The use of the two different mycotoxin deactivators in the nutrition of dairy cows

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of two different commercial products for mycotoxin deactivation in the dairy cows’ nutrition. The research was done on the 18 dairy cows in the different phase of lactation, with the average production of 14 L of milk per day. The diet contained in average 8 kg of concentrate feed, 10 kg of mixed peas and wheat forage, 4 kg hay of alfalfa and cereal straw ad libitum. Before starting the trials all components of the cows’ ration were analysed for the presence of aflatoxin B1, while cow’s milk was analysed for the presence of aflatoxin M1. In the first phase of the trial cows were fed diet containing aflatoxin B1 at level of 5±0.9 µg/kg, which resulted in the average aflatoxin M1concentration of 181±3.5 ng/kg in the milk. In the second phase of the trail 0.5 % of the commercial product 1 (Neozel®) was added into the feed ration of cows and after the period of adaptation, the aflatoxin M1 concentration in milk was measured. In the third phase of the trail 0.3 % of the commercial product 2 (miko-Stop 0.3®) was added into the feed ration of cows and also, after the period of adaptation, the concentration of aflatoxin M1 in milk was measured. The last phase was the control phase in which cows were fed diets with aflatoxin B1 (5 µg/kg) without added mycotoxin deactivators. The use of both commercial products for ten days resulted in the reduction of aflatoxin M1 levels for 35.9 % and 53.6 %, respectively.

Effect of fertilizer and cultivation systems and herbicide application on soil biological activity under spring barley cultivation and its yield

The results of the research devoted to the change of the biological composition of the soil under the conditions of activation of microbiological vital activity and increase in the number of earthworms in the technology of spring barley cultivation are presented. It was found that the organic system of growing crops against the background of manure, cereal straw and green manure in comparison with the organo-mineral system obtained a positive dynamics of decomposition of linen tissue and the development of earthworms in the soil.The highest grain yield was formed by agrocenosis of spring barley with the introduction of Lancelot 450 WG – 0.033 kg·ha–1 + Axial 50 EC – 1 dm3·ha–1 (tube exit phase) – 4900 kg·ha–1 and 4700 kg·ha–1 for organo-mineral and organic fertilizer systems in accordance.

Cultivation of oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus sp.) using organic waste: an example with Pleurotus pulmonarius (Fr.) Quel.

Pleurotus pulmonarius (Fr.) Quel. is a mushroom species that occurs widely in nature on all continents except Antarctica. It is most common in North America. Its fruiting bodies are characterised by a mild taste and a slight anise aroma. These mushrooms are valued as a source of nutrients and substances with a healing effect. The anticancer, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of P. pulmonarius have been scientifically proven, as well as its strong antihyperglycemic activity. P. pulmonarius is easy to grow because it has a very aggressive mycelium towards cellulosecontaining materials. In Poland, it can be grown on substrates based on cereal straw and various types of organic waste, including agricultural, horticultural, textile and forestry. In intensive crops, the substrates are also enriched with protein and carbohydrates. On an industrial scale, P. pulmonarius is grown primarily in Asia and North America on locally available organic materials.

Effects of Variable Weather Conditions on Baled Proportion of Varied Amounts of Harvestable Cereal Straw, Based on Simulations

All harvestable cereal straw cannot be collected every year in regions where wet periods are probable during the baling season, so some Swedish studies have used 'recovery coefficients’ to estimate potential harvestable amounts. Current Swedish recovery coefficients were first formulated by researchers in the early 1990s, after discussions with crop advisors, but there are no recent Swedish publications on available baling times and recovery proportions. Therefore, this study evaluated baling operations over a series of years for representative virtual farms and machine systems in four Swedish regions, to determine the available time for baling, baled straw ratio and annual variation in both. The hourly grain moisture content of pre-harvested cereals and swathed straw was estimated using moisture models and real weather data for 22/23 years, and the results were used as input to a model for simulating harvesting and baling operations. Expected available baling time during August and September was estimated to be 39–49%, depending on region, with large annual variation (standard deviation 22%). The average baling coefficient was estimated to be 80–86%, with 1400 t·year−1 harvestable straw and 15 t·h−1 baling capacity, and the annual variation was also considerable (s.d. 20%).

