Sugar Beet Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Background and Aims This paper aims at studying the capacity of an individual-based morphogenetic crop model of sugar beet growth -GreenLab -to predict the effects of population density on growth and yield. • Methods A field experiment was carried out for three homogeneous population densities to measure detailed plant development and growth of one cultivar. A set of in situ measurements were used to observe some model inputs (organs' expansion times and life-spans) and destructive data of dry masses were collected for model calibration. • Keys Results and Conclusions For all density conditions, the plasticity of total biomass production and allocation patterns was accurately simulated using the sets of optimized parameters. Most of them reveal stable across different spacing, and a few parameters vary with density: specific blade mass, time of phyllochron increase, petiole sink and the characteristic surface used to compute Beer's law at individual level. These results are a first step towards developing a predictive capacity regarding crop spacing.

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- Model Calibration, Field Experiment, Population Density, Source - Sink dynamics

The energy input and output of three energy crop chains in Europe has been reviewed. The three chains are: bio-oil production from rape, soybean, or sun ower; ethanol production from cereal and sugar beet; and the use of herbaceous lignocellulosics as raw ÿber biomass. The energy input measurements are taken from the literature in terms of the average, minimum, and maximum for current agricultural practice. The bio-oil and ethanol chains are well deÿned and use e cient and mature technology, while the herbaceous lignocellulosic chains is still under development. The yield of bioenergy is limited by land and it is not directly correlated with inputs level; for maximum gain the inputs must be minimized. There is considerable margin for improvement in many areas with low yields. While the study does not address social and economic issues, it is clear that many of the species considered are multifunctional, and the maximizing of the economic opportunity will depend also on the exploitation of co-and by-products. ?

- by Gianpietro Venturi
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- Engineering, Technology, Ethanol Production, Energy Balance

The presence of polycyclic or polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were investigated in sugar-beet from a local sugar factory in the district of Vojvodina. The sugar-beet was cultivated on areas near roads with intensive traffic. The procedure for the preparation and determination of these compounds included saponification of the sample, several liquid-liquid extraction systems and a silica gel column clean-up. The purified sample solution was analysed by thin layer chromatography (TLC) on silica gel with cyclohexane as the developing solvent. Benzo(b)fluoranthene and benzo(a)anthracene and/or benzo(a)pyrene were detected at concentrations greater than the allowed limits in food.

- by Eva Loncar
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- Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon, CHEMICAL SCIENCES, Sugar Beet

A four-year study of site-specific weed control is presented in this paper. Weed seedling distribution was sampled and mapped prior to and after post-emergence herbicide application in four fields planted with maize, sugar beets, winter wheat and winter barley, rotating on one site. Herbicides and other weed control strategies were applied site-specifically according to the spatial variation of weed populations.

- by Martin Williams
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- Precision Agriculture, Maize, Weed Management, Digital Image Analysis

- by Christine Moureaux
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- Earth Sciences, Climate variability, Biological Sciences, Eddy Covariance

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and sugar beet pulp (SBP) were compounded by twin-screw extrusion and injection molded into composite forms. Specific mechanical energy decreased with the addition of SBP during processing. PLA-SBP composites retained more tensile strength than expected based on the Nicolais-Narkis model especially at high levels of SBP suggesting adhesion between SBP and PLA. The thermal characteristics of PLA were not affected by thermo-mechanical processing or by the incorporation of SBP up to 30% weight basis. PLA and PLA-SBP composites had similar tensile properties to other thermoplastic resins and may be used as a costcompetitive replacement.

- by Victoria Finkenstadt
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- Environmental Engineering, Poly (lactic acid), Injection Molding, Sugar Beet

Sugar beet seeds are imported from European countries with expensive cost as well as many tries were procedured for flowering and seeds production but without any outcome, therefore that the use of tissue culture technique is a useful tool in Egypt. The investigation was carried out during 2017-2018 at the laboratories of the cell research department, field crops research institute, agricultural research center, An indirect regeneration protocol for micropropagation of some sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) genotypes and the genetic variation were described. For callus production, hypocotyl, cotyledon explants were cultured on Murashige and Skoog's medium supplemented with 0.1 mg/l BAP+2.0 mg/l 2,4-D and cotyledon explants produced significantly more calli than hypocotyl explants. Significant difference among the genotypes and among the different media was observed. For shoot induction callus of different explants was transferred to MS-medium containing 1.0 mg/l BAP+0.2 mg/l IAA. The regenerated shoots were transferred to rooting MS-medium containing 3.0 mg/l IBA+0.3 mg/l NAA. The genetic variation among the sugar beet genotypes was based on RAPD-PCR data suggest a relatively high genetic diversity among them, that can be used in the breeding programs taking into account select the parents, which have the wide genetic distance.

- by Yasser A . El-Gabry
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- Bioinformatics, Genetics, Molecular Biology, Genomics

Naturally infected sugarbeet residues mixed with soil during tillage after harvest can serve as inoculum for the leaf spot fungal pathogen Cercospora beticola when a new sugarbeet crop is planted. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed in an attempt to quantify C. beticola mycelial biomass in soil. Amounts as small as 0.38 µg of freeze-dried C. beticola mycelia dispersed in carbonate buffer were detected. Fungi from different classes (Ascomycetes, Basidiomycetes, and Hyphomycetes) showed negligible cross reactivity with the polyclonal antibodies, except for the isolates of Fusarium and Trichoderma. A pre-adsorption of the antibodies was used to decrease cross reactivity of the antibodies to these isolates. Evaluation of field soil naturally infested with C. beticola showed that the assay using pre-adsorbed serum augments current detection methods and is a potential diagnostic tool for quantifying the amount of pathogen antigens in soil, therefore the potential for incidence of leaf spot disease.

