75 research outputs found

    PRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE OF EARLY SUGARCANE GENOTYPES IN RIO GRANDE DO SUL STATE, BRAZIL

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    O Brasil é o maior produtor mundial de cana-de-açúcar, sendo o estado do Rio Grande do Sul considerado uma região de expansão da cultura, carecendo de estudos relacionados à adaptabilidade e estabilidade de novos genótipos de cana-de-açúcar. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a adaptabilidade e estabilidade de genótipos de cana-de-açúcar (Saccharum spp.) de ciclo precoce, quanto à produção de colmos, açúcar e eficiência da conversão de energia solar em produção, no estado do Rio Grande do Sul. Foram avaliados 13 genótipos, em nove ambientes. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi de blocos ao acaso, com três repetições. As variáveis utilizadas para a análise AMMI (Análise de efeitos principais aditivos e interações multiplicativas) foram produtividade de colmos, de açúcar e eficiência da conversão de energia solar em produção. Os resultados revelaram que entre os genótipos de maturação precoce, o RB975932 (G12) foi superior a cultivar testemunha RB855156 em estabilidade, produtividade e eficiência da conversão de energia solarem produção. Os ambientes de teste de maior produtividade foram São Luiz Gonzaga, para primeira soca, e Santa Rosa tanto como cana planta como para primeira soca

    Shock absorbing reception surfaces for collecting fruit during the mechanical harvesting of citrus

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    Damage to fresh citrus caused by impact of fruits onto collecting surfaces has restricted the adoption of mechanical harvesting. Two different experiments were carried out: investigating free-falling citrus and investigating the shock absorbing capacity of various surfaces. In free-falling experiment damage to mandarin, orange and lemon was studied. Three collecting surfaces were studied: a concrete floor, an elevated canvas provided with a frame and wheels, and a concrete floor covered with a shock absorbing canvases. Three dropping heights were used. In the shock absorbing experiment, an electronic sphere and a triaxial accelerometer were used to measure the shock capacity of seven receiving surfaces: earth, earth covered with a shock absorbing canvas, earth covered with weeds, earth covered with a mulch and an elevated canvas provided with a frame and wheels. The elevated canvases had a higher shock absorbing capacity compared to the other surfaces (260 m s−2 maximum acceleration compared with 1753 m s−2 to 2772 m s−2). Weeds, mulch and the shock absorbing canvases showed significantly higher shock absorbing capacity than the bare earth. Also, the shock absorbing canvas covering the concrete floor reduce impact and fruit damage (1866 m s−2 maximum acceleration compared to 2477 m s−2). Citrus damage susceptibility during harvest depended on variety. Weeds, mulch and shock absorbing canvases were shown to reduce impact when they cover earth during the mechanical harvesting of citrus. Elevated canvases could be used as collection systems for the mechanical harvesting of fresh citrus.This study was funded by the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion (research project RTA2009-00118-C02-02) and FEDER. The authors are most grateful to the following collaborators: Maria del Mar Lopez Quevedo, Montano Perez, Juan Jose Pena and Angel Perez.Ortiz Sánchez, MC.; Blasco, J.; Balasch Parisi, S.; Torregrosa Mira, A. (2011). Shock absorbing reception surfaces for collecting fruit during the mechanical harvesting of citrus. Biosystems Engineering. 110(1):2-9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biosystemseng.2011.05.006S29110

    Chemical pretreatment of Arundo donax L. for second-generation ethanol production

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    Background: Pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass is essential for using it as a raw material for chemical and biofuel production. This study evaluates the effects of variables in the chemical pretreatment of the Arundo biomass on the glucose and xylose concentrations in the final enzymatic hydrolysate. Three pretreatments were tested: acid pretreatment, acid pretreatment followed by alkaline pretreatment, and alkaline pretreatment. Results: The amounts of glucose and xylose released by the enzymatic hydrolysis of the Arundo biomass obtained from acid pretreatment ranged from 6.2 to 19.1 g/L and 1.8 to 3.1 g/L, respectively. The addition of alkaline pretreatment led to a higher yield from the enzymatic hydrolysis, with the average glucose concentration 3.5 times that obtained after biomass hydrolysis with an acid pretreatment exclusively. The use of an alkaline pretreatment alone resulted in glucose and xylose concentrations similar to those obtained in the two-step pretreatment: acid pretreatment followed by alkaline pretreatment. There was no significant difference in 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, furfural, or acetic acid concentrations among the pretreatments. Conclusion: Alkaline pretreatment was essential for obtaining high concentrations of glucose and xylose. The application of an alkaline pretreatment alone resulted in high glucose and xylose concentrations. This result is very significant as it allows a cost reduction by eliminating one step

