Factors influencing use of fuelwood and its environmental impacts in Tapanuli Utara regency, North Sumatra

ArticleDeforestation and forest degradation, after burning of fossil fuels, is considered as the second leading cause of anthropogenic greenhouse emissions (accounting for over 17% of global carbon dioxide emissions) and has become an important issue concerning climate change mitigation. The provision of wood energy is generally thought to be a major contributor to forest loss. In Indonesia, more than half of the rainforest there, the third - largest swath in the world, has been felled in just a few years. Further more, permission has been granted to convert the majority of what remains into palm or acacia plantations. The logging and burning of forests to clear land for cultivation has made Indonesia one of the largest emitters of greenhouse gases. Therefore, the o bjective of this study was to assess the current level and influencing factors of the use of fuelwood among the rural population as well as the consequent environmental impacts in the target area in North Sumatra. The questionnaire survey using randomly se lected households (n = 196) was administered in Tapanuli Utara regency from July to August 2014; followed by several field visits from August to September 2016. Obtained data were analysed with descriptive statistics and cross tabulation. The results indic ate that fuelwood is a significant source of energy in the target area. For 31% of respondents it is the major energy source and for 64% it is a supplementary source. The high rate of use of wood as fuel corresponds to the poor financial situation of respo ndents and the easy accessibility of wood, but only from the surrounding area (own garden or adjacent land). Wood resources are often very distant (on average over 1,000 metres) as a consequence of high deforestation. This study reveals that there is a non - sustainable trend of forest conversion resulting in high land degradation in Tapanuli Utara regency

Agricultural residues in Indonesia and Vietnam and their potential for direct combustion: with a focus on fruit processing and plantation crops

ArticleEnergy consumption in Indonesia and Vietnam has grown rapidly in recent decades. To meet the energy needs of both countries, a higher utilisation of waste biomass sources may represent an adequate solution. Investigated samples represent major crop residues (waste biomass) originating mainly from the agriculture sector of the selected countries. Herbaceous waste biomass from Indonesia is, namely, cassava stems and root peelings ( Manihot esculenta ), coffee leaves ( Coffea arabica ), cacao leaves ( Theobroma cacao ), banana leaves ( Musa acuminata ), bamboo leaves ( Bambusoideae spp.) and aloe vera leaves ( Aloe vera ). Furthermore, fruit and aquatic waste biomass originating from Vietnam is, specifically, sugarcane bagasse ( Saccharum officinarum ), durian peelings ( Durio zibethinus ), rambutan peelings ( Nephelium lappaceum ), banana peelings ( Musa acuminata ), water milfoil ( Myriophyllum spicatum ) and water hyacinth ( Eichhornia crassipes ). All mentioned types of waste biomass were subjected to proximate and calorimetric analysis: moisture, ash and volatile matter contents (%) and higher and lower heating values (MJ kg – 1 ). Obtained values indicated the highest level of ash content in fruit bioma ss samples in the case of sugarcane bagasse (0.84%), in herbaceous biomass in the case of cassava stems (3.14%) and in aquatic biomass in the case of water hyacinth (14.16%). The highest levels of lower heating values were achieved by following samples (be st samples from each biomass type): cassava stems (17.5 MJ kg – 1 ); banana peelings (17.3 MJ kg – 1 ) and water hyacinth (12.8 MJ kg – 1 ). The overall evaluation of all observed samples indicated that the best suitability for energy utilisation by direct combusti on of investigated representatives is fruit waste biomass, followed by herbaceous waste biomass and then aquatic waste biomass

Livestock manure management practices in rural households in Tapanuli Utara regency of North Sumatra

ArticleLivestock manure management is a big challenge for low income economies including the region of North Sumatra, Indonesia. Currently, low percentages of manure managed cause illegal disposals, and negative impacts on public health and environment. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the current trends among livestock manure management practices in rural households and to recognize potential problems with it. The questionnaire survey using randomly selected households (n = 196) was administered in the province of North Sumatra, Tapanuli Utara regency, from July to August 2014; then followed by several field visits from August to September 2016. Data obtained in the survey were analysed with descriptive statistics and cross tabulation. Majority (81%) of rural households handle manure in the process of either composting (75%) or sun-drying (6%). Remaining 6% of the respondents does not handle manure at all. Manure could represent valuable energy and plant nutrition resource, if used appropriately. However, if not handled at all or handled inappropriately, it can lead to the environmental problems. Our results revealed that current ways of stabling of livestock are inappropriate from the environmental perspective. The stabling has got only dusty earthen floor, which makes difficult for farmers wash out the excrements and pollution. Hence, there is a need to improve manure management practice to eliminate potential threats as current practices do not protect either humans, animals or environment against the risk of contamination with potential zoonotic pathogens

