Reducing Tillage Affects Long-Term Yields but Not Grain Quality of Maize, Soybeans, Oats, and Wheat Produced in Three Contrasting Farming Systems

Reducing tillage has been widely promoted to reduce soil erosion, maintain soil health, and sustain long-term food production. The effects of reducing tillage on crop nutritional quality in organic and conventional systems, however, has not been widely explored. One possible driver of crop nutritional quality might be the changing soil nitrogen (N) availability associated with reduced tillage in various management systems. To test how reducing tillage affects crop nutritional quality under contrasting conventional and organic farming systems with varied N inputs, we measured nutritional quality (protein, fat, starch, ash, net energy, total digestible nutrients, and concentrations of Ca, K, Mg, P, and S) of maize, wheat, oats, and soybeans harvested from a long-term trial comprised of three farming systems under two tillage regimes: a conventional grain system (CNV); a low-input organic grain system (LEG); and an organic, manure-based grain + forage system (MNR) under conventional full-tillage (FT) and reduced-till (RT) management. Although maize and wheat yields were 10–13% lower under RT management, grain quality metrics including protein, fat, starch, energy, and mineral concentrations were not significantly affected by reducing tillage. Differences in nutrient quality were more marked between farming systems: protein levels in maize were highest in the MNR system (8.1%); protein levels in soybeans were highest in the LEG system (40.4%); levels of protein (12.9%), ash (2.0%), and sulfur (1430 ppm) in wheat were highest in the CNV system, and oat quality was largely consistent between the LEG and MNR systems. As grain quality did not significantly respond to reducing tillage, other management decisions that affect nutrient availability appear to have a greater effect on nutrient quality.

Effects of Small-Scale Gold Mining (SGM) to Mercury and Nutrient Contents in Soil in Kokap Subdistrict, Kulonprogo, Yogyakarta

Gold processing in Dusun Sangon, Kalirejo Village, Kokap Sub district, Kulonprogo Regency, SpecialRegion of Yogyakarta Province uses amalgamation method. Mercury use in gold processing has apotential impact on environmental damage and health of organism. Therefore, management onmercury-contaminated soil is needed to reduce environmental impacts. However, beforeperforming soil management, it is important to conduct research on initial condition of researchlocation, including research on the soil’s nutrient quality and mercury content. Testing wasconducted in the laboratory. Mercury (Hg) content testing used mercury analyzer testing method.pH testing used ISRIC 6th 2002 method. Organic carbon testing used SNI 13-4720-1998 testingmethod. Total nitrogen testing used SNI 2803-2010 testing method. C/N Ratio testing used SNI 13-4720-1998; SNI 2803-2010 testing methods. Results show that mercury contents in residualsamples of gold ore and soil samples were 4.81 mg/kg and 88.63 mg/kg respectively, which wereincluded in TC-B and TC-A in the aforementioned order. Meanwhile, mercury content in gold oreSamples 1 and 2 were 0.28 ppm and 0.14181 ppm respectively. Soil nutrient content parameters ofOrganic C, Total N, and C/N ratio were found to be very low. These results might be influenced byprocessing activities in gold ore mining.

Universality and non-universality of the growth law

An approximately linear relationship between the fraction of ribosomal proteins in the proteome (ϕR) and the growth rate (μ) holds in proliferating cells when the nutrient quality changes, often referred to as a growth law. While a simple model assuming a constant translation speed of ribosomes without protein degradation can rationalize this growth law, real protein synthesis processes are more complex. This work proposes a general theoretical framework of protein synthesis, taking account of heterogeneous translation speeds among proteins and finite protein degradation. We introduce ribosome allocations as the fraction of active ribosomes producing certain proteins, with two correlation coefficients respectively quantifying the correlation between translation speeds and ribosome allocations, and between protein degradation rates and mass fractions. We prove that the growth law curve generally follows ϕR = (μ + c1)/(c2μ + c3) where c1, c2, and c3 are constants depending on the above correlation coefficients and the translation speed of ribosomal proteins. Our theoretical predictions of ϕR agree with existing data of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We demonstrate that when different environments share similar correlation coefficients, the growth law curve is universal and up-bent relative to a linear line in slow-growth conditions, which appears valid for Escherichia coli. However, the growth law curve is non-universal and environmental-specific when the environments have significantly different correlation coefficients. Our theories allow us to estimate the translation speeds of ribosomal and non-ribosomal proteins based on the experimental growth law curves.

