Effects of Ultrasound/Dilute H_2 SO_4 Pretreatment on Cellulase Activity of Corn Straw Liquid Fermentation

[ Objective] The aim was to study pretreatment of ultrasound enhancing dilute H2SO4 on cellulase activity of corn straw liquid fermentation and explore the pretretment＇ s optimal conditions. [ Method ] By using orthogonal test, the pretretment of ultrasound enhancing dilute H2SO4 on corn straw was studied, then straw was fermented as the sole carbon source. Finally, the cellulase activity in extracellular fermentation broth was determined. [Result] The results showed that cellulase activity in extracellular broth was greatest under the conditions of acid bath time 3 h, acid concentration 3.5%, ultrasonic power 150 W, and ultrasonic time 5 h. They were FPA 15.82 U/ml, Cx 39.9 U/ml, 13-Giu 55.94 U/ml respectively. [ Conclusion] Under the above conditions, extracellular cellulase production has a high stability.

Effect of Sludge from Different Sources on Solid Anaerobic Digestion of Corn Straw

[Objective] The aim was to study on effect of sludge from different sources on biogas yield efficiency through anaerobic digestion of corn straw. [Method] The present research studied on daily biogas yield and the accumulated biogas amount through anaerobic digestion of corn straw and sludges from four sources. [Result] The accumulated biogas yields produced from sludges in four sources from high to low were granular sludge, river sediments, concentrated sludge and filtered sludge. The first one proved the highest at 3.73 and 56.29 L/kg VS in daily biogas yield and the accumulated biogas. [Conclusion] The research laid foundation for full utilization of straw, improvement of energy utilization and sustainable development.

Production of Biotechnology Fulvic Acid from Fermented Corn Straw by Microbial Community LCM9 and Its Application Effect

[Objective] The aim was to evaluate the feasibility of biotechnology fulvic acid produced by microbial community LCM9 by the use of corn straws as substrate and its application effect.[Method]Microbial community was obtained from the nature samples,and corn straws were used as fermentation substrate.The yield of biotechnology fulvic acid and its application effect was evaluated.[Result]The yield of biotechnology fulvic acid was up to 15.7% when the water content was 75.0% and fermented after 7 d using corn straws as the only source of nutrition.After 500 mg/kg of biotechnology fulvic acid was added for 5 d,the root length and bud length could be increased by 59.1% and 97.1%,respectively.[Conclusion]A higher yield of biotechnology fulvic acid could be obtained by the method in this experiment and the product could enhance the growth of wheat seedlings.

Effects of Agitating Intensity on Anaerobic Digestion Performance of Corn Straw Silage

Anaerobic fermentation can increase biomass energy use efficiency of crop straws and realize win-win of energy and environment.This paper explored the biogas generation performance of anaerobic digestion of cow dung liquid as nitrogen source in three different levels of stirring intensity at 30℃ constant temperature condition. Through p H value,biogas production,chemical oxygen demand( COD),methane content,volatile fatty acid( VFA),principal component analysis( PCA) and modified Gompertz model,effects of agitating intensity on anaerobic digestion performance of corn straw silage were evaluated. Results indicate that the COD removal rate of three agitating intensity levels is higher than 85%,and p H value is about 6.5; the cumulative biogas production after 20 days is 2h > 4h > 1h of agitating; in the49 th day,the biogas production is 1.9 Lat 30 min /2h,1.7 L at 30 min /4 h,and 1. 6 Lat 30 min / h; the maximum biogas production rate is 30 min /2h > 30 min /4h > 30 min / h; and the maximum methane production rate is 30 min /4h > 30 min /2h > 30 min / h; in the same energy consumption,the biogas production at 30 min /4h is higher than 1h. In conclusion,overall analysis of energy consumption and economic factors indicate that 30 min /4 h agitating intensity is more suitable for straw biogas fermentation project. This study is expected to provide theoretical foundation for biogas fermentation project.

