Cereal Cultivation Research Articles

СОЦІО-ЕКОЛОГІЧНІ НАСЛІДКИ АГРОПРОДОВОЛЬЧОЇ СПЕЦІАЛІЗАЦІЇ УКРАЇНИ: ПРИЧИНИ І СПОСОБИ ЇХ УСУНЕННЯ

Міжнародні організації, світова наукова спільнота відзначають наростання екологічних процесів, пов’язаних із сільськогосподарською діяльністю. Зокрема, визнається негативний вплив на екологію природних ресурсів аграрного сектору глибоко спеціалізованого (монокультурного) виробництва, яке посилює деградацію угідь. Втрати від ґрунтовтоми – супутника монокультури становлять майже 25 % світового врожаю. У документах ООН ідеться не лише про екологічні, а й про соціальні втрати монокультурного виробництва: зменшення зайнятості сільського населення, посилення бідності, погіршення харчування тощо. Проаналізовано процеси формування в Україні глибоко спеціалізованого, з ознаками монокультурного, землеробства, зональний аспект якого дозволяє виявити його негативні екологічні й соціальні наслідки. Перехід у Степовій зоні на вирощування ґрунтовиснажливих і гумусопоглинаючих зернових і соняшнику, які зайняли більш як 93 % посівних площ, витіснивши пари і багаторічні трави, обумовив посилення ерозії, якою нині вражено 60–80 % сільгоспугідь, дегуманізацію ґрунтів (дефіцит гумусу сягає 600 кг/га), значне скорочення тваринництва, зменшення споживання населенням молока і молокопродуктів, зниження калорійності середньодобового раціону, ліквідацію робочих місць у сільськогосподарському виробництві тощо. Зазначені процеси притаманні східним регіонам Лісостепу і, хоча й меншою мірою, іншим регіонам країни. У цілому по Україні знижується якість харчування, зростає імпортозалежність за певними видами продовольчих товарів, витіснених з виробництва в результаті глибокої спеціалізації. Для упередження подальшого розвитку цих та інших негативних процесів обґрунтовано безальтернативність переходу від глибоко спеціалізованого монокультурного сільського господарства до агроекологічного плодозмінного в симбіозі з тваринництвом. Запропоновано механізми переходу до даного типу землеробства з урахуванням теоретичних засад проблеми і досвіду її розв’язання в західноєвропейських та інших країнах, що дозволить призупинити деградацію і забезпечити зростання продуктивності сільськогосподарських угідь, зберегти продовольчий суверенітет країни та її сільський трудовий потенціал.

Montane Ecoclines in Ancient Central Asia: A Preliminary Study of Agropastoral Economies in Juuku, Kyrgyzstan

In this paper, we use preliminary archaeological data spanning the Iron Age through Medieval periods (ca. 800 BCE to 1200 CE) in the Juuku Valley on the south side of Lake Issyk-Kul to model land use across vertical mountain zones. We have (1) established a radiometric chronology; (2) conducted test excavations of an Iron Age settlement at 2100 m asl and a Turkic period burial at 1934 m asl; (3) undertaken preliminary archaeobotanical research; and (4) performed pedestrian surveys. Seed remains of wheat (Triticum aestivum), barley (Hordeum vulgare), broomcorn millet (Panicum milaceum) and foxtail millet (Setaria italica), and legumes were recovered in very small quantities from both sites. We compare these preliminary archaeobotanical results with previously published data from the Talgar Iron Age settlements on the north side of the Tian Shan Mountain range in Kazakhstan. A small assemblage of faunal remains found at the Turkic period kurgan and from a profile at the upland Iron Age settlement demonstrates the practice of herding sheep/goats, cattle, and horses in the Juuku Valley. The goal of this study was to test the hypothesis that pastoral transhumance and agropastoralism were interchangeable economic strategies used by peoples in the Iron Age through Medieval periods in mountain-river valleys between 600 m to 2100 m asl. These economic strategies combined the pasturing of sheep, goats, cattle, and horses with the cultivation of cereals were adapted to different vegetational zones along a vertical gradient. This paper is based on preliminary research of upland sites of the Juuku Valley in Kyrgyzstan, and initiates a long-term research study of four millennia of settlements that ranged from pastoral transhumance and combined mountain agriculture using survey data and test excavations.

