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Performance comparison of a fixed-bed solar grain dryer with and without latent heat storage
(2024-04-21)
Latent heat storage has gained attention as an energy storage method for solar drying due to its high storage density. However, its overall impact in drying performance has not been sufficiently investigated. This study presents detailed, validated mathematical models necessary for the transient simulation of a solar dryer with latent heat storage with the aim of assessing the effect that such storage has on the deep bed drying of wheat. Computer simulations were run with weather data from Germany. A fixed bed dryer ...
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Pectin forms polymeric pigments by complexing anthocyanins during red winemaking and ageing
(2024-05-05)
The long-term stability of red wine color depends on the formation of polymeric pigments from anthocyanins. Although there is still a lot of uncertainty about the specific structure of this diverse group of pigments, there is consensus that they are reaction products of anthocyanins and other polyphenols. Interactions between anthocyanins and pectic polysaccharides have been suggested to stabilize anthocyanins. This study explores the impact of such interactions by adding pectin during red winemaking. The results ...
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Seasonal variation in heavy metal intake and excretion by dairy cattle in an Indian megacity
(2024-06-10)
Milk consumption plays a pivotal role in human nutrition, especially for children, due to its high protein, calcium, and vitamin contents that aid cognitive development. Nonetheless, potential hazards from heavy metal presence in milk, due to environmental exposure and intake through feed, have gained global attention. Given paucity of data we investigated the seasonal variation in the quantitative intake of heavy metals (cadmium: Cd, chromium: Cr, lead: Pb) by dairy cows in the South Indian megacity of Bengaluru, ...
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Presence of keel bone damage in laying hens, pullets and roosters of local chicken breeds
(2024-01-26)
In commercial laying hens, keel bone damage (KBD) is a severe health and welfare problem leading to pain, reduced mobility and decreased laying performance. Flocks of all production systems and hybrid lines can be affected. KBD is a multifactorial welfare issue and, among other factors, associated with a high laying performance which negatively affects the calcium deposit in the medullary bones. Therefore, mature hens of local breeds with much lower egg production than commercial hybrids may be expected to show less ...
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Perceptions and sociocultural factors underlying adoption of conservation agriculture in the Mediterranean
(2023-08-31)
The Mediterranean region is facing major challenges for soil conservation and sustainable agriculture. Conservation agriculture (CA), including reduced soil disturbance, can help conserve soils and improve soil fertility, but its adoption in the Mediterranean region is limited. Examining farmers’ perceptions of soil and underlying sociocultural factors can help shed light on adoption of soil management practices. In this paper, we conducted a survey with 590 farmers across Morocco, Spain and Tunisia to explore concepts ...
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Renewable energy as an alternative source for energy management in agriculture
(2023-07-03)
This study provides a high-level overview of alternative energy sources that can be harnessed to power agricultural operations, focusing on renewable energy technologies. When thinking about the overall economy around the globe, agriculture is vital. Energy is required at each step of production, from fertilizer production to fueling tractors for planting and harvesting. The high energy prices and unpredictable energy market significantly affect the input energy costs. Energy efficiency methods, when properly applied, ...
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Water quality footprint of agricultural emissions of nitrogen, phosphorus and glyphosate associated with German bioeconomy
(2023-11-02)
Fertiliser and pesticide application can cause extensive environmental damage. We use the water quality footprint to express nitrogen, phosphorus and glyphosate emissions from agriculture in volumes of water needed to virtually dilute pollution and apply the approach to agricultural imports for the German bioeconomy in 1995 and 2020. In total, the virtual German water quality footprint corresponds to 90 times the volume of Lake Constance. If water pollution had to be eliminated by dilution in export countries supplying ...
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Systems methods for analyzing trade‑offs between food security and conserving biodiversity
(2023-04-15)
The endeavor for greater food security has caused trade-offs between increasing agricultural production and conserving habitat of threatened species. We take a novel approach to analyze these trade-offs by applying and comparing three systems methods (systems diagrams, influence matrices, and land use modeling) in a case study of Uganda. The first two methods were used to scope out the trade-off system and identify the most important variables influencing trade-offs. These variables were agricultural yield, land ...
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Genetic diversity and the application of runs of homozygosity-based methods for inbreeding estimation in German Whiteheaded Mutton sheep
(2021-05-06)
The German White-headed Mutton (GWM) sheep is a monitoring population believed to have been improved through crosses with other breeds, e.g., Texel (TXL) and French Berrichone du Cher (BDC). The primary aim of the study was to analyse genetic diversity and breed composition of GWM sheep. Furthermore, different measures of computing inbreeding from the runs of homozygosity (ROH) were investigated. Data for GWM consisted of pedigree information on 19,000 animals and 40,753 quality filtered SNPs on 46 individuals. ...
Aufsatz
Personal communication as a strategy to improve the quality of household organic waste – Does it work? results from a quasi-experimental study in Northern Hesse, Germany
(2024-04-22)
Household organic waste has great potential for closing nutrient cycles in agriculture. This requires proper waste separation by households. Personal communication at the doorstep potentially improves household waste separation behaviour but it is expensive and findings from existing research are mixed. Based on results of previous studies and from a quasi-experiment with non-equivalent groups design in two German municipalities, this paper argues that efficiency of personal communication depends on its context. It ...