Mixture Of Seeds Research Articles

Effect of Seed Size and Different Pretreatment Methods on Germination of Albizia zygia (DC.) J. F. Macbr

Albizia zygia produces valuable timber which has received some level of prominence in the international market. However, the seeds are dormant, and the tree species remain undomesticated. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of seed size and presowing on the germination of Albizia zygia in a nursery. Seeds were grouped into four categories in regard to their length, small (≤0.5 cm), medium (> 0.5 < 0.8 cm), large (≥0.8 cm), and mixture of small, medium, and large seeds. The seeds were subjected to five main seed pretreatment methods, namely, soaking in sulphuric acid (H2SO4) for 2 minutes, mechanical scarification, soaking in hot water for 5 minutes, soaking in cold water for 24 hours, and control where seeds were sown without any treatment. The results indicate that combination of mechanical scarification and large seeds produced the highest (100%) germination. Hot water treatment was effective in large seeds producing 69.0% germination. The increased germination for mechanically scarified seeds suggests that seed dormancy in Albizia zygia is mainly due to its hard seed coat. Therefore, it is recommended to farmers to adopt use of mechanical scarification and large seeds, since it is safe and effective.

Effect of quinoa seed and tiger nut mixture on quality characteristics of low-fat beef patties

The present work aimed to investigate the effect of a newly proposed mixture of quinoa seeds and tiger nuts (QTM) (1:1) on low-fat beef patties. The chemical composition, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidant activity of QTM were determined. The chemical composition, water-holding capacity, cooking loss, and sensory evaluation of low-fat beef patties prepared with 10% QTM as a partial fat replacer were also studied. Microbiological quality of frozen minced meat semi-finished products (burger patties, at -18°C) for 126 days was also determined. Based on the results, QTM contained 14.35% lipid, 9.37% protein, and 11.38% dietary fibre. Moreover, QTM also contained good amount of minerals and vitamins. The antioxidant activity of QTM was 20.41 mg/g. Results also showed that the addition of QTM had a positive effect on the sensorial quality of beef patties. Chemical composition, water-holding capacity, cooking loss, and pH profiles of newly formulated burger patties significantly improved following the addition of 10% QTM as a partial fat replacer. During the storage of semi-finished products, thiobarbituric values showed that the newly formulated beef patties had a lower level of lipid oxidation as compared to control. With lower microbial loads and lipid oxidation, the shelf life of the newly formulated beef patties also significantly increased as compared to control. As the conclusion, QTM could be applied as a functional component in meat products.

Morphological Characterization of Bambara Groundnut [Vigna subterranea (L.) Verdc.] Landraces in Kenya

Background: Bambara groundnut [Vigna subterranea (L.) Verdc.], an indigenous drought tolerant crop of African origin is one of most important leguminous crop in Sub-Saharan Africa. Small-scale farmers continue cultivating unimproved landraces over the production areas in Kenya. Bambara exist variously as mixtures of seeds, which contain variable types of seed morphology which need to be agronomically and phenotypically differentiated. The study aimed at characterizing Bambara groundnuts collected in Kenya using morphological markers. Methods: One hundred and five germplasm assembled from four major growing agro-ecologies (Busia, Kakamega, Bungom and Vihiga Counties) and Kenya National Gene bank, were evaluated at the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) - Alupe (0.4347° N, 34.2422° E) in a randomized complete block design with three replications in the long and short rains of 2015. Nineteen quantitative traits and seven qualitative traits were observed and measured at different growth stages and during harvesting. Result: Many landraces displayed pointed, round and yellowish pod, with grooved and oval seeds. About 49.4% had round leaves, 21.5% had elliptical leaves, while 55.7% were heterogeneous for leaf shape. Quantitative traits were significant (p≤0.05) except for seed weight, seed number per plant and number of stems. The first four principal components accounted for a total of 73.1% of the variations. germplasm were divided into two distinct clusters. Leaf morphology variations could be used as a reliable phenotypic marker in Bambara breeding.

