The Role of Legume Crops in Improving the Ecological State of the Soil

In this article is considered the role of legumes in improving the ecological state of the soil and the problem of developing energy-efficient, inexpensive, biologically and environmentally clean production technologies for crop production. The use of valuable chemical fertilizers and pesticides in order to obtain high yields from crops increases the pollution of the environment, ie soil, air and groundwater, the products contain nitrates, herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, residues harmful to human health.

Analysis of the Status of Research and Innovation Actions on Electrofuels under Horizon 2020

Europe stated the ambitious target of becoming carbon neutral by 2050 to combat climate change and meet the requirements imposed by the Paris Agreement, and renewable energy has proved to be a promising solution for the decarbonization of many sectors. Nonetheless, their aleatory nature leads to grid unbalances due to the difference between supply and demand. Storage solutions are needed, and electrofuels become a key factor in this context: they are fuels produced from electricity, which leads to carbon-neutral fuels if it originates from renewable sources. These can constitute a key solution to store the surplus energy and to decarbonize the so-called hard-to-abate sectors. Electrofuel production technologies have not yet been fully developed, and, in this context, extensive study of the state-of-the-art of existing projects can be very useful for researchers and developers. This work researches the European projects funded by the Horizon 2020 Programme regarding electrofuel production. The projects were analyzed in-depth using specific features, and the results were presented.

Design and Costs Analysis of Hydrogen Refuelling Stations Based on Different Hydrogen Sources and Plant Configurations

In this study, the authors present a techno-economic assessment of on-site hydrogen refuelling stations (450 kg/day of H2) based on different hydrogen sources and production technologies. Green ammonia, biogas, and water have been considered as hydrogen sources while cracking, autothermal reforming, and electrolysis have been selected as the hydrogen production technologies. The electric energy requirements of the hydrogen refuelling stations (HRSs) are internally satisfied using the fuel cell technology as power units for ammonia and biogas-based configurations and the PV grid-connected power plant for the water-based one. The hydrogen purification, where necessary, is performed by means of a Palladium-based membrane unit. Finally, the same hydrogen compression, storage, and distribution section are considered for all configurations. The sizing and the energy analysis of the proposed configurations have been carried out by simulation models adequately developed. Moreover, the economic feasibility has been performed by applying the life cycle cost analysis. The ammonia-based configurations are the best solutions in terms of hydrogen production energy efficiency (>71%, LHV) as well as from the economic point of view, showing a levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH) in the range of 6.28 EUR/kg to 6.89 EUR/kg, a profitability index greater than 3.5, and a Discounted Pay Back Time less than five years.

Practical and Thermodynamic Constraints on Electromicrobially-Accelerated CO2 Mineralization

By the end of the century tens of gigatonnes of CO2 will need to be removed from the atmosphere every year to maintain global temperatures. Natural weathering of ultramafic rocks and subsequent mineralization reactions can convert atmospheric CO2 into ultra-stable carbonates. But, while natural weathering will eventually draw down all excess CO2, this process will need hundreds of thousands of years to do it. The CO2 mineralization process could be accelerated by weathering ultramafic rocks with biodegradable lixiviants like organic acids. But, in this article we show that if these lixiviants are produced from cellulosic biomass, the demand created by CO2 mineralization could monopolize the world's supply of biomass even if CO2 mineralization performance is high. In this article we demonstrate that electromicrobial production technologies that (EMP) combine renewable electricity and microbial metabolism could produce lixiviants for as little as $200 to $400 per tonne at solar electricity prices achievable within the decade. Furthermore, this allows the lixiviants needed to sequester a tonne of CO2 to produced for less than $100, even with modest CO2 mineralization performance.

Evolution of the Olive Oil Industry along the Entire Production Chain and Related Waste Management

The production of olive oil involves the sustainable management of the waste produced along the entire production chain. This review examines the developments regarding cultivation techniques, production technologies, and waste management, highlighting the goals to be achieved and the most reasonable prospects. The results show that cultivation and production technology have evolved to an almost final solution to meet economic feasibility, keeping the oil’s high quality. Continuous horizontal decanters will coexist with traditional mills in many countries with old olive oil production and consumption traditions. High-quality products have conquered markets, especially in the wealthiest countries. At the same time, the exploitation of dried pomace by solvent extraction is increasingly an obsolete practice. However, waste management is still looking for one or a few reasonable solutions that meet modern society’s constraints. The enhancement of some experienced technologies and the full-scale application of emerging technologies and strategies should solve this problem in the short–medium term. A short discussion is reported on the possibility of unifying the nature and the quality of the waste, whatever the olive oil production method is. Furthermore, modern thermochemical treatment for solid wet organic waste disposal is examined and discussed.

