Search

Almond production in Ukraine is undergoing the process of formation. There is an urgent need to study the almond market in Ukraine, including the formation of production strategies. A content analysis of the scientific literature was used to single out the general approach for enterprise strategy development. With a view toward determining the regions in Ukraine with the most concentrated production of almonds, a cluster analysis was carried out. To maintain the SWOT analysis for the producers of almonds in Ukraine, a factor analysis was conducted. The incoming data for the factor analysis was obtained by surveying 98 domestic almond companies. For the development of product-based conceptual models, frequency analysis and multiple-choice analysis were applied. The main results included a conceptual model of the product portfolio, a generalized product portfolio for nut-producing enterprises in Ukraine, and a strategic approach for an almond-growing enterprise in Ukraine. Given the most promising regions for almond growing in Ukraine, the main SWOT analysis results outlined the broad prospects: lack of competition, high demand, and government support along with weak sector organization and opportunistic strategy. In addition, almond production fell under the investment production category, which was considered to require new employees.

Characteristic aroma compounds are emitted in each of the three main stages of bread production. The present study consisted in detection and measurement of odors emitted during the dough fermentation and bread baking processes with use of metal oxide (MOS) sensors and identification of aroma compounds using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The generated sensorgrams were analyzed using a new determination method based on three parameters read from the sensorgram. Groups of volatile compounds characteristic for the dough fermentation stage, i.e. alcohols, aldehydes, esters, ketones, acids, for the baking process, i.e. pyridines, hydrocarbons, amides, were determined. The investigations and statistical analysis of the results revealed the responses of the electronic nose and its potential to be used for detection of volatile organic compounds generated during bread production. The study indicates that the use of three sensorgram parameters yields precise identification of the type and stage of the process.

Renovation of multi-family residentials, including mainly thermal renovation, which includes adding thermal insulation, contributes to the improvement of living conditions. Above all, it reduces the operating costs of renovated buildings by reducing the consumption of heat energy for central heating. This article discusses the impact of light wet thermal renovation on the temperature distribution in the vertical cross-section of the partition wall and the calculation value of the temperature on the inner surface of the partition wall, as well as on the reduction of thermal energy consumption in buildings. The subject of the research was residentials erected in the large-panel, large-block, and traditional technology between 1984 and 1994, managed by Łomża Housing Cooperative (ŁSM).

The present study sought to analyze a novel type of polymer membrane fuel cell to be used in vehicles. The performance of the fuel cell was evaluated by modeling the types of production–consumption heat in the anode and cathode (including half-reaction heat, activation heat, and absorption/desorption heat) and waterflood conditions. The meshing of flow channels was carried out by square cells and the governing equations were numerically discretized in the steady mode using the finite difference method followed by solving in MATLAB software. Based on the simulation results, the anodic absorption/desorption heat, anodic half-reaction heat, and cathodic activation heat are positive while the cathodic absorption/desorption heat and cathodic half-reaction heat show negative values. All heat values exhibit a decremental trend over the flow channel. Considering the effect of relative humidity, the relative humidity of the cathode showed no significant change while the anode relative humidity decreased along the flow channel. The velocity at the membrane layer was considerably lower, due to the smaller permeability coefficient of this layer compared to the gas diffusion and reactants (cathode) layers.

Development investment capacity of farms depends on their potential and scale of production, and thus its revenue, which determines the scale of investment purchases. Most specialized farms have growth potential. Farmers take great interest in modernization and investing in new technologies, machinery and agricultural land, as confirmed by market analysis. Literature references offer information regarding the needs and investment opportunities of territorially diversified farms running conventional production, however the aim of the work is to determine the investment possibilities of organic farms with various production branches. The research included 50 farms certified as ecological producers. In order to answer the question which type of business has the greatest development potential, the examined facilities were divided into branch groups.

Evaluation of harvest and postharvest treatment quality of the grains is affected by usage of appropriate equipment and technology. The grain damage depends on its physical and mechanical features. The corn planting has significant representation in European conditions, mainly for food industry purposes. In the work, we were focused on observing of the drying temperature’s impact on the micro-damage of the seeds. The solution of the issue described in the work is closely related to the preparation and solution of the education project KEGA 039SPU-4/2017, and a scientific research project VEGA 1/0718/17 „Study about the effect of technological parameters of the surface coating in agricultural and forestry techniques for qualitative parameters, safety and environmental acceptability“.

In response to one of the most important challenges of the century, i.e., the estimation of the food demands of a growing population, advanced technologies have been employed in agriculture. The potato has the main contribution to people’s diet worldwide. Therefore, its different aspects are worth studying. The large number of potato varieties, lack of awareness about its new cultivars among farmers to cultivate, time-consuming and inaccurate process of identifying different potato cultivars, and the significance of identifying potato cultivars and other agricultural products (in every food industry process) all necessitate new, fast, and accurate methods. The aim of this study was to use an electronic nose, along with chemometrics methods, including PCA, LDA, and ANN as fast, inexpensive, and non-destructive methods for detecting different potato cultivars. In the present study, nine sensors with the best response to VOCs were adopted. VOCs sensors were used at various VOCs concentrations (1 to 10,000 ppm) to detect different gases. The results showed that a PCA with two main components, PC1 and PC2, described 92% of the total samples’ dataset variance. In addition, the accuracy of the LDA and ANN methods were 100 and 96%, respectively.

The process of deep fat frying is the most common technological procedure applied to rapeseed oil. During heat treatment, oil loses its nutritional properties and its original consumer quality is lowered, which is often impossible to determine by organoleptic assessment. Therefore, the aim of the study was to correlate markers of the loss of the nutritional properties by rapeseed oil related to the frying time and the surface area of contact with oxygen with changes in the profile of volatile compounds. The investigations involved the process of 6-, 12-, and 18-h heating of oil with a surface-to-volume ratio (s/v ratio) of 0.378 cm&minus, 1, 0.189 cm&minus, 1, and 0.126 cm&minus, 1. Samples were analysed to determine changes in the content of polar compounds, colour, fatty acid composition, iodine value, and total chromanol content. The results were correlated with the emission of volatile compounds determined using gas chromatography and an electronic nose. The results clearly show a positive correlation between the qualitative degradation of the oil induced by prolonged heating and the response of the electronic nose to these changes. The three volumes, the maximum reaction of the metal oxide semiconductor chemoresistors, and the content of polar compounds increased along the extended frying time.

Background: The impact of light on the content of undesirable substances is particularly important in the case of potatoes available in store where the tubers are exposed to continuous light access. Both washed and unwashed potatoes are available, hence the hypothesis that the amount of harmful substances stored in tubers depends not only on the time of their exposure to light, but also on whether they were washed or not. Methods: In order to verify the hypothesis, laboratory tests were carried out on the tubers of five potato varieties originating from a univariate field experiment. The aim of the study was to analyse the change in the content of total glycoalkaloids (TGA) and nitrates (V) in tubers of five potato varieties depending on the time of light exposition (0, 7, 14 days) and pretreatment of tubers. Results: It has been demonstrated that the content of glycoalkaloids and nitrates in potato tubers depended significantly on the variety, time of exposure to light and pretreatment. Most glycoalkaloids were accumulated in the tubers of the Lord (89.67 mg&middot, kg&minus, 1) and Irga (89.05 mg&middot, 1) varieties. The time of light exposure significantly influenced the increase in glycoalkaloids and nitrates in the studied potato tubers. The increase in TGA after 14 days ranged from 20.67 mg∙kg&minus, 1 for variety Vinieta to 54.67 mg∙kg&minus, 1 for variety Irga. The increase in nitrates ranged from 11.67 mg∙kg&minus, 1 for variety Bellarosa to 27.50 mg∙kg&minus, 1 for variety Irga. Exposure time affected the content of glycoalkaloids in a parabolic manner and the content of nitrates in a linear manner.

Precision sowing has been a major thrust of agricultural engineering research for many years; however, most of the research and development work has dealt with seeders for agronomic crops. Sowing quality means required vertical (depth) and horizontal (spatial) spacing of seeds in the soil with minimal damage to the seeds. The spatial distribution of seeds (horizontal spacing) is given by distance between the rows and spacing of the seeds in a row. The objective of the study was the evaluation and comparison of the sowing quality of sowing machine JD MaxEmerge XP with mechanical filling of ladle holes with holding fingers within usage of seeds with different dimensional and shape attributes in agricultural conditions. As it was observed that shape attributes have a significant effect on seeding quality and at the end it affects emergency and whole further growth of maize seeds. Sowing machine JD MaxEmerge XP reached good results for the quality especially when using the angular seeds. It reached the sowing quality expressed by the standard deviation of 46.95-50.76 % when seeds PR 37 N01 and for seeds PR 37 N01 it is 47.43-48.73 %. Another evaluative criterion is dual sowing of seeds or plants (DRR), it was reached the average value 3.65-2.45 % for angular seeds and the average of 1.54-3.71 % for approximately spherical seeds.

Plant growth regulators may reduce the negative effect of environmental stress factors and can contribute to increasing the quality and quantity of the yield. The aim of the research was to determine the effect of biostimulators on the quality of seeds of three winter rape morphotypes. Three varieties of winter rape were used: Poznaniak (population variety), PX104 (hybrid variety restored with a semi-dwarf growth type) and Konkret (hybrid variety restored with a traditional growth type). The varieties were exposed to three treatments: the biostimulator Tytanit&reg, the biostimulator Asahi&reg, SL and the biostimulator Silvit&reg, and the control with no biostimulators. Seeds were analysed for content of crude fat, total fat and crude fibres. The biostimulators reduced total protein content (on average from 0.8 to 1.75 g&middot, kg&minus, 1 of d.m.) and increased the concentration of crude fat (on average from 0.71 to 1.93 g&middot, 1 of d.m.) and crude fibre (on average from 0.15 to 0.84 g&middot, 1 of d.m.) compared to the control. PX104 had the highest content of crude fat and total fat protein, and the lowest in crude fibre. The smallest protein content was found in seeds of the long-stem hybrid Konkret, while crude fat was lowest in the population form (Poznaniak), and crude fibre was lowest in long-stem hybrid (Konkret).

The objective of the paper was to determine the energy efficiency of biomass production from Sida hermaphrodita and miscanthus in the selected farm. The paper covered research for the real residential building. Calculation of energy consumption of biomass production were made for theoretical plantations with the surface area of 1.20 and 1.30 ha. Energy needed for biomass production from Sida hermaphrodita is 27 606.1 MJ ha−1, while for the miscanthus it is 30 198.9 MJ ha−1. In the structure of energy consumption of production the highest share is in case of materials and raw materials (37.6% for Sida hermaphrodita and 32.8%—miscanthus), energy carriers (31.5% and 32.8%) and then investment means (17.2% and 20.9%) and human labour (13.7% and 13.4%). In case of Sida hermaphrodita, energy efficiency of biomass production from the acreage of 1.20 ha is 6.5, namely, more than six times more energy will be obtained in the first year of biomass production from Sida hermaphrodita than energy incurred on setting up the plantation. In case of miscanthus, for the surface area of cultivation of 1.30 ha the estimated index is 5.6.

Capital and energy effectiveness in organic production is similar to the one achieved in a traditional system, although it generally has a lower consumption of production and energy means. This consumption depends, however, on the applied technology, size, direction and manner of management. Since, implementation of new technologies and techniques in plant and animal production causes that farms obtain better and better indices of capital and energy effectiveness of their production. In the paper, the production size and consumption of energy carriers and raw materials for production purposes in organic farms was estimated. Effects of the obtained global and commodity production and expenditures incurred thereon presented in energy units enabled determination of capital and energy effectiveness of organic production and its energy consumption. A comparative analysis of the calculated indices was carried out, assuming a division criterion in the form of the surface area of agricultural land.

All item flows are always accompanied by information flows. The condition of the goods flow between a sending point and a receipt point is exchange of information between a sender and a consignee. The role of scientific-technical and economic information in modern agriculture grows successively. It is hard to imagine efficient management that would guarantee rational use of the factors of production, including respect for the environment, ensuring high quality of products and satisfaction of market requirements without it. Information is indispensable for both agricultural producers as well as producers and providers of production means and agricultural products consignees. Farms which strive to be competitive and which want to develop must use facilities of modern information technologies. The aim of the paper was to determine information acquisition methods and the relation to the level of equipment and the use of information infrastructure elements on commodity farms. The paper covered 50 agricultural farms located in the south Poland region. Information acquisition methods and the level of equipment and use of information infrastructure elements were determined. Respondents also evaluated which of the information acquisition methods was the best and which was the worst. It was concluded that the level of farm equipment in elements of information infrastructure was satisfactory and the information infrastructure methods guaranteed efficient farm management.

The paper presents efficiency of material and energy inputs and energy consumption of global and commodity production in organic farms with a varied production trend. These indices were expressed in traditional energy units. The results were obtained during a 3-year research conducted in 50 organic farms located in the southern Poland. The investigated facilities were divided into groups specialising in plant, animal and mixed production. Energy consumption was determined by division of the sum of energy streams i.e. direct energy carriers, raw materials and materials, investment means and repairs as well as live work by the sum of plant, animal production and other services. Efficiency of inputs was calculated as an inverse of energy consumption. The best result both with regard to energy consumption and energy efficiency were obtained by animal production farms.

A detailed analysis of technical means and methods of seeds separation, as well as the research results of domestic and foreign authors, have proved that one of the perspective methods for getting of high quality seed material is the pneumatic and electric separation.The analysis of research works and the modern technical level of pneumatic separators showed that insufficient attention was paid to the study of aerodynamic separation of small-seed crops, especially, cereal grasses. By the conditions of separation in a vertical pneumatic channel the cereal crops change the area of the midlength section as to the air flow forces, and the probability was increased of getting of seeds with germs to a biologically defective seed without germs. To increase the quality of pneumatic separation one can by the selective orientation of seeds in mixture with longer axis perpendicularly to the flow of air. It is possible to achieve these conditions by the additional force action on seeds (as particles). The response of this force action could be different for a healthy seeds (with germs) and for a non-viable (without embryo) or a weed seed. Such a force effect on the particles of small-seed crop mixtures can be realized by creating of a homogeneous electric field in a separation channel. This requires a theoretical and experimental study of force action on particles during the process of separation, also justification of parameters and operating modes of the pneumatic electric separator. This study is the preconditions for design improvement of the pneumatic electric separator.

The aim of the paper was to determine the production costs and profitability of biomass production from Virginia mallow including various harvesting technologies. The paper covered theoretical calculation of the production costs of biomass form Virginia mallow with the use of the computer application “Biocalculator”. Calculations were made for a plantation with the surface area of 5 ha and four technologies of harvesting and the product form (pressed straw, chaff). The paper determines the profitability of production of biomass from Virginia mallow for four variants of sale prices of biomass at the level of 100, 120, 140 and 150 PLN∙t-1. In case of T1 technology all assumed prices of sale of Virginia mallow biomass with the obtained production costs were profitable. On the other hand, in T3 and T4 technology, the scope of sale prices from 120 to 150 PLN∙t-1 caused that the biomass production was profitable. While, the least profitable was application of T2 technology where only at the assessment of biomass sale 150 PLN∙t-1 production was profitable and in the remaining price options the profit was not obtained.

Workstations are organizational units defined in a system, which deter-mine where and when production operations must be performed. Thus, they have de-fined loads, and operations performed thereon are evaluated based on the information to which places, where costs are formed, and to which types of activities they are ascribed. Workstations may include machines, people, production lines etc. The aim of the paper was to define effectiveness of operation of particular working stations which constitute a line for production of bread. The scope of the research covered the production line in a production establishment, namely a bakery. Based on the work schedule developed for particular workstations and documentation provided by the production site, a production capacity of the said line and its use and loading of particular workstations was defined. Analysis showed that the load of workstations was from 80 to 88%. A low level of variability of the load proves high mutual relations between particular workstations which are characteristic for continuous lines.

The paper presents the results of research on the use of electronic publications for writing theses by first and second degree students of two engineering and technical studies: agriculture and forestry technology, and management and production engineering. 53 first-degree and 175 second-degree students were included in the study. It was found that both first and second degree students use electronic publications on a par with printed ones when writing their theses. First-degree students preferred Google Scholar, while second-degree students preferred Polish scientific publishers. The choice of both the Google Scholar database and the pages of Polish scientific publications resulted from the possibility to search for papers in Polish, which was the main language of publication chosen by both groups of students.

Land and labour resources indicate that Polish agriculture has extensive options of competing on the European market. However, structural realities, particularly the agrarian scattering and excessive labour resources in the agricultural industry, contribute to low productivity of Polish farming. Productivity improvement can be achieved through increasing sizes of agricultural establishments as well as production of organic (eco) products. The paper presents the productivity review of land, capital and labour resources as well as material investments in production of the output volume at 50 ecological farms situated in the territory of the Macro-Region of Southern Poland. The studied farms were engaged both in general and specialised plant and animal production.