Terms Of Dry Matter Content Research Articles

Study of the efficiency of growing maize for silage for processing into biogas and digestate

Given the growing area of maize cultivation in Ukraine and globally, research into the possibilities of using silage as a component of biogas plants to produce biogas as an alternative fuel and digestate as a bio-organic fertiliser is of high relevance and production necessity. The purpose of this study was to investigate the chemical composition of green mass of maize and its changes depending on the growing season for its use in biogas production. Field, laboratory, laboratory-field, and statistical research methods were used in the study. The findings of this study showed that the quality of maize silage depends on soil and climatic conditions, elements of growing technology, genetic characteristics of a particular hybrid, its maturity group, harvesting time, etc. The genetic characteristics of the hybrid had the greatest influence on the dry matter content, specifically, the mid-early hybrid Amaros stood out in terms of dry matter content on 10-14 August 2020 (26.61%). The highest crude fibre content was observed in the hybrid P9170 – 6.32% and 26.86%, respectively, in natural and absolutely dry matter. This hybrid belongs to the mid-season ripeness group. The shift in the harvesting time of the green mass of the maize hybrids under study also affected the characteristics of the chemical composition and the carbohydrate-lignin complex of the green mass of the maize hybrids under study. The yield of green mass of maize hybrids substantially depended on the maturity group of maize hybrids and was highest in the mid-season maize hybrids Burito – 78.1 t/ha and P9170 – 73.1 t/ha, while in the group of mid-early hybrids it was 55.3 t/ha and 68.9 t/ha in Amaros and P9071. Hybrids with a long growing season have higher green mass yields and dry matter yields per unit area. The findings can be used by farms that grow silage maize and have the opportunity to use the vegetative mass as a component of biogas plants for biogas production and digestate production

Productive and nutritional potential of Sudan grass

Sudan grass is characterized by drought and heat resistance and is the best among annual and perennial bluegrass feed crops by the content of the main nutrient element - protein. The aim of the research is to evaluate 200 accessions and varieties of Sudan grass according to productivity and quality of green mass, to identify the sources of valuable traits and their correlation. The study was carried out in the Rostov region on ordinary carbonate black earth (chernozem). The collection of Sudan grass was evaluated in 2016-2019, of which contrasting weather conditions were characterized by 2017 (HTC = 0.85) and 2018 (HTC = 0.34). There were identified varieties and accessions that exceeded the standard variety Alexandrina according to green mass yield by 17.0-56.3 % (K-311, V-51/2, Chernoplenchataya 10, Alisa, K-187, Gratsiya, etc.); in terms of dry matter content – above the standard by 4.0-8.3 % (K-141/1, K-348/2, Svetloplenchataya 1, ‘Chernosemyannaya 191) and dry matter yield – by 26.4-60.5 % (Chernoplenchataya 10, Alisa, K-187, etc.). The sources of high content of crude protein include samples of the collection K-237, K-349/1, Topolek, K-311, K-161ch, Sudanka 24, Rossiyanka (14.82-16.13%); fiber - K-176/2, Ozornitsa, K-265/2, K-10257, etc. (38.8-40.4 %). The identified samples have been recommended for use in hybridization to develop new highly productive varieties and hybrids with high quality green mass. As a result of correlation-regression analysis, a weak negative relationship was established between the yield of green mass of Sudan grass and the content of crude protein in it, with an increase in protein content by 1 %, the yield decreases by 93.8 g/m2.