Equipment Performance, Costs and Constraints of Packaging and Transporting Rice Straw for Alternative Uses to Burning in the “Parc Natural l’Albufera de València” (Spain)

Rice straw is a residue that causes significant environmental problems, as burning it causes CO2 and ash emissions, while buried waste can cause issues associated with eutrophication. The extraction of straw from fields for alternative uses may contribute to solving these problems, but research into its economic viability is necessary. The straw can be used for crop mulching, biofuel, bedding for livestock, and so on. In this study, we analyse the work carried out by straw harvesting machines (rakes, balers, bundlers, and loaders) and calculate the costs of packing, road-siding, and transportation of the straw from the rice fields to stockage points in the producer area, as well as to locations outside of the rice production area, in order to assess the viability. The costs of all elemental operations were calculated. The costs of all the operations included between raking and unloading in the producer area stocking point ranged between 28.1 and 51 EUR t−1. These costs were compared with the price of rain-fed cereal straw (wheat and barley), which is the most abundant, noting that the years in which rain-fed cereal straw reached high prices, rice straw could serve as a competitive product; however, in years when the former is cheap, it would be necessary to subsidise the harvesting of rice straw.

Rheological behavior of cereal straw suspensions

The rheological properties (yield stress and viscosity) of cereal straw suspensions are especially important in bioethanol production as they determine the mixing behaviour of the suspension during enzymatic hydrolysis. Yield stress measurements are generally difficult to perform in straw suspensions due to sedimentation, which commonly occur in the suspensions because of the difficulty encountered in loading the suspension into the measuring equipment. The process of placing the suspension in the measuring instrument causes a disturbance likely to induce the yielding of the suspension before the actual measurements are taken. Moreover cereal suspensions at high straw concentration (10-40 wt%) are soft solids and pourability is particularly difficult with solids. Rheological behavior of staw suspensions made from wheat, Oats and malt barley of fiber sizes 0.15 mm-4.20 mm (mesh sizes 20 to 100) and concentrations 5.0-15.0 wt% were studied. The suspensions were initially prepared by dispersing milled and sieved straws in distilled water at room temperature, followed by vortexing to aid the dispersion process; this was later modified to include a 30-minute de-aeration of the suspensions using vacuum and 2-minute mixing using a general purpose mixer at about 162 rpm. However, none these procedures produced a homogenous suspension. The viscosity of the dispersion medium was modified by the addition of Xanthan gum. This produced homogenous suspensions which remained suspended for about 20 minutes. The rheological properties of these suspensions were measured on a Bohlin rheometer in the controlled stress mode using a vane and cup measuring instrument, and the suspension yield stress determined by extrapolation and by regression of Herschel-Bulkley, Casson and Bingham models. Yield stress obtained from extrapolation ranged from 2-19 Pa, while model results ranged from 0.96- 8.15 Pa, for 5.0 wt% Oats straw suspensions with Xanthan gum strengths of 0.1-0.5 wt%. Extrapolation results for 7.5 wt% Oats staw suspensions with Xanthan gum strengths of 0.1-0.5 wt% ranged from 20-36 Pa while model results were in the range of 4.38-18.76 Pa. Wheat and malt barely straw suspensions evaluated using Herschel-Bulkley model at similiar Oats straw suspension conditions of 5.0 wt% fiber concentration with 0.3 wt% Xanthan gum strength produced statistically equivalent yields stress to Oats straw suspensions in the range of 2.31-4.04 Pa for fibers of mesh size 40-100. Cereal straw suspenions are non-Newtonian fluids with yield stresses that are highly straw concentration dependent.