Multi-site archaeobotanical analysis reveals wood-fuel supply, woodland impact and land use around Roman urban centres: The case of Barcino (Barcelona, NE Iberia)

Woodlands are especially important spaces for city fuel provisioning. During Roman times urban centres carried out numerous activities with frequent wood-energy requirements, and as a result, they potentially impacted the composition of the surrounding forests.Considering this premise, this study discusses the wood fuel economy and the configuration of the landscape around the Roman colony of Barcino (present-day Barcelona), located on the NW Mediterranean coast. We approached the topic starting from an analysis of wood charcoal fragments and pollen remains sampled from several rescue archaeological excavations along the perimeter wall of the Roman city, in order to shed light on the composition of the urban wood fuel exploited and the land cover of the suburban area between the 1st and the 6th centuries CE.The charcoal analysis revealed that most of the fuel procured for Barcino came from holm oak woodlands, with Quercus ilex, Arbutus unedo and Erica arborea woods predominantly being harvested. Furthermore, the composition of the fuel charcoal debris appeared similar in the different excavation-sectors as well as constant through time, suggesting the existence of a fuel supply economy common to the whole city and sustainable woodland management to fulfil these needs.Moreover, pollen analysis detected an important deforestation process in the ager of the city, accompanied by an increase in cereal and vine cultivation. In addition, either pollen and/or charcoal findings assessed the introduction of new fruit trees in the area (Castanea sativa, Juglans regia, Maloideae, Citrus sp., Punica granatum, Prunus sp.). Overall, these data suggest the fragmentation and ever-increasing shift of forested areas in the hinterland of the Barcelona plain, as well as on the hills.

Versatility as a cultural niche: palynological evidence on Iron Age and medieval land use on the Åland Islands

ABSTRACT The quantitative archaeological record of the Åland Islands (Finland) indicates a population boom in the mid-sixth century CE. Yet the number of palynological investigations on Åland is limited, resulting in a knowledge gap of anthropogenic landscape modification generated by the land use that followed the increased population. This article presents the results of a pollen analysis from Lake Lavsböle Träsk in central Åland, covering the period from the end of the Bronze Age into the modern period. The results of this study provide evidence of continuous land use throughout the Iron Age and the medieval period, and the population boom during the sixth century CE is indicated in the pollen signal. Altogether we argue for an economy based on cereal cultivation, animal husbandry, and maritime resource utilization (e.g. seal hunting, fishing, and fowling) as well as trading. The results indicate a society able to manage risks connected to their subsistence strategies, in which versatility seems to have had a key role.

Analysis of winter rye production trends and yield dependence on forecrops and sowing rates