Approach to assessing the quality and identifying the naturality of pomegranate juices

The unique chemical composition and exceptional organoleptic properties cause not only the growing demand for pomegranate juice, but also its cost, and, consequently, vulnerability to falsifi cation, especially of high quality. Therefore, the identifi cation of the authenticity of pomegranate juice has remained an important area of scientifi c research. In this case, the most reliable algorithm should be considered the one that combines the study of several indicators: anthocyanins and polyphenolic substances, the concentration of sugars, organic acids, etc. The purpose of the work is a comprehensive study of the chemical composition of pomegranate juices purchased from trade organizations in order to identify juice authenticity. The experiment determined the organoleptic and physicochemical parameters of pomegranate juice samples, including chromatic characteristics. It has been established that, in terms of dry matter content, only sample No. 1 meets the requirements of TR CU 023/2011; it has been shown that in samples No. 2 and 3, there are no natural anthocyanin dyes, while the presence of synthetic dyes in these samples has been established. Pomegranate juice sample No. 1 has been proven to contain all of the organic acids normally found in authentic samples of this product. Meanwhile, samples No. 2 and 3 do not contain tartaric and quinic acids, and sample No. 2 does not contain malic acid either. The conducted studies are aimed at forming a unifi ed methodological approach to assessing the quality and identifying the authenticity of pomegranate juice, which will be developed and tested in further studies.

Evaluation of melon varieties by valuable economic characteristics in the conditions of the Volgograd Volga Region

Relevance. The main direction of breeding melon Bikovskaya cucurbits breeding experimental station – branch of the FSBSI FSVC is the creation of varieties with valuable economic characteristics, especially with resistance to bioand abiotic environmental factors. To meet the needs of commodity producers and the population, varieties are needed not only with high yields, but also attractive appearance, good taste qualities. Very important: the rich color of the bark background, the proportional shape of the fruit and the sweet juicy pulp.Materials and methods. The research was carried out in 2020–2022 at the Bikovskaya cucurbits breeding experimental station – branch of the FSBSI FSVC. The object of research is melon varieties created over the past five years. The Osen variety was used as a standard. The main method of selection work with melon is intervarietal hybridization followed by individual selection.Results. Melon varieties were evaluated according to valuable economic characteristics, 6 best varieties were identified in comparison with the standard. In terms of yield, 2 varieties were distinguished (16.3 t/ha and 17.3 t/ha); in terms of dry matter content, 2 varieties (19%); in terms of large-fruited 1 variety (6.0 kg); in terms of the bright color of the bark background, 1 sample (bright yellow).

Suberinic Acid Isolation from Birch Outer Bark and their Characterization

Global sustainability challenges prompt the world to modify their strategies and shift from a fossil-fuel-based economy to a bio-resources-based one and to the production of renewable biomass-based chemicals. Different processes exist that allow the transformation of raw biomass into desirable bio-based products and/or energy. Depolymerized suberinic acids (SA) can be considered as an alternative resource to different feedstocks for value-added product obtaining, for example to develop bio-polyols that can be further used in polymeric material production. Birch outer bark was used as a raw material for obtaining SA and was extracted with ethanol to remove extractives. Further extracted birch outer bark was depolymerized with potassium hydroxide ethanol/methanol/n-butanol/2-propanol solutions. Obtained SA suspension was dried by performing lyophilization or by drying at 100 °C. As a result, we obtained 8 SA samples, which were characterized using chemical (total phenolics content, solubility in DMSO, acid number, hydroxyl number, and saponification number) and instrumental analytical methods (GC-MS, SEC-RID, FTIR). The most suitable SA for obtaining value-added product, such as bio-polyol, were obtained by using ethanol as a solvent for depolymerization process. The corresponding SA had the best results in terms of dry matter content, yield, solubility in DMSO, epoxy groups, acid number and ash content. After GC-MS results it was concluded that the amount of diacids, hydroxyacids and extractives are dependent of the used alkanol for SA depolymerization as well as the drying method.

Effect of foliar application of chitosan and urea on growth, yield and quality of palak (Beta vulgaris var. bengalensis L.) cv. All Green