- by AJ Caser
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- Sugar Beet, Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay

The effects of rabbit diets with four different levels of barley and sugarbeet pulp on the dressing percentage, chemical and fatty acid composition of meat from rabbits slaughtered at a liveweight of 2000 and 2500 g have been studied. Results revealed detectable (P < 0.05) effects of the total substitution of barley by sugar-beet pulp Jor carcass weight, dressing percentage and dry matter from animals slaughtered at a liveweight of 2000 g. No significant differences (P > 0.05) among batches were observed when slaughter weight was 2500 g. No influence of the diet on the total lipid fatty acids was found. In general, similar results were found when rabbit diets were formulated with 50% barley and 0% sugar-beet pulp, 30% barley and 0% sugar-beet pulp or 15% barley and 15% sugar-beet pulp.

- by Juan Ordoñez
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- Chemical Engineering, Meat Science, Animal Production, Fatty Acid

The aims of this study were to investigate the bioethanol production of thick juice as intermediate from sugar beet processing in batch culture by free Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells and the effect of sugar concentration on ethanol yield and CO 2 weight loss rate. Thick juice and molasses of sugar beet from a domestic sugar factory were diluted with distilled water to give a total sugar concentration of 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25% (w w À1). Initial concentration of fermentable sugars of 20% (w w À1) in culture medium can be taken as optimal, enabling maximal ethanol yield (68%) and maximal CO 2 evolution rate was realized, amounting to more than 90 g L À1 h À1. The optimal concentration of fermentable sugar from thick juice for bioethanol production by free S. cerevisiae cells was 20% (w w À1) at 30 C, pH 5 and agitation rate 200 rpm gave maximum ethanol concentration of 12% (v v À1).

- by Jovana Grahovac
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- Engineering, Technology, Production, Biomass

The antimicrobial activities of five commercial disinfectants containing quaternary ammonium compound-isopropanol (D1), sodium methyl dithiocarbamate (D2), sodium thiocarbamate (D3), sodium dimethyl dithiocarbamate (D4) and formaldehyde (D5) were studied against three main saccharolytic indigenous isolates (Bacillus cereus, Lactobacillus plantarum and Leuconostoc mesenteroides) from a beet sugar extraction line. Preliminary studies suggested that although all the disinfectants were effective against those isolates, the high economic cost in combination with large amounts of the disinfectants D2, D3 and D4 weaken their possibility for industrial use. Therefore, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the other two examined disinfectants D1 and D5 was determined and survivor curves were obtained, for a period of 7 days. Bacterial counts against time (h) suggested that D1 was more effective than D5 against the microbial population. In particular, D1 was bacteriolytic above 7 mg/l for B. cereus and bactericidal above 80 mg/l for Lc. mesenteroides and above 100 mg/l for L. plantarum. The disinfectant D5 was bacteriolytic above 25 mg/l for B. cereus and bactericidal above 500 mg/l for Lc. mesenteroides and L. plantarum. Taking into consideration both features, i.e. high concentration and very low cost, the use of D5 (formaldehyde) appeared more suitable to the concerned beet sugar processor.

- by George Skaracis
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- Technology, Biological Sciences, World, Antimicrobial activity
- by Gillian Champion
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- Invertebrates, Agriculture, Biological Sciences, Birds

Eddy covariance measurements of CO 2 fluxes were conducted in 2004 at the agricultural site of Lonzée, Belgium, over a sugar beet crop. Additional measurements of biomass net primary production and leaf area index (LAI) were carried out. The response of the fluxes to climatic and non-climatic variables was analysed. Nighttime fluxes were dependent on turbulence, temperature and high soil water content. The u * correction was determined using a statistically based algorithm. The lower u * threshold was 0.1 m s À1 . Daytime fluxes during maximum canopy development depended mainly on incident radiation and its repartition between direct and diffuse components. A limited response to saturation deficit and soil water content was also observed. The evolution of assimilation and respiration throughout the growing season was studied. Maximum assimilation fluxes were observed in July when canopy had not fully developed and these then decreased from the end of July to the harvest, due not only to a reduction in radiation but also to a reduction in canopy assimilation capacity. Normalised respiration evolution presented two peaks during the year: the first in July, when the assimilation was at its greatest, and the second after the harvest, during the crop residues decomposition. The annual sequestration, estimated by half-hourly flux summing and measurement gap filling, was À0.61 AE 0.11 kg C m À2 and the impact of the u * correction and of the residues decomposition was estimated to be 5.3 and 3.5%, respectively.

- by Bernard Bodson
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- Earth Sciences, Climate variability, Biological Sciences, Eddy Covariance

A protocol has been developed to fractionate sugar beet pectin using hydrophobic affinity chromatography. Three samples eluted from the column using 4 M NaCl as solvent (fractions 1A, 1B, and 1C), two fractions eluted using 2 M NaCl (fractions 2A and 2B), and one fraction eluted using water (fraction 3). The fractions were shown to be very polydisperse, and differences between the GPC refractive index and UV absorbance (214 nm) elution profiles demonstrated chemical heterogeneity. They were found to contain significantly different proportions of protein (1A, 2.79%; 1B, 0.97%; 1C, 0.77%; 2A, 1.41%; 2B, 5.09%; and 3, 5.89%) and ferulic acid (approximately 1A, 0.5%; 1B, 0.5%; 1C, 0.9%; 2B, 1.5%; and 3, 2%). The weight-average molecular mass, M w , of the fractions also varied (1A, 153 kDa; 1B, 155 kDa; 1C, 306 kDa; 2A, 562 kDa; 2B, 470 kDa; 3, 282 kDa). Three fractions, that is, 1A, 1B, and 3, produced orange oil emulsions with a relatively small droplet size that were stable over a period of weeks. The other three fractions (1C, 2A, and 2B with higher M w values) produced emulsions with an initially larger droplet size, and the droplet size increased considerably over time. The increased droplet size may be influenced by the viscosity of the aqueous continuous phase. There was no simple relationship between protein or ferulic acid content and emulsification ability. For example, fraction 1B, which contained the lowest proportion of both protein and ferulic acid, produced stable emulsions of similar droplet size to fraction 3, which contained the largest proportion of protein and ferulic acid. The role of protein in the emulsification process was investigated by measuring the amount of protein in the aqueous phase before and after emulsification. It was clearly demonstrated that proteinaceous material adsorbed at the oil-water interface. It is evident that the emulsification properties of sugar beet pectin are influenced by the accessibility of the protein and ferulic acid groups to the surface of the oil droplets, the proportion of ester groups, and the molecular mass distribution of the fractions.

- by Chandra Senan
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- Engineering, Organic Chemistry, Refractive Index, Affinity chromatography

Ferulic acid, derived from sugar beet pulp, was used as precursor in a biotechnological two-step process to produce 'natural' vanillin. This process combined the biotransformation of sugar beet pulp ferulic acid to vanillic acid by a micromycete, Aspergillus niger and the biotransformation of recovered vanillic acid into vanillin by a basidiomycete, Pycnoporus cinnabarinus. The system produced more than 100 mg litre-1 natural vanillin. The sensorial analysis of this new natural vanillin revealed, besides a predominant vanillin ýavour, a slight odour of chocolate as a secondary organoleptic sensation.

- by Anne Lomascolo
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- Engineering, Sugar Beet, Ferulic Acid

The aim of this experiment was to investigate pigs' preferences for rooting materials. Eighteen materials were allocated to six categories each of which consisted of three similar materials based on characteristics such as structure, size of particles, complexity, destructibility and digestibility. Twelve pairs of pigs chose among the three materials of each of the six categories in a balanced design. Within each category each pair was given four instantaneous choices among the three materials in a three-armed maze. 'No choice' was scored if the pigs did not enter one of the maze-arms within 90 s. Thus there were four options in each choice situation. The results were analysed using a random utility model incorporating random intercepts to account for the repeated testing of the same animals. The pigs expressed clear preferences within the category EARTH, where compost and peat were preferred to wood-shavings and no choice. In the category CHIP the most probable rank-order was spruce chip, willow chip, fir chip and no choice, while in the category ROUGH the most probable rank-order was maize-silage, grass silage, sugar beets and no choice. However, in these two categories none of the probabilities were sufficiently large to signify a preference for any of the three materials although the probabilities of the 'no choice' option were low. The pigs expressed no preferences among any of the four options including 'no choice' in the categories TOY (sisal robe, Bite-Rite, wooden beam), HAY (alfalfa hay mixed with straw, seed grass hay, barley straw with under-seed), and STRAW (long straw, chopped straw and straw pellets). #

- by Erik Jørgensen and +1
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- Zoology, Animal Production, Environmental enrichment, Sugar Beet

Priming of sugarbeet (Beta vulgaris L.) seeds induces increased solubilization of the basic B-subunit of 11-Sglobulin (a major seed storage protein in sugarbeet).Using a sensitive single-seed ELISA, the soluble andtotal B-subunit contents of individual untreated andprimed sugarbeet seeds were measured. With theuntreated seeds, there was a 160-fold range of thesoluble B-subunit content among individual seeds. Theindividual primed seeds also exhibited large variations intheir soluble B-subunit content, yet only over a ﬁve-foldrange. Furthermore, the frequency distributions ofsoluble B-subunit content were markedly different for theprimed and untreated seed populations; the primed seedpopulation exhibited a substantially higher median thanthat for the untreated seed population. In markedcontrast, and as expected from results with pooled seedsamples, the distributions of total B-subunit content weresuperimposed when comparing untreated and primed seed populations

- by Dominique Job
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- ELISA, Amaranthaceae, Seeds, Seed Priming

Identification of 10 salmon species using DNA-based methodology was investigated. Amplification of DNA was carried out using a primer set which amplified a region of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene. Sequences of PCR-amplified DNA from the salmon species were used to select six restriction enzymes allowing species to be uniquely classified. RFLP patterns generated following analysis with each enzyme were resolved using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and visualized by silver staining. Results indicate that it is possible to differentiate between all 10 salmon species and that the technique could be easily adopted by the food industry for analysis of processed salmon products.