The purpose and objectives of the study. The study purpose was to investigate trends in the winter rye production volumes and factors on farms in the Kharkiv Region and to analyze effects of some technological factors (namely, forecrops and sowing rates) on winter rye yield. Materials and research methods. We used data of the statistical collection “Silske Hospodarstvo Kharkivskoi Oblasti (Agriculture of the Kharkivska Oblast)" and the statistical bulletin "Osnovni Ekonomichni Pokaznyky Vyrobnytstva Produktsii Silskoho Hospodarstva v Silskohospodarskykh Pidpryiemstvakh (Major Economic Indicators of Agricultural Production at Agricultural Enterprises)" as a starting basis. The main methods of analysis were summarizing statistical data, absolute and relative values, mean values, variations, dynamics series, tabular and graphic methods. The following methods were used to analyze the influence of forecrops and sowing rates on the yield: field surveys, determination the winter rye yield structure, measurements of plant growth and development, determination of yield, phenological observations; mathematical and statistical methods to test significance of results (variance analysis, correlation analysis). The discussion of the results. From 1990 to 2021, the largest areas on the farms in the Kharkiv Region were sown with winter rye in 1990 (17,218 hectares), and the smallest (1,900 hectares) – in 2018. The economic theory says that area is an extensive factor in grain production development. Its mean value over the studied period was 7,102 hectares. The fluctuation degree of the winter rye-sown area in absolute units was very high, as evidenced by the coefficient of variation of 65.6%. The winter rye yield experienced the smallest fluctuation (coefficient of variation 24.5%), ranging 15.4 cwt/ha in 2010 to 38.3 cwt/ha in 2020. We believe that this is not a very good sign, because within 32 years reserves for increasing yields of this crop (indicator of intensive development, i.e. production growth solely at the expense of increasing the productivity of a unit of land area) could have been invented. In 1990, 17,218 hectares were sown with winter rye in the Kharkiv Region, which was by 8.3 times larger that the winter rye-sown area in 2021. During the investigated 32-year period, the winter-rye sown area decreased annually by approximately 610 hectares or 9%. The linear regression model of the post-sunflower sown winter rye yield dependence demonstrates that with an increase in the sowing rate from 4 to 5 million seeds /ha, we get a gain in the yield of 2.7333 cwt/ha. It turned out that with an increase in the sowing rate to 6 million seeds/ha, the yield decreases by 4.1 cwt/ha. Conclusions. The winter rye grain production intensification should be associated with outpacing rates of yield growth compared to the growth of costs for ensuring this yield growth. Analytic quantization of the dynamic series of winter rye yields by 4th degree polynomial showed that with a probability of 0.95 we could note periods of decline in theoretically expected yields from 1990 to 2005 (from 32.2 cwt/ha to 18.3 cwt/ha) and from 2016 to 2019 (from 31 cwt/ha to 27.44 cwt/ha). We also have periods of rising yields in 2010-2015 (from 21.6 cwt/ha to 31 cwt/ha) and in the last two years (2020-2021) (from 30.4 cwt/ha to 38.5 cwt/ha). We do not recommend safflower as a forecrop in winter rye production, since it decreases yields because of lower moisture content in the soil is caused by a higher density of safflower plants and later harvest times compared to sunflower. Safflower is the most appropriate forecrop in spring cereal cultivation.

The history of the study of the Cherkaskul Culture at the present stage

The article presents the analysis of the current stage of the history of study of the Late Bronze Age Cherkas-kul Culture, mostly distributed in the forest, forest-steppe and steppe areas of the Trans-Urals, including the Tobol region. The source base of the study is a critical analysis of scientific publications concerning the problems of the culture. Five stages in the history of the study of the Cherkaskul Culture were identified, but the achievements of the first four are presented only briefly, as these have been previously published. At the fifth stage (the end of the past — first two decades of the present century), new knowledge on various problems of the culture, as can be seen from the bibliography, was formed primarily by the efforts of scientific centers of Yekaterinburg, Tyumen and Chelyabinsk. These publications provide various concepts for the genesis of the culture, new calibrated radiocar-bon dates are analyzed, which determine the age of the Cherkaskul Culture within the middle — beginning of the third quarter of the 2nd mil. BC. These also demonstrate the intense spread of the sites of this culture to adjacent regions to the west, east and south. Yet, a reasonable point has been raised regarding apparently not so signifi-cant influence of the Cherkaskul migrants on the archaeological sites of the eastern regions of Tataria (in particu-lar, the Taktalachuk burial ground), and the Middle Volga region — the Suskan Culture. At the same time, the first publications have appeared on the technical and typological analysis of the Cherkaskul ceramics, the specifics of its metal complex and other categories of the grave goods. The research continues on different aspects of the diversified economy of the Cherkaskul communities in various natural and climatic zones of their habitat; the first data about possible acquaintance of some communities of the forest-steppe Tobol region with the basics of cereal cultivation have been introduced into scientific circulation. However, not all the issues are close to their final solu-tion, which is in particular due to the specifics of the archaeological sites of the region, multi-layered and non-stratified nature of the majority of the settlements, small number of semi-closed housing complexes within them, as well as small number of identified and analysed closed burial sites.

Environment, subsistence strategies and settlement seasonality in the Negev Highlands (Israel) during the Bronze and Iron Ages: The palynological evidence.