Utilization of organic substances as fertilizer nutrient sources is now popularising due to over increasing risk of chemical fertilizers used in agriculture. The present field experiment was conducted at Department of Horticulture, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow, U.P. (India) to assess the effect of chitosan, an alternative biological origin nutrient source and commercial urea on production of palak. The experiment was comprised of eight treatments namely Control- No fertilizer applied (T0), Recommended Dose of Fertilizer (RDF) @ 90:30:30 N P K kg/ha (T1), Chitosan @ 50 ppm (T2), @ 75 ppm (T3), @ 100 ppm (T4), @ 125 ppm (T5), @ 150 ppm (T6) and Urea @ 1% (T7) and was laid out in Randomized Block Design with three replications. The results showed that foliar application of chitosan and urea significantly influenced the growth, yield and quality of palak. The foliar application of chitosan @ 100 ppm (T4) showed significantly maximum vegetative growth, leaf yield along with better quality of leaves in terms of dry matter content, TSS and Vitamin C content. Urea @ 1% (T7) also showed close result compared to chitosan application. Hence, it will be beneficial to apply chitosan as liquid form @ 100 ppm for spinach beet under subtropical agro-climate condition of Lucknow for better growth, leaf yield and leaf quality.

Formation of economically useful traits in cows of ukrainian black-and-white dairy breed of different genotypes by kappa-casein

The influence of kappa casein genotype on the formation of economically useful traits of Ukrainian black-and-white dairy cattle has been studied. Genotyping of 25 heads of cattle of the Ukrainian black-and white dairy breed belonging to the Breeding Plant of the State Enterprise "Research Farm of the Institute of Agriculture of Northern East of NAAS" was carried out. Determination of polymorphism of the kappa-casein gene was performed in the genetic laboratory of the Bogomolets Institute of Physiology of NAS using molecular biological analysis of allele recognition by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in real time. To assess the economically useful features used an electronic database of SUMS "Orsek". The content of milk components was determined in the laboratory of Sumy National Agrarian University on the equipment Ultrasonic milk analyzer Master Classic. It was found that the animals met the breed standard in almost all indicators of milk productivity. Between animals of different genotypes the difference on separate economically useful signs is revealed. However, in different periods and on different grounds, it varied greatly, and in some cases it was statistically significant. The genotype for kappa-casein did not have a significant effect on live weight in all study periods. Animals with the AA genotype predominated on this trait of animals of other genotypes. At the same time, animals of all studied genotypes in almost all age periods exceeded the breed standard. According to the results of the assessment of the reproductive capacity of animals, it was found that the youngest age of the first insemination is characteristic of animals with genotype AA, and the highest - with genotype BB. The age of first insemination in animals with genotype AA was less than the average for the herd. The live weight of these animals was the largest and was higher than the average for the herd. The average duration of the service period for the herd was 130 days. It was lowest in animals with homozygous BB genotype (P <0.05). Accordingly, the duration of the period between calving and the value of the reproductive capacity were the lowest in homozygous (BB) animals (P <0.05). The level of average milk yield of an animal with the desired genotype (BB) was lower than the average yield of animals with other studied genotypes. They were also inferior to the average indicator of the herd. The level of milk yield of animals of all genotypes was higher than the breed standard. It was found that the average fat content in the milk of animals of homozygous genotypes AA and BB slightly prevailed over animals with heterozygous genotype AB. Animals with the BB genotype (p <0.05) were statistically significantly superior in protein content. Compliance with the breed standard in terms of fat content in milk is positive, and only homozygous (BB) animals met the standard in terms of protein content. In terms of dry matter content, dry nonfat milk residue, casein, animals with homozygous BB genotype were preferred. In terms of lactose content, animals with the AA genotype were preferred. It is proved that the formation of herds with BB genotype for kappa-casein will not have a negative impact on the economically useful characteristics of animals. Key words: genotype, kappa-casein, live weight, reproductive capacity, milk productivity.