- by CARLA ROSA
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- Engineering, Genetics, Microbiology, Parasitology

- by Carla Rosa
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- Engineering, Genetics, Microbiology, Parasitology
- by Ekrem Gurel
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- Plant Biology, Insect Resistance, Genetic transformation, Somaclonal Variation

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was used to assess the environmental impacts of field production of fibre hemp and seven other crops in France. The production of 1 ha of hemp yielded a eutrophication potential of 20.5 kg PO 4-equivalents, a global warming potential of 2330 kg CO 2-equivalents, an acidification potential of 9.8 kg SO 2equivalents, a terrestrial ecotoxicity potential of 2.3 kg 1,4-dichlorobenzene-equivalents, an energy use of 11.4 GJ, and a land use of 1.02 ha.year. A comparison of hemp (low impacts), wheat (intermediate impacts) and sugar beet (high impacts) revealed that the crops were similar for the relative contributions of emitted substances and resources used to impacts, and for the relative contribution of processes to impacts. A reduction of the impacts of hemp production should focus on eutrophication, and consider the reduction of climate change, acidification and energy use as secondary objectives. Given this objective, the overall environmental effect of the substitution of mineral fertiliser by pig slurry is negative. The introduction of reduced tillage is of interest, as it decreases energy use, acidification and climate change. Measures leading to a reduction in NO 3 leaching are highly interesting, as they strongly decrease eutrophication. Implications for hemp breeding are discussed.

- by Hayo van der Werf
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- Technology, Climate Change, Life Cycle Assessment, Biological Sciences

A field experiment was conducted at the research farm of the Department of Agronomy, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Gazipur, from November 2011 to May 2012 to find out the growth pattern and optimum sowing date of tropical sugar beet in Bangladesh. The tropical sugar beet genotypes were Cauvery, Shubhra and EB0616, and sowing dates were 01 November, 15 November, 01 December and 15 December. The interaction effect of sowing dates and sugar beet genotypes was statistically significant in growth
parameters like leave number, leaf area index (LAI), crop growth rate (CGR), root weight per plant, root yield. The highest root yield was obtained from genotypes EB0616 when sown on 01 November (103.5 t/ha) and 15 November (100 t/ha). The genotypes Cauvery and Shubhra gave identical root yield i.e., 90.27 t/ha and 92.86 t/ha, respectively on 01 November sowing. Root yield significantly decreased in all the three genotypes with the advancement of sowing dates from 01 November onwards. For high root yield the optimum sowing date for tropical sugar beet in Bangladesh seems to be in early November. Get more articles at: http://www.innspub.net/volume-7-number-1-july-2015-ijaar/

- by INNSPUB Journals
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- Agronomy, Horticulture, Research Methodology, Open Access

Introduction of genetic monogerm seed and the advancement of agricultural techniques raised the possibility of eliminating costly thinning operations in sugar beet farming. However, this requires high and uniform seedling emergence to provide prerequisite plant populations in the field. This work investigated the minimum levels of seedling emergence for non-thinned sugar beet farming. The experiment was carried out in a loamy soil to investigate the effects of three levels of emergence (60, 50 and 35%) and two intra-row spaeings (8 and 15cm) with or without thinning using seed source of graded viability of cv Eva in 1992 and 1993 under field conditions in Eastern Anatolia. Plant population throughout the growing period was monitored and data were taken of yield and quality parameters. On average, 60, 50 and 35% emergence levels were achieved using seed source of 90, 72 and 54% viability range, which resulted in different levels of plant stands depending on intra-row spacing and thinning, Piant density at harvest ranged between 49 500 and 124 500 ha ' on average depending on initial establishment, intra-row spacing and thinning. Root yield and sugar yield were the highest at plant stands between 90000 and 100000 ha ', below or above of which declined. Impurity contents (e.g. Na, K and a-amino N contents) and extractable sugar content decreased but sugar content and clear juice purity enhanced as plant stands at harvest increased.

- by Faik Kantar
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- Agronomy/crop science, Sugar Beet, Beta Vulgaris, plant population

The increase of leaf area index (L) was examined in a series of sugar-beet crops grown on different sites (Broom's Barn, Suffolk and Trefloyne, Dyfed) or with different husbandry treatments (sowing dates and nitrogen rates) between 1978 and 1982. The development of L could be described as a function of thermal time using three parameters; DE, which was essentially an estimate of the thermal time required for crop establishment, and p~ and DL, the thermal rate and duration, respectively, of the increase of L. Variations in DE between seasons and with sowing date were small, but significant; they were attributed to factors affecting the condition of the seedbed. There were much larger variations in p~, especially between seasons, sites and crops given different rates of nitrogen fertiliser, and there was a strong negative relationship between p~ and DL. Much of the variation in p~ was associated with differences in the concentrations of nitrogen in the lamina dry matter. Faster rates for p~ at Trefloyne than at Broom's Barn, and in the crop grown in 1982 as compared with other years, were also partly attributable to particularly warm conditions during the early development of some of the larger, faster-growing leaves within the canopy. The wider application of the relationships established from these experiments was tested with data from a series of crops grown on other sites between 1960 and 1962. The relationships held particularly well for beet grown on soils with high water-holding capacity but not for those on soils of low water-holding capacity.

