Highlights Dissolved reactive P concentration increased with an increased fertilization rate. Subsurface placement of P fertilizer can reduce acute DRP export regardless of fertilization rates. More research connecting P fertilizer use and P export at the field-scale is needed. Abstract. Dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP) export from agricultural areas is a leading cause of nutrient pollution in freshwater systems (e.g., the North American Great Lakes). A potential solution to mitigate the excessive release of DRP is the use of nutrient management. To evaluate the effectiveness of nutrient management for phosphorus (P) in the United States, we conducted a review to synthesize P management and DRP export data from peer-reviewed articles published between 2000 to 2022. We identified 15 publications and extracted 113 and 90 observations from plot- and field-scale studies, respectively. At the plot scale, mean DRP concentrations were approximately 60% lower when P application rates were below the maximum recommended rate. In addition to the lower mean value, more extreme DRP export events occurred when the P fertilization rate was greater than the maximum recommended rate. In terms of application method, subsurface placement reduced mean DRP concentrations during rainfall simulations by 88% relative to surface placement (i.e., broadcasting). For fertilizer sources, mean DRP concentrations were similar between inorganic and organic fertilizers. However, at high application rates, organic fertilizers had a greater potential to produce extreme DRP export events. At the field-scale, organic fertilizers applied at high rates had the potential to produce extreme DRP export events. However, field-scale results for the other nutrient management techniques were generally inconclusive due to a limited number of studies and confounding factors. Overall, these results displayed the potential adverse impacts of overfertilization and the surface application of P fertilizers and highlighted the need for further research into the influence of nutrient management on P losses. Keywords: 4R management, Agricultural runoff, Conservation practice, Phosphorus export.
Highlights An integrated GIS-based tool was developed for optimally locating bioenergy facilities. Waste and lignocellulosic biomass potential and distribution were assessed for Alberta. A case study for Alberta’s Industrial Heartland identified facility locations for two scenarios. Ten optimal locations were identified across Alberta for bioconversion of waste and biomass feeds. Abstract . Quantifying the availability of feedstock and determining an optimal location are key to ensuring the sustainability of a waste to value-added (W2VA) facility. This study aims to identify lignocellulosic biomass (agricultural and forest residues) and municipal solid waste (MSW) potential, find geographical point-source locations for the distributed biomass, and identify optimal locations for W2VA facilities across the province of Alberta, Canada, using an integrated geographic information system (GIS) based approach. MSW potential is estimated using population and average annual waste generation per capita, while agriculture and forest residue are estimated using production data and harvesting residue factor. A GIS-based framework is developed to locate biomass collection points by latitude and longitude for distributed biomass and to estimate their associated biomass potential. An integrated framework is subsequently developed to optimally locate W2VA facilities that have minimal environmental, economic, and social impacts. An array of geographical constraints is then considered in a suitability analysis and network analysis framework. An estimate of the annual availability of feedstock using the most recent data shows MSW, agricultural residue, and forest residue potentials of 4,330,000 wet megagrams (Mg), 4,060,000 dry Mg, and 2,070,000 dry Mg, respectively, in Alberta. Optimal W2VA facility locations are identified for Alberta’s Industrial Heartland (AIH) considering waste heat from the areas as an additional energy source. Ten other locations where facilities can be operated sustainably are identified across the province. This study can be used as a framework by municipalities and communities in any jurisdiction in the world to geographically locate biomass source and collection points, along with their annual capacity, and the corresponding optimal site for a W2VA facility. Keywords: Biomass, Biorefinery, GIS, suitability analysis, Integrated methodology, Municipal solid waste, Sustainability, Waste management, Waste-to-energy.