Characterization of Smallholder Beef Cattle Production System in Central Vietnam –Revealing Performance, Trends, Constraints, and Future Development

The objective of this study is to evaluate the characteristics of smallholder beef cattle production in Central Vietnam. A total of 360 households were interviewed by using semi-structured questionnaire; a total of 606 beef cows were investigated for evaluating calving interval (CI). Thirty-two fattening cattle were monitored for the estimation of diet structure. Results showed that the cattle herd size was 4.32-4.45 cattle/household. In North Central (NC), 55% of surveyed farmers kept local cattle, 45% kept crossbreeds, and none of surveyed farmers keeping exotic breeds. In South Central (SC), 63% of surveyed farmers kept cross cattle, 32% kept local cattle, and 5% kept exotic breeds. In the breeding method, 70% of surveyed farmers used artificial insemination (AI), 20% used natural mating (NM), and only 10% used both AI and NM in SC, whereas in NC 40% of farmers used AI, 40% used NM, and 20% used both AI and NM. The variety of feedstuffs fed to cattle including roughages and concentrate. The concentrate in the diet for fattening cattle was 25%-35% and protein level was 11%-13%, and the average daily gain of cattle was 0.51-0.63 kg/day. The CI of cows was 12-13 months in SC, whereas in NC it was 13-14 months. There were numerous constraints to cattle production in surveyed households including diseases, lack of good quality feed sources, breeds, knowledge, and lack of capital. In conclusion, cattle production in Central Vietnam is small scale and still largely extensive. There are constraints that must be solved to improve livestock systems in the near future, especially when shifting towards semi-intensive and/or intensive cattle production systems.

International Collaboration in the Field of Environmental Protection: Trend Analysis and COVID-19 Implications

This paper focuses on the analysis of current cooperation trends in environmental protection research. A unified system of interrelations between research methods in the field of implementation of the bibliometric approach to the review of international cooperation in the field of environmental protection taking into account the consequences of the COVID-2019 pandemic was formed. To form a unified visualization of the analyzed bibliometric data, a special software product VOSViewer was used. Five clusters were defined: green—international cooperation for assessing risks to public health, in particular in the field of biosafety and the spread of social infections, with a focus on COVID-19, in 2019 and 2020; yellow—describes the related interaction between other clusters in the field of national and international mechanisms of cooperation in the regulation of greenhouse gas emissions and climate change; blue—brings together research areas in the field of economics of environmental management and control. The situation concerning the impact of the COVID-2019 pandemic is ambiguous, and it is crucial to recognize that this is a long-term period of impact, not only directly on public health but also due to economic and social constraints, as quarantine activities cause a chain of socio-economic crises. The problems of the environmental and economic spread of COVID-19 on various human activities and the environment require the development of this topic and the formation of a new cluster of interactions due to the wave dynamics of disease in the future. Broad cooperation and collaboration is proposed to address the challenges and accelerate sustainable development in Europe. A diagram of the main cooperation programs has been created, illustrating the overlap of the entire field, from basic research to the market. Further analytical studies will examine the effectiveness of cross-analysis using various scientometric databases to form an integrated approach to the new realities of quarantine activities

Phosphogypsum Recycling: A Review of Environmental Issues, Current Trends, and Prospects

The problem of recycling and storage of phosphogypsum is topical for many countries around the world, as it is associated with environmental problems of pollution of water bodies, land, and atmosphere. Therefore, this paper analyzes the directions of phosphogypsum recycling and possible alternatives to its use. The main disadvantages of the existing methods of phosphogypsum processing were identified and trends in this waste management were also considered. Through the VOSviewer programme, a visualization of cluster interconnections was carried out in research publications of various fields of phosphogypsum utilization. Five clusters were formed: a red cluster—phosphogypsum recycling in the construction industry; green cluster—radiation pollution problem of phosphogypsum and phosphate fertilizers; yellow cluster—monitoring migration of phosphogypsum components in the ecosystem, with the mobile forms of heavy metals and their inflow into aquifers from phosphogypsum dumps; blue cluster—use of phosphogypsum in agriculture as an ameliorant and a component of fertilizer; and a purple cluster—the impact of phosphogypsum on microorganisms, particularly in bioremediation processes. Under the proposed integrated biochemical approach, the use of various bioprocesses of phosphogypsum recovery from waste dumps and implementation of new biotechnological solutions for processing phosphorus raw materials are presented

