Marek Gancarz - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Marek Gancarz

International Agrophysics, Dec 5, 2022

; Reducing chemical loads and the degradation of agricultural and forestry soils by selecting the... more ; Reducing chemical loads and the degradation of agricultural and forestry soils by selecting the appropriate agri-technology with regard to climate change and KEGA 016SPU-4/2021 (2021-2023). The implementation of modern educational approaches and tools in order to enhance creativity and the practical skills of graduates with a special focus on the application of agricultural and forestry science. A b s t r a c t. There are increasing demands to increase the productivity of crops grown in unfavourable soil conditions. The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential of biostimulants to improve soil properties and crop yields. A field experiment was conducted to assess the impact of Neosol (a soil activator), biostimulant Explorer (a rhizosphere activator) and AKEO (mineral fertilizer activator, Olmix Group) on soil in terms of the yields of spring and winter wheat and winter rape. Numerous soil characteristics related to soil structure were evaluated at the 0-20 and 20-40 cm depth ranges e.g. bulk density, soil porosity, structural coefficient. The results show that the application of biostimulants has a positive effect on soil bulk density, porosity and the structural coefficient. The biostimulants had a positive effect on the yields of crops. K e y w o r d s: biostimulants, soil-oxidizable carbon, soil quality, soil organic matter, drought, crop yield

Sustainability

Most of the fuels used in internal combustion engines are liquid fuels. The magnetic behavior of ... more Most of the fuels used in internal combustion engines are liquid fuels. The magnetic behavior of fuel leads to a change in the interaction of hydrocarbon and oxygen molecules. This study aimed to evaluate the fuel consumption and engine vibration (time domain) of the Perkins A63544 diesel engine using magnetized fuel. The vibration of an internal combustion engine can cause failure in engine components and discomfort and injury to users. Engine vibration behavior changes due to changes in fuel types and engine combustion. Therefore, in this study, the vibration behavior of the tractor engine (Perkins model, four-stroke, direct injection diesel) was evaluated in stationary mode at different engine speeds due to changes in fuel types. Three accelerometers (CTC AC102 model) were used to measure the vibration acceleration. The fuels used included diesel as a normal control and fuels that had been subjected to magnetic field intensities of 1000, 2000, 3000, and 4000 gauss. The longitudin...

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Jan 30, 2023

This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY

Foods

Potato is an important agricultural product, ranked as the fourth most common product in the huma... more Potato is an important agricultural product, ranked as the fourth most common product in the human diet. Potato can be consumed in various forms. As customers expect safe and high-quality products, precise and rapid determination of the quality and composition of potatoes is of crucial significance. The quality of potatoes may alter during the storage period due to various phenomena. Soluble solids content (SSC) and pH are among the quality parameters experiencing alteration during the storage process. This study is thus aimed to assess the variations in SSC and pH during the storage of potatoes using an electronic nose and Vis/NIR spectroscopic techniques with the help of prediction models including partial least squares (PLS), multiple linear regression (MLR), principal component regression (PCR), support vector regression (SVR) and an artificial neural network (ANN). The variations in the SSC and pH are ascending and significant. The results also indicate that the SVR model in th...

International Journal of Molecular Sciences

A new type of corn snack has been created containing additions of wild garlic (Allium ursinum L.)... more A new type of corn snack has been created containing additions of wild garlic (Allium ursinum L.). This medicinal and dietary plant has a long tradition of use in folk medicine. However, studies on wild garlic composition and activity are fairly recent and scarce. This research aimed to investigate the influence of the screw speed and A. ursinum amounts on the antiradical properties as well as the content of polyphenolic compounds and individual phenolic acids of innovative snacks enriched with wild garlic leaves. The highest radical scavenging activity and content of polyphenols and phenolic acids were found in the snacks enriched with 4% wild garlic produced using screw speed 120 rpm. The obtained findings demonstrated that snacks enriched with wild garlic are a rich source of polyphenolic compounds. Since the concentration of such compounds is affected by many factors, e.g., plant material, presence of other compounds, and digestion, the second aim of this study was to determine ...

