Search

Dietary forage levels contribute to the performance of non-nutritive oral behaviors (NNOB) in cattle, yet the impact of varying forage levels on these behaviors is unknown. To evaluate the impact of dietary corn stalk inclusion (CSI) levels on NNOB, rumination time, and activity, pre-dominantly British-continental crossbred drylot-housed steers (n=27) were blocked by weight and randomly assigned to one of three dietary treatments (5%, 10%, or 15%) of CSI on a DM basis. Animals were fitted with a rumination collar upon arrival that measured rumination time and activity and video recorded. Cattle that spent more time bar licking had greater DMI, tended to have greater ADG and be more active. CSI in this study did influence NNOB performance; however, the impacts observed were not as expected. Cattle fed the 10% CSI performed the most bar licking and tongue rolling. This pilot investigation suggest that these CSI were insufficient to have a meaningful impact on NNOBs. Cattle spending more time bar licking and bar licked more frequently may be more orally motivated as reflected in their increased DMI and activity levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corn stalk and diatomite were cross-linked by N,N'-Methylenebisacrylamide (MBA) to obtain gel porous materials for methylene blue adsorption, which improved the multi-element pores effect. The process solved the difficult recovery problem of powder adsorbents as well. Results showed that the optimal preparation conditions of corn stalk/diatomite gel porous materials were: 1 mL of glutaraldehyde, 6 g of acrylic acid, 150 mg of MBA and 100 mg of potassium persulfate. The adsorption process conditions were optimized: At the pH = 8, 8 mg of gel porous material was adsorbed for 1 hour. Under the optimal conditions, the removal percentage was 93.65% and the adsorption capacity reached 288.43 mg/g. The characterization results indicated that the corn stalk was successfully combined with diatomite. Corn stalk/diatomite gel porous materials had a three-dimensional network structure with more active sites. The adsorption isotherms fit the Langmuir model. Furthermore, the adsorption kinetics fit the pseudo-second-order model. The adsorbent surface is uniform and the adsorption process is mostly monolayer adsorption. The adsorption process includes chemical and physical adsorption. The maximum saturated adsorption capacity was 657.89 mg/g. Corn stalk/diatomite gel porous materials maintained good adsorption performance after cyclic adsorption. The adsorbent prepared in this study has a good regeneration cycle and methylene blue removal capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fast depletion of fossil fuels is driving the research toward renewable fuels. Alcohols, which can be produced from agricultural wastes such as sugarcane bagasse and corn stalks, appear to be promising renewable fuels. Among the different alcohols, butanol which is higher chain alcohol is considered in this study. This study deals with the emission and performance characteristics of a direct injection (DI)–compression ignition (CI) engine operating with different butanol/diesel blends. Experiments were conducted with different butanol/diesel blends, with the butanol proportion in the blend varying from 0 to 50% percentage (0, 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50%-by volume designated as Bu00, Bu10, Bu20, Bu30, Bu40, and Bu50). The engine performance with different butanol/diesel blends was compared to the engine performance with pure diesel. The experimental results revealed that as the fraction of butanol in the blend is increased, the emissions of CO, soot, and NOx decreased, whereas the unburned hydrocarbons (UBHC) emissions increased. Similarly, brake thermal efficiency (BTE) of the engine slightly improved with increase in the butanol fraction in the blend compared with diesel operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two Oneida Nation citizens and Ohe·láku (among the cornstalks) members use Indigenous theory and methodology to examine how growing and caring for heirloom corn provided reconnection with their traditional governing system, a traditional system that goes hand in hand with providing sustenance for their Nation. This experience facilitated the understanding and necessity of the function of participatory governing systems, and the impact on roles and responsibilities as Oneida people. Applying theory to practice, this article proposes implementation of this traditional model for Ohe·láku with hopes of encouraging the Oneida Nation government to transition back to reclaim this traditional governing system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The removal of nitrate (NO3−−N) from water bodies under the conditions of poor nutrition and low carbon to nitrogen (C/N) ratio is a widespread problem. In this study, modified corn stalk (CS) was used to immobilize Burkholderia sp. CF6 with cellulose-degrading and denitrifying abilities. The optimal operating parameters of the bioreactor were explored. The results showed that under the hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 3 h and the C/N ratio of 2.0, the maximum nitrate removal efficiency was 96.75%. In addition, the organic substances in the bioreactor under different C/N ratios and HRT were analyzed by three−dimensional fluorescence excitation–emission mass spectrometry (3D−EEM), and it was found that the microorganisms have high metabolic activity. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) showed that the new material has excellent immobilization effects. Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR) showed that it has potential as a solid carbon source. Through high−throughput sequencing analysis, Burkholderia sp. CF6 was observed as the main bacteria present in the bioreactor. These research results showed that the use of waste corn stalks waste provides a theoretical basis for the advanced treatment of low C/N ratio wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The corn stalk (CS) is a waste material generated from the corn crop, with important cellulose and hemicellulose content within its structure. This study has been focused on evaluating the possibility of using CS as an adsorbent for the removal of organophosphate dimethoate pesticides in aqueous solutions. The adsorption study was conducted to determine the effect of adsorbent dose, initial pH, and contact time to dimethoate solution at the initial concentration of 50 mg.L−1. The process conditions were established at initial pH of 11, adsorbent dose of 1.5 g/100 ml, and equilibrium time of 140 minutes. It was verified that dimethoate removal is favored in an alkaline medium. The process kinetic was adjusted to the pseudo-n order model and pseudo-second order model to a lower extent, with several limiting stages, as it was demonstrated through the Weber-Morris model. The equilibrium isotherms were analyzed by employing, the Langmuir, Freundlich, Toth, Sips, and Redlich-Peterson models, where the Sips, Redlich-Peterson, and Toth models proved to be the best adjustment for experimental data, representing better the dimethoate adsorption process in CS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the increasing concern with the environmental safety and recyclability, natural fiber-reinforced composites have attracted more and more attention. In the present work, braking composite samples with and without wet granulation were fabricated and their physical, mechanical, and environmental properties were investigated systematically. The experimental results showed that the use of the wet granulation technology did not improve significantly the water absorption and impact strength properties of the braking composite samples but considerably improved their density and environmental performance in comparison to the braking composite sample without wet granulation, especially the environmental performance. Among the braking composite samples with wet granulation, with the decreasing of the resin contents, the density was decreased gradually, the water absorption was decreased and then increased, and the impact strength was increased. Samples FG-13 and FG-11 had a relatively low dust capacity, and sample FG-5 was the highest. The method of the braking composite preparation in the present work may serve as a useful guide to produce a strong low-resin environmental-friendly composite for automotive components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several research groups are recently focusing on natural fibers as components of construction materials, contributing to the search for sustainable solutions that reduce the ecological footprint of buildings. Many of these fibers are proposed as acoustic absorbers to replace man-made fibers widely used to reduce reverberation in rooms, such as fiberglass and stone wool, which consume a lot of energy in their production and are not biodegradable. In this article, the acoustic absorption of fiber panels composed of corn stalk fibers and clay – both environmentally friendly materials – is studied, considering samples of 6 mm, 12 mm, and 24 mm thickness. Three percentages of water were used for the kneading of the clay. A support vector machine model has been calculated to predict the behavior of this composite material. 24 mm sample with 6% of water returns values of the acoustic absorption coefficient between 0.6 and 0.8 in the frequency range from 750 to 1600 Hz. 6 mm samples with 16% and 26% of water result in values of the acoustic absorption coefficient near one at 4500 Hz and 4750 Hz, respectively. The simulation performed with the support vector machine model returned Pearson's correlation coefficient values of 0.997, demonstrating excellent generalization and prediction ability of the model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of brewers' spent grains (BSG) on the fermentation quality, chemical composition and in vitro parameters of mixed silage prepared with corn stalk, dried apple pomace and sweet potato vine. In the experiment, a ternary mixture of corn stalk, sweet potato vine and dried apple pomace (50/30/20) was ensiled with 0%, 10%, 15% and 20% BSG on a fresh weight (FW) basis for 1, 3, 5, 7, 14 and 30 days, respectively. The application of BSG significantly (p<.05) increased lactic, acetic and total volatile fatty acids content, and significantly (p<.05) decreased pH, lactic acid/acetic acid, ammonia nitrogen, dry matter and water-soluble carbohydrates content during ensiling. None or tiny amounts of propionic and butyric acid were detected in all silages. Compared with the control, higher (p<.05) Flieg points, crude protein content and lower (p<.05) neutral detergent fibre, acid detergent fibre, cellulose and hemicellulose content were found in BSG-treated silages on day 30 of ensiling. After 72 h of incubation, the application of BSG significantly (p<.05) increased the cumulative gas production, potential gas production, in vitro dry matter, crude protein digestibility and metabolisable energy. The 20% BSG silages had better fermentation quality and higher in vitro digestibility, as indicated by higher lactic acid content, in vitro dry matter, crude protein digestibility, metabolisable energy, lower pH, and lower ammonia nitrogen content than other silages. The application of 20% BSG was recommended to ensure good quality silages. Ensiling in the form of mixed silages is a good way to consume largely agro-food by-products. Reducing the energy waste and environmental pollution caused by high-quantity agro-food by-products. 