Product Yield Research Articles

Emergence of a distinct mechanism of C-N bond formation in photoenzymes.

C-N bond formation is integral to modern chemical synthesis due to the ubiquity of nitrogen heterocycles in small-molecule pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals. Alkene hydroamination with unactivated alkenes is an atom economical strategy for constructing these bonds. However, these reactions are challenging to render asymmetric when preparing fully substituted carbon stereocenters. Here, we report a photoenzymatic alkene hydroamination to prepare 2,2-disubstituted pyrrolidines by a Baeyer-Villiger Monooxygenase. Five rounds of protein engineering afforded a mutant, providing excellent product yield and stereoselectivity. Unlike related photochemical hydroaminations, which rely on the oxidation of the amine or alkene for C-N bond formation, this work exploits a through-space interaction of a reductively generated benzylic radical and the nitrogen lone pair. This antibonding interaction lowers the oxidation potential of the radical, enabling electron transfer to the flavin cofactor. Experiments indicate that the enzyme microenvironment is essential in enabling a novel C-N bond formation mechanism with no parallel in small molecule catalysis. Molecular dynamics simulations were performed to investigate the substrate in the enzyme active site which further support this hypothesis. This work is a rare example of an emerging mechanism in non-natural biocatalysis, where an enzyme has access to a mechanism that its individual components do not. Our study showcases the potential of enhancing emergent mechanisms using protein engineering to provide unique mechanistic solutions to unanswered challenges in chemical synthesis.

Biohydrogen production from lignocellulosic hydrolysate: Unveiling the synergistic impact of substrate concentration and furfural inhibition.

Lignocellulosic biomass offers substantial potential as an ideal feedstock for dark fermentative hydrogen production due to its sustainability and cost-effectiveness. The current study examined the influence of furfural on fermentative hydrogen production using lignocellulosic hydrolysate in the presence of furfural. Synthetic lignocellulosic hydrolysate, consisting primarily of 76% xylose, 10% glucose, 9% arabinose, and a mixture of other sugars such as galactose and mannose (85% pentose sugars and 15% hexose sugars), was employed as the substrate. Various substrate concentrations ranging from 2 to 32g/L were tested, along with furfural concentrations of 0, 1, and 2g/L. The investigation aimed to assess the effects of initial substrate concentration, initial furfural concentration, furfural-to-biomass ratio (F/B), and furfural-to-substrate ratio (F/S) on biohydrogen production yields. The maximum specific substrate utilization rates at different substrate concentrations were effectively characterized using Haldane's substrate inhibition model. Among the tested concentrations, the 16g/L emerged as the optimal substrate concentration. The initial furfural concentration was identified as the most significant parameter impacting biohydrogen production, with complete inhibition observed at a furfural concentration of 2g/L. Higher F/S ratios at substrate concentrations ranging from 2 to 16g/L resulted in reduced maximum specific hydrogen production rates (MSHPR) and hydrogen yields. Substrate inhibition was observed at 24g/L and 32g/L. Lactate was the predominant metabolite in all batches containing 2-g/L furfural, as well as in batches with 1-g/L furfural and substrate concentrations of 24 and 32g/L. Furfural at a concentration of 1g/L was not inhibitory in any of the batches. Overall, the mixed cultures in this study could efficiently produce hydrogen from lignocellulosic hydrolysates and degrade furfural, providing new insights into fermentative hydrogen-producing bacteria with furfural tolerance.

Optimization study and application of box-behnken model for probing eggshell supported transition metals based catalysts to synthesize hydrazone & dihydropyrimidinones

Solid supported catalysts have several synthetic applications. Herein, finely ground eggshells were used as a solid support for the preparation of transition metal (Ni, Zn, Cu, Sn and Co) based catalysts to synthesize 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazone (3) and dihydropyrimidinones (7 and 8). The effect of catalyst load, time and temperature on product yield was studied. Box Behnken Model was employed, and three predictors named catalyst amount (A), reaction time (B), and reaction temperature (C) were used to find the correlation of the predictors with the yield. Second order polynomial equation was used to estimate the effects of these factors. According to the statistical model, about 12% increase in yield was observed as a result of one-unit increase in reaction time while all other terms were kept constant. The values of S (18.1616) and R2 (71.2%) indicate that the statistical model gave an adequate fit to data. Quadratic model for the response surface was used for the analysis of variance (ANOVA) results, the larger F-values, and smaller p-values indicated that the predictors are in good agreement. The linear model terms of predictors were found to be significantly effective for yield (P < 0.05). The response surface and contour plots were also in agreement with the predicted model.

