Sanative Measures against Offensive Odour that Affect Indigenous tanned Leathers in Ghana

The negative impact of offensive odour associated with indigenous tanned leathers in Ghana is very high, thus making the promotion of the local leather products difficult in both local and external markets. This paper describes technology that can be adopted to control the offensive odour that affects the value of indigenous leather and leather products. Experiments were thus carried out using material and technical means to determine the possibility of curbing the offensive odour associated with these indigenous tanned leathers. The material and technical means refer to the use of sanding tool to sand off excess flesh from the fleshy side of leather; and soaking of leather in a soapy water made with perfume toilet-soap after which drying is done under room temperature. The experiments proved that the presence of excess flesh and fatty substances left after tanning and the use of untreated organic substances are the primary causes of offensive odour in the indigenous tanned leathers and leather products. The technology so devised has led to the production of leathers that are free of offensive odour.Keywords: Odour, Flesh, Leather, Pelt, Tanned Leathe

The potentiality of leather as alternative material for sustaining mask production in Ghana

This study explored the viability of the Ghanaian indigenous vegetable tanned leather for the production of aesthetic masks for ornamental purposes. The study was basically experimental, and all processes were observed and recorded carefully for analysis. Modeling technique was principally used in three experiments to produce masks with three different thicknesses of leather acquired from cow hides. The thicknesses were purposively selected. The outcome of the study has confirmed the versatility of leather as alternative material for mask production. The study has strategically created another impetus in diversifying and expanding the utility of Ghanaian indigenous vegetable tanned leather aside the conventional usage for making bags, sandals and footrests. Keywords: Leather, Mask, Alternative Material, Sustainabilit

Renewable energy, landfill gas and EfW: now, next and future

The United Kingdom (UK) has traditionally used landfill disposal as the predominant method of waste management. However, landfilling is unsustainable due to its harmful effects on the environment and public health. Under the Euorpean Union (EU) landfill directive, member nations are now required to divert biodegradable municipal waste (BMW) from landfills. The UK has also committed to the EU Renewable Energy Directive, which binds it to sourcing at least 15% of its energy mix from renewables by 2020. To meet these targets, the UK has to support alternative waste management options whilst achievingconsiderable deployment of renewables. This research considers the development of energy from waste (EfW) technologies and their potential contribution to UK's renewable energy targets. This study identifies the use of biomethane as road transport fuel and small-scale EfW deployment at community level as applications with huge potential benefits for the UK. These two options are easily Implemetable and could provide substantial savings in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This study concludes that, depending on the pace of investment and availability of suitable feedstock, EfW technologies can contribute up to 50% of UK renewables target by 2020

Analysis of Relationship between Root Length Density and Water Uptake by Roots of Five Crops Using Minirhizotron in the Semi-Arid Tropics

Experiments were carried out to analyse the root and water dynamics simultaneously using a minirhizotron on an Alfisol soil in the semi-arid tropics in 1993. Sorghum (CSH 5), pearl millet (ICMV 221), pigeonpea (ICP 1-6), groundnut (ICGS 11) and cowpea (EC 82-7) were used to describe the relationship between the root length density (RLD) and water uptake by roots per day (WU). During the periods from 37 to 46, from 51 to 59 and from 72 to 77 days after sowing, the average values of RLD of sorghum and pearl millet at the soil depth of 15-60 cm were consistently higher than those of pigeonpea, groundnut and cowpea, whereas the average values of WU of the cereals were not always higher than those of the grain legumes. Thus, there was no significant relationship between RLD and WU for the 5 crops due to the higher values of the specific root water uptake (SRWU) of grain legumes than those of cereals in each period. In this study, it was demonstrated that WU and SRWU as well as RLD for the 5 crops could be estimated by using the minirhizotron since dynamic values of the root length of the 5 crops and soil moisture content (SMC) in each soil layer could be quantified from datasets by frequent observations and with limited sampling errors. Therefore the minirhizotron was found to be a suitable tool for simultaneous monitoring of the root and water dynamics in soil layers except for the soil surface

Variation in the export of 13C and 15N from soybean leaf: the effects of nitrogen application and sink removal