Nowadays, there is an urgent need to look for antimicrobial substances due to a widespread occurr... more Nowadays, there is an urgent need to look for antimicrobial substances due to a widespread occurrence of multidrug resistant bacterial and fungal strains. Honey with its antimicrobial properties is a very promising substance with many valuable properties. In this study we examined for the first time antimicrobial properties of novel varietal honeys. The experiments were carried out with 11 honey samples, i.e.: Plum, Rapeseed, Lime, Phacelia, Honeydew, Sunflower, Willow, and Multifloral-P (Prunus spinosa L.), Multifloral-AP (Acer negundo L., Prunus spinosa L.), Multifloral-Sa (Salix sp.), Multifloral-Br (Brassica napus L.). Their antimicrobial activity was tested against bacteria (such as Escherichia coli, Bacillus circulans, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa), yeasts (such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Candida albicans) and mold fungi (such as Aspergillus niger). In tested honeys, phenolic acids were one of the most important group of compounds with antimicrobial activ...

World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology, International Journal of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, 2016

Animals, 2021

We investigated how different antioxidant defenses (ADSs) were shaped by evolution in young/old A... more We investigated how different antioxidant defenses (ADSs) were shaped by evolution in young/old Apis mellifera workers and queens to broaden the limited knowledge on whether ADSs are effective in contemporary pesticide environments and to complete bee oxidative-aging theory. We acquired 1-day-old, 20-day-old, and 2-year-old queens and 1-day-old and 20-day-old workers (foragers) fed 0, 5, or 200 ppb imidacloprid, a pesticide oxidative stressor. The activities of catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione S-transferase, and superoxide dismutase and the level of total antioxidant potential were determined in hemolymph. The ADS was upregulated in workers with age but downregulated in queens. Imidacloprid suppressed the ADS in all workers, particularly in foragers with an upregulated ADS, but it did not affect the ADS in 1-day-old queens. In contrast to foragers, the downregulated ADS of 2-year-old queens was unexpectedly highly upregulated by imidacloprid, which has not been previous...

Food and Bioproducts Processing, 2021

Abstract Characteristic aroma compounds are emitted in each of the three main stages of bread pro... more Abstract Characteristic aroma compounds are emitted in each of the three main stages of bread production. The present study consisted in detection and measurement of odors emitted during the dough fermentation and bread baking processes with use of metal oxide (MOS) sensors and identification of aroma compounds using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The generated sensorgrams were analyzed using a new determination method based on three parameters read from the sensorgram. Groups of volatile compounds characteristic for the dough fermentation stage, i.e. alcohols, aldehydes, esters, ketones, acids, for the baking process, i.e. pyridines, hydrocarbons, amides, were determined. The investigations and statistical analysis of the results revealed the responses of the electronic nose and its potential to be used for detection of volatile organic compounds generated during bread production. The study indicates that the use of three sensorgram parameters yields precise identification of the type and stage of the process.

Materials, 2020

Knowledge on the mechanical properties of granular biomass is important for the design and effici... more Knowledge on the mechanical properties of granular biomass is important for the design and efficient operation of equipment used for handling, storage, and processing. Their mechanical properties are used as a measure of material quality. In this study, the mechanical properties of granular biomass obtained from pines (sawdust, shavings, long shavings, and pellets) were determined under a moisture content range of 10–50%. The coefficient of sliding friction µ of four construction materials was determined using a 210-mm-diameter direct shear tester (Jenike’s shear box). To measure the shear resistance of the biomass materials (represented as torque T), a prototype vane tester was constructed. The characteristics of shear resistance with respect to time T(t) were determined for material samples under normal pressure p ranging from 5 to 30 kPa and a vane rotation rate of 3 rpm. Measurements were performed for five geometries of the rotor, reflecting typical deformation conditions encou...

Journal of Stored Products Research, 2020

During seed storage in tall silos the low layers of rape seeds are exposed to static pressure exe... more During seed storage in tall silos the low layers of rape seeds are exposed to static pressure exerted by the upper layers. This may cause deformation and damage of seeds found in the lower layers and losses of biologically active compounds. The aim of this study was to simulate under laboratory conditions the actual ecosystem found in industrial plants and to evaluate the effect of not only the temperature and moisture content, but also static pressure on degradation of phytosterols contained in rape seeds in the course of storage. Changes in phytosterol levels were assessed using GC-MS. During storage in all samples of seeds (7e16% moisture content) under the adopted conditions of overpressure (20e60 kPa) and temperature (25e35 C) the total content of phytosterols decreased by 3e57%. The smallest losses in the total phytosterol contents (3e4%) were recorded during storage of seeds with a 7% moisture content, irrespective of the applied storage temperature (25e35 C) and overpressure variants (20e60 kPa). The greatest losses of phytosterols (43e57%) were observed during storage of seeds with a 16% moisture content at a temperature of 35 C, while the higher the applied overpressure, the greater these losses were. The study showed that the greatest influence on sterol content during storage was increased seed moisture, and subsequently the temperature and the pressure. Experimental results also showed that for seeds with higher moisture contents (13 and 16%) an increase in storage temperature from 30 to 35 C intensifies losses of individual phytosterols much more markedly that an increase in temperature from 25 to 30 C. Moreover it was observed that overpressure over 20 kPa enhanced losses of investigated phytosterols.