Environmentally Benign and Expeditious Access to 4‐Aryl Methylene‐isoxazole‐5(4H)‐Ones Using Magnetically Separable Nanoparticles

AbstractAn environmentally benign and expeditious protocol was developed for the one‐pot multicomponent synthesis of 4‐aryl‐3‐methylisoxazol‐5(4H)‐ones by the condensation of aldehyde, hydroxyl amine hydrochloride, and ethyl acetoacetate in 50% aq. ethanol at 50 °C. The reaction was catalyzed by magnetically separable carbon microspheres co‐decorated with nanosized iron sulfide and magnetite nanoparticles in 10 wt% amount. The FeS1‐x‐Fe3O4/C nanocatalyst was prepared from iron(III) sulfate loaded iminodiacetate group functionalized styrene‐divinylbenzene based ion exchanger by pyrolysis reaction performed at 600 °C for 4 h. The use of magnetically separable heterogeneous catalyst, aqueous ethanol, short reaction time (30 min), and nonchromatographic purification methods are the striking features of the developed protocol. The isolated yield of the condensation products varied between 81% and 96%. Furthermore, the protocol exhibits high functional group tolerance and includes the use of noncorrosive, nonhazardous reaction conditions affording the product in excellent yields and short reaction time.

Optimization, characterization and biosafety of carotenoids produced from whey using Micrococcus luteus

This study aimed to optimize the production of carotenoid pigments from Micrococcus luteus (ATCC 9341) through the statistical screening of media components and the characterization of antimicrobial, antioxidant, cytogenetic and cytotoxic activities. A BOX-Behnken design was used to assess the effects of whey concentration, inoculum size, pH, temperature, and agitation speed on carotenoid yield. The optimum combination increased production to 2.19 g/L, with a productivity of 0.045 g L-1 h−1 and a productivity yield of 0.644 g/g, as confirmed by an observed carotene production of 2.19 g/L. The final response surface model fitting the data had an R2 of 0.9461. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis identified 12 carotenoid pigment compounds produced by M. luteus. The extracts displayed moderate antimicrobial efficacy against Gram-positive bacteria such as Bacillus cereus (ATCC 11778), Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 6538), and E. faecalis (ATCC 19433), with inhibition zone diameters (IZD) of 29.0, 14.0, and 37.0 mm, respectively, at 1000 μg/mL. However, its effectiveness against Gram-negative bacteria is limited. In comparison, tetracycline exhibited greater antimicrobial potency. The IC50 value of carotenoids was used to indicate the antioxidant activity. IC50 value from the DPPH assay was 152.80 mg/100mL. An IC50 cytotoxicity value greater than 300 μg/mL was found against normal mouse liver cells, with over 68% cell viability even at 300 μg/mL, indicating low toxicity. Histological structure studies revealed normal myocardial muscle tissue, lung tissue, and kidney tissue sections, whereas liver tissue sections revealed ballooning degeneration of hepatocytes and disorganization of hepatic cords. Cytogenetic parameters revealed that the carotene treatment group had a mitotic index (70%) lower than that of the control but higher than that of the positive control, mitomycin, and did not substantially increase numerical (1.2%) or structural aberrations compared with those of the control, suggesting a lack of genotoxic effects under the experimental conditions. In conclusion, optimized culture conditions enhanced carotenoid yields from M. luteus, and the extracts displayed promising bioactivity as moderate antibiotics against certain gram-positive bacteria and as antioxidants. The high IC50 values demonstrate biosafety. Overall, this bioprocess for enhanced carotenoid production coupled with bioactivity profiling and low cytotoxicity support the application of M. luteus carotenoids.