Corn straw return can increase labile soil organic carbon fractions and improve water-stable aggregates in Haplic Cambisol

Corn straw return to the field is a vital agronomic practice for increasing soil organic carbon(SOC)and its labile fractions,as well as soil aggregates and organic carbon(OC)associated with water-stable aggregates(WSA).Moreover,the labile SOC fractions play an important role in OC turnover and sequestration.The aims of this study were to determine how different corn straw returning modes affect the contents of labile SOC fractions and OC associated with WSA.Corn straw was returned in the following depths:(1)on undisturbed soil surface(NTS),(2)in the 0–10 cm soil depth(MTS),(3)in the 0–20 cm soil depth(CTS),and(4)no corn straw applied(CK).After five years(2014–2018),soil was sampled in the 0–20 and 20–40 cm depths to measure the water-extractable organic C(WEOC),permanganate oxidizable C(KMnO4-C),light fraction organic C(LFOC),and WSA fractions.The results showed that compared with CK,corn straw amended soils(NTS,MTS and CTS)increased SOC content by 11.55%–16.58%,WEOC by 41.38%–51.42%,KMnO4-C and LFOC by 29.84%–34.09%and 56.68%–65.36%in the 0–40 cm soil depth.The LFOC and KMnO4-C were proved to be the most sensitive fractions to different corn straw returning modes.Compared with CK,soils amended with corn straw increased mean weight diameter by 24.24%–40.48%in the 0–20 cm soil depth.The NTS and MTS preserved more than 60.00%of OC in macro-aggregates compared with CK.No significant difference was found in corn yield across all corn straw returning modes throughout the study period,indicating that adoption of NTS and MTS would increase SOC content and improve soil structure,and would not decline crop production.

The Importance of Three Protozoa in Corn Straw Decomposition and Nutrient Transformation

Three typical soil protozoa of Bodo edax, Colpoda cucullus and Amoeba proteus were inoculated into the soil amended with corn straw. The soils were then incubated at 25℃ for 60 days. It was found that the protozoa, particularly Bodo edax, significantly reduced soil microbial biomass C. However, the decomposition of corn straw was accelerated by the protozoa. Colpoda cucullus significantly enhanced soil available P content, but Amoeba proteus decreased soil available P content. Colpoda cucullus and Bodo edax did not obviously influence NH4+-N and NO3--N contents. In contrast, Amoeba proteus significantly increased both NH4+-N and NO3--N contents.

Effect of goethite on anaerobic co-digestion process of corn straw and algae biomass

1 Introduction Recently the demand for fossil fuel has grown significantly with the rapid development of the Chinese economy.Renewable energy was developed to replace traditional fossil fuels,which would decrease the

Enhancing Hydrocarbon-Rich Bio-Oil Production via Catalytic Pyrolysis Fortified with Microorganism Pretreatment

A new method of pretreatment of corn straw with Phanerochaete chrysosporium combined with pyrolysis was proposed to improve the quality of bio-oil.The characterization results demonstrated that microbial pretreatment was an effective method to decrease the lignin,which can achieve a maximum removal rate of 44.19%.Due to the destruction of biomass structure,the content of alkali metal and alkaline earth metal is reduced.Meanwhile,the depolymerized biomass structure created better pyrolysis conditions to promote the pyrolysis efficiency,increase the average decomposition rate of pyrolysis and reduce the residue.In fast pyrolysis,because of the enrichment of cellulose and the removal of lignin,the contents of acids,linear carbonyls,furans,and sugars increased while the contents of phenols decreased.As for the catalytic pyrolysis,due to the hydrocarbon pool reaction and shape selection deoxidation of ZSM-5 catalyst,the total hydrocarbon and aromatics contents can significantly increase up to 34.37%and 30.59%,respectively,with 3 weeks of pretreatment.And the the low molecular content of bio-oil increased after pretreatment,which can significantly benefit the entry of primary pyrolysis steam into the catalyst pores to improve the catalytic efficiency and hydrocarbon contents.This method provides a new treatment idea for high-quality utilization of biomass.

Effect of different mulch materials on winter wheat production in desalinized soil in Heilonggang region of North China

Freshwater shortage is the main problem in Heilonggang lower-lying plain, while a considerable amount of underground saline water is available. We wanted to find an effective way to use the brackish water in winter wheat production. Surface mulch has significant effect in reducing evaporation and decreasing soil salinity level. This research was aimed at comparing the effect of different mulch materials on winter wheat production. The experiment was conducted during 2002-2003 and 2003-2004. Four treatments were setup： （1） no mulch, （2） mulch with plastic film, （3） mulch with corn straw, （4） mulch with concrete slab between the rows. The result indicated that concrete mulch and straw mulch was effective in conserving soil water compared to plastic film mulch which increased soil temperature. Concrete mulch decreases surface soil salinity better in comparison to other mulches used. Straw mulch conserved more soil water but decreased wheat grain yield probably due to low temperature. Concrete mulch had similar effect with plastic film mulch on promoting winter wheat development and growth.