- by K. Jaggard
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- Biological Sciences, Nitrogen, Leaf Growth, Sugar Beet

This work aims to investigate the rheological properties of microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) suspensions. The effect of some experimental parameters, such as cellulose concentration, temperature, ionic strength and pH has been studied. For that purpose, suspensions of microfibrillated cellulose have been prepared by strong mechanical treatments of a purified sugar-beet pulp cellulose-based residue in aqueous medium. Cellulose suspensions at different concentrations (from 0.25 to 3 w/w%) have been found to display a viscoelastic solid-like behaviour, even for the lowest concentration tested. The storage modulus at 0.1 rad s À1 increased strongly upon increasing concentration from 0.25 to 3 w/w%, following a power law with an exponent of 2.58. All suspensions exhibited a shear-thinning behaviour. It was also found that viscoelastic properties of the suspensions of cellulose are not affected by temperature or by varying pH from 4.5 to 9 while the G 0 and G 00 moduli increased as salt concentration of the suspensions increased. This reinforcement of the viscoelastic properties by increasing ionic strength can be related to a screening of the electrostatic repulsions between the microfibrils, due to the presence of uronic acid groups, enhancing the fiber-fiber interactions. Mechanical treatment did not affect cellulose crystallinity. The effect of freezing was investigated as an alternative way to the most conventional cellulose preparation that consists to freeze-dry the suspensions for their conservation. It was shown that freezing preserved the rheological properties of the suspensions, contrary to freeze drying.

- by Markku Kataja
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- Organic Chemistry, Power Law, Rheological properties, Sugar Beet

The objective of this study was to maximize the hydrolysis and acidification of sugar-beet processing wastewater and beet pulp for volatile fatty acid (VFA) production through acidogenic anaerobic metabolism. Experiments were conducted to determine the optimum operational conditions (HRT, waste-mixing ratio and pH) for effective acidification in dailyfed, continuously mixed anaerobic reactors. For this purpose, reactors were operated at 35 AE 1 C with different combinations of HRT (2e4 days), wastewater-pulp mixing ratios (1:0e1:1, in terms of COD) and pH ranges (5.7e7.5). Increased OLRs, resulting from pulp addition, increased the amount of acidification products (VFAs) which led to relatively low operational pH values (5.7e6.8). In this pH range, methanogenic activity was successfully inhibited and the lowest methane percentages (5.6e16.3%) were observed in the produced biogas. The optimum operational conditions were determined to be 2-day HRT and 1:1 waste mixing ratio (in terms of COD) without external alkalinity addition. These operational conditions led to the highest tVFA concentration (3635 AE 209 mg/L as H-Ac) with the acidification degree of 46.9 AE 2.1%. ª (G.N. Demirer). A v a i l a b l e a t w w w . s c i e n c e d i r e c t . c o m h t t p : / / w w w . e l s e v i e r . c o m / l o c a t e / b i o m b i o e b i o m a s s a n d b i o e n e r g y x x x ( 2 0 1 0 ) 1 e8

- by Emrah Alkaya
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- Engineering, Technology, Anaerobic Digestion, Anaerobic Metabolism

The Italian production of agricultural residues has been evaluated with a View to energy recovery through gasification. Two main categories of residues have been identified: the first, (A) is associated with the growing and collection of products with a nutritional value, whereas the second (B) includes the residues associated with the subsequent processing in order to obtain final products for commercialization. Category A, which comprises three further sub-categories: straw (A I); woody residues (A2); and stems and leaves (residues from vegetables, tobacco, sugar beet, (A3)), results in about 16.5 mr/yr. The average amount of straw (A1) is 11 mt/yr, of which about 60% is waste to be eliminated. Woody residues (A2) (mainly pruning off-cuts from vineyards and olive groves) are about 3.5 mt/yr (85% unused). Category A3 amounts to about 2 mt/yr (90% unused). Straw is available mainly in the northern part of the country, whereas the other two sub-categories are widely distributed in central and southern regions. The yields of category B are estimated at 4 mt/yr, of which more than 3 mt/yr are waste products from grape and olive processing. Other residues, such as rice, sunflower and soya-bean husks (about 0,65 mt/yr), almond and nut shells and fruit stones (about 0.2 mt/yr), although not widely available on a national scale, can be significant on a local basis. The total amount of unused agricultural residues is about 14.5 mt/yr, which, if completly exploited through gasification, can contribute as much as 7-10% to the current national electricity needs. The regions of Veneto, Puglia, Friuli, Lombardia and Emilia Romagna appear to be good candidates for electricity production, given the significant surface concentration of unused residues (105-55 t/kin-'). 2"; 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd

- by Michele Lanzetta
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- Engineering, Technology, Tobacco, Sunflower

- by Hayo van der Werf
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- Technology, Climate Change, Life Cycle Assessment, Biological Sciences

Advances in mass-production and formulation technology of entomopathogenic nematodes, the discovery of numerous isolates/ strains and the desirability of reducing pesticide usage have resulted in a surge of scientific and commercial interest in these nematodes. The lessons learned from earlier problems have encouraged scientists and leading commercial companies to increase their efforts toward improving cost efficiency and better product positioning in the market within the confines of product capabilities. The successes or failures of the nematodes against 24 arthropod pest species of agriculture and animals and against a major slug pest in agriculture are discussed in this review. Commercial successes are documented in markets such as citrus (Diaprepes root weevil), greenhouses and glasshouses (black vine weevil, fungus gnats, thrips, and certain borers), turf (white grubs, billbugs, and mole crickets), and mushrooms (sciarid flies). In addition, the successful commercialization of a nematode (Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita) against slugs in agricultural systems is presented. Despite this progress, the reality is that nematode-based products have limited market share. Limited share is attributed to higher product cost compared to standard insecticides, low efficacy under unfavorable conditions, application timing and conditions, limited data and cost benefit in IPM programs, refrigeration requirements and limited room temperature shelf life (product quality), use of suboptimum nematode species, and lack of detail application directions. One or more of these factors affected the market introduction of the nematodes despite promising field efficacy against insects such as black cutworm in turf, sugar beet weevil in sugar beet, sweet potato weevil in sweet potato, and house fly adult in animal-rearing farms. Insects such as cabbage root maggots, carrot root weevil, and Colorado potato beetle are listed on the label of certain commercial products despite low efficacy data, due to insect susceptibility, biology, and/or behavior. To make entomopathogenic nematodes more successful, realistic strategies through genetic engineering, IPM programs, and new delivery systems and/or training programs to overcome their inherent cost, formulation instability, and limited field efficacy toward certain insects are needed.