20% brewers' spent grains application had positive effects on in vitro parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to investigate the effects of re-ensiling on the fermentation quality and microbial community, the present work simulated the conditions of silage transfer and re-ensiling to check for possible effects of exposure to air on the fermentation quality and microbial communities of the sweet corn stalk (SCS) silage. The SCS harvested at the milky stage was ensiled for 90 d and 180 d, respectively. The silage ensiled for 90 d was opened and exposed to the air for 0, 6, 12, 24, 36 and 48 h, respectively, then re-ensiled for 90 d. The SCS silage directly ensiled for 180 d was the control. Results showed that the SCS silage ensiled for 90 d had good fermentation quality and kept well within 48 h aerobic exposure. There were no significant differences (p>.05) in pH values, organic acids and NH3-N contents between re-ensiled and control silages. Ensiling for 90 d and 180 d significantly decreased (p<.05) the counts of microorganisms and increased the abundance of Lactobacillus and Bacillus in silage. In the re-ensiled silage ensiled after 48 h exposure, the relative abundance of Lactobacillus decreased, and that of undesirable bacteria like Paenibacillus, Acetobacter, Methylobacterium, Clostridium, Pleurocapsa and Bacillus increased, compared to the conventional silage. In summary, ensiling SCS was an effective approach to preserve nutrition, and re-ensiling within 48 h of aerobic exposure affected the bacteria community but did not affect the fermentation quality of SCS silage. Sweet corn stalk (SCS) silage had good fermentation quality and kept well within 48 h aerobic exposure. Ensiling increased the relative abundance of desirable bacteria Lactobacillus. Re-ensiling within 48 h exposure did not affect the fermentation quality of SCS silage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of this work was to study the adsorption characteristics of Cd by adding corn stover biochar and saline-alkali soil after freezing and thawing, and the saline-alkali land in Lesheng Town, Da'an City, Jilin Province was selected as the model/representative area. The artificially simulated freezing and thawing environments was conducted in the experiments. After the soil is incubated, adsorption experiments were carried out. FTIR spectra analysis indicated that biochar amendment increased the aromatic contents of the soil. Moreover, the results showed that regardless of biochar amendment, the freezing-thawing could increase hydroxyl, carboxyl, and aromatic hydrocarbon contents. In contrast, freezing-thawing reduced the soil pH, cation exchange capacity, conductivity, and exchangeable sodium (regardless of biochar amendment). In all cases, Cd adsorption isotherms and kinetic curves were best fit by the Langmuir equation and quasi-second-order kinetic equation, respectively, and the thermodynamic parameters of Cd adsorption (ΔG < 0, ΔH > 0, and ΔS > 0) suggested that the process was consistently spontaneous, endothermic, and disordered. A significant increase in soil Cd adsorption capacity was observed in the with increasing pH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structural morphology and surface features of torrefied cornstalk are investigated under the given torrefaction temperatures of 250 °C, 270 °C, or 290 °C and the different atmospheres at Air or N2. The surface functional groups and pore volume distribution tests are conducted experimentally with Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer and N2 adsorption/desorption methods, respectively. Meanwhile the morphology analysis proceeds by comparing scanning electron microscope images directly. The results show that the adsorption capacity is well developed more than 2 times as the torrefaction process is O2 involving. The adsorption capacity of meso-pores can be enhanced significantly with the rising torrefaction temperature. The experimental data indicate that the presence of O2 leads to the complicated microscopic surface morphology and varies the adsorption/desorption characteristics of the torrefied cornstalk, obviously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The engineering of biomaterials provides an opportunity for developing new polymeric composites. In this context, the objective of this work is to produce and evaluate fiber obtained from mixtures of corn straw waste and polylactic acid (PLA) in vitro. Treated corn straw fiber (TCSF) was made by cutting corn straw waste and applying alkali, acid, and silane treatments. Corn straw fiber (CSF) or TCSF was combined with PLA or modified PLA (MPLA) in an electrospinning technique, to manufacture a 100–500 nm nanofiber mat. We studied morphology, mechanical properties, water