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Water retention properties of wood fiber based growing media and their impact on irrigation strategy
(2024)
Distribution of water and air in growing media during ebb-and-flow irrigation depends on water storage properties (water retention curve) and water transport properties (hydraulic conductivity) of the materials. Growing media with their high number of coarse pores are known to exhibit strong hysteresis, i.e., differences in the water retention properties during drying and wetting cycles. To account for potential ecological disadvantages of peat, wood fibers are commonly used as substitutes for peat in growing media. However, the wood fibers generally have higher air capacities and hydraulic conductivities and lower water capacities compared to peat which may results in necessary adaptions of the irrigation strategy. Tools to optimize irrigation systems are physically based water transport models, such as HYDRUS-1D, which is commonly used to describe water transport in soils, but not often for growing media. In this study, white peat and pure wood fibers were used to describe differences in their water retention behavior. Water retention curves (drying cycles) and hydraulic conductivities were measured with standard analytical procedures. Hysteresis of the water retention curves was analytically determined based on their capillary rise properties. The results were used with a modified HYDRUS-1D model to test model quality against measured water contents during ebb-and-flow irrigation cycles and to optimize the irrigation strategy for the different materials. The results showed that the model quality was sufficiently good only if the strong hysteresis of the water retention curves was considered during the simulation process. Different strategies were tested to modify ebb-and-flow irrigation (irrigation frequency, irrigation duration and irrigation height) in that way that the water suction in the root zone was similar to that of the peat material. Simulation results showed that significant improvements could only be reached by increasing the flooding depth in ebb-and-flow systems to ensure an optimum water supply of plants in the wood fiber based growing media.
Diet can influence healthy aging through anti- or proinflammatory effects, partly by modulating the gut microbiome composition. This study investigated the relationships between the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII), the gut microbiome, and nutritional status in elderly individuals. Methods: This cross-sectional analysis included 114 home-dwelling individuals aged over 70 years. The Energy-adjusted DII (E-DII) was calculated from 3-day food diaries, and blood samples were taken to measure micronutrient status, glucose, and lipid metabolism. Body composition was assessed using bioimpedance, and fecal gut microbiome composition was analyzed through 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The participants were categorized into maintaining an anti-inflammatory diet (AD) and a pro-inflammatory diet (PD) based on the median E-DII score. The associations of E-DII groups with blood markers and microbial diversity and composition were examined using the analysis of covariance, permutational analysis of variance, and multivariate linear models. Results: The AD (n = 57, 76 ± 3.83 years) and PD (n = 57, 75 ± 5.21 years) groups were similar in age but differed in sex distribution, with a higher proportion of females in the AD group (p = 0.02). When compared to the PD group and adjusted for sex, the AD group had a lower body mass index, fat mass, fasting insulin level, HOMA-IR (Homeostasis Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance), fasting triglycerides, and serum uric acid concentration (all p < 0.05), with higher concentrations of high-density lipoprotein, red-blood-cell folate (RBC), and Omega-3 index (all p < 0.05). While the microbial diversity and composition did not differ between the DII groups, folate concentrations were negatively associated with Agathobacter and positively associated with Bacteroides abundance (both q = 0.23). Lower uric acid concentrations were associated with a higher abundance of Bifidobacterium (q = 0.09) and lower abundance of Phocaeicola (q = 0.11). Discussion: The study suggests that following an anti-inflammatory diet is associated with improved nutritional status in the elderly. Dietary blood markers, rather than E-DII, were found to be associated with the gut microbiome, suggesting a potential link between the microbiome and changes in nutritional markers independent of diet. Further studies are needed to explore the causal relationship between dietary inflammatory potential, gut microbiome, and healthy aging.
Nitrogen (N) pollution of groundwater bodies is often a result of high livestock densities combined with use of mineral N fertilisers in Northwest Germany, specifically in combination with sandy soils and high amounts of precipitation. Organic agriculture is discussed as an alternative management practice reducing nitrogen losses due to area-based livestock densities and waiving of mineral N fertilisers. A field trial with integrated ceramic suction cups over three years showed potential for reduced N loads under conventional management specifically with organic fertilisation. Now, the field trial is under transition into organic farming with promising additional benefits for drinking water quality and the great potential to develop optimised N management strategies.