METAGENOMICS COMBINED WITH HIGHTHROUGHPUT SEQUENCING REVEALS THE METHANOGENIC POTENTIAL OF FRESH CORN STRAW UNDER THERMOPHILIC AND HIGH OLR

Dry corn straw(DCS)is usually used in anaerobic digestion(AD),but fresh corn straw(FCS)has been given less consideration.In this study,the thermophilic AD of single-substrate(FCS and DCS)and co-digestion(straw with cattle manure)were investigated.The results show that when FCS was used as the single-substrate for AD,the methane production was 144 mL·g^(−1)·VS^(−1),which was 7.5%and 19.6%higher than that of single DCS and FCS with cattle manure,respectively.In addition,the structure of FCS was loose and coarse,which was easier to be degraded than DCS.At the hydrolysis and acidification stages,Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1,Clostridium_sensu_stricto_7 and Sporosarcina promoted the decomposition of organic matter,leading to volatile fatty acids(VFAs)accumulation.Methanosarcina(54.4%)activated multifunctional methanogenic pathways to avoid the VFAs inhibition,which was important at the CH_(4) production stage.The main pathway was hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis,with genes encoding formylmethanofuran dehydrogenase(K00200-K00203)and tetrahydromethanopterin Smethyltransferase(K00577-K00584).Methanosarcina also activated acetotrophic and methylotrophic methanogenesis pathways,with genes encoding acetyl phosphate(K13788)and methyl-coenzyme M reductase(K04480,K14080 and K14081),respectively.In the co-digestion,the methanogenic potential of FCS was also confirmed.This provides a scientific basis for regulating AD of crop straw.

Straw return decreases polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) accumulation in winter wheat and human health risk by enhancing PAH dissipation in rhizosphere soil

Straw return in situ,a common agronomic measure in China,has been widely used not only to increase crop yields and improve soil nutrients but also to remove polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(PAHs)from agricultural soils.Nevertheless,the safety risks of food crops(i.e.,human health risk of wheat grains)grown in PAHs-contaminated agricultural soils amended with crop straw remain uncertain.A pot experiment was conducted in a PAHs-contaminated agricultural soil cultivated with winter wheat under different ratios of corn straw addition(0%(control,CK),1%,2.5%,and 5%,weight/weight).Results showed that corn straw addition significantly(P<0.05)decreased PAH concentrations in rhizosphere soil,roots,straws,and grains by 48.32%–50.01%,11.85%–42.67%,9.78%–28.03%,and 14.16%–31.67%,respectively,compared with CK,whereas the transfer factors of PAHs from roots to straws were significantly(P<0.05)increased.A correlation heatmap showed that PAH concentrations in roots,straws,and grains were positively(P<0.01)correlated with those in rhizosphere soil.These indicated that corn straw decreased PAH accumulation in winter wheat due to the increase of PAH dissipation in the rhizosphere soil,although it enhanced PAH transfer in winter wheat.The incremental lifetime cancer risk(ILCR)model indicated that corn straw significantly(P<0.05)decreased the human health risk of winter wheat grains by 29.73%–45.05%.Overall,corn straw apparently reduced PAH accumulation in winter wheat,ecological risk,and human health risk via enhancing PAH dissipation in the rhizosphere soil.These findings provide an important scientific basis and theoretical guidance for agricultural safety production.

Influence of fuel mass load,oxygen supply and burning rate on emission factor and size distribution of carbonaceous particulate matter from indoor corn straw burning