LWT, 2020

The paper presents application of an Agrinose with novel three-parameter method for generation of... more The paper presents application of an Agrinose with novel three-parameter method for generation of smellprints to test the suitability of bread for consumption during four-day storage. Gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis of the headspace was applied to describe the volatile metabolite contents. The CIE L*a*b* colour scale was used to identify changes in the colour during storage and the puncture and penetration tests were used to describe the hardness and staling, as a reference methods for testing bread. The process of bread staling in aerobic conditions was correlated with changes in the crumb colour, hardness, and emission of volatile substances. The analysis of volatile compounds emitted from bread stored in quasi-anaerobic conditions demonstrated a relationship between the responses of resistance sensors and the quantity and quality of groups of volatile substances in the general aroma. The highest sensitivity to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) generated by spoiled bread were noted in the case of sensors for food tests, i.e. AS-MLV-P2 and TGS2603. The Agrinose coupled with three-parameters method could accurately predict the fungal grow on bread stored in quasi-anaerobic conditions and can be used as a rapid and non-destructive tool for early detection of fungal infection.

European Journal of Wood and Wood Products, 2019

In the present study, the mechanical properties of granular biomass of pine origin (sawdust, shav... more In the present study, the mechanical properties of granular biomass of pine origin (sawdust, shavings, long shavings and pellets) were determined. The bulk and tapped densities were determined in a cylindrical chamber. The compacted density was measured, and the influence of the moisture content on this quantity was examined in a vane tester. The flowability and strength properties were determined using a direct shear tester (Jenike box) 210 mm in diameter and standard Schulze ring shear tester. The tests in the Jenike tester complied with the Eurocode 1 procedure for normal pressure (σ n) of 15 and 30 kPa and speed of shearing of 0.17 mm s −1. Ring shear testing was conducted using a Schulze annular shear cell of 195 mm outer diameter. Tests were performed for 10 and 20 kPa pre-shear σ n. A prototype vane tester was constructed for determining the torque, shear strength, and relaxation of a consolidated sample of granular biomass. σ n was exerted by a pneumatic system with a rubber air spring and yoke. The torque and density were measured for moisture content in the range of 10-50% and for σ n in the range of 5-30 kPa. The torque was observed to be affected by σ n and the moisture content, whereas no relationship between the torque and the rotational speed was observed.

Postharvest Biology and Technology, 2018

The paper presents a prediction method of the susceptibility blackspot damage after impact of pot... more The paper presents a prediction method of the susceptibility blackspot damage after impact of potato varieties for three-and seven-month storage of potato tubers at a temperature of 4°C based on the geometric parameter of the microstructure of tuber parenchyma determined at harvest. Similar sized and shaped potato tubers of twenty eight cultivars harvested in 2012 and 2013 were analysed. Analyses of the tuber parenchyma microstructure were carried out using an optical confocal microscope for ten tubers of each variety. Cylindrical samples with a thickness of 1 mm and a diameter of 10 mm were collected from the perimedullary zone. Microscopic images of the structure were analysed. The size parameter of the cell cross-section surface area was determined two days after harvest, and the susceptibility of each variety to blackspot after impact was assessed after three and seven months of storage. The mean post-harvest size of the tuber parenchyma cells and the susceptibility to blackspot during storage are related. Tubers of varieties with smaller cells of the perimedullary zone tissue exhibited greater blackspot susceptibility during storage.

Powder Technology, 2018

A new vane shear tester is proposed for the determination of the shear strength in consolidated s... more A new vane shear tester is proposed for the determination of the shear strength in consolidated samples of granular biomass. Measurements are performed using forest woodchips with a normal pressure in the range 5-30 kPa applied at rotation rates of 3-13 rpm. The maximum torque is found to be affected by the normal pressure and time of compression. The rotation speed is not found to have a significant influence on the shear strength. The new apparatus is an efficient tool for determining the mechanical characteristics of granular biomass. The results are in general agreement with those given by the standard Jenike method, but the new technique makes testing easier and faster. Quantitative differences between the results obtained using the two methods are possibly a result of the different modes of load application and the geometry of the shear surface.