Condition assessment and predictive maintenance for contact probe using health index and encoder‐decoder LSTM model

AbstractContact probe is broadly used for the continuous monitoring of microelectronic components in manufacturing industries. False rejection of fine product due to defective contact probe significantly reduces the yield in production. Traditionally, defect detection for contact probes heavily depends on a valid range manually defined by engineers over the measured value of certain parameters. However, the subjective range defined according to engineer experience is prone to trigger a high rate of false alarms due to the inherent noise in the measured parameters. To address this issue, we construct a health index (HI) with the contact resistance‐directly‐related features to help monitor and assess the condition of contact probe. Based on the established HI, we develop Long Short‐Term Memory (LSTM) encoder‐decoder machine learning model to assess the condition of contact probe by forecasting the HI value in the future. Encoders from LSTM and convolutional neural network (CNN) are selected as the encoder‐decoder architecture for the sequence‐to‐sequence prediction due to their advantage in extracting the correlation of features at different scales. An explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) technique named Local interpretable model‐agnostic explanations (LIME) is used to quantify the contribution of each feature to the model prediction. The encoder from CNN is found to outperform the LSTM encoder in extracting the inter‐feature correlation. Finally, the predicted HI is used to signal the alarm for the maintenance action of contact probe when its value is below a predefined threshold. Comparison between the action alarm triggered by the developed HI and the actual maintenance records suggests that the proposed approach achieves at least 75% accuracy for the triggered alarm in the next 15 mins.

Needle growth of Nb2O5 nanoparticles on BiOCl nanosheets to fabricate S-scheme heterojunction with oxygen vacancies for enhanced photooxidation of cyclohexane

The exploration of cost-efficient, environmentally friendly, and high-efficacy photocatalysts for the enhanced selective photooxidation of cyclohexane to KA oil (cyclohexanone (CHA-one) and cyclohexanol (CHA-ol)) is a pivotal challenge in the industrial realm. Herein, the present study focuses on the synthesis of needle-like S-scheme heterojunction photocatalysts with oxygen vacancies, which are achieved by the needle growth integration of nano-sized Nb2O5 particles onto the BiOCl nanosheets. Remarkably, the 40 % Nb2O5/BiOCl composites exhibited superior performance in the solvent-free photooxidation of cyclohexane at room-temperature and under atmospheric pressure. The production yield of KA oil was 180.3 μmol (CHA-one/CHA-ol molar ratio = 3.5), and exceptional selectivity towards KA oil, reaching up to 99.3 %. The enhanced photocatalytic efficiency in cyclohexane oxidation can be attributed to the unique S-scheme heterogeneous interfaces with specific nanoneedle morphology, which result in the enhanced photonic absorption, effective charge carrier separation, a high density of oxygen vacancies, and the exposure of the highly reactive (001) plane of BiOCl. The excellent interfacial charge separation and transfer pathways of S-scheme heterojunction are disclosed by the in-depth EPR analysis and DFT calculations. These insights highlight the significant potential of the needle-like Bi-based S-scheme heterojunction photocatalysts for the efficient photooxidation of saturated alkanes.

Continuous flow versatile conversion of furfural to valuable end products catalyzed by commercial Pd/C

The conversion of furfural has gained significant attention in recent years due to its potential for transforming this basic chemical into a wide range of valuable end products, such as alcohols, amines, acids, and biopolymers. This contribution aims to demonstrate the versatility and potential of continuous flow processes combined with commercial Pd/C catalysts for converting furfural into high value-added chemicals, including furfuryl alcohol, tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol, and furfurylimine. By optimizing reaction conditions, high product yields (60–90%) were achieved, marking the first literature example of continuous flow conversion of furfural into diverse products, such as alcohols and imines. This work advances the production of high-value products using propanol as a hydrogen donor, with high yields and selectivity, employing commercial catalysts in a scalable continuous process.

