{"title":"Evaluation of the Effect of Water Activity and Temperature on Lag Phase and Growth Rate of Aflatoxigenic Aspergillus Section Flavi Strains Isolated from Stored Rice Grain","authors":"Supunnika Somjaipeng, Panthita Ta-uea","doi":"10.1016/j.aaspro.2016.12.007","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aaspro.2016.12.007","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study examined the effect of environmental factors water activity (a<sub>w</sub>) and temperature on lag phase prior to growth and growth rate of six aflatoxigenic fungi, <em>Aspergillus</em> section <em>Flavi</em>, strains were isolated from stored paddy rice grain in Thailand. Statistical analysis indicated that both studied stress factors significantly affected lag phases and radial growth rates at the a<sub>w</sub> and temperature regimes studied (P<0.05). Overall, the growth of each strain was similar over the 20-40°C and 0.90-0.98 a<sub>w</sub> ranges but optimal condition was found to be around 0.95 a<sub>w</sub> and 30°C. Under severe a<sub>w</sub> stress (0·90 a<sub>w</sub>) with elevated temperature (40°C), differences were observed in growth responses, with some strains unable to grow. The lag phases were significantly increased at marginal temperature and a<sub>w</sub> levels. The combined factors showed statistical interaction for growth rate (P<0.05), while there was no evidence of statistical interaction effect on the lag phases prior to growth (P>0.05). Growth rate under more freely available water conditions (>0.95 a<sub>w</sub>), the disordinal interaction was observed when strains were cultured at higher temperatures (>30°C). In contrast, growth rate with cooler temperatures at <30°C showed ordinal interaction. Growth rates were fastest at 0.95 a<sub>w</sub> and 30°C. However, this was not significantly different from that at 0.98 and 0.90 a<sub>w</sub> (P>0.05).</p></div>","PeriodicalId":100063,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture and Agricultural Science Procedia","volume":"11 ","pages":"Pages 38-45"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1016/j.aaspro.2016.12.007","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"73040189","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Alberto Stanislao Atzori, Caterina Canalis, Ana Helena Dias Francesconi, Giuseppe Pulina
{"title":"A Preliminary Study on a New Approach to Estimate Water Resource Allocation: The Net Water Footprint Applied to Animal Products","authors":"Alberto Stanislao Atzori, Caterina Canalis, Ana Helena Dias Francesconi, Giuseppe Pulina","doi":"10.1016/j.aaspro.2016.02.007","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aaspro.2016.02.007","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>We propose the Net Waterfootprint (WFP<sub>net</sub>) method to estimate the water footprint (WFP) of food products, in alternative to the current WFP method, based on absolute values. We compared the WFP and WFP<sub>net</sub> methods for cattle milk and meat production in different feed efficiency (high and low) and crop water use efficiency (WUE; high, medium and low) scenarios under Mediterranean conditions. The WFP values were, on average, much higher than the WFP<sub>net</sub> values for both meat and milk. The WFP<sub>net</sub> method appears to be able to properly quantify the water consumption needed for animal food production.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":100063,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture and Agricultural Science Procedia","volume":"8 ","pages":"Pages 50-57"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1016/j.aaspro.2016.02.007","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"72796320","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Feeding the Cities Through Urban Agriculture The Community Esteem Value","authors":"Saverio Miccoli , Fabrizio Finucci , Rocco Murro","doi":"10.1016/j.aaspro.2016.02.017","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aaspro.2016.02.017","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The growth of global urban population produces an increase in food demand. With the aim of facing this demand, mainly concentrated in large urban areas, urban agriculture should be fostered to integrate traditional agriculture production, no longer considered sustainable. After suggesting the implementation of integrated systems of urban agriculture, in order to measure their social appreciation expressed by the community, the paper proposes the Community Esteem Value, obtained with a deliberative appraisal procedure.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":100063,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture and Agricultural Science Procedia","volume":"8 ","pages":"Pages 128-134"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1016/j.aaspro.2016.02.017","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"89353427","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Evaluation of Rapeseed Culture at the end of the Cold Season Using Aerospace Techniques","authors":"Alexandra Trif, Mihai Gîdea","doi":"10.1016/j.aaspro.2016.09.031","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aaspro.2016.09.031","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This paper evaluates the potential of utilization of modern technologies such as GIS instruments, remote sensing, satellite imaging, GPS technology, and drones to monitor agricultural cultures. Two zones are chosen, are cultivated with rapeseed, and suffer the effect of low temperatures during the winter. In the spring, during the vegetation period, farmers ask themselves: “Which is the degree of loss in a culture?”, “Is it worth keeping the culture?”. To answer those questions, the total affected area has to be determined, using two methods: the classic method of finding out the affected area, which uses GPS technology to gather data and GIS to process it. The other method uses satellite imaging and special software to process data. This data is then used to classify pixels and determine the total affected area. After, the results from the two methods are compared. Based on these results, the most effective method can be determined. This method can then be used for determining the affected area resulting from natural phenomena, such as drought, excessive rainfall, gale, etc. Both methods have proved useful in these kind of studies, but the GPS RTK is a more effective way of monitoring the affected area of a rapeseed culture in the end of the cold season.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":100063,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture and Agricultural Science Procedia","volume":"10 ","pages":"Pages 118-122"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1016/j.aaspro.2016.09.031","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"91276588","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Mihai Berca , Valentina-Ofelia Robescu , Roxana Horoiaş , Gabriel Păscuţ
