2021
Selle valdkonna püsiv URIhttp://hdl.handle.net/10492/6821
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Sirvi 2021 Kuupäev järgi
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Kirje Evaluation of ozone influence on wheat grain quality during active drying(2021) Straumite, E.; Rucins, A.; Viesturs, D.; Kleperis, J.; Kristins, A.The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of ozone on the quality of wheat grain during air ventilation drying process. After harvesting, the wheat grain was placed in two storage tanks. In one storage tank for grain drying was used air but in the other - ozone as the drying agent. The following quality parameters - moisture, water activity, gluten, starch and protein content, as well as the total plate count of microorganisms were determined during storage. Wheat grain quality parameters were analysed by taking samples from the top and bottom of the storage tanks. Two-year experiments showed that ozone treatment did not significantly affect (P > 0.05) the moisture content, water activity, gluten, starch and protein content of the analysed wheat grain, but all parameters were significantly affected (P < 0.05) by the sampling location - top or bottom of the storage tank. All samples taken from the top of the tanks throughout the drying process had higher water activity (aw < 0.800). It should be noted that in both series of experiments it was found that there is a very large difference (up to 10%) in grain moisture between grain sampled at the top and bottom of the tanks. Favourable conditions for the development of microorganisms are increased moisture and free water available in the products and raw materials. According to the results obtained in the experiments, it can be concluded that the total plate count in the analysed wheat grain did not exceed the permissible norms (105 CFU g -1 ).Kirje Operation of the photovoltaic system in Prague and data evaluation(2021) Šafránková, J.; Petrík, T.; Libra, M.; Beránek, V.; Poulek, V.; Belza, R.; Sedláček, J.The on-grid photovoltaic system was installed at the Faculty of Engineering in 2015. The monitoring system developed in our laboratory monitors data and can also detect failure and type of failure. The evaluation of the data shows that the amount of electricity produced slightly exceeds the expected values predicted by the internationally used internet application PVGIS. The effect of the aging of PV panels has so far had a minimal effect on the electricity produced. Immediate output power is affected by multiple parameters. Higher temperatures reduce the efficiency of energy conversion, so in summer the instantaneous power may be lower even at higher radiation intensity and smaller angle of incidence.Kirje The role of producer organizations in development of the Latvian fruit and vegetables sector and the EU(2021) Biuksane, I.Cooperation works as a tool for stable and sustainable economic development, facilitating human well-being and development of economy. It reflects cohesion of the sector and interest in facilitation of the common development of the sector. At the EU level, an increasing attention is paid to cooperation and its role in promotion of competitiveness of the fruit and vegetables sector. The aim of the research is to evaluate the contribution of producer organizations to the development of the fruit and vegetable sector and achievement of the objectives of the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy. Based on the national and international planning documents, available statistical data and the results of conducted questionnaires, a general overview of the activities of fruit and vegetable producer organizations in Latvia and their achieved results in reaching the objectives of the EU’s common organization of the market in agricultural products was provided. Several proposals were developed to strengthen the activities of fruit and vegetable producer organizations, to facilitate the competitiveness of the sector, as well as to implement the Common Agricultural Policy of the EU. The results obtained during the research can help the institutions involved in the establishment and implementation of the Common Agricultural Policy of the EU to better develop and improve the policy in the sector.Kirje Digestate application with regard to greenhouse gases and physical soil properties(2021) Šařec, P.; Korba, J.; Novák, V.; Křížová, K.The article deals with the method of application of digestate with regard to the environment, soil properties and utilization of nutrients by plants. The aim is to monitor the dependence of the emission gas leakage and the dose of applied fertilizer. With the current expansion of biogas plants, a large amount of waste product, especially digestate, is being generated. This product is most often used as a liquid organic fertilizer because it contains substances important for plant growth. The disadvantage of this fertilizer is the release of greenhouse gases into the air. The digestate contains mainly ammonia, nitrogen in the residual organic matter and is a fertilizer with rapidly releasing nitrogen. The ammonium nitrogen contained in the digestate is easily subject to air losses. Therefore, a method of application for a certain crop is sought, where the smallest leaks of gases into the air occur. Different amounts of doses for the same route of administration are compared. To measure the amount of emission gases, a wind tunnel was placed on each variant of the application, taking air above the soil surface, which is discharged to the gas analyser. The monitored greenhouse gases are CH4, NH3 and CO2. Furthermore, physical properties of soil were monitored in order to verify the conditions of the experiment. One of the parameters measured was the soil bulk density of the soil by taking intact soil samples. The penetration resistance of the soil was also determined, which indicates the degree of compaction. The use of nutrients was assessed through the condition of the stand on each variant by monitoring vegetation indices using remote sensing of the earth.Kirje Linear compression behaviour of oil palm empty fruit bunches(2021) Saller, T.; Herak, D.; Mizera, C.; Kabutey, A.The study describes the mechanical behaviour of oil palm empty fruit bunches (EFB) as a promising product for pyrolysis production. The EFB samples mixture of moisture content 6.3 ± 0.3 (% d.b.) were grouped into different fraction sizes of 10, 20, 40 and 100 mm. The initial pressing height of each fraction size was measured at 60 mm and compressed at a maximum force of 4,500 N and speed of 10 mm min-1 to obtain the force-deformation dependencies using the universal compression machine and pressing vessel of diameter 60 mm with a plunger. Deformation, deformation energy, volume energy and strain were calculated. While deformation decreased with fraction sizes, deformation energy increased. The deformation energies at fraction sizes from 10 mm to 100 mm indicated energy savings of approximately 23%. The optimal fraction size in relation to energy efficiency was observed at 10 mm. The tangent model accurately described the mechanical behaviour of the EFB samples mixture. The results provide useful information for the design of optimal technology for processing EFB for energy purposes.Kirje Development of the mathematical model of the electric resistance baking process(2021) Kulishov, B.; Minkin, D.; Fedorov, A.; Novoselov, A.The work is dedicated to the development of the mathematical model of the electric resistance baking process for the purpose of predicting temperature changes during baking of dough pieces of arbitrary sizes. The equation for the non-stationary thermal regime of a body with an internal heat source was used with a number of assumptions. The dynamics of the dough temperature changes was determined by numerical solution of the equation in Comsol Multiphysics. Due to the complexity of the dough baking process and the impossibility of solving the equation by analytical method only, a number of values included in the energy balance of ER baking were determined experimentally. A dough piece with dimensions of 100×50×80 mm was baked during the experiment. After the adjustment, the adequacy of the model was checked by comparing the data on the dough temperature changes during baking dough pieces of the same recipe, but of different sizes (150×49×80, 80×62×80, and 65×75×80). Statistical analysis using Fisher's criterion confirmed the adequacy of the model.Kirje Introduced assessment of agrestic legumes in the middle Urals(2021) Karpukhin, M.Yu.; Abramchuk, A.V.Currently, in fodder production industry, there is an acute problem of finding legumes that are well adapted to the natural and climatic conditions of the Middle Urals, possessing great longevity, as well as high fodder values. In the Middle Urals, as well as in the Russian Federation, as a whole, legumes valuable for forage from wild vicia and peavine species are still not used in culture. Both of these genuses are of great practical interest for their introduction into culture. They significantly differ from legumes traditionally used in fodder production in a number of parameters: long longevity (7–10 years in natural phytocenoses), resistance to a complex of natural and climatic conditions (rather high winter hardiness), early regrowth in spring. The purpose of the experiment is to reveal the characteristics of the growth and development of perennial wild legumes under conditions of introduction. The tasks of the study included the determination of the height and average daily growth dynamics, the timing of the passage of phenological phases, and the productivity of aboveground biomass. Research methods. The study on the introduction of agrestic legumes was carried out in the ‘Uralets’ educational and experimental farm (2005–2012), located in the Beloyarsky district of the Sverdlovsk region on the educational and experimental field of the crop production and breeding department. The experimental design includes 3 options: 1 opt. - Vicia sylvatica L. (forest vicia - control); 2 opt. - Lathyrus pisiformis L. (pea-shaped peavine); 3 opt. - Lathyrus pratensis L. (meadow peavine). The use of grass stand is single-cut, mowing carried out in the phase of mass flowering of the plants studied. To identify the floristic composition dynamics, a complete geobotanical description of vegetation was carried out. The following botanical composition was distinguished: introduced (cenose-forming) species: Vicia sylvatica L., Lathyrus pisiformis L., Lathyrus pratensis L.; non-seeded species - this group includes all wild-growing species (grasses and forbs) that have invaded the vegetation cover. Results. During the study it was established that the earliest regrowth is characteristic of peashaped peavine, it significantly outpaced other types of legumes in its development. The different phyto-cenotic stability of the cenose-forming species in the grass stand was discovered, the highest observed in the meadow peavine. The productivity of aboveground biomass in meadow peavine (by year of study) was significantly higher than in other studied species; on average for 2006–2012 it amounted to 15.3 t ha-1 , which is 1.9 t ha-1 higher than forest vicia and 4.6 t ha-1 more than pea-shaped peavine. Scientific novelty. For the first time, in the conditions of the Middle Urals, the growth and development features of wild perennial species from the family Fabaceae: Vicia sylvatica L., Lathyrus pisiformis L., Lathyrus pratensis L., were studied.Kirje Research into geometric parameters of digging shares used for lifting sugar beet roots from soil with assistance of vibration(2021) Bulgakov, V.; Holovach, I.; Adamchuk, V.; Ivanovs, S.; Melnik, V.; Ihnatiev, Ye.; Olt, Jüri; Estonian University of Life Sciences. Institute of TechnologyOne of the important conditions in securing the high quality, when performing the work process of vibrational root lifting, is to avoid damaging the roots. It is obvious that the greatest probability of damaging and even breaking the lifted root arises, when the tool interacts with the root body during their first contact and in the time of the root passing in the throat between the operating shares. The aim of the study is to substantiate the rational design length for the working throat of the vibrational root lifter in its interaction with the sugar beet root while lifting the latter from the soil. As a result of the completed research, the minimum permissible tool oscillation frequencies have been determined for the specific values of the lifter’s translational velocity and the working throat rear part length, at which the event of the vibrational lifting tool gripping the root will occur at least one time. For example, when the length of the lifter’s working throat rear part is equal to 0.1 m and the oscillation frequency is equal to ν = 20.3 Hz, the satisfactory quality of the vibrational root lifting process is ensured, when the velocity of the translational motion performed by the vibrational lifter stays within the range of 1.3–2.55 m s –1 . In order to ensure the good quality of the vibrational root lifting process at the lifter’s translational velocity equal to V = 2.0 m s –1 and the frequency of its tool’s oscillations equal to ν = 10 Hz, it is necessary that the length of the lifter’s working throat rear part is equal to 0.2 m, at a tool oscillation frequency of 6.7 Hz - 0.3 m. As a result of the completed numerical calculations, the permissible values have been determined for the tool oscillation frequency, which can be recommended for the translational velocities within the range of 1.3–2.2 m s –1 , taking into account the limitation set for the tool oscillation frequency by the pre-condition of the guaranteed gripping of each root by the digging shares.Kirje Laboratory analyses for assessing the potential for biogas production of various agricultural residues in Greece(2021) Aravani, V.P.; Tsigkou, K.; Kornaros, M.; Papadakis, V.G.Greece produces significant amounts of agricultural and livestock waste. For the needs of this study, Greece was divided into a Northern and a Southern part and relevant proposals were made for residues that can be used for energy production, through anaerobic digestion. For Northern Greece, this study concluded that the most abundant residues and potential substrates for anaerobic digestion valorisation are those of maize, inedible vegetables (including greenhouse vegetables), cattle manure, as well as the residues of beer and wine industry. For Southern Greece, the corresponding substrates are those of maize, inedible vegetables, sheep/goat manure and residues of wine, tomato, orange and olive processing, respectively. Based on the physicochemical characterization of individual feedstocks, corn silage, tomato husks, watermelon, malt, cattle manure, orange, and olive processing residues (olive pomace) were considered as the most suitable feedstocks for anaerobic digestion. Biochemical Methane Potential (BMP) assays for Northern Greece were also performed, testing the most abundant and appropriate residues for anaerobic digestion (of this area), namely corn silage, cattle manure and malt, in order to define their BMP yield as well as their prospective optimum mixtures. It was concluded that the BMP of the mono-substrates is in accordance with literature, while there were no statistically significant differences in the methane yield of all tested mixtures. The residual biomass originating from the three main categories of the agricultural sector (crop residues, agro-industrial residues, and animal manure) in Northern Greece can be efficiently valorised via anaerobic co-digestion, without observing, though, any synergistic effects on methane production.Kirje Evolution of production and forage quality in sown meadows of a mountain area inside Parmesan cheese consortium(2021) Argenti, G.; Parrini, S.; Staglianò, N.; Bozzi, R.Sown meadows, encompassing alfalfa and grass-legume mixtures, are the forage crops on which is based Parmesan cheese production system in the mountain area of the Apennines (central Italy). These grassland types experience, during their development, deep changes in terms of production potentiality, botanical composition and forage quality, thus these meadows have to be periodically renewed to guarantee adequate productive and qualitative performances. To have an accurate assessment of this evolution along time, a survey was performed in different mountain farms inside the Parmesan cheese consortium, analysing alfalfa meadows and grass-legumes mixtures of different ages. Grasslands were monitored during 2019, performing three samplings during growing season. Aboveground biomass production, botanical composition and crude protein content were collected during the survey. Results permitted to evaluate the level of production decrease along years, the evolution of analysed parameters among cutting dates and the dependence of productive and qualitative features on botanical composition and presence of sown species in the swards. Results were useful to hypothesize the composition of future mixtures, to improve management issues and to delineate the possible duration of sown meadows for the area with respect to different purposes in terms of desired productive or qualitative objectives.Kirje Morphological and morphometric characteristics of Cornelian Сherry (Cornus mas L.) in natural conditions of the Crimean Peninsula(2021) Kashirina, N.A.; Bagrikova, N.A.; Zhaldak, S.N.; Pashtetsky, V.S.; Drobotova, E.N.Cornelian cherry (Cornus mas L.) is a valuable fruit and ornamental plant in the Cornaceae family. This is a promising frost- and drought-resistant crop, undemanding to growing conditions. Fruits and leaves of plants are rich with biologically active substances which allows them to be used in pharmaceutical, food, liquor, and other industries. In the natural non-cultivated communities on the Crimean Peninsula the species is represented by a wide variety of forms that are promising for study from the point of view of botanical and breeding research. There is practically no information in the scientific literature about the characteristics of cornelian cherry for the most common places of its growth on the Crimean Peninsula, regarding the morphobiological features and patterns of development of cornelian cherry plants, which determines the relevance of research. The purpose of this work was to study the intraspecific variability of cornelian cherry plants within natural coenopopulations under varying ecological conditions in the foothill, mountain, and South Coast of the Crimea in order to identify the most promising forms for further breeding research. The results of a three-year study (2017 to 2019) revealed differences in the life form of plants, in the timing of fruit maturation, in the shape and color of the leaf and fruit, and in their metric parameters. Promising forms of plants with the largest fruits (an average weight from 1.65 g to 1.81 g) and a low percentage of endocarp - from 10% to15% (Form 1 - CP I, CP II, CP V, Form 2 a - CP IV) can be recommended for further breeding research.Kirje The effect of cultivation technology on the plant development of organically grown garlic(2021) Lepse, L.; Zeipiņa, S.; Missa, I.; Osvalde, A.The new technological solutions for the hardneck garlic production were tested to prevent the influence of unfavourable soil and climatic conditions on the rooting, sprouting and wintering ability of hardneck garlic - factors that affect significantly the hardneck garlic production in Latvia. Field studies were carried out at the experimental field of the organic farm, located at the Koknese district, Latvia, during the seasons of 2018/2019 and 2019/2020, on sandy loam soil using hardneck garlic cultivar `Liubasha` and local clones. Two variants of garlic growing were compared - traditional planting in the autumn in the field as control, and planting in the trays as an innovative solution. Results indicated that low temperature treatment (below +7 °C) for the period of at least 50 days initiates cloves primordia development. The using of trays is effective technology to prevent unfavourable agroecological conditions on the field in the case if controlled conditions are available and technically feasible in the farm.Kirje Relationship between somatic cell count in goat milk and mature Kashkaval cheese parameters(2021) Balabanova, T.; Ivanova, M.It is challenging to ensure Kashkaval cheese consistent quality during the production process which is directly correlated to the somatic cell count (SCC) and bacterial presence. This is one of the most popular and widely discussed topic areas in the dairy industry. SCC is used to limit the inflammatory process and to predict the health status of the animal’s mammary glands. The objective of this study was to evaluate the quality characteristics of mature Kashkaval cheese was produced from goat milk with different SCC (below 1,200 thous cells mL-1 - group I (low), above 1,750 thous cells mL-1 - group II (high) and up to 1,600 thous cells mL-1 - group III (medium)) and samples were evaluated on the 1st and 60th day of ripening by chemical, microbiological and sensory profile. The results showed a significant relation (P < 0.05) between the levels of SCC and Kashkaval cheese water content during ripening. For all analysed samples, the total lactic acid bacterial count was the highest between the 15th and 45th day of ripening and reached values up to 6.0 log cfu g -1 . Pathogenic microorganisms (Listeria monocytogenes, Coagulase-positive staphylococci) and coliforms were not detected. The highest number of psychrotrophic microorganisms was observed in Kashkaval samples with high SCC. The sensory evaluation revealed a higher score for cheese samples with low and medium SCC in comparison to the cheese sample with a high SCC.Kirje The effect of synbiotic inulin and enterococcus bacteria on digestive health and weight gain in calves(2021) Arne, A.; Ilgaza, A.The aim of study was to investigate the effect of a synbiotic containing Enterococcus bacteria and 3 different concentrations of inulin on the performance and health status of calves. Forty randomly selected healthy male Holstein crossbreed calves 23 (+/- 5) days old and weighing 50 kg (+/- 5 kg) were randomly allocated to 4 groups: control group (CoG n = 10) fed only whole milk, and 3 synbiotic supplemented groups: 1) SynG6 n = 10, 2) SynG12 n = 10, 3) SynG24 n = 10, in which calves received various amounts of prebiotic inulin (artichoke powder 6 g, 12 g, and 24 g) with 0.25 g of the probiotic Enterococcus faecium (2×10 9 CFU g -1 ). At the end of this study all three synbiotic group weight gains were significantly greater than the control group (p < 0.01). SynG12 (12 g artichoke powder) group's weight gain was significantly greater than control and the 6g and 24 g synbiotic groups (p < 0.05). The average cold carcass weight results were similar to the live weight results: SynG12 was significantly (p < 0.05) higher than SynG6 and SynG24. Supplementing feedings with this combination of the synbiotic containing 6 g of inulin (produce in Latvia) mixed with Enterococcus (Protexin, UK) bacteria (SynG12) was most effective in achieving the greatest daily weight gain and cold carcass weight.Kirje Characterization of different wood species as potential feedstocks for gasification(2021) Sulg, Mari; Konist, Alar; Järvik, OliverThis paper provides an extended overview of the chemical characteristics of 19 different wood species originating from Estonia. The variation of chemical composition in wood and bark was investigated using a variety of analytical techniques including WD-XRF, ICP-MS, and elemental analysis. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to observe clustering in the sample set. It revealed a clear data clustering in terms of the wood and bark samples. Wood characteristics exhibit quite narrow ranges, on the other hand the composition of wood bark samples is significantly different and more distributed. The correlations and associations among 27 chemical parameters, including 16 ash-forming elements, were studied. Several significant positive correlations between Cr-Ni-Fe, Ca-Sr, Al-Na-Si-Ti, K-Mg-P, Fe-Zn-Cr-Ni-Cu, Ash-Ca, N-S-P and O-volatile matter were found. Most of the metallic components are negatively correlated with volatile matter, C, H, O and heating value and are positively related to each other, or no significant correlation was identified. Results are compared to literature data and technical quality standards for biomass. Biomass feedstocks availability and composition for gasification process was discussed. Wood samples had higher volatiles content than in bark which is an indication that higher conversion rate and lower gasification temperature can be used. Spruce, pine and black alder barks have higher fixed carbon content than other common species that may increase biochar yield. Commonly available woods like Scots pine, Norway spruce, aspen, birch, black alder and grey alder may considered as suitable feedstocks for gasification because of their low N, S, Cl, and ash content together with high volatile matter, however, relatively high total heavy metals content were found from birch and grey alder barks compared to other hardwoods.Kirje Biochemical contents of highbush blueberry fruits grown in the Western Forest-Steppe of Ukraine(2021) Shevchuk, L.M.; Grynyk, I.V.; Levchuk, L.M; Yareshcenko, O.M.; Tereshcenko, Ya.Yu.; Babenko, S.M.The study of the physical and consumption qualitative indices of the highbush blueberries (the cultivars ‘Reca’, ‘Elizabeth’ and ‘Bluegold’) in the Western Lisosteppe of Ukraine has shown that the biggest fruit mass was accumulated by the berries of two last mentioned vs (1.54–1.50 g respectively). ‘Bluegold’ has this indicator as the least variable (V = 10.6%). The accumulation of fruit mass of all studied cultivars was facilitated by a moderately humid period of their development in 2018 with a hydrothermal coefficient of 1.1–1.2. The favorable year for the intensive synthesis of the dry matter and soluble solids was 2017 when the precipitation amount did not exceed 44 mm. The biggest number of the mentioned substances during the research period was accumulated by fruits of ‘Reca’ - 17.48 and 13.24%, respectively. It was established that the dry matter content had high level of stability (V = 8.2%), and middle was for soluble solids (V = 19.5%). The amount of monosaccharides from which glucose and fructose were investigated in fruits varied from 6.11 (‘Bluegold’) to 7.85 (‘Reca’), it was slightly lower in ‘Elizabeth’ berries - 7.78%. ‘Bluegold’ fruits were characterized by high stability (B = 9.6%) of the biggest content of titrated acids among the studied cultivars (2.42%). The dry weather with low number of precipitation in 2017 (hydrothermal coefficient 0.3–0.4) was favourable for the accumulation of both the mentioned acids and vitamin C in fruits of highbush blueberries in the period of their formation and growth. The amount of ascorbic acid in fruits in the specified year varied from 20.00 mg 100 g -1 WM (‘Reca’) to 27.00 mg 100 g -1 WM (‘Elizabeth’) with an intermediate value of 22.50 mg 100 g -1 WM (‘Bluegold’). The latest of the mentioned varieties had the most constant index (V = 7.0%). The content of polyphenolic substances was slightly dependent on weather conditions during the period of fruit growth, the coefficients of variation were 6.2% (‘Reca’), 7.0% (‘Elizabeth’) and 5.8% (‘Bluegold’). The fruits of the last mentioned cultivars were characterized with the biggest anthocyanins and chalcones content (68 and 13 mg 100 g -1 WM, respectively). The substantial indirect dependence of the content of the nutritive substances and anthocyanins on the berry mass was revealed in the ‘Reca’ fruits.Kirje Acoustic analysis of cement composites with lignocellulosic residues(Estonian University of Life Sciences, 2021) Ferraz, P.F.P.; Abreu, D.H.S.; Huallpa, B.N.; Santana, L.S.; Cecchin, D.; Rabelo, G.F.; Rossi, G.; Barbari, M.The concept of environmental sustainability has been seeking a way to develop projects that reduce the impacts provided by agricultural development and the excessive consumption of natural resources. However, there is still little knowledge about the acoustic insulation/absorption behaviour of lignocellulosic materials. Hence, this study aimed to evaluate the acoustic properties of five cement panels reinforced with the following lignocellulosic materials: eucalyptus, sugarcane bagasse, coconut shell, coffee husk, and banana pseudostem, which ones have as a reference a commercial plaster used as sealing in civil constructions. The proposed panels were produced with each lignocellulosic material residue. It was produced three replicates for each type including plaster (being 18 panels in total). The sound insertion loss (SIL) measurement of the above-mentioned panels have been performed using an acoustical treated inexpensive facility developed based on the literature. The characterization of the acoustic behaviour of the studied materials were analysed according to the IEC (61260-1). The acoustic measurements have been done in the range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz and the analysis in octave bands have been performed. To make the analysis easier, the overall range of frequencies mentioned above was divided as ‘low’, ‘middle’ and ‘high’ ranges. Additionally, the measurement of thickness, density and porosity structure parameters of the lignocellulosic samples have been performed. According to the results and doing a trade-off analysis, the eucalyptus presented the overall best performance considering the overall range of analysis, being the banana pseudostem and sugarcane bagasse materials as good competitors.Kirje Perspectives for biogas generation from manure on the farms in the Leningrad Region of the Russian Federation(2021) Timofeev, E.; Erk, A.The interest in biogas in the Leningrad Region is consistently growing. Biogas can replace fossil fuels in different applications and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The study aimed to demonstrate the perspectives for its generation from livestock waste and further farm application. The farm energy audits identified the pattern of fuel and energy consumption. Computational and statistical methods were applied to estimate the biogas generation. First, the study considered a cattle farm with 1,800 head and manure output of 43,300 t year-1 . According to calculations, the farm can fully meet its own needs for electricity or motor fuel by converting the manure into biogas. Meanwhile, the fuel use of biogas can reduce pollutant emissions by almost 30% against conventional fuel. Secondly, the study estimated the biogas production potential from the farm organic waste in the whole Leningrad Region with the total cattle stock of 165,000 head, pig stock of 184,000 head, and poultry stock of 29,180,000 head, producing about 8 million t year-1 of animal/poultry manure. According to calculations, the livestock waste processing will yield up to 500 million m3 of biogas. This is enough to fully cover the energy inputs of the farms in this region. However, the payback period for biogas plants is above eight years. The positive aspects of biogas application are introducing biogas in the farm energy balance as an energy resource; reducing the hazardous emissions owing to the improved processing of organic farm waste; obtaining high-quality fertilisers to consequently increase crop yields.Kirje Evaluation of artificial agricultural landscapes biodiversity in Stavropol Botanical Garden(2021) Grechushkina-Sukhorukova, L.A.; Peshchanskaya, E.V.The meadow steppes recreated in the Stavropol Botanical Garden, Russia, by planting sod blocks after more than 40-year period of cultivation have preserved species composition similar to zonal steppes. The aim of our research is to evaluate the restored artificial cultivated land biodiversity. A parallel measurement of species saturation per 100 m², yield, botanical analysis by crops was conducted on model experimental sites and in nature. Systematic and biomorphological flora study, analysis of variance were carried out. Useful plant species were identified. The restored steppes represent a multispecies community including 236 species, 149 genera, and 36 families. It consists of 5 biomorphs which comprise 2.9% of phanerophytes, 3.0% of chamephytes, 74.6% of hemicryptophytes, 14.4% therophytes that have a high degree of similarity in quantity to the steppes of Central Fore-Caucasus. The cenoses are dominated by plants having life cycles of perennial ones which accounts for 81.0%, annuals, and biennials make up 19.0%, cereals and sedges amount to 32 species (13.5%), legumes represent 28 speies (11.9%), mixed herbs are 176 (74.6%). The projective cover of grass stand is 80.0–100.0%, that corresponds 73–109 species per 100 m². An average yield of the restored steppes grass stand is 2.8–3.8 t ha-1 . It exceeds the productivity of natural cenoses by 2.1–3.3 t ha-1 . The botanical analysis by crops demonstrated that in the grass stands samples of cereals (19.6–43.9%) and mixed herbs (18.3–31.2%) dominated. 18 rare plants are preserved in the cenoses. 171 species have useful properties. The site of the restored meadow steppe is an exposition and serves for sightseeing and educational purposes. Lately, sod blocks planting was widely used in experimental phytocenology and landscape design. Its implementation for natural vegetation restoration on the large areas is time-consuming and expensive compared to the method of cultivated lands, therefore it can be used in small sites as a component of combined options.Kirje Measurability of quality in fermentation process of rice wine by IoT in the field of industry 4.0(2021) Vošahlík, J.; Hart, J.The article inquiries into the issue of automation of the rice wine fermentation process in the field of industry 4.0. Fermentation is the process of converting D-glucose into ethanol along with oxidation of reduced coenzymes (fermentation). This is known as ethanol fermentation, which takes place anaerobically in the presence of yeast. The fermentation is being improved by automation (sensors, etc.). The main aim is to develop an experimental automation environment in industry 4.0 for the process of rice wine fermentation. During the rice wine fermentation process, variety of measurable attributes are created which affect the quality of the resulting product. They can be monitored with the help of automation elements (pH, temperature, humidity etc.). In case of an experimental environment development, it is therefore important to select appropriately the sensory that can record the measurable attributes. At the same time, the sensory must be at a level of reliability that guarantee their sufficient use in the mentioned experimental environment for the rice wine fermentation. The result is that, if the right environment is chosen, the quality of the fermented wine will improve.