Studies on nutrition have historically concentrated on food-shortages and over-nutrition. The physiological states of feeling hungry or being satiated and its dynamics in food choices, dietary patterns, and nutritional behavior, have not been the focus of many studies. Currently, visual analytic using easy-to-use tooling offers applicability in a wide-range of disciplines. In this interdisciplinary pilot-study we tested a novel visual analytic software to assess dietary patterns and food choices for greater understanding of nutritional behavior when hungry and when satiated. We developed software toolchain and tested the hypotheses that there is no difference between visual search patterns of dishes 1) when hungry and when satiated and 2) in being vegetarian and non-vegetarian. Results indicate that food choices can be deviant from dietary patterns but correlate slightly with dish-gazing. Further, scene perception probably could vary between being hungry and satiated. Understanding t he complicated relationship between scene perception and nutritional behavioral patterns and scaling up this pilot-study to a full-study using our introduced software approaches is indispensable.
Within the consortium “Experimentation Field Agro-Nordwest”, a practical concept for knowledge and technology transfer of digital competence in agriculture was created. For this purpose, the web-based e-learning system “SensX” was set up, consisting of videos, presentations and instructions. In addition, the classical e-learning concept was extended by data sets, student experiments and sensor data of plants acquired by a remote phenotyping robot. This resulted in a massive open online course (MOOC), which was tested with agricultural and biotechnology students in higher education at the University of Applied Sciences Osnabrück over two years. The evaluation process of “SensX” included an empirical survey, qualitative interviews of the participating students by an external institution and an evaluation of the concept by the lecturers.
In recent years, ISO, IFS, BRC and FSSC 22000 standards in the areas of quality, environment and occupational health and safety have been increas-ingly implemented in companies in various industries. The main focus of these developed standards are the processes. But the past shows that the factor human is another very important factor, which should be much more in the middle in organization. The new developed guideline has the human factor in the foreground. In particular, the attitude and awareness of occupational safe-ty and health protection in the behaviour of employees at all levels of the or-ganisation are at the centre of consideration.
Inspired by this approach, a group of experts from the fields of quality scienc-es, standardisation and certification as well as consulting for system-relevant companies in the agricultural and food industry came together to form a committee during the Corona crisis in spring 2020. The common goal is to develop a new standard. The first step is to establish criteria for a guideline.
and establish an evaluation system for several pillars of a House of Total Safety Culture (HSC) tailored to the entire value chains of the agri-food sec-tor. In addition, the essential building blocks of the guideline must be defined. The attitude of managers and employees, their behaviour and their compe-tence form the roof of the standard. The integrated management system with a continuous improvement process forms the foundation of the House of To-tal Safety Culture across the company in value chains. Qualification and communication are the main pillars and thus further elements of the HSC. Particular attention is paid to the fields of action of occupational safety and health protection, food safety, animal and environmental protection as well as sustainability and digitisation. They form the four inner pillars of the House of Total Safety Culture. The design of the respective certification levels is con-sidered as a “construction phase”. As part of the standardisation process, the coordination of the respective requirements for safety culture has not yet been completed. This article first provides an overview of the state of knowledge in relation to the established standards and norms of the agri-food industry with special consideration of the Safety Culture Ladder model. The procedure for developing and establishing the new guideline is then ex-plained. For this purpose, the composition of the expert forum is presented before the concrete steps to establish the guideline are presented. The model of the House of Total Culture is presented below. Building on this, the proce-dure for assessing the degree of maturity and possible concepts of continuing training are explained before the conclusion of this article.
Comparison of variable liming strategies in organic farming systems using online pH-measurements
(2011)
In organic farming, soil pH is one of the most important soil characteristics affecting nutrient availability, soil microbial activity and plant growth. Using the soil pH mapping sensor system Veris MSP, detailed information on in-field variability of soil pH can be obtained enabling spatial variable lime application. Scenario calculations for an organically managed field in Germany reveal that compared with the standard farm practice (i.e. uniform liming rate) variable lime application does not lead to higher costs while soil pH is optimized in different field zones resulting in increased crop productivity. Using two different lime qualities increases liming costs moderately but gives farmers the chance to increase pH quickly in extreme low pH areas.