The Negev Highlands arid region (southern Levant) shows evidence of sharp settlement fluctuations, with several periods of strong human activity separated by centuries with no evidence of sedentary life. In this study, we used the palynological method in order to shed light on the region's demographic history in the Bronze and Iron Ages. Fifty-four samples of pollen were collected and analyzed from secure archaeological contexts in four Negev Highlands sites: Nahal Boqer 66, dated to the Early Bronze Age and Early Intermediate Bronze Age (ca. 3200-2200 BCE); Ein Ziq, dated to the Early Intermediate Bronze Age (ca. 2500-2200 BCE); Mashabe Sade, dated to the Intermediate Bronze Age (ca. 2500-2000 BCE); and Haroa, dated to the Iron Age IIA (ca. late 10th through 9th centuries BCE). Our study revealed no evidence of cereal cultivation, with some hints that the inhabitants' diets may have included plants gathered from the wild. Only one of the sites, Nahal Boqer 66, showed micro-indicators of animal dung remains, suggesting that the inhabitants herded animals. The palynological evidence did, however, emphasize that the livestock there were not fed or supplemented with agricultural by-products but rather grazed freely on wild vegetation. The pollen data also suggest that all four sites were occupied only during late winter and spring. The activity in the Negev Highlands during the third millennium BCE was probably related to the copper industry in the Arabah and to copper transportation to settled neighboring lands, especially Egypt. A relatively humid climate supported the trade through the Negev Highlands. Deterioration in both climate conditions and settlement activity was documented in the second half of the Intermediate Bronze Age.

THE INFLUENCE OF THE LEVEL OF SOIL MOISTURE ON THE TRANSLOCATION OF Zn AND Cu IN GRAIN OF WINTER CEREALS IN THE CONDITIONS OF THE FOREST STEPPE OF THE RIGHT BANK

The attention of almost the entire world community is focused on the problem of food security. In many countries of the world, the lack of food resources is acutely felt, the main source of which is grain farming. Ukraine is distinguished among other countries by its favorable soil and climatic conditions for the cultivation of cereals, it has the appropriate technologies, and qualified workers. Therefore, the production of grain products is one of the main directions of the agro-industrial complex of Ukraine, which is subject to certain quality requirements. The article examines the influence of the level of soil moisture (precipitation and irrigation) on the content and coefficient of accumulation and danger of Zn and Cu in the grain of winter wheat and winter barley. The purpose of the study is to study the influence of the level of soil moisture (precipitation and irrigation) on the content of the coefficient of accumulation and danger of Zn and Cu in the grain of winter wheat and winter barley in the conditions of the right-bank forest-steppe. An increase in the coefficient of accumulation of Zn and a decrease in the coefficient of accumulation of Cu in cereal grains contributed to an increase in the concentration of Zn and a decrease in Cu under such conditions, this feature was established both in winter barley of the variety (Luran) and in winter wheat of the variety (Akratos). In particular, at the level of soil irrigation in the period of tillering-earing of winter barley and winter wheat from 256.2 mm to 272.5 mm, the concentration of Zn in the grain of these cereals was 1.07 times higher, and the concentration of Cu was 1.05 times lower in winter barley grain, and in winter wheat grain, the concentration of Zn was 1.14 times higher and 1.15 times lower than the concentration of Cu, respectively, compared to the moisture level of 47.4 mm and 52.3 mm. The coefficient of danger of heavy metals in the grain of winter cereals at the level of soil moisture from 256.2 mm. to 272.5 mm in the tillering-earing period was higher in Zn and lower in Cu compared to the moisture level of 47.4 mm–52.3 mm. An increase in the hazard ratio of Zn by 1.06 times and a decrease in the hazard ratio of Cu by 1.15 times in winter barley grains and an increase by 1.15 and a decrease by 1.16 times in winter wheat grains, respectively. During the artificial moistening of the soil during the growing season in the period of tillering-earing until the grain is milky, an increase in these Zn indicators and a decrease in Cu were observed in both winter barley and winter wheat grains.

Analysis of Relationship between Grain Yield and NDVI from MODIS in the Fez-Meknes Region, Morocco

Exploring the relationship between cereal yield and the remotely sensed normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) is of great importance to decision-makers and agricultural stakeholders. In this study, an approach based on the Pearson correlation coefficient and linear regression is carried out to reveal the relationship between cereal yield and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) NDVI data in the Fez-Meknes region of Morocco. The results obtained show strong correlations reaching 0.70 to 0.89 between the NDVI and grain yield. The linear regression model explains 58 to 79% of the variability in yield in regional provinces marked by the importance of cereal cultivation, and 51 to 53% in the mountainous provinces with less agricultural land devoted to major cereals. The regression slopes indicate that a 0.1 increase in the NDVI results in an expected increase in grain yield of 4.9 to 8.7 quintals (q) per ha, with an average of 6.8 q/ha throughout the Fez-Meknes region. The RMSE ranges from 2.12 to 4.96 q/ha. These results are promising in terms of early yield forecasting based on MODIS-NDVI data, and consequently, in terms of grain import planning, especially since the national grain production does not cover the demand. Such remote sensing data are therefore essential for administrations that are in charge of food security decisions.

