rss_2.0Sciendo RSS Feed for Agricultural Engineeringhttps://sciendo.com/journal/AGRICENGhttps://www.sciendo.comhttps://sciendo-parsed.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/6470874371e4585e08a9f394/cover-image.jpghttps://sciendo.com/journal/AGRICENG140216https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/agriceng-2025-0002<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>Water deficiency is one of the major factors that limit crop production among those causing plant stress. Therefore, the study aimed to investigate the effect of metabolically active compounds on reducing the negative effects of drought and stimulating physiological and biochemical processes in the spring wheat variety Provintsialka. In the study, wheat seeds were soaked in solutions of substances: PEG-6000 (EG); PEG-6000 + vitamin E (PEG+E); PEG-6000 + ubiquinone-10 (PEG+Q); PEG-6000 + methionine (PEG+M); PEG-6000 + parahydroxybenzoic acid (PEG+P); PEG-6000 + MgSO4 (PEG+Mg); PEG- 6000 + vitamin E + ubiquinone-10 (PEG+EQ); PEG-6000 + vitamin E + methionine + parahydroxybenzoic acid (PEG+EMP); PEG-6000 + vitamin E + methionine + parahydroxybenzoic acid + MgSO4 (PEG+EMPMg). The wheat seeds were then poured into a 12% PEG solution to simulate the water deficit and then germinated. The study determined the activities of ascorbate peroxidase and catalase, as well as the content of ascorbic acid and glutathione. It was found that the treatment of spring wheat seeds of the Provintsialka variety with meta-bolically active compounds and their combinations affected the activity of antioxidant protection enzymes in water-deficient conditions. Treat-ment of seeds with MgSO4 solution most effectively reduces catalase activity compared to the indicators of seedlings whose seeds were in simulated drought conditions. The treatment of wheat seeds with vita-min E most effectively stimulated the activity of ascorbate peroxidase, increasing it by 65.5% compared to the control and by 2.4% relative to the PEG treated seedlings. A decrease in the activity of catalase corre-lates with an increase in the activity of ascorbate peroxidase and indicates the compensatory effect of the enzymes of the antioxidant system. The treatment of wheat seeds with ubiquinone-10 (PEG+Q) most effectively increased the ascorbate content in seedlings by 46.3% compared to seedlings whose seeds were in water deficit conditions. An increase in the ascorbate content in wheat seedlings was also noted when wheat seeds were treated with EMP (PEG+EMP) and EMPMg (PEG+EMPMg). The highest levels of glutathione in drought-stressed seedlings were observed in those treated with vitamin E and EMP (PEG+EMP), exceeding control levels by 31.4% and 30.7%, respectively, and PEG-treated seedlings by 59.9% and 59.2%. This confirms the promising use of metabolically active substances for plant adaptation under conditions of slow water flow.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/agriceng-2025-00022025-02-23T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/agriceng-2025-0001<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>The change in the size of the droplets during the pesticide application process could have a negative impact on the percentage of drift or the losses of pesticides to the environment. One of the factors that could affect the droplet size produced from a single nozzle is the internal design of the nozzle itself, in addition to the wear of the nozzle orifice as a result of the usage time. In this research, three types of nozzles with different internal designs were used (Turbo TeeJet (TT), Turbo TwinJet (TTj 6011003), and Drift Guard (DG 11003)). The nozzles were subjected to an accelerated wear test for one hundred hours, and different droplet size parameters (Dv 0.1, Dv 0.5, Dv 0.9), relative span (RS), and Sauter mean diameter (SMD) were measured during and after this test. The measurements were made using the Sympatec HELOS-VARIO/KR device in fifteen positions along the spray swath. The results of the study showed that the droplet size (Dv 0.5) generally increased for the DG 11003 and TTj 6011003 nozzles after the accelerated wear test (worn nozzles), while there was a decrease in Dv 0.5 for the TT 11003 nozzles. The DG 11003 nozzles (before and after the wear test) had the highest percentage of droplets with a size smaller than 150 μm (%&lt; 150 μm) compared to the TT 11003 and TTj 6011003 nozzles. Moreover, the %&lt; 150 μm was higher in the middle position of the spray swath for the three types of nozzles and the new and worn nozzles.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/agriceng-2025-00012025-02-23T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/agriceng-2024-0022<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>The authors propose an approach to complete a task that is important for agricultural production, while ensuring a specified quality index of soil cultivation with minimal energy and labor costs and maximum reduction of negative environmental impact on soil and the surrounding environment. This is done using combined machines with an optimal set of working bodies. Achieving this goal involves differentiating the composition of combined soil-tillage machines depending on their operating conditions based on a methodology that can be based on an algorithm for determining the overall quality index, mathematical models of the functioning of individual working bodies, and appropriate original software. </p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/agriceng-2024-00222024-12-23T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/agriceng-2024-0021<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>In recent years, it has been realized that agriculture has become one of the economic sectors with a huge impact on the environment. Therefore, measures have been taken to reduce the negative impact of agricultural production on the environment. The use of biostimulants in agriculture, especially of plant origin, is part of this trend. However, obtaining suitable formulation of biostimulants requires the development of appropriate technologies for their production. Therefore, it was undertaken to investigate the possibility of using gliding arc cold plasma (GA) and low-pressure microwave (MW) discharges to produce water plant extracts with biostimulating potential. An increase in total polyphenol content and antioxidant activity was observed, indicating the high potential of using low-pressure microwave discharge to produce effective plant biostimulants. Also, low-pressure microwave discharge improved the extraction of elements such as Ca, K and Fe.