Husk Weight Research Articles

Rice Husk Gasifier Experiment as Biofuel Source in UiTM Pulau Pinang

Rice husk gasification developed as process that converts organic rice husk into a producer gas. The achievement is to reduce dependency on fossil fuel, reduce pollution and move into green technology. Downdraft gasifier is a reactor that can produce lower tar concentration in the producer gas. There are important objectives had been investigated which are to modify on laboratory scaled downdraft gasifier from the previous project, where suitable with the rice husk gasification system, to measure the exit temperatures in gasifier which it determine tar quantity at the output, to measure the amount of moisture removed from the rice husk where it determine the quantity of moisture in rice husk and, to measure the complete burning of rice husk in a gasifier by taking the time performing the experiments. All the objectives are to be obtaining the output which can be used as a biofuel sources. The method to achieve the objectives, firstly redesign performed using SolidWork software. Next, the temperature determined using thermocouple. Then, next objective which the rice husk drying analysis determined by drying rice husk and scale it with weighing scale. And lastly, burning was determined by using stopwatch and weighing scale with complete fabricated gasifier. The results shows the fabrication of the modification, average exits temperature of producer gas which around 203.93°C, different moisture weight of rice husk which around 10grams and, average time of completes burning of gasifier is 61 minutes and ability to capture producer gas’s flammability. This work concluded by achieves the objectives based on the results and may increase in understanding of the works related.

Correlation and principal component analysis of physical properties of tender coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) in relation to the development of trimming machine

AbstractThe physical properties such as tender coconut size, weight, husk thickness, and husk moisture tender content play a vital role in the development of an efficient and ergonomic trimming machine. The important physical properties of tender coconuts of cultivars namely Kulasekaran Green Dwarf (KGD), Andaman Giant Tall (AGT), Ganga Bondam (GB), Malayan Orange Dwarf (MOD), and Chowghat Orange Dwarf (COD) were determined. The important properties including weight, diameter, height, husk thickness, husk moisture content, shell diameter, shell height, and shell thickness were high for nuts of AGT and low for COD nuts. The average bulk density, true density, and porosity of AGT were 332.47 kg·m−3, 1,196.67 kg·m−3, and 72.21%, respectively. The husk weight and volume of water of AGT were 87.77% and 12.39% high, respectively, compared with COD. In the correlation study, the coconut weight correlated positively (r = 0.791) with the diameter and vertical distance between the shell and the fruit base (r = 0.813). The principal component analysis suggested that the cultivars GB, KGD, and MOD have similar physical properties to COD and AGT. Thus, the present investigation documents crucial basic information to design an efficient and superior tender coconut trimming machine.Practical ApplicationsTransportation of intact tender coconut is difficult, and thus a manually trimmed tender coconut shape of a cylindrical side with a conical top has gained more importance among the domestic and international consumers owing to its fresh and natural taste and attractive shape. The high transportation cost of tender coconut, shortage of manpower to trim the tender coconut, and the high production cost to make the shape of the cylindrical side with a conical top have created an urgent need for the development of trimming machines. The physical properties of tender coconut and its correlation studies are very important for the designing and development of a trimming machine.

Ozone Tolerance Found in Aegilops tauschii and Primary Synthetic Hexaploid Wheat.

Modern wheat cultivars are increasingly sensitive to ground level ozone, with 7–10% mean yield reductions in the northern hemisphere. In this study, three of the genome donors of bread wheat, Triticum urartu (AA), T. dicoccoides (AABB), and Aegilops tauschii (DD) along with a modern wheat cultivar (T. aestivum ‘Skyfall’), a 1970s cultivar (T. aestivum ‘Maris Dove’), and a line of primary Synthetic Hexaploid Wheat were grown in 6 L pots of sandy loam soil in solardomes (Bangor, North Wales) and exposed to low (30 ppb), medium (55 ppb), and high (110 ppb) levels of ozone over 3 months. Measurements were made at harvest of shoot biomass and grain yield. Ae. tauschii appeared ozone tolerant with no significant effects of ozone on shoot biomass, seed head biomass, or 1000 grain + husk weight even under high ozone levels. In comparison, T. urartu had a significant reduction in 1000 grain + husk weight, especially under high ozone (−26%). The older cultivar, ‘Maris Dove’, had a significant reduction in seed head biomass (−9%) and 1000 grain weight (−11%) but was less sensitive than the more recent cultivar ‘Skyfall’, which had a highly significant reduction in its seed head biomass (−21%) and 1000 grain weight (−27%) under high ozone. Notably, the line of primary Synthetic Hexaploid Wheat was ozone tolerant, with no effect on total seed head biomass (−1%) and only a 5% reduction in 1000 grain weight under high ozone levels. The potential use of synthetic wheat in breeding ozone tolerant wheat is discussed.