Determination of the Trajectory of Curvilinear Motion of Front Steering Wheels Driven Tractor

The issue of designing the machine tractor movement trajectory is relevant today because its optimization significantly reduces fuel consumption and thus the transport costs. Proper choice of the energy machine and agricultural machinery with economy consumption of fuel and lubricants is also crucial. Recently, the problem has received scant attention in scientific literature. Therefore, this study analytically determines the trajectory of turning the tractor with front steering wheels and attempts to describe the curvilinear trajectory of a four-wheeled tractor using parametric equations in Cartesian coordinates. Its outcomes have a number of important implications for future practice; they are applicable e.g. in planning curved trajectories when cornering the tractor during field processing or in fuel and time consumption predictions for certain operations

ВПЛИВ ФОСФОГІПСУ НА СОЛЬОВИЙ СКЛАД ЗАСОЛЕННОГО ГРУНТУ

Global climate changes in many countries of the world lead to the need to use irrigation as a driving factor for obtaining guaranteed and stable harvests of agricultural crops. Irrigation with water of different quality leads not only to an increase in the yield, but also to a change in the salt composition of the soil. The change in the salt composition of soils occurs much faster during irrigation with mineralized water, which leads to the accumulation of soluble salts in the arable layer of the soil and the deterioration of the composition of the soil absorption complex. Accumulation of sodium ions leads to salinization of irrigated soils. It is possible to stop or suspend the salinization processes by introducing chemical melioration with calcium-containing meliorants. As an ameliorant in this work, the use of a by-product of the mineral fertilizers production – phosphogypsum, which contains a significant amount of calcium (up to 95%), replacing exchangeable sodium in the soil absorption complex is proposed. Our researches are related to the establishment of optimal calculation norms and terms of phosphogypsum application, their influence on the change in the components of the soil’s saline extract. The research was conducted on soils that had been irrigated with mineralized water from the Samara River (Ukraine) for a long time (over 50 years). According to the amount of exchangeable sodium, the soils of the experimental sites belonged to low-sodium soils with physical signs of salinization processes, and according to the content of toxic salts-moderately saline. For phosphogypsum in the soil-ameliorative conditions of the Northern Steppe of Ukraine, the ameliorative, agronomic, and ecologically safe rates of introduction in spring and autumn were calculated. The scheme of experiments provided options with sprinkler irrigation and without irrigation. The composition of the aqueous extract was determined by indicators of anion-cation content. During the research, a gradual decrease in the number of sulfates was observed: by 1.5% in the second year after exposure, and by 7.5% in the third year after exposure to phosphogypsum. The number of hydrocarbons decreased in irrigated areas where phosphogypsum was applied, and an increase in their content was observed in areas where irrigation was not carried out. Irrigation options were characterized by a significant increase in the content of chlorine ions, which is explained by the arrival of these ions exclusively with irrigation water. The degree of salinity was determined by pH and sodium adsorption ratio (SAR). Based on these indicators, it was established that the soils are slightly saline in all variants of the experiments. As a result of multi-year research, a positive effect of phosphogypsum melioration on the anion-cation composition of water extract and the degree of soils salinity irrigated with mineralized water for a long time was noted. According to the anionic composition, the chemistry of the soils in the experimental plots was sulfate in the variants where phosphogypsum was applied and vegetation irrigation was carried out and without irrigation, while in the control plots (without phosphogypsum and without irrigation) soda-sulfate chemistry was characterized. The chemistry of the soils in the experimental areas according to the cationic composition was sodium in all versions of the experiments. According to the sodium-adsorption ratio (SAR), the degree of soil salinization belonged to the slightly saline type, while the average type of salinity remained in the control plots without phosphogypsum.Глобальні зміни клімату в багатьох країнах світу призводять до необхідності використання зрошення як рушійного фактору для отримання гарантованих і стабільних врожаїв сільськогосподарських культур. Поливи водою різної якості призводять не лише до підвищення врожайності, а й до зміни сольового складу в ґрунті. Значно швидше відбуваються зміни сольового складу в ґрунті при зрошенні мінералізованою водою, що призводить до накопичення розчинних солей в орному шарі та погіршення складу ґрунтового вбирного комплексу. Накопичення іонів натрію призводить до засолення зрошуваних ґрунтів. Зупинити або призупинити процеси засолення можна шляхом проведенням хімічної меліорації використовуючи кальцієвмісні меліоранти. В якості такого меліоранту в цій роботі запропоновано використання побічного продукту виробництва мінеральних добрив – фосфогіпсу. Він містить значну кількість кальцію (до 95%) та здатний замінити обмінний натрій у ґрунтовому поглинальному комплексі. Наведеними дослідженнями встановлено оптимальні розрахункові норми і строки внесення фосфогіпсу, його вплив на зміну компонентів ґрунтової сольової витяжки. Дослідження проводили на ґрунтах, що тривалий час (понад 50 років) зрошувалися мінералізованою водою з річки Самара (Україна). За кількістю обмінного натрію ґрунти дослідних ділянок належали до малонатрієвих із фізичними ознаками процесів засолення, а за вмістом токсичних солей – до середньозасолених. Для використання фосфогіпсу в ґрунтово-меліоративних умовах північного Степу України розраховані  меліоративні, агрономічні та екологічно безпечні норми внесення навесні та восени. Схема дослідів передбачала варіанти зі зрошенням шляхом дощування і без поливу. Склад водної витяжки визначали за показниками вмісту аніонів-катіонів. Під час досліджень спостерігали поступове зменшення кількості сульфатів: на 1,5 % на другий рік після внесення в ґрунт, та на 7,5 % на третій рік після внесення фосфогіпсу. На зрошуваних площах, де вносився фосфогіпс, кількість гідрокарбонатів зменшувалася, а на ділянках, де зрошення не проводили, спостерігали підвищення їх вмісту. Варіанти на поливі характеризувались значним збільшенням вмісту іонів хлору, що пояснюється надходженням цих іонів виключно з поливною водою. Ступінь солоності визначали за рН і коефіцієнтом адсорбції натрію (SAR). За цими показниками встановлено, що у всіх варіантах дослідів ґрунти виявилися слабозасоленими. У результаті проведених багаторічних досліджень відзначено позитивний вплив фосфогіпсу як меліоранта на аніонно-катіонний склад водної витяжки та ступінь засолення ґрунтів, що поливали  мінералізованою водою протягом тривалого часу. За аніонним складом хімічний склад ґрунтів на дослідних ділянках у варіантах із внесенням фосфогіпсу і вегетаційними поливами та на ділянках без зрошення був сульфатним, а на контрольних ділянках (без внесення фосфогіпсу та без поливів) – содово-сульфатним. Хімічний склад ґрунтів на дослідних ділянках за катіонним складом був натрієвим у всіх варіантах дослідів. За натрій-адсорбційним коефіцієнтом (SAR) ступінь засолення ґрунту відноситься до слабозасоленого типу, тоді як на контрольних ділянках без фосфогіпсу залишався середній тип засолення