Adsorption performance of activated carbon synthesis by ZnCl2, KOH, H3PO4 with different activation temperatures from mixed fruit seeds

ABSTRACT In this study, new activated carbons (ACs) were synthesized from a mixture of lemon and orange seeds (LOS) for toxic metal removal from aqueous solutions. Adsorbents have been produced by chemical activation with different activation agents (with H3PO4, ZnCl2 and KOH) and activation temperature (600°C, 700°C, 800°C). The elemental analysis, FT-IR, XRD and SEM analyses were performed to determine the characterization of the ACs. A series of batch adsorption experiments were done to research the influence of various parameters such as pH, adsorbent dosage, contact time, temperature, the complexing agents on the toxic metal ions (Cu(II), Cr(III) and Ni(II)) removal capacity of ACs. Adsorption equilibration time was 60 min, the adsorption capacity was 118.02 mg/g for Ni(II) ions, 146.03 mg/g for Cr(III) ions and 150.45 mg/g for Cu(II) ions. The adsorption of toxic metal ions was observed as a maximum at pH = 5 on AC-ZnCl2 (600°C) produced under N2 atmosphere. The adsorption process was fitted with a Langmuir isotherm model and a pseudo-second-order kinetic equation, showing the metal ions adsorption on AC was monolayer coverage. Thermodynamic studies show that the adsorption is endothermic and spontaneous in nature. AC produced from the LOS mixture has not been encountered in the literature. A simple, easy-to-apply method has been developed for a new adsorbent prepared from a mixture of LOS with environmentally friendly, easy to produce, reusable, cost-effective, non-toxic and with good adsorption-desorption capacity. Therefore, this study will contribute to the world economy in terms of environmental and wastewater cleaning.

Effect of Mixture of Chia, Flax and Milk thistle Seeds on Carbon Tetrachloride (CCl4) Induced Hepatotoxicity in Female Albino Rats.

Effect of Mixture of Chia, Flax and Milk thistle Seeds on Carbon Tetrachloride (CCl4) Induced Hepatotoxicity in Female Albino Rats.

Effect Of Bioinsecticide Granule Mixture Of Sugar Apple Seed (Annonae Squamosa) And Betel Leaf (Piper Betle) On Morphology Of Eggs Aedes Aegypti

Introduction: Dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) is an important public health problem in Indonesia because its morbidity and mortality are quite high. Prevention by vector control methods with chemical insecticides adversely affects the environment. Research on granular bioinsectide mixture of betel leaf extract and sugar apple seeds against Aedes aegypti is expected to be used to break the chain of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes starting from the juvenile stage (eggs) as an effort to control the vector population naturally. Objective: This study aims to analyze the effect of granule bioinsecticide mixture of sugar apple seed extract and betel leaf on changes in the morphology of Aedes aegypti eggs. Methods: This study is a true-experimental study with a Post test Only Control Group Design design. The treatment group will be given a granular bioinsecticide, a mixture of sugar apple seed extract and betel leaf, positive control will be given abate while negative control will be given aquades. Each group uses 25 eggs with 3 repetitions. On day 3, all eggs will be observed using a stereo microscope to determine morphological changes. The data obtained will be analyzed using ordinal regression test. Results: the ordinal regression test got the value of ρ in the Wald test between (0.012 - 0.955)> α = 0.01. Conclusion: there is no effect of mixed granules of betel leaf and sugar apple seeds on the mortality of Aedes aegypti eggs. Further research is needed on new formulations using other natural ingredients to increase the effect of ovicides on Aedes aegypti.

Assessment and abatement of the eco-risk caused by mine spoils in the dry subtropical climate

The highly rugged mountainous land topography of the Novorossiysk industrial agglomeration (NW Caucasus, Krasnodar Krai, Russia) and arid climate limit the restoration abilities of disturbed mine lands. Abandoned waste-rock dumps of a marl quarry occupy an area of ca. 150,000 m2 next to the cement plant, residential districts, and a commercial seaport. To assess the eco-risk, topsoil horizons of urban and mine-site Technosols and background Rendzinas were sampled and analyzed; measurements of particulate matter fractions PM1, PM2.5, PM4, and PM10 were conducted throughout the agglomeration. Fugitive dust emission from the unreclaimed marl dumps raises the PM2.5 content in the air by a factor of 2.68 on average. The high sorption capacity of the fine eluvium results in the accumulation of urban emissions by the dust and contributes to the subsequent soil pollution; the Cumulative Pollution Index of pedochemical anomalies reaches the high-risk level over the areas of up to 5 km2. Environmental threats caused by the mine dumps can be assessed more reliably by means of land zoning based on accumulated environmental damage indicators and the debris flow and waterspout risk calculation. To abate the technogenic impact caused by the mine spoils, reclamation actions must be taken including soil stabilization on sensitive sites by application of geosynthetic cover, hydroseeding of the mixture of soil improvers and seeds of herbaceous plants on the slopes, and anti-erosion plantation of cades (Juniperus oxycedrus L.) and smoke trees (Cotinus coggygria Scop.) at subhorizontal surfaces.