Nutritional and biologically active compounds in Russian (VIR) Brassicaceae vegetable crops collection

The article presents the results of studying the biochemical composition of the large worldwide vegetable crops collection of the Brassicaceae family, stored at the N. I. Vavilov All-Russian Institute Institute of Plant Genetic Resources (VIR), St. Petersburg, Russia, consisting of 7303 accessions of different status (approximately 50% unique accessions) from 98 countries. Studied vegetable brassicas collection includes representatives of all botanical varieties, agroecological groups and cultivar types of the species cole crops Brassica oleracea L. and related wild Mediterranean species, leafy and root vegetable crops B. rapa L., leafy and root vegetable accessions of Indian mustard B. juncea Czern. subsp. integrifolia (H. West) Tell. and subsp. foliosa L. H. Bailey, radish and small radish Raphanus sativus L., garden cress Lepidium sativum L., salad rocket Eruca sativa L. The application of complex analysis for the study of nutrient and biologically active compounds of economically important crops from six species of Brassicaceae family, which determine the quality of vegetables and feeds, also the search within each crop for sources of valuable biochemical traits for breeding has been presented. The broadest variability of all studied traits between and within crops was revealed, the limits of natural variability were determined. The average values of the studied traits in six species within the family varied to varying degrees: they were similar in the studied species in terms of dry matter content (%), protein, total acidity; differed between species to a moderate degree in terms of the content of ascorbic acid, carotene, and the amount of volatile phenolic compounds. The species differed to a very high degree from each other in terms of the average content of sugars (total, monosaccharides, etc.), carotenoids, β-carotene, chlorophylls a and b, anthocyanins, free amino acids, and free fatty acids. Studied crops, belonging to Brassica oleracea, have the highest total sugar content among the all studied crops. B. rapa leafy crops have the highest content of phenolic compounds; B. juncea - β-carotene and chlorophylls; Raphanus sativus - carotenes and anthocyanins; Lepidium sativum ? the highest content of protein, total acidity, free amino acids; Eruca sativa - carotenoids and free fatty acids. The maximum dry matter content was detected in the forage turnip B. rapa and Brussels sprout (B. oleracea), protein in leafy B. rapa crops and cauliflower (B. oleracea), total sugars and ascorbic acid in head cabbage (B. oleracea), carotenoids in L. sativum and E. sativa, carotenes, including β-carotene, chlorophylls, phenolic

Comparison of one-phase and two-phase extraction methods for porcine tissue lipidomics applying a fast and reliable tentative annotation workflow

Lipidomics has great potential for the discovery of biomarkers, elucidation of metabolic processes and identifying dysregulations in complex biological systems. Concerning biofluids like plasma or cerebrospinal fluid, several studies for the comparison of lipid extraction solvents have already been conducted. With respect to tissues, which can differ significantly in terms of dry matter content and composition, only few studies are available. The proper selection of an extraction method that covers the complexity and individuality of different tissues is challenging. The goal of this work was to provide a systematic overview on the potential of different extraction methods for a broad applicability. This study covers six different extraction procedures and four different reconstitution solvents applied to ten different porcine tissues. To get an overview of the individual lipid profiles, a workflow was developed for a fast and reliable tentative lipid annotation. Therefore, several machine learning tools were utilized, like the prediction of collision cross sections to support the tentative lipid identification in case of untargeted lipidomics. In terms of data evaluation, unsupervised (e.g. principal component analysis) and supervised (e.g. partial least square – discriminant analysis) methods were applied to visualize and subsequently interpret all generated information. Furthermore, the influence of the tissue composition on the extraction performance was investigated. It could be shown that the ten porcine tissues can be distinguished based on their lipid profile with the applied workflow and that the methyl-tert-butyl ether (MTBE) based extraction method (two-phase) showed the best overall performance for the 16 examined lipid species. With this method the highest number of features (428 in lung tissue) could be annotated. Upcoming one-phase extractions also showed a high potential concerning total number of extracted lipids. Methanol/MTBE/chloroform (MMC) extracted slightly less lipids (393 in lung and liver) than MTBE but turned out to be the best one-phase extraction method. Additionally, the numbers of extracted lipids obtained by isopropanol/water 90:10 (IPA90) (399 in stomach) and by isopropanol/methanol/chloroform (IMC) (395 in stomach) were similar to those of the modified Folch method (402 in stomach). One-phase extractions can therefore clearly be seen as preferable when a high throughput is needed.

Nutritional value and organoleptic assessment of traditionally smoked cheeses made from goat, sheep and cow's milk.