resistance, biodegradability, and cytocompatibility properties of the electrospun PLA/CSF and MPLA/TCSF nanofibers. The resulting tensile properties and morphological characterizations indicated enhanced adhesion between TCSF and MPLA in the nanofiber, as well as improved water resistance and tensile strength, compared to PLA/CSF nanofiber. Regarding biocompatibility, only viable cells were found for all of the compositions, and the biocompatibility of the materials was validated by morphological analysis of cultured cells. Morphology proliferation assays showed that human keratinocyte cells grow well on the surfaces of PLA, MPLA, and their composite nanofibers. The weight loss of PLA/CSF and MPLA/TCSF composites buried in soil indicated that both were biodegradable, especially at high levels of CSF or TCSF substitution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel adsorbent, called dithiocarboxyl cornstalk (DTCS), was developed, and the effects of various parameters on the adsorption performance for Cd(II) with DTCS were investigated in this work. The results suggested that DTCS presented the efficient removal capacity for Cd(II) when the pH values, adsorption temperature, and oscillation rate were 3.0 to 6.0, 313 K, and 150 rpm, respectively. The adsorption kinetic data were more agreed with pseudo-second-order kinetic model, and the isotherm data could be characterized by Freundlich model. The thermodynamic data indicated the adsorption process was endothermic and spontaneous. The FTIR and SEM confirmed the chemisorption between Cd(II) and DTCS. Furthermore, to eliminate the secondary pollution, the waste filtrate generated in the preparation of DTCS was employed to remove Cd(II) through flocculation experiments. The results showed that the waste filtrate is a potential flocculant for the treatment of wastewater containing Cd(II). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pretreatment can improve the hydrolysis efficiency of cellulose, in which biological pretreatment plays an important role. In the present study, we uncovered that Rhodococcus has the ability of lignin degradation, which can decompose lignin and serve as a carbon source to meet the needs of its own growth. We used Rhodococcus to pretreat the corn stalks and evaluate the effect on cellulose hydrolysis. The concentration of reducing sugar produced by the hydrolysis of corn stalk after pretreatment of Rhodococcus is 2.95 g/L. SEM imaging showed that Rhodococcus pretreatment resulted the surface of corn stalk to be no longer complete, some lamellar structures fall off, and leave obvious traces, and obvious delamination was found at the edge of the fault. AFM imaging showed that the pretreatment changed the lignin structure of the corn stalk material surface, resulting in a higher surface roughness of 9.37. These results indicated that Rhodococcus pretreatment can improve the saccharification efficiency of cellulose by removing lignin and increasing the surface roughness of the material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vitamin B12 and propionic acid that were simultaneous produced by Propionibacterium freudenreichii are both favorable chemicals widely used in food preservatives, medicine, and nutrition. While the carbon source and propionic acid accumulation reflected fermentation efficiency. In this study, using corn stalk as a carbon source and fed-batch fermentation process in an expanded bed adsorption bioreactor was studied for efficient and economic biosynthesis of acid vitamin B12 and propionic. With liquid hot water pretreated corn stalk hydrolysates as carbon source, 28.65 mg L−1 of vitamin B12 and 17.05 g L−1 of propionic acid were attained at 168 h in batch fermentation. In order to optimize the fermentation outcomes, fed-batch fermentation was performed with hydrolyzed corn stalk in expanded bed adsorption bioreactor (EBAB), giving 47.6 mg L−1 vitamin B12 and 91.4 g L−1 of propionic acid at 258 h, which correspond to product yields of 0.37 mg g−1 and 0.75 g g−1, respectively. The present study provided a promising strategy for economically sustainable production of vitamin B12 and propionic acid by P. freudenreichii fermentation using biomass cornstalk as carbon source and expanded bed adsorption bioreactor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of different sludge on biohydrogen producing by anaerobic fermentation was investigated by a continuous flow stirred tank biofilm reactor (CSTBR) used as an anaerobic fermentation biohydrogen producing reactor and corn stalks dealt by alkali treatment of 0.5% NaOH solution selected as substrate. According to operating efficiency and microbial community, we would obtain the best startup sludge from cow manure, septic tank sludge, and nitrification sludge, which were separately cultured under the condition of aeration 7 days. Result demonstrated the reactor started with cow manure had better performance than the other two kinds of seed sludge; it would take shorter startup time in the start-up process. After the successful start-up, the reactor with cow manure as seed sludge formed ethanol-type fermentation, the biofilm structure was more uniform, the microbial community composition was more abundant, and its volatile solid (VS) removal rate and the hydrogen production were 10.2% and 11.64 L d−1 higher than the reactor with septic tank sediment as startup seed sludge, respectively, 20.4% and 23.78 L d−1 higher than the