{"title":"Enhancing drying efficiency and nutritional quality of oat grass using high-voltage discharge plasma drying","authors":"Mingjie Zhang, Zhiqing Song, Bufan Li, Chunxu Qin, Changjiang Ding, Liqiang Liu","doi":"10.1186/s40538-025-00777-z","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Oat grass is a premium forage with exceptionally high nutritional value and quality. Freshly harvested oat grass requires rapid drying to extend its shelf life. Currently, the primary methods employed for drying oat grass are natural air drying (AD) and hot air drying (HAD); however, prolonged drying times or elevated temperatures can lead to degradation in hay quality. In response to this issue, this study explores the use of a novel non-thermal drying technology—high-voltage discharge plasma drying (HVDPD) treatment—for oat grass dehydration. We comparatively investigate the effects of high-voltage discharge plasma drying (HVDPD), hot air drying (HAD), and natural air drying (AD) on the physicochemical properties as well as quality characteristics of oat grass. Oat grass was dried by maintaining a constant voltage at 35 kV while varying the gradient needle spacing. At the same time, a series of studies are conducted on the characteristics of electric fields, including the voltage and current waveforms of needle–plate electrodes, the energy consumption for high-voltage discharge plasma drying (HVDPD), and ICCD emission spectroscopy. The results indicate that reducing needle spacing during HVDPD treatment leads to significant improvements in rehydration performance, microstructural integrity, forage quality, and energy consumption of the oat grass. Specifically, compared to the natural air drying (AD) treatment, the improvements in the performance of oat grass after HVDPD treatment are primarily reflected in the following aspects: (1) the average drying rate increased by 2.36 times. (2) Relative feed value (RFV) and relative forage quality (RFQ) improved by 1.14 times and 1.18 times, respectively. (3) Although specific energy consumption (SEC) was generated, it amounted to only 0.06 times that of hot air drying (HAD) treatment. In summary, HVDPD represents an effective dehydrating technique capable of considerably enhancing both the nutritional quality and inherent characteristics of oat grass. This research offers innovative methodologies for storage and preservation concerning oat grasses' quality.</p><h3>Graphical Abstract</h3>\n<div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":512,"journal":{"name":"Chemical and Biological Technologies in Agriculture","volume":"12 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.2000,"publicationDate":"2025-05-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://chembioagro.springeropen.com/counter/pdf/10.1186/s40538-025-00777-z","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Chemical and Biological Technologies in Agriculture","FirstCategoryId":"97","ListUrlMain":"https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40538-025-00777-z","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"AGRICULTURE, MULTIDISCIPLINARY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Oat grass is a premium forage with exceptionally high nutritional value and quality. Freshly harvested oat grass requires rapid drying to extend its shelf life. Currently, the primary methods employed for drying oat grass are natural air drying (AD) and hot air drying (HAD); however, prolonged drying times or elevated temperatures can lead to degradation in hay quality. In response to this issue, this study explores the use of a novel non-thermal drying technology—high-voltage discharge plasma drying (HVDPD) treatment—for oat grass dehydration. We comparatively investigate the effects of high-voltage discharge plasma drying (HVDPD), hot air drying (HAD), and natural air drying (AD) on the physicochemical properties as well as quality characteristics of oat grass. Oat grass was dried by maintaining a constant voltage at 35 kV while varying the gradient needle spacing. At the same time, a series of studies are conducted on the characteristics of electric fields, including the voltage and current waveforms of needle–plate electrodes, the energy consumption for high-voltage discharge plasma drying (HVDPD), and ICCD emission spectroscopy. The results indicate that reducing needle spacing during HVDPD treatment leads to significant improvements in rehydration performance, microstructural integrity, forage quality, and energy consumption of the oat grass. Specifically, compared to the natural air drying (AD) treatment, the improvements in the performance of oat grass after HVDPD treatment are primarily reflected in the following aspects: (1) the average drying rate increased by 2.36 times. (2) Relative feed value (RFV) and relative forage quality (RFQ) improved by 1.14 times and 1.18 times, respectively. (3) Although specific energy consumption (SEC) was generated, it amounted to only 0.06 times that of hot air drying (HAD) treatment. In summary, HVDPD represents an effective dehydrating technique capable of considerably enhancing both the nutritional quality and inherent characteristics of oat grass. This research offers innovative methodologies for storage and preservation concerning oat grasses' quality.
期刊介绍：
Chemical and Biological Technologies in Agriculture is an international, interdisciplinary, peer-reviewed forum for the advancement and application to all fields of agriculture of modern chemical, biochemical and molecular technologies. The scope of this journal includes chemical and biochemical processes aimed to increase sustainable agricultural and food production, the evaluation of quality and origin of raw primary products and their transformation into foods and chemicals, as well as environmental monitoring and remediation. Of special interest are the effects of chemical and biochemical technologies, also at the nano and supramolecular scale, on the relationships between soil, plants, microorganisms and their environment, with the help of modern bioinformatics. Another special focus is the use of modern bioorganic and biological chemistry to develop new technologies for plant nutrition and bio-stimulation, advancement of biorefineries from biomasses, safe and traceable food products, carbon storage in soil and plants and restoration of contaminated soils to agriculture.
This journal presents the first opportunity to bring together researchers from a wide number of disciplines within the agricultural chemical and biological sciences, from both industry and academia. The principle aim of Chemical and Biological Technologies in Agriculture is to allow the exchange of the most advanced chemical and biochemical knowledge to develop technologies which address one of the most pressing challenges of our times - sustaining a growing world population.
Chemical and Biological Technologies in Agriculture publishes original research articles, short letters and invited reviews. Articles from scientists in industry, academia as well as private research institutes, non-governmental and environmental organizations are encouraged.
求助内容：
应助结果提醒方式：
京公网安备 11010802042870号