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/agriceng-2024-00212024-12-23T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/agriceng-2024-0023<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>Vines are perennial crops that appear sensitive to various diseases and insects with a subsequent number of spray applications per year. In general, biological efficacy is strongly linked to the spray quantity and quality, assuming that non-intercepted droplets may lead to ground or atmospheric losses. This paper corresponds to a <italic>synthetic </italic>review focusing on need for generic methodology to assess vineyard sprayer deposition performance. Indeed, the deposition of droplets in a 3D canopy is a complex phenomenon that encompasses a wide range of variability that limits the capability for evaluating and for comparing field tests. Different levels of crop variability were identified among the cultivar, the development stage and the training strategy leading to a highly variable leaf area index over time. Other sources of variability depend on the sprayer technology where the air assistance and droplet emitters play a key role. Assuming the difficulties in the comparison of sprayers directly through field tests, the rationale for a fair and replicable comparison of sprayer deposition performance was developed by the joint unit UMT Ecotech between INRAE and associated technical institutes for vines (IFV) and fruit crops (CTIFL). An original methodology to assess sprayer deposition capability was developed based on an artificial vineyard whereas the potential spray drift of the complete sprayer is evaluated using an artificial wind generator. These test benches are now used in a purpose of official classification by French authorities. </p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/agriceng-2024-00232024-12-23T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/agriceng-2024-0020<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>Efficient use of energy and resources is vital for fostering the sustainable development of our planet and fighting hidden hunger. One way to address this issue is by preserving the quality of raw materials from fruits over a prolonged period. However, fruits have the highest rate of losses and waste among food products. Incorrect selection of cooling procedures and inappropriate cooling rates can lead to post-harvest quality losses, which in turn will result in loss of product quality and energy. Research into methods capable of minimizing losses and extending the storage life of fruits is essential to determine their effectiveness. The purpose of the research was to evaluate the impact of different cooling methods on the reduction of losses and the extension of the shelf life of cherries. The study involved sweet cherries of different ripening periods (Melitopolska chorna, Krupnoplidna and Valerii Chkalov) and sweet cherries of the Vstriecha variety. The influence of room cooling, forced air cooling, hydrocooling with the addition of lactic and acetic acid, and combined cooling method on cooling rate, weight loss, epiphytic microflora condition, respiratory intensity and heat generation during cherry storage was analyzed. The highest fruit weight losses were observed when using the forced air cooling method, ranging from 1.76 to 1.96%. The combined cooling method for cherries and sour cherries reduced average fruit weight losses by 11.3-22.9 times compared to other methods. When using the combined method, the number of bacteria and fungi on the surface of cherry fruits remained at the same level as before cooling or decreased by 10 to 40% depending on the variety. On the surface of the fruits of the Vstriecha sour cherry variety, the number of bacteria and fungi decreased from 20 to 60% compared to the indicators of the epiphytic microflora before cooling. The proposed combined precooling method is determined to be the most effective in terms of technological indicators and preservation of the quality of cherry and sour cherry fruits. Further studies of the impact of cooling methods on cherry quality will allow the development of mathematical modeling approaches to quantitatively describe precooling processes throughout the entire refrigeration chain for fruit preservation.