Agriculture and Agricultural Science Procedia最新文献

Rapeseed meal is a by-product of oil production which is primarily used in feed industry. The application of the rapeseed meal as a protein source in food industry is an alternative which leads to a better and more complete use of this by-product. Biochemical characteristics of industrially produced rapeseed meal vary and therefore, detailed analyses prior to its use as a protein source is necessary. The commercial rapeseed meal evaluated in this study contained high protein amount (39.86%) and low residual total fats (2.30%). It was characterized with low levels of glucosinolates (12.69 ± 0.18 μmol/g) and phenols (1.13 ± 0.04%). Amino acid analysis revealed lysine as the first limiting amino acid with an amino acid score of 58.00%, followed by valine (66.86%). However, this by-product was rich in leucine and isoleucine which amino acid scores equaled to 97.60 and 88.67% respectively. The amino acid score evaluation demonstrated relatively high amount of sulphur containing amino acids (82.57%). The commercial rapeseed meal exhibited low in vitro digestibility (18.59 ± 0.98%). The albumin, globulin and glutelin fractions however, expressed higher digestibility with albumin fraction being the most susceptible (67.22 ± 1.28%) to pepsin and pancreatin proteolytic activities.

This study was carried out to determine the favorable conditions for preserving the quality of ‘Jiro’ persimmon during overseas transport and subsequent storage. Persimmon were packed using two types of packaging materials: plain cardboard boxes and cardboard boxes with modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) using 40-μm thick low density polyethylene (LDPE) film as an inner packaging material. These fruits were exported to Hong Kong via sea for 7 days using reefer containers at set temperatures of 2 °C and 15 °C. After delivery, the fruits were stored at 10 °C and room temperature for 6 days. The number of softened fruits in each test was counted on the day of delivery and on every second day during storage. The softening of fruit was judged directly by touch and fruits that had even slightly softened were regarded as softened fruits. Simultaneously a laboratory test was conducted under conditions mimicking the transport conditions to determine the effect of MAP on persimmon quality based on the evaluation of headspace O₂ and CO₂ concentration inside the package, fruit skin color, and ion leakage. The number of softened fruit was less at 2 °C than at 15 °C transportation temperatures on the day of delivery, but during shelf-life conditions at both 10 °C and room temperature, the number of softened fruit increased rapidly on the fruit that was transported at 2 °C. These results indicate that the selection of an appropriate transportation temperature, considering the chilling sensitivity of ‘Jiro’ persimmon fruits, is very important to increase the number of marketable fruits, thereby increasing its overseas trade value. Storage at room temperature after transportation prolonged the shelf-life of fruits better than those stored at 10 °C. Using MAP was more effective at preventing quality loss of persimmon not only on the delivery day but also on the day after delivery. ‘Wase-Jiro’, which is an early-ripening type, was more sensitive to chilling than ‘Futsu-Jiro’, which is a middle-ripening type. Moreover, it was found that high-grade persimmon is more suitable for export.

The paper aims to present the integrative potential of natural mycorrhization in short experiments. Mycorrhization parameters provide quantitative and qualitative indices of plant root development. Assessing the degree of dependence of plants to symbiotic association may represent an important step in estimating the strength and durability of a species in natural ecosystems. The degree of colonization is part of the methodology for estimating the volume explored by root symbiotic fungi, the value indicating the associative dependence. For values of the colonization degree below 10%, the association is casual and over 50% the association became mandatory. These values are due to a balanced frequencies and intensities. In general, differentiated fertilization and treatments acts to individualize the exploratory reaction of mycorrhizas. The strongest effects of the experimental variants are seen at the end of the growing season. Principal components analysis highlights the separation effect of fertilization and individualizes the treatments on graphs. Principal components analysis ordination of the colonization degree shows a normalization of mycorrhizal reaction to interaction fertilization x treatment and maximize the effect of experimental graduations. Zinc sulphate is the most restrictive treatment in combination with fertilization. Mineral or organo-mineral fertilization is beneficial for mulching at the vegetation peak and fungicides respond well to organo-mineral fertilization.

We developed a new plant biostimulant composition, containing low doses of sodium selenate, glycine betaine and a spray adjuvant. We performed an experiment to test the influence of treatments with this new biostimulant composition, on cabbage and cauliflower crops, cultivated under normal watered and water stress conditions. We aimed to prove that an efficient technology of protective biofortification with selenium of crops would solve two technical problems of cruciferous cultivation into a semi-arid area, with selenium soil deficit: (i) safety supplementation of food chain and, concomitant, (ii) enhanced water use efficiency. Normal watered plants were irrigated at a rate of 100% crop evapotranspiration (ETc). Water stressed cabbage and cauliflower plants were irrigated under deficit conditions, at a 75% ETc. Six different treatments, including the new biostimulant composition and its ingredients, separate and/or in combination, were applied on cabbage and cauliflower, in a field experiment, organised in split plot design, with three replications. The treatments were applied by foliar spraying, 3 weeks and 6 weeks after seedlings transplantation in the field. During vegetation, physiological parameters (chlorophyll a fluorescence and stomatal conductance) were assayed. After harvesting, yield parameters were determined, for each treatment applied to both normal watered and water stressed plants. We calculated the water use efficiency as ratio between the marketable yield and the water used. We tested in field conditions this new biostimulant composition, which allows to obtain, under conditions of moderate water stress, a marketable production similar to that of the normal watered crop. Physiological parameters demonstrated also enhanced water-use efficiency on cabbage and cauliflower treated with the new biostimulant composition, containing sodium selenate, betaine and spraying adjuvant based on ethyl rapeseedate.