Rheological behavior of cereal straw suspensions

The rheological properties (yield stress and viscosity) of cereal straw suspensions are especially important in bioethanol production as they determine the mixing behaviour of the suspension during enzymatic hydrolysis. Yield stress measurements are generally difficult to perform in straw suspensions due to sedimentation, which commonly occur in the suspensions because of the difficulty encountered in loading the suspension into the measuring equipment. The process of placing the suspension in the measuring instrument causes a disturbance likely to induce the yielding of the suspension before the actual measurements are taken. Moreover cereal suspensions at high straw concentration (10-40 wt%) are soft solids and pourability is particularly difficult with solids. Rheological behavior of staw suspensions made from wheat, Oats and malt barley of fiber sizes 0.15 mm-4.20 mm (mesh sizes 20 to 100) and concentrations 5.0-15.0 wt% were studied. The suspensions were initially prepared by dispersing milled and sieved straws in distilled water at room temperature, followed by vortexing to aid the dispersion process; this was later modified to include a 30-minute de-aeration of the suspensions using vacuum and 2-minute mixing using a general purpose mixer at about 162 rpm. However, none these procedures produced a homogenous suspension. The viscosity of the dispersion medium was modified by the addition of Xanthan gum. This produced homogenous suspensions which remained suspended for about 20 minutes. The rheological properties of these suspensions were measured on a Bohlin rheometer in the controlled stress mode using a vane and cup measuring instrument, and the suspension yield stress determined by extrapolation and by regression of Herschel-Bulkley, Casson and Bingham models. Yield stress obtained from extrapolation ranged from 2-19 Pa, while model results ranged from 0.96- 8.15 Pa, for 5.0 wt% Oats straw suspensions with Xanthan gum strengths of 0.1-0.5 wt%. Extrapolation results for 7.5 wt% Oats staw suspensions with Xanthan gum strengths of 0.1-0.5 wt% ranged from 20-36 Pa while model results were in the range of 4.38-18.76 Pa. Wheat and malt barely straw suspensions evaluated using Herschel-Bulkley model at similiar Oats straw suspension conditions of 5.0 wt% fiber concentration with 0.3 wt% Xanthan gum strength produced statistically equivalent yields stress to Oats straw suspensions in the range of 2.31-4.04 Pa for fibers of mesh size 40-100. Cereal straw suspenions are non-Newtonian fluids with yield stresses that are highly straw concentration dependent.

Sustainable Cereal Straw Management: Use as Feedstock for Emerging Biobased Industries or Cropland Soil Incorporation?

Sustainability goals regarding biobased chemicals and fuels can lead to increased demand for cereal straw, which could lead to undesirable effects on soil organic matter (SOM) content. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of removing straw on SOM, using a life cycle approach based on agricultural statistics and soil carbon modelling. This regional evaluation in southern Sweden showed that the general restrictions on straw removal recommended in many European studies, with demands on the incorporation of at least half of the aboveground straw, is not an efficient means of SOM preservation. Unrestricted straw removal in combination with the cultivation of intermediate crops leads to a much higher SOM build-up. Such measures will increase the availability of removable straw 2.5 times, at little extra cost. The findings of this study demonstrate the necessity of regional evaluation, taking new findings on the impact of straw incorporation on SOM into consideration. This is important for both regional emerging biobased industries, where unnecessary restrictions on straw removal might hamper the development of new production pathways, and for future sustainability in agriculture, where well-intended but inefficient SOM preservation strategies might hinder the implementation of more efficient measures. Graphic Abstract

Straw/Nano-Additive Hybrids as Functional Fillers for Natural Rubber Biocomposites

Currently, up to 215 million metric tons of harvestable straw are available in Europe, 50% of the crops come from wheat, 25% from barley and 25% from maize. More than half of the production remains undeveloped. The overproduction of straw in the world means that the current methods of its management are insufficient. The article describes the production method and characterization of natural rubber biocomposites containing cereal straw powder modified with functional nano-additives in the form of carbon black, silica and halloysite nanotubes. The use of cereal straw in the elastomer matrix should contribute to obtaining a product with good mechanical properties while ensuring a low cost of the composite. In turn, the application of the mechanical modification process will allow the combination of specific properties of raw materials to obtain new, advanced elastomeric materials. As part of the work, hybrid fillers based on mechanically modified cereal straw were produced. The impact of hybrid fillers on mechanical, rheometric and damping properties was assessed. The flammability and susceptibility of the obtained biocomposites to aging processes were determined. The use of hybrid fillers based on mechanically modified straw allowed us to obtain a higher cross-linking density of vulcanizates (even up to 40% compared to the reference sample), and thus higher values of the rheometric moment during the vulcanization process of rubber mixtures (from approx. 10% (10 phr of filler) up to 50% (30 phr of filler) in relation to the unfilled system) and higher hardness of vulcanizates (by about 30–70%). The curing time of the blends was slightly longer, but the obtained composites were characterized by significantly higher tensile strength. The use of fillers in the elastomer matrix increased the modulus at 100, 200 and 300% and the elongation at break. Moreover, greater resistance of vulcanizates to the combustion process was confirmed.