Energy Potential of Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch (EFB) Fiber from Subsequent Cultivation of Volvariella volvacea (Bull.) Singer

EFB and EFB-based mushroom compost (SMC) from Volvariella volvacea cultivation is a promising energy feedstock because it has adequate nutrient quality. The biochemical methane potential (BMP) and calorific value (CV) of this biomass are investigated. Other analyses such as proximate, compositional, and final analysis; thermogravimetric analysis (TGA); and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) are also performed. The biomass samples consist of two types of EFB, namely fibers (F) and pellets (P) and SMC from the subsequent cultivation of Volvariella volvacea, with samples FS and PS from the first cultivation and FS2 and PS2 from the second cultivation. P produces the highest biological efficiency (BE) of 28% compared to 9.83% for F. Subsequent cultivation with FS and PS then produces only 2.9 and 6.83% of BE. A higher amount of methane is measured in samples P and PS2, while better biodegradability is observed in PS2 and FS2, suggesting that subsequent cultivation is a good pretreatment of the substrate for anaerobic digestion (AD). CV is highest in F (20.57 MJ/kg), followed by P (19.06 MJ/kg), which is comparable to commercial wood pellet. Samples F, FS, and FS2 have higher ash content, which is due to higher mineral content. The cellulose composition is reduced to almost 50% during cultivation due to fungal metabolism, which is also evidenced by FTIR analysis. TGA analysis revealed that EFB-based SMC exhibits higher weight loss during combustion compared to EFB, which reduces its thermal properties. SMC of EFB is a high potential biomethane feedstock, but not recommended as a fuel pellet.

Moss phyllid morphology varies systematically with substrate slope

Background and aims – Tracheophyte leaf morphology is well studied but it is unclear if the findings generalize to poikilohydric plants. We tested combinations of hypotheses to determine if microhabitat characteristics, including light exposure, moisture availability, and substrate slope, controlled for morphological differences between upright and prostrate growth forms, affect phyllid surface area and costa length of mosses.Material and methods – We quantified mean phyllid surface-area and costa lengths for four replicates of 38 moss species from Alabama. Phylogenetic comparative methods that model adaptation were used to evaluate the relative evidence for each hypothesis using information criteria. To further explore mechanistic explanations involving substrate slope, we tested whether mosses on vertical substrates differed from those on horizontal substrates in the average amount of water-retaining, nutrient-rich litter they accumulated.Key results – Substrate slope and growth form combined were the best predictors of phyllid surface area. Mosses growing on vertical substrates exhibited smaller phyllid surface area for both growth forms. Although growth form and phyllid length best explained costa length variation, a more complex model including substrate slope performed nearly as well. Within the prostrate growth forms, species growing on vertical substrates exhibit longer relative costa than those on horizontal substrates. We also estimated rapid rates of adaptation for both traits.Conclusion – The smaller phyllid surface area of both upright and prostrate growth forms is possibly an adaptive response to reduced habitat moisture-retention or nutrient quality that vertical substrates offer. The longer costa lengths of prostrate mosses growing on vertical surfaces relative to prostrate mosses on horizontal surfaces, possibly make up for the decreased ability of smaller phyllids to rapidly reabsorb water when it is available. Further work is required to determine if it is truly substrate slope itself that matters or other variables associated with the differences in slope, and to determine how general this phenomenon is.

Effect of Packaging on the Stability of Stored Dry Silver Cyprinid (Rastrineobola argentea)

Dried silver cyprinid (Rastrineobola argentea) has the potential to provide an affordable and accessible food-based strategy to fight malnutrition among Ugandans and enrich diets of the vulnerable persons. However, there is inadequate information on changes in the nutritional content and safety of stored dry silver cyprinid along the local handling chain. This study evaluated the effect of conventionally used packaging on microbial safety and nutrient quality of dry silver cyprinid during storage. Freshly dried silver cyprinid was obtained from stores at four landing sites on Lake Victoria and stored in open and closed gunny bags for 8 weeks. Samples were collected at 0, 1, 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks of storage and assessed for nutritional and microbial quality. The type of packaging used (open or closed gunny bags) had no significant effect on most nutrient content and microbial safety parameters (p >0.05) except iron content, aflatoxin content, and TVBN content. Open gunny bags had higher aflatoxin content, greater iron degradation and greater variation in TVBN as compared to closed gunny bags throughout the storage duration. The observed difference in some of the quality parameters can be attributed to increased permeability to oxygen and moisture in open gunny bags as compared to closed gunny bags.

