66 research outputs found
Drone and sensor technology for sustainable weed management: a review
Weeds are amongst the most impacting abiotic factors in agriculture, causing important yield loss worldwide. Integrated Weed Management coupled with the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (drones), allows for Site-Specific Weed Management, which is a highly efficient methodology as well as beneficial to the environment. The identification of weed patches in a cultivated field can be achieved by combining image acquisition by drones and further processing by machine learning techniques. Specific algorithms can be trained to manage weeds removal by Autonomous Weeding Robot systems via herbicide spray or mechanical procedures. However, scientific and technical understanding of the specific goals and available technology is necessary to rapidly advance in this field. In this review, we provide an overview of precision weed control with a focus on the potential and practical use of the most advanced sensors available in the market. Much effort is needed to fully understand weed population dynamics and their competition with crops so as to implement this approach in real agricultural contexts
Scale-up analysis and critical issues of an experimental pilot plant for edible film production using agricultural waste processing
This study was developed to test a multifunctional experimental pilot plant with a reduced environmental impact that is able to process agricultural (fennel) and food production (liquid whey) waste. The pilot plant, using different thermal and filtration process parameters, is able to recover pectin and whey proteins in a single processing unit in order to produce edible films. An innovative feature of the proposed configuration is related to the possibility of coupling different types of waste treatment, obtaining a final product with a higher economical value, combining the two processing lines. Although an edible film production procedure based on pectin extracted from fennel matrix and whey proteins has already been published in literature, the scale-up process highlighted several critical issues, in particular related to the fennel matrix. Nonetheless, the pilot plant configuration allowed an edible film to be produced that is suitable for use as a direct coating to improve the shelf-life of food products
Acid hydrolysis of spent coffee grounds: effects on possible prebiotic activity of oligosaccharides
Abstract
Background
Spent coffee grounds (SCG) are a promising source of natural by-products which can be used for different purposes. In this work, a possible use of oligosaccharides isolated from SCG as functional ingredients was investigated. SCGs were treated with an acid hydrolysis at high temperature (200 °C) in a closed reactor setting reaction time of 30, 60 and 90 s depending on the sample (original or defatted). A comprehensive study of the resulted water-soluble hydrolysate using a high-resolution mass spectrometry analysis was performed. Additionally, the growth of four Lactobacillus strains was tested to assess the prebiotic potential of the hydrolysate.
Results
Oligosaccharide chains formed by hexoses with a degree of polymerization ranging from 3 to 6 were identified and characterized. Regardless of the composition and the reaction time of hydrolysis, the bacterial activity of SCG extracts exhibited significantly higher values than the well-known versatile carbohydrate used by food industry, i.e., inulin.
Conclusions
The results pave the way toward the use of hydrolysate SCG as an innovative ingredient intended to fortify food formulations. The diversity in coffee oligosaccharides composition suggests their selective prebiotic activity for specific bacterial strains.
Graphical Abstrac
Modelling Processes and Products in the Cereal Chain
ReviewIn recent years, modelling techniques have become more frequently adopted in the field
of food processing, especially for cereal-based products, which are among the most consumed
foods in the world. Predictive models and simulations make it possible to explore new approaches
and optimize proceedings, potentially helping companies reduce costs and limit carbon emissions.
Nevertheless, as the different phases of the food processing chain are highly specialized, advances in
modelling are often unknown outside of a single domain, and models rarely take into account more
than one step. This paper introduces the first high-level overview of modelling techniques employed
in different parts of the cereal supply chain, from farming to storage, from drying to milling, from
processing to consumption. This review, issued from a networking project including researchers from
over 30 different countries, aims at presenting the current state of the art in each domain, showing
common trends and synergies, to finally suggest promising future venues for researchinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
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