The determination of phenolic profiles of Serbian unifloral honeys using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography/high resolution accurate mass spectrometry

Polyphenolic profiles of 44 unifloral Serbian honeys were analyzed using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) coupled with hybrid mass spectrometer which combines the Linear Trap Quadrupole (LTQ) and OrbiTrap mass analyzer. Rapid UHPLC method was developed in combination with a high sensitivity accurate mass scan and a simultaneous data dependent scan. The honey samples were of different botanical origin: acacia (Robinia pseudoacacia), sunflower (Helianthus annuus), linden (Tilia cordata), basil (Ocimum basilicum), buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum), oilseed rape (Brassica napus), and goldenrod (Solidago virgaurea). The presence of 43 compounds, mainly flavonoids, was proven in all honey samples by their characteristic mass spectra and fragmentation pattern. Relatively high amounts of chrysin, pinocembrin and galangin were identified in all honey extracts. p-Coumaric acid was not detected in basil, buckwheat and goldenrod honey extracts. A larger amount of gallic acid (max value 1.45 mg/kg) was found in the sunflower honey, while a larger amount of apigenin (0.97 mg/kg) was determined in the buckwheat honey in comparison with other honeys. The samples were classified according to the botanical origin using pattern recognition technique, Principal Component Analysis (PCA). The LTQ OrbiTrap technique was proven to be reliable for the unambiguous detection of phenolic acids, their derivatives, and flavonoid aglycones based on their molecular masses and fragmentation pattern.     

Integrating olive grove maintenance and energy biomass recovery with a single-pass pruning and harvesting machine

In Italy, olive tree groves may offer up to a million tonnes of dry biomass per year as pruning residue. Searching for a cost-effective way to tap this potential, the authors tested a new machine, capable of recovering pruning residue at the same time as pruning. The pre-commercial prototype was tested on four different plots and compared to a simpler tractor-base mechanical pruning unit. The authors conducted detailed time-studies in order to determine machine productivity and residue recovery cost. The integrated machine can treat between 0.2 and 0.6 ha h⁻¹, producing between 0.33 and 1.03 tonnes of fresh residue hour⁻¹. Its integrated residue recovery function does not slow the pruning, which actually proceeds faster than with the tractor-base unit, due to the more efficient multiple-disc cutting bar. The marginal cost of residue recovery hovers around 40-45 € fresh tonne⁻¹. However, the new machine must not be considered just as a biomass harvester, but rather as a mechanical pruning unit with an integrated biomass recovery function. Its main benefit derives from the capacity of performing a very effective mechanical pruning, and the residue recovery function is a secondary benefit yet unavailable on standard pruning machines. Its deployment must be seen in the context of a general effort to modernize olive grove management and to develop an integrated biomass production system, rather than as a further attempt to build a specialised biomass supply chain.     

Using modified foragers to harvest short-rotation poplar plantations

In Italy, short rotation coppice (SRC) has become very popular in recent years, with over 4000 ha already planted – almost exclusively with clonal poplar. Commercial harvesting operations are dominated by modified foragers, equipped with dedicated SRC headers. At present, contractors use two main header types: German Claas HS-2 and Italian GBE. The former fits smaller foragers with a power below 300 kW, the latter is used on larger harvest units. This study models the performance of modified foragers on a range of short-rotation poplar plantations. Data were collected from 45 operations, covering a total of 118 ha and producing over 4400 green tonnes of wood chips. The average yield of the fields harvested during the trials was about 23 gt ha^?1 year^?1 (at a moisture content of 59%), and machine productivity ranged from 9 to 70 green tonnes per scheduled machine hour (gt SMH^?1), with an average value of 35 gt SMH^?1. A model was developed to predict harvesting performance and cost, showing that harvesting cost can be maintained below the 15 € gt^?1 (2 € GJ^?1) level, if field stocking exceeds 40 gt ha^?1.     

Interactions between Clay Bodies and Lead Glazes

A set of laboratory experiments has been developed to determine the nature and importance of the interaction between clay bodies and lead glazes during firing following different thermal paths (firing time and temperature, cooling rates) and using different glaze compositions and different bodies (illitic, kaolinitic, and calcareous clays). It is shown that the interaction consists of a digestion/diffusion process. This process involves (i) decomposition of the phases forming the clay body (digestion), (ii) chemical diffusion of elements between clay body and glaze, and (iii) formation of a layer (interface between clay and glaze) of small K-Pb feldspar crystallites.