Optimisation of enzymatic saccharification of wheat straw pre-treated with sodium hydroxide

To enhance the reducing sugar yield in enzymatic hydrolysis, various factors (NaOH concentration, solid content and pre-treatment time) that affect the pre-treatment process were investigated and evaluated based on the reducing sugar yield of the subsequent enzymatic hydrolysis. The enzymatic hydrolysis was based on the cellulase from Trichoderma reesi ATCC 26921, the optimum NaOH pre-treatment conditions were an NaOH concentration of 1.0% (w/w), a solid content of 5.0% (w/v) and a pre-treatment time of 60 min. Various parameters that affect the enzymatic hydrolysis of wheat straw, including the solid content, enzyme loading, pH and hydrolysis time, were investigated and optimized through a Box–Behnken design and response surface methodology. The predicted optimum conditions for enzymatic hydrolysis were a solid content of 8.0% (w/v), an enzyme loading of 35 FPU/g substrate, a temperature of 50 °C, a pH of 5.3 and a hydrolysis time of 96 h. The experimental result showed that the maximum reducing sugar yield was 60.73% (53.35% higher than the wheat straw without NaOH pre-treatment), which is in accordance with the predicted conditions.

Effect of Foliar Application of NPK and Micronutrient (Zn and Fe) on the Yield and Quality of Sugarcane Crop

The foliar application of nutrients help the plant leaves to readily absorb the applied nutrients through the nutrient solution and increases the nutrient use efficiency and thus improves the crop yield. The field experiment was conducted for two consecutive years to find out the affect of foliar spray of NPK and micronutrient on cane yield, yield parameters and juice quality of sugarcane during 2019-20 and 2020-21.The present study was carried out on clay loam soils of Research farm of Regional Research Station, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Karnal, Haryana. The research revealed that cane yield and yield parameters i.e., cane length, and cane weight was significantly affected with the foliar spray of NPK and micronutrient but non-significant effect was observed for cane girth and number of internodes. With respect to juice quality parameters viz., commercial cane sugar (CCS) %, pol % and sugar yield, significantly affected with foliar spray of NPK and micronutrient. The highest cane yield, cane weight and cane length was recorded with the foliar application of 2% NPK (19:19:19) + 0.5% ZnSO4 +1% FeSO4 (78.16 t/ha, 1.21 kg and 207.3 cm) followed by foliar spray of 0.5% ZnSO4 + 1% FeSO4+ 2.5% urea recorded 76.75 t/ha, 1.20 kg and 207.1 cm, respectively. The lowest cane yield (70.68 t/ha) was recorded with the application of recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF) alone. The highest CCS % (12.16), pol % (17.36) and sugar yield (9.51 t/ha) was observed in the treatment 2% NPK + 0.5% ZnSO4 +1% FeSO4. Thus, foliar application with NPK and micronutrient could significantly improve the cane yield, yield parameters and juice quality of sugarcane crop.

Elucidation of genetic diversity among some accessions of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) using inter-simple sequence repeats (ISSR) markers

Background Sugar beet is considered a very important strategic economic crop, as it comes at the second place for white sugar production in Egypt after sugar cane and the sugar percentage in its roots is 20%. This work was conducted in Egypt as a direct response to bridge the gap which began to expand significantly between the production and consumption of white sugar and the desire for the genetic improvement process to increase the productivity of this crop. Further, as serious attempt to understand the nature of the genetic diversity among a group of sugar beet accessions with different origins, it constitutes an important source for establishing a program of breeding and improving sugar beet crop under Egyptian conditions. Results The process of verifying the existence of significant genetic variation between the eight sugar beet varieties with various origins was carried out through a set of genetic parameters through two growing seasons besides, the data of ISSR markers profile. Further, all the sugar beet varieties were superior in all the studied traits during their evaluation over two agricultural years, where the two sugar beet accessions Oscar Poly and Rass Poly are superior in TSS % and sucrose % traits, Mont Bianco and Sultan in apparent purity % trait, Blino and Sultan in root yield and top yield traits and Rass Poly and Blino in sugar yield trait, respectively. In addition, the values of heritability in broad sense were high in all studied traits except the two traits; sucrose % and sugar yield where their results were appeared medium during both growing seasons. In the same regard, expected genetic advance values showed significant genetic progress in all studied traits during the two growing seasons. As well, highly genetic diversity was obtained between the eight sugar beet accessions through generated 169 amplified fragments from the twelve ISSR primers, 122 of them were polymorphic with 72.18% polymorphism. Conclusions The eight sugar beet varieties achieved remarkable and distinctive results for all traits under study during two agricultural years. However, they were differentiated and various from each other. As they differed in their superiority in all estimated traits and they proved to be fertile material for studying in this investigation and very suitable for enriching the breeding and genetic improvement program to promote the sugar beet yield in order to increase the productivity of white sugar in Egypt.