INVESTIGATING THE DETERMINANTS OF CEREAL PRODUCTION IN NIGERIA

This study examined the factors that determine cereal production in Nigeria in two different periods; namely from 1970-2006 and from 1986-2021 using the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) bounds test. Findings revealed that in the two periods, cereal production was mainly influenced positively by land under cereal production and agricultural raw materials import. Also, while arable land impacted positively on cereal production in the second period, both food importation and rural population growth adversely impacted on its production. The study therefore contends that for cereal production to improve in Nigeria, land under cereal cultivation should be improved. Furthermore, while there is need to encourage the importation of more agricultural inputs in the short-run, the long-run target should be geared towards sourcing the inputs locally. It is equally the view of the study that while it is pertinent to modernize agricultural practice so that the rural inhabitants can embrace farming, excessive cereal importation should be checked to encourage local production.

Farmers’ motivations for landrace cereal cultivation in Sweden

ABSTRACTThe interest in landrace cereals, i.e. genetically diverse varieties with historical origin, has increased in recent decades. While several studies exist on farmer’s motivations to grow landraces in a Global South context, investigations are much less common in the Global North. Through an interview study with 32 Swedish farmers that cultivate landrace cereals on a commercial scale, farmers’ motivations to grow landrace cereals were explored. The farms in the study ranged from medium sized to large. The majority were located in areas with marginal agricultural land and less fertile soil. All farms sold the landrace cereals at advantageous prices as niche products and all except one were certified organic. The farmers’ motivations for growing landraces were grouped around three themes: i) sustainable farming systems; ii) suitable agronomic traits; and iii) economic incentives. The first and overarching theme was that cultivation of landrace cereals fitted well with the farmers’ ideals on sustainable farming, with for example less intensive weed control and novel intercropping systems, as well as enabling production of wheat with baking quality on marginal agricultural land. Cultivation of landrace cereals was framed in contrast not only to conventional farming, but also to ‘conventionalised’ high input organic farming. The farmers regarded producing and marketing landrace cereals as an important foundation for more sustainable and multifunctional farming and food systems. This reflected the farmers’ perception of a lack of modern varieties suited for these systems as well as the ability of landraces to buffer risks of crop failure on marginal land.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOURCES OF THE CRIMEAN NATIVES’ RELIGION AND CULTS IN THE EARLY IRON AGE