reactor with nitrification sludge as startup seed sludge, respectively. Under the same biohydrogen production and start-up condition, cow manure as startup seed sludge is the best choice for biohydrogen production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cadmium (Cd) contamination is the most extensive pollution in China farmland. A greenhouse pot trial was conducted to investigate the effects of cornstalk biochar on Cd accumulation by Phytolacca americana L. (pokeweed) in Cd-contaminated soil. The Cd concentration increased in leaves, shoots, and roots of plants amended with 5% biochar by 79%, 113%, and 32%, respectively, compared with the pokeweed without biochar. The Cd availability, soil Cd speciation, soil fertility, root biomass, and Cd chemical forms in root were investigated to explore the mechanism by which Cd uptake increased in presence of biochar. The extractability of Cd by DTPA decreased in presence of biochar by 30% compared with that of soil without biochar. The increases occurred with dose of biochar increased in available phosphorus, labile organic carbon, and C/N atom ratio. Although, the dry weight of the aboveground part of the pokeweed decreased by 38.5%, however, the weight of roots increased by 20.8%. Root biomass and microbial activity reached maximum in the treatment that recieved 5% biochar. Cd forms extracted by NaCl and acetic acid (HAc) were predominant in root. When 5% biochar applied to soil, HAc-extracted Cd took up maximum of the increase in root. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cornstalk cellulose was liquefied in supercritical acetone at various temperature by a high-pressure autoclave, where the maximum yield of bio-oil was 43.79% and the highest conversion rate of cellulose was 72.13%. FT-TR spectrums showed that the C–O–C and C–C bonds in cellulose were cleaved under the attack of supercritical acetone, then active fragments were produced and transformed into liquefaction products. GC-MS results showed that the dominant components in bio-oil were ketones, esters, alkanes, etc. As the acetone dosage increased, ketones and glucosides increased while esters and alkanes decreased. A higher temperature was suitable for ketones and esters formation, which had an inhibition on alkanes formation. Finally, the formation of pathways and networks of dominant chemicals during cellulose liquefaction in supercritical acetone were developed. This investigation contributes to the knowledge of cellulose liquefaction in supercritical solvents for bio-oil and platform chemicals, which can provide an alternative method for biomass resources utility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The levels of enrofloxacin have exceeded acceptable standards in the water environment of many global regions, and the problem of pollution caused by enrofloxacin needs to be solved urgently. In this study, phosphoric acid and potassium hydroxide were used to modify corn stalk biochar. The properties and structure of the modified biochar were studied by scanning electron microscopy, infrared spectrometer, X-ray diffraction spectroscopy, and other analytical methods. Other factors influencing enrofloxacin adsorption were assessed using the equilibrium adsorption method. The surface area of the acid- and alkali-modified biochar was found to increase 10- and 14-fold, respectively. The equilibrium adsorption capacity of enrofloxacin on the acid- and alkali-modified biomass carbon increased by 27.80% and 54.08%, respectively. The quasi-second-order kinetic equation and Langmuir equation described the adsorption process of the biochars accurately. At pH = 5.0, the biochars had the highest levels of enrofloxacin adsorption. The adsorption of enrofloxacin onto the biochars negatively correlated with the concentration of Ca2+ in the background solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the performance of composting cornstalks after used as the filtering materials for the pretreatment of anaerobically digested manure centrate. Results show that cornstalks could effectively remove suspended solids and organic matter in digested centrate. Direct composting of the used cornstalks could be achieved. The composting temperature increased rapidly and maintained at the thermophilic phase for more than 10 days. During 28 days of composting, the used cornstalks could be mature as indicated by the matrix pH of 7.37, electrical conductivity of 1.13 mS/cm, and germination index of higher than 100%. During composting, the carbon/nitrogen ratio of the used cornstalks decreased from 16.81 to 13.62. Moreover, cellulose in the used cornstalks was degraded by approximately 35.4% during composting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering the whole process optimization of biogas production, low concentration of FeCl2 solution was studied as a catalyst for corn stalk pretreatment and hydrolysis liquid was inspected for anaerobic acidification fermentation. Optimum pretreatment conditions were found where the corn stalk was pretreated with 1 mg/L FeCl2 at 200°C for 20 min. Through comparative study with distilled water in the anaerobic fermentation stage, the result showed that FeCl2 could speed up anaerobic acidification digesting process. The study provided a novel idea to evaluate the role of iron in the whole process from pretreatment to fermentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate synergetic effects on pyrolysis of municipal