Grasses and legumes in mixture: an energy intercropping system intended for anaerobic digestion

Batch testing of biomethanization was conducted on organic matrices from a mixture of grasses (triticale and barley) and legumes (field bean - Vicia faba L. var . minor ). These tests were performed in mesophylic conditions (35°C) on previously chopped and ensiled biomass. The three crops have been cultivated in Southern Italy (Puglia region), both as single-crops and intercropping between triticale or barley and field bean, in different mixture combinations, during the season 2009-2010. Emphasis was placed on the determination of the chemical composition of feedstock from the three single species and their different intercropping ratios, mowed at two subsequent stages (milk and dough development of grasses), also assessing their consequent biogas and methane potential yields after silage. Seven overall treatments have been compared: the three species in monoculture (triticale, barley and field bean, respectively); two mixtures between triticale and field bean (with triticale at 70 and 50%, respectively); two mixtures between barley and field bean (again with barley at 70 and 50%, respectively). Immediately after cutting and for the next 90 days, biomass samples were closed into plastic mini-silos, each having a 5-L capacity, in order to simulate the silage process. Thereafter, the batch testing was performed and biogas and methane production have been determined, with respect to the main chemical characteristics of the chopped and ensiled biomass samples, able to affect biogas and methane yield. Considering the single-crop treatments the highest biogas per hectare production has been found with respect to triticale (8737.1 nm 3 ha -1 ) and barley (8837.6 nm 3 ha -1 ), at the first and second harvesting stage, respectively. Concerning grass-legume intercropping, the highest biogas yield (8635.0 nm 3 ha -1 ) was observed with reference to the 70:30 mixing ratio, specifically on barley mowed at the milk development stage. The methane content in the biogas ranged from 61.1% (on a 50:50 mixing ratio of barley at the milk stage) to 53.7% (on a barley monoculture at the dough stage)

Role of the irrigation charges to induce the adoption of water saving innovation in semi-arid regions

The paper investigates about the effectiveness of water charges in inducing farmers to adopt the technical innovation aimed at water saving. It is claimed that by increasing water charge, the signal of the scarcity of the water resource is directly and effectively conveyed to farmers, who are supposed to promptly react by adopting a water saving technology. The analysis is referred to two types of innovation: an agronomic innovation, consisting on a crop mulching practice, and a management innovation, based on a voluntarily water pricing scheme with tariffs differentiated according to a peak and off-peak season. A theoretical model based on farms’ profit maximization is proposed, to evaluate the trigger conditions for the innovation. The model is applied to a case study referred to a semi-arid region, located in the South of Italy, according to which there is no clear evidence that a generalized increase may induce farmers to adopt the innovatio

Irrigation pricing policy aimed at the enhancement of water saving innovation at farm level. A case study

In this study we analyze the price inducement effect of a generalized water tariff increase in the adoption of water saving innovation at farm level. We apply a linear programming decision making model to analyze the determinants affecting the adoption of two types of innovation: a process innovation, consisting on a crop mulching practice, and a management innovation, based on a voluntary water seasonal pricing scheme, differentiated according to a peak and off-peak periods. According to our results, the mulching practice is not affected by the tariffs that are still lower than the water marginal productivity, while they exert a negative effect when they become higher. On the contrary, the adoption of the voluntary water seasonal pricing scheme is affected by the tariffs increase only if the latter induce an excessive concentration of water demand during the peakDans cette étude nous présentons une recherche relative à la possibilité que l augmentation de tarif de l eau est capable d induire l agriculteur de adopter une innovation adressée à l épargne de l eau. Notre modèle de programmation linéaire nous a permis de analyser le procès de décision de l agriculteur et d entendre les causes déterminantes de l adoption de deux typologies d innovation: une innovation de procès, relative à une technique de paillis, et une innovation de management, relative à l introduction d un plan volontaire, avec des tarifs différentes entre les periodes de intense et de normale utilisation de l eau. Nos résultats montre que l augmentation de tarif de l eau n est pas une mesure sufficiente pour stimuler les agriculteurs à adopter la technique de paillis, lorsque le tarif de l eau est inférieur à sa productivité marginale. Ou contraire, quand le tarif est plus grand que la productivité marginale de l eau, l augmentation de tarif freine l adoption de l innovation. L introduction des tarifs différentes entre les periodes de intense ed de normale utilisation de l eau est encouragée par l augmentation de tarif seulement quand la demande de l eau est plus concentrée dans la la periode de intense utilisation de l ea

Strobilurin Effects on Nitrogen Use Efficiency for the Yield and Protein in Durum Wheat Grown under Rainfed Mediterranean Conditions

In wheat, the increase in nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and optimization of the nitrogen doses to be used are both very important aspects for improving sustainable and productive agriculture. The aim of this study was to investigate, under rainfed Mediterranean conditions, the influence of strobilurin treatment and N fertilization on durum wheat N use efficiency for yield (NUEy) and protein (NUEp) and on the contribution of their components, nitrogen uptake efficiency (UPE) and nitrogen utilization efficiency (NUtE). Two durum wheat cultivars (Saragolla and Sfinge) were grown for two years in field conditions under five nitrogen treatments (60 kg ha−1 N60; 90 and 120 kg ha−1 given two and three times; N90, N90T3, N120 and N120T3) comparing a control without strobilurin treatment (ST0) and one application of strobilurin (STaz). In Sfinge, STaz caused a decrease in UPE and NUEp and an increase in NUtE and NUEy. In Saragolla, the opposite behavior was observed. Moreover, strobilurin positively affected the contribution of UPE and negatively that of NUtE to NUEy only in Saragolla. Furthermore, strobilurin determined higher NUEy and NUEp values under most of the N treatments adopted in the drier year. With this study, we supported the hypothesis that in Mediterranean conditions, the possibility of reducing N rate application from 120 to 90 kg ha−1 with a strobilurin-based treatment, even in the absence of fungal diseases, could represent a useful agronomic strategy for durum wheat grown under drought conditions as those predicted under the ongoing climate change