in the Early Iron Age
 Scientific information about the natives of Crimea, in spite of more than a century of investigations, is quite limited. Perhaps the least clear in the archaeological and cultural-historical constructions of the Crimean societies of the final Bronze Age — Early Iron Age is still the sphere of religion and cults.
 The only thing that in any way indicates the religion of the population of Crimea — is a set of symbols on ceramics, which demonstrates the dynamics of change of signs. In addition to images of signs in the culture, images of faces are also known — on a vessel from Uch-Bash and on phallic-shaped ceramic figures from the pre-Greek layer of Chersonesos.
 We assume that the social order of the tribes of the younger pre-Taurian period was destroyed due to the invasion of nomads. The old economic system in the northern Black Sea coast ceased to function, contacts collapsed, and the remnants of the local tribes formed a new society, in fact, on fire and together with the remnants of other tribes. In such a situation, the beginnings of a new ideology were probably destroyed along with their bearers. The tribes adopted a primitive ideology that was not characteristic of earlier Crimean societies. Why this happened and where this ideology was borrowed from, or whether it was characteristic of the tribal Bronze Age tribes living on the peninsula, remains unclear.
 In general, characterizing the tribes that inhabited the Crimea during the metal ages, only in the final of Bronze Age and turn to Iron Age and later during the emergence of Greek centres we can talk about the tribes of farmers, where the cultivation of cereals accounts for a significant share in the economy. This is important because only the agricultural tribes have a common lunar calendar, which was determined by observations of celestial bodies, and therefore needed a sanctuary-observatory. There are no signs of such sanctuaries in the Crimea. The tribes of pastoralists had simpler ways of observing the sky, which probably occurred on the basis of the movement of the sun through the firmament, embodied in temples and sacred places on certain elevations — mountains, stone remains etc., or the construction of special structures — pyramids, ziggurats, mounds, obelisks, menhirs. We observe the simplest forms of worship in the Crimea — cemeteries under mountain ranges, mounds, menhirs. Sanctuaries and cults of the pre-Taurian periods of the Kyzyl-Koba culture are not known to us, except for a small set of signs on ceramic vessels. This antropomorthous signs have earlier analogies in Eastern Mediteranian and show features of changing in ideology of native population in different lends in process of transition from the Bronze to the Iron Age. This features appearances in anthropomorthous signs. All the known sanctuaries of the Crimean Mountains dated from the Roman time and they did not connect with Kyzyl-Koba culture. The burial custom of the tribes of the Taurian period is rows of stone cists, located under the ridges of the mountains; in some graves were installed menhirs. This custom is more in line with the population with the main component of livestock in the economy. The sanctuaries of the Crimean Mountains appear in the already formed form with an established custom and have nothing similar in the rites of Kyzyl-Koba tribes.
 More and more evidence is now being gathered in favour of the emergence of a completely new phenomenon for Crimea — military cults, which may be associated with a new wave of people who found themselves in the Crimea in connection with the spread of Latin cultures to the east. Preconditions, in particular, the transition of the Tauri population to the customs of the Scythian tribes, developed on the peninsula in the late 4th — early 3rd century BC. Thus, nothing contradicts the formation of syncretic military cults in the barbarian population of Crimea in the 2nd century BC and the emergence of such phenomena as the sanctuary of Gurzufske Sidlo in Roman times.

Optimized drought tolerance in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) using plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR)

Barley is among the most cultivated cereals in areas suffering water deficit, which impacts their growth and crop production. Here, we aimed to select plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) that have the potential to enhance barley growth under drought stress. Thus, 15 bacterial isolates were selected for drought tolerance (more than −0.49 MPa) and screened for PGP characteristics: phosphate solubilization, production of exopolysaccharides, hydrogen cyanide, ammonia, siderophores, and indole-3-acetic acid, and enzyme activities such as phosphatase, cellulase, pectinase, and chitinase. The top four isolates (MFC1, MFE3, MFF2, and MFF5) regarding PGP traits were tested on barley plants in irrigated and under drought conditions. The inoculation of barley plants by the isolates increased the indexes of plant tolerance to drought stress, such as shoot dry weight, relative water content, chlorophyll pigments content, photosynthesis efficiency (Fv/m ratio), and proline content. On the other hand, plant sensitivity indexes such as electrolytes leakage and MDA and hydrogen peroxide contents were decreased. Principal component analysis discriminates clearly between uninoculated and inoculated plants. This isolate was identified as Providencia rettgeri. Indeed, under stressful conditions, MFE3 showed high plant tolerance index values, making it a potent isolate. Our current study showed that the interaction between barley plants and MFE3 might lead to an effective plant-bacteria system under drought stress.

APPLICATION OF Azospirillum brasilense AND NITROGEN IN TOPDRESSING IN CORN HYBRIDS

Corn (Zea mays L.) is the most cultivated cereal in the world. The high yields obtained for this crop are mainly linked to nitrogen requirements. Technologies that aim to reduce costs with nitrogen fertilizers, with less environmental impact, such as diazotrophic bacteria, should be considered an advantageous alternative for this crop. The present study aimed to evaluate two corn hybrids, BioGene 7046® and Dekalb 310®, with three topdressing nitrogen doses (0.35 and 70 kg ha-1 of N) associated with four application methods of Azospirillum brasilense (without inoculation, seed inoculation, foliar inoculation, and the combination of inoculation via seeds and leaves). A randomized block design with four replications arranged in a 2x3x4 factorial scheme was used to evaluate variables related to growth and development, physiological analysis of nitrate reductase enzyme activity, and yield variables and their components. The use of Azospirillum brasilense did not affect the development of corn plants and did not increase grain yield. In the edaphoclimatic conditions in which this research was developed, nitrogen fertilization at doses of 35 and 70 kg ha-1 benefit nutrition, development, and corn yield components but are insufficient to increase grain yield.

