Quantifying aggregate stability of a clay soil under annual forage crops

This study explored the influence of 10 annual forage legumes belonging to the Lathyrus and Vicia genera on wet aggregate stability (WAS) and dispersion ratio (DR) indices of a clay soil. Five Lathyrus and five Vicia species were sown in autumn. Seed‐to‐seed and row‐to‐row distance was maintained at 5 cm and 20 cm, respectively. The experiment was planned in a randomized block design with three replications. After 90 d following seed harvest, soil cores were collected from two depths (0–15, 15–30 cm) in each plot and WAS and DR were determined. Annual forage legumes increased WAS of the soil but decreased the DR index. The WAS and DR values were affected at level of p < 0.001 by genus, species, and soil depth. Values of WAS and DR of the control plots without plant on the average were found to be 44.5% and 9.3% for 0–15 cm, and 41.2% and 10.1% for 15–30 cm, respectively. For 0–15 cm depth, the highest WAS (77.7%) and the lowest DR (6.4%) values were found in L. sphaericus L. (wild) plots. For 15–30 cm depth, the highest WAS value (62.6%) was obtained in L. annuus L. (wild) plots and the lowest DR value (6.7%) was in L. sativus L. (Gurbuz‐2001) plots.     

U.S. Farm Wages and Labor Market Efficiency

This study examines convergence in real wages for hired farm labor in the U.S. agricultural sector over the period 1978‐92,using the ‘average farm’ in each county as an observation. Convergence is investigated at the aggregate (or the entire U.S. level)and regional levels. Evidence supports convergence with a slower rate at the aggregate level than that at the regional level. Suggested by the evidence is the possibility that absolute benefits of wage equalization across states are ‘contagious’—that one state's successful investment raises productivity and factor payments in neighboring states and that agricultural labor markets are efficient and integrated all over the country.     

Improving effect of lyophilization on functional properties of resistant starch preparations formed by acid hydrolysis and heat treatment

In this study, effects of lyophilization on the functional properties of acid modified and autoclaved corn starch preparations were investigated. RS contents and pasting properties of these starch preparations were also determined. Significant increases in solubility were observed as the hydrolysis level of the lyophilized samples increased. All of the acid-modified gelatinized–autoclaved–lyophilized samples had higher water binding values than those of native starch and heat treated oven-dried native starch. Acid-modified gelatinized–autoclaved–lyophilized samples (with storage at 95°C: GASL or without storage: GAL, before lyophilization) improved emulsion properties of soy protein solution significantly. Acid modification seems to be a prerequisite to achieve improving effect of lyophilization. While native starch did not contain any RS, the level increased to 8.1% due to gelatinization, autoclaving and oven-drying (Control 2). The RS content of Control 2 was higher than that of gelatinized–autoclaved–lyophilized native starch (N-GAL, 2.9%). The samples stored prior to lyophilization had higher RS contents as compared to the corresponding unstored samples. The highest RS content (12.4%) was observed in 2h-GASL sample. Cold viscosity was observed in the RVA curves of N-GASL, 2h-GASL, N-GAL and 2h-GAL samples. A possible mechanism/model is suggested to explain the lack or existence of a cold viscosity.     

The Zinc Adsorption Study by Using Orhaneli Fly Ash, Bentonite, and Molasses in Wastewater

To assess strategies for mitigating Pb and As transfer into leafy vegetables from contaminated garden soils, we conducted greenhouse experiments using two field-contaminated soils amended with materials expected to reduce metal phytoavailability. Lettuce and mustard greens grown on these soils were analyzed by ICP-MS, showing that some Pb and As transfer into the vegetables occurred from both soils tested, but plant Pb concentrations were highly variable among treatment replicates. Soil-to-plant transfer was more efficient for As than for Pb. Contamination of the leaves by soil particles probably accounted for most of the vegetable Pb, since plant Pb concentrations were correlated to plant tissue concentrations of the immobile soil elements Al and Fe. This correlation was not observed for vegetable As concentrations, evidence that most of the soil-to-plant transfer for this toxic metal occurred by root uptake and translocation into the above-ground tissues. A follow-up greenhouse experiment with lettuce on one of the two contaminated soils revealed a lower and less variable foliar Pb concentration than observed in the first experiment, with evidence of less soil particle contamination of the crop. This reduced transfer of Pb to the crop appeared to be a physical effect attributable to the greater biomass causing reduced overall exposure of the above-ground tissues to the soil surface. Attempts to reduce soil Pb and As solubility and plant uptake by amendment at practical rates with stabilizing materials, including composts, peat, Ca phosphate, gypsum, and Fe oxide, were generally unsuccessful. Only Fe oxide reduced soluble As in the soil, but this effect did not persist. Phosphate amendment rapidly increased soil As solubility but had no measurable effect on either soil Pb solubility or concentrations of Pb or As in the leafy vegetables. The ineffectiveness of these amendments in reducing Pb transfer into leafy vegetables is attributed in this study to the low initial Pb solubility of the studied soils and the fact that the primary mechanism of Pb transfer is physical contamination.     

Effects of extrusion cooking conditions and chemical leavening agents on lysine loss as determined by furosine content in corn based extrudates

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of different variables on lysine loss as determined by furosine content in corn-based extrudates. Three formulations were prepared to study the effects of different chemical leavening agents, processing conditions (feed moisture content: 22, 24 or 26%; exit die temperature: 110 or 150 °C), and extrusion cooking methods (with/without CO₂ injection) on furosine formation. Furosine levels of extrudates from both extrusion methods decreased around 20% when feed moisture content was increased from 22% to 26%. Amadori compounds (precursor of furosine) are formed in the early stages of the Maillard reaction, and later they are converted to further products. Consequently, furosine contents of extrudates significantly decreased as exit die temperature increased from 110 to 150 °C. Furosine contents of extrudates produced with sodium- and ammonium-bicarbonate at 150 °C exit die temperature significantly decreased, while the ones produced at 110 °C significantly increased. This may be due to accelerated formation of fructosyllysine at higher pH values followed by early degradation at 150 °C. The CO₂ injection method did not have a significantly different effect on furosine content of extrudates than that produced by the conventional extrusion method, but had a positive effect on the physical properties of extrudates.