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/agriceng-2024-00202024-11-30T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/agriceng-2024-0015<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>The aim of the study was to assess the potential use of the carbon footprint for the environmental evaluation of agricultural systems. Carbon footprint analysis in agriculture has a strategic dimension in terms of sustainable food production. Reducing the negative impact of agriculture on climate change is a key element of many quality management systems and is included in the legislation of many countries. One of the challenges in calculating the carbon footprint is the lack of clear methodologies for determination of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions at this stage. Normative documents highlight the need to consider all areas of GHG emissions, but in practice, this is exceedingly difficult due to the specific characteristics of plant production, which takes place under variable conditions related to soil type, its properties, chemical composition, climate, and production technology. Based on a review of the scientific literature, it was concluded that the carbon footprint studies of specific agricultural systems and evaluations of technology improvements (implementing actions to compensate for anthropogenic pressure) should be conducted within an individual system boundary. The system boundary should be developed based on the process map created in accordance with the guidelines of ISO 31000:2018. Most of the input data used in the calculations must be standardized due to the range of parameters dependent on the natural, geographical, and infrastructural conditions of the production location.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/agriceng-2024-00152024-11-17T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/agriceng-2024-0016<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>The aim of the paper was to determine the level of reliability of a carousel type device. Considering the improvement of reliability, we decided to use the basic tools of FMEA and FTA. Using FMEA, we identified the most critical part of the equipment, namely welding (RPN=320). The proposed measure only solved the improvement of detection. Based on the FMEA analysis, we chose the TOP event for FTA - bad weld. The detected probability of peak event failure by quantitative FTA analysis was at the level of 0.58%. We identified the basic events leading to the TOP event, i.e. an allowed sonotrode, incorrect position of the membrane during sampling, short welding time and insufficient weld depth. Subsequently, reliability indicators were quantified. We achieved almost 100% availability values. Despite this, the aim was to find out a more comprehensive level of reliability and follow up findings from FMEA. We used the DEMATEL model and our own proposed economic model. Using the DEMATEL model, we found out that short welding time and an insufficient weld depth are the causative modes, that means, they significantly influence other failure modes and do so with a high significance. The creation of an economic evaluation model based on the quantification of direct costs for failure modes with the consequences of a certain number of defective products contributed to the fact that we again determined that the failure modes short welding time and insufficient depth are the modes with the highest priority for solving the bad weld event. The costs incurred as a result of their occurrence and as a result of the occurrence of downtime were the highest with these regimes. These models create space for us to more effectively design measures to improve the level of reliability and production quality, what is a prerequisite for ensuring a reduction in downtime, an increase in production quality and reliability, and an overall cost reduction. This also leads to an increase in the reputation of manufacturers.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/agriceng-2024-00162024-11-17T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/agriceng-2024-0017<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>The changing climate, causing more frequent abiotic stresses, has generated interest in products that can mitigate the negative impacts of these changes. One such group of preparations includes plant extracts with biostimulant potential, produced using various methods and techniques, including cold plasma and low-pressure microwave discharge. However, there is limited research on how production methods and techniques affect the physical properties of biostimulants, such as density, viscosity, and surface tension. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of the manufacturing process on these properties. The biostimulant was produced via hot water extraction using either cold plasma or low-pressure microwave discharge. Results showed that neither method reduced the surface tension of the biostimulants, but they significantly influenced the viscosity and density. Given these changes in physical properties, further research on droplet spectrum and plant coverage during application is necessary to determine the optimal technical parameters for effective spraying.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/agriceng-2024-00172024-11-17T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/agriceng-2024-0019<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>Ten years after the introduction of the Industry 4.0 concept, which aimed to revolutionize industry and dehumanize production systems, trends and directions in industrial development are evolving. There is a shift away from viewing technology development solely as a means to increase productivity and production flexibility, towards building a future based on core values. The European Commission has identified key pillars that should be emphasized when considering contemporary industrial development. These pillars include a human-centric approach, sustainable economic growth, and the development of the economy’s resilience to crises. The new concept of Industry 5.0 focuses on the digital transformation of the economy by prioritizing socio-economic well-being, environmental sustainability, and human safety. Based on a bibliometric literature analysis and a systematic literature review, this article aims to identify key research areas related to the implementation of the Industry 5.0 concept. In addition, in the article, the authors made their own assessment of the impact of the identified research areas on achieving the social, economic and environmental goals of implementing the Industry 5.0 concept.