Supercritical carbon dioxide extraction of pomegranate peel-seed mixture: Yield and modelling

By-products produced during the processing of pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) juice are currently undervalued and discarded, hence, this study investigated the effects of temperature (30–60 °C) and pressure (10–40 MPa) on the supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) extraction of a mixture of pomegranate peels and seeds (1:1) at a fixed CO2 flow rate of 10 L/min (0.1 MPa, 25 °C). The global yield increased with temperature but decreased with pressure, with the highest global yield (11.5%) obtained at 40 MPa and 40 °C. The reaction constants (0.044–0.066 min−1) and activation energy (6.06 kJ/mol) were determined with the first-order model. The Pardo-Castaño model I correlated with the experimental data with an average absolute relative deviation (AARD) of 6.1%, with the Chrastil model correlating with the solubility data with an AARD of 2.5%. The synergistic effect of PME was demonstrated with regard to yield as it had a higher extract to seed ratio.

Genomic signals reveal past evolutionary dynamics of Quercus schottkyana and its response to future climate change

AbstractUnderstanding the past and future evolutionary dynamics of dominant species in a forest is important for guiding decisions for biodiversity conservation, forest management, and vegetation restoration. This study used Quercus schottkyana, a dominant tree in subtropical evergreen broad‐leaved forests in southwest China, to investigate the influences of past environmental fluctuations and future changes in climate on the dynamics of tree demographics. Genomic data were obtained for 133 samples of Q. schottkyana from 22 populations using double‐digest genotyping by sequencing. The single‐nucleotide polymorphisms in the genome showed a uniform distribution. Based on principal component analysis and Admixture analysis, two distinct lineages and one mixed group were identified that corresponded to their geographical distribution. Approximate Bayesian computation analyses provided evidence that the divergence among Q. schottkyana populations could be driven by the collision between the Asian and Indian plates during the Miocene, and that climatic fluctuations in the late Pleistocene led to the introgression. The analysis of genotype‐environment relationships showed that annual precipitation and geographic distance were associated with spatial genetic variation. Populations of Q. schottkyana in the northern area of the Jinsha River basin were predicted to be the most vulnerable to future climate change. To increase genetic diversity in the northern Jinsha River basin and to buffer threats from future climate change, managers could use a mixture of local and alien seeds during forest restoration and management. This case study can promote further investigations into assessing how past and future climate change impacts genetic divergence and local adaptation of trees in forests.

A Single Seed Protein Extraction Protocol for Characterizing Brassica Seed Storage Proteins

Rapeseed oil-extracted expeller cake mostly contains protein. Various approaches have been used to isolate, detect and measure proteins in rapeseeds, with a particular focus on seed storage proteins (SSPs). To maximize the protein yield and minimize hazardous chemical use, isolation costs and the loss of seed material, optimization of the extraction method is pivotal. For some studies, it is also necessary to minimize or avoid seed-to-seed cross-contamination for phenotyping and single-tissue type analysis to know the exact amount of any bioactive component in a single seed, rather than a mixture of multiple seeds. However, a simple and robust method for single rapeseed seed protein extraction (SRPE) is unavailable. To establish a strategy for optimizing SRPE for downstream gel-based protein analysis, yielding the highest amount of SSPs in the most economical and rapid way, a variety of different approaches were tested, including variations to the seed pulverization steps, changes to the compositions of solvents and reagents and adjustments to the protein recovery steps. Following SRPE, 1D-SDS-PAGE was used to assess the quality and amount of proteins extracted. A standardized SRPE procedure was developed and then tested for yield and reproducibility. The highest protein yield and quality were obtained using a ball grinder with stainless steel beads in Safe-Lock microcentrifuge tubes with methanol as the solvent, providing a highly efficient, economic and effective method. The usefulness of this SRPE was validated by applying the procedure to extract protein from different Brassica oilseeds and for screening an ethyl methane sulfonate (EMS) mutant population of Brassica rapa R-0-18. The outcomes provide useful methodology for identifying and characterizing the SSPs in the SRPE.

