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The shelf life of fresh chilled and ice-preserved fish is relatively short. For this reason, different techniques have been studied in order to maintain the freshness characteristics of the fish for as long as possible. The work that is now presented analyses the interest of using filtered air curtains through HEPA filters in combination with antimicrobial ice to maintain the freshness characteristics of fresh fish in open displays for longer. The sea bass preserved in the control conditions (without antimicrobial ice or air from HEPA filters) presented higher counts of Pseudomonas and total mesophilic aerobic microorganisms, than those preserved with antimicrobial ice (T1) or with control ice with a filtered air curtain (T2). We observed a synergistic effect of the use of antimicrobial ice and air curtain filtered in HEPA filters (T3), achieving a better control of the proliferation of the spoilage microbiology, and of the evolution of the freshness characteristics of the fish, in such a way that it could reach a shelf life of up to 23 days. This research was funded by European program H2020-SMEINST-08-2016-2017 (Project ICE2LAST; Grant agreement ID: 804493)

Essential oils (EOs) are highly appreciated plant products in the food industry as sustainable alternative preservatives due to their high antimicrobial activity. For this reason, active packaging with EOs is a strategy with high potential for the preservation of fresh fruit and vegetables. In this work, the evolution of the physicochemical quality of lemons (var. Verna) in boxes with active paper sheets (EOs encapsulated in β-cyclodextrins) was studied for 5 weeks at 8 ºC, with supplementary commercialization simulation periods (5 days at room temperature). Lemons with active packaging showed less weight loss (1.3 %) compared to control samples (2.1 %), and maintained 30 % more firmness after 5 weeks, while color was not affected (p >0.05). In conclusion, the packaging of lemons with active paper sheets can be considered as an excellent conservation alternative, since it releases EO in a controlled manner preserving the lemon quality during both refrigerated and commercialization periods.

The aim of this study was evaluate the effect of an innovative new technology (NT), including cyclodextrin (CD)-encapsulated extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) within the breadcrumbs with subsequent baking in hot-air oven (frying-free), in combination with processing and packaging under clean-room conditions, on the product shelf-life. Two breaded products were used: chicken nuggets and croquettes. Prepared samples were packaged within a modified atmosphere of 30 % CO2 and 70 % N2 under either clean-room or normal conditions. Instrumental color, nutritional attributes, and microbiological characteristics were assessed during refrigerated storage at 4 °C for 14-21 days. Total oil uptake during processing of samples was reduced by 90 % when NT was used; and fiber content increased by 1.5-4 times. Processing and packaging under clean-room reduced bacterial populations and significantly extended the product’s shelf-life. In conclusion, the refrigerated shelf life of the studied breaded products was improved with this innovative new processing technology combined with packaging under clean- room conditions. This research has received funding from the Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology (CDTI, Madrid, Spain) through the project “New process technologies for healthy breaded products (Ref. IDI- 20190627)”.

Consumer’s health awareness increasement towards convenience foods is compromising refrigerated pre-fried breaded products demand. Thus, this study aimed to obtain chicken nuggets incorporating encapsulated extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) (as α-cyclodextrin complex) during the breading phase (mixing breadcrumbs and complex in a ratio of 2:1 w/w) to obtain a product by infrared baking (new technology, NT) with similar, or even higher, quality than deep pre-fried ones (CTRL). Evaluation of the obtained products (MAP packaged under 30 % CO2 / 70 % /N2) stored at 4 ºC was conducted for up to 14 days. NT samples maintained their fresh appearance throughout conservation and showed (p > 0.05) similar color values of pre-fried nuggets. Fat levels were reduced by 84.5 %, and sensory scores showed similar results as CTRL samples. Furthermore, NT nuggets reduced microbial growth, extending refrigerated shelf life from 2 to 4 weeks. In conclusion, encapsulated EVOO in the breading phase combined with infrared baking allowed to obtain healthier, higher quality nuggets with longer shelf life. This research has received funding from the Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology (CDTI, Madrid, Spain) through the project “New process technologies for healthy breaded products (Ref. IDI- 20190627)”.

