Future of Food: Journal on Food, Agriculture and Society

Development of deep placement fertiliser applicator and modelling of loads arising in the process of its operation

VAITEKHOVICH IURII, BOIARSKII BORIS, HASEGAWA HIDEO — Thu, 23 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The article discusses the benefits of minimum tillage, which involves loosening soil and applying fertiliser below the main crop. This method reduces the number of operations needed to cultivate row crops like soybeans, wheat, and others. The soil tillage research, namely the mathematical calculation and static analysis performed using the CAD system, revealed the loads that arise directly in the places where the soil deepener is attached to the supporting structure's frame. Moreover, it also shows all the points that can be subjected to loads, such as the back of the deep tillage stand, the attachment point of the arrow-shaped coulter, and including spreader plate used for wide fertiliser delivery. Based on mathematical calculations, the calculated loads for soil deepeners were 2500 N per tool. CAD modelling enabled us to determine the form and details of the working tool, analyse the design integrity, identify structural deformations, and determine important indicators such as maximum load and safety factors. The obtained values indicate that the selected materials and fastening methods will satisfy the operating conditions obtained by calculation.

The potential of mangrove as a food source in Riau

Fri, 24 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Mangrove fruit has been utilized as a food by people in several regions of Indonesia, espe- cially as traditional food. Information about the potential and benefits of mangrove fruit is still limited. There is not much information regarding the physico chemical properties of mangrove fruit as a potential food source. This study aims to gather and review various scientific information related to the potential of mangrove fruit and its use as foodstuff. This information can be used as a basis to conduct further research related to the development of mangrove-based food and functional food products. Previous research revealed that in Ro- kan Hilir and Bengkalis Regencies, the Mangroves were dominated by three species; Rhyz- ophora mucronata, Bruguiera gymnorrhiza, and Sonneratia caseolaris. These three types of mangroves have the potential for food development in the future. Advanced processing of mangrove fruit that has gone through various stages of processing such as soaking, boiling, and drying, then processed into flour into various types of food, can be declared safe for consumption because proper processing can reduce the content of anti-nutritional sub- stances to a safe limit for consumption. When combined with other ingredients, products made from mangrove flour are safe to use as substitutes. Unlike substitute materials, further research on the use of mangroves as a main food ingredient still requires a more in-depth study, especially minimizing the risk of toxic substances contained in the mangroves, pro- cessing techniques, and the final product to determine whether its use is safe or not.

Preferences of market gardeners for traditional vegetables and associated factors in urban areas of southern Benin

Sun, 26 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0000

There is a growing interest in the promotion of the use of traditional vegetables to reduce micronutrient and dietary fibres gaps among food consumers, and to support rural and urban livelihoods in sub–Saharan Africa, including in Benin, because they are considered more nutritious, accessible, and more culturally acceptable for local people than many ex- otic vegetables. Meanwhile, the extent to which these traditional vegetables are preferred by the target populations, especially by the local market gardeners who supply consumers, is not yet well-known in the context of Benin, specifically in its large cities of Abomey-Calavi and Cotonou. This paper fills this knowledge gap by analysing the preferences and the fac- tors affecting the preferences of market gardeners for traditional vegetables in these cities. To achieve this objective, field visits and observations took place, as well as interviews with managers of market gardeners' organisations, and with market gardeners randomly select- ed in both cities. Data analysis revealed that a wide range of vegetables is produced in the study areas, including in decreasing order of importance, leafy (5 traditional and 1 exotic), fruit (3 traditional and 1 exotic), flower (0 traditional and 1 exotic), root (0 traditional and 1 exotic), and bulb (1 traditional and 0 exotic) vegetables. It was also noted that the pro- duction of traditional vegetables was preferred to that of exotic ones. The logistic regres- sion model executed indicated that “market gardeners group membership”, “resistance to pests”, and “clients’ demands” significantly and positively influence traditional crops’ choice by the gardeners. In contrast, “several years of market gardening experience”, “land loan”, and “profitability” significantly and negatively influence the choice of traditional vegetable production by the surveyed gardeners. Overall, it appeared from the study that economic interests and technical constraints are the main reasons guiding the market gardeners' pro- duction preferences and that leafy, fruit, and bulb traditional vegetables are most demanded by consumers. These findings suggest that Cotonou and Abomey-Calavi are relevant places for the promotion of traditional vegetable production

Evaluation of the response of some lettuce cultivars to growth, production, and quality indicators using hydroponic systems