The uncertainty in emission estimation is strongly associated with the variation in emission factor （EF）,which could be influenced by a variety of factors such as fuel properties,stove type,fire management and even methods used in measurements.The impacts of these factors are complicated and often interact with each other.Controlled burning experiments were conducted to investigate the influences of fuel mass load,air supply and burning rate on the emissions and size distributions of carbonaceous particulate matter （PM） from indoor corn straw burning in a cooking stove.The results showed that the EFs of PM （EFPM）,organic carbon （EFOC） and elemental carbon （EFEC） were independent of the fuel mass load.The differences among them under different burning rates or air supply amounts were also found to be insignificant （p 〉 0.05） in the tested circumstances.PM from the indoor corn straw burning was dominated by fine PM with diameter less than 2.1 μm,contributing 86.4%±3.9% of the total.The size distribution of PM was influenced by the burning rate and air supply conditions.On average,EF PM,EF OC and EF EC for corn straw burned in a residential cooking stove were （3.84±1.02）,（0.846±0.895） and （0.391±0.350） g/kg,respectively.EF PM,EF OC and EF EC were found to be positively correlated with each other （p 〈 0.05）,but they were not significantly correlated with the EF of co-emitted CO,suggesting that special attention should be paid to the use of CO as a surrogate for other incomplete combustion pollutants.

Ball milling pretreatment of corn straw and Pediococcus acidilactici fermentation for non‑ruminant diet

A new strategy was proposed to improve the utilization rate of corn straw by making non-ruminant feed products.The corn straw was ball milled,and the crushed straw was subjected to solid-state fermentation.After ball milling,the particle size of corn straw decreased signifcantly from 4.85±0.07 cm to 10–100μm,the content of neutral detergent fber and acid detergent fber decreased by 1.3%and 3.5%,respectively,and the total soluble sugar content increased by 16.2 mg/g.At the same time,the straw treated by ball milling as substrate could promote the rapid growth of Pediococcus acidilactici R30,the increase of organic acid production and further improvement of other nutrients during solid-state fermentation.In conclusion,the fermented straw products after ball milling could signifcantly improve the performance of pig feed in terms of digestibility and nutritional value,and better meet the feed needs of non-ruminant animals while saving resources.

Effect of Conservation Tillage Practices on Soil Phosphorus Nutrition in an Apple Orchard

Soil phosphorus(P) is an essential and limiting element for plant growth, which is significantly affected by different approaches to soil management. In order to reveal the effect of different management approaches on soil P and phosphatase activity in 0–20 cm and 20–40 cm soil, this research was conducted to study variations in the characteristics of P and phosphatase activity under 3-year tillage without mulching(CK), notillage with corn straw mulching(NTSM) and no-tillage with grass(NTG) in Liaoning apple orchard. The results showed that NTSM and NTG could significantly increase soil P content(P < 0.05) as compared with CK. However, the effect was different between NTSM and NTG; with the NTSM approach, the improvement in the P content in 20–40 cm was remarkable, and in the NTG approach, the improvement in the soil surface P content was significant. At the same time, soil phosphatase activity significantly increased(P < 0.05) under NTSM and NTG. The soil surface and 20–40 cm phosphodiesterase(PD) activity was enhanced under the two management approaches, however, the effect of NTG was stronger than NTSM. In addition, NTSM was more conducive to increasing alkaline phosphomonoesterase(Al P), and NTG was more conducive to increasing acid phosphomonoesterase(Ac P). Our findings highlight the variation of dominant mechanisms involved in soil P with different mulching materials application. NTSM and NTG could have the potential to increase P content and phosphatase activity, and provide a basis for using this method to improve P phytoavailability and reduce the application of soil fertilizer.

Properties and applications of biochars derived from different biomass feedstock sources

In China,substantial agricultural and garden wastes are burned yearly.This practice not only wastes resources but also pollutes air.Corn straw and poplar leaves are typical agricultural and garden waste in China.In this study,corn straw and poplar leaves were used to prepare biochars with different pyrolysis temperatures(250℃,350℃,450℃,550℃and 650℃)and were labeled as CC(corn straw)and LC(poplar leaves),respectively.The biochars were characterized through elemental analysis,Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area analysis,scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.Yield,ash content and biochar pH were also measured.Results showed that the two biochars possessed some similar characteristics with increasing pyrolysis temperature.These attributes included increased carbon content,biochar hydrophobicity,alkaline pH;decreased hydrogen and oxygen contents and polar functional group content;and enlarged surface area.The biochars also displayed some different characteristics,such as the obviously larger surface area of CC than that of LC at high pyrolysis temperatures and the regular holes of CC and irregular and disordered holes of LC.When biochars CC-650 and LC-650 were used as soil conditioners,the soil pH increased by 0.3 and 0.4 units,respectively,and the soil cation exchange capacity increased by 12.7%and 21.5%,respectively,with respect to those of the blank controls.