Influence of sugar cane vinasse on the sorption and degradation of herbicides in soil under controlled conditions

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Experimental investigation of soil and groundwater impacts caused by vinasse disposal

The problems caused by the residual effluents of wine distilleries for alcohol production are well known. The effluent effects in soil and groundwater are being researched in an area with sugar cane culture which receives, yearly, vinasse by dispersion. Samples are being collected from the soil, the groundwater and the existing creeks in the area. Four sub-areas are being monitored separately with a vinasse application of 300 m 3/ha year. Experimentation periods in each area have been 0, 5, 10 and 15 years. In the unsaturated zone, samples are being collected at depths of 25, 75 and 150 cm. The chemical analyses include macro and micro nutrients, organic matter and pH. Physical analyses give the soil water retention, hydraulic conductivity and soil particle distribution. These measurements permit the evaluation of nitrogen absorption and fertility changes of the soil. A tendency for the maintenance of soil fertility can be observed but with an elevation of nitrate concentration in groundwater.

Fate of Some New Fungicides (Cyprodinil, Fludioxonil, Pyrimethanil, and Tebuconazole) from Vine to Wine

The fate of four new fungicides (cyprodinil, fludioxonil, pyrimethanil, and tebuconazole) from the treatment on vine to the production of wine was studied. The influence of clarifying agents (bentonite, charcoal, potassium caseinate, gelatin, and polyvinylpolypyrrolidone) on residue concentrations in wine was also studied. The fungicide residues on grapes showed different decay rates after treatment, with first-order kinetics and half-lives ranging from 8 to 57 days. Grape processing into wine caused considerable residue reduction with cyprodinil (ca. 80%), fludioxonil (ca. 70%), and tebuconazole (ca. 50%) and no reduction with pyrimethanil. The two wine-making techniques employed (with and without maceration) had the same influence on the residue concentrations in wine, except for fludioxonil which showed maximum residue reduction with vinification with maceration. Among the clarifying agents tested, only charcoal showed effective action on the elimination of residue content in wine, proving complete elimination, or almost, of fungicide residues.

Influence of the diet on in situ disappearance of dry matter, organic matter, and neutral detergent fiber of hydrolysed sugar cane bagasse

The effects of two diets based on hydrolysed sugarcane bagasse (HSB) and whole cottonseed (WCS), with or without oat hay, were analyzed for the in situ disappearance of dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) of HSB. Six mature castrated rams with a permanent T ruminai cannula were used in a complete randomized split plot design. The incubation times were 3, 6, 9, 12, 24, 48 and 72h. The diet with oat hay showed higher disappearance indexes for the NDF fraction. Furthermore, the maximum degradation of HSB constituents was reached around 48h of incubation. The diets were T1=64% hydrolyzed sugarcane + 36% whole cottonseed and T2=14% hydrolyzed sugarcane bagasse + 36% cottonseed + 50% oat hay.

Windrowing and prismatic baling of sugar cane vegetal residues: Some operational parameters and energetic efficiency

It was evaluated the energetic efficiency and operational parameters of a windrowing and prismatic baling, both from CASE NEW HOLLAND® operations in sugarcane vegetal residues (green leaves, dry leaves and tops) picked mechanically in green cane. The area belongs to COSTA PINTO MILL (COSAN® Group) which was harvested mechanically by combines in the State of Sao Paulo, Brazil. The geographic location of the area is: Latitude 22°40'30S, Longitude 47°36'38W and Altitude of 605m. The variety was RB 82-5336, planted in 1.40m row spacing, with 78t.ha-1 yield. The vegetal residues analysis obtained 69.93% of leaves, 21.44% of stalks fractions, 2.27% of tops and 6.36% of total strange matter. The vegetal residues values were: gross heat of 18.43MJ.kg-1, low heat of 17.00MJ.kg'1 and useful heat of 12.94MJ.kg-1. The vegetal residues average energetic potential was 342.48GJ.ha-1. The treatments were simple, double and triple windrowing. The use of the rake and prismatic baler to pick up the residues was viable. The simple windrowing treatment presented the best results: effective capacity of 83.06t.ha-1, fuel consumption of 0.18L.t -1 and 99.95% of positive energetic efficiency. The bales obtained in the treatment of triple windrowing presented the largest specific mass average of 221.11kg.m-3. The soil amount in the bales increased with successive windrowing. The baling operation in the triple windrowing treatment obtained better results, presenting the effective capacities of 20.29t.h -1 and 1.45ha.h-1 and fuel consumption of for baled in 1.37L.t-1. The high total energetic efficiency of 99.53% indicates that is technically viable the withdrawal of the vegetal residues.

Non-nutrient heavy metals in tomato plants cultivated in soil amended with biosolid and sugar-cane bagasse compost

In this study, non-nutrient heavy metal concentrations (Cd, Cr, Ni and Pb) were measured in composts during the composting process, in compost/Red-yellow Latosol mixtures, and in tomato plants. Composts were produced using sugar-cane bagasse, biosolids and cattle manure in the proportions 75-0-25, 75-12.5-12.5, 75-25-0, 50-50-0 or 0-100-0 (composts with 0, 12.5, 25, 50 and 100% biosolids). The composts were applied to the soil, in 6 treatments and a control (mineral fertilization). Control and the 0% biosolids treatments received inorganic nitrogen and all the treatments received the same amount of N, P and K. Tomato plants were cultivated in 24-L pots, in a green house in Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil. The experiment had a split plot design, in randomized blocks. Cadmium, Cr, Ni and Pb concentrations were determined during the composting process (7, 27, 57, 97 and 127 days after compost mounting), in soil (0 and 164 days after mixing) and plants. The samples were subjected to digestion with HNO 3, H2O2 and HCl and the metals were determined by AAS. Negative correlations were observed between Cd, Cr and Pb in the compost and Cd, Cr and Pb plant uptake, as well as Ni in the compost and Ni concentration in the plants. The concentrations of Cd, Cr, Ni and Pb increased during composting. Only Cd levels increased when compost was applied to the soil. The roots accumulated Cr, Ni and Pb, the stems and leaves, Cd and Ni and the fruits did not accumulate any of the metals studied. The composts with biosolids did not increase Cd, Cr, Ni and Pb uptake by plants.

