Advanced dual-artificial neural network system for biomass combustion analysis and emission minimization

Management of agricultural waste is an important part of plantation operations. Not all wastes are suitable for composting or the process is simply inefficient and time-consuming. In their case, thermal treatment is acceptable, but it is necessary to optimize the process to minimize greenhouse gas emissions. This article investigates the feasibility of constructing artificial neural networks (ANNs) to predict feedstock and emission parameters from the combustion of vineyard biomass. In order to maximize accuracy while avoiding overfitting of the ANN, a novel dual-ANN system was proposed. It consisted of two cascade-forward ANNs trained on independent data, each with three hidden layers. A benchmark showed that the final networks had a relative error in the range of 0.81-2.83%, and the resulting dual-ANN up to a maximum of 2.09%. Based on the ANN, it was possible to make recommendations on the parameters of the feedstock that would be suitable for obtaining bioenergy. It was noted that the best calorific values are shown by waste from plants with an intermediate amount, distribution, and mass of leaves, with relatively low average leaf area. Emissivity reduction, however, requires significantly different conditions. Preference is given to waste from plants that have high amounts of leaves but are spread over many stems - that is, plants that are highly shrubby during the growing season. This proves that it is not possible to formulate universal recommendations that are both energy- and carbon-beneficial, but outlines a clear direction where consensus should be sought, depending on the goals adopted.

Assessment of the impact of innovative fertilization methods compared to traditional fertilization in the cultivation of highbush blueberry

The aim of the research was to evaluate fertilization technologies for the indicators of the quality and quantity of highbush blueberry yield. In the experiment, a similar level of mineral fertilization was used in all treatments. The experiment was to show the differences between fertilization with biostimulation and without biostimulation. The research was carried out in two seasons (2019–2020) on ´Bluecropˋ shrubs growing in the Blueberry Experimental Field in central Poland (51° 55’42.7 "N 20° 59’28.7" E). Shrubs grow at a distance of 1 x 3 m. Plants are rejuvenated every year in spring and irrigated by drip. The experiment was carried out in a random block design (4 fertilizer treatments x 5 replications x 6 bushes). The experiment assessed the effect of fertilization on yield, berry mass, fruit setting, leaf surface and physicochemical parameters of fruit. Based on the conducted research, it was proved that the applied fertilization technologies had a significant impact on the size and quality of the yield of “Bluecrop” highbush blueberry. Particularly noteworthy is the fertilization technology with biostimulation (treatment T4), which has a positive effect on the yield, fruit mass, percentage of setting and firmness of the berries. Analysis of the issue in the light of the results of the conducted research shows that the use of biostimulated products has an important impact on the intensification of production while maintaining good quality of fruits. Through research, the positive effect of fertilization programs with biostimulation (treatment T4) on the most important production parameters of blueberry fruit from the producer’s point of view has been proven.

Influence of Rootstock on Yield Quantity and Quality, Contents of Biologically Active Compounds and Antioxidant Activity in Regent Grapevine Fruit

The cultivation of vines in temperate climates poses many difficulties to be overcome. The soil and climatic conditions in Poland limit the choice of vine varieties that can be used in the field; therefore, growers are often limited to varieties that are tolerant to extreme winter temperatures and spring frosts and to cultivars that are able to achieve optimum berry maturity at the end of the season. The study evaluated the effect of six rootstock types and own-root bushes on yield quantity and quality and on the content of biologically active compounds and antioxidant activity in Regent grapevine fruit. The research was conducted in 2015 at NOBILIS Vineyard (50°39' N; 21°34' E) in the Sandomierz Upland. Among the evaluated rootstocks, 125AA turned out to exert the significantly best effect on the yield, grape and berry weight, and number of grapes per bush. The fruit from bushes grafted on the 5BB rootstock were characterised by the highest content of L-ascorbic acid and tannins.

The content of biogenic amines in Rondo and Zweigelt wines and correlations between selected wine parameters

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the content of biogenic amines (BAs) in wines using dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (DLLME-GC-MS). An additional objective was to assess the correlations between selected parameters characterizing the samples such as the content of BAs, sugars, and organic acids, pH, and total acidity. Wines produced from the same grape variety in which alcoholic fermentation (AF) was carried out by different yeast strains and in which malolactic fermentation (MLF) was spontaneous, differed in the content of biogenic amines. The concentrations of putrescine, cadaverine and tryptamine were higher in the Rondo wines (237-405, 34.04-61.11, <LOD-12.456 µg/L, respectively) and Zweigelt wines (416-489, 72.67-88.43, <LOD-13.083 µg/L, respectively) subjected to spontaneous MLF than in the wines subjected to induced MLF. Chemometric analysis allowed us to determine correlations between selected wine parameters. The wine samples are well separated into two patterns depending on the grape variety. Despite the fact that information on BAs is not included in databases of wine composition, information on their concentration as well as knowledge of existing correlations between BAs and other wine parameters is crucial and may be useful for the food industry, health professionals and consumers.

Effect of Hormonization Treatment on Yield Quantity and Quality, Contents of Biologically Active Compounds, and Antioxidant Activity in 'Einset Seedless' Grapevine Fruits and Raisins

In this study, we determined the effect of hormonization treatment on yield quantity and quality, content of biologically active compounds, and antioxidant activity in fruits and raisins of 'Einset Seedless' grapevine. Field studies were conducted in 2017 at Nobilis Vineyard (50°39' N; 21°34' E) in the Sandomierz Upland. Analytical studies were carried out in the Laboratory of the University of Life Sciences in Lublin. Hormonized fruits and raisins, which were dried at 40 °C in a food dryer for 7 days, were the experimental material. It was shown that the application of the hormonization treatment had a significant effect on yield size and quality. The hormonization treatment and the form of plant material analyzed had a significant effect on the content of biologically active compounds and the antioxidant activity in 'Einset Seedless' grapevine fruits and raisins. The concentration of applied gibberellic acid had a significant effect on the levels of acidity, content of anthocyanins, and antioxidant activity determined with the FRAP and DPPH methods. The application of the multivariate analysis technique showed that, in the fresh fruits and raisins, the level of biologically active compounds and antioxidant activity in the case of the 200 mg∙GA₃∙L^-1 concentration and in the control combination was similar but differed significantly in the case of the 300 mg∙GA₃∙L^-1 application.

Influence of Ultra-Heat Treatment on Properties of Milk Proteins

Milk can be considered one of the primary sources of nutrients for the mammalian neonate. Therefore, milk and milk-based products, such as infant formula, whey protein isolate, different varieties of cheese, and others are prepared to meet the nutritional requirements of the consumer. Due to its significant nutritional components and perishable nature, a variety of pathogenic microorganisms can grow and multiply quickly in milk. Therefore, various heat treatments can be employed for the improvement of the shelf life of milk. In comparison to pasteurized milk, due to excessive and severe heating, UHT milk has a more cooked flavor. During storage, changes in the physicochemical properties of milk can lead to off-flavors, undesirable browning, separation of fat, sediment formation, or gelation during the subsequent storage. Several important factors such as processing parameters, time-temperature abuse (storage condition), and packaging type also influence the quality characteristics and consumer acceptance of the milk; however, the influence of heat treatments on milk protein is inconstant. The major protein modifications that occur during UHT treatment are denaturation and aggregation of the protein, and chemical modifications of its amino acids. These UHT-induced protein alterations can change digestibility and the overall biological influence of the intake of these proteins. Therefore, this review is focused on the influence of UHT on the physicochemical and structural attributes of milk proteins during storage. There are many indications of milk proteins present in the UHT milk, and milk products are altered during processing and storage.