The use of small ruminant milk for smoked cheese production makes it possible to incorporate valuable nutrients into the diet, especially as the consumption of unprocessed sheep or goat’s milk is low compared to that from cows. Smoking of food not only prolongs its shelf-life but also improves its flavour. Taking the fact that many consumers do not accept some organoleptic properties of milk from small ruminants into account, the aim of the study was to assess and compare the organoleptic and nutritional properties of traditionally smoked cheeses made from goat, sheep and cow’s milk. The analysed cheeses differed in terms of dry matter content and its components such as protein and fat. Their acidity was comparable, except for the sample made of raw goat’s milk, which was characterised by a relatively high pH value (6.12 ± 0.06). The highest content of CLA (2.30 ± 0.04%), as well as the highest share of unsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, was determined in the cheese made from sheep’s milk. Moreover, the content of butyric and caproic free fatty acids in cheeses made from goat’s milk was found to be several times higher than in the other analysed cheeses. The organoleptic assessment did not reveal any significant differences between the cheeses produced at small, private farms and in industrial conditions, or between different types of cheese, regardless of the type of milk from which they were produced.

General combinative ability of parental lines of watermelon in terms of yield and dry matter content

Relevance. The creation of heterotic hybrids of watermelon is one of the modern breeding trends for solving the problem of providing the population of the Russian Federation with melon production. The process of creating heterosis hybrids can be accelerated by the assessment of the total combination ability (ОCS) of parental lines.Materials and methods. The studies were carried out in the zone of the Volgograd Trans-Volga region at the Bykovskaya melon selection experimental station, in dry conditions in 2018 and 2019. The object of research was 9 paternal lines and 3 maternal lines of watermelon. The assessment of the general combining ability was carried out according to two indicators: yield and dry matter content.Results. In the course of the research, the obtained F1 watermelon hybrids were assessed for a set of economic characteristics in comparison with the standards: Zenit, Sinchevsky and Barkhan. Based on the results of the work, F1 hybrids were identified according to the length of the growing season, yield, and dry matter content. By selecting valuable genetic sources with a high GCS, it is possible to successfully conduct breeding to improve the economically valuable indicators of F1 watermelon hybrids. According to the results of studies on yield, both in 2018 and in 2019, heterotic hybrids were distinguished, obtained from crossing with the paternal lines Favorit, Stimul, Ikar, the average effect over two years ranged from 3.5-10.6 t/ha. Among the studied maternal lines, the line Chms-4 has a positive effect, the average effect was 1.2 t/ha. In terms of dry matter content, a positive effect was found in the paternal lines Stimul – 1.8%, Medunok – 1.6%, Favorit – 0.8%, and in the maternal line Chms – 41.8%Conclusions. Based on the results of the analysis of the combining ability in terms of yield and dry matter content, we identified two promising paternal lines for creating heterotic watermelon hybrids: Favorite, Stimul. Also, one maternal line Chms-4 was distinguished. When using these lines in heterotic breeding of watermelon, in most crossing combinations, heterosis will be manifested in one or two characters.

ВЛИЯНИЕ СТИМУЛЯТОРОВ РОСТА НА ПРОДУКТИВНОСТЬ ФЕСТУЛОЛИУМА

New non-traditional farming systems have recently gained wide popularity in our region; that is why various methods of feeding agricultural crops that can increase both their yield and their quality indicators are widely used. This paper presents some aspects of researching various growth and development stimulators and their combination, which can also increase the yield of nutritional value of the forage mass, plant safety, and the area ofthe assimilation surface as well as the longevity of its functioning on the Festulolium crops. The field studies were carried out in 2015–2018 on the experimental field of the Research Institute of Mountain and Piedmont Agriculture. The soil of the experimental site is leached chernozem. It should be noted that the treatment of seeds of a new, less widespread cereal culture, Festulolium, with growth stimulants of various origins, contributes to an increase in the safety of plants for harvesting by 6-19%. The leaf surface area increases in relation to the option without seed treatment with growth stimulants by 3.2-5.6 thousand m2/ha, and with their combined application by 9.7-11.3 thousand m2/ha. The yield of green mass with a single treatment with stimulants increases by 11.3-13.6%. With a combination of drugs by 16.7-20.5%. In terms of dry matter content, the maximum indicators were provided by the option with seed treatment with potassium humate, which is higher than the control option by 0.42 t/ha or by 9.9%. The combined use of Baikal EM 1 with other biostimulants showed that the largest increase in dry matter was provided by the Baikal EM 1 + potassium humate option – 4.80 t/ha, which is 14% higher than the control option. The indicators of productivity of agrocenosis of Festulolium also increase in terms of the content of feed units, digestible protein and metabolic energy.

