Search results for "Moisture"
showing 10 items of 290 documents
Wind Resistance of Eastern Baltic Silver Birch (Betula pendula Roth.) Suggests Its Suitability for Periodically Waterlogged Sites
2020
Storms and wind damage are the main cause of biomass loss in forests of Northern Europe, as well as they are synergic with the disturbances causing intense water and temperature stress. This highlights the necessity for climate-smart management at landscape level coupling ecological demands of forestry species with their wind resistance. Silver birch (Betula pendula Roth.), which is highly plastic species, appears to be promising for a wider application under such conditions, as it is believed to tolerate wide range of weather conditions. Though silver birch can be sensitive to water deficit and windthrow, local information on its wind tolerance in sites with different moisture regimes is a…
From glacial refugia to hydrological microrefugia: Factors and processes driving the persistence of the climate relict tree Zelkova sicula
2021
Abstract With only two tiny populations, the climate relict Zelkova sicula (Sicily, Italy) is one of the rarest trees in the world. It also represents the most marginal member of genus Zelkova that was widespread in the broadleaved forests thriving in warm–temperate climates throughout Eurasia until the Last Glacial Age. Occurring at the westernmost range of the genus under typical Mediterranean climate, the micro‐topographic settings have always appeared crucial for the survival of this relict. However, the factors and processes actually involved in its persistence in the current refugia, as well as the response of similar relict trees in arid environments, are poorly understood worldwide.…
The effect of abrasive pretreatment on the drying kinetics and phenolic compounds in goji berries ( Lycium barbarum L.)
2020
The paper investigated the effect of a physical surface abrasion of goji berries on drying kinetics and the evolution of phenolic compounds at 323, 333, and 343 K. A diffusion model was developed to describe the drying process. The effective diffusion coefficient estimated by the model ranged from 7.5 × 10–9 to 4.2 × 10–8 m2/s for cylinder and 2.0 × 10–9 to 1.15 × 10–8 m2/s for sphere for untreated samples (UTR). Higher values were found for treated samples (TR) (from 2.50 × 10–8 to 1.20 × 10–7 m2/s for cylinder and 8.0 × 10–9 to 2.70 × 10–8 m2/s for sphere). For the UTR samples, the values of activation energy were found to be 79.5 and 80.8 kJ/mol, respectively, in the cylinder and sphere …
Wetting Patterns Estimation Under Subsurface Drip Irrigation Systems for Different Discharge Rates and Soil Types
2018
Knowledge about the moisture distribution pattern shape and volume of soil wetted by an emitter is the basic need for better subsurface drip irrigation system. The dimensions of the pattern are imperative in selecting the right spacing between emitters and the suitable distance between laterals.
Design and Implementation of a Smart System to Control Aromatic Herb Dehydration Process
2020
Drying is a process aimed at reducing the water content in plant materials below a limit where the activity of microbes and decomposing enzymes deteriorate the quality of medicinal and aromatic plants. Today, the interest of consumers towards medicinal and aromatic herbs has registered a growing trend. This study aims at designing a low-cost real-time monitoring and control system for the drying process of aromatic herbs and evaluating drying efficacy on the microbial community associated with the studied herbs. Hot-air drying tests of sage and laurel leaves were carried out in a dryer desiccator cabinet at 40 °
Abiotic Stress Tolerance of Coastal Accessions of a Promising Forage Species, Trifolium fragiferum
2021
Crop wild relatives are valuable as a genetic resource to develop new crop cultivars, better adapted to increasing environmental heterogeneity and being able to give high quality yields in a changing climate. The aim of the study was to evaluate the tolerance of different accessions of a crop wild relative, Trifolium fragiferum L., from coastal habitats of the Baltic Sea to three abiotic factors (increased soil moisture, trampling, cutting) in controlled conditions. Seeds from four accessions of T. fragiferum, collected in the wild, were used for experiments, and cv. ‘Palestine’ was used as a reference genotype. Plants were cultivated in asymbiotic conditions of soil culture. Treatments wer…
Drying parameters greatly affect the destruction of Cronobacter sakazakii and Salmonella Typhimurium in standard buffer and milk
2017
International audience; Salmonella Typhimurium and Cronobacter sakazakii are two foodborne pathogens involved in neonatal infections from milk powder and infant formula. Their ability to survive in low-moisture food and during processing from the decontamination to the dried state is a major issue in food protection. In this work, we studied the effects of the drying process on Salmonella Typhimurium and Cronobacter sakazakii, with the aim of identifying the drying parameters that could promote greater inactivation of these two foodborne pathogens. These two bacteria were dried under different atmospheric relative humidities in milk and phosphate-buffered saline, and the delays in growth re…
The impact of the 2015/2016 El Niño on global photosynthesis using satellite remote sensing
2018
The El Niño-Southern Oscillation exerts a large influence on global climate regimes and on the global carbon cycle. Although El Niño is known to be associated with a reduction of the global total land carbon sink, results based on prognostic models or measurements disagree over the relative contribution of photosynthesis to the reduced sink. Here, we provide an independent remote sensing-based analysis on the impact of the 2015–2016 El Niño on global photosynthesis using six global satellite-based photosynthesis products and a global solar-induced fluorescence (SIF) dataset. An ensemble of satellite-based photosynthesis products showed a negative anomaly of −0.7 ± 1.2 PgC in 2015, but a sli…
Modeling the heat inactivation of foodborne pathogens in milk powder : High relevance of the substrate water activity
2017
International audience; Due to the ability of foodborne pathogens to survive in low moisture foods, the decontamination of these products is an important issue in food hygiene. Up to now, such decontamination has mostly been achieved through empirical methods. The intention of this work is to establish a more rational use of heat treatment cycles. The effects of thermal treatment cycles on the inactivation of dried Salmonella Typhimurium, Salmonella Senftenberg, Cronobacter sakazakii and Escherichia coli were assessed. Bacteria were mixed with whole milk powder and dried down to different water activity levels (0.11, 0.25, 0.44 and 0.58). The rate of inactivated bacteria was determined afte…
Edible films/coating with tailored properties for active packaging of meat, fish and derived products
2020
Abstract Background Meat, fish and derived products are perishable food items with quick deterioration under improper storage. Edible films and/or coatings present an interesting approach to preserve and package these foods. These are composed of biopolymers generated from food industry wastes or underutilized sources of proteins, lipids, or polysaccharides that are biodegradable, edible and can act as carriers with active agents from natural sources. Scope and approach The protective effect of active films and coatings in meat, fish and derived products against quality decay during storage is described. This review reinforces the benefits of active films and coatings incorporated with natu…