HighlightsTwo different configurations of 3D printed flumes of two different materials were tested for accuracy and variability.Discharge equations were developed for 3D printed 0.122 m HS and 0.102 m Palmer-Bowlus flumes.3D flumes are accurate and show no statistical variability between prints, providing a low-cost flow measurement tool.Abstract. Flumes are specially shaped, engineered structures that have been used widely for measuring flow. Flumes are typically fabricated from aluminum or fiberglass; however, these types of flumes can be costly if purchased commercially and may lack machine precision if custom fabricated. This limits availability for widespread monitoring by smaller municipalities, engineering firms, or researchers with limited budgets. Using 3D printing technology (additive manufacturing) to produce flumes is very cost-effective, but variability between flumes and materials has not been tested, and discharge equations have not been developed for 3D printed flumes. In this study, a laboratory-scale setup was used to develop discharge equations for two types of 3D printed flumes (0.122 m HS flume and 0.102 m Palmer-Bowlus flume) made from two 3D printing materials: polylactic acid (PLA) and polyethylene terephthalate glycol modified (PETG). Variability between the same type of flume and between different materials for the same type of flume was analyzed to evaluate the consistency of the discharge equation with flumes of the same type. Eight models were developed to fit each dataset (PLA, PETG, and combined PLA and PETG) for both flume types and evaluated for goodness-of-fit and information criteria (AIC and BIC for model parsimony) to select the discharge equation for each flume type. Discharge equations were consistent for the same type of flume across each print and across different print materials. The discharge equations of 3D printed 0.122 m HS flumes and 0.102 m Palmer-Bowlus flumes are Q = 0.45624 × H2.351 and Q = 0.0001176 + 1.309 × (H - 0.0174625)2.235, respectively. The discharge equations of both flume types had R2adj values greater than 97% for the measured data of each individual flume. Both 3D printed flumes were consistent in measuring flow and are suitable for hydrologic monitoring. Keywords: 3D printing, Additive manufacturing, Discharge equation, Flume, Hydrologic monitoring.
HighlightsA non-destructive, in situ, and low-cost root phenotyping system was developed.The system can collect color images and 3D cloud points of corn roots in soil.When tested in a greenhouse, the scanning process did not cause significant disturbance of corn plants.The results showed significant differences in root growth for different watering treatments and growth stages.Abstract. Plant root phenotyping technologies play an important role in breeding, plant protection, and other plant science research projects. Root phenotyping researchers urgently need technologies that are low-cost, in situ, non-destructive to roots, and suitable for the natural soil environment. Many recently developed root phenotyping methods, such as minirhizotron, X-CT, and MRI scanners, have unique advantages in observing plant roots, but they also have disadvantages and cannot meet all the critical requirements simultaneously. This study focused on the development of a new plant root phenotyping robot, called MISIRoot, that is minimally invasive and works in situ in natural soil. The MISIRoot system mainly consists of an industrial-level robotic arm, a miniature camera with lighting, a plant pot holding platform, and image processing software for root recognition and feature extraction. MISIRoot can acquire high-resolution color images of roots in soil with minimal disturbance to the roots and measure the roots’ three-dimensional (3D) structure with an accuracy of 0.1 mm. In tests, well-watered and drought-stressed groups of corn plants were measured with MISIRoot at the V3, V4, and V5 growth stages. The system successfully acquired RGB color images of the roots and 3D point cloud data containing the locations of the detected roots. The plants measured with MISIRoot and the plants not measured (control) were carefully compared with the results from a hyperspectral imaging facility (reference). No significant differences were found between the two groups of plants at different growth stages. Keywords: 3D point cloud, Low-cost phenotyping, Minimally invasive root measurement, Plant root phenotyping, Robotic arm application, Root imaging.
Highlights The TS-PEF diminished the color change compared to individual treatments. The concentration of Fe, Cr, and Ni increased after the treatments of PEF and TS-PEF. The volatile flavor compounds decreased after the treatment of TS and TS-PEF. Abstract . Chinese rice wine (CRW) is a traditional wine prevalent in East Asia. In current industrial production of bottled CRW, an additional thermal pasteurization is required at the bottling stage to extend the shelf life of the product, and this thermal treatment results in quality degradation and even carcinogen formation. In our previous studies, non-thermal technologies such as pulsed electric fields (PEF), thermosonication (TS), and their combination (TS-PEF) have been shown to significantly inactivate Saccharomyces cerevisiae in CRW as an alternative to thermal pasteurization of bottled wine. However, studies of their effects on the quality of CRW are very limited. In this study, we compared the physicochemical properties of CRW treated by pasteurization, PEF, TS, and TS-PEF. The results showed that the basic physicochemical indicators of CRW (total sugar, non-sugar solids, total acidity, amino acid nitrogen, and pH) did not change significantly after all these treatments. The TS-PEF treatment reduced the total color difference caused by the TS or PEF treatments. However, corrosion of the electrodes during PEF and TS-PEF treatment caused a significant increase in iron, chromium, and nickel concentrations. In addition, volatile flavor compounds, such as alcohols, esters, acids, and aldehydes, were reduced much more after TS and TS-PEF treatment than after pasteurization and PEF. Further research is needed on minimizing the negative impacts of these new technologies on the flavor of CRW in the context of effective sterilization. Keywords: Chinese rice wine, Metal ion, Physicochemical properties, Pulsed electric fields, Ultrasound, Volatile flavor compounds.