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/agriceng-2024-00192024-11-17T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/agriceng-2024-0018<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>The measurements of spray deposit on filter paper samples attached to strawberry leaves and spray drift to the ground up to the distance of 7.5 m from the sprayed strawberry plants were performed. A multitunnel type tunnel sprayer (Klip Klap, Denmark) and an AGROLA mounted field crop sprayer with a 10 m boom were used. Four types of nozzles were used representing single- or double-jet flat-fan nozzles. The tracer (BSF) deposit on the upper leaves surfaces was generally higher for the field crop sprayer (14,775.0–23,205.5) than for the tunnel sprayer (6,189.4–12,417.7 ng·cm⁻²). The deposit on the lower surfaces of leaves was 1.9 to 18.0 times lower than on the upper surfaces and ranged from 540.6–1599.4 ng·cm⁻² for the tunnel sprayer to 893.9–3007.1 ng·cm⁻² for field crop sprayer. There was no significant effect of double-jet nozzles on the deposition on the lower surfaces and on the uniformity of application (CV% and U/L). The spray drift differed significantly between the tested sprayers. For the field crop sprayer, the drift up to the distance of 7.5 m beyond the sprayed area ranged 0.89–6.31% of the applied spray dose, while for the tunnel sprayer it was not more than 0.07%.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/agriceng-2024-00182024-11-17T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/agriceng-2024-0013<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>The problem of food wastage, particularly in the recent period, has been broadly discussed worldwide with regard to various stages of the food supply chain. One of such stages is food distribution to consumers by supermarket chains. The study presents results of activities undertaken by supermarket chain administrators for the purpose of food wastage reduction. One of the basic measures is price reduction aimed at possibly fast sale of products. Such activities can cause an even 8-fold increase in sales in the case of price reduction by half. Other positive activities include donating food to charity organisations or food banks. This study addresses the mutual correlation between the sales of various products, and the effect of the percent of discounts on the sale of products for different product groups in the offer of the supermarket chain, as well as the dependency of the trade volume and the amount of food donated to public purpose organisations. The research was conducted in the period of 4 years of operation (2020-2023) of a Polish chain of grocery supermarkets.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/agriceng-2024-00132024-09-26T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/agriceng-2024-0014<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>The aim of the study was to determine the effect of ozone fumigation and spraying with microorganisms, i.e. yeast, on selected physiological parameters, and the extent of disease infection of tomato plants. Tomato plants were grown in the ground under covers. Throughout the 2021 and 2022 growing season, the plants were exposed to variable factors, i.e. fumigation with gaseous ozone at a dose of 2 ppm for 1 minute and spraying with yeast. After ozonation and spraying with yeast, physiological measurements were made on tomato plants, such as: selected parameters of chlorophyll fluorescence (maximum quantum yield of PSII photochemistry, maximum quantum yield of primary photochemistry) and gas exchange parameters (transpiration rate, stomatal conductivity and intercellular CO₂ concentration). In addition, the content of chlorophyll using the SPAD method as well as plant infection by diseases was determined. Compared to the control sample, ozonation resulted in a slight decrease in the physiological parameters of tomato plants. In addition, no visible leaf damage was observed after the ozone gas fumigation process. However, the use of microorganisms did not significantly change the examined physiological parameters. Both after the application of gaseous ozone and microorganisms, a significant impact of the tested variable factors was found on reducing the infection of tomato plants by diseases such as: tomato late blight, tomato alter-nariosis, gray mold, bacterial canker of tomato and bacterial spot of tomato.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/agriceng-2024-00142024-09-26T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/agriceng-2024-0012<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>The paper presents the results of research on the problem of the influence of various types of unmalted grain and its quantitative share on important parameters of the malt extract. The aim of the work was to control what precentage of unmalted grain can be added to malt, so that their starch is saccharified only thanks to the action of endogenous malt enzymes. The grains of millet, oats, buckwheat and spelt were used as unmalted raw materials. The basis of the mixture subjected to extraction was Pilsner type barley malt. The percentages of the additives ranged from 5 to 50%. Both the unmalted grain and the malt were crushed. The extract was prepared with the use of two methods: congress and infusion. Saccharification time, pH and extract content were tested. The results were analyzed statistically. It was found that the amount and type of unmalted raw material influenced the saccharification time of starch and the content of the extract and had no effect on the pH of the extract. Millet grain starch was saccharified if its amount was about 40% of the tested mixtures. In other variants of the experiment, endogenous malt enzymes were able to break down the starch when the amount of additive was as high as 50%.