- by R. Georgis
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- Zoology, Biological Control, Genetic Engineering, SHELF LIFE

The batch fermentation process of sugar beet processing intermediates by free yeast cells is the most widely used method in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina for producing ethanol as fuel. In this study a process and cost model was developed for producing ethanol from raw juice. The model can be used to calculate capital investment costs, unit production costs and operating costs for a plant producing 44 million l of 99.6% pure ethanol annually. In the sensitivity analysis the influence of sugar beet and yeast price, as well as the influence of recycled biomass on process economics, ethanol production costs and project feasibility was examined. The results of this study clearly demonstrate that the raw material costs have a significant influence on the expenses for producing ethanol. Also, the optimal percentage of recycled biomass turned out to be in the range from 50% to 70%.

Incubation tests were used to assess the effectiveness of three different organic residues and three different liming materials, alone or in combination, in the remediation of a mine contaminated soil. The organic residues tested were... more

Emissions of greenhouse gases such as CO2, CO, CH4 and NOX from fossil fuel use are implicated in climate change. The use of bioethanol is one means to reduce fossil fuel use and emissions of greenhouse gases. This study investigated research to produce ethanol from sugar beet and use as fuel in Turkey. The calculated demand for bioethanol amounted to

- by Ahmet Can Saral
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- Engineering, Technology, Climate Change, Bioenergy

Chenopodium album is a worldwide-distributed plant species growing in disturbed habitats. It is an abundant and very competitive weed in spring-sown crops, particularly if they retain an open structure for a relatively long period. In most crops it is currently controlled by herbicides. In some crops, such as maize, chemical control is difficult, because C. album has become resistant to

- by Christian Andreasen
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- Biology, Biological Control, Integrated Pest Management, Maize

We investigated whether long-term management of a Haplic Phaeocem (FAO) in¯uences organic C, microbial biomass and enzyme activities in the bulk soil and in particle size fractions. The following treatments were used: (1) no fertilization (control), (2) NPK, (3) 20 t FYM ha À 1 (farmyard manure), (4) 20 t FYM ha À 1 + NPK, (5) 30 t FYM ha À 1 and (6) 30 t FYM ha À 1 + NPK. The fertilizers were applied to plots of a crop rotation (sugar beet, potatoes, winter wheat, spring barley, alfalfa); inorganic fertilizers were applied every year, FYM was applied every second year. Particle size fractions were obtained by lowenergy sonication (0.25 kJ g À 1 ) and a combination of wet sieving and centrifugation, releasing the size fractions 2000±250, 250± 63, 63±2, 2±0.1 and <0.1 mm. FYM increased microbial biomass, N-mineralization, urease, arginine deaminase and alkaline phosphatase activity of the bulk soil, whereas the eect of additional NPK fertilization depended on the enzyme assayed. Xylanase activity of the bulk soil was mainly in¯uenced by the quality and quantity of the residues and by the amount of below-ground plant biomass. C and N contents (related to fraction dry weight) increased with diminishing particle size. The mean recoveries of C and N contents after the fractionation procedure were 96.8 and 97.1%, respectively. Organic amendments (20 vs 30 t FYM ha À 1 ) induced an equal increase of organic C and total N in all particle size fractions (2000±250, 250±63, 63± 2, 2±0.1 and <0.1 mm). Unfertilized soils were characterized by a higher C-to-N ratio of the particles (2000±250 and 250±63 mm) than the organically and inorganically fertilized soils. Microbial ninhydrin-reactive N was recovered to 73.6% after the fractionation procedure. Highest concentrations of ninhydrin-reactive N were found in the clay (2±0.1 mm) and silt fraction (63± 2 mm), lowest in the coarse sand fraction (2000±250 mm). The increased ninhydrin-reactive N in the bulk soil after long-term amendment with FYM is mainly attributed to an increase of ninhydrin-reactive N in the clay and silt fractions. Therefore, longterm organic amendments increased the capacity of the small-sized fractions to protect soil microorganisms. Urease activity was mainly located in the 63±2 and 2±0.1 mm fractions, whereas the coarse and ®ne sand particles accumulated disproportionately higher amounts of xylanase. The predominance of xylanase and urease in dierent particle size fractions depends apparently not only on the location of soil microorganisms and their substrates but also on the mechanisms of enzymes to adsorb and bind onto mineral and organic particles. #

- by Ellen Kandeler
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- Potato, Biological Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Low Energy Buildngs

Sugar beet (Beta vulgaris) is an important arable crop, traditionally used for sugar extraction, but more recently, for biofuel production. A wide range of pests, including beet cyst nematode (Heterodera schachtii), root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.), green peach aphids (Myzus persicae) and beet root maggot (Tetanops myopaeformis), infest the roots or leaves of sugar beet, which leads to yield loss directly or through transmission of beet pathogens such as viruses. Conventional pest control approaches based on chemical application have led to high economic costs. Development of pest-resistant sugar beet varieties could play an important role towards sustainable crop production while minimising environmental impact. Intensive Beta germplasm screening has been fruitful, and genetic lines resistant to nematodes, aphids and root maggot have been identified and integrated into sugar beet breeding programmes. A small number of genes responding to pest attack have been cloned from sugar beet and wild Beta species. This trend will continue towards a detailed understanding of the molecular mechanism of insect-host plant interactions and host resistance. Molecular biotechnological techniques have shown promise in developing transgenic pest resistance varieties at an accelerated speed with high accuracy. The use of transgenic technology is discussed with regard to biodiversity and food safety.