Translocation of carbon and nitrogen within a single source-sink unit, comprising a trifoliated leaf, the axillary pod and the subtending internode, and from this unit to the rest of the plant was examined in soyabean (Glycine max L. cv. Akishirome) plant by feeding 13CO2 and 15NO3. The plants were grown at two levels of nitrogen in the basal medium, i.e. low-N (2 g N m-2) and high-N (35 g N m-2) and a treatment of depodding was imposed by removing all the pods from the plant, except the pod of the source sink unit, 13 days after flowering. The plants at high-N accumulated more biomass in its organs compared to low-N and pod removal increased the weight of the vegetative organs. When the terminal leaflet of the source-sink unit was fed with 13CO2, almost all of the radioactive materials were retained inside the source-sink unit and translocation to rest of the plants was insignificant under any of the treatments imposed. Out of the 13C exported by the terminal leaflet, less than half went into the axillary pod, as the lateral leaflets claimed equal share and very little material was deposited in the petiole. Pod removal decreased 13C export at high-N, but not at low-N. Similar to 13C, the source-sink unit retained all the 15N fed to the terminal leaflet at high-N. At low-N, the major part of 15N partitioning occurred in favour of the rest of the plant outside the source-sink unit, but removal of the competitive sinks from the rest of the plants nullified any partitioning outside the unit. Unlike the situation in 13C, no partitioning of 15N occurred in favour of the lateral leaflets from the terminal leaflet inside the unit. It is concluded that sink demand influences partitioning of both C and N and the translocation of carbon is different from that of nitrogen within a source-sink unit. The translocation of the N is more adjustive to a demand from other sink units compared to the C

Timing of N fertilization on N2 fixation, N recovery and soil profile nitrate dynamics on sorghum/pigeonpea intercrops on Alfisols on the semi-arid tropics

In a field trial in the 1993 rainy season at Patancheru, Andhra Pradesh, India, sorghum cv. CSH 5 and Cajanus cajan cv. ICP 1-6 were grown as sole crops or intercropped and were given fertilizer N at sowing or 40 days after sowing (delayed application). N was applied only to the sorghum rows in the intercropping treatment. Delayed N application increased sorghum dry matter and grain yields, but not those of C. cajan. Delaying N application to sorghum significantly increased 15N recovery in shoots from 15 to 32% in the sole crop, and from 10 to 32% in the intercrop. Similarly, there was a significant increase in N recovery from 43 to 59% in sole crop and from 28 to 71% in intercropped sorghum. Fertilizer N recovery by sole crop C. cajan (14%) was higher than for the intercrop (2-4%). C. cajan fixed between 120 and 170 kg ha-1 of atmospheric N throughout the cropping season. Although there was a marked difference in nitrate-N (NO3-N)concentrations between basal and delayed treatments at sowing, no difference was observed in NO3-N concentrations in soil solution between the treatments at 40 days after sowing. The rate of N depletion from the soil solution was 2-3 times faster than N accumulation by plants, suggesting that an appreciable amount of NO3-N would disappear from soil solution in the top soil without being utilized by crops during the initial growth stage

Simulation of Rooting Profile Using Soil Properties, Crop Characteristics, and Climatic Data

Observation and simulation of root development provides information on the soil resource utilization. Studying root growth with the support of a model helps envisage time-course changes in root development under varying environmental conditions. The quantitative root distribution with depth and over time is very essential for estimating the resource utilization. A modeling exercise was performed to characterize root development of five major crops in the semi-arid tropics (pigeonpea, cowpea, groundnut, sorghum, and pearl millet) using weather data, soil properties, and crop parameters. The model simulated the rooting profile for the investigated cereals and legumes adequately with the except ion of pigeonpea. Pigeonpea showed a characteristic behavior of deep rooting nature on an Alfisol. However, the model was unable to simulate the crop'> ability of penetrating and spreading it> roots extensively into soil irrespective of a higher bulk density

Effect of P-deficiency on photoassimilate partitioning and rhythmic changes in fruit and stem diameter of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) during fruit growth

Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) plants were grown in liquid culture inside the greenhouse of Hiroshima University, Japan. At the first fruiting stage, P was withdrawn from the rooting medium for a period of 19 d and its effect was studied on photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, transpiration, partitioning of 13C and 15N, P contents of various organs, and changes in stem and fruit diameter of the plant in order to identify the mechanism of resource management on the part of the plant at low P. Compared to the control, P-deficiency treatment decreased biomass growth of all organs except the roots. The treatment also depressed leaf photosynthesis, stomatal conductance and diameter of fruit and stem after a lag period of about 1 week. The stem diameter of the plant shrank during daytime and expanded during the night; the adverse effect of P-deficiency on stem diameter change was more evident during the night than the day. The circadian rhythm in fluctuations of diameter was less manifested in the fruit compared with the stem. P-deficiency induced daytime shrinkage and reduced night expansion of fruit. However, within the plant, P-deficiency encouraged partitioning of 13C, 15N and P into the fruit at the cost of autotrophic organs such as leaves and the upper parts of the stem. The results were discussed in the light of a plausible effect of P-deficiency on water relations of the plant. It is concluded that, in spite of the preference in partitioning of C and N received within the plant parts, assimilate flow into the fruit is limited at low-P compared with the control, owing to the restriction in fruit expansion