The Method of Obtaining Amorphous Nanosized Silicon Dioxide from Rice Production Waste

The method of using rice husk, which is a rice production waste, as a raw material for the production of silicon dioxide as an alternative to synthetic silicon dioxide – aerosil is considered. A low-energy process for extracting silicon dioxide and cellulose from the husk by alkaline digestion in an NaOH solution was proposed, followed by treating the black liquor with an acid solution and calcining the precipitate at 575 °C during 5 hours. The yield of inorganic products from rice husk is determined based on the ash content of the pulp. It was shown that the product obtained mainly consists of silicon dioxide (SiO2) of amorphous structure, has an average particle size of less than 100 nm, which makes it possible to characterize it as nanosilica. At the same time, silicon dioxide consists of 51.7 % silicon and 48.3% oxygen against theoretical amounts of 30.4 % silicon and 69.6 % oxygen, respectively. The output of silicon dioxide is 8.8 % by weight of rice husk. At the same time, the process allows to obtain another valuable nanocellulose product.

A STUDY ON USE OF RICE HUSK ASH IN CONCRETE

The rice husk is an agricultural waste which is obtained from milling process of paddy and approximately 22% of the weight of paddy is rice husk. The waste is used as fuel in producing stream in parboiling process. The 25 % the weight of husk is converted into ash which is known as rice husk ash (RHA) and is again a waste which is disposed. This ash consists of amorphous silica which can be used as pozzolana in making concrete and cement instead of disposing it without compromising on the properties of cement or concrete if replaced in specific proportion with other constituents of cement or concrete. In this study the ordinary Portland cement is replaced in different proportion with RHA to obtain concrete with comparable and satisfactory strength and properties to that of normal concrete. The proportions of replacement chosen are at 2.5% interval starting from 5 % to 15 % and the casted concrete were tested under compression at different ages and results obtained are compared with normal concrete of same grade and it is co ncluded that the results are comparable.

Studies on performance of certain indigenous and exotic coconut genotypes [Cocos nucifera L.

A performance evaluation study was undertaken with 14 coconut genotypes which include eleven tall and three dwarf genotypes. Among the 14 coconut genotypes, eight exotic and six indigenous were from diverse geographical origins. All the coconut genotypes showed variation for yield, yield contributing characters and quality traits. East Coast Tall recorded maximum plant height while Laccadive Ordinary recorded maximum stem girth. With respect to leaf characters, Philippines Ordinary recorded maximum number of leaves while Jamaica Tall recorded maximum petiole length followed by Fiji Tall. With respect to the flowering traits, Philippines Ordinary recorded the maximum number of inflorescence per palm. The tall genotype, Laccadive micro recorded maximum number of female flowers. Length of stalk was highest in tall genotype Strait Settlement Green. Exotic tall genotype, Jamaica Tall recorded maximum spadix length. For the yield characters, Laccadive Ordinary recorded the highest number of bunch per palm per year by followed by Jamaica tall while Laccadive Micro recorded maximum number of nuts per bunch, number of nut per palm followed by Andaman Ordinary. For the nut characters studied, the exotic tall coconut genotype Jamaica Tall recorded maximum whole nut weight, dehusked nut weight, husk weight, husk thickness, kernel weight, shell weight, shell thickness followed by Laccadive Ordinary and Philippines Ordinary. On the other hand, Laccadive Ordinary recorded maximum kernel thickness and nut length. Andaman Ordinary recorded maximum nut breadth followed by Philippines Ordinary. With respect to quality traits, the indigenous tall genotypes Andaman Ordinary recorded maximum copra content and in case of oil content Laccadive Ordinary recorded maximum followed by Andaman Ordinary.