Влияние соотношения помольной смеси зерна пшеницы и семян конопли на крупообразующую способность пшенично-конопляной зерновой смеси

The results of the study of the effect of different ratios of the grinding mixture of wheat grain and hemp seeds on the cereal-forming ability of intermediate grinding products are presented. Determination of the influence of different ratios of the grinding mixture of wheat grain and hemp seeds on the cereal-forming ability of intermediate grinding products was carried out using a laboratory mill MLP-4 with cut rollers. According to the results of the studies, it was established that the addition of 5% hemp seeds to the grinding wheat-hemp grain mixture, the yield of intermediate grinding products was 83,2%, when 7,5% of hemp seeds, the output of intermediate grinding products was 81,5%, when adding 10% hemp seeds, the yield of intermediate grinding products was 80,7%. When grinding the original control grain of wheat of the «Timiryazevskaya Yubileinaya» variety, the yield of intermediate grinding products was 83,7%. It was revealed that the addition of 5% to 10% hemp seeds to the grinding wheat-hemp mixture leads to a decrease in the yield of intermediate grinding products, from which, after grinding on grinding systems, wheat-hemp flour will be obtained, from 0,5% to 3% compared to control wheat.

Альтернативный способ получения пшенично-льняной муки

An alternative method of obtaining wheat-flax flour, based on the use of coarse reduction wheat grits and semolina (from Triticum aestivum) for its subsequent grinding combined with flax seeds, has been developed. This allowed to significantly simplify the grinding process, to eliminate the non-uniform fat distribution among flour grades, which is typical for multi-grade grinding. The technological scheme of a binary grain mixture grinding included one break system and three reduction systems. Break process was performed on a roller mill RSA with an inter-roller gap of 0,05 mm which ensured flour release of at least 50%. Reduction was performed on the reduction part of the facility MLU 202 with a minimal inter-roller gap of 0,01 mm. It was found that the flax seeds introduction into the mixture significantly influenced on all quality indicators, at that the greatest influence was detected at the semolina and flax seeds mixture processing. Statistical analysis enabled to determine a linear character of the dependence of flour color on the yield (R = 0,96–0,99). In comparison to the control the ash content of flour made from a mixture of wheat grits and flax seeds increased by 0,03%, of flour made from semolina and flax seeds mixture – by 0,1%. The fat content of wheat-flax flour (wheat grits + flax seeds) is 3,8%, of wheat-flax flour (semolina + flax seeds) – 3,6%. Flour and bread made from these types of mixtures had high consumer properties that indicates the possibility of its use for obtaining specialized types of bread and production of flour confectionery products.

Innovative Approach to Wheat-Flax Flour Producing

An innovative approach to the obtaining of wheat-flax flour has been developed, it is based on the use of polished wheat groats and semolina for subsequent grinding together with flax seeds. The technological scheme for grinding a two-component grain mixture included one break system and three reduction systems. It is found that the introduction of flax seeds into the milling grist has a significant effect on all quality indicators, and the greatest effect was revealed at the processing of a mixture of semolina and flax seeds. Statistical analysis made it possible to establish a linear character of the dependence of the flour whiteness on the yield (R = 0.96 - 0.99). The protein and fat content in wheat-flax flour № 1 (wheat groats + flax) is 14.0% and 3.8%, and in wheat-flax flour № 2 (semolina + flax) – 12.5% and 3.6%, respectively. The essential linolenic acid content in wheat-flax flour №1 and №2 is 49.34% and 45.55%, respectively, while it is 2.95% for top-grade wheat flour. The new approach made it possible to significantly simplify the grinding process, abandon multi-grade grinding, and achieve a uniform distribution of fat among flour varieties. The resulting wheat-flax flour contains the required amount of PUFAs in accordance with the recommended consumption rates and the inclusion of products from it in the diet of a modern person can compensate for the lack of PUFAs of the ɷ-3 family.

Chapter 18: Seed mixture analysis

Chapter 18: Seed mixture analysis

Feeding behavior of cockatiels in captivity

In nature, cockatiel (Nymphicus hollandicus) feed consists of a huge variety of seeds, fruits, flowers, leaves, and insects. In captivity, their feed is generally poor, as many breeders offer only a mixture of seeds as food, leading to nutrient deficiency and even obesity. This paper presents a study on cockatiel feeding behavior in artificial environments at different stages of development (growth, maintenance, and reproduction), to evaluate their preference from the offer of six different food types (sunflower seed, oats, millet, rice, ration, and a cornmeal based feed or farinhada), and an analysis of their preferences for locations in the cage. No significant differences were observed about the final weight of the birds during the stages of development. Consumption of millet seeds was significantly higher in the growth stage, but at this stage, the birds showed a preference for oats. On the other hand, at the reproduction and maintenance stages, they showed a preference for sunflower seeds. The birds in the reproduction stage were the ones that visited the nest, and the nest grid, the most. Among all the cage locations, all birds showed a preference for the perches.