Improving yield and irrigation water productivity of green beans under water stress with agricultural solid waste-based material of compacted rice straw as a sustainable organic soil mulch

AbstractThis research aimed at water saving in irrigation by applying deficit irrigation using two strategies, standard drip and partial root drying (PRD), while applying organic and plastic mulch over two growing seasons of green beans. A field experiment was conducted in 2022 and 2023, using four irrigation treatments supplying 100% of the irrigation requirement (IRg), 75% IRg, 50% IRg, and 50% IRg—PRD, and four soil mulching treatments: uncovered soil (UC), plastic mulch (PM), rice straw mulch (RSM), and compacted rice straw mulch (CRSM). The combined effect of deficit irrigation strategies and soil mulching showed that the maximum irrigation water productivity (IWP) of 5.56 kg m−3 was achieved under 50% IRg—PRD &amp; CRSM for both growing seasons, followed by 50% IRg—PRD &amp; RSM and 50% IRg—PRD &amp; PM, with 5.19 and 4.96 kg m−3, respectively. The highest yield of 8936 kg ha−1 was achieved with 50% IRg—PRD &amp; CRSM, followed by 8914 kg ha−1 and 8898 kg ha−1 with 100% IRg &amp; CRSM and 75% IRg &amp; CRSM, respectively. The lowest yield of 6009 kg ha−1 was obtained with 50% IRg &amp; UC. The highest soil moisture content was observed under 100% IRg &amp; CRSM. The application of organic mulches was found to be particularly effective in conserving soil moisture due to enhanced infiltration, improved retention capacity, and suppression of weed growth, ultimately fostering optimal crop development and higher yield. The results of soil temperature variations beneath soil mulches showed that CRSM is effective in alleviating plant water stress, lowering the temperature below the cover and reducing water loss through evaporation from the soil surface. The combination of 50% IRg—PRD &amp; CRSM produced plants with enhanced plant height, fresh and dry weight, leaf area, pod length, and green bean weight, as well as the highest vegetative growth indices. Generally, the organic mulching increased soil temperature, soil moisture, IWP, and green bean production.

Impact of Different Drip Emitter Types on Hydraulic Performance and Wetted Zone Characteristics in Okra Cultivation

Drip irrigation system is the most efficient and economical method for irrigation vegetable production. The study aimed to design and evaluate the hydraulic performance of three different types of emitter namely Regular gauge (RG), Compensating pressure (CP) and non-compensating pressure (NCP) using okra as a test of a crop. This study was conducted at the experimental farm of the Faculty of Agricultural Science, Zamzam University in 2023. The treatments were laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. Parameters of hydraulic performance of drip emitters were average discharge (Qavg %), discharge variation (Qvar), coefficient uniformity (CU %), coefficient of manufacture variation (CV), emission uniformity (EU %) and statistical uniformity (US %). The results showed that the values of (CU%), (CV), (EU%), (US%) and percentage emitters clogging (Pclog%) were 99.52%, 0.49, 68.01%, 74.14%, 2.8% and 99.32%, 0.36, 52.06%, 63.47%, 1.65% and 99.09%, 0.26, 40.07%, 51.05%, 0.85% for non-compensating pressure (NCP), compensating pressure (CP) and regular gauge (RG respectively. It is considered coefficient uniformity (CU %), was good and found to be within the excellent range while discharge variation (Qvar) was found to be within the desirable range, emission uniformity (EU %), coefficient of manufacture variation (CV), and statistical uniformity (Us %) were found to be within the range of poor, low, acceptable and unacceptable. Thus, the study recommended the best type of emitter was regular gauge (RG), because it has the highest crop yield and water productivity as compared to other emitters, non-compensating pressure emitters (NCP) and compensating pressure emitters (CP)

Use of Precision Feeding during Lactation Improves the Productive Yields of Sows and Their Piglets under Commercial Farm Conditions.