    Qualitative changes on the cuticle of apples and tangerines in response to heat treatments and brushing

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    O tratamento térmico é um método antigo de desinfestação de frutos e vem sendo mais bem estudado com objetivo de utilizá-lo como método alternativo de controle de podridões em pós-colheita. O calor atua sobre a germinação e o crescimento de estruturas do patógeno e sobre o fruto, aumentando a resistência à infecção. Uma das formas de ação do calor sobre os frutos, proposta na literatura, ocorre sobre a cutícula, de modo a fundir as ceras presentes nesta camada e formar uma barreira física para evitar a entrada do patógeno durante a armazenagem. Neste trabalho, estudou-se o efeito do tratamento com água quente na cutícula de maçãs cv. Fuji e Gala e tangerinas cv. Montenegrina. O calor foi aplicado por imersão e aspersão aliado à escovação e, no caso da tangerina, também foram utilizados métodos de controle complementares e a aplicação de cera de carnaúba na superfície dos frutos. Os frutos do experimento com maçãs foram avaliados em mais de uma época de armazenagem e os de tangerina no final do experimento. Amostras foram retiradas, secas ao ar, montadas e visualizadas em microscopia eletrônica de varredura. As ceras cuticulares das maçãs e das tangerinas alteraram-se em função do tratamento com calor, da escovação e da aplicação de ceras. Em maçãs ocorreu alteração no formato dos cristalóides de cera e cobertura de rachaduras pela fusão da camada cerosa. Efeito similar foi visualizado para as tangerinas onde a fusão das ceras tornou a camada externa mais homogênea e as aberturas naturalmente existentes recobertas. A escovação resultou em remoção e arraste de algum conteúdo ceroso em maçã e na remoção de hifas de patógenos, principalmente, em tangerinas. A aplicação de cera de carnaúba na superfície das tangerinas mostrou efeito de recobrimento das aberturas similar ao calor. O tratamento térmico aplicado atuou reduzindo o número de tangerinas com podridão ao final de 20 dias a 5º C + 7 dias a temperatura ambiente e os resultados da microscopia eletrônica de varredura mostraram que o calor atua fundindo as ceras cuticulares e que estas recobrem os orifícios servindo como barreira física à entrada do patógeno.Heat treatment is an old method used to disinfest fruits and is, nowadays, again being better studied to be used as an alternative method to control post harvest decay. Heat affects germination and growing of the pathogen structures and enhances the ability of the fruit to resist pathogen infection after harvest. Heat acts on fruit cuticle, melting the waxes present in this layer and forming a physical barrier to hinder pathogen entrance during storage. In this work we studied the effects of heat treatments on the cuticle of ´Fuji´ and ´Gala´ apples and on ´Montenegrina´ tangerines. Heat was applied by immersion or spraying plus brushing. Tangerines had also carnauba wax applied on the surface. Apples were evaluated after two storage periods and the tangerines at the end of the storage period. Samples were excised, air dried, mounted on stubs and visualized on a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The cuticular wax of apples and tangerines changed after heat treatment, brushing and wax application. On apples alteration on the wax crystalloid forms occurred as a result of the wax melting and covering of the cuticular cracks by the melted wax. Similar effect was visualized on tangerines where melting of the epicuticular waxes caused a homogeneous aspect on the outer layer covering cracks and stomata. Brushing resulted in removal and dragging of some wax content on apples and removal of pathogen hyphae mainly on tangerines. The carnauba wax application on tangerines surface showed a similar effect of recovering the natural openings as seen by heat treatment. The heat treatment applied acted reducing the number of rots in tangerine fruit at the end of 20 days at 5º C + 7 days at room temperature. SEM images indicate that heat acts melting the wax layer and the melted material recovers orifices on the surface which could act as a physical barrier against pathogen penetration
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