Evaluation of plus trees in cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) for growth, flower, yield and yield contributing characters during the initial growth phase

The aim of this study was to evaluate the plus trees of cocoa for growth, flower, yield and yield contributing characters during the initial growth phase. Thirty five (35) plus trees in two different farmer’s field were recorded for their growth, flower, yield and yield contributing traits. Among the 35 plus trees, first branching height was observed highest in Tc (Vedapatti) 41, maximum stem girth was recorded in Tc (Vedapatti) 64, maximum number of fan branches was noticed in Tc (Vedapatti) 1. Flower characters like maximum number of flowers per cushion, number of cushions per tree and number of flowers per tree was recorded in Tc (Vedapatti) 61, while highest pod set percentage was recorded in Tc (Vedapatti) 121. The yield parameters like pod length, pod girth, pod weight, fresh seed weight per pod, single fresh bean weight, bean length, single dry bean weight and dry bean weight per pod was found maximum in Tc (Vedapatti) 99, while number of pods per tree was recorded maximum in Tc (Vedapatti) 110. The maximum husk weight and husk thickness was recorded in Tc (Vedapatti) 31, while lowest pod value index was recorded in Tc (Vedapatti) 99. The maximum number of bold beans per pod, number of beans per pod was recorded in Tc (Vedapatti) 72, while highest number of flat beans per pod was recorded in Tc (Vedapatti) 15. Among the 35 plus trees husk to seed ratio was highest in Tc (Vedapatti) 111 and highest estimated dry bean yield per tree was recorded in Tc (Vedapatti) 91. This study showed the variability for growth, flower, yield and yield contributing characters during initial growth phase and the variability present in the plus trees can be used in future breeding program to identify a suitable type for yield or these identified plus trees can be effectively utilized as parents for hybridization programme.

Comparative Strength and Cost of Rice Husk Concrete Block

This research presents a comparative cost and strength analysis of rice husk concrete block which is aimed at reducing the cost of concrete production and emphasizing environmentally and friendly sustainable materials. Concrete block materials consist of cement, filler, and rice husk. Tests were performed to compare the strength and cost of seven cement rice husk weight ratios designated ranging from 0.67 to 2.00 with constant water cement ration of 0.4. Samples have been tested for 28-day strength. The analysis of the results has showed that the higher proportions of rice husk correspond to decreased strength dan cost polynomially. At 134% proportion of rice husk, it is optimum value for rice husk concrete block. In this point, the compressive strength satisfies the standard. Also, water absorption of 16,04% justifies the maximum standard. Overall, the cost of 134% RH concrete is Rp 511,809 per m3 which is 42.5% cheaper than normal concrete block.

POTENSI PEMANFAATAN BIOMASSA SEKAM PADI UNTUK PEMBANGKIT LISTRIK MELALUI TEKNOLOGI GASIFIKASI

Energy consumption in Indonesia from year to year has increased significantly and this must be realized by the whole community. While the national energy reserves will be increasingly thinner so must be found new energy reserves. One of the most potential energy in Indonesia is biomass. Therefore, it is necessary to make various breakthrough in utilizing biomass, one of potency of biomass utilization is gasification. Therefore, it is necessary to make various breakthrough in utilizing biomass, one of potency of biomass utilization is gasification. As an agricultural country, Indonesia produces large quantities of biomass. One of the agricultural waste is rice husk, the weight of husk produced is 22% from the weight of dry milled grain. The availability of rural biomass has the potential to be used in power generation in areas not covered by electricity services.

English

Garcinia kola is an IUCN globally vulnerable species native in Benin where it is extinct in the wild. It is also one of the top ten priority non-timber forest products in Benin because of its socio-economic and medicinal values. Still, G. kola is neglected and underutilized. The morphological variation of G. kola traits was investigated in two land-use types (home gardens versus farmlands) where it is found in Benin with the goal of informing its domestication and production. A total of 79 trees identified in both land use types were characterized based on seventeen tree growth, leaves, fruit and seeds descriptors. Results found no significant difference between land-use types for tree height, first ramification height, crown height, crown diameter growth, blade width, petiole length, petiole diameter and number of seeds. However, stem diameter, blade length, fruit length, fruit width, husk weight, seed length, seed width and seed weight showed significant differences between land-use types. Eight (stem diameter, blade length, fruit length, fruit width, husk weight, seed length, seed width and seed weight) out of the initial descriptors were the most discriminant of trees according to land-use types. Values of most discriminant descriptors were low in home gardens and higher in farmlands. This study shows that land-use management can affect G. kola production, highlights the potential of domestication of the species, and suggests the need to fix morphological traits of fruits and nuts which are the most sought G. kola products. Key words: Benin, Clusiaceae, land-use management, morphological diversity, threatened species.

