Andrzej Anders

Mechanical hulling and thermal pre-treatment effects on rapeseed oil antioxidant capacity and related lipophilic and hydrophilic bioactive compounds

Abstract In this study, the effect of rapeseed mechanical hulling and thermal pre-treatment by microwaves (from 2 to 10 min with 2-min intervals, 800 W) and roasting (from 20 to 100 min with 20-min intervals, 165 °C) on the content of phytochemicals in the oil was investigated. Results showed that both pre-treatments applied differentiated the oils in terms of the content of bioactive compounds. In general, oils pressed from hulled and thermally pre-treated seeds contained higher content of tocopherols, PC-8 and phytosterols, while oils pressed from non-hulled and pre-processed seeds had significantly higher concentration of polyphenols. Both microwaving and roasting contributed to an increase of antioxidant capacity of studied oils. The increase of radical scavenging activity of oils was seen mainly in hydrophilic fraction of oil, which was highly positively correlated with the amount of canolol formed during seeds heating.

Numerical modelling of agricultural products on the example of bean and yellow lupine seeds

Abstract Numerical models of bean seeds cv. Złota Saxa and yellow lupine seeds cv. Juno were generated with the use of a 3D scanner, the geometric parameters of seeds were determined based on the models developed, and compared with the results of digital image analysis and micrometer measurements. Measurements of seed length, width and thickness performed with the use of a micrometer, 3D scanner and digital image analysis produced similar results that did not differ significantly at α = 0.05. The micrometer delivered the simplest and fastest measurements. The mean surface area of bean seeds cv. Złota Saxa and yellow lupine seeds cv. Juno, calculated with the use of mathematical formulas based on the results of micrometer measurements and digital image analysis, differed significantly from the mean surface area determined with a 3D scanner. No significant differences in seed volume were observed when this parameter was measured with a 3D scanner and determined with the use of mathematical formulas based on the results of digital image analysis and micrometer measurements. The only differences were noted when the volume of yellow lupine seeds cv. Juno was measured in a 25 ml liquid pycnometer.

The Effect of Seeding Rate on Selected Physical Parameters and the Biomass Yield of Maize

Plant morphology is affected by plant density and uniformity of plant distribution per unit area. This study investigates the effect of seeding rate of two hybrid cultivars of maize (Zea mays L.) harvested for silage on selected physical parameters (stem length, stem diameter, total plant weight and weight of ears with husks), fresh weight yield and ear yield of maize plants. A field experiment was carried out in 2011-2013 on soil of weak rye complex (‘Kosmo’) and a good rye complex (‘Kixxo’). Results were processed by one-way ANOVA, correlation analysis and regression analysis. At constant 0.75 m inter-row spacing, seeding rate (6.5 to 11.9 seeds m-2 for ‘Kosmo’ and 8 to 12 seeds m-2 for ‘Kixxo’) significantly (α = 0.05) influenced evaluated parameters. Higher plant density lowered the weight of plants and ears, and resulted in lower stem diameter. An increase in seeding rate led to a decrease in stem diameter measured at 50, 100 and 150 cm above ground (by ca. 11% to 23% in ‘Kosmo’, and by ca. 3% to 13% in ‘Kixxo’), and an increase in stem length (by 10% to 13% in ‘Kosmo’, and by ca. 8% in ‘Kixxo’). Plants grown with lower seeding rates were larger and heavier. The developed equations are characterized by a good and very good fit to empirical data (multiple correlation coefficient ranged from 0.62 to 0.94 in ‘Kosmo’, and from 0.76 to 0.95 in ‘Kixxo’). This knowledge of the morphological traits of maize is useful to optimize operating parameters of harvesting machines.