Computer-image processing becomes more and more important in the analysis of data in biological and agricultural research and practice. However, robust image processing is highly de pendent on the histogram analysis algorithms used and the quality of the data being processed. The algorithm presented here aims to improve the accuracy of the classification of image data generated under complex boundary situations and inconsistent lighting conditions. Using the example of the determination of nitrogen content of tomato leaves and the qualitative determination of starch con tent of apples on the basis of color image processing, we showed that the developed algorithm is able to perform a robust classification and represents an improvement to simple histogram analysis.
This study identifies and evaluates factors for success in innovation work in the Bavarian dairy farming industry. The research is based on an analysis of innovation system theories and a comparison with innovation work in the Dutch dairy sector. Dutch dairy farming is characterized by high productivity and technical efficiency at the farm level. Moreover, important developments in dairy farming have originated in the Netherlands. Therefore, this study delves into the systemic background of the successful innovation work in the Netherlands and makes a comparison with Bavaria. The main result of this study is that innovation work in the Bavarian dairy farming sector is lacking in two respects: end-user (farmer) integration and within-sector cooperation.
Boron dynamics in a peat-based growing medium and its impact on the growth of basil (Abstract)
(2021)
Enhancing the nutritional value of pears through agronomic biofortification with iodine (Abstract)
(2024)
German farmers are required by law to regularly self-assess the welfare of their animals. The project Q Check is aiming at developing a system that will assist farmers to objectively assess animal health and welfare in dairy cows. For this reason, a quarterly report will be compiled from animal-based key indicators to give an overview of the on-farm situation. The anonymised and aggregated reports can also be used for national animal welfare monitoring: Continuous collection of these key indicators enables the summary and publication of figures reflecting the current animal health and welfare status and progressions at federal state and at national level. Q Check is based on four data recording and analysis systems, which are already established in Germany and implemented on a national level. Out of these systems, the most suitable indicators to describe herd health have been selected by 215 experts within a twostage Delphi study. In addition, over 50 face-to-face interviews with stakeholders related to the German dairy sector have been performed in order to take into account the socio-scientific point of view. To complete the process, the selected indicators are currently being checked against mass data and hence tested for suitability regarding monitoring purposes. An automatic farm-specific evaluation of animal health, based on verified indicators, will provide support to farmers in fulfilling their legal requirements and in identifying weak points on the individual farms. A benchmarking system will be set up which will allow tracking the individual herd health indicators in the same farm in their course over time and compared with similar farms. These routinely provided horizontal and vertical statistics will facilitate targeted intervention and support objectified management decisions, implying that dairy farmers can benefit in several respects. In the course of the project, new tools for determining the risk of ketosis in the scope of milk recording will also be validated and implemented at national level to enhance monitoring of this major disease complex. The results of these nationwide, systematic investigations will contribute substantially to objectifying the discussion about the health and welfare situation of dairy cows.
Animal husbandry methods also play an important role in public discussion, as animal welfare is often valued in society by visual perceptions. In this context, there is often an idealized idea of livestock husbandry and nutrition, which is staged by ideal-typical images. In the minds of many citizens, nature-loving images trigger a positive imagination that results from the longings of urban living conditions. Media and stakeholder analyses indicate that the use of straw in livestock husbandry and nutrition also has a positive impact on the welfare of livestock. According to this, straw is preferred by the public for more animal welfare. But what is not considered is the fact that the straw must be of impeccable hygienic quality
The demands placed on companies in terms of up-to-date quality and sustainability management as well as health and safety measures are high and are becoming increasingly complex. Increased legal requirements, additional industry standards and derived customer requirements constantly present companies and value chains with new challenges. The integrated approach to the implementation of these different requirements has already taken place in companies in recent years. However, small businesses still find it difficult to face the complexity of requirements on their own without an accompanying consultation. Qualint is a support tool, which is currently available in the 3rd version. The tool supports companies in setting up and continuously developing their integrated management system with coordinated hybrid service bundles. The focus is on combining the fields of action of quality, environmental and sustainability management as well as occupational safety and health.The article illustrates how quality management can be used as a basis for building up digital and organizational structures in companies and value chains. The focus is on sustainability aspects and ethical requirements that are closely related to people, such as occupational health and safety. Compliance with human rights is required in ISO 26000 and is also part of occupational safety and health. Furthermore, compliance with human rights and corresponding working conditions is also regulated by the new Supply Chain Duty Act (LkSG). It shows how demands on companies have grown and how the consulting tool Qualint has developed accordingly.