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/agriceng-2024-00122024-08-01T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/agriceng-2024-0011<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>This study aimed to evaluate the characteristics related to the removal of moisture from green banana slices and the effect of the drying conditions on color and vitamin C preservation using a drying system based upon the use of a vacuum heat pump. The green banana slices underwent drying at 40, 50, and 60°C with vacuum pressure levels of 0, 40, and 80 kPa. The average drying time decreased by 18.9% and 32.7% as the vacuum pressure and temperature increased, respectively. Six thin-layer models underwent assessment to explain the kinetic process involved in moisture removal using the vacuum heat pump set to provide differing experimental circumstances, and fitted to experimental data. Results showed that the characteristics of moisture removal from the green banana slices could most appropriately be explained by the Page model. There is in increase in effective moisture diffusivity, which ranged from 1.1658×10−10 to 1.9717×10−10 m²·s⁻¹, with increases in temperature and vacuum pressure. Energy of activation ranged from 15.99 to 19.73 kJ·mol⁻¹, which was explained by an exponential expression based on the Arrhenius models. The drying temperature of 50°C under a vacuum pressure of 80 kPa could preserve the vitamin C content by a maximum of 55.9%, which is the optimal drying condition for obtaining good product quality.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/agriceng-2024-00112024-08-01T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/agriceng-2024-0009<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>An important task of food engineering, namely grain processing and the pro-duction of cereals and fodder, is the improvement of hulling equipment and the creation of complex technological lines for the processing of the original crops is gaining particular relevance. The reason for this is the need to carry out several preparatory stages, and, as a result, the use of additional equipment. To solve this problem, a string hulling device had been developed, the use of which allows reducing the number of operations due to the exclusion of preliminary sorting into fractions and wet-heat treatment. These operations are required by other hulling machines included in the technological lines of buckwheat processing. The structural scheme of the string hulling device had been developed and the principle of the shell removal operation had been substantiated. Theoretical studies had been carried out by the methods of analysis and synthesis of the mechanics of destruction and systematic analysis of the process of buckwheat hulling by impact. Experimental studies had been carried out using a laboratory string hulling device. The conducted analytical studies made it possible to determine the regularity between the physical and mechanical characteristics of buckwheat and the critical linear impact speed necessary for the destruction of the shell. This allows deter-mining the frequency of rotation of the string at which the destruction of the shell will occur while preserving the integrity of the core. Experimental studies made it possible to determine the quality of buckwheat hulling by determining the coefficient of integrity of the kernel and the coefficient of hulling. It has been determined that the ranges of the rotation frequency of the strings required to ensure a high degree of the buckwheat hulling technological process efficiency are within 15.8-16.9 s⁻¹.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/agriceng-2024-00092024-06-07T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/agriceng-2024-0010<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>Plants belonging to the Apiaceae family (including <italic>Levisticum officinale</italic> WDJ Koch) are rich sources of phytochemicals and secondary metabolites, with possible health-promoting and agrochemical potential. The objective of this work was to provide important guidelines for controlling conventional aqueous extraction to obtain <italic>Levisticum officinale</italic> root extracts with maximised levels of bioactive compounds. The ultimate goal was to optimise the total phenolic compounds, flavonoid content, sugars, and total antioxidant capacity to identify the process conditions necessary to produce highly bioactive extracts that could be used in a wide range of industries. Biomass extraction of lovage root was carried out using water as the extraction solvent. To perform the optimisation of the aqueous extraction, multivariate regression models were used and multi-criteria analysis was performed using Pareto set navigation. Pareto front analysis showed that for the maximum extraction efficiency of bioactive compounds from <italic>Levisticum officinale</italic>, the optimal extraction process parameters were 0.0714 g·mL⁻¹ as biomass/water ratio and a time of 35.7142 min, at the highest analysed temperature. For the highest analysed value of plant biomass/solvent ratio (0.075 g·mL⁻¹) and maximum process temperature (95ºC), extraction could be carried out for 20 min or in the range 37.1429-38.5714 min. On the other hand, if the extraction time reaches 40 min and the sam-ple/solvent ratio 0.075 g·mL⁻¹, the optimum process temperature is be-tween 75ºC and 95ºC.