solid waste and corn stalk, pyrolysis characteristics and product distributions of their mixtures were examined by thermal gravimetric and fixed-bed. Results indicated that co-pyrolysis process can be divided into four steps: losing water, main pyrolysis, carbonization and catalytic gasification of char. Under different blending ratio conditions, char and liquid yields were lower than the theoretical values calculated on pyrolysis of each individual sample, and consequently, gas yields were higher. Linear relationship can be applied to char and liquid products, however, hardly applied to gas yields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The viability of cornstalks as a substrate forPleurotus ostreatus(Jacq. ex Fr.) Kummer cultivation was studied. The effect of sorghum spent grain (pito mash), a nitrogen supplement, on growth performance and yield was also investigated. Three substrate formulae were used, viz., CSS-0 (100% cornstalks + 0% spent grains), CSS-5 (95% cornstalks + 5% spent grains), and CSS-10 (90% cornstalks + 10% spent grains). Most bags achieved complete ramification within 3 weeks after inoculation with spawns. In the second and third weeks, the mycelia growth rate of CSS-5 was significantly higher (Ρ < 0.05) than CSS-0 and CSS-10. CSS-5 also produced the earliest appearance of primordia, and the lowest interval between flushes. Relative substrate nutrient distribution elicited significant differences (Ρ < 0.05) in mushroom yields. The mushroom yields obtained after 6 weeks of harvesting were 118.4, 203.0 and 181.0 g for CSS-0, CSS-5, and CSS-10 respectively. The results of this study indicate that cornstalks are suitable substrates forP. ostreatuscultivation, and 5% sorghum spent grain supplementation is necessary for producing mushrooms with improved yields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacteria were isolated from corn plants and efficacy of a selected isolate for control of corn stalk rot caused byFusarium graminearumwas evaluated. The bacterial isolate provided the greatest suppression ofF. graminearumin lab studies and reduced corn stalk rot significantly in 2013 and 2014 field experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Returning crop residues into fields, either alone or in combination with inorganic fertilizer, is considered as a practical way to enhance soil fertility. However, information concerning the effects of crop residues and inorganic fertilizer application on water extractable organic matter (WEOM) in soil is scarce. The aim of this study was to examine the 10-year effect of corn residue (CR) return with or without the application of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK) fertilizer on the quantity and quality of WEOM in a black soil of northeast China by means of ultraviolet absorbance, fluorescence excitation--emission matrix, and derived spectroscopic indices. The application of NPK fertilizers and CR, alone or together, increased the content of total soil organic carbon (SOC), water extractable organic carbon (WEOC), and ratio of WEOC/SOC, with the sequence being NPK + CR > CR > NPK > CK. Compared with control treatment, the individual application of NPK fertilizer decreased the aromaticity of WEOM. In contrast, elevated proportion of tryptophan-like fluorophore and microbially derived fulvic acid-like components with low molecular weight was detected in the WEOM. The amendment with CR alone resulted in increase in aromaticity of WEOM and proportion of plant-derived humic acid-like component with large molecular weight, accompanied by reduced proportion of tyrosine-like compounds. For the soil with CR restoration, the application of NPK fertilizer increased aromaticity of WEOM, and large molecular weight fulvic acid-like and humic acid-like compounds were found. However, the proportions of tyrosine-like and tryptophan-like compounds were diminished. The quantitative and qualitative analysis of WEOM using fluorescence spectroscopy describes responses to be observed in long-term different fertilization strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The oxy-fuel co-combustion behavior of two herbaceous biomass species (Bermuda grass and cornstalk) with bituminous coal was investigated by thermal gravimetric analysis (40°C/min). The incorporation of Bermuda grass or cornstalk could improve combustion indices of the bituminous coal. Once blending the biomass with bituminous coal, ignition temperatures of blends could be advanced by about 100–170°C. With increasing the oxygen concentration or blending ratio, the comprehensive performance index of the most blends and their parent samples increased. For the 80%grass/20%coal blend, there was a strong synergistic effect in its parent samples at 60% oxygen concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Lenzites betulinus, known as gilled polypore belongs to Basidiomycota was isolated from fruiting body on broadleaf dead trees. It was found that the mycelia of white rot fungus Lenzites betulinus IUM 5468 produced ethanol from various sugars, including glucose, mannose, galactose, and cellobiose with a yield of 0.38, 0.26, 0.07, and 0.26 g of ethanol per gram of sugar consumed, respectively. This fungus relatively exhibited a good ethanol production from xylose at 0.26 g of ethanol per gram of sugar consumed. However, the ethanol conversion rate of arabinose was relatively low (at 0.07 g of ethanol per gram sugar). L. betulinus was capable of producing ethanol directly from rice straw and corn stalks at 0.22 g and 0.16 g of ethanol per gram of substrates, respectively, when this fungus was cultured in a basal medium containing 20g/L rice straw or corn stalks. These results indicate that L. betulinus can produce ethanol efficiently from glucose, mannose, and cellobiose and produce ethanol very poorly from galactose and arabinose. Therefore, it is suggested that this fungus can ferment ethanol from various sugars and hydrolyze cellulosic materials to sugars and convert them to ethanol simultaneously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates nonisothermal co-drying kinetics of two typical biomasses (cornstalk and red pine) with lignite in the presence of a nitrogen atmosphere using a thermal gravimetric analysis technique. The drying rate can be increased by either decreasing the blending ratio of biomass or increasing the heating rate. The activation energies of cornstalk/lignite blends and red pine/lignite blends in the two falling rate periods are less than that of their parent samples. In the first falling rate period, the dominant mechanisms of drying for lignite are described by the Avrami–Erofeev equation (n = 1.5), while the mechanisms for the cornstalk, red pine, and mixture samples are fitted to the Mample equation (n = 1.0). In the second falling rate period, the mechanisms are described by the Avrami–Erofeev equation (n = 1.5 orn = 2.0). The general kinetic compensation effect correlations are obtained for all samples within heating rates of 10–30°C/min. Significant synergistic interactions between the Chinese lignite and cornstalk or red pine are detected during co-drying. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to obtain the characteristics of anaerobic fermentation with different parts of corn stalks at low concentrations, air-dried corn stalks stem bark (SB), stem pith (SP), leaves (L), and corn stalks (CS) were, respectively, mixed with cow dung to perform fermentation at the temperature of 35oC and carbon-to-nitrogen ratio (C/N) of 25. Mixed with cow dung compost, the fermentation broths were adjusted to a neutral pH value. Along with the enhancing of the total solid (TS) content of SB, SP, L, and CS fermentation broths, both of the daily biogas yields and methane contents increased under the same fermentation condition, except for Sample TS 6% of L. The optimal TS content of SB, SP, L, and CS broth is 8%, 5%, 10%, and 8%, separately. In 35 days, the highest methane yield of SB, SP, L, and CS broth was 125.0 mL/(volatile solid) VS g, 115.3 mL/VS g, 109.7 mL/VS g, and 80.0 mL/VS g, respectively, and the potential of methane transformation production of broth ranks as: SB> L> SP> CS. Daily methane producing rate of SB, SP, and L broth are faster than that of CS. It is necessary to separate the corn stalks into different parts to ferment because the optimal fermentation concentrations for the different parts are different. Additionally, the Gompertz equation was also adopted to simulate the anaerobic digestion process of different materials. The Gompertz equation fitting parameters show that the biodegradation (from easy to difficult) was: L < SP < SB < CS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A split-plot trial with three replicas in Northeast China was carried out to investigate the effects of 25-year corn stalk (CS) and mineral fertilizer application on soil microbial biomass and the microbial community structure in a continuous corn cropping system. The main plots were treated with CS including 0 (CS0), 2500 (CS1), and 5000 (CS2) kg ha−1. Subplots were split into N (N), NP (NP), nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK), and non-fertilizer control (O). The results showed that N application (CS0N) decreased soil microbial biomass carbon (SMBC), soil microbial biomass nitrogen, bacterial phospholipid-derived fatty acids (PLFAs), and fungal PLFAs compared with the treatments of O, NP, and NPK with CS0. Compared with CS0,CS application (CS1and CS2) increased SMBC, total PLFAs, Gram+PLFAs, and Gram−PLFAs. CS of 5000 kg ha−1combined with NPK application (CS2NPK) had the highest SMBC, soil microbial biomass nitrogen, total PLFAs, and bacterial PLFAs. Principal component analysis demonstrated that CS application had distinct effects on soil microbial community structure relative to the non-CS application. Our results provide a better understanding of the significance of corn stalk-balanced fertilization with NPK in promoting the soil microbial biomass and the microbial community structure in the continuous corn cropping system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrothermal liquefaction of corn stalk under CO atmosphere with three commercial heterogeneous catalysts was performed in a high pressure autoclave. The structure and reducibility of the catalysts were studied by X-ray diffraction and differential thermal gravity under H2atmosphere. The results indicated that the catalysts greatly increased the conversion of cornstalk yield and heating value of liquid product. The activity order of the catalysts is as follows: JT203 > JT201 > JB-1, which is consistent with the high surface area and low reduction temperature of JT203. The catalysts might favor a hydrothermal liquefaction process through the active H produced by water-gas shift reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The hydrothermal liquefaction of corn stalk under different atmospheres (N2, H2, and CO) was performed in a high pressure autoclave (500 mL) at 380°C for 30 min, and the compositions of the liquefaction products were characterized by elemental analysis. It was found that the order of conversion of biomass, yield, and H/C ratio of liquid product follows: CO > H2> N2; 10–13% oxygen is preserved in the liquid product and most of the oxygen in biomass is removed as CO2and H2O; 64–79% and 24–31% of the original biomass' heating value is preserved in the liquid product and solid organic matter. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article presents the application of agro-waste materials (i.e., bagasse and corn stalk fibers) along with E-glass fiber in order to evaluate and compare their suitability as reinforcement for thermoplastic composites. The hybrid effect of glass and cellulosic fibers on the tensile, flexural, and impact properties of the composites were investigated. Water absorption and thickness swelling were also studied. In general, the hybrid composites presented superior properties compared to the control (without glass fiber) samples. Additionally, synergistic improvements in the physico-mechanical properties of composites were obtained with the addition of glass fiber. Overall trend shows that with the addition of agro-waste materials, tensile and flexural properties of the composites were moderately enhanced. However, corn stalk fibers showed superior mechanical properties due to their high aspect ratio and chemical characteristics. Addition of glass fibers into the composites considerably enhanced tensile, flexural, and impact properties without having significant effect on the elongation at break. Morphological study also confirmed the impact behavior of composites. Moreover, incorporation of glass fiber with agro-waste fibers in PP matrix considerably decreased the water uptake and thickness swelling of the hybrid composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corn stalks, which are an abundant agricultural waste product in Turkey, have a high carbohydrate structural content and could be a valuable raw material for bioethanol production. In this study, stalks with crystalline cellulose and complex lignin and hemicellulose distribution in their structure were first steam-exploded and then chemically treated to achieve efficient hydrolysis. The conventional chemicals sodium hydroxide (NaOH), sulfuric acid (H2SO4), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and an alternative chemical, sodium borohydrate (NaBH4), were utilized in the chemical treatment procedure. Results showed that the samples treated with NaOH (83.9%) and NaBH4(82.9%) gave higher glucan conversion in enzymatic hydrolysis compared to those treated with H2O2(74.5%) and H2SO4(56.6%). The highest ethanol yield from untreated stalks (97.4 g/kg) was obtained when the stalks were pretreated with 4% NaBH4for 90 min; the theoretical ethanol yield was found to be 72.5%. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The structure of a healthy, western corn rootworm (WCR) free cornfield shows straight rows in a clear order and upstanding corn stalks. The WCR larval infection causes wilted broken corn stalks lying randomly on the ground. That means the damage itself causes physical and visible disorder in the cornfield. Our goal is to assess and identify the disorder and structural changes caused by WCR using polarimetic radar images (ALOS PALSAR). We used three different individual features (monoculture-feature, optical-feature and radar-feature) derived from remote sensing data to identify WCR larval damage. The integrated assessment of the three features can give more accurate WCR damage identification than to assess features separately one-by-one. We carried out retrospective examinations and operational regional assessment in 2008 to test the efficiency of our remote sensing methodology. As a result of the retrospective examinations, the accuracy of damage identification was 61–70% with the one-by-one evaluation of the remote sensing features. The accuracy of damage identification is higher than 80% with the integrated evaluation of the three features. In 2008, through the operational regional assessments, we could identify 1085 ha (175 spots) of WCR damaged cornfields using our remote sensing methodology. We double-checked 10 of the identified spots on the ground. Only one spot of the 10 was WCR free. Five spots showed low WCR infection which appeared in smaller damage spots. One spot presented mid-scale and three spots high-scale damage. This project demonstrates the potential in the integrated assessment of optical and radar satellite images to assess and identify the disorder and structural changes caused by WCR larvae as well as other agricultural damages. Using polarimetric radar technique increased the accuracy significantly. By the successful development, this project can effectively contribute to the WCR identification, spread monitoring and control in Hungary as well as in the European Union. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Few issues have evoked more emotional reaction than the recent debate over the patenting of life forms modified through genetic engineering. However, the germ plasm reservoir and the research capacity of USDA, land-grant colleges, and seed companies made it possible to deal with this problem and, as a result, the nation enjoyed a record corn crop in 1971. [Extracted from the article]