- by Adrian Slater
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- Genetics, Molecular Biology, Pest Management, Molecular Breeding

Ohmic heating has been shown to increase the extraction yields of sucrose from sugar beets, apple juice from apples, beet dye from beet root, and soymilk from soybeans. Rice bran is a byproduct of the rice milling process that has economic potential by virtue of highly nutritious rice bran oil contained within the bran. In this study, ohmic heating was used to stabilize rice bran and to improve rice bran oil extraction yield as compared to microwave heating and a control (no heating). Results showed that ohmic heating is an effective method for rice bran stabilization with moisture addition. Free fatty acid concentration increased more slowly than the control for raw bran samples subjected to ohmic heating with no corresponding temperature rise, indicating that electricity has a non-thermal effect on lipase activity. Ohmic heating increased the total percent of lipids extracted from rice bran to a maximum of 92%, while 53% of total lipids were extracted from the control samples. Lowering the frequency of alternating current significantly increased the amount of oil extracted, probably due to electroporation. Ohmic heating was successfully applied to rice bran despite its high oil content. This could have important implications for the enhanced extraction of non-polar constituents.

- by Terry Walker
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- Multidisciplinary, Electricity, Ohmic Heating, Oryza Sativa

Dynamic modelling of the sugar extraction process from beet was carried out, and the resulting first-order partial differential equations written for three main constituents of the system (sugar, non-sugars and water) were solved numerically by an implicit finite-difference algorithm. The model was able to predict the axial concentration profiles and the process variables such as Brix, purity and the percentage of sugar and nonsugar components diffused during the process at the exit streams. The results of the model were compared with the experimental data obtained from an industrial plant and a close agreement was observed. Furthermore, in an industrial extraction plant, it is always desirable to maintain a constant and uniform flow of materials exiting the tower to ensure that the properties of the effluent streams are not changed. To achieve this, a proportional integral (PI) controller was installed in the process to control the liquid level in the tower.

- by Ali Faridkhou
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- Food Manufacturing, Sugar Beet, Food Sciences, Dynamic Modelling

Sugar beet pectin was extracted from fresh sugar beet pulp and further deesterified by base, plant or fungal pectin esterase or esterified in acid methanol. The modified sugar beet pectins were characterised by chemical analyses,... more

Optimum plant population density has been found to affect good yield and quality of extracted sugar in most of the arable lands. A good plant stand gives complete occupation of the available space to achieve complete light interception. Therefore, field trials were designed with the objective of determining the effect of plant population densities on yield and quality of sugar beet plant. Two field experiments with three replications were conducted in sugar beet production area at a private farm, Ferrmon Village, Dessok Province, Kafer El-Sheikh Governorate during 2008/09 and 2009/10 successive winter seasons to study the effect of five plant density (16, 24, 32, 36 and 40 thousands plants/fed*) on yield and quality of extracted sugar beet plants grown on a clay soil. Growing sugar beet at 36000 plants/fed increased the yield of fresh roots and fresh foliage as well as sugar yield as compared to the other plant densities, The same plant density recorded the highest values for most of the studied quality characters .Increasing plant density from 16 to 36 thousands resulted in increases of 19.61, 8.11, 29.57 and 8.71% for sucrose, purity, sugar recovery and quality index % respectively. As for the impurities planting density of 24000 plants/fed recorded the least values for K and Na, while 40000 planting density/fed. recorded the least values for α-amino-N content. On conclusion, it is considered that the optimum plant density to obtain economic yield with satisfied sugar extraction characteristics quality under the circumstance of the experimental area in Kafer El-Sheikh Governorate is 36000 plant/fed .

- by Mahmoud H Hozayn
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- Quality, Agriculture, Yield, Impurity

The combination of volatility in the oil market and finite oil resources and the effect on global climate change from the addition of CO 2 to the atmosphere as a result of burning fossil fuels has increased the interest in sustainable energy generation from renewable biofuels. Most 1st generation biofuels in current production are liquid with bioethanol the product of fermentation. Sugar beet provides an abundance of sucrose, which is easily fermented by many microbes and on a per hectare basis; sugar beet is one of the most efficient sources of ethanol, however storage of harvested roots is problematic. Most studies have indicated sustainable biofuels have reduced greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) when compared to petroleum based fuels. Bioethanol from sugar beet reduces GHG comparably or superiorly to maize or sugarcane. There also are other biofuels from fermentation, including biomethanol, biobutanol ETBE, biomethane, and biohydrogen, many of which are more energy dense than ethanol. Storage of sugar beet is a problem that could be solved by ensilage and anaerobic digestion producing a biogas, which could yield more energy per hectare than bioethanol. As the global economy moves away from fossil fuels, sugar beet will play an increasing role in the adoption of more sustainable energy generation.