Industrial Symbiosis for Sustainable Management of Meat Waste: The Case of Śmiłowo Eco-Industrial Park, Poland.

This study presents the developing process of the Śmiłowo Eco-Park, located in the Noteć valley region (Poland), is a part of the biggest Polish agri-food consortium, from its initial small waste management company to its final structure as an eco-industrial park using industrial symbiosis methods. The industrial symbiosis applied in the Eco-park promotes a business model which covers the whole life cycle of the products starting from the plant growing by animal feed preparation, livestock breeding, meat preparations, meat-bone meal production from animal waste, and the use of pig slurry as a fertilizer. The Eco-park model is presented in the form of a system of connected stream flows of materials and energy covering the full lifecycle of products, from cereal cultivation, through the production of industrial feed, and poultry and pig breeding for the production of meat products. The solutions used include the prevention of environmental pollution through the modernization of existing processes, implementation of new technologies, reduction of waste and its reuse, recycling, and recovery of materials and energy, the substitution of raw materials with waste, and thermal treatment of waste and its use as biofuel. This case study allows for analyses of the organizational and technical key strategic activities which enable waste, including hazardous waste, to be transformed into valuable materials and energy. These activities have modified the system of material and energy flows through the value chain to realize the goal of allowing profitable management of waste according to circular economy methods and also indicates methods of supporting modifications of supply chains in terms of implementation of the industrial symbiosis business model according to its relationship with sustainable development, cleaner production, and circular economy models. EIP Śmiłowo annually utilizes 300,000 t meat waste, produces 110,000 t meat bone meal biofuel, uses 120,000 t of pig manure as fertilizers, produces 460,000 GJ bioenergy, eliminates 92,000 t CO2 emissions.

A Multimethodological Approach for the Valorization of “Senatore Cappelli” Wheat Milling By-Products as a Source of Bioactive Compounds and Nutraceutical Activity

Wheat is the third most cultivated cereal in the world and represents the major contributor to human nutrition. Milling wheat by-products such as husks (17-20% of the total processing output weight), even if still containing high-value-added bioactive compounds, are often left untreated or unused, thus resulting in environmental and human health burdens. In these regards, the present study is aimed at evaluating in a multimethodological approach the nutraceutical properties of durum wheat husks belonging to the ancient cultivar "Senatore Cappelli", thus assessing their potential as bioactive compound sources in terms of phytochemical, cytotoxic, and nutraceutical properties. By means of HPLC-FD analyses, wheat husk samples analyzed revealed a higher content of serotonin, amounting to 35% of the total BAs, and were confirmed to occur at biogenic amines quality index (BAQI) values <10 mg/100 g. In addition, spectrophotometric assays showed a significant variable content in the phenolic (189.71-351.14 mg GAE/100 g) and antioxidant compounds (31.23-37.84 mg TE/100 g) within the wheat husk samples analyzed, according to the different cultivar areas of origin. Considering wheat husk extracts' anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity, in vitro analyses were performed on BV-2 murine microglia cells cultured in the presence or absence of LPS, thus evaluating their ability to promote microglia polarization towards an anti-inflammatory phenotype. Cytotoxicity assays showed that wheat extracts do not affect microglia viability. Wheat husks activity on microglial polarization was assessed by analyzing the expression of M1 and M2 markers' mRNA by RT-PCR. Wheat husk antioxidant activity was assessed by analysis of NRF2 and SOD1 mRNA expression. Moreover, the sustainability assessment for the recovery of bioactive components from wheat by-products was carried out by applying the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology using SimaPro v9.2.2. software.