AMAN IDELBE, HASSAN OBEAD, REYAD BALADIAH — Fri, 01 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The research was conducted at Abi Jarsh Farm in the Faculty of Agricultural Engineering at Damascus University during the first season of 2020-2021 and the second season (experi- mental repetition) of 2021-2022. The experiment aimed to study the evaluation of growth, production, and quality indicators for two lettuce varieties, Romaine and Iceberg, within various hydroponic techniques: Nutrient Film Technique (NFT), Drip System Technique (DST), Deep Water Culture (DWC), and using three different concentrations of nutrient solutions (100%, 50%, 25%). The results of the analysis of variance, according to chemical analyses, showed that the average of the Romaine variety had the highest percentage in the Carotenoids pigment estimation index for lettuce leaves compared to the Iceberg variety. Additionally, the Romaine variety recorded the highest percentage in the Total Soluble Sol- ids (TSS%) estimation index for lettuce leaves compared to the Iceberg variety. Meanwhile, the results of the variance analysis, according to physical tests, indicated that the average of the Iceberg variety had the highest percentage in the number of leaves compared to Ro- maine, while the Romaine variety recorded the highest value in the indicator of the total green length and inner stem

Partial purification of tannase enzyme produced by Bacillus licheniformis isolated from local soils

RASHA AL HADDAD, MOHAMADKHAIR TAHLA, LINA AL AMIR — Sat, 02 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Tannase is an enzyme that causes hydrolysis of a group of tannins (gallo-tannins) to gallic acid and glucose. This enzyme is of importance due to its numerous applications in many fields, such as in the food industry by enhancing tea and coffee flavour and improving the quality of fruit juices rich in tannins. Gallic acid is applied in the drug industry, and pro- duction of antioxidants is used in the oil industry. In this study, Tannase was produced by locally isolated Bacillus licheniformis using spent tea as substrate using submerged fermen- tation. The crude enzyme was extracted and centrifuged at 10,000 rpm for 10 minutes at 15˚C, and a partial purification was carried out using precipitation by ammonium sulphate 80%, then Sephadex G-75 gel filtration column (2.2×1.8 cm) with acetate buffered solution (0.2 M, pH 5.0) at a flow rate of 60 ml/h up to 3.16 fold with a specific activity reaching 0.931 IU/mg(unit of enzyme per mg). The molecular weight of the purified enzyme was determined to be 48 kDa using SDS-PAGE. Thus, the purification step is a step before ap- plying the pure enzyme in the food industry

Who Plays the Role? Is it Millennial Farmers? A Case Study in Pagelaran District, Malang Regency, Indonesia

RAHAJENG KUMARA ARDYANTI, ASIHING KUSTANTI, MANGKU PURNOMO — Sat, 02 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The Ministry of Agriculture is initiating the birth of millennial farmers as an alternative to accelerate farmer regeneration, including through the Youth Entrepreneurship and Em- ployment Support Services Programme (YESS Programme). After seeing the background of youth unemployment, one of the issues that can be identified in the stakeholder analysis of the YESS program is the effectiveness of the program in addressing youth unemployment. Research related to stakeholder role analysis has been widely used for various programs, so it is also essential to conduct research for the YESS program to identify stakeholder roles in the development of the program. This research aims to identify the actors involved in implementing the YESS program and to identify and analyse stakeholder roles in the YESS program in the Pagelaran District of Malang Regency. The analysis technique used in this research is Stakeholder Analysis (Reed, 2009). There are 13 actors involved in the YESS program, with key players including millennial farmers, Young Facilitators, Trainers, DIT, Mentors, BDSP, Financial Advisors, Supporting Staff, and Mobilizers. Stakeholders acting as crowds are the District Government and Village Government. Stakeholders acting as subjects are Off-Takers and Banks

Quality of synbiotic yogurt drink based on beneng taro flour and honey pineapple juice

Sat, 02 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Yogurt is one of the beverage products that people are interested in comes from fermented milk from bacteria generally Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophillus. Synbiotic yogurt is an innovative yogurt product derived from bacteria combined, with breast milk, probiotics, and prebiotics. The bacteria used in fermentation as probiotic bac- teria are Lactobacillus acidophilus. Prebiotics are types of carbohydrates that cannot be digested by the digestive system, one of which is found in taro flour. This research aims to determine the effect of adding different concentrations of taro beneng flour on total soluble solids, viscosity, total LAB, reduced sugar content, fiber content, and hedonic level of syn- biotic yogurt products combination of beneng taro flour and honey pineapple juice. This study was conducted with the addition of 0.3% bacterial starter, beneng taro flour concen- tration (2%, 4%, 6%), and the addition of 4% honey pineapple juice. Microbial tests (total LAB), physicochemical tests (total dissolved solids, viscosity, fiber content, and reduction sugar content), and hedonic tests (aroma, color, taste, texture, overall). The results of statis- tical studies of synbiotic yogurt beneng taro flour and honey pineapple juice showed that the difference in the concentration of adding beneng taro flour had a significant effect on total dissolved solids, viscosity, fiber content, but in total LAB and reduced sugar content had no real effect. The conclusion of the best treatment research was obtained from yogurt with the addition of taro flour as much as 6% based on the Simple Additive Weighting method with three parameters that are priorities for determining the best quality of synbi- otic yogurt, dietary fiber content, total LAB, and hedonic overalls

The effect of wuluh starfruit (Averrhoa bilimbi L.) added on the physicochemical and antimicrobial characteristics of chitosan-PVA edible film