Стабільність прояву біохімічних ознак плодів кабачка за різних умов вирощування лінійного матеріалу

In connection with the development of organic vegetable growing in Ukraine, the topical issue of courgette breeding is the creation of varieties and hybrids of F1 with maximum adaptability to soil and climatic conditions of cultivation. The purpose of research is to identify genetic sources for the breeding of courgette with a stable manifestation of biochemical characteristics of the fruit. Breeding work was carried out with 20 lines of courgette of different geographical origin. Evaluation of linear genotypes was performed on the following indicators – general (GACi) and specific adaptive capacity (SACi), relative stability (Sgi), coefficient of ecological plasticity (bi) and selection value (BVGi). Courgette lines with a high content of dry matter, total sugar and vitamin C in fruits in the phase of technical ripeness have been created. Among them, 2 highly adaptive lines, which simultaneously exceeded the standard variety Chaklun in terms of dry matter content (4.46… 4.71%) and total sugar (2.77… 2.84%). Highly adaptive lines, better than the standard grade for the manifestation of one feature - the dry matter content – 1 line (4.58%), total sugar – 3 lines (2.72… 2.77%), vitamin C – 2 lines 14.93… 15.55 mg / 100 g). Low dependence on growing conditions at the same time on the manifestation of 2 traits (dry matter content and vitamin C in the fruit) was demonstrated by 3 lines (-1 Less than bi Greater than 1). The obtained lines are a valuable source material for the creation of varieties and hybrids of courgette F1, suitable for organic cultivation technologies with high quality fruits in the phase of technical maturity.

Spatial-temporal changes in pH, structure and rheology of the gastric chyme in pigs as influenced by egg white gel properties

The hypothesis is that the characteristics of ingested protein gels influences the subsequent in vivo gastric digestion process. Three egg white gels (EWGs) of identical composition but differing in structure and texture were prepared and fed to pigs. Sampling throughout a 6 h postprandial period, and at different locations in the stomach of the pigs, enabled a detailed spatial-temporal mapping of the pH, dry matter content, particle size and rheological properties. The results showed different gastric acidification kinetics implying an effect of the gel structure and/or texture. The most elastic and cohesive gel resulted in the highest median particle size and the most viscoelastic chyme. Distal and proximal regions of the stomach did not differ in terms of dry matter content, particle size distribution or rheological properties. These results demonstrate the consequences of protein food structure on gastric chyme properties, and thus suggest an effect on the digestion process.

Farklı Oranlardaki Zeytin Posası-Mısır Hasılı Karışımlarının Silaj Kalitesinin Belirlenmesi

In this study, corn silage with different ratios of by adding olive pomace olive industry by-product under laboratory conditions was aimed to determine the effects on nutrient contents, fermentation characteristics and in vitro digestibility. Olive pomace used in the research, was added in 0% (control), 20 and 40 levels in corn silage and ensiling period continued during 56 days. At the end of the ensiling period, differences seen in terms of dry matter content, organic matter, crude fat, acit detergent fiber, acid detergent lignin, in each level consisting of corn silage is added to olive pomace were found significant but the crude protein content of the olive pomace-added silages decreased. The highest crude fiber value was determined in the silages added with 40% olive pomace. Crude ash, lactic acid, acetic acid, pH and CO2 differences seen in terms of rates were not found significant. Propoionic acid wasn’t found in the groups to which olive pomace was added, while butyric acid and ammonia nitrogen weren’t observed in all silage groups in the study. At the same time, in vitro organic matter, dry matter and neutral detergent fiber digestibility of silages increased in each level consisting of corn silage is added to olive pomace. As a result, it was considered result that olive pomace the oil industry by product can be a silo feed quality. In particular, the corns by adding 40% of the olive pomace made silage were obtained satisfactory results in terms of both physical and chemical properties.