Enhancing Ecological Efficiency in Biological Wastewater Treatment: A Case Study on Quality Control Information System

This study aimed to improve the control system of the biological stage of wastewater treatment using the quality control information system to support the concept of environmental efficiency management. In this case, the object of the study was the treatment facilities of Sumy city (Ukraine). For automatic control of wastewater quality, pH, оxidation reduction potential (ORP), electrical conductivity, and temperature indicators were taken, as well as hydrobiological analysis of activated sludge and mathematical modelling. The pH of wastewater at the input system has systematically unacceptable values (above 8.5 were recorded). Unacceptable concentrations of sulphur-containing toxicants arrive at the entrance of treatment facilities (0.22–1.3 mg/L ). The response of activated sludge biocenosis to increasing concentrations of hydrogen sulphide in wastewater was analysed. Furthermore, a mathematical model of monoculture population growth, with two factors that affect population growth (nutrient concentration and monoculture production concentration), was implemented for the initial assessment of possible negative effects on wastewater treatment. The differential equation of the population dynamics of the i-th species of microorganisms in activated sludge was described. The applied system of automated monitoring of wastewater parameters with expert assessment of activated sludge and a unified mathematical model of approaches allows for a complex system of decision-making support to be realised. However, this requires the construction of mathematical models that would take into account the cause–effect relations that operate under conditions of incomplete technological information and the potential presence of emergencies due to natural disasters and military activities