Forced Response Analysis In a Full-Scale Multistage Centrifugal Compressor: Impeller Vibration Prediction and Validation

Lectur

E-groceries and urban freight: Investigating purchasing habits, peer influence and behaviour change via a discrete choice/agent-based modelling approach

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Towards a decision-support procedure to foster stakeholder involvement and acceptability of urban freight transport policies

Purpose: This paper addresses the complex problem of multi-stakeholder decisions in urban freight transport policy-making from a public authority perspective, by proposing a procedure based on a modelling approach to support stakeholder involvement in the decision-making process. The paper analyses the existing methods that can be used for participatory decision-support, with the intent of contextualizing and introducing the innovative modelling approach. Methods: The modelling approach consists of a well-thought integration of discrete choice models (DCM) with agent-based models (ABM) as an effective way to account for stakeholders’ opinions in the policy-making process, while mimicking their interaction to find a shared policy package. The integrated modelling approach is able to combine the advantages of the two methods while overcoming their respective weaknesses. Since it is well grounded on sound microeconomic theory, it provides a detailed (static) stakeholders’ behavioural knowledge, but it is also capable of reproducing agents’ (dynamic) interaction during the decision-making process. The integration allows performing an ex-ante behavioural analysis, with the aim of testing the potential acceptability of the solutions proposed. The methodology is applied in a real case study to prove its feasibility and usefulness for participatory decision-making. Results: The integrated modelling approach can be used for participatory decision-support and it can be casted in the overall UFT policy-making process. The results of the behavioural analysis, in terms of ranking of potentially accepted policies, linked with the technical evaluations from transport network modelling tools, provide a sound basis for active participation and deliberation with stakeholders and policy-makers. The aim is to guide an effective participation process aimed at consensus building among stakeholders, by proposing them a subset of policies that, as a result of a preliminary analysis, are likely to be accepted while performing well in terms of technical results. Conclusions: This approach, integrating DCM and ABM, represents a promising way to tackle the complexity of multi-stakeholder involvement in UFT policy-making and to support an efficient and effective decision-making process. It produces an added value for UFT policy-making and it can be framed in the overall context of transport planning. In fact, together with technical and economic analyses, the stakeholder behavioural analysis proposed contributes to the ex-ante policy assessment needed to support decision-makers in taking well-thought decisions. Keywords: stakeholder behavioural analysis, discrete choice models, agent-based models, city logistics, participatory policy-makingpublishedVersio

2D Video Analysis System to Analyze the Performance Model of Figure Roller Skating: A Pilot Study

Figure roller skating is a discipline composed of various movements which involve jumps, artistic figures and spins in a seamless program which has both technical and shapely difficult. A biomechanical analysis of a double salchow was performed using a 2D video analysis of one European and in two Italian roller skaters. On average, the high level (HL) roller skater showed a horizontal velocity of the center of mass higher than the average, especially in the prop stage, whereas the medium level (ML) and low level (LL) athletes reduced their velocity significantly. The spin angular velocity of the ML and LL skaters was always higher than of the HL. This phenomenon would seem to be a compensatory strategy for a lower jump height, with a reduced trunk-thigh angle and less thigh lever arm (coxo-femur/knee joints) during the take-off and landing phases of the double salchow jump

Glyco-metabolic Effects of Ranolazine: A truly Multifaceted Drug?

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combined effects of deficit irrigation and strobilurin application on gas exchange yield and water use efficiency in tomato solanum lycopersicum l

Abstract Water is the major factor limiting plant productivity in many regions of the world. The aim of this study was to evaluate the combined effect of deficit irrigation (restitution of 100%, 50% and 0% of plant consumption: WR100, WR50 and WR0, respectively) and strobilurin treatment (no agrochemical added vs azoxystrobin treatment) in two tomato genotypes, IT-22/025, a wild-type plant, and Ikram, a commercial hybrid. Water use efficiency (WUE), physiological, yield and quality parameters and the expression of ERD15, a gene involved in abiotic stress response were evaluated. The two genotypes showed a different behaviour in response to water stress. Stomatal conductance decrease from WR100 to WR50 was in mean 27.5% for IT-22/025 and 44.5% for Ikram. Moreover, in Ikram, water stress decreased transpiration more than assimilation rate, while the opposite occurred in IT-22/025. The ERD15 expression decrease from WR100 to WR50 was higher for IT-22/025. These effects corresponded to higher total fresh fruit yield and WUE for IT-22/025. Strobilurin determined lower stomata conductance, maintaining higher assimilation rate, leading to an increase in WUE in WR0. Finally, strobilurin caused an increase in ERD15 expression only in IT-22/025. This study underlines the possibility to reduce the water used in tomato crop, maintaining acceptable yield and quality, by using agronomic and genetic strategy