Properties of Semisolid Parts: Comparison with Conventional and Innovative Manufacturing Technologies

In this paper, wear properties of samples manufactured using thixocasting were compared with those of components obtained using low-pressure die-casting and additive manufacturing in order to assess the relationship between material performance and production technologies, both conventional and innovative. The investigated items were made with AlSi7Mg alloy. First, microstructural analysis and hardness measurements were carried out. Subsequently, pin-on-disk wear tests were performed. Wear behavior of the samples was studied considering both coefficient of friction and wear rate, while the damage mechanism was analyzed by observation of the worn paths using scanning electron microscope, correlating the behavior to the specific microstructure. In addition, the effect of selected heat-treated conditions, relevant for real applications, on wear properties was also evaluated.

Group decision-making with Fermatean fuzzy soft expert knowledge

With the rapid growth of population, the global impact of solar technology is increasing by the day due to its advantages over other power production technologies. Demand for solar panel systems is soaring, thus provoking the arrival of many new manufacturers. Sale dealers or suppliers face an uncertain problem to choose the most adequate technological solution. To effectively address such kind of issues, in this paper we propose the Fermatean fuzzy soft expert set model by combining Fermatean fuzzy sets and soft expert sets. We describe this hybrid model with numerical examples. From a theoretical standpoint, we demonstrate some essential properties and define operations for this setting. They comprise the definitions of complement, union and intersection, the OR operation and the AND operation. Concerning practice in this new environment, we provide an algorithm for multi-criteria group decision making whose productiveness and authenticity is dutifully tested. We explore a practical application of this approach (that is, the selection of a suitable brand of solar panel system). Lastly, we give a comparison of our model with certain related mathematical tools, including fuzzy and intuitionistic fuzzy soft expert set models.

Adoption level of integrated crop management practices among rice farmers: Does the adoption of production technology predict postharvest technology adoption

SAMARICA is the second district of Occidental Mindoro province in the Philippines having a vast land area for rice production. It supports the rice milling sector of the province with promising facilities for postharvest of rice. This study investigates the rice farmers’ adoption level of integrated crop management practices (ICMPs). The adoption ICMPs aims to promotes farm productivity and efficiency. A total of 404 rice farmers participated in this study selected through a multi-stage sampling technique. Quantitative data were generated from the survey questionnaire and were analyzed using Descriptive Statistics. Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to analyze the relationship between production and postharvest practices. The results revealed that rice farmers have “very high” adoption of rice production technologies except for water technologies and intermittent irrigation with “high” adoption level. In terms of postharvest, there is “very high” adoption of mechanized harvesting and recommended moisture content for rice but “moderate” adoption for rice parboiler, dying machines, and threshing of rice right after harvest. On the other hand, a statistically significant evidence was found for production technologies as predictor of postharvest technologies, specific for the care and management of rice (β =0.55; P<0.01).

Experiences and Lessons from Agri-Food System Transformation for Sustainable Food Security: A Review of China’s Practices

Food system transformation has been a widely discussed topic in international society over time. For the last few decades, China has made remarkable achievements in food production and has contributed greatly to the reduction in global hunger and poverty. Examining experiences and lessons from China’s food security practices over the years is helpful to promote a national food system transformation for China, as well as other developing countries. This study systematically reviews the literature on Chinese food security studies, with the aim of assessing China’s food security achievements and examining the remaining and emerging issues in the pursuit of food system transformation. The results show that China has continuously promoted food system transformation in land consolidation, agri-food production technologies, management and organization modes, food reserves, trade governance, and food consumption. These transformations ensure not only food availability, timeliness, and nutrition, but also in terms of the ecological, social, and economic sustainability, feasibility, and justice of food security. However, China is also confronting new challenges in food security, for example, malnutrition, environmental unsustainability, and reductions in diversified agri-food. In the future, China is expected to be committed to promoting healthy diets, sustainable agricultural production, climate change mitigation, and the reduction of food waste and loss to enhance its agri-food system’s resilience.