Adequate nutritional management in maternities is one of the most challenging aspects of swine production. This study reports the results of two studies aiming to determine, under commercial farm conditions, the effects of precision feeding (electronic sow feeders, ESFs) on the production and economic yields of lactating sows and possible nutritional and metabolic differences when compared to a control group fed with traditional feeders. The first trial showed that sows fed with ESFs weaned heavier piglets than sows fed with traditional feeders. Feed intake during the lactation period was similar in the sows of both groups; consequently, the amount of feed per kg of weaned piglet was lower in the sows fed with ESFs, which is a remarkable economic output. The second trial confirmed these findings and showed that, despite similar feed intakes, the sows fed with ESFs had lower bodyweight losses during the lactation period, but there were no major differences in milk composition or metabolic traits of sows and piglets.

B/Pd Synergistic Catalysis for the Decarboxylative Allylation of 2-(2-Azaaryl)acetic Acids.

We describe an allylation reaction between 2-(2-azaaryl)acetic acids and allylic electrophiles catalyzed synergistically by a dual system consisting of borinic acid and a Pd complex under mild conditions. The decarboxylative allylation proceeds via a boron-bound enamine intermediate, which then interacts with a π-allylpalladium intermediate from the allylic electrophile. High yields of diallylation products highlight the method's efficiency. Intriguingly, when using 2-(2-pyridyl)acetic acid with a C3 substituent on the pyridyl ring, the reaction exclusively yields monoallylation products.

Palladium-Catalyzed [3 + 2] Cycloaddition of 4-Vinyl-4-Butyrolactones with Alkenes: Synthesis of Spirocyclopentane Compounds.

A palladium-catalyzed [3 + 2] cycloaddition of 4-vinyl-4-butyrolactones (VBLs) with alkenes has been developed to afford various spirocyclopentane products in high yields with excellent diastereoselectivities. The scale-up reaction and further derivations of the product worked well, demonstrating the potential application of the current reaction in organic synthesis.

Reducing initial cotton yield penalties in a transition to conservation agriculture through legume cover crop cultivation – evidence from Northern Benin

Much effort has been spent on promoting conservation agriculture (CA) in Northern Benin to sustain the transition of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) cropping systems toward agroecology. However, its limited adoption by farmers is often ascribed to initial yield penalties during the transition to CA and to trade-offs around crop biomass use. Here, we assess the effect of different CA-based cropping systems promoted in the region on water productivity and cotton yield in a three-year cotton/maize (Zea mays L.) crop rotation during the initial transition phase to CA. Three CA options were assessed combining different levels of soil disturbance and cover, and introducing cover crops to alleviate the biomass trade-offs. Direct seeding (DS), strip tillage (ST), and direct seeding mulched-based cropping systems (DMC) were compared with conventional tillage (CT) from 2017 to 2019 under a dominant soil type in the region, Haplic Lixisols. Two legume species, Stylosanthes guianensis (Aubl.) Sw. and Crotalaria retusa L. were grown as cover crops with maize under ST and DMC. The experiment followed a randomized block design comprising six replicates. After 2–3 years of DMC, the cotton yield advantage with respect to CT increased from 5 % to 7 %. Cotton yield penalties of respectively 11 % in 2018 and 26 % in 2019 were found for DS. ST treatment went from a yield advantage of 8 % in 2017 to a yield penalty of 20 % in 2019. The DMC and CT treatments gave similar and highest boll weights compared to the ST and DS treatments. The treatments had no significant difference regarding the number of bolls per plant. Soil water storage in the upper 30 cm depth and water use efficiency (WUE) were the highest in the plots with the DMC treatment compared to CT, ST, and DS. At 28 days of active vegetative stage (between 34 and 62 days after sowing), the WUE of seed cotton was 0.11 kg ha−1 mm−1 under DMC, while it was 0.08, 0.07, and 0.04 kg ha−1 mm−1 under DS, CT, and ST, respectively. The performance of DMC at increasing water productivity could be an argument to improve adoptability by farmers in northern Benin who are facing increased weather variability, given that the yield penalties often associated with early transitions to CA were not observed here with full DMC.