Мінливість елементів структури врожаю та врожайність сортів пшениці озимої залежно від передпосівного калібрування насіннєвого матеріалу

The article substantiates the need to improve the elements of technology for growing varieties of soft winter wheat, taking into account the size of the seed material and weather conditions of the growing season. It is determined that along with varietal properties, the use of pre-prepared seeds for sowing has an impact on its sowing properties, field germination, growth and development of plants, their formation of elements of productivity and grain yield. The study was conducted on five registered varieties of soft winter wheat 'Tsarychanka', 'Karmelyuk', 'Sidir Kovpak', 'Dykanka' and 'Sanzhara' in the agro-climatic zone of the central part of the Forest-Steppe of Ukraine. The results of research showed that the highest field germination of seeds have the variety 'Karmelyuk' for sowing shallow and medium fraction of seeds (94 and 90%, respectively), and the variety 'Dykanka' - sowing medium and large fraction (95 and 86%, respectively). The percentage of germination of seeds of varieties 'Tsarychanka', 'Sanzhara' is almost at the same level 82 and 89, respectively. The highest indicators of elements of structure of an ear are found at the varieties 'Karmelyuk' - 30,5 pieces of grains in an ear, for its weight in an ear of 0,86 g, 'Dykanka' - 30,6 pieces of grains in an ear, for its weight in an ear 0, 87. The use of seeds of the middle fraction for sowing provided the highest yield of varieties 'Karmelyuk', 'Dykanka' which amounted to 4.7 t / ha. When sowing seeds of a large fraction, the highest yields were obtained by 'Dykanka' and 'Sanzhara' varieties - 4.8 and 4.9 t / ha, respectively. The aim of the study. To determine the influence of seed fraction on sowing qualities, variability of yield elements of soft winter wheat varieties. The experiment was conducted in the central forest-steppe of Ukraine, using general research methods studied in agronomy The material for the study were winter wheat varieties of Poltava State Agrarian Academy: "Tsarchanka", "Karmelyuk", "Sidir Kovpak", "Dykanka" and "Sanzhara". Sowing of the studied varieties was carried out with seeds selected on sieves and divided into fractions: shallow (1), medium (2), large (3), and mixture (4). Agrotechnics in the study are generally accepted for the soil-climatic zone of the Forest-Steppe of Ukraine. The increase in the weight of 1000 grains was significantly influenced by sowing with the middle fraction of seeds, which is characteristic of the variety 'Sidir Kovpak' (50.4 g), large - 'Tsarychanka' (52.5 g), 'Dykanka' (49.2 g) and 'Sanzhara' (48.4 g), for the variety 'Karmelyuk' the weight of the grain increases when sown with a mixture of seeds (52.0 g). It was determined that the size of the seed material had an impact on the elements of the structure of the ear of corn and grain size. Thus, the variety 'Tsarichanka' formed 26.8 pieces. grains in the ear, for its weight of 0.65 g when sown by the average fraction of seeds, variety 'Karmelyuk' on the same variants of the experiment, respectively - 30.5 pcs. and 0.86 g, grade 'Sidir Kovpak' - 27.4 pcs. and 0.85 g, 'Dykanka' - 30.6 pcs. and 0.86 g. For these varieties, the dependence is established: sowing in shallow and large fractions, as well as a mixture of seeds reduces the number and weight of grains from the ear. In the variety 'Sanzhara' revealed a maximum increase in the number of grains from the ear to 26.8 pieces. and the mass of grain from the ear of 0.88 g in the options for sowing a large fraction of seeds Yields of the studied varieties of winter wheat depending on the size of the seed material varied in the range from 3.08 to 4.86 t / ha, with the highest value in option 3 (large seeds) in the varieties 'Sanzhara' (4.9 t / ha) and 'Dykanka' (4.8 t / ha), on option 2 (average seed) 'Karmelyuk' (4.67 t / ha), 'Sidir Kovpak' (4.29 t / ha) and 'Tsarychanka' - 4 .0 t / ha. It was found that the yield of all studied varieties of winter wheat has a strong correlation with seed size and number of grains in the ear (r> 0.70), the average correlation between the weight of 1000 grains and grain yield was found in varieties' Tsarychanka ',' Karmelyuk 'and' Dykanka '(r = 0.31… 0.69). In the variety 'Sanzhara', the weight of the grain from the ear and the yield have a rectilinear correlation of medium strength.