Engineering properties of five varieties of coconuts (Cocos nucifera L.) for efficient husk separation

ABSTRACTCoconut husk is used as a natural fiber, and it is constantly gaining economic importance including in organic farming. Yet, there are major knowledge gaps regarding the engineering properties of coconut to design efficient coconut dehusking and coir manufacturing process. A sample of 40 coconuts of each variety, namely Malayan Yellow Dwarf, Malayan Orange Dwarf, Kera Shankara, Chowghat Orange Dwarf, and Chowghat Green Dwarf, were divided into two groups (20 dry and 20 green coconuts), and different engineering properties were measured. It was observed that coconuts show an extensive diversity in size, density, husk thickness, husk weight, shell thickness, shell weight, and kernel thickness, depending on variety and maturity. The present investigation provides necessary information and the need for classifying the coconut fruits based on size/variety rather than weight to design superior coconut dehusking machine.

Germination, Growth and Yield Performance of Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) Under Gamma Irradiation Stress

Abstract Gamma irradiation is a widely manipulated mutation breeding approach in agriculture for producing crops with desired agronomic traits. The technique is particularly advantageous to conventional breeding methods because of minimal labor and time requirement. Under laboratory and field experiments during 2013, seeds of Linum usitatissimum L. were irradiated with 2, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28 and 32 krad of gamma irradiation doses from Co-60 source for evaluating their effects on germination, seedling survival, radicle and plumule lengths, vegetative growth and productivity. It was noted that radiation doses caused significant changes in the studied traits of test plant. Germination, radicle and plumule lengths in lab study while shoot length, number of leaves and leaf area, number of fruits plant−1, number of seeds fruit−1, husk weight fruit−1, number of branches plant−1, fresh and dry biomass and moisture content of shoots under pot culture varied significantly under the applied radiation stress. In general, radiation doses up to 8 kr had stimulatory effects on the studied parameters while doses exceeding 8 kr negatively influenced germination, growth and productive attributes of flax. Results observed both stimulatory and inhibitory effects of the irradiation doses. The study suggests that radiation doses above 32 krad induced lethal effects on general growth of flax.

Effect of elevated ozone and varying levels of soil nitrogen in two wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars: Growth, gas-exchange, antioxidant status, grain yield and quality

Tropospheric ozone (O3) is a phytotoxic air pollutant causing a substantial damage to plants and agriculture worldwide. Plant productivity is affected by several environmental factors, which interact with each other. Studies related to interactions involving O3 and different levels of nitrogen (N) are still rare and elusive. In the present study we grew two wheat cultivars (HD2967 and Sonalika) in open top chambers (OTC) under ambient (AO) and elevated O3 (EO) (ambient + 20 ppb O3) and provided two levels of N fertilization; (a) recommended nitrogen (RN), (b) 1.5 times the recommended N (HN). Growth (root/shoot ratio, leaf number and leaf area), biomass, gas-exchange (stomatal conductance (gs), photosynthesis (A), transpiration (E), chlorophyll fluorescence (Fv/Fm), physiological (chlorophyll and carotenoids), biochemical [antioxidant activity, lipid peroxidation (MDA)] parameters and leaf N content were measured at the vegetative and reproductive phases. Yield attributes (spike weight plant−1, grain weight plant−1, grain numbers plant−1, husk weight plant−1, straw weight plant−1, 1000 grain weight, harvest index) and seed N content were analyzed at the final harvest stage.Grain yield plant−1 was decreased in Sonalika under EO irrespective of different levels of N fertilization. Seed N content decreased by 3.9% and 5.6% in HD2967 and Sonalika, respectively, under EO at RN treatment. Antioxidant defense played an important role in protecting the plants against O3 stress which was enhanced under HN treatment. Response of antioxidants varied between the cultivar, growth phase (at the vegetative or reproductive phase) and the N levels (RN or HN). Cultivar HD2967 was characterized by higher biomass, gs and stronger antioxidant protection system, while, Sonalika showed early senescence response (decreased leaf number plant−1, gs) and greater resources allocation towards eco-physiological parameters (increased A and Fv/Fm) at the vegetative phase, resulting in the significant decrease in the yield attributes. Further study warrants the need to screen a large number of cultivars in relation to their response to various levels of N fertilization to minimize the yield losses under highly O3 polluted areas.