- by Piergiorgio Stevanato and +1
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- Renewable Energy, Energy, Biogas, Biofuels

A suitable alternative to replace fossil fuels is the production of bioethanol from agroindustrial waste. Grape pomace is the most abundant residue in San Juan and sugar beet pomace could be important in the region. Solid-State Fermentation (SSF) is a technology that allows transforming agroindustrial waste into many valuable bioproducts, like ethanol. This work reports a laboratory scale SSF to obtain alcohol from grape and sugar beet pomace by means of Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeasts. The initial conditions of the culture medium were: sugars 16.5% (p/p); pH 4.5; humidity 68% (p/p). Cultures were inoculated with 10 8 cells/g of pomace, and incubated in anaerobic environment, at 28 C, during 96 h. SSF showed ethanol maximum concentrations at 48 h and ethanol yield on sugars consumed was more than 82%.

- by Fabio Vazquez and +1
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- Engineering, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Solid State Fermentation, Fossil Fuels

Se estudió de forma general el comportamiento del color en el proceso de producción del azúcar de plantación, los principales precursores de color y otros factores relacionados con la generación de color dentro del proceso de producción de azúcar blanco de sulfitado y azúcar crudo. Se observó la persistencia y variaciones de compuestos fenólicos y aminoácidos en toda la línea de proceso y su incursión a los cristales de azúcar, evidenciando mecanismos de generación de color por etapa de proceso; también se observó una relación directa entre el contenido de los precursores de color y el color del azúcar producido.

- by José Carlos C Arrué and +2
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- Sugar cane, Sugar industry, Sugar Technology, Sugar

Before dealing with the important technical progress in sugar processing during the finishing century, it is of relevance to glance at the preceding centuries to know where this industry comes from. Innovations in sugar cane technology were imposed by economic constraints already in the 18 th and 19 th century. Labour and energy costs are two of the expenses to reduce if it is desired to increase profitability. As long as slavery was not abolished, there was no need of innovation. A technological advance and important economy of fuel was achieved by the substitution of firewood by bagasse and the introduction of the three-roller mill which leaves the cane stalks intact and combustible after drying. The second achievement was the Jamaican train, which consists in a battery of 5 or 6 cauldrons heated by one fire through internal flues which improves the efficiency in fuel consumption. The battery is designed so that greater heat could be applied to smaller cauldrons than to the larger ones. The juice was clarified in the two first cauldrons and boiled to the point of crystallisation in the remaining cauldrons. Adding of rye, lime or ash was made by slaves who had to agitate, mix, skim or discharge a cauldron in another at temperatures above 100°C in conditions so bad as to be compared by a Jesuit Portuguese priest to a vision of souls in Hell.

- by Mohamed Mathlouthi
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- Sugar Beet

Una investigación bibliográfica y ensayos de laboratorios han sido realizados para determinar los principales factores que influencian el desarrollo del color durante el almacenamiento del azúcar, centrándose en el azúcar blanco sulfitado. Los resultados concernientes al color, el contenido de aminoácidos, azúcares reductores, flavonoides, sulfitos y temperatura han permitido describir en cierta medida el fenómeno del pardeamiento del azúcar durante el almacenamiento. Se ha observado que la tasa de transferencia de calor entre el interior de una estiba y el exterior es muy bajo, pudiéndose conservar la temperatura a la cual se almacena el azúcar durante un periodo prolongado. Así mismo se ha determinado que la temperatura de almacenamiento es clave para la cinética del pardeamiento del azúcar durante su almacenamiento.

- by José Carlos C Arrué
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- Sugar cane, Sugar industry, Sugar Technology, Sugar

Comenzar hablando de geografía es pertinente en la presentación de un libro que trata de economía, ciencia que en una de sus acepciones estudia los intercambios del hombre con el medio, y más aún, como es el caso, de economía agraria. La intención es sólo situar al lector, algo que, como veremos, hace también Cantero 3 , y decir que Cuba es un archipiélago integrado por la gran isla del mismo nombre, otras menores y muchos callos, situado en el trópico americano, en la boca del Golfo de México, entre el océano Atlántico y el mar Caribe, muy cercana por el norte a la Florida (Estados Unidos) y por el oeste a la península de Yucatán (México) y puntal por el oeste del llamado arco antillano, rama septentrional de la cordillera Caribe, surgida en el Cretácico superior producto del acercamiento de las placas de Sudamérica y Norteamérica, que termina en Trinidad y Tobago.

Determining the chemical structure and composition of biomass fuels using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy ͑XPS͒ can provide fundamental knowledge of their structures that is useful in understanding and predicting their combustion behavior. Sugar beet pulp is an example of an agricultural residue ͑byproduct of food and feed production͒ of potential interest for biomass combustion. The XPS spectra of sugar beet pulp provide both its elemental composition and indications of its bonding. Traditional fuel analyses of this fuel are also provided. These include: ultimate analysis -the elemental composition of the overall fuel ͑C, H, N, S, and O͒; chlorine analysis -reported here as part of the ultimate analysis but formally a separate procedure; proximate analysis -the proximate composition of the fuel ͑moisture, fixed carbon, volatiles, and ash͒; heating value -the specific heat of combustion. These data are summarized with the XPS spectra.

- by Ghaleb Husseini
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- Sugar Beet, X Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy