2024, Vol. 22, No. 2
Selle kollektsiooni püsiv URIhttp://hdl.handle.net/10492/9519
Sirvi
Viimati lisatud
Kirje Molecular characterization of new causative agents of root rot of wheat in Morocco(Estonian University of Life Sciences, 2024) Khalifi, H.; Bentata, F.; Bouarda, J.; El Aissami, A.; Niya, I.; Kahama Issa, A.; Maafa, I.; Hammoumi, S.; Karim, S.; Ibriz, M.; Amrani Joutei, K.; Brhadda, N.; Ziri, R.; Labhilili, M.Most of the world's cereal-growing regions are severely constrained by root rots, crown rot and head blight brought on by Fusarium spp. In Morocco, yield losses due to root rots are not negligible and range from 12 to 14%. For this study, wheat root rot was surveyed in wheat fields from 2014 to 2019 in different regions of Morocco. Diseased plants are less vigorous, show progressive rotting of the root system and produce white or discolored heads containing stunted seeds. Therefore, the improvement of national production goes through the study of this disease on a deep level. To do this, 75 samples have been collected for the morphological study, which made it possible to identify the genus Fusarium present in the roots and the crown of the infected plant, and the molecular study made it possible to characterize the Fusarium species that are present in Moroccan wheat fields. Molecular identification revealed the presence of five Fusarium species, namely: Fusarium culmorum, which is noted as the dominant species in Morocco with a relative frequency of 21%, F. graminearum, F. equiseti, F. avenaccum and finally F. sambucinum, which represented a high rate in the Gharb region.Kirje An optimization model for evaluating the economic effect of foliar treatment with biostimulants on spring rape(Estonian University of Life Sciences, 2024) Sarov, A.; Kostenarov, K.; Tzvetanova, E.The aim of the study is to evaluate the economic effect of foliar treatment with biostimulants: chitosan, vermicompost and vermicompost + nature-identical growth regulator on organic production of spring rape on organic production of spring rape. Two-years field trials were conducted using a block method with foliar treatment in 2 phenological phases (in rosette and flowering phase). The biological response of the culture at different doses of the biostimulators was investigated. The obtained primary results were used as input data for the construction of an economic-mathematical model for economic evaluation The treatment of spring rape with biostimulators has a positive effect on the yield of the crop. After that, a specific agricultural holding in the region is selected, which will serve as a model on which to construct the optimization model for evaluating the economic efficiency. In this farm, along with the intended crops in the production structure, spring canola is added - controls and treated with BS. The results are optimal after using chitosan in a dose of 500 mL daa-1. The results of this research show the economic benefits of using biostimulants, which are extremely important for farmers. They are an alternative to the requirements of the European Union's Green Deal At the heart of the Green Deal is the Farm to Fork (F2F) and the ‘Biodiversity Strategy’ (BS) strategy, which was launched by the European Commission in May 2020 to achieve a fair, healthy and sustainable food system by 2030. Under the F2F strategy, there is a need to reduce reliance on pesticides and antimicrobials, reducing excess fertilization, increasing areas for organic farming, improving animal welfare and reducing biodiversity loss. With the announcement of the goals and intentions of the Green Deal and its manifestations in agriculture, preparations also began for preliminary assessments of the consequences and impact that it will have on the entire food chain and for its transposition into the Common Agricultural Policy. At the same time, science research on alternatives to traditional conventional technologies is increasing. The results of the studies also took into account a set of assumptions for simulations of farm incomes, production and product prices.Kirje The effect of storage conditions and packing materials on the quality properties of chicken eggs(Estonian University of Life Sciences, 2024) Kryeziu, A.J.; Ramadani, Xh.; Hajra, L.; Kamberi, M.; Zogaj, M.This study investigated how storing eggs in different packaging (unpackaged eggs-control, cardboard, styrofoam, plastic) and temperatures (4–6, 20–22 °C) for 28 days affects their quality. Eight eggs were analysed on days 0, 7, 14, 21, and 28 for each treatment. Storage temperature–ST, packaging material–PM, storage duration–SD, and their interaction encouraged egg weight loss–EWL (P ˂ 0.05). The interaction of the three factors showed no significant difference in the EWL. Storage temperature significantly influenced (P ˂ 0.05), eggshell thickness–EST, albumen index–AI, albumen pH–ApH, Haugh unit–HU, yolk height–YH, and yolk index– YI. Some parameters like