Moderate and Severe Level of Food Insecurity Is Associated with High Calorie-Dense Food Consumption of Filipino Households

Food insecurity is often deeply rooted in poverty. Hence, accessibility and the quality of foods consumed may affect the dietary pattern. The study aims to assess the relationship between food insecurity and dietary consumption. This investigation analyzed the data from the 2015 Updating of Nutritional Nutrition Survey. The Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) was used to determine household food security status and the prevalence of food insecurity. Food weighing, food inventory, and food recall were the methods used to collect food consumption data of sampled households. The study revealed poor nutrient quality and a greater likelihood of inadequacy of nutrients among moderate and severe food insecure households. Mild, moderate, and severe levels of food insecurity were found to affect 12%, 32%, and 22% of the population, respectively. The test showed that both moderate and severe food insecure families have significantly lower mean consumption of meat, milk, and fats and oils in contrast to food secure households. In comparison with food secure households, moderate and severe food insecure households consume higher amounts of cereals and cereal products, rice, and vegetables. Moderate and severe food insecure households have higher consumption of total carbohydrates but have significantly lower average intake of vitamin A, riboflavin, niacin, and total fat related to food stable households. Moreover, the results of the multiple logistic regression revealed that food insecure households have a higher likelihood to be deficient in energy, protein, calcium, vitamin A, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and vitamin C intakes, but except for iron ( p value <0.05). Indeed, household food insecurity was associated with the higher consumption of calorie-dense food among Filipino households. This explains a lower nutrient quality and a higher likelihood of inadequacy of nutrients among moderate and severe food insecure households.

Quality Improvement of Water Hyacinth (Eichornia Crassipes) Leaf Meal Fermented with Aspergillus Niger as Fish Feed Ingredient

An experiment was conducted to investigate the nutrient quality of water hyacinth leaf meal (WHLM) fermented with different doses of Aspergillus niger as fish feed ingredients. This study utilized a completely randomized design (CRD) with five treatments and three repetitions. The doses of A. niger supplemented in WHLM were 0; 6; 8; 10; and 12%. Results of this study showed that nutrient quality of WHLM with A. niger supplementation significantly affected the reduction of crude fiber and increase of crude protein (P<0.05). Addition of 12% A. niger is the best treatment for improving protein and fiber quality of water hyacinth leaf meal.

Harvest Handling and Postharvest Conditions for Optimum Nutrient Quality in Mango: Minerals and Vitamins

Good practices at harvest and postharvest could be useful in obtaining nutritious mango with high minerals and vitamins. The present study evaluated effect of harvest handling and postharvest conditions on the level of minerals and vitamins using standard methods. Ripe, half-ripe and unripe mangoes were harvested on parent plant and on ground around parent plant. The half-ripe and unripe mangoes were further divided to include heat ripened mangoes. The mango samples were separately stored naturally at 25±3oC and heat ripened at 37±5oC for 0 to 10 day after harvest (dah). The results show Ijebu-Mamu mangoes could cater for reference dietary intake of Vit C. Mango harvested on parent plant has highest level of minerals and vitamins than those picked on ground. Ripe mango has highest level of minerals, half ripe mango presented highest level of vits. B1 and B2 and unripe mango has highest level of Fe and Vit. C. Heat caused increased level of minerals and reduced level of vitamins. The minerals show increased level from 0 to 4 or 6 dah while vitamins reduced from 0 till 10 dah. High level of minerals and vitamins was obtained with optimum integrated harvest and postharvest condition of half-ripe mango naturally ripened at 6 dah. The present results highlight effects of the assessed harvest handling and postharvest conditions and their co-optimization that might be necessary for high minerals and vitamins in mango.