Development of eco-friendly and biodegradable Bio composites

Bio composites offer a significant market in automotive and decking market but application in other sectors has been limited. An attempt has been made for the preparation of bio-degradable, eco-friendly green composites using the Coconut fiber and wheat husk weight with corn cob in the varying ratio. The various blends were molded and subjected to heating at 40°C for 48 hrs, Composite of coconut husk and wheat husk in the ratio of 15:85 gave the best tensile strength, this can be attributed to fibrous nature of coconut husk which has influence on tensile strength. The intertwining of the coconut husk initiates the crack propagation so the material shows the UTS of 7N/mm2 with a strain of 26% but with a stair-stepping stress-strain curve. Addition of corn makes this composite material into a hybrid composite. The proposed green composites are promising because they are renewable, biodegradable, and are better alternatives for non renewable composites.

Pengelompokan 33 Aksesi Kakao Berdasarkan Karakter Morfologi Komponen Buah

<em>Identification and grouping of diverse cacao accessions based on morphological character of pod components is important in breeding activities to generate superior varieties. This study aimed to grouping 33 cocoa accessions based on morphological characters of pod components, conducted at Pakuwon Experimental Station, Sukabumi, West Java, at an altitude of 450 asl with Latosol soil and B type climate (Schmidt and Fergusson), from January until December 2015. Observation was taken on 33 cacao accessions of Kaliwining (KW), planted in 2012 with 3 m x 3 m spacing under 26 years old Genjah Salak coconut trees as shading. Ten mature pods were randomly harvested from 10 cocoa plants of each accession at respective two seasons (February and December 2015). The variables observed were 7 characters of pod components i.e.: (1) fresh weight of pod, (2) number of beans, (3) fresh weight of beans, (4) dry weight of beans, (5) fresh weight of pod husk, (6) number of pod furrow, and (7) fresh weight of pulp. Data were analyzed by factor analysis followed by hierarchical cluster analysis in Ward's method and discriminant analysis. The result showed that 19 accessions were classified as high in bean and pod husk component characters, 9 accessions were classified as high in pulp characters, and 5 accessions i.e. KW 162, KW 528, KW 570, KW 571, and KW 720 were classified as high in all characters of pod components, and potential as parents in generating superior cacao varieties.</em>

Performance of irrigated green corn cultivars in different plant populations at sowing

ABSTRACT This study aimed to evaluate the yield of green corn hybrids grown under irrigation in different plant populations at sowing. The assay was carried out in the experimental area located in the city of Arapiraca, Alagoas State, Brazil, from November 2015 to January 2016. A randomized complete block design (RCBD) was used, in a 2 x 5 factorial scheme with four replicates. A double- and a single-cross hybrid (AG 1051 and BM 3061), which are suitable for green corn production, were cultivated in five spacings between plants at sowing (15.0, 17.5, 20.0, 22.5 and 25.0 cm). The characteristics photosynthetic rate (PR), ear length with rusk (HEL) and without husk (UEL), husked ear weight (HEW), unhusked ear weight (UEW), percentage of marketable ears (%ME) and weight of husk (HW) were evaluated. The double- and single-cross hybrids AG 1051 and BM 3061 showed green ears with commercial standard. The cultivar BM 3061 showed the best results for most of the characteristics related to the performance of green corn (PR, HEL, UEL, UEW, HEW, %ME). The spacing of 17.5 cm between plants at sowing was the most indicated for irrigated green corn cultivation.