egg weight–EW g, shape index–SI and albumen weight–AW g, changed significantly (P ˂ 0.05) according to storage in different PM. The SI, eggshell weight–ESW g, EST, eggshell index–ESI, albumen ratio–AR, AI, ApH, HU, yolk weight–YW, yolk height–YH, YI, yolk colour–YC, and yolk:albumen–Y:A ratio changed during storage. The ST×SD was significant for EW, ESW g, EST, AW g, albumen ratio–AR, AI, ApH, HU, YW g, YH, and YI (P ˂ 0.05). As a result of the PM×SD interaction, significant differences (P ˂ 0.05) were observed in EW g ESW g, EST, AW g, and YI. A significant interaction effect of ST×PM×SD was found on AI, YH, and yolk pH–YpH (P ˂ 0.05). The purpose of this research is to give an overview of the storage conditions in order to have good quality eggs.Kirje Effect of genotype x external environment interaction on the number of the kernel per ear of barley(Estonian University of Life Sciences, 2024) Radic, V.; Komljenovic, I.; Nastic, S.; Petkovic, B.Genotype, external environment and their mutual interaction are determining or limiting a yield and barley tolerance to stressful conditions. This paper presents the results of a two-year study of nine selected genotypes at two localities. Aim of the investigation was determine which of the genotypes in the given production conditions gives the best results in the height and stability of yield. Based on the analysis of variance, Duncan 's test and interaction relations, a large variability between the examined genotypes was determined under the influence of different agroecological conditions of the locality, years of testing and their mutual interactions. All genotypes in this study achieved high yields. The highest total average yield from both localities and both years of testing was achieved by genotype 3 (8,767.99 kg ha-1), and the lowest genotype 7 (6,075.85 kg ha-1), which is significantly higher than the average yield in production in our country (3,150 kg ha-1). This showed that, with the selection of quality genotypes, the application of quality agrotechnics in appropriate agroecological conditions, a higher yield can be achieved.Kirje Potential of oilseed radish (Raphanus sativus l. var. oleiformis Pers.) as a multi-service cover crop (MSCC)(Estonian University of Life Sciences, 2024) Tsytsiura, Y.The possibility of oilseed radish use as multi-service cover crop (MSCC) during the ten-year period for spring and summer sowing was investigated. A comprehensive approach to assessing the formation of aboveground and root biomass by biochemical analysis with a comprehensive assessment of the factors that determine the quality, manufacturability and agricultural value of the crop was methodically applied. The actual agricultural value from the point of view of the possible use of oilseed radish as a cover, intermediate, green manure, fodder crop and an additional source for biogas production was analyzed. A multi-year data set based on 8 indicators of the formed plant mass, 17 basic indicators of biochemical composition, and 12 derived indicators of ratios and accumulation was formed. Based on the criterion evaluation and comparison of the long-term data set with similar indicators for cruciferous species used as a multi-service cover crop, oilseed radish was classified as a crop with high adaptive bioorganic potential. This was confirmed by the application of the Multi-criteria decision aiding (MCDA) method. The use of this method proved the possibility of multi-purpose use of oilseed radish as a multi-service cover crop on soils with medium fertility potential for unstable moisture conditions. The order of increasing importance of the direction of critical use of oilseed radish in the spring sowing period was: ‘Catch crop’ (Consistency index 0.188) - ‘Biogas’ (0.226) - ‘Fodder’ (0.370) - ‘Green manure’ (0.340) - ‘Cover crop’ (0.431). A similar order for the summer sowing period was: ‘Cover crop’ (0.244) - ‘Catch crop’ (0.305) - ‘Biogas’ (0.357) - ‘Fodder’ (0.407) - ‘Green manure’ (0.415).Kirje Study of heat exchange processes in the cooling system of a poultry house with side ventilation(Estonian University of Life Sciences, 2024) Trokhaniak, V.; Nasieka, Y.; Ihnatiev, Ye.; Synyavskiy, O.; Skliar, O.; Olt, Jüri; Estonian University of Life Sciences. Institute of Forestry and EngineeringModern systems for cooling the supply air in poultry houses are based on the use of spraying or evaporative systems. Both systems rely on the principle of adiabatic cooling, where water transitions from a liquid to a gaseous state through free evaporation, allowing for the reduction of the temperature of the external heated air in poultry premises. The objective of the research study was development of theoretical basis for using new method of cooling the outside air in poultry house ventilation systems is proposed, based on the use of water from underground wells and recuperative heat exchangers to cool the supply air. This method enables the reduction of the outside air temperature without increasing its relative humidity, unlike water spraying cooling systems, for example. Numerical modeling was conducted to obtain velocity fields, temperatures, and pressure differentials in the air environment of the poultry house. The results show that the air temperature exiting the heat exchangers at 20 °C is heated up to 26.6 °C inside the poultry house. Thus, the temperature of the supply air with this cooling system does not exceed permissible norms. The velocities and pressure differentials are sufficient to ensure that the air exiting the supply valves reaches the middle of the poultry house.Kirje Structural-aggregate condition and utilization of productive water reserve depending on the tillage method of podzolized chernozem in agrocenosis(Estonian University of Life Sciences, 2024) Bulgakov, V.; Gadzalo, I.; Chernovol, M.; Demydenko, O.; Holovach, I.; Ihnatiev, Ye.; Trokhaniak, O.; Mitkov, V.; Olt, Jüri; Estonian University of Life Sciences. Institute of Forestry and EngineeringThe work established the features of formation of the structural-aggregate condition and determine the main patterns of the formation of spring productive water reserves and its consumption in a five-field crop rotation when cultivating winter wheat and spring cereal crops using different tillage methods (plowing, systematic surface tillage, No-till systems based on plowing and systematic surface tillage) of podzolized chernozem (black soil) in the conditions of the central part of the Forest-Steppe of Ukraine. Common research methods were applied: field, laboratory, mathematical, and comparative-computational. Analysis of the results showed that during surface treatment, water-resistant aggregates are enlarged into the most valuable fraction, which affects the more rational use of productive water reserves during the growth of crops in crop rotation. Under the No-till system (in years 2–3), there is an accumulation of productive moisture in the soil layer of 0–1 m by 8–12 mm more compared to conventional tillage, and relative to the water reserves in 2022, the water reserve in 2023 increased by +19.0 mm (after conventional tillage) and by +14.0 mm (under surface tillage). Under the no-till system, in June and July, the average productive water reserve for the years 2022–2023 was higher compared to conventional tillage by 5–10 mm and 7–10 mm, respectively, and compared to surface tillage by 10–12 mm and 18–21 mm, respectively. In 2023, the productive water reserve in July under the No-till system exceeded that under conventional tillage by 17 mm, and compared to surface tillage by 31 mm. This improvement in soil structure water resistance in June and July was due to the increase in the content of water-stable aggregates sized 3–0.5 mm.Kirje Efficient maize cultivation: pre-sowing seed inoculation system - optimal nozzle pressure and diameter(Estonian University of Life Sciences, 2024) Shelest, M.S.; Shuliak, M.L.; Butenko, A.O.; Bakumenko, O.M.; Zubko, V.M.; Datsko, O.M.; Masyk, I.M.; Yatsenko, V.M.; Sirovitskiy, K.H.; Rieznik, S.V.Inoculation, as a technological operation, is currently underestimated, yet it has repeatedly proven its effectiveness. Its application in production or scientific research typically leads to improvements in yield, grain quality, or plant biometric parameters under study. However, the inoculation process itself is not standardized by any legislative act, so farmers rely solely on recommendations from manufacturers of inoculants and carry out this operation using, so to say, makeshift means. Therefore, a system of at-planting inoculation has been developed, which involves conducting this operation directly in the field. Hence, the aim of this study was to investigate the parameters of pressure and nozzle diameter that would provide the optimal amount of inoculant on the seeds and would be as close as possible to the manufacturer's recommendations. To conduct the study, a system model was created in which nozzles with diameters of 0.2, 0.3, 0.4 and 0.5 mm were investigated under pressures of 3, 4, 5 and 6 atm. The optimal amount of working solution per 1 ton of seeds was calculated for conducting the operation in the usual way, and the amount of liquid reaching 1,000 maize seeds was determined. Thus, the optimal pressure and nozzle diameter were identified. With a pressure of 3 atm in the system, none of the nozzles provide the required amount of working fluid. A similar situation occurs with a nozzle diameter of 0.2 mm. However, at higher pressure in the system and with other nozzle diameters, it is still possible to provide the necessary amount of liquid. Therefore, for the at-planting inoculation system, it is advisable to use a pressure of 4 atm and a nozzle diameter of 0.4 mm.Kirje Assessment of salt resistance of some potato varieties by biochemical and RFLP markers(Estonian University of Life Sciences, 2024) Badalyan, M.V.; Aloyan, T.V.; Dilanyan, V.T.; Kharatyan, S.A.; Martirosyan, H.S.; Sahakyan, A.J.; Sahakyan, N.A.; Melikyan, A.Sh.Continuous changes in climate, desertification, reduction of arable land, increase in salted land, in the conditions of continuous growth of the population, the problem of providing food and food security to humanity arises, the solution of which is one of the challenges of the 21st century that requires universal efforts. At the same time, abiotic stresses, which are the cause of 50% of global yield losses, are the motivation for the creation of new stress-resistant varieties of crops using modern technologies. The salt resistance of that idea as a physiological manifestation with a polygenic component is characteristic in the modern processes of selection management. This work presents studies of salt tolerance of three valuable varieties of potatoes cultivated in Armenia, using biochemical and DNA-markers. Classical agronomic, molecular-biological, genetic-mathematical methods are used in the researches. In order to induce salt stress and provocation background in plants, 50, 100 and 150 mmol solutions of NaCl were used. The results have shown that 11S-globulin of all varieties are polymorphic, forming different electrophoresis spectra and protein formulas. It is also evident that plants with different spectra of the same varieties react differently to salt stress. The DNA restriction regions of the saltresistant variants are significantly longer than those of the non-salt-resistant forms. Thanks to the biochemical and RFLP markers, it has been possible to establish salt tolerance loci, to identify and list plants with a salt-tolerant spectrum of the same variety, which can be nominated as new salt-tolerant varieties for breeding stock producers.Kirje Development and case study of an Industry 5.0 ready human-centric related brewing plant(Estonian University of Life Sciences, 2024) Schlechter, T.; Kopylov, P.; Wegen, J.; Manfredi, K.; Nicoletti, L.; Padovano, A.; Cardamone, M.; Francalanza, E.; Seidl, M.This article explores the transformative potential of learning factories in mecha- tronic systems development. Learning factories offer a dynamic, collaborative environment that bridges the gap between academia and industry, creating a mutu- ally beneficial ecosystem. The LEONARDO project aims to develop innovative teaching methods, materials and tools for human-centric industrial engineering and management education leveraging on an industry 5.0 replica of a brewing system. Brewing as a process can be considered as highly complex, while brewing as a procedure serves as a ‘sexy vehicle’ for appealing student’s interest in industry5.0 applications and human-centric production. The brewing process is and will increasingly be more automated and highly supervised. For the latter, modern implementations of sensors such as electronic nose, electronic tongue, and infrared spectroscopy are required to be installed on the brewing equipment. To efficiently use the sensor outputs, the produced signals need to be merged locally and pro- cessed adequately, researched and investigated deeply by the authors up-front with the results to be summarized. Furthermore, to enable the physical bridging of various involved institutions across Europe, connecting the relevant sites virtually presents another technological challenge. Adequate IoT equipment needs to be selected and included in the whole setup as well. Furthermore, an emphasis needs to be made on the human-centric approach, as well as data visualization. Each of the aforementioned pieces of technology need a thorough investigation along with a decent focus in integrating the puzzle pieces into the big picture which is the brewing plant. In this paper we describe the interaction along with the system integration strategies of the listed fields to enable a future proof industry 5.0 ready brewing plant, focusing on the human-centric approach demanded in the industry5.0 feature description.Kirje Psychosocial risks for health care workers in rehabilitation centre(Estonian University of Life Sciences, 2024) Kalkis, H.; Roja, Z.; Metuma, V.Psychosocial risks at work have a strong impact on workers in every economic field, especially in health care. The aim of this study was to analyze psychosocial risk impact on workers in 3 areas of work, including doctors or functional specialists, nurses and support staff at work for healthcare employees in one of Rehabilitation centers in Latvia. The Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire was used to assess psychosocial risks at work. Main results show that the high scores for work atmosphere and social support from colleagues reflect the favourable social environment in the context of employee relationships, but doctors and functional specialists face significant psychosocial risks characterized by high quantitative and emotional demands, compounded by job insecurity and inadequate managerial support. Nurses contend with high physical and emotional risks influenced by unpredictable work patterns, unclear roles, and insufficient social support, while support staff confront high workload, role conflicts, and pervasive job insecurity, minimal recognition and unsupportive workplace atmospheres. In general critical aspects include work-life balance, appreciation and self-rated health are at work. Continuation of the research will be related to investigating the psychosocial risks with cognitive tests for each research group.Kirje Genotype prediction in maize (Zea mays L.) progeny using different predictive models(Estonian University of Life Sciences, 2024) Polyvanyi, A.; Butenko, A.; Mikulina, M.; Zubko, V.; Kharchenko, S.; Dubovyk, V.; Dubovyk, O.; Sarzhanov, B.This study utilized two probabilistic methods, Gaussian Naive Bayes (GNB) and Logistic Regression (LR), to predict the genotypes of the offspring of two maize varieties: SC604 and KSC707, based on the phenotypic traits of the parent plant. The predictive performance of both models was evaluated by measuring their overall accuracy and calculating the area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). The overall accuracy of both models ranged from 80% to 89%. The AUC values for the LR models were 0.88 or higher, while the GNB models had AUC values of 0.83 or higher. These results indicated that both models were successful in predicting the genetic makeup of the progeny. Furthermore, it was observed that both models were more accurate in predicting the SC604 genotype, which was found to be more consistent and predictable compared to the KSC707 genotype. A chi-square test was conducted to assess the similarity between the prediction results of the two models, revealing that both models had a similarly high likelihood of making accurate predictions in all scenarios.Kirje Advancing circular bioeconomy: trends, clusters, and roadmaps in biofuel production and waste valorisation(Estonian University of Life Sciences, 2024) Chernysh, Y.; Chubur, V.; Roubik, H.Today, one of the important tasks of bioeconomy development is waste management based on the principles of environmental management and bioenergy production. In the context of this issue, this review focusses on the analysis of current trends in biofuel production that involve sustainable feedstocks and the valorisation of waste into useful bioproducts in agriculture. The scientometric method included the use of Scopus and Web of Science databases to compare the coverage of the research topic with keyword chain optimization. In addition, bioinformational databases was used to support the involvement of secondary raw materials in the bioprocessing cycle. The implementation of the research objectives resulted in the identification of bioeconomy clusters that emphasize the importance of developing specific regional circular bioeconomy strategies while avoiding ‘one-size-fits-all’ solutions for individual sectoral technologies. An example of bioeconomy development in the world is bioenergy. The structure of bioenergy has been analysed. A roadmap for biotechnology modernisation was proposed using the example of anaerobic waste conversion process as part of the implementation of a circular bioeconomy. The stages of the roadmap for the modernisation of bioenergy technologies were analysed within the framework of the sectoral implementation of the circular bioeconomy. The efficiency indicators for the implementation of bioeconomy in agricultural production have been determined. In addition, an important direction unifying anaerobic technologies with the agricultural sector is the enrichment of digestates with macro and microelements, which is possible due to mineral additives, for example, phosphogypsum. This direction was also considered from the point of view of environmental safety.Kirje Production of simple sugars from olive grove pruning using acid pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis(Estonian University of Life Sciences, 2024) Pedro, N.; Bezerra, R.; Fraga, I.; Duarte, A.P.The purpose of this paper was to optimize the production of simple sugars from olive grove pruning (OGP) using acid pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis. This study was based on a model composition corresponding to a 34 orthogonal factorial design and employed the response surface methodology (RSM) to optimize the pretreatment and hydrolysis conditions, aiming to attain maximum glucose, xylose and arabinose extraction from cellulose and hemicellulose of biomass. The pretreatment operating conditions considered for optimization, were temperature (60–180 °C), residence time (30–120 min) and sulphuric acid concentration (0.5–5% w w-1). Enzymatic hydrolysis experiments on solid fraction pretreated with diluted acid were performed at a solid concentration of 5% (w v-1, based on dry weight), using 50 mM citrate buffer pH 4.8 with BSA at a concentration of 60 mg g-1 dry biomass. The reaction mixture was incubated at 50 °C for 174 h on an orbital shaker at 150 rpm. Three commercial enzyme preparations (cellulase complex, b-glucosidase and xylanase) were used in enzymatic saccharification. Total carbohydrate content of the initial biomass was 51.25% (in dry mass), of which glucose was the major constituent with 33.59%. Contents of lignin and extractable found in biomass were 24.96% and 15.84%, respectively. In this work, it was possible to extract 93.1% of the sugars present in the olive grove pruning, with pretreatments carried out for 102 min at 156 °C with a sulfuric acid load of 4.09% (w w-1), followed by enzymatic hydrolysis performed for 174 h, with an enzyme loading of 18 PFU, 36 p-NPGU and 36 IU per gram of substrate.Kirje Herbicide-based selection of mutants for improved single cell protein synthesis: application and procedures(Estonian University of Life Sciences, 2024) Raita, S.; Berzina, I.; Kusnere, Z.; Kalnins, M.; Kuzmika, I.; Spalvins, K.Enhancement of industrially important microbial strains using random mutagenesis is widely used. Screening of potential mutants accelerates the selection of mutants with desired properties such as improved synthesis of lipids, carotenoids, enzymes, or increased tolerance to unfavourable conditions. However, random mutagenesis has not been used to improve protein biosynthesis in microorganisms, and a method for screening these mutants has not yet been developed. The present work reviews the new concept of using herbicides as tools for selecting mutant microorganisms with improved protein biosynthesis. Several pure herbicide substances are amino acid inhibitors whose specific action can be used as a selective pressure for screening protein-rich mutants. The article summarises information about thirteen amino acid inhibitors that inhibit microorganisms and provides data on applicable doses and specifics of use. The article contains mutagenesis protocols and mutant selection strategies, supplemented by theoretical considerations for practical application.Kirje Innovative approach to real-time diagnostic of bolted joints and elastic couplings to prevent their fractures(Estonian University of Life Sciences, 2024) Gorbacovs, D.; Gavrilovs, P.; Eiduks, J.; Gailis, M.Failure of fasteners can lead to undesirable consequences. Fatigue failure of machine parts is difficult to predict and prevent. Vehicles and agricultural machinery include various systems such as engine, transmission, and many other systems that are fixed and connected using fasteners. Without a doubt, the performance of an individual system depends on the design of its kernel. But for the system to work, it must be properly fixed. Premature failure of bolts is subject of interest of engineers. The purpose of this study is to identify the causes of the failure of the fixing bolts and develop device and algorithm for early detection of conditions that might lead to bolt failure. The experimental data is collected analysing bolts and elastic couplings of electric passenger trains. Laboratory studies included the measurement of tensile strength, hardness, microanalysis of the metal structure and chemical analysis of failed old and new bolts. The authors present various visual and numerical results from this study. It also provides detailed conclusions about the causes of failure and recommendations for the selection of bolts for critical mechanical connections under dynamic loads and variable temperatures. The authors have developed a device that can be used in mechanical engineering, shipbuilding and other industries to control the deformation, vibration and shocks acting on a bolted joint. This device for monitoring the load and vibrations of bolted connections allows to constantly collect and analyse data during the operation of the vehicle in order to reduce the number of unscheduled repairs of vehicles due to its damage, as well as to reduce the number of accidents or other incidents. The authors also have developed a method and algorithm for calculating and evaluating the influence of external factors on the shell of a rubber-cord coupling. The study is based on statistical, material, and mathematical analysis of unexpected failures of rubber couplings. A numerical analysis of the operating conditions of the couplings before failure was performed. The results obtained are encouraging and prove that the use of an impact force measuring device and real-time data analysis can be cost-effective and can eliminate the problem of bolt and elastic coupling failure in one go, as well as reduce the cost of operating and repairing vehicles.Kirje Spatial and temporal variability of enthalpy and its influence on the cloacal temperature of broilers(Estonian University of Life Sciences, 2024) Silva, M.A.J.G.; Santos, L.M.D.; Ribeiro, J.C.D.; Barbari, M.; Becciolini, V.; Naves, L.P.; Ferraz, P.F.P.Strategies aimed at mitigating heat stress conditions pose a challenge for the poultry industry operating in tropical climate zones. The primary aim of this research was to characterize and analyze the specific enthalpy of air (h, in kJ kg of dry air−1) in a broiler house using geostatistical techniques. In addition, its relationship with the cloacal temperature (tcloacal, °C) of the broilers was evaluated. The study was carried out in Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brazil. A total of 720 Cobb-500 broilers were raised from 1 to 42 days old. When the broilers were 7, 21, 35 and 42 days old, the dry bulb temperature (tdb, °C) and relative air humidity (RH, %) were recorded at 08:00 a.m. and 01:00 p.m. by seven sensors distributed throughout the installation, and tcloacal measured. Subsequently, h computed, and the data were examined through kriging interpolation. The tcloacal data were superimposed on the h maps of the facility. The spatial distribution of h inside the aviary (box) and temporal distribution (time and days) were characterized, and its variability was visualized. Tcloacal was directly related to the spatial as well temporal distribution of h, providing information about the thermal influence on production environment and the physiological responses of broilers.Kirje Multi-criteria decision analysis of wood waste ash and glass foam: toward sustainable material selection for biomethanation(Estonian University of Life Sciences, 2024) Kusnere, Z.; Lauka, D.; Spalvins, K.The study examines the potential applications of wood waste ash and waste glass, byproducts of various industrial processes, which have conventional applications such as composting and soil improvement. A new development, vulcanised wood ash material, is studied analysed, drawing parallels between its industrial production process and that of clay pellets. Vulcanised wood ash material and glass foam, which are characterised by advantageous chemical and physical properties, are proving to be versatile resources for various technical applications. Employing a systematic decision-making approach, the study utilises multi-criteria decision analysis and the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution method to evaluate materials for biotrickling filter reactors in ex-situ biomethanation. The comparative analysis includes ash filter material, glass foam, and other industry alternatives, emphasising environmental impacts. The findings reveal expanded clay pellets as the most suitable carrier material, closely followed by polyurethane foam, while glass foam demonstrates remarkable performance despite ranking third. The innovative qualities of glass foam, such as high porosity and thermal insulation, position it as a viable option for biotrickling filter reactors, promoting sustainable practices and circular economy principles. However, further development is required to optimise vulcanised wood ash for biomethanation, potentially enhancing its efficiency through pH adjustment and porosity optimisation.Kirje IGF1 and IGF2 gene polymorphisms are associated with the feed efficiency of fattened lambs in Latvian sheep breads(Estonian University of Life Sciences, 2024) Trapina, I.; Plavina, S.; Krasņevska, N.; Paramonovs, J.; Kairisa, D.; Paramonova, N.Feed efficiency is an economically important indicator in sheep farming. The most effective technology for selecting the best feed-efficient lambs for breeding is marker association selection of genetic variations in the sheep genome as potential biomarkers. In tissue growth and differentiation, insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) play a major role: IGF1 mediates the effects of growth hormone, and IGF2 is a growth regulator, regulating skeletal muscle growth. The study aims to find possible molecular markers for feed efficiency indicators in IGF1 and IGF2 genes for Latvian sheep breeds. The exonic regions of the IGF1 and IGF2 genes were sequenced for the first time in the genomic DNA of 76 controlled, intensively fattened lambs, to search for possible genetic biomarkers. Seven polymorphic loci in the IGF1 gene and sixteen in the IGF2 gene were detected. Statistically significant associations of the IGF1 SNP rs600896367 were found with residual indicators: Residual feed intake, Residual weight gain (RWG), and Residual intake and body weight gain (RIG), and with feed efficiency and feed conversion ratio in the overall group of samples. Additionally, IGF2 SNPs New_7 and rs429576107 exhibited associations with RWG and RIG specifically in the Latvian dark-head sheep group. On average, effect of the IGF1 SNP on associated feed efficiency residuals is 3.9%, with the most pronounced impact observed in RFI. In contrast, the influence of IGF2 SNPs is comparatively lower. Our results indicate that rs600896367 and New7/rs429576107 are potential molecular markers for marker-assisted selection in sheep breeding for residual feed efficiency indicators.