Інвестиційний менеджмент цифрових інновацій бізнесу

У статті розглядаються питання інвестиційного менеджменту цифрових інновацій сучасного бізнесу. Основною метою дослідження є розроблення підходів до інвестиційного менеджменту інноваційних процесів цифровізації компаній та обгрунтування економічної ефективності інвестиційних проектів з використання інноваційних інформаційних технологій у контексті їх взаємозв'язку з існуючими інформаційними рішеннями управління підприємствами. Актуальність дослідження полягає у необхідностізміни методів ведення й управління сучасним бізнесом з урахуванням досягнень Третьоїта Четвертої промислових революцій, які формують інноваційну бізнес-філософію, засновану на інформатизації та цифровізації процесів виробництва і постачання продукції. Імплементація інноваційних цифрових технологій у бізнес-процеси вимагає значних витрат, що актуалізує питання їх мінімізації. Систематизація літературних джерел та підходів до інвестиційного менеджменту промислової цифровізації виявила відсутність комплексних рішень цієї проблеми. У зв’язку з цим, на основі порівняльного аналізу авторами виявлено особливості розвитку бізнесу в умовах Четвертої промислової революції й обгрунтовано необхідність інтеграції сучасних інформаційних систем управління діяльністю підприємств на платформі цифровізації бізнеспроцесів. З метою створення карти цифрових інновацій бізнесу запропоновано застосовувати теорію обмежень системи, що дозволяє визначити, з якої з функціонуючих інформаційних систем підприємства (бізнес-аналітика, Business intelligence – BI; система планування ресурсів підприємства, Enterprise Resource Planning – ERP; система управління виробничими процесами, Manufacturing Execution System – MES; Промисловий Інтернет речей, Industrial Internet of Things – IIoT) варто розпочати цифрову трансформацію. На підставі використання структурного підходу у статті сформовано етапи розроблення проекту цифрової трансформації компанії. Економічне обгрунтування вибору таких альтернативних проектів виконано на основі оцінки трудових витрат на реалізацію двох варіантів цифрової інновації суб’єкта господарювання: комплексного проекту автоматизації з попереднім моделюванням та інтеграційного проекту автоматизації з поступовим впровадженням нової інформаційної системи. Результати оцінки засвідчили економічні переваги імплементації інтеграційного проекту, що забезпечує в 1,58 рази менше трудовитрат і може бути реалізований із використанням універсальних пакетних рішень типу Business Automaton Software (BAS). Аналіз результатів впроваджених і потенціалу запланованих проектів цифровізації бізнесу в Україні та світі дозволив узагальнити ефекти від їх імплементації і підтвердив необхідність подальшого розвитку механізмів інвестиційного менеджменту цифрових інновацій у компаніях.This paper considers the issue of investment management of digital innovations in modern business. The main purpose of the research is the development of approaches to the investment management of the innovative digitalisation processes of the enterprises and justification of the economic efficiency of investment projects on innovative information technologies use in the context of their relationship with existing information solutions for enterprise management. The relevance of the research is the necessity to change the methods of doing and managing the modern business, taking into account the achievements of the Third and Fourth Industrial Revolutions, which form innovative business philosophy based on informatisation and digitalisation of manufacturing and delivery processes. The implementation of innovative digital technology in business processes requires significant costs and it raises the issue on their minimization. Systematization of literary sources and approaches for the investment management of industrial digitalisation indicates the absence of complex solutions for this problem. In this regard, based on a comparative analysis, the authors have revealed the features of business development in the conditions of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and justified the need for modern information systems integration for enterprise management on the platform of business processes digitalisation. In order to create the road map of business digital innovations, it is suggested that the Theory of Constraints should be used to determine which of the operating information systems of the enterprise (Business intelligence – BI; Enterprise Resource Planning – ERP; Manufacturing Execution System – MES; Industrial Internet of Things – IIoT) is to begin the digital transformation with. The stages of the project development for the digital transformation of an enterprise are designed based on the structural approach. The economic justification for the selection of alternative digitalisation projects is based on an assessment of the labour costs for implementing two variants of digital innovation of a business entity: a complex automation project with upfront modelling and an integration automation project with the gradual implementation of a new information system. The assessment results have shown the economic benefits of implementing the integration project as it provides 1.58 times fewer labour costs and can be realized by use of universal package solutions such as Business Automaton Software (BAS). The analysis of the results of the implemented business digitalisation projects in Ukraine and the world as well as the potential of planned ones has allowed generalising the effects of their implementation and confirmed the need for further development of the mechanisms for the investment management of business digital innovations