Songklanakarin Journal of Science and Technology 

About: Songklanakarin Journal of Science and Technology is an academic journal. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Adsorption & Hay. It has an ISSN identifier of 0125-3395. Over the lifetime, 294 publications have been published receiving 2762 citations.

Hematological, electrolyte and serum biochemical values of the Thai indigenous chickens (Gallus domesticus) in northeastern, Thailand

Abstract: Simaraks, S., Chinrasri, O. and Aengwanich, S. Hematological, electrolyte and serum biochemical values of the Thai indigenous chickens (Gallus domesticus) in northeastern, Thailand

Analysis of energy consumption in lowland rice-based cropping system of Malaysia

Abstract: Bockari-Gevao, S.M.1, Wan Ishak, W.I.2, Azmi, Y.3 and Chan, C.W.4 Analysis of energy consumption in lowland rice-based cropping system of Malaysia Songklanakarin J. Sci. Technol., 2005, 27(4) : 819-826 Sufficient energy is needed in the right form and at the right time for adequate crop production. One way to optimize energy consumption in agriculture is to determine the efficiency of methods and techniques used. With the current increase in world population, energy consumption needs effective planning. That is, the input elements need to be identified in order to prescribe the most efficient methods for controlling them. This study was undertaken in order to determine the direct and indirect energy consumption of field operations in a lowland rice production system of Malaysia. Field time, fuel and other energy requirements were measured for the tillage, planting, fertilizing, spraying and harvesting operations performed. Energy analysis carried out revealed the highest average operational energy consumption was for tillage (1747.33 MJ ha-1) which accounted for about 48.6% of the total operational energy consumption (3595.87 MJ ha-1), followed ORIGINAL ARTICLE 1Ph.D.Student in Bio-production Machinery, 2Ph.D.(Agricultural Engineering), Prof., 3Ph.D.(Agricultural Engineering), Assoc. Prof., Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, D.E. Malaysia. 4Ph.D.(Agricultural Engineering), Senior Research Officer, Mechanization and Automation Division, Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI), GPO. Box 12301, 55774, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Corresponding e-mail: smbgevao@yahoo.co.uk Received, 8 September 2004 Accepted, 13 December 2004 Songklanakarin J. Sci. Technol. Vol.27 No.4 Jul. Aug. 2005 820 Energy consumption in lowland rice-based cropping system Bockari-Gevao, S.M., et al. by harvesting (1171.44 MJ ha-1, 32.6%) and planting (562.91 MJ ha-1, 15.7%). Fertilizing and pesticide spraying did not make any significant contributions to the operational energy consumption. Based on energy sources, fuel was the main consumer of direct energy with 2717.82 MJha-1 (22.2%), and fertilizer recording the highest indirect energy consumption of 7721.03 MJha-1 (63.2%). Human labour, pesticides, seeds and indirect energy for machinery use had marginal importance, contributing only 0.2%, 0.6%, 6.8% and 6.9%, respectively to the total energy consumption (12225.97 MJha-1). Average grain yield was 6470.8 kg ha-1, representing energy output of 108321.75 MJha-1, that is, 96095.78 MJ net energy gain or 8.86 MJ output per MJ input. Energy input per kilogram grain yield was 1.89 MJkg-1. The results of the study indicate energy gain in the lowland rice production system of Malaysia. Key word : direct and indirect energy, operational energy consumption, lowland rice production, Malaysia Agricultural productivity cannot hope to increase unless adequate inputs such as power, improved seeds, fertilizers and irrigation water are available in a timely manner and applied judiciously. With the current increase in world population, energy consumption needs effective planning. That is, the input elements need to be identified in order to prescribe the most efficient methods for controlling them. Crop yields and food supplies to consumers are directly linked to energy, which means sufficient energy is needed in the right form at the right time for adequate crop production. One way to optimize energy consumption in agriculture is to determine the efficiency of methods and techniques used (Kitani, 1999; Safa and Tabatabaeefar, 2002). Crop-yield is directly proportional to the energy input (Srivastava, 1982). Fuel and fertilizers (N and P) account for the largest share (>75%) of all energy expenditures in a mixed cropping system (Hetz, 1992; Ahmad, 1994; Safa and Tabatabaeefar, 2002). Fluck and Baird (1980) hypothesized that the highest partial energy productivity is achieved at the point of minimum mechanization energy inputs and increasing mechanization energy increase crop yield at a decreasing rate. To adequately evaluate crop production energy requirements and be able to choose alternative crop production systems, energy data need to be collected for machinery and soils of major crop production systems. For instance, in Malaysia, the only available tillage energy data is currently limited to upland soils under cash crops such as rubber and oil palm. Field studies need to be conducted in paddy soils to enable the compilation of a more thorough tillage energy database. Field operating energy data is also needed for fertilizer, lime and pesticide applicators and for transplanters and harvesters. Energy requirements of various crop production systems can then be determined and compared. This study was therefore undertaken in order to establish an initial data bank of field operating energy involved in a lowland rice production system of Malaysia. The specific objectives were: 1. To determine the operational energy consumption of field operations involved in the lowland rice production system. 2. To compare the total energy involved in the rice production in terms of direct and indirect energy sources. 3. To determine the overall energy efficiency of the lowland rice production system. Materials and Methods The present research work was undertaken at the Sungai Burong Compartment of the Tanjong Karang Rice Irrigation Scheme in the Northwest Selangor Integrated Agricultural Development Project. Data was collected in the off-season (January to June) and main season (August to December) in 2003. An 80"-rotavator was used to carry out first rotary tillage pass (referred to as first rotavation) and a 110"-rotavator was used for the second and third rotary tillage passes (referred to as second rotavation and third rotavation, respectively). This sequence of rotary tillage imSongklanakarin J. Sci. Technol. Vol.27 No.4 Jul. Aug. 2005 Energy consumption in lowland rice-based cropping system Bockari-Gevao, S.M., et al. 821 plementation is the standard practice for seedbed preparation among the lowland rice farmers in Malaysia. The 80"-rotavator with less power requirement, compared to the 110"-rotavator, is used to break up the virgin soil. During the second and third rotavations, farmers are usually concerned with both timely completion of the seedbed preparation and the minimization of tillage trips so as to reduce re-compaction of the moist loose soil already created during first rotavation. More so, tractors operating in wet paddy fields have limited traction due either to wheel slip or drivewheel penetration. The use of the 110"-rotavator with greater bite length, defined as the amount of forward travel per cut, would help increase the negative draft and negative specific energy requirement for traction. A FIAT 640 diesel tractor, having a maximum power of 46.31 kW at PTO shaft and operating with a PTO speed of 540 rpm was used as the power source for the tillage operations. A 6-row Kubota rice transplanter SPA65 was used to transplant the 16-day old seedlings of rice variety MR 219. Field time, fuel, and other energy requirements were measured for all field operations performed on twelve experimental plots. The number and duration of operations, the seed, fertilizer and pesticide rates, and the amount of human labour involved in each operation were investigated through field measurements. For each operation by a self-propelled machine used, fuel consumption was measured by filling the machine's fuel tank twice, before and after each operation (Alcock, 1986; Nielsen and Luoma, 2000). A knapsack-powered blower (sprayer) was used to apply fertilizer and pesticides. All the experimental plots were fertilized at the same levels in order to reduce the significance of differential fertility on crop yield. The amount of each fertilizer and pesticide (herbicide, insecticide and fungicide) used for weed, insect and disease control were recorded for the determination of the fertilizer and chemical energy inputs in the production process. Supplemental irrigation water was pumped into the field before commencement of the third rotavation. Computation of Parameters Energy analysis was performed based on field operations (tillage, planting, fertilizing, spraying and harvesting) as well as on the direct (fuel and human labour) and indirect (machinery, fertilizer, pesticide, and seed) energy sources involved in the production process. The irrigation energy expenditure was not included in the energy analysis since the supplemental irrigation water application during the land preparation stage was only situational; it is not a common practice among the lowland rice farmers in the study area. Under normal circumstances, there is no water pumping involved in the rice production process. The rice farmers rely totally on "free" irrigation supply by gravity flow from the central water distribution system under the management of the Department of Irrigation and Drainage of Malaysia. The direct energy use per hectare for each field operation was computed by the following equation (Moerschner and Gerowitt, 2000): ED = h × AFU × PEU × RU [1] where: ED = Specific direct energy use (fuel) for a field operation, MJ ha -1. h = Specific working hours per run, h ha -1 AFU = Average fuel use per working hour, L h -1 PEU = Specific energy value per litre of fuel, MJ L -1 RU = Runs, number of applications in the considered field operation. The energy contribution of machinery for each field operation was determined by the following equation: EID = TW × CED UL × h × RU [2] EID = Specific indirect energy for machinery use for a field operation, MJ ha -1 TW = Total weight of the specific machine, kg. CED = Cumulative energy demand for machinery, MJ kg -1 Songklanakarin J. Sci. Technol. Vol.27 No.4 Jul. Aug. 2005 822 Energy consumption in lowland rice-based cropping system Bockari-Gev

The effects of banana peel preparations on the properties of banana peel dietary fibre concentrate.

Abstract: Four different preparation methods of banana peel, dry milling, wet milling, wet milling and tap water washing, and wet milling and hot water washing were investigated on their effects on the chemical composition and properties of the banana peel dietary fibre concentrate (BDFC). The dry milling process gave the BDFC a significant higher fat, protein, and starch content than the wet milling process, resulting in a lower water holding capacity (WHC) and oil holding capacity (OHC). Washing after wet milling could enhance the concentration of total dietary fibre by improving the removal of protein and fat. Washing with hot water after wet milling process caused a higher loss of soluble fibre fraction, resulting in a lower WHC and OHC of the obtained BDFC when compared to washing with tap water. Wet milling and tap water washing gave the BDFC the highest concentration of total and soluble dietary fibre, WHC and OHC.

Effect of vanadium on plant growth and its accumulation in plant tissues

Abstract: Hydroponic experiments were conducted to investigate vanadium uptake by Chinese green mustard and tomato plants and its effect on their growth. Twenty-eight (Chinese green mustard) and 79 days (tomato) after germination, the plants were exposed for a further seven days to a solution containing six different concentrations of ammonium metavanadate (0-80 mg/l NH4VO3). The vanadium accumulated in the plant tissues were determined by ion-interaction high performance liquid chromatography, with confirmation by magnetic sector ICP-MS. The results indicated that nutrient solution containing more than 40 mg/l NH4VO3 affected plant growth for both Chinese green mustard and tomato plant. Chinese green mustard grown in the solution containing NH4VO3 at the concentrations of 40 and 80 mg/l had stem length, number of leaves, dry weight of leaf, stem and root significantly lower than those of plants grown in the solution containing 0-20 mg/l NH4VO3. Tomato plants were observed to wilt after four days in contact with the nutrient solutions containing 40 and 80 mg/l NH4VO3. As the vanadium concentrations increased, a resultant decrease in the stem length, root fresh weight, and fruit fresh weight were noted. The accumulation of vanadium was higher in the root compared with leaf, stem, or fruit. Measured levels of vanadium, from a nutrient solution containing 40 mg/l NH4VO3, were 328, 340, and 9.66x103 ƒÝg/g in the leaf, stem and root for Chinese green mustard, and 4.04 and 4.01x103 ƒÝg/g in the fruit and roots for tomato plants, respectively.

Pathology of heart, lung, liver and kidney in broilers under chronic heat stress

Abstract: Aengwanich, W. and Simaraks, S. Pathology of heart, lung, liver and kidney in broilers under chronic heat stress Songklanakarin J. Sci. Technol., 2004, 26(3) : 417-424 The purpose of this experiment was to investigate pathological changes in broilers under chronic heatstress. Fifteen birds (n = 15), twenty-eight days old were kept at 33 + 1 o C environmental temperature for21 days. While broilers were maintained in environmental temperature at 33 + 1 o C, body temperature,respiratory rate and urine excretion rose. Macroscopic and microscopic lesions of heart, lung, liver andkidney were examined. Right atrium hypertrophy with excessive blood accumulation, heart enlargementand right ventricular hypertrophy were observed in 12 out of 15 broilers (80%). Congestion, edema andhyperemia in lung were present in all broilers. Yellow and pale livers were observed in 4 out of 15 broilers(26.67%). Kidneys were highly affected i.e. generalized edema and hemorrhage in subrenal capsule. Undermicroscopic examination of heart, massive myofibrillar degeneration with hemorrhage, general fattydegeneration /or/ vacuolation of myofibers and diffused myocarditis containing organisms were found insome areas. The principal histopathologic lesions in the lung were related to vein and arteriole massivecongestion. Massive hemorrhage was largely observed in parabronchus and alveoli of all broilers.Liver cells showed “fatty degeneration” with dilation of sinusoid of all broilers. Besides, necrosis with hetero-phils and lymphocytes was observed in some parts of the liver, especially in the centritubular region. In the