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/agriceng-2024-00102024-06-07T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/agriceng-2024-0008<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>Storage is a crucial component of a sustainable and efficient food supply system. Reduction of postharvest losses and waste is a vital strategy to improve efficiency, ensure product availability, and reduce environmental impact. Asparagus (<italic>Asparagus officinalis</italic> L.) boasts a high nutritional value and complex of phytonutrients. Yet, the storage period for fresh asparagus is quite short, leading to rapid quality deterioration. An effective method to extend storage periods involves postharvest treatments using the natural biopolymer chitosan. The aim of the research was to assess the effectiveness of applying sustainable postharvest treatments based on chitosan and rutin, with a focus on losses and waste reduction during asparagus storage. The impact of the applied storage technology on the visual appeal and sensory attributes of asparagus, along with its effects on respiratory metabolism, weight loss, soluble solids, soluble carbohydrates, chlorophylls, and carotenoids, was systematically assessed. The findings indicate that the post-harvest treatment using chitosan and rutin effectively preserves the visual characteristics of asparaguswhen the storage period is prolonged to a week. A major advantage of this technology is a substantial reduction in waste, achieving the levels of 1.0-1.5%. The proportion of standard products post-storage ranged from 94.4% to 96.0%. The treatment with chitosan and rutin efficiently reduces weight loss by half and suppresses the respiration rate, leading to decreased losses in soluble solids, carbohydrates, chlorophylls, and carotenoids during storage. These outcomes underscore the effectiveness of the applied coating in impeding metabolic processes, resulting in minimized quantitative and qualitative losses in the product quality during a prolonged storage.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/agriceng-2024-00082024-05-19T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/agriceng-2024-0007<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>The aim of the research was to evaluate the influence of the forming die openings shape on processing parameters of the extrusion-cooking process and on the selected properties of gluten-free crisps. The experiment used blends of corn grits, unroasted buckwheat, rice, and dried blackberries. The extrusion process of gluten-free crisps was carried out via a prototype EXP-45-32 single-screw extruder with L/D=16. During the tests, 5 different forming dies were assessed: 2 openings with a diameter of 2 mm each, 1 round opening with a diameter of 3 mm, 1 cross-shaped opening, a star and a heart. During the tests, the processing efficiency and energy consumption of the extrusion process were tested, and the expansion index, bulk density and hardness of the crisps were investigated. The research demonstrated that the forming die shape affects the efficiency and energy consumption of the extrusion-cooking process of crisps. The lowest efficiency was found if a heart-shaped die was used, and the highest efficiency was determined in the case of a star-shape die. Moreover, the highest specific energy consumption was noted when using a star-shaped die during crisps extrusion. Crisps obtained using dies with larger diameters were characterized by a lower expansion index. The complicated shape of the die opening resulted in less expansion of the obtained crisps. The highest bulk density and hardness were found in the case of crisps obtained on a star-shaped forming die.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/agriceng-2024-00072024-05-19T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/agriceng-2024-0006<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>This study focused on an engineering problem of heat and mass transfer in infrared (IR) assisted heat pump (HP) drying of purple yam including both a drying experiment and theory of heat and mass transfer mathematical equations. The experimental drying of yam by the IR assisted HP drying method was performed to evaluate the effect of IR power on drying rate and heating rate. The input drying parameters included the drying air temperature of 50°C, drying air velocity of 2.5 m·s⁻¹ and IR power of 0, 300 and 350 W, in which, at the IR power of 0 W, the HP-only drying mode was performed. The experimental drying results showed that the IR assisted HP drying method could improve the drying rate and heating rate as compared to HP-only drying. At the IR power of 350 W, the drying time was the shortest (150 minutes), followed by the IR power of 300 W (210 minutes) and HP-only drying (300 minutes). The IR assisted HP drying obtained the high heating rate as the time required for the drying material to reach the drying temperature was about 35 and 25 minutes corresponding to the IR power of 300 and 350 W. While in HP-only drying, it took about 270 minutes for the drying material’s temperature to reach nearly the drying air temperature value. Besides, the comparison between the predicted data by numerically solving the heat and mass transfer equations and experimental drying data was also conducted. The analysis results indicated that the predicted data could be used to predict the experimental data accurately. The theoretical results of heat and mass transfer in the IR assisted HP drying process as well as experimental drying results would be the basis for improving the IR assisted HP drying equipment to achieve the drying efficiency including the drying rate, quality of dried products, and energy consumption.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/agriceng-2024-00062024-04-13T00:00:00.000+00:00en-us-1