Thermal pyrolysis behavior and mechanisms of kraft lignin using methane, H2, and H2O as reactive medium: A ReaxFF molecular dynamics simulation

Biomass has become an alternative to fossil fuels due to its capacity to provide carbon-neutral energy. However, the conversion of kraft lignin into high-value chemicals remains challenging. Hydrotreatment, utilizing CH4, H2, or H2O, enables the production of high-quality liquid hydrocarbon fuels while enhancing hydrogen utilization. Reactive molecular dynamics was employed to investigate the influence of CH4, H2, and H2O as reactive medium of kraft lignin at the atomic scale. The three reactive mediums increased the maximum heavy tar yield by 8.34%, 8.07%, and 8.53% respectively, and increased the hydrogen content of pyrolysis products. Steam conditions promote the decomposition of ether bonds, while H2 and CH4 exhibit stronger inhibitory on the decomposition of carbon hexagonal rings. A crucial role of pentagonal carbon rings as intermediates in the lignin cracking process was found. These findings provide valuable insights for optimizing the pyrolysis conditions of kraft lignin to achieve the desired product yields.

Effects of long-term biodegradable film mulching on yield and water productivity of maize in North China Plain

Biodegradable films are considered ideal alternatives to polyethylene films because of their advantages in increasing crop yield and controlling soil pollution. However, the influences of biodegradable film mulching on soil physicochemical environments and water productivity after long-term mulching remain poorly understood. Therefore, a field experiment after long-term mulching (since 2016) was conducted to explore the effects of black biodegradable film (BB), transparent biodegradable film (TB), and traditional polyethylene film (PE) on soil physicochemical environments, aboveground biomass accumulation, grain yield, evapotranspiration, and water productivity (WP) of maize in the 2021 and 2022 in the North China Plain. The results showed that polyethylene films and biodegradable films had a similar ability to preserve soil moisture, promote maize growth, reduce evapotranspiration, and increase WP. Moreover, the performances of BB were more equivalent to PE, and there was no significant difference on WP and yield under BB and PE. Compared with traditional flat planting without mulching (CK), BB and PE significantly increased yield (9.5 % and 12.7 % in 2021; 5.25 % and 6.37 % in 2022) and WP (11.54 % and 21.47 % in 2021; 24.28 % and 23.42 % in 2022). Film mulching treatments increased the soil organic carbon sequestration rate, and the content of soil organic carbon, microbial activity, and urease activity in the 0–20 cm soil layer compared with CK. According to structural equation modeling, the increasing soil water storage because of films mulching positively influenced yield by enhancing enzyme activities which were related to soil nutrients. Over all, these results showed that black biodegradable film is an ideal replacement for polyethylene films under long-term mulching conditions because of its comparable agronomic performance and influence on soil physicochemical environments in the North China Plain.

Economic feasibility of the biorefinery processing bamboo residues with biphasic phenoxyethanol-acid pretreatment technology: Techno-economic analysis

This study conducted a techno-economic analysis to assess the economic feasibility of a biorefinery converting bamboo residues to bioproducts via phenoxyethanol-acid pretreatment. The analysis is integrated with a rigorous process simulation model with the support of experiment data. The bioproducts include ethanol or polylactic acid (PLA), with lignin-based wood adhesive as the byproduct. The minimum selling price (MSP) is $515-$819 per t ethanol and $1,512-$1,842 per t PLA when biphasic treatment is deployed, compared to the MSP of $2,318-$2,721 per t ethanol and $2,859-$3,211 per t PLA for no biphasic pretreatment. Adopting a ratio of 1:1 phenoxyethanol: acid solution (1%) in pretreatment decreases the final product yield but leads to lower MSP than 4:1 phenoxyethanol: acid solution (1%) due to lower phenoxyethanol consumption. A sensitivity analysis identifies the key drivers of reducing MSP, including increasing economic gain from the lignin-based wood adhesive, lowering the phenoxyethanol cost, and expanding plant capacity.

Can Productive Aptitude and Age Affect Circulating Serotonin, Total Thyroid Hormones, and Cortisol Patterns in Cows?