{"title":"Wheat Nutrition Bioeconomic Approach, Using Substituting Models of Synthetic with Natural Nitrogen","authors":"Mihai Berca , Valentina-Ofelia Robescu , Roxana Horoiaş , Gabriel Păscuţ","doi":"10.1016/j.aaspro.2016.09.028","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aaspro.2016.09.028","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The paper fits in the field of bioeconomy, which aims the reconciliation between environment and economy, approaching the issue of substitution, even partially, of the synthetic nitrogen with the one biologically fixed to the wheat crop. The study began 12 years ago in a farm from Southern Romania (Burnas Plain) with a surface of 1000<!--> <!-->ha. In order to avoid monoculture, it has been proposed a crop rotation system with five crops (200<!--> <!-->ha for each crop), as follows: rape – wheat – corn – sunflower – peas. The effects of avoiding monoculture have immediately appeared, especially in diminishing the diseases, pests and weeds percentage with about 38.4%. An essential part of the whole algorithm is represented by the crop nutrition, mainly by the nitrogen one for wheat, since it directly affects the yields quantity and quality. Thereby, a part of the nitrogen currently applied from bag (synthesis nitrogen) has been replaced with biological nitrogen, obtained from the input provided by using peas as preceding plant (130<!--> <!-->kg N/ha, which means an average of 26<!--> <!-->kg N/ha/year) and by the association made by wheat with the <em>Azospirillum brasilense</em> bacteria (90<!--> <!-->kg N/ha, namely an average of 18<!--> <!-->kg N/ha/year). The total amount of substituted nitrogen is 44<!--> <!-->kg N/ha/year. Doing a ratio between the biological and the synthesis nitrogen, it will appear that 46.4% of the nitrogen required by the plants for the whole crop rotation system can be supplied at no cost and without causing damages to the environment. The entire study wants to demonstrate that the transition to the conservation agriculture is a necessary step on our way to the bioeconomic agriculture and that, in order to achieve this objective, using natural models is crucial.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":100063,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture and Agricultural Science Procedia","volume":"10 ","pages":"Pages 519-524"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1016/j.aaspro.2016.09.028","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"74965712","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"On the Development of Statistical Modeling in Plant Breeding: An Approach of Row-Column Interaction Models (RCIM) For Generalized AMMI Models with Deviance Analysis","authors":"Alfian Futuhul Hadi , Halimatus Sa’diyah","doi":"10.1016/j.aaspro.2016.02.108","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aaspro.2016.02.108","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Generalized AMMI (GAMMI) model has been widely used to model the Genotype × Environment Interaction (GEI) with categorical (or in general, non-normal) response variables. It was developed by introduce the concept of Generalized Linear Model (GLM) into Additive Main Effect & Multiplicative Interaction (AMMI) model. GAMMI model will provide two major results (i) the stability analysis of some genotypes across environments and (ii) determine some others that have site specific for particular environment through Biplot of Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) of the interaction terms. This research will focus on major studies on counting data that is to round up the previous work of first author's on the Row Column Interaction Models (RCIMs) for the GEI by VGAM package of an R implementation with an addition on the deviance analysis. A simple illustrative comparison of both approaches (RCIM vs. GAMMI) was conducted on Poisson counting data of 4 rows × 5 columns. The defiance analysis was provided by log-likelihood of the model and ones of the residual. Deviance analysis will provide a way to determine the complexity of interaction component in the model, named by “rank” of model. The Biplot of both approaches seem not quite different. Finally, we did show that RCIMs be relied upon to fit well the GAMMI model and then applied it in an illustrative example to a real dataset. In addition, a simple scheme of simulation, adding some outlier on Poisson count data, will show an easy way handling the over dispersion problems, but firstly, we will talk about some statistical framework of Reduce Rank Regression (RR-VGLMs), the RCIMs, and then the approach of RCIMs for GAMMI models.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":100063,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture and Agricultural Science Procedia","volume":"9 ","pages":"Pages 134-145"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1016/j.aaspro.2016.02.108","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"77823865","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Universities’ Emerging Missions to Foster Sustainability of Rural Areas: Multiple Case Studies From The Marche Region","authors":"Chiara Rinaldi, Alessio Cavicchi","doi":"10.1016/j.aaspro.2016.02.056","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aaspro.2016.02.056","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This paper explores a new emerging function for Universities: that of co-creation for sustainability (<span>Trencher et al., 2013</span>, <span>Trencher et al., 2014a</span>, <span>Trencher et al., 2014b</span>). Contribution to sustainability involves an engagement in place-based, multi-stakeholder partnerships able to solve real-world issues. This theory is applied to multiple case studies which involve the University of Macerata, located in a rural area in the Marche region (Italy). Case study methodology is applied in order to understand if conditions expressed by the theory are met or need extension (<span>Yin, 2009</span>). Findings support the new emerging framework and describe the different roles assumed by the University in each of the cases.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":100063,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture and Agricultural Science Procedia","volume":"8 ","pages":"Pages 725-731"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1016/j.aaspro.2016.02.056","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"73200632","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Carlo Alberto Campiotti , Gioacchino Morosinotto , Giovanni Puglisi , Evelia Schettini , Giuliano Vox
{"title":"Performance Evaluation of a Solar Cooling Plant Applied for Greenhouse Thermal Control","authors":"Carlo Alberto Campiotti , Gioacchino Morosinotto , Giovanni Puglisi , Evelia Schettini , Giuliano Vox","doi":"10.1016/j.aaspro.2016.02.076","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aaspro.2016.02.076","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The greenhouses cultivation causes in summer season inner conditions characterized by high thermal levels such as to generate problems that can damage crops. Always more frequently for this reason it is common to provide greenhouse with air conditioning plants. In this work it will be presented an application of a solar cooling plant with absorption cooling machine for thermal control of a greenhouse and an advanced simulation model able to evaluate optimal plant configurations and controls. Solar cooling systems can be applied for greenhouse climate control in regions with high values of solar irradiation as alternative to traditional evaporative systems, allowing the reduction of primary energy consumption by exploiting the contemporaneity between the cooling requirements and the solar energy availability.</p><p>The plant consists of a single effect LiBr-H2O absorption chiller fed by evacuated-tube solar collectors; the model was developed in Matlab-Simulink and is able to simulate dynamically, with time steps up to 15<!--> <!-->minutes, the greenhouse cooling demand and the production of the solar field.</p><p>Present study proposes a plant configuration with a distribution system in which the cooling power is not provided for the entire volume of the greenhouse, but only for the air volume surrounding the crop with a considerable saving of reduction of energy demand and an extremely efficient use of solar energy. The simulation study is based on the experimental data collected at the experimental center of the University of Bari, Southern Italy.</p><p>The aim of the work is to demonstrate that solar cooling system could provide significant energy-saving opportunities for cooling greenhouses allowing the reduction of primary energy consumption by exploiting the contemporaneity between the cooling requirements and the solar energy availability.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":100063,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture and Agricultural Science Procedia","volume":"8 ","pages":"Pages 664-669"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1016/j.aaspro.2016.02.076","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"74102222","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Off-grid Approach to Support the Small Scale Food Producers in Rural Areas","authors":"Stefano Dell’Anna, MariaElena Menconi","doi":"10.1016/j.aaspro.2016.02.061","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aaspro.2016.02.061","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This paper concerns a study of compact system designed to ensure energy independence of buildings located in rural areas: the Off-Grid Box - OGB. This system is an integrated device, self-contained in a container, which provides and producers essential service and resources namely, electricity, hot water, clean water for washing and irrigation and a water purification process that pasteurized/distilled wastewater. The goal of study is to experiment the adoption in agriculture of technology solutions able to satisfy the energy needs (in terms of electricity) of small scale food producers in rural areas with high environmental and landscape value and to identify a compact modular system dedicated to family farming to reduce external inputs and waste. The specific objective is to find a winning solution for self-sufficiency (in off-grid vision) and reducing emissions of the small scale family farms, useful for the sedentary, semi-sedentary and mobile production and processing units. This study is focused on the potential of OGB to guarantee the energy needs of small slaughterhouses in a rural area of Umbria Region. These scenarios are interesting for small family farms that adopt sustainable models and methods of production with low environmental impact and low energy demand to define the indications for their winning energy planning.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":100063,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture and Agricultural Science Procedia","volume":"8 ","pages":"Pages 516-526"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1016/j.aaspro.2016.02.061","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"86512225","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Quality Perception of Fresh Berries: An Empirical Survey in the German Market","authors":"Domenico Farruggia, Marina Crescimanno, Antonino Galati, Salvatore Tinervia","doi":"10.1016/j.aaspro.2016.02.075","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aaspro.2016.02.075","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The present work aimed to investigate the main quality attributes that influence the purchase decisions of fresh berries. To this regard, an empirical survey has been conducted by interviewing 200 consumers of fresh berries at the exit of the main centers of the large scale retail trade in the city of Munich (Germany). An econometric model has been adopted to examine the relationship that single attributes has on the purchase frequency of fresh berries. Results showed that nutraceutical properties and health benefits of berries have a strong appeal to the consumers and confirmed that intrinsic attributes are determinants of consumer purchase decision</p></div>","PeriodicalId":100063,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture and Agricultural Science Procedia","volume":"8 ","pages":"Pages 566-575"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1016/j.aaspro.2016.02.075","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"76424560","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}