Alternative food networks (AFNs) are a comprehensive body of practices related to food provisioning which are different from the mainstream food systems. In this paper we deepen this topic from a sociological standpoint, focusing on a wide range of AFNs located in the Piemonte region of Italy. We articulate our analytical and empirical study focusing on three central concepts: 1) accessibility, which refers both to the point of sales to the agri-food goods; 2) sustainability, both from the environmental and the economic perspective; 3) quality, conceived as a contested field within which forms of coordination between actors can emerge.

The main aim of this research is to explore the effect of supplementary feeding, Azolla piñata and probiotics, on the quality and profile of fatty acids in patin fish oil extracts, protein and amino acids content. In this research, patin fish were divided into three different feeding treatments: pellets only (P1) as a control; pellets and A. piñata (P2); pellets and probiotics (P3). These fishes were characterized for their growth profile, fish oil quality, protein and amino acids content. P3 shows the best growth profile indicated with the heaviest bodyweight compare to other fish samples. Quality of fish lipids was determined by an analysis of acid value, saponification number, peroxide value, iodine number, along with an analysis of the composition of fatty acids via gas chromatography. The results show that the highest oil yield from patin fish meal extracted using dry rendering method was obtained from P3. P3 also shows the lowest saponification number and peroxide value. Oleic acid and palmitic acid are the major constituent of unsaturated fatty acid and saturated one, respectively, in all these fish samples. The highest crude protein content which was determined using Kjeldahl method also presented in P3. The amount and the dominant amino acids content in the protein of P1, P2, and P3, in the order, are 13 amino acids: tryptophan, 14 amino acids: asparagine, and 13 amino acids: glutamic acids.

The purpose of this study was to know the effect of crude extract durian seeds using on pineapple juice during storage and to know the appropriated concentration of crude extract of durian seed to product the pineapple juice with good properties and high preferrence. The research was done in two steps. The first step was extraction of processing crude extract water-solube polysaccharide of durian seed. The second step was application of crude extract water-solube polysaccharide of durian seed on pineapple juice. The experimental design used completely randomized design two factors of nested pattern (Nested Design). The first factor was concentration of crude extracts (0; 0.05; 0.10; 0.15 and 0.20%) and the second factor was storage time at room temperature (0, 1, 2 and 3 week). The best concentration of crude extract water soluble polysaccharides of durian seeds to product the pineapple juice was 0.10%. The pineapple juice had 0,10% by 54,67 mp of viscosity; 0,00 of ⁰Brix stability; pH 5.01; Hue value by 76.173 (Yellow Red); Chroma 19.80; and the sensory properties were preference of color, aroma, taste, stability, and overall were 3.56; 3.40; 3.56; 3.60; and 3.84 (like to very like) respectively.

The artichoke (Cynara scolymus L.) is an important medicinal and culinary herb, cultivated since Antiquity (4^th century BC). It has been used in therapy since 16^th century, but its coleretical action was discovered only in 1931. It was used as a vegetable in Ancient Egypt and in the Roman Empire. From the 15^th century it has been frequently used as food. With the growing necessity of ecological products, organic crops cultivation areas need to be expanded, but a more complete characterization of such agriculture systems is required. The present paper aims to evaluate the yield of Cynara scolymus L. under four different organic foliar fertilizers (Fylo®, Geolino Plants&Flowers®, Cropmax®, Fitokondi®), by assessing morphometric parameters, physiological parameters (chlorophyll fluorescence and content, photosynthetic and transpiration rate) and total phenolics and flavonoid contents of plants. Some of the analyzed parameters values were increased in fertilized plants, compared to unfertilized ones. Foliar fertilization of artichoke plants can thus be used to obtain increased inflorescence yield and phenolic compounds synthesis with effect on physiological parameters analyzed, allowing better performance of artichoke under organic fertilization.

Rural territories cover 91% of EU27 area and 56% of population live in there. Common Agricultural Policy pays more and more attention to these territories, in particular to their development. In this work it is argued that a generic agricultural and/or socio-economic characterization might be not sufficient to understand these territories, to formulate appropriate policies and ultimately to evaluate the effectiveness of such policy measures. In our view, the “agricultural” character is closely related to the farmland natural attributes as well as to the specific farming activities while the “rural” character is more related to the functional relationships with the urban areas. Hence, a methodology is discussed to classify a geographical space based on a simple measure of urbanization and to provide a classification that considers multiple degrees of urbanization and/or rurality. The method is applied to municipality data for the Lombardy region to distinguish network-based urban systems from mono-centric cities and to classify “non-urban” territories accordingly, separating rural from peri-urban areas. Statistical tests are conducted to study the extent to which the different typologies of territories identified differ with respect to a set of agricultural characteristics. Substantial differences in agriculture are highlighted between urban and rural areas as well as among “non-urban” areas, suggesting that more rigorous definitions of rural can best used to program policies for sustainable local development.

Sustainable agriculture is closely related to farming practices. In order to attain sustainable agriculture, there are many farming practices such as land preparation, used of fertilizers and weedicides among other indicators of farming practices. In particular, weed and pest control are focal points for certain crops such as cotton, rice, vegetables, and fruit with heavily applied chemical inputs which cause unsustainability in farming. Among food crops, paddy requires heavy doses of fertilizers, weedicides and pesticides to keep it healthy and productive. The objective of this study is to determine the factors that contribute to unsustainability of paddy farming practices at field level via Paddy Farmer Sustainability Index (PFSI) based on the current 33 paddy farming practices. Tobit regression analysis found that knowledge and awareness have played important role in determinant of unsustainability level in paddy farming.