Journal of Food Science, 2018

The paper presents application of a new three-parameter method for identification of volatile org... more The paper presents application of a new three-parameter method for identification of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and creation of fingerprints based on the impregnation time (t IM), cleaning time (t CL), and maximum response ([ R/R] max) of chemically sensing sensors for detecting spoilage of agricultural commodities. The novelty of this method consists in the use of two additional parameters: an impregnation time and a cleaning time for the first time. An Agrinose built of eight metal oxide semiconductors was used for identification of loss in the rapeseed quality during a short period of storage after harvest. Principal component analysis was applied as a method of data analysis to verify the suitability of the new three-parameter method and visualization of groups of different quality of raw materials. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy spectra for identification of the infrared bands of fungal polysaccharides and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of the headspace was applied to describe volatile metabolite contents in reference to the electronic nose technique. The investigations and analyses have demonstrated that the new threeparameter method for determination of volatile compounds ([ R/R] max , t IM , t CL) describes the changes in VOCs more efficiently than the single-parameter approach based only on the maximum sensor response ([ R/R] max). The proposed method for generation of electronic fingerprints clearly discriminated between rapeseed samples infected with field and storage microflora. Three-parameters method can be useful for quality control in food microbiology and safety, as a rapid method of analysis and detection, including electronic nose sensor technology.

PloS one, 2018

Proper bioelement content is crucial for the health and wellness of all organisms, including hone... more Proper bioelement content is crucial for the health and wellness of all organisms, including honeybees. However, the situation is more complicated in these important pollinators due to the fact that they change their physiology during winter in order to survive the relatively harsh climatic conditions. Additionally, honeybees are susceptible to many diseases such as nosemosis, which during winter can depopulate an entire colony. Here we show that summer bees have a markedly higher content of important bioelements such as: Al, Cu, P, V, (physiologically essential); Ca, K, Mg, (electrolytic); Cr, Se, Zn, (enzymatic); As, Hg, (toxic). In contrast, a markedly higher content of: Fe (physiologically essential); Mn, Ni, (enzymatic); Cd (exclusively toxic) were present in winter bees. Importantly, N. ceranae infection resulted in an increased honeybee bioelement content of: S, Sr (physiologically essential) and Pb (exclusively toxic), whereas the Nosema-free worker-bees had higher amounts o...

Postharvest Biology and Technology, 2016

Mechanical injuries are the main cause of damage and loss of quality of plant raw materials. Pota... more Mechanical injuries are the main cause of damage and loss of quality of plant raw materials. Potatoes are susceptible to external and internal pressures, which cause bruising and fracture in soft tissues. The paper shows research concerning the relationship between geometrical parameters of the microstructure of potato tuber tissue and susceptibility of potatoes to blackspot damage after six months of storage. Twenty eight potato varieties from 2011 and 2012 crops in Poland were used in the experiment. The tubers had a similar size and shape. A TRSLM confocal microscope was used to study the microstructure of soft tissue in potato tubers and microscope images of the perimedullary zone of the tissue were analyzed. The study shows that there is a correlation between the size of perimedullary tissue cells in potato tubers and blackspot damage. Potato tubers with smaller cells of the perimedullary zone show higher susceptibility to blackspot damage, described by the blackspot index BIP, in comparison with potatoes with larger cells which were stored for six months.

Measurement, 2017

Rapeseed is one of the main raw materials regarded as a source of edible oil for humans. Stored i... more Rapeseed is one of the main raw materials regarded as a source of edible oil for humans. Stored in order to maintain continuity of production can undergo deterioration of the quality. Therefore, there is a need for rapid methods for the assessment of its quality. The quality of rapeseed during 31 days of storage was studied. Colony Forming Unit (CFU), Ergosterol content (ERG), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) were examined using an electronic nose (Agrinose). The electronic nose was built of 8 metal-oxide semiconductor sensors (type MOS) and one representing the Micro Electro Mechanical Systems technology (MEMS). Principal Component Analysis (PCA), as a method of data analysis, was applied to the visualisation rapeseed groups of different quality. An analysis of sensorgrams (sensor drift) with a strong signal was performed. Six from the eight sensors gave a clear response to spoiled rapeseed VOCs. The results have shown a correlation between microbiological and chemical methods for assessment of quality with responses of electrochemical sensors.