Fire performance of wood (Pinus radiata) treated with fire retardants and a wood preservative

In this work, we co‐formulated an oil‐borne copper naphthenate/permethrin wood preservative system with synthetic polymer‐based fire‐retardant additives prior to the impregnation of Pinus radiata sapwood. We evaluated what effect, if any, the preservative had upon the fire performance properties of the fire retardants and whether the fire retardants impacted on the fungicidal and termiticidal efficacy of the preservative. The fire retardants included halogenated and phosphorus‐based systems. A mass loss calorimeter, in conjunction with a thermopile, was used to measure the time to ignition and the peak heat release rate (PHRR) from which the fire performance index (FPI) was determined. The preservative properties were evaluated using termite and soil‐block decay bioassays. In summary, we found that the rate of fire growth was reduced when the fire retardants were used in combination with the wood preservative. We also found that the PHRR was a better determinant of fire performance than the FPI. The performance of the wood preservative was enhanced against fungal decay and termite attack when used in combination with the fire retardants. The fire retardants also demonstrated some wood preservative properties of their own. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Nitrogen fixation of and N transfer from cowpea, mungbean and groundnut when intercropped with maize

Grain legumes are used widely in intercropping systems. However, quantitative and comparative data available as to their N₂ fixation and N beneficial effect on the companion crop in intercropping systems are scarce. Hence, studies were conducted to ascertain the above when cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.), mungbean (Vigna radiata L.) and groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) were intercropped with maize. The study was¹⁵N-aided and made outdoors in basins (30 L) filled with 38 kg of soil.¹⁵N labelling was effected by incorporating¹⁵N-tagged plant material or applying¹⁵N-labelled fertilizer along with sucrose to stabilize¹⁵N enrichment in the soil during the experimental period. Intercropped groundnut fixed the highest amount of nitrogen from the atmosphere (i.e. 552 mg plant^–1), deriving 85% of its N from the atmosphere. Intercropped cowpea and mungbean fixed 161 and 197 mg N plant^–1, obtaining 81% and 78% of their N content from the atmosphere, respectively. The proportion of N derived by maize from the associated legume varied from 7-11% for mungbean, 11–20% for cowpea and 12–26% for groundnut which amounted to about 19–22, 29–45 and 33–60 mg N maize plant^–1, respectively. The high nitrogen fixation potential of groundnut in dual stands and its relatively low harvest index for N have apparently contributed to greater N-benefical effect on the associated crop.     

Moisture conditioning of wood using a continuous microwave dryer

Lower moisture content in wood, preferably 5–6%, is desirable for many chemical modification reactions. Economically, it is not feasible to dry timber to such low moisture content by conventional drying without drying degrades. Microwave heating was evaluated and found to be effective in reducing the moisture content of radiata pine from 13% to 6% in a microwave cycle of two minutes. The energy consumption is about 55 kWh/m³. Moisture distribution profiles demonstrate very uniform drying across the sample thickness. The findings suggest that microwave heating can potentially be applied to condition wood in a very short period of time.     

Primary and secondary metabolite compounds in cowpea seeds resistant to the cowpea bruchid [Callosobruchus maculatus (F.)] in postharvest storage

Cowpea is a one important legume crop in Sub-Saharan Africa due to its high content of protein and other nutrients. However, seeds of cowpea varieties are destroyed by Callosobruchus maculatus in storage. This study investigated various biochemical compounds of susceptible and resistant cowpea genotypes, to determine the biochemical compounds underlying cowpea resistance to bruchid. Six cowpea genotypes were analyzed in three replicates. One-way analysis of variance, Pearson correlation and path analysis were used to determine the influence of the biochemical compounds on the cowpea status. Amongst the cowpea genotypes assayed the biochemical compounds analyzed (Vicilin; α-amylase Inhibitor; Phenols; Condensed Tannin; Tannin; Carbohydrate; Flavonoid and Protein), were present in amounts. Resistant genotypes exhibited higher contents of Phenols (22.29 mg/g for WC66*5T and 19.74 mg/g for WC36); Tannin (2.45CEmg/g for WC36 and 2.52CEmg/g for TVU13677); and Carbohydrate (72.82% for TVU13677 and 71.09% for WC36). The most susceptible genotypes had the lowest content of Phenols (13.5 mg/g for TVU946 and 12.72 mg/g for Glessissaffodo); Tannin (0.74CEmg/g for Akounado and 0.97CEmg/g for Glessissaffodo) and Carbohydrate (60.95% for Akounado and 61.39% for TVU946), while Condensed Tannin was associated to their seed coat colour but not to their resistance status against bruchid. The resistant genotypes TVU13677; WC36 and WC66*5T were found to contain a higher amount of a subset of biochemical compounds as defensive compounds against cowpea bruchid. The susceptible cowpea genotypes (Akounado; Glessissaffodo; TVU946) screened for their biochemical content presented low amounts of these defensive compounds. The path analysis implemented highlighted the existence of causal relationships among biochemical compounds analyzed and resistance parameters, thus revealing the resistance basis of cowpea seed biochemical compounds. These latter results point out the possibilities to consider the presence of these biochemical compounds underlying the resistance of cowpea to bruchid in the breeding program toward the resistance to bruchid.     

