The article examines the effect of the main abiotic factors: temperature, wheat grain moisture content and carbon dioxide (CO₂) concentration on the biological activity of grains. Biological activity, which is assessed by the intensity of respiration and the amount of CO₂ released during it, is one of the most important indicators that allows assessing the condition of grains and the storage process. During grain respiration, organic matter is decomposed, accompanied by mass loss, emissions of metabolic products and, most importantly, the resulting heat flows, which directly affect the storage process and its success.
Abstract Samples of rapeseed oil obtained by cold pressing from seeds treated with an electrostatic field of intensity E = (0.05-0.25) MV·m −1 for a duration of t = 3-30 s were analyzed. As a reference, the spectral-luminescent characteristics of rapeseed oil samples prepared similarly from control rapeseed that had not been treated with an electrostatic field were also recorded. The behaviour of rapeseed oil fluorophores, namely tocopherol, phenol, fatty acids, oxidation products, vitamins and pigments, which are part of its composition, was a source of information about the chemical composition of the seeds under study. It has been found that the fluorophores in rapeseed oil obtained from seeds pretreated with an electrostatic field with an intensity at E = (0.05-0.25) MV·m −1 for t = 3-30 s exhibit spectral-luminescent properties identical to those of rapeseed oil obtained from seeds that were not subjected to additional electrostatic field treatment. Specifically, the spectral-luminescent properties of the fluorophores in rapeseed oil (tocopherol, phenol, fatty acids, oxidation products, vitamins, and pigments) obtained from seeds treated with an electrostatic field with an intensity at E = (0.05-0.25) MV·m −1 for t = 3-30 s were identical to those of fluorophores in rapeseed oil obtained from rapeseed that had not been exposed to an electric field of the specified parameters. The results obtained indicate that additional cleaning of rapeseed using an electrostatic field under the specified conditions does not cause any changes in its chemical composition or in the nature of intermolecular interactions within it.
Corrosion of agricultural machinery exposed to mineral fertilizers represents a critical issue, leading to substantial economic losses and deterioration of operational performance. The study aimed to test the hypothesis that a copper chelate complex exhibits anticorrosion properties and is capable of forming protective films on metal surfaces. The corrosion behavior of structural steel St3, widely used in agricultural machinery components, was investigated in aqueous solutions of various mineral fertilizers, including urea, ammonium nitrate, two types of nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium sulfur-containing fertilizers, and a micronutrient fertilizer containing a copper chelate complex. The solution concentration range (0.5-3 wt%) was selected to simulate realistic operating conditions for agricultural machinery. Distilled water served as the reference medium. Corrosion resistance was evaluated in accordance with GOST 9.908-85 using the gravimetric method. The results demonstrated that ammonium nitrate exhibits the highest corrosion activity, with a corrosion rate ranging from 1.2172 to 1.8937 g/m²·h, exceeding that of the control by a factor of 8.5. In contrast, the copper chelate complex showed pronounced inhibiting properties, reducing the corrosion rate to that between 0.0008 and 0.0019 g/m²·h, which corresponds to a reduction of approximately 99% relative to the control. Electrochemical studies were performed under potentiodynamic conditions using an Autolab PGSTAT 302N potentiostat. Measurements conducted in accordance with GOST 9.509-89 revealed that the copper chelate acts as an anodic inhibitor, shifting the corrosion potential toward more positive values by 0.34-0.59 V. The hypothesis was thus confirmed, and the corrosion protection mechanism was attributed to the formation of an adsorption film on the steel surface. The use of copper chelate is proposed as a bifunctional agent – serving simultaneously as a micronutrient fertilizer and a corrosion inhibitor – to reduce the corrosion activity of working solutions in contact with agricultural machinery components.
Heating of livestock buildings contributes to the normalization of the indoor climate. However, electric heaters commonly used in such facilities require periodic cleaning of their tubular heating elements, lack a standardized service life, and pose a fire hazard. Water and steam heating systems, on the other hand, involve high installation and maintenance costs. An alternative to these systems is an aerodynamic heating unit, which is simple, reliable, and easy to install. Its operating principle is based on the rotary heating of the coolant (air) within a thermally insulated working chamber equipped with two connecting pipes linked by a heat exchanger duct. To explore the feasibility of using an aerodynamic heating unit in livestock building heating systems, the authors manufactured a prototype and constructed a building model. The study aimed to develop a mathematical model for predicting both the coolant temperature and the resulting indoor air temperature as functions of the installation parameters, environmental conditions, and the thermal characteristics of the building envelope. During the autumn–winter period of 2025, research was conducted at Bryansk State Agrarian University on a prototype aerodynamic heating installation to obtain initial data for implementing the proposed mathematical model. A heat balance equation for the installation was formulated over an infinitesimal time interval. Based on the solution to the resulting differential equation, the desired functional relationships were derived. Analysis of these relationships and their comparison with experimental data demonstrated that the developed mathematical model allows prediction of the coolant and indoor air temperatures with an accuracy ranging from 3.4% to 6.2%, depending on the installation parameters, environmental conditions, and room characteristics. The findings of this study will facilitate the determination of optimal heating installation parameters based on the required indoor temperature.
Modern cattle farms face a shortage of optimal integrated solutions for selecting the most efficient feed preparation and distribution technologies, as well as a lack of well-founded recommendations for their implementation. The study therefore aimed to develop recommendations for choosing the optimal cattle feed preparation and distribution technology based on the criterion of minimizing operating costs. The costs were calculated using technological charts of the continuous production line for feed preparation and distribution on farms with a population of up to 1,500 heads or more. Three technological options were considered: Option 1 – a basic machine configuration with a trailed mixer; Option 2 – a configuration with a robotic feed preparation unit; Option 3 – cattle feeding technology with a self- propelled mixer. The evaluation took into account the following parameters: machine brands, functions performed, number of units involved, mixer hopper capacity, number of animals serviced per equipment unit per cycle, dosing uniformity, installed power, type of power unit, and number of maintenance personnel. A mathematical model of the continuous feed preparation and distribution line for cattle farms was developed using Microsoft Excel. This model enabled the calculation of technical and economic indicators for feed preparation and distribution technologies based on technological charts. The technological chart of the feed preparation and distribution process used on dairy cattle farms encompasses operating costs, capital investments, and labor costs for all three basic feeding technologies. The lowest operating costs (direct costs) – 404.83 rubles per ton – were recorded for cattle feeding technology with a self-propelled mixer (Option 3). The proposed recommendations, along with the application software designed as a simulation system, will enable specialists to calculate the possible consequences of their decisions through direct computer interaction, analyze the results, and select the most suitable option for the facility being designed.
