30 mm was milled under 100 μm, mixed with 2.0 - 5.0 mm rice husk, formed into ball-shaped pellets and sintered by different thermal treatments, which remove the organic matter content generating a large porosity. Physico-chemical analysis and mechanical behavior of the manufactured lightweight aggregates were tested. The obtained results provide a suitable physico-mechanical formulation using WBA as silica source, as well as a common crop by-product.

Response of sheep fed on corn cob silage or elephant grass basal diet with or without Calliandra leaf meal supplementation

&lt;p class="abstrak2"&gt;Limited availability of forage diet throughout the year could be overcome by utilization of crop by-products. Corn cob, a by-product from maize production is potential to be used as a fiber source for grass replacement. The objective of the study was to compare the effect of two different basal diets (basal grass diet and corn cob silage) with or without Calliandra supplementation on feed intake, nutrient digestibility, nitrogen utilization, rumen fermentation and growth of sheep. The study used 20 male sheep St Croix breed. The sheep were divided into 5 groups based on body weight. Each group was fed with one of four diet treatments for 13 weeks. The treatments were grass basal diet + concentrate, Corn cob silage (CCS) + concentrate, Grass basal diet + concentrate + 5% Calliandra leaf meal, CCS + concentrate + 5% Calliandra leaf meal. The ratio of basal diet (grass or CCS) to concentrate was 40 : 60% and was formulated in iso protein (crude protein content 14%). The diet was offered in total mix ration. The experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design and arranged in factorial 2 x 2 (2 type basal diets and 2 Calliandra supplementation levels) with 5 replications. Results showed that there was no interaction between basal diet and Calliandra supplementation on feed consumption, average daily gain (ADG), nutrient digestibility, rumen fermentation, except for crude protein (CP) intake. Feed consumption was not affected by basal diets or Calliandra supplementation. Feed conversion ratio and protein conversion ratio were better in grass basal diet than CCS. CP digestibility was higher in corn cob silage than basal grass diet without Calliandra supplementation. N retention was higher in corn cob basal diet than basal grass diet. Rumen fermentation was significantly affected by basal diet in which rumen ammonia and VFA concentrations were higher in grass basal diet. Grass basal diet had higher propionic acid production than CCS basal diet. From this study, it could be concluded that in iso protein diet, basal grass diet was comparable to corn cob basal diet as revealed by average daily gain was similar in both diets with average 107.5 g/head/day. Calliandra supplementation at 5% in the grass or CCS basal diet did not improve sheep performance.&lt;/p&gt;

An innovative approach to the preparation of coloured and multifunctional silk material with the natural extracts from chestnut shell and black rice bran

In order to reutilise the byproducts of foods and crops to benefit the environment and economise on resources, the natural extracts from chestnut shell and black rice bran were applied in the simultaneous dyeing and multifunctionalisation of silk fabrics. In this work, the influence of pH value on dyeing properties was studied. The effects of the ratio of chestnut shell and black rice bran extracts and the application of mordants (aluminium potassium sulphate and ferrous sulphate) on the dyeing performance as well as anti‐ultraviolet and antioxidant properties of treated silk were also discussed. The results showed that deep‐coloured silk fabrics can be obtained when dyed with the two natural extracts as the pH value of the dyebath approached 3. The ratio of the two natural extracts and the use of the mordants have significant effects on colour depth, colour hue, colour fastness, and the functionalities of dyed silk fabrics. Combination dyeing and mordanting are able to enrich the colour hues of dyed fabrics. The washing, rubbing, and light fastness of the dyed fabrics after mordanting can be rated higher than grade 4. Moreover, the silk after combination dyeing has good UV protection performance (UPF &gt; 30) and antioxidant activity. In addition, the functionalities of treated fabrics showed excellent washing fastness. This study reveals that chestnut shell and black rice bran extracts are suitable as natural colourants and multifunctional finishing agents for the preparation of coloured and multifunctional silk materials.