Seed Harvesting Properties of Corn Hybrids Under Two-Stage Separation

Abstract The objective of this experiment was to identify the effects of two-stage separation of a mixture of corn hybrid seeds to their fractional structure, sawing qualities, and harvesting properties. Research materials were seeds from different ripeness groups of selection in the State Establishment Institute of Grain Crops of National Academy Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine. The research included the laboratory modeling of the seed-separation process in the regimes of sieve separation which was done by features of the linear dimension of a seed. The separation process had two stages – the first stage and the second stage. At the first stage, this mixture of seeds was divided into two components with approximately similar capacity. At the first stage of choice, separate surfaces depended on the shape of the seed and the surface could have holes with different dimension sizes (round holes with a definite diameter or oblong with definite width and length). At the second stage, each component of the seed mixture was divided into fractions of necessary quantity, they had different shapes and linear dimensions of a seed. In researches, it was determined output and weight of 1,000 seeds as the main technic-technological indexes of the seed separation process, laboratory, and field germination, and yield capacity of fractions for corn seeds as the main indexes of quality. It was established that the two-stage method of division of the seed mass into fractions by feature “width of caryopsis” was the most effective for the separation of sowing materials of corn seeds. The indicated method provided the output of high-quality seeds of hybrid Svitiaz’ for the first sowing group within 68.8 – 81.9%, for the second sowing group 66.6 – 81.2% by years of researches. Separation in a two-stage regime with a division of seed mixture at the finishing phase of the seed separator work by feature “thickness of caryopsis” provided the formation of more uniform seed fractions.

Correction: Krauss, J., et al. Epichloë Endophyte Infection Rates and Alkaloid Content in Commercially Available Grass Seed Mixtures in Europe. Microorganisms 2020, 8, 498.

The authors wish to make the following correction to this paper [...].

ANALISIS PENGARUH BIJI KARET TERHADAP KUAT TEKAN BETON

<p class="Abstract">The development of technology construction has reached a period of caring for the environment. Many things been developed to support environmentally friendly construction. Itcan be started from the use of a mixture of natural ingredients into a mixture of construction materials. Concrete is a construction material that is often used in Indonesia, given its ease, price, and durabilityAlong with the development of the concrete periods has experienced many advances, one of which is in the drafting of a combined mix of making concrete, and to supporting environmentally friendly concrete, a mixture of natural materials are used as one of the making material of concrete.South Sumatra is one of the islands in Sumatra, which has an abundant plantation of rubber. The large number of rubber plantations makes rubber waste more and more, one of which is rubber seeds. Therefore it is necessary to treat rubber seed waste in order to reduce the amount of rubber seed waste and can be used to improve the economy of the surrounding community. The rubber itself has many advantages in the industrial field. Utilization of rubber has been widely used, but no one has used rubber seeds as an aggregate substitution material in making a concrete without other chemicals. Therefore this research will discuss the rubber seed mixture as a substitute for coarse aggregate. The material used to make concrete is portland type I cement, coarse and fine aggregate from the Tanjung Raja area, and the rubber seeds used are from the Sembawa area. Coarse aggregate substitution using a mixture of rubber seeds 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% were tested during the age of concrete of 7 days, 14 days, and 28 days.. The compressive strength of rubber seed substitution with a percentage of 5% shows the most significant compressive strength value of 19.33 Mpa. From the test results of this study it can be concluded that the greater the use of rubber seeds, the lower the compressive strength.</p>

Assessing the functional relationship between dung beetle traits and dung removal, burial, and seedling emergence.

The relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning is often assessed through trait diversity. However, the relationship between traits and functions is typically assumed but seldom tested. We analyze the relationship between dung beetle traits and three ecological functions: dung removal, dung burial, and seedling emergence. We set up a laboratory experiment using nine Scarabaeidae species (three endocoprids, four paracoprids, and two telecoprids). We placed a sexual pair of beetles in each experimental unit, together with a mixture of dung and seeds, and measured the amount of dung removed and buried, burial depth, and the number of emerged seedlings. Sixteen morphological traits related to dung removal and burial were measured in each individual. Results indicate that these traits were related to dung beetle performance in dung removal and burial. Most traits were positively related to dung removal, indicating the existence of a general trait syndrome associated with dung manipulation and digging capability. Dung exploitation strategies did not provide further explanatory power. Seedling emergence showed a negative but weak relationship with dung burial amount and depth and species identity. This implies that specific differences in dung-soil interface activity may be important in secondary seed dispersal by dung beetles.