Nutrient supply to reed canary grass as a bioenergy crop

Production of renewable energy from herbaceous crops on agricultural land is of great interest since fossil fuels need to be replaced with sustainable energy sources. Reed canary grass (RCG), Phalaris arundinacea L. is an interesting species for this purpose. The aim of this thesis was to study different approaches to reduce the requirement of mineral fertilizers in RCG production for bioenergy purposes. Paper I describes a study where fertilization effects and risk of heavy metal enrichment were studied, using annual applications of ash for seven years. Ash from co-combustion of RCG and municipal wastes (mixed ash), pure RCG ash and commercial fertilizers were compared. The experiment was harvested each spring. Paper II describes an ongoing study in which the effects of intercropping RCG in mixture with nitrogen-fixing perennial legumes are examined in two experiments, in combination with various fertilization treatments. Three fertilization treatments were applied: high N, low N (half of the high N) and low N + RCG ash/sewage sludge. A delayed harvest method was used; cutting the biomass in late autumn and harvesting in spring. Besides dry matter yield, the N-fixation rate was estimated. The results from paper I showed no differences between treatments in the dry matter yields or in the heavy metal concentrations in the biomass. Soil samples, taken when the experiment was finished, showed differences between treatments for Cd, Pb and Zn only in the uppermost soil level, highest levels for the mixed ash treatment. The results in paper II showed that at one site the legume proportion in the mixtures was low and did not affect RCG growth negatively. The high N treatment gave a higher spring yield than the low N treatments. Mean rates of N2-fixation in the first production year were 12-28, 33-40 and 55 kg N ha-1 kg for goat´s rue (Galega orientalis Lam.), red clover (Trifolium pratense L.), and alsike clover (Trifolium hybridum L.), plots, respectively. At the other site, competition with higher proportion of the clovers affected RCG growth and spring yield negatively. The N-fixation rates were 33 - 42 kg N ha-1 for red clover and 24 kg N ha-1 for alsike clover. As a conclusion, pure RCG ash can be used to complement mineral fertilizers in RCG crops, but it is important to analyse the ash for plant nutrients and heavy metals before use. There was no spring yield benefit of legume/RCG intercropping. Thus, the method cannot be recommended in a spring harvest system, at least not under the tested conditions

Organic Food "Made in China"

China joined the international organic movement comparatively late. Challenged by the scarcity of arable land and a large population to feed, the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) for many years has been reluctant to support organic farming that might result in a drop of agricultural output. On the contrary, China’s “Green Revolution” catapulted the country to a leading producer and user of agrochemicals in the world. This development came at a high cost for the country’s environmental quality and food safety. In recent years, accumulating public complaints about environmental pollution, food poisoning, sickness and death of farmers poisoned by agrochemicals as well as increasing difficulties with agricultural exports rejected as a result of excessive chemical residues are observed. It is not only because of the problems mentioned above that recently the MoA became more supportive towards the organic food development, authorities also realized the growing opportunities for healthy food in the international as well as the domestic market. In fact, China’s organic food development cannot be analyzed without taking into account the fast development of organic food industries in industrialized countries during the past decade. At present organically grown food “made in China” is still a small - though fast growing - sector. The article takes a look at the development and current status of organic agriculture and organic food industry in China and discusses the prospects and limitations of the sector

Novel hydrogels based on polysaccharides for soft tissue regeneration: preparation and characterization

Předložená diplomová práce se zabývá přípravou, síťováním a fyzikálně-chemickou charakterizací hydrogelů na bázi polysacharidů. Cílem práce bylo vyvinout elastické filmy, které by mohly být použity pro vlhké hojení ran. Teoretická část shrnuje současné způsoby regenerace měkkých tkání a jejích náhradách (ať už se jedná o přírodní nebo syntetické materiály). Zároveň jsou zdůrazněny základní informace o přírodních polysacharidech (chemická struktura, rozpustnost, tepelná a pH stabilita atd.), jejich modifikace a chemické síťování. Experimentální část je zaměřena na modifikaci přírodní gumy Karaya tak, aby transparentní hydrogely měly nastavitelnou hydrolytickou stabilitu. Vzorky byly analyzovány pomocí FTIR, TGA následované vyhodnocením bobtnání a hydrolytické degradace. Z výsledků vyplynulo, že chemická modifikace zvýšila stabilizaci elastického filmu z přírodního polysacharidu ve vodě až na 25 dní. Díky řízené degradaci a vysoké absorpci vody (85 - 96%) jsou tyto nové hydrogely využitelné především pro vlhké hojení ran (např. popálenin).Presented diploma thesis deals with preparation, crosslinking and physico-chemical characterization of natural polysaccharide-based hydrogels. The aim of the work was to evolve elastic thin films with potential application for moist wound healing. The theoretical part summarizes the state-of-art about regeneration of soft tissues and their substitutes (synthetic or nature). There are pointed out the basic information about natural polysaccharide gums (chemical structure, solubility, heat and pH stability etc.), its modification and chemical crosslinking. The experimental part is focused on the modification of natural gum Karaya in order to make transparent hydrogels with adjustable hydrolytical stability. Samples were analyzed by FTIR, TGA followed by evaluation of swelling properties and hydrolytical degradation. Based on the results, chemical modification helped to stabilize polysaccharide hydrogels in water up to 25 days which is useful mainly for moist wound healing (e.g. after burns) because of high values of water uptake (from 85 up to 96%).

Thermooxidative stability of PMMA composites

Tato práce se zabývá studiem termooxidační stability kompozitů polymethylmethakrylátu (PMMA) plněného mikro a nanočásticemi siliky. V připravených vzorcích byly použity různé objemové zlomky a různé velikosti částic siliky. Studium stability bylo prováděno pomocí termogravimetrie, která umožňuje simulovat podmínky termooxidační degradace. Indukční perioda byla stanovena za použití různých rychlostí ohřevu a aplikací izokonverzních metod. Závislosti teplot degradací na rychlostech ohřevu sloužily pro určení parametrů odvozených ze čtyř různých teplotních funkcí, které dovolují předpověď stability materiálu (indukční periody) při zvoleném rozsahu teplot. Zjištěné výsledky ukazují, že větší částice siliky snižuji stabilitu PMMA, zatímco nanočástice v nízkých koncentracích ji nijak neovlivňují.In this work the thermooxidative stability of poly(methyl metacrylate) (PMMA) composites reinforced with silica micro and nanoparticles was studied. Different volume fractions and particles sizes of silica particles were used. PMMA/silica composites were analysed by thermogravimetry which simulated the conditions of thermooxidative degradation. The induction periods were determined using different heating rates and applying the isoconversional methods. The dependence of degradation temperatures on heating rates were used for the determination of adjustable parameters derived for four different temperature functions allowing the prediction of material stability (induction periods) at chosen temperatures. Results showed that the larger silica particles destabilized the PMMA structure while smallest nanoparticles at low concentration had no effect on the stability.