Kaolin improves salinity tolerance, water use efficiency and quality of tomato

Many areas in Southern Italy covered by tomato crops suffer from problems of high salinity in the irrigation water, that adversely affects yield. The reduction in transpiration rate mitigates the adverse effects of salinity. Thus, spraying the crop with kaolin-based aqueous suspension, which has an antitranspirant effect, can help improve tolerance to salinity.A three-year research study was carried out in open-field conditions in the Basilicata region (Southern Italy), to study the combined effect of three irrigation-water salinity levels (ECw=0.5, 5, and 10dSm−1) and spraying or non-spraying of kaolin on tomato cultivars, in terms of yield, fruit quality, biomass and yield water use efficiency (respectively B_WUE and Y_WUE). Irrigation with brackish water reduced tomato yield mainly because of declining fruit weight, but fruit quality was better in terms of dry matter content and total soluble solids. In addition, salinity increased blossom-end rot mainly on cultivars with elongated fruits.Overall, using the average from the three years, kaolin improved total (12.7%) and marketable yield (17.7%), fruit weight (8.1%) and harvest index (10.3%), and reduced fruit sunburn by 76.4%. In addition, kaolin contributed to reducing insect attack on the fruit (58.7%), improvement in total soluble solids (6.2%) and redness (10.2% for the skin and 16.6% for the pulp) of fruits, and increased Y_WUE (19.7%). Furthermore, kaolin mitigated the detrimental effects of salinity through a smaller decrease (averaging the three years) in total yield (22.8%), marketable yield (34.4%), fruit weight (21.1%), B_WUE (22.9%) and Y_WUE (34.7%), between the control irrigated with fresh water and the more saline treatment.Kaolin can be used to increase salinity tolerance, as well as to protect the tomato crop from pests damage, radiation and heat stress.

The influence of feeding crimped kernel maize silage on broiler production, nutrient digestibility and meat quality

Two experiments were carried out in parallel with male Ross 308 broilers over 37 d. An experiment with a total of 736 broilers was performed to study the effect of dietary inclusion of crimped kernel maize silage (CKMS) on broiler production and meat quality. Another study with 32 broilers was carried out from 21 to 25 d to investigate the inclusion of CKMS on nutrient digestibility.In both trials, 4 dietary treatments were used: wheat-based feed (WBF), maize-based feed (MBF), maize-based feed supplemented with 15% CKMS (CKMS-15) and maize-based feed supplemented with 30% CKMS (CKMS-30).Compared with MBF, the dry matter (DM) intakes of broilers receiving CKMS-15 and CKMS-30, respectively, were numerically 7.5 and 6.2% higher and feed conversion ratio 6 and 12% poorer (significant for 30% CKMS), although there were no significant differences in AME content between the three diets. At 37 d, the body weight of birds receiving 15% CKMS was similar to birds fed with MBF. However, the inclusion of 30% CKMS decreased broiler growth. Dietary supplementation with CKMS significantly reduced the apparent digestibility of phosphorus. The fat digestibility was significantly lower for CKMS-30 than for the other three diets.Broiler mortality decreased significantly when CKMS was added to the diet.The consumption of drinking water was significantly lower in all maize-based diets as compared to WBF and was lowest in broilers fed with CKMS-30.An improved litter quality in terms of DM content and a lower frequency of foot pad lesions was observed with broilers supplemented with both dietary levels of CKMS.The addition of CKMS to maize-based diets increased juiciness, tenderness and crumbliness of the meat.In conclusion, the dietary supplementation of 15% CKMS had no negative effect on broiler growth and positively influenced bird welfare in terms of mortality and foot pad health. Therefore, the addition of 15% CKMS to maize-based diets is considered an advantageous feeding strategy in broiler production.