Agrobiological parameters of various varieties and hybrids of sweet sorghum

Purpose. To reveal the features of agrobiological parameters formation of sweet sorghum various varieties and hybrids in the conditions of the Right-Bank Forest-Steppe of Ukraine. Methods. During 2018–2020 twenty-one varieties and hybrids of sweet sorghum of various ecological and geographical origins (Ukraine, Russia, USA, France, Germany, Hungary, Brazil) were studied in the field. Parameters like plant height and indices of their individual productivity (grain weight per panicle, 1000 grain weight, etc.), yield of dry biomass and grain, content of sugar in juice and protein in grain, as well as estimated sugar and protein yield in a crop. The counts were carried out in the phase of physiological ripeness of the culture. Results. In the group of Ukrainian varieties and hybrids, the plants were from 272 to 306 cm high, in the foreign group – from 274 to 412 cm. Varieties ‘Red Amber’, ‘Sioux’, ‘Affas CJ 899’, ‘Freed’ and ‘Early Orange’ are of high value for breeding practice, their plants were the tallest – from 388 to 412 cm. The panicle length of sweet sorghum cultivars of Ukrainian breeding ranged from 16.0 to 17.3 cm, foreign – from 11.0 to 19.4 cm. Grain weight from one panicle varied from 32.8 to 41.6 g and from 29.2 to 43.5 g, respectively. In a wide range, depending on the varietal characteristics, the indicator of the number of grains per panicle also varied from 1338 to 1708 pcs. The mass of 1000 grains of sweet sorghum ranged from 28.0 to 31.0 g in varieties and hybrids of Ukrainian breeding, in foreign ones – from 19.3 to 31.0 g. The yield of dry vegetative mass of cultivars of Ukrainian breeding was at the level of 8.24–9.11 t/ha. The highest rates were shown in hybrid ‘Mamont’ and ‘Huliver’ variety – 9.05 and 9.11 t/ha, respectively. For cultivars and hybrids of foreign breeding, this indicator varied from 7.00 to 12.17 t/ha. Significantly higher biomass in comparison with the standard variety (‘Sylosne 42’) was produced by ‘Vorai Sumac’, ‘Sorgo Cucre’, ‘Sioux’, ‘Freed’, ‘Red Amber’, ‘Mohavk’, ‘Affas CJ 899’, ‘Early Orange’ – 9.03–12.17 t/ha. The sugar content in sweet sorghum juice varied from 15.2 to 17.2%. The estimated sugar yield in Ukrainian cultivars was at the level of 0.82–0.89 t/ha, in foreign ones – from 0.72 to 1.18 t/ha. In all studied varieties it was the highest in ‘Sorgo Cucre’, ‘Sioux’, ‘Freed’, ‘Red Amber’, ‘Mohavk’, ‘Affas CJ 899’, ‘Early Orange’ – 0.94–1.18 t/ha. Conclusions. The productivity of sweet sorghum varies greatly depending on the origin of the variety and hybrid. In the conditions of the Right-Bank Forest-Steppe, in order to obtain a high sugar yield, it is advisable to grow ‘Sylosne 42’, ‘Favoryt’, ‘Troistyi’, ‘Dovista’, ‘Huliver’ varieties and ‘Ananas’, ‘Medovyi’, ‘Mamont’ hybrids. Varieties ‘Vaconia Orange’, ‘Vorai Sumac’, ‘Sorgo Cucre’ and hybrids ‘Ald Sorghum’, ‘Sioux’, ‘Freed’, ‘Red Amber’, ‘Mohavk’, ‘Affas CJ 899’, ‘Early Orange’ provide high yields of vegetative masses. Hybrids ‘Freed’, ‘Affas CJ 899’ and ‘Early Orange’ produce a large vegetative mass (11.08–12.17 t/ha), grain yield (8.00–8.15 t/ha) and a high protein content (9.8–11.3%).

Effect of Harvesting Ages on Yield and Yield Components of Sugar Cane Varieties Cultivated at Finchaa Sugar Factory, Oromia, Ethiopia

This study was initiated with the objective of determining the effect of different harvesting ages (12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 months) on yield and yield components of selected the two sugar cane varieties (B52/298 and NCo 334) grown in Finchaa sugar factory, Oromia, Ethiopia. A field experiment was conducted at Finchaa sugarcane plantation using a randomized complete block design of a factorial arrangement of 2 × 5 with three replications. The data were performed using SAS version 9.3, and a significant difference was considered at p ≤ 0.05 . The results showed that B52/298 variety had a higher estimated recoverable sucrose than NCo 334 variety. The results also indicated that as harvesting ages increase yield, yield components of sugar cane quality are increased. The maximum sugar yield of 1.89-ton ha-1 month-1 was obtained at the harvesting age of 15 months. There was a significant difference ( p < 0.05 ) between harvesting age and sugarcane varieties on cane yield, sugar yield, brix percent juice, pol percent, and recoverable sugar. Generally, the findings imply that as harvesting ages in month increase, brix percent juice, estimated recoverable sucrose, and sucrose percentage in both varieties were simultaneously increased. The findings suggested that B52/298 sugar cane variety with harvesting age between 14 and 16 is highly recommended to obtain optimum sugar cane yield and yield components at the tropical areas of Finchaa sugar factory.

Minimizing of Dextran during Sugar Beet Manufacturing

The most serious processing problem can clear arise from the presence of dextran gum. The presence of dextran in sugar processing leads to less of sucrose and creates problems to sugar producers by increasing viscosity, lowing sugar yield, increasing molasses purities slowing filtration. The application of dextran enzyme to reduce dextran from raw juice was more efficient and economic than adding it to clear juice and syrup. Sixty percent of dextran removal was achieved when dextranase applied at concentration of 20u/100ml raw juice and 30min incubation. The dextran reduction and reached 65% by the use of 30u under some condition in clear juice, the percentage of dextran reduction reached 25,27 and 45% when dextranase enzyme used at 30u /100mol after 10,20 and 30 min of the incubation respectively. The use of the application of dextranase enzyme to reduce dextran from raw juice was more efficient and economic than adding it to clear juice and syrup. Sixty percent of the dextran was removed when using dextranase applications at a concentration of 20u/100ml of raw juice over 30 minutes.