Earliest cereal cultivation in Egypt recorded in the Faiyum Oasis lake deposits and its palaeoclimatic context

We determine the beginning of the Neolithic farming in northern Egypt, based on analysis of core FA-1 of lake deposits in the Faiyum Oasis in northern Egypt. Regular lamination of the early Middle Holocene lake deposits, supported by radiocarbon dating and pollen analysis, indicates the earliest occurrence of domesticated cereals at ~7.8 cal ka BP in this region. The appearance of cereals in the Faiyum region was possible due to fundamental restructuring of regional climatic conditions caused by the changing atmospheric circulation in the eastern Mediterranean region. Stronger northwestern winds were accompanied by increased precipitation in winter and enabled 3 farming phases in the Faiyum Oasis at 7.8–7.6, 7.4–7.2 and 7.0–6.8 cal ka BP, separated by arid episodes with predominant southern winds. Most probably, cereal cultivation concentrated inside local wadis to the north of the lake and was rainfall-dependent. Therefore, early Egyptian farming did not develop based on irrigation systems as commonly thought, but was rain-fed, this being possible due to marked climate change at the beginning of the Middle Holocene.

Functional Bread Produced in a Circular Economy Perspective: The Use of Brewers' Spent Grain.

Brewers' spent grain (BSG) is the main by-product of the brewing industry, corresponding to ~85% of its solid residues. The attention of food technologists towards BSG is due to its content in nutraceutical compounds and its suitability to be dried, ground, and used for bakery products. This work was aimed to investigate the use of BSG as a functional ingredient in bread-making. BSGs were characterised for formulation (three mixtures of malted barley and unmalted durum (Da), soft (Ri), or emmer (Em) wheats) and origin (two cereal cultivation places). The breads enriched with two different percentages of each BSG flour and gluten were analysed to evaluate the effects of replacements on their overall quality and functional characteristics. Principal Component Analysis homogeneously grouped BSGs by type and origin and breads into three sets: the control bread, with high values of crumb development, a specific volume, a minimum and maximum height, and cohesiveness; Em breads, with high values of IDF, TPC, crispiness, porosity, fibrousness, and wheat smell; and the group of Ri and Da breads, which have high values of overall smell intensity, toasty smell, pore size, crust thickness, overall quality, a darker crumb colour, and intermediate TPC. Based on these results, Em breads had the highest concentrations of nutraceuticals but the lowest overall quality. Ri and Da breads were the best choice (intermediate phenolic and fibre contents and overall quality comparable to that of control bread). Practical applications: the transformation of breweries into biorefineries capable of turning BSG into high-value, low-perishable ingredients; the extensive use of BSGs to increase the production of food commodities; and the study of food formulations marketable with health claims.

Spatial modelling indicates Striga seedbank density dependence on rainfall and soil traits in the savannas of northern Nigeria

AbstractStriga is one of most notorious weeds devastating crop production in the dry savannas of northern Nigeria. The weed attacks most cultivated cereals and legumes with crop losses as high as 100% when no control measure is employed. Studies conducted in the dry savannas of Nigeria indicated that Striga seedbank is strongly related to soil and climate properties. This study was conducted to model Striga hermonthica seedbank zones in the dry savannas of Nigeria based on soil and climate properties of the areas. Using multi‐stage spatial sampling, 169 soil samples were collected at the centroids of 25 × 25 km grids across the study area and analysed for physico‐chemical properties. The number of Striga seeds were counted from the soil samples using water elutriator and potassium bicarbonate method. Daily temperature, relative humidity and rainfall for each point were downloaded from Climate Hazards Group InfraRed Precipitation with Station data (CHIRPS). Minimum and maximum temperatures, and relative humidity were accessed from National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA POWER). Thresholds of various soil and climate variables for optimum concentration of Striga seedbank were analysed using boundary line analysis (BLA). From the BLA, optimum amount of rainfall for high Striga seedbank was 549 mm per annum. While temperature has a wide suitability range for Striga seedbank development. Principal component analysis was used to reduce dimensionality of the dataset into principal components (PCs). Seven PCs which explained 75.6% variation in the data were retained and used in the weighed overlay modelling (WOM). The weighted overlay map produced five distinct Striga seedbank zones; very low, low, moderate, high and very high. More than 60% of the study area had moderate to high Striga seedbanks. The zones vary mostly based on soil, climate and Striga seed count. The establishment of the optimum levels of the environmental factors at which Striga seedbank is favoured will assist in designing a more site‐specific Striga management. However, for scalability purpose, adoption of the Striga zoning approach can be useful.

:The Making of a Roman Imperial Estate: Archaeology in the Vicus at Vagnari, Puglia

:<i>The Making of a Roman Imperial Estate: Archaeology in the Vicus at Vagnari, Puglia</i>