Cattle productivity, whether in terms of meat yield or milk production, is intricately regulated by a multitude of factors. Among them, hormone concentrations play a significant role, reflecting the complex interplay between endocrine regulation and physiological processes that ultimately determine the efficiency and yield of production. High concentrations of 5-hydroxytriptamine (5-HT) are associated with a reduced metabolic load at the onset of lactation and a lower milk yield. Thyroid hormones (THs) and cortisol also affect several metabolic pathways, including carbohydrate, protein, and lipid metabolism. The aim of this study was to assess if milk or meat aptitudes and age influence circulating 5-HT, THs, and cortisol concentrations, investigating the possible interactions among these parameters. The research was performed on 46 healthy cows of three different breeds. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) methods were used to quantify circulating 5-HT and cortisol concentrations, and an immunochemiluminescent analyzer was used for THs. For parameters exhibiting non-normal distributions, an ANCOVA model using age, aptitude, and their interaction as fixed factors was applied. Significant lower T3 concentrations were recorded in dairy cows than in meat cows. Moreover, T4 significantly decreased with advancing age both in cows aimed at milk and meat production. Lastly, T4 was positively correlated with T3 and 5-HT in meat production-oriented cows.

Optimizing yield and irrigation water productivity of wheat under Sahel conditions in North East Nigeria

Unsustainable irrigation practices are a major threat to the available water resources and food security of the country. This research was conducted to determine the optimal wheat grain yield and water productivity (WP) under limited irrigation practices for the enhanced livelihood of small farmer holdings in the Sahel region of northeast, Nigeria. The research was carried out in randomized complete block design (RCBD) with split plot arrangement and replicated three times. The main plot treatment was 7 (I1), 10 (I2), and 14(I3) days irrigation intervals, while the subplot factor was 100 (V1), 85 (V2), and 70% (V3), of crop water requirement (ETc) replacement. The cropWat model was used to determine the crop water requirement (ETc) of the wheat (var. Norman) used in the research. The findings indicated that a 7-day irrigation interval increased grain yield by 20.18 over a 10-day irrigation interval and by 63.10% over 14-day irrigation intervals. Grain yield was found to decrease by 44.80 and 747.25kgHa-1 respectively for 85 and 70% ETc replacement irrigations from full ETc replacement irrigation. Crop water use efficiency was higher and better (0.74 mm-kg/ha) with I1V2 irrigation treatment for wheat and saved 11.55.50 m3 irrigation water over other irrigation schedules. It is recommended that 7 7-day irrigation interval be maintained, while irrigation depth can be reduced by up to 15% for optimum water productivity.

Effect of moisture content on pyrolysis product yield from lignite and lignite-peanut shell mixtures using slow pyrolysis

ABSTRACT The conversion of biomass-coal mixtures into energy using thermal conversion systems offers a more environmentally sustainable alternative to conventional coal consumption. A reactor with an internal compartment is proposed to improve the pyrolysis performance of lignite coal and mixtures of lignite coal with peanut shells. The study investigates lignite coal with varying moisture contents and peanut shell proportions (0%, 10%, 25%, and 50%) at a temperature of 500°C, using a heating rate of 0.1°C/s. The results indicated that dry mixtures demonstrated higher overall productivity compared to wet mixtures, particularly in terms of charcoal production. The weight of charcoal increased by 4.83%, 4.71%, 4.02%, and 2.61% across the mixtures. The total conversion rates for dry mixtures were 24.59%, 29.27%, 34.36%, and 40.44%, while for wet mixtures, the conversion rates were 29.42%, 33.98%, 38.38%, and 43.05%, respectively. The results revealed that moisture content during pyrolysis significantly influenced the productivity of lignite and lignite-peanut shell mixtures. The conversion rates in dry mixtures were lower compared to those in wet mixtures. The novelty of this work lies in its pioneering investigation of the impact of moisture on the slow pyrolysis of Turkish lignite mixed with peanut shells. It offers novel insights into optimizing the thermal conversion process for these materials by uniquely examining the effects of moisture on productivity and conversion rates.