EDDWINA AIDILA FITRIA, I KETUT BUDARAGA, RERA AGA SALIHAT — Sat, 02 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Edible film is an eco-friendly packaging innovation that can be a solution in dealing with the plastic waste problem. Apart from that, edible film is expected to have antimicrobial properties that can extend packaged food products' shelf life. Wuluh starfruit (Averrhoa bilimbi L.), a tropical plant from Southeast Asia that contains organic acid compounds, functions as an antimicrobial that can be added to edible films. This research aims to de- termine the effect of wuluh starfruit juice addition in making the edible film in terms of its micro-bacterial and physicochemical properties. A Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with seven treatment levels and five replications was used as the experimental de- sign. The results showed that the treatment with the addition of 4% wuluh starfruit juice (Treatment C) with an antibacterial value of the disc method of 1.28 mm was the most optimal treatment because the bacterial inhibitory power at this concentration increased the most optimally compared to other treatments. The physicochemical characteristics of the treatment C edible file are moisture content of 17.29 %; thickness of 0.55 mm; water vapour transmission rate of 60.01 g/m2/day; solubility of 42.79 %; tensile strength of 22.29 kgf/cm2; elongation of 44.47 %; and pH of 6.23

Hermetic technologies and grain quality of Phaseolus lunatus L. in the Yucatan peninsula, Mexico

Mon, 04 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

In southern Mexico, postharvest losses of grains are an important constraint in achieving food security and conservation of biodiversity. This study was conducted under field condi- tions to investigate the effect of prolonged storage on the grain quality of lima beans. Grain damage, moisture content, seed germination, and culinary quality were evaluated during six months of storage in hermetic containers and traditional methods. Data were subjected to analysis of variance and differences between treatments separated by Tukey. Both, the traditional storage method, and hermetic technologies allowed to limit the damage caused by insects and moulds for six months. The moisture content of grain in hermetic containers remained unchanged while polypropylene bags with lime decreased. The polypropylene bags with lime were able to maintain acceptable seed viability after six months of storage. The storage period significantly affected the culinary quality of lima beans, increasing the water absorption capacity and cooking time. Technical training on postharvest manage- ment is needed to reduce food losses and improve poverty and household food security. Further research is required to understand the effects of hermetic technologies and inert dust on stored product quality

Delaying Ripening of Cantaloupe fruits by Various Treatments During Storage

MAHMOUD A. SALEH, SAFAA ZAKARIA, AHMED S.A. SHEHATA — Mon, 11 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

This study was conducted for two seasons 2021 and 2022 to investigate the influence of Pu- trescine (PUT) at 0.1 or 0.2%, Spermine (SPM) at 0.1 or 0.2% and Chitosan (CS) at 1000 or 2000 ppm and in addition untreated control on quality attributes and delaying ripening of cantaloupe fruits (cv. Primal) during storage at 5º C for 28 days. The results indicated that all treatments were effective in reducing weight loss and colour changes and maintained, fruit firmness, TSS, sugar content, total carotenoids and overall appearance of fruits and modified atmosphere (CO2 %, O2 % and ethylene ppm) inside the package as compared with untreated control.

The cantaloupe fruits treated with PUT at 0.1 %, SPM at 0.1 % and Chitosan at 1000 ppm were the most effective treatments in maintaining quality and delaying ripening during all storage periods. However, samples treated with SPM at 0.1 % showed the best quality avoid- ed the ripening, retarded the ethylene production and did not exhibit any changes in gen- eral appearance till the end of the storage period (28 days of storage at 5º C), while PUT at 0.2%, SPM at 0.2 % and chitosan at 2000 ppm rated good appearance at 21 days of storage

Effect of mulberry (Morus alba L.) leaf enrichment on antioxidant, textural, and sensory properties of cassava pasta

JIRAPORN WEENUTTRANON, PANCHALEE PATHANIBUL, CHOOSIT HONGKULSUP — Sun, 10 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Mulberry leaf is usually employed for sericulture in various parts of the world; however, its potential utilization for human consumption is not widely recognized. This study aimed to determine the suitability of using mulberry leaf powder (MLP) as a novel ingredient for improving the nutritional and bioactive profile of cassava pasta while maintaining favoura- ble textural and sensory attributes. Three pasta formulations containing 2, 4, and 6 % MLP were developed. Positive relationships between the level of added MLP and its phenolic compound as well as its antioxidant capacity were observed. Results demonstrated that MLP enrichment significantly increased the total phenolic content and antioxidant activity in the enriched pasta. Textural analysis showed that pasta with an increase of MLP showed a lower hardness, springiness, cohesiveness, gumminess, and chewiness. The MLP enrich- ment determined the lower L, a*, and b* values indicating that the enriched pasta became dark greener. The incorporation of MLP up to 4 % had a sensory score similar to control for appearance, colour, odour, and texture. Above this level, a significant reduction in the sensory attributes was observed caused by the increased bitterness and softer texture. For- tification also increased the nutritional value of fibre and ash contents. The present study showed that mulberry leaf is a promising food ingredient for producing functional pasta with potential health benefits to meet the consumer's acceptance.