Active packaging with essential oils (EOs) encapsulated in β-cyclodextrins is a strategy to achieve a controlled EOs release, whose antimicrobial and antioxidant properties are widely known. The microbial loads of lemons (cv. Verna) packaged in a box including an active paper sheet (EOs encapsulated in β-cyclodextrins) was studied during refrigerated storage (8 ºC) with supplementary commercialization periods (5 days at room temperature). Lemons preserved with active sheets showed 0.5 and ≈3 log CFU cm -2 lower mesophilic loads than control samples after 5 weeks of refrigeration and their respective commercialization periods. In addition, the active sheets reduced Enterobacteriaceae and yeasts/molds growth by ≈1, 1.23, and 0.1 log CFU cm -2, respectively. On the other side, the physicochemical quality (soluble solid content, pH and titratable acidity) of lemons was not affected by the active packaging. In conclusion, the active packaging preserved the microbial quality in lemon while physicochemical quality was not affected.

The proper design of the container for fresh fruits and vegetables is very important for the correct and rapid cooling of these packaged foods. Both the bulk packaging and the primary packaging must have adequate openings, such as macro-perforations in the film that closes the primary packaging or ventilation windows as in the case of bulk packaging crates (whether cardboard or plastic). Consequently, the heat transfer coefficient will be increased, and a significant reduction in cooling time can be achieved, thus reducing the specific energy consumption (in kWh/kg of produce) in the refrigeration installation during the pre-cooling process, and during storage and transport at marketing temperature. On the other hand, the active packaging of fresh fruits and vegetables can achieve a significant decrease in respiratory activity and, therefore, a reduction in the heat produced (in kWh/kg of produce) by respiration during pre-cooling, cold storage and refrigerated transport. The authors are grateful for the grant PID2020-119882RB-I00 funded by MCIN/AEI/ 10.13039/501100011033.

In many parts of the world, metal(loid)s resulting from mining activities are causing significant environmental concern, in particular because they are contaminating agricultural lands. In this respect, a previous study in South Korea suggested that a specific agricultural practice, associated with the growing of rice in paddy fields, could contribute specifically to the geographic spread of metal(loid)s contamination away from mine sites. The purpose of the research described in this article was to confirm this hypothesis at a different site. Samples from the surface soil of agricultural lands were collected from 374 sites (267 paddy soils and 107 dry field soils). The concentrations of As, Pb, Cd, Cu and Zn from the samples were analyzed and descriptive statistics and multivariate statistical analysis were carried out to identify potential sources of these various elements. In addition, geographical information systems (GIS) technology was applied to analyze the interrelationship between the mining activities and the distribution of meta(loid)s in agricultural lands. The results clearly show that the transport and distribution of As and Pb originating from the abandoned mine are distinct depending on the agricultural practice that was adopted locally. The highest concentrations of As and Pb are in agricultural soils nearest the abandoned mine site (< 1 km) because of climatic factors such as wind and precipitation that affect the direct mobilization of metal-bearing mine wastes. However, the distribution characteristics of As and Pb in the oxidizing environment of dry field soils in general suggest that the degree of pollution by these elements fell notably as the distance from the abandoned mine increased. In the alternatingly oxidizing and reducing environment of paddy soils, by contrast, the distribution of As and Pb is noticeably different from those of the dry field soils. Arsenic in particular is widely distributed across the study area with a high level of pollution regardless of the distance from the abandoned mine. These results confirm the hypothesis that the transport characteristics of metal(loid)s initially mobilized from an abandoned mine site into the paddy soils are predominantly governed by the specific submerged environment of rice paddy soils and these specific environments impact a wider area than climatic factors.

Improvement of feed efficiency in growing pigs is a key issue for the economic and environmental sustainability oflivestock production. This can be achieved with novel techniques such as precision feeding (PF). Within the Horizon 2020 EU Feed-a-Gene program (grant agreement n°633531), a decision support system (DSS) was developed to implement precision feeding in commercial pig farms. This study aimed to test the functioning of the DSS in practical conditions and the consequences on performance and nutrient use of growing pigs fed ad libitum. Sixty-four pigs were reared from 77 to 161 days of age (34 to 109 kg body weight, BW) in a single pen equipped with an automatic weighing-sorting system and eight automatic feeders allowing to register feed intake and deliver a tailored blend of two diets (A and B with respectively 1.0 and 0.4 g SID Lysine (Lys)/MJ NE, and 9.7 MJ NE/kg) to individual pigs. Pigs of the control group received a blend providing 0.9 g SID Lysine (Lys)/MJ NE until the average group BW was 65 kg (growing phase) and 0.7 g SID Lys/MJ NE thereafter (finishing phase). For the PF group, the assessment of the SID Lys requirement was performed individually and on a daily basis, based on up to 20 previous records of BW and feed intake. Feed composition was changed accordingly by blending diets A and B in appropriate proportions. Daily feed intake, average daily gain, and feed conversion ratio did not differ between treatments for the overall period or per period. During the growing period, the SID Lys intake and the nitrogen intake and excretion were respectively 10.8, 8.8, and 14.4% lower in the PF group compared to the control group (P0.68). This could result from a slightly higher feed intake (+100 g/d, P=0.24) in PF group combined with a SID Lys supply already low in control group. A second experiment will be performed in the same conditions to confirm the potential of the PF using the developed DSS.

Soil contamination due to atmospheric deposition of metals originating from smelters is a global environmental problem. A common problem associated with this contamination is the discrimination between anthropic and natural contributions to soil metal concentrations: In this context, we investigated the characteristics of soil contamination in the surrounding area of a world class smelter. We attempted to combine several approaches in order to identify sources of metals in soils and to examine contamination characteristics, such as pollution level, range, and spatial distribution. Soil samples were collected at 100 sites during a field survey and total concentrations of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn were analyzed. We conducted a multivariate statistical analysis, and also examined the spatial distribution by 1) identifying the horizontal variation of metals according to particular wind directions and distance from the smelter and 2) drawing a distribution map by means of a GIS tool. As, Cd, Cu, Hg, Pb, and Zn in the soil were found to originate from smelter emissions, and As also originated from other sources such as abandoned mines and waste landfill. Among anthropogenic metals, the horizontal distribution of Cd, Hg, Pb, and Zn according to the downwind direction and distance from the smelter showed a typical feature of atmospheric deposition (regression model: y = y0 + αe−βx). Lithogenic Fe was used as an indicator, and it revealed the continuous input and accumulation of these four elements in the surrounding soils. Our approach was effective in clearly identifying the sources of metals and analyzing their contamination characteristics. We believe this study will provide useful information to future studies on soil pollution by metals around smelters.

The tracer gas ratio method, using CO2 as natural tracer, has been suggested as a pragmatic option to measure emissions from naturally ventilated (NV) barns without the need to directly estimate the ventilation rate. The aim of this research was to assess the performance of a low-cost Non-Dispersive Infra-Red (NDIR) sensor for intensive spatial field monitoring of CO2 concentrations in a NV dairy cow house. This was achieved by comparing NDIR sensors with two commonly applied methods, a Photo-Acoustic Spectroscope (PAS) Gas Monitor and an Open-Path laser (OP-laser). First, calibrations for the NDIR sensors were obtained in the laboratory. Then, the NDIR sensors were placed in a dairy cow barn for comparison with the PAS and OP-laser methods. The main conclusions were: (a) in order to represent the overall barn CO2 concentration of the dairy cow barn, the number of NDIR sensors to be accounted for average concentration calculation was dependent on barn length and on barn area occupation, and (b) the NDIR CO2 sensors are suitable for multi-point monitoring of CO2 concentrations in NV livestock barns, being a feasible alternative for the PAS and the OP-laser methods to monitor single-point or averaged spatial CO2 concentrations in livestock barns.

Nutritional studies indicate that nutrient requirements for pregnancy differ largely among sows and according to the stage of pregnancy, whereas in practice the same diet is generally fed to all sows in a given herd. In this context, the availability of new technologies for high throughput phenotyping of sows and their environment, and of innovative feeders that allow the distribution of different diets, offers opportunities for a renewed and practical implementation of prediction models of nutrient requirements, in the perspective of improving feed efficiency and reducing feeding costs and environmental impacts. The objective of this study was thus to design a decision support tool that could be incorporated in automated feeding equipment. The decision support tool was developed on the basis of InraPorc® model. The optimal supply for a given sow is determined each day according to a factorial approach considering all the information available on the sow: genotype, parity, expected prolificacy, gestation stage, body condition (i.e. weight and backfat thickness), activity, and housing (i.e. type of floor and ambient temperature). The approach was tested using data from 2,500 pregnancies on 540 sows. Energy supply was calculated for each sow to achieve, at farrowing, a target body weight established based on parity, age at mating and backfat thickness (18 mm). Precision feeding (PF) with the mixing of two diets was then simulated in comparison with conventional (CF) feeding with a single diet. Compared to CF, PF reduced protein and amino acid intake, N excretion and feeding costs. At the same time, with PF, amino acid requirements were met for a higher proportion of sows, especially in younger sows, and a lower proportion of sows, especially older sows, received excessive supplies. This study is part of the Feed-a-Gene project and received funding from the European Union’s H2020 program under grant agreement no. 633531. The data used for the simulations were issued from a project conducted within the AgriInnovation Program from Agriculture and Agri-food Canada.[br/]

International audience; The ‘4 per mille Soils for Food Security and Climate’ was launched at the COP21 with an aspiration to increase global soil organic matter stocks by 4 per 1000 (or 0.4 %) per year as a compensation for the global emissions of greenhouse gases by anthropogenic sources. This paper surveyed the soil organic carbon (SOC) stock estimates and sequestration potentials from 20 regions in the world (New Zealand, Chile, South Africa, Australia, Tanzania, Indonesia, Kenya, Nigeria, India, China Taiwan, South Korea, China Mainland, United States of America, France, Canada, Belgium, England & Wales, Ireland, Scotland, and Russia). We asked whether the 4 per mille initiative is feasible for the region. The outcomes highlight region specific efforts and scopes for soil carbon sequestration. Reported soil C sequestration rates globally show that under best management practices, 4 per mille or even higher sequestration rates can be accomplished. High C sequestration rates (up to 10 per mille) can be achieved for soils with low initial SOC stock (topsoil less than 30 t C ha−1), and at the first twenty years after implementation of best management practices. In addition, areas which have reached equilibrium will not be able to further increase their sequestration. We found that most studies on SOC sequestration only consider topsoil (up to 0.3 m depth), as it is considered to be most affected by management techniques. The 4 per mille number was based on a blanket calculation of the whole global soil profile C stock, however the potential to increase SOC is mostly on managed agricultural lands. If we consider 4 per mille in the top 1m of global agricultural soils, SOC sequestration is between 2-3 Gt C year−1, which effectively offset 20–35% of global anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. As a strategy for climate change mitigation, soil carbon sequestration buys time over the next ten to twenty years while other effective sequestration and low carbon technologies become viable. The challenge for cropping farmers is to find disruptive technologies that will further improve soil condition and deliver increased soil carbon. Progress in 4 per mille requires collaboration and communication between scientists, farmers, policy makers, and marketeers.

The objective of this research was to evaluate the internal thermal environment of two broiler barns featuring different ventilation systems representative of Brazilian and South American poultry production industry: (a) a negative-pressure tunnel and (b) a positive-pressure lateral ventilation system. Environmental parameters such as dry bulb temperature, relative humidity and temperature-humidity index were assessed; temperature maps for day and night average conditions were determined for the first three weeks of life. Better uniformity of the thermal environment and comfort conditions inside the negative-pressure tunnel were found. RESUMO Objetivou-se, nesta pesquisa, avaliar o ambiente térmico interno de dois galpões de frangos de corte com diferentes sistemas de ventilação representativos da indústria de produção de aves de corte brasileira e sul-americana: (a) um com pressão negativa tipo túnel e (b) outro com ventilação lateral e pressão positiva. Parâmetros ambientais do conforto térmico, tais como temperatura de bulbo seco, umidade relativa e índice de temperatura e umidade, foram avaliados; mapas de temperaturas médias para as condições de dia e noite foram determinadas nas três primeiras semanas de vida das aves. Melhor uniformidade ambiental e condições de conforto térmico no interior do galpão com pressão negativa foram observadas.