DRYING RATE AND TEMPERATURE PROFILE FOR SUPERHEATED STEAM VACUUM DRYING AND MOIST AIR DRYING OF SOFTWOOD LUMBER

Abstract

Two charges of green radiata pine sapwood lumber were dried, either using superheated steam under vacuum (90°C, 0.2 bar abs.) or conventionally using hot moist air (90/60°C). Due to low density of the drying medium under vacuum, the circulation velocity used was 10 m/s for superheated steam drying and 5.0 m/s for moist air drying, and in both cases, the flow was unidirectional. In drying, stack drying rate and wood temperatures were measured to examine the differences between the superheated steam drying and drying using hot moist air.

The experimental results have shown that the stack edge board in superheated steam drying dried faster than in the hot moist air drying. Once again due to the low density of the steam under vacuum, a prolonged maximum temperature drop across load (TDAL) was observed in the superheated steam drying, however, the whole stack dried slower and the final moisture content distribution was more variable than for conventional hot moist air drying. Wood temperatures in superheated steam drying were lower.     

RELATIVE IMPORTANCE OF VAPOUR DIFFUSION AND CONVECTTVE FLOW IN MODELLING OF SOFTWOOD DRYING

ABSTRACT

The influence of vapour diffusion on the drying rate of a softwood board has been examined for drying temperatures varying from 60°C to 140°C. It is found that for very low temperature drying a model which considers both vapour convective and diffusion in wood predicts dry-rate curves matching the experimental data closely. For high temperature drying, both of the above drying model and a drying model which considers only vapour convective flow give predictions in agreement with the observed data. This illustrates that the diffusion of vapour and air is important in low temperature drying panicularly during the late stages of drying. However, for high temperature drying, the convective flow of moisture vapour is dominant and the diffusion component is negligible. The observation provides evidence for simplifying a drying model for high temperature drying without reducing its credibility in predicting drying rate curves.     

USE OF DYNAMIC MODELLING FOR THE DESIGN OF BATCH-MODE DEHUMIDIFIER DRYERS

The performance of batch-mode dehumidifier dryers undergoes significant changes during the drying process due to the range of temperature and humidity conditions experienced. Consequently steady-state methods are inapplicable for determining the performance of such kilns. In this paper a dynamic dehumidifier kiln model is used to estimate the drying speed, energy use and annual income for a batch-mode dehumidifier kiln. The model has been validated at both the dryer and dehumidifier levels, and the product is Pinus radiata, an easy-to-dry plantation soft-wood. The results show that control limits for the evaporating and condensing temperatures must be well matched to maximise the drying speed in the constant rate period. In the falling rate period, it is important not to place a lower limit the relative humidity unnecessarily. The use of supplementary heat to accelerate the kiln start-up is shown to have only a small influence on the kiln performance.     

Feeding stimulatory and inhibitory chemicals from an acceptable nonhost plant forManduca sexta: Improved detection by larvae deprived of selected chemosensory organs

The chemical basis of feeding responses to the acceptable nonhost plantVigna sinensis (cowpea) by larvae ofManduca sexta was investigated using chemical isolation techniques directed by a novel chemosensory-based bioassay. The presence of feeding stimulatory and inhibitory compounds in leaves or leaf extracts was determined in a two-choice preference test using leaf disks or glass fiber filter paper disks laced with leaf extract as test substrate and filter paper disks laced with water as control. Larvae strongly prefer the control disks over leaf disks, indicating the presence of feeding inhibitory compounds in the leaf. An ethanol extract of both fresh and dried leaves neither stimulated nor inhibited feeding. The cause of this inactivity was examined by using larvae that respond strongly to either feeding stimulatory or inhibitory compounds due to selective chemosensory deprivation. Larvae having chemosensory organs remaining only on the maxillary palps are stimulated to feed by whole leaf disks and by the ethanol extracts. In contrast, larvae having only the medial and lateral maxillary sensilla styloconica and the epipharyngeal sensilla remaining are strongly inhibited by whole leaf disks and the ethanol extract of fresh leaves. Thus, the ethanol extract contains both feeding stimulatory and inhibitory compounds, which elicit opposite behavioral effects in unoperated larvae, therefore nullifying any stimulatory and inhibitory activity. These compounds can only be demonstrated by using discrimination-enhanced larvae in the choice tests. Further isolation of the feeding stimulatory principle inV. sinensis yielded two separate fractions of neutral compounds, suggesting at least two different chemicals belonging to two different classes: nonpolar and polar lipids. Feeding inhibitory chemicals have apparently polar properties because strong activity was found in the ethyl acetate and methanol extracts of dried leaves. The role of feeding stimulatory and inhibitory compounds in food selection ofM. sexta larvae is discussed.     

Resistance of Vigna unguiculata (cowpea) seeds to Callosobruchus maculatus is restricted to cotyledonary tissues

We have investigated the survival of Callosobruchus maculatus larvae when reared on resistant IT81D 1045 Vigna unguiculata seeds, whose resistance has been associated with variant forms of vicilins. Here, we present data which show that larvae of C. maculatus feeding on embryonic axis of resistant cowpea reach a mass of around 28 times higher than those feeding on cotyledonary tissues. Additionally, incorporation of 5–10% of embryonic axis flour on artificial seeds made of resistant flour restores toxicity of seeds to the bruchid. Vicilins purified from both susceptible and resistant embryonic axis had no deleterious effects either on insect development or on insect survival until a level of 4% of incorporation. In contrast, vicilins from resistant cotyledons show an LD₅₀ (50% lethal dose) and WD₅₀ (half weight dose) of 2%. Total vicilin contents of embryonic axes were around two times lower than in cotyledonary tissues, while proteolytic activities of all four proteinase classes were always higher in the former tissues. By 2D‐PAGE we visualized eight protein spots, which seem to be exclusively found on resistant cotyledons. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry