Integration of Stalk Destruction Methods for the Glyphosate Herbicide-Resistant Cotton

The increase in geographical areas used for cultivation of transgenic glyphosate herbicide-resistant cotton has hindered the stalk destruction, compromised the phytosanitary break implementation and consequently increased the population of insect pests and cotton plant pathogens. This study evaluated the efficiency of the combining mechanical and chemical methods in the destruction of transgenic cotton stalk resistant to the glyphosate herbicide. Two experiments were carried out in 2015 and 2016 in Primavera do Leste,-Mato Grosso, Brazil and Luís Eduardo Magalhães, Bahia, Brazil, respectively. The study evaluated different mechanical destruction equipment in combination with the chemical methods. In each environment, a randomized block experiment with four replications was employed. The results of the experiments indicated that the mechanical destruction increased the control efficiency by at least 10% when compared to chemical destruction of the cotton stalk. Chemical destruction with herbicides combined with mechanical destruction methods does not increase the control efficiency of cotton stalks destruction. Furthermore, the application of hormonal herbicides following the mechanical shredding of cotton stalks does not increase the control efficiency of glyphosate-resistant cotton stalk.

Research of hydrodynamics of gas flow filtration through a stationary layer of crushed cotton stalks (wild cotton)

The object of this research is the hydrodynamics of the stationary layer of crushed cotton stalks. One of the most problematic areas is the influence of the physical and mechanical characteristics of the stationary layer of crushed cotton stalks on the hydrodynamics of filtration drying. In the course of research, methods of physical and mathematical modeling are used. Sieve analysis is used to determine the granulometric composition of the polydisperse mixture of crushed cotton stalks. The granulometric composition of the crushed stalks of cotton is determined and the graphical dependence of the percentage of each fraction is presented. The hydrodynamics of gas flow filtration through a stationary layer of crushed cotton stalks are experimentally investigated, and a graphical dependence of pressure losses on the fictitious rate of gas flow filtration is presented. It is found that pressure losses in the stationary layer of crushed cotton stalks are parabolic, which indicates the influence of both inertial and viscous components on pressure losses. The unknown coefficients of the modified Ergun equation are determined on the basis of experimental data. The correlation dependence between the experimental and theoretically calculated values is presented and it is shown that the maximum relative error is 9.6 %, which is quite acceptable for practical calculations. The results of experimental studies are also presented in the form of a graphical dependence of the Euler number on the Reynolds number. Based on the generalization of the experimental data, the calculated dependences are obtained in the form of dimensionless complexes, which describe the hydrodynamics of the gas flow filtration through a stationary layer of crushed cotton stalks. This makes it possible to predict the energy costs for creating a differential pressure, with an accuracy sufficient for practical calculations. The ratio of the experimental values of pressure losses to the theoretically calculated ones, depending on the Reynolds number, is graphically presented. It is shown that the maximum relative error does not exceed 8 %. The proposed generalizations of experimental data will make it possible to determine the energy consumption for creating a pressure drop at the design stage of the drying equipment, as well as to calculate the optimal process parameters and predict its economic feasibility.

Material Function of Mycelium-Based Bio-Composite: A Review

Mycelium-based bio-composite materials have been invented and widely applied to different areas, including construction, manufacturing, agriculture, and biomedical. As the vegetative part of a fungus, mycelium has the unique capability to utilize agricultural crop waste (e.g., sugarcane bagasse, rice husks, cotton stalks, straw, and stover) as substrates for the growth of its network, which integrates the wastes from pieces to continuous composites without energy input or generating extra waste. Their low-cost and environmentally friendly features attract interest in their research and commercialization. For example, mycelium-based foam and sandwich composites have been actively developed for construction structures. It can be used as synthetic planar materials (e.g., plastic films and sheets), larger low-density objects (e.g., synthetic foams and plastics), and semi-structural materials (e.g., paneling, flooring, furniture, decking). It is shown that the material function of these composites can be further tuned by controlling the species of fungus, the growing conditions, and the post-growth processing method to meet a specific mechanical requirement in applications (e.g., structural support, acoustic and thermal insulation). Moreover, mycelium can be used to produce chitin and chitosan, which have been applied to clinical trials for wound healing, showing the potential for biomedical applications. Given the strong potential and multiple advantages of such a material, we are interested in studying it in-depth and reviewing the current progress of its related study in this review paper.

Development of new technologies for sorting of fibrous cotton stalks by the combined method “ADAU” and production of sowing material

The article is devoted to the development of technologies for the production of quality sowing material, which is the main problem of cotton growing, which has a greater share in the agricultural sector, which is the basis of the economy of the republic. For this purpose, a new technology for the production of sowing material was developed as a result of the selection of biologically mature yarns during the combined sorting of fibrous cotton yarns, as well as processing of these yarns by the proposed method, and two positive decisions were made by the Intellectual Property Agency. In addition to the mentioned advantages of the proposed technology, the use of low-percentage starch solution, as well as absorbents with high absorption capacity (zeolite or bentonite) in the country to improve the quality of sowing material in the production of sowing material as a result of processing raw materials. indicates that it has indicators. Key words: fiber, cotton, yarn, combined, sorting, sowing material, production, technology

Cotton Stalk Compost as a Substitution to Farmyard Manure Along with Mineral Fertilizers and Microbials Enhanced Bt Cotton Productivity and Fibre Quality in Rainfed Vertisols

Cotton stalks, remaining after the cotton is harvested, are considered waste material and disposed of by burning. Presently, the supply of good quality manure, such as farmyard manure (FYM) is low. Thus, recycling of cotton stalks as compost can reduce the dependency on FYM apart from reducing inorganic fertilizer use and soil health enhancement. Some studies have reported on the conversion of cotton ginnery wastes into organic manure. However, no studies have reported about the composting of cotton stalks. We conducted field studies over three years on Vertisols to evaluate the impact of integrated use of microbially enriched cotton stalk compost (ECC) as an alternative to FYM along with mineral fertilizers in cotton production. Additionally, we evaluated an option of using native microbial consortia as seed treatment and their synergistic effect along with ECC application on cotton yield, fibre quality, and soil properties. Results indicated that the substitution of FYM with ECC in integrated nutrient management (INM) produced effects similar to that of FYM use in enhancing cotton yield and soil properties. Application of ECC + inorganic fertilizers (modified nutrient management practice) in soil increased boll numbers (8.4%), boll weight (9.9%), seed cotton yield (13%), fibre properties, soil nutrient, and biological activities, which were on par with FYM + inorganic fertilizer application. The use of ECC is estimated to reduce 50% costs on nitrogenous, phosphatic, and potassic fertilizers, and can save approximately US$ 34 ha− 1 on inorganic and manures in the recommended dose of fertilizers (RDF) and INM practice.