The use of the tracer gas ratio method to estimate emissions from naturally ventilated (NV) livestock barns excludes the need of monitoring ventilation rates. However, it requires accurate measurement of tracer release rate (QT) and a representative estimate of the mixing ratio between pollutant (P) and tracer (T) gases ( [ P ] / [ T ] ¯ ) . While the quality of QT simply depends on using an accurate commercial mass flow controller, determination of a representative mixing ratio [ P ] / [ T ] ¯ is not trivial, since the NV livestock barn airspace presents complex movements that might be dependent on spatial vertical and cross horizontal dimensions. The goal was to assess the spatial variability of concentrations of the artificial tracer gas sulphur hexafluoride (SF6), the metabolic carbon dioxide (CO2) and the pollutant ammonia (NH3), along with their mixing ratios ([NH3]/[CO2], [NH3]/[SF6], [CO2]/[SF6]), inside a NV dairy cow barn. The results indicated that the vertical variability of the calculated mixing ratios became more stable with increase in height, reaching approximately constant values above the animal occupied zone. Using both the metabolic CO2 and the artificially injected SF6 as tracer gases led to a homogeneous spread in behaviour of mixing ratios along V and HC directions. Finally, the possibility of finding a zone within the barn airspace where mixing ratios are considered to be representative for the whole barn, and the implications of applying artificial or metabolic tracers are discussed.

Moisture content (Psi) of poultry manure or litter is an important property of the material. Relating manure or litter Psi to its ammonia (NH3) emission is conducive to assessing and/or controlling real-time ammonia emissions from the manure or litter. However; means to measure manure or litter on a real-time basis is lacking. This study was carried out to characterize the operational performance of a commercially available soil moisture sensor for measuring V of meat-bird (broiler and turkey) litters and laying-hen manure. The Psi tested ranged from 27.1% to 65.7% for broiler litter, 22.8% to 56.1% for turkey litter, and 11.0% to 75.0% for layer manure. Bulk density (rho) ranged from 318 to 468 kg m(-3) (20 to 29 lb ft(-3)) for the broiler and turkey litters and from 151 to 943 kg m(-3)(9 to 55 lb ft(-3)) for laying-hen manure. Linear regression equations were developed to relate the sensor output to Psi and rho for the meat-bird litters and to Psi for the laying-hen manure, all yielding good fit (R-2=0.95 -0.99). An uncertainty analysis performed on the developed calibration equations revealed average errors in the V estimation of +/- 7.1% estimated value for the poultry litters and +/- 6.7% estimated value for the laying-hen manure. Litter temperature was found to have a small impact on Psi measurement by the sensor, 0.31% of measured mV per degrees C (0.17% per degrees F) deviation from the mean operating temperature over the range of 4 degrees C to 24 degrees C (39 degrees F to 75 degrees F). Results of the study indicate that when properly calibrated, the soil moisture sensor offers a reasonable means for real-time measurement of poultry litter or manure moisture content.

A laboratory-scale study was conducted to determine the effect of feeding laying hens astandard commercial diet supplemented with different dosages of Yucca schidigera powder onNh3 emission rate and production performance. a total of 72 W36 laying hens at 25 wk of agewere used during the 12-wk study. the birds were equally divided into 4 groups and randomlyallocated among 4 diets containing, respectively, 0, 50, 100, and 200 ppm (by weight) yuccapowder. the hens were reared in an environment of 24 ± 1°C and a concomitant Rh of 45 to65%. Measurement of Nh3 emission rate was done with a Gaseous emission Vessels System.the Y. schidigera powder in the laying-hen diet at a dosage of 50, 100, or 200 ppm did not affectthe production performance of laying hens when compared with the 0-ppm dosage. the100-ppm dosage significantly (P < 0.05) reduced Nh3 emission by 44 and 28%, respectively,for the first and second day of manure storage when compared with the other dosages. On thethird day, Nh3 reduction was 14% but was not significantly different from the other treatments.adding 50 or 200 ppm of yucca in the diet did not reduce Nh3 emission. hence, adding 100ppm of yucca in the laying-hen diet coupled with frequent manure removal (once every 1 to 2d) would be conducive to reducing Nh3 generation and emission in laying-hen barns.

International audience; Data on ammonia (NH3) emissions from pullets (hens

This study was conducted to quantify heat and moisture production (HMP) of W-36 laying hens in their prime laying phase (27 to 33 weeks of age) using four large-scale indirect animal calorimeters. Two experiments were conducted involving two groups of hens. The hens were exposed to conditions of 24 degrees C to 27 degrees C and concomitant relative humidity (RH) of 45% to 65% for six weeks. In each experiment, a total of 216 laying hens were used, with 54 hens housed in each of the four calorimeters at the cage stocking density of 435 cm(2) hen(-1) (67 in.(2) hen(-1)) that was typical of industry practice. Total heat production (THP), room-level latent heat production (LHP), and room-level sensible heat production (SHP) were expressed as daily time-weighted average (TWA), with an average of 16 h light and 8 h dark. The results showed that HMP was similar for the 24 degrees C to 27 degrees C temperature range. THP, LHT; and SHP, in W kg(-1) (mean +/- SE) were, respectively, 6.1 +/- 0.3, 2.3 +/- 0.2, and 3.8 +/- 0.1 for the daily TWA; 6.5 +/- 0.3, 2.4 +/- 0.2, and 4.1 +/- 0.1 for the light period; and 5.4 +/- 0.3, 2.2 +/- 0.2 and 3.2 +/- 0.1 for the dark period. The HMP data contribute to the design and operation of ventilation systems in modern laying hen housing.

Introduction : The extensive and expanding use of plastics in agriculture results in increased accumulation of plastic waste in rural areas. The majority of this waste is left on the field or burnt uncontrollably by the farmers releasing harmful substances affecting human health, the safety of the farming products and the environment. Materials and Methods : Specific key scientific challenges have been set to be resolved in the framework of this project through integrated pre-normative research activities that are associated with the characterization of the stream, meeting the specs, expanding the specs of the disposal processes by defining the technical requirements and limits for achieving technical and economically feasible solutions for each disposal option. Results : A holistic environmentally sound waste management scheme that minimizes the costs and maximizes the revenues by transforming the agricultural plastic waste streams into labeled guaranteed quality commodities freely traded in an open market has been developed by the LabelAgriWaste project. Discussion Pilot tests have been run to optimise the scheme parameters and quantify the potential, the efficiency and the impact of the LabelAgriWaste scheme. The proposed solutions to the unresolved problems are expected to be achieved through the implementation of the LabelAgriWaste scheme. Conclusion : The labeling management scheme proposed is designed to be technically feasible, economic and able to satisfy the geographic diversity and the various technical requirements of the major stakeholders throughout Europe, including farmers, plastics producers, recyclers and industrial facilities utilizing alternative fuels for energy production.

Provides answers to questions about fuel alcohol, its costs and production.

The conservation of energy is creating interest in new forms of energy for agriculture in Canada. After World War II, a limited number of digesters were built in Europe, Asia and Africa to use manure and crop waste for the production of methane gas as a source of energy for farms. Recently, these experiences have prompted interest in the possible use of digesters to process manure in Canada. At present, there are no known commercial or farm-size units available in this country. The Canada Animal Waste Management Guide advises that although there are advantages to be gained from manure digesters, such as the production of a stable by-product and a valuable gaseous fuel, several limitations require careful consideration. These include a high capital cost for proper structures, equipment and gas control devices, continual care to avoid explosions, and at least daily feeding of diluted manure to the digester. Continual supervision is necessary and various remedial measures must be taken when the process becomes 'upset' since it is extremely sensitive to changes in environmental conditions, such as pH and operating temperatures. Also, even with the use of a digester, considerable material will still need to be stored for eventual application to cropland. Because of these limitations and the fact that manure digesters have not been developed or evaluated for our cold climate or assessed for economic feasibility, methane production from animal manure has yet to be proven as a reliable energy source. To consider their potential suitability and use in Canada, some research and development was initiated at the University of Manitoba a few years ago. This publication outlines the process, problems and progress made to date.

Discusses the major types of home insulation, how much is needed, and how it should be installed. Reprinted

A fact sheet that presents everyday things you can do to save energy and maintain comfort while heating and cooling your home. Reprinted

Discusses three things that can be done to control moisture buildup in the home. Reprinted

Proper installation and maintenance of heating and cooling systems can save money, improve home comfort, and improve reliability. Reprinted

A properly designed, installed and maintained solar water heater should save energy and be less expensive to operate than gas or electric water heaters.

The cost of operating a mobile home and comfort level are major considerations when looking for ways to save energy in heating and cooling. Reprinted

The time and money invested in weatherstripping and caulking windows and doors can pay off faster than most any other home improvement made. Reprinted