Animal husbandry methods also play an important role in public discussion, as animal welfare is often valued in society by visual perceptions. In this context, there is often an idealized idea of livestock husbandry and nutrition, which is staged by ideal-typical images. In the minds of many citizens, nature-loving images trigger a positive imagination that results from the longings of urban living conditions. Media and stakeholder analyses indicate that the use of straw in livestock husbandry and nutrition also has a positive impact on the welfare of livestock. According to this, straw is preferred by the public for more animal welfare.
But what is not considered is the fact that the straw must be of impeccable hygienic quality. Fungal infestation and the formation of mycotoxins in straw can cause diseases in livestock with consequences for animal welfare.
The first evaluation of a perfect straw quality also takes place in science through sensory tests, i.e. through smell, grip, colour and impurities. Only in the case of abnormalities in the sensory tests are further examinations indicated, such as microbiological examination procedures.
The hygienic properties of straw were examined on the basis of these assessment criteria. In addition to the microbiological-hygienic tests, the sensors of the straw were also tested.
The results show that there are no abnormalities in the sensory examination of the hygiene status. This was to observe an impeccable hygiene status.
However, the microbiological-hygienic investigations showed that the straw had microbiological as well as mycotoxin loads above the orientation values. This can have negative health effects, such as diseases for farm animals.
The scientific results led to the conclusion: The public discussion about animal welfare, which is often conducted primarily on the basis of visual impressions, could gain in scientific resilience if it includes objective results such as microbiological analyses in addition to images in order to evaluate animal welfare in livestock farming
Between Ekaterinburg and Nowosibirsk, in the Western Siberian grain belt, spring wheat is grown on fertileChernozem soils. Field and farm sizes are large but the land-use intensity per area is low compared to CentralEurope. Fertilizers and pesticides are applied only in low to moderate quantities and yields range between 10and 20 dt ha-1 . We studied the arable weed flora in the northern forest steppe zone of Tyumen region using arandomized sampling design. Surprisingly, the species richness was only moderate, on average 9.8 ± 3.8species per 100 m². Compared to weed communities of Bashkiria (Southern Ural) and less intensively usedarable land of Central Europe these numbers are rather low. Moreover, most of the recorded species werecosmopolitans or widely distributed throughout the temperate zone. We suggest that the land use intensitywas high enough to reduce the density of a number of weed species in a way that they were not registered byour random sampling design. The limited conservational value of the weed vegetation of large grain fields inTyumen leads to the conclusion that if intensification of land use is unavoidable, it should be directed to arableland and not to ex-arable land or ancient grassland, which is of higher conservation value.
To assess the effect of intercropping on malting quality a field trial with spring barley (Hordeum vulgare) and legume (pea) as well as non-legume (camelina and linseed) intercrops in two additive seeding ratios as well as sole cops was established in 2017 at the organic experimental station of University of Applied Sciences Osnabrück in North-Western Germany. Two tested malting barley cultivars (cv. Marthe and cv. Odilia) showed different performance, but all variants achieved brewing quality. Results after two years indicate that linseed and camelina were able to limit protein content. For best land-use efficiency of malting barley production intercropping with linseed showed best results. Mixed intercropping can help to promote internal efficiency loops and is therefore a promising sustainable intensification strategy for more resilient future crop production under changing climate conditions.
The objective of this article is to prepare for the initial certification according to IFS Global Markets Food V3 at the Landshuter Brauhaus AG private brewery at the Ellermühle site, which is expected in August 2025, and to create the basis for a potential follow-up certification according to IFS Food. The IFS Global Markets Food Program V3 is a standardized, voluntary and non-accredited assessment program for food companies, both for retail and manufacturer brand products (IFS 2023, p. 10 f.). It is based on the specifications of the Global Markets Program developed in 2008 (GFSI 2023a; VDOE 2020, p. 620).