Rice husk ash as filler in tread compounds to improve rolling resistance

Abstract In the tire industry carbon black is being replaced by silica as a filler in recent due to the development of “green tires”. Amorphous precipitated silica in combination with a silane coupling agent as a filler in tread compounds can result in fuel savings of 3% to 4% compared to a tire having treads made from compounds with carbon black. This means a 20% reduction of the rolling resistance and consequently lower greenhouse gas emissions. On the other hand, rice is one of the most important food crops generating around 22% in weight of husk during its milling, a material that is mainly used as fuel for energy generation, resulting in ash. Rice husk ash (RHA) contains over 70% of silica in amorphous form. In this paper we evaluated the effect of replacing carbon black with RHA in a basic tread formulation. Compounds mechanical, dynamic properties and morphology were analyzed.

Genome-wide association study of the husk number and weight in maize (Zea mays L.)

Maize husk number and weight are two vital traits, influencing the grain drying rate after physiological maturity, shattering and breakage rate in the progress of combine harvesting, in breeding varieties suitable for mechanized harvest. Unveiling the genetic basis of the husk number and weight would be useful for guiding maize genetic improvement of mechanical harvesting. The present study is the first to conduct a genome-wide association study of the husk number and weight. In this study, 253 maize inbred lines were evaluated in three environments to detect single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for the husk number and weight using the Maize SNP3 K Beadchip. Based on the mixed linear model, 24 associated SNPs for husk number and 29 associated SNPs for husk weight were detected with P < 0.001 in different environments as well as the best linear unbiased predictions over all environments. Eight and nine stable SNPs for husk number and weight were detected in all environments, respectively. Based on the phenotypic effects of the alleles of these stable SNPs, the favorable alleles were mined. Several typical accessions harboring favorable alleles with elite phenotypic performance of husk number and weight were identified, such as T53, BJT4, Zong3, A489, and BJT6. Five elite parental combinations were predicted for reducing maize husk number and weight. These results might serve as a basis for quantitative trait loci fine mapping and the genetic improvement of maize husk number and weight through molecular marker-assisted approach.

English

This study was carried out to compare and analyze how spacing influenced the performance and yield of late maize in Egwi, Etche Local Government Area (LGA) of Rivers State, Nigeria between September-December in 2013 and 2014. The study adopted experimental research design. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replicates. One maize variety was evaluated under three spacing for performance data such as plant heights, stem girths, number of leaves, number of nodes and leaf area and for the yield, data were collected on cob length, cob weight, cob + husk weight, cob diameter and 1000-grain weight (yield). The results obtained 56 days after planting (DAP) in the two years of study showed significant differences (p < 0.05) in plant height, stem girth and leaf area. The 70 x 30 and 60 x 40 cm spacing gave higher values of the morphological parameters than 80 x 20 cm. With regard to yield, 80 x 20 cm gave the highest average cob weight of 0.74 kg and 1000-grain weight (yield) of 0.27t/ha. Based on the findings of the study, the 80 x 20 cm spacing was recommended for local farmers in Etche for maximum yield and economic returns. Key words: Etche Local Government Area (LGA), maize plant, Nigeria, Rivers State, spacing.

Optimization of a Green Extraction/Inclusion Complex Formation Process to Recover Antioxidant Polyphenols from Oak Acorn Husks (Quercus Robur) Using Aqueous 2-Hydroxypropyl-β-Cyclodextrin/Glycerol Mixtures

Aqueous mixtures of glycerol and 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (CD), two non-toxic eco-friendly substances, were used as a means of extracting antioxidant polyphenols from oak acorn (Quercur robur) husks. The process was optimized by implementing a central composite (Box-Behnken) experimental design and response surface methodology, taking into consideration the critical parameters (independent variables) of glycerol concentration (Cgl), CD concentration (CCD) and temperature (T). The assessment of the extraction model was based on three responses: the total polyphenol yield (YTP), the antiradical activity (AAR) and the reducing power (PR). The model illustrated that YTP depended significantly on Cgl and CCD, but not on T, whereas both antioxidant properties considered (AAR and PR) were temperature-dependent. The maximum predicted YTP was 122.19 mg GAE per g dry husk weight, while the extract obtained under optimized conditions displayed strong antioxidant activity.