Potential of Acacia Tortilis as Protein Concentrate for Goats

The cost of feed is a major limiting factor in animal production and several efforts have been made to utilize locally available materials. The study was conducted to determine the potential of Acacia tortilis (a tree legume) pods as a protein concentrate for small ruminants. Chemical analysis for nutritive value, in vitro digestibility and condensed tannins was done on samples of wholesome pods, seeds and husks allocated in a randomized design. The results showed that the three feed compo- nents were not significantly different (p>0.05) in terms of dry matter content (954.40 g/kg) but were significantly different (p < 0.05) in terms of all other chemical attributes such as crude protein, ether extract, neutral detergent fibre and ash. Seed had significantly higher in vitro dry matter digestibility (632.20 g/kg) than wholesome meal (428.75 g/kg). We conclude from the study that Acacia tortilis wholesome pods and seeds are a potentially invaluable protein concentrate for small ruminants.

Strategies for selecting optimal sampling and work-up procedures for analyzing alkylphenol polyethoxylates in effluents from non-activated sludge biofilm reactors

Trace-level analysis of alkylphenol polyethoxylates (APEOs) in wastewater containing sludge requires the prior removal of contaminants and preconcentration. In this study, the effects of the types of alkylphenols present, their degree of ethoxylation, the biofilm-wastewater treatment and sample matrix were investigated on optimal work-up procedures for these purposes. The spot for sampling APEO-containing specimens from an industrial wastewater treatment plant was optimized, and boxed round the tubing carrying the wastewater to prevent sedimented sludge contaminating the collected samples. Following these changes, the sampling precision (in terms of dry matter content) at a point just under the tubing leading from the biofilm reactors was 0.7 % RSD. The findings were applied to develop a work-up procedure for use prior to a high-performance liquid chromatography-fluorescence detection analysis method capable of quantifying nonylphenol polyethoxylates (NPEOs) and poorly investigated dinonylphenol polyethoxylates (DNPEOs) at low μg L−1 concentrations in effluents from non-activated sludge biofilm reactors. The selected multistep work-up procedure includes lyophilization and pressurized fluid extraction (PFE) followed by strong ion exchange solid phase extraction (SPE). The yields of the combined procedure, according to tests with NP10EO-spiked WWTP-derived wastewaters, were in the 62–78 % range.

Methods to analyze physico-chemical changes during mango ripening: A multivariate approach

Canonical discriminant analysis (CDA) was used to identify the best method to discriminate between maturity and ripening stages, assessed in terms of dry matter content, firmness, color (peel and flesh), total soluble solids content attributes, before and during ‘Keitt’ mango ripening at 20 °C. Dry matter content was determined by hot-air oven and microwave oven methods. Fruit firmness was determined non-destructively by hand squeezing, with a durometer, using acoustic resonance and low-mass elastic impact methods (AWETA), as well as destructively by the penetrometer. Peel and flesh color were expressed as L*, a*, b*, h 0 and C* values. Total soluble solids content was analyzed from filtered juice from whole fruit tissue and from unfiltered juice squeezed out by hand. Canonical discriminant analysis indicated that the durometer and the penetrometer were better methods to assess firmness than hand firmness, acoustic resonance or impact methods. The best color attributes to follow changes during early stage of ‘Keitt’ mango ripening were a* and b* values of the flesh, whereas b* value of the peel was considered better during later stages of ripening. Results of total soluble solids content in filtered juice from whole fruit tissue were less variable compared to unfiltered juice squeezed out by hand. Dry matter content was better assessed by drying the sample in a microwave oven than in a hot-air oven. A combined CDA including the best methods to assess each ripening attribute, as well as titratable acidity, showed that the best tools to assess changes in fruit during ripening were the penetrometer, followed by flesh a* value and total soluble solids content (from filtered juice from whole fruit).