The methodology of the target/actual analysis was used to work on the topic in order to be able to carry out a conformity check with regard to the requirements of IFS Global Markets Food V3 (see Appendix 3; IFS 2023). Observations, document analyses and employee surveys were carried out to obtain the most meaningful information possible. These have been recorded and evaluated within the target-performance analysis. A total of 65 deviations (equivalent to 53.7%) were identified at the basic level, and 60 deviations (equivalent to 82.2%) at the intermediate level. These were either processed as directly implemented corrective actions or formulated as recommendations for continuous improvement in the form of an action plan (see Appendix 15). The presentation of the action plan shows the deviations, the resulting measures, the associated responsibilities, the time period with the starting point and end point of the measures, and the current status. In addition a subdivision into "Basic" and "+Intermediate" was made for a better overview in the subsequent processing by the brewery.
A review as well as assessment of relevant requirements with regard to processes and significant violations after completion of the new building and commissioning at the Ellermühle site with regard to correlation with a potential "major" rating is recommended on the part of the operations manager or brewmaster (IFS 2023, p. 30).
Response of petunia to wood fibre amended peat substrate under ebb-and-flow irrigation (Abstract)
(2024)
The production of food-grade substances and complex biocatalysts used as additives or active ingredients – mainly for food applications – can be achieved in the eukaryotic expression system of Aspergillus niger. Food proteins or food enzymes e.g., casein, ovalbumin, phytase or glucoamylase are highly complex polymers. Most of them could be used as nitrogen or energy source for animals and humans, while others are industrial relevant biomass-degrading enzymes used for biological waste processing and food production.
However, the successful production of novel recombinant proteins can be challenging, resource- and time consuming. Therefore, A. niger mutant libraries are needed to understand the “adjusting screws” to produce high yields of recombinant proteins, preferably even in a kind of generic, transferable system. In order to establish a universal and multipurpose expression platform, there is the need to overcome the lack of high throughput assays first.
To tackle this problem, we designed a modular, quantitative and feasible high-throughput screening system to express and screen recombinant proteins regarding their stability and functionality in A. niger. For this purpose a dual-luciferase reporter gene system, which is applicable in small scale will be established for A. niger. After the generation of an A. niger secretion mutant library, the system will be transferred and tested to other proteins of interest. The technology can be integrated into bio-regenerative life support systems for the autonomous production of e.g., food, food additives and food enzymes on earth as well as in deep-space.
When the ECLAS Conference took place in 1972 western societies were undergoing profound change: They transformed from industrial to postindustrial societies – the so-called service societies. 50 years later, the knowledge society is emerging: Knowledge is considered the key resource of this era. Digitalization and widespread dissemination of ICT allow information to be obtained anywhere anytime. This has severe implications for individual lifestyles and everyday practices. Different aspects of living, learning and working are no longer bound to physical limitations but can be enhanced by or even transferred to the virtual space. So being on the move today means travelling in hybrid spaces. We call this the space and practice “en route”.
At the University of Applied Sciences Osnabrück we explore the following questions:
What does “en route” mean and look like in landscapes of higher education?
How is it perceived individually?
(How) can landscape architecture shape it?
Our transdisciplinary research project EN ROUTE aims to meet current challenges at universities (e.g. digitalisation, sustainable development) with a comprehensive understanding of space and practices “en route”. In a transdisciplinary process, researchers from various disciplines – landscape architecture, geography, urban planning, business administrations and marketing, energy technology and computer science – develop concepts and strategies for sustainable and digital mobility in the higher education sector. New “EN ROUTE” types provide insights into the individual production and utilization of spaces “en route”.
The campuses of the University of Applied Science Osnabrück as well as the virtual and physical space network of its members serve as research example. Initial findings will be presented at the conference. While the ECLAS conference in 1972 focused on physical scales, landscape architecture has to reflect them critically and ask: What could be an innovative understanding of spaces “en route”?