The sugar cane vegetal residues unloaded in the sugar mill: Operational costs and physical characteristics

Brazil produced in 2002/03 season 317.87×106tons of sugar cane stalks and 36.88×106tons of vegetal residues (green leaves, dry leaves and tops) in a planted area of 4.61×106 hectares (ha). These residues have a useful heat of 3,613.14Mcal.t-1. Currently most of this biomass is burned as a pre-harvest practice. The doubt persists in the system type that it must be adopted to pick up, load, transport and unload this biomass at the sugar mill boilers. This study analyzed 22 variables related to operational costs and physical characteristics of these residues in a field situation using a JOHN DEERE® 6850 forage harvester with two different treatments: T1 and T2 (two types of rakes) with 6 repetitions each one. The geographic location of the studied area that belongs to COSTA PINTO MILL (COSAN® Group) is: Latitude 22°40'30S and Longitude 47°36'38W. The adopted methodology was proposed by Ripoli et al. (2002). The obtained results at a 5% level of significance showed that both treatments did not differed significantly between them. Some of the results were, where EBP stands for Oil Equivalent Barrel: Windrowing (T1=US$0.17.EBP-1 and US$9.59.ha-1, T2=US$0.08.EBP-1 and US$4.27.ha-1); Pick up (T1=US$1.31.EBP-1 and US$44.29.ha-1, T2 =US$1.37.EBP-1 and US$48.36.ha-1); Transportation (T1=US$1.27.EBP-1 and US$14,30.ha -1, T2=US$1.33.EBP-1 and US$14,80.ha -1), Unloading at the sugar mill (T1=US$0.30.EBP-1 and US$3.39.ha-1, T2=US$0.32.EBP-1 and US$3.51.ha-1); Total (T1=US$3.05.EBP-1 and US$71.57.ha-1, T2=US$3.10.EBP-1 and US$70.94.ha-1). Confronting the obtained data with the ones in the bibliography, this system revealed itself more expensive than the baling system or the integral harvest system using combines.

Windrowing and cylindrical baling of sugar cane vegetal residues: Some operational parameters and energetic efficiency

The objective of this study was to analyze the sugar cane vegetal residues collection, as well as determining its energetic potential, using a rake and cylindrical baler, both from NEW HOLLAND® under two different windrowing process (simple and double). The field tests were carried out in an area that belongs to COSTA PINTO MILL (COSAN® Group) in the city of Piracicaba, Sao Paulo State, Brazil. The geographic location of the area is: Latitude 22°4030'S, Longitude 47°3633'W and altitude of 605m. From the trash analysis, before the baling, the following average results were obtained: 69.93% of leaves; 2.27% of stalks fractions; 21.44% of tops and 6.36% of total strange matter. The estimated residues yield was 27.01 tons.ha -1 with a gross heat of 18.43 MJ.kg-1, low heat of 17.01 MJ.kg-1, useful heat of 13.32 MJ.kg-1, average moisture of 20.76% and an energetic potential of 494,875.09 MJ.ha-1. In the windrowing operations (simple and double) the averages of the 5 out of 13 analyzed variable presented differences between them in a 1% level of significance in the Tukey Test. The averages comparison of the results for bale's specific mass and the effective capacities (ton.h-1) e (ha.h-1) had been significant at a 5% level in the Tukey Test. The comparisons of the averages for the results had been significant to 1% level. The strange matter averages of the bales did not differed between them.

Deposition and leaching of tebuthiuron on sugar cane straw applied with and without alkyl polyglycoside adjuvant

A laboratory experiment was carried out aiming to study the effects of an alkyl polyglycoside adjuvant (APG) on deposition and leaching of the herbicide tebuthiuron applied on sugar cane straw. Tebuthiuron, at concentration of 1200 mg L-1, was applied separately and in tank mix with the APG adjuvant, at concentrations of 0.07 and 0.09% (wt v-1), using a spraying volume of 204 L ha-1. A precipitation equivalent to 20 mm of rain was simulated, 24 h after the applications, to evaluate the herbicide leaching. The quantification of tebuthiuron was carried out by the high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). It was observed that the addition of APG adjuvant at 0.07% (wt v-1) provided an increase of 11.5% in the deposition of tebuthiuron on straw, reduction of 50.4% in the drift of the herbicide and it did not affect significantly the leached amount (68.5%), when compared with the treatment where tebuthiuron was applied alone (70.8%). At the concentration of 0.09% (wt v-1), the APG adjuvant caused an increase of 22.7% in the deposition; it reduced the drift of the herbicide by 99.9% and reduced the leached amount by 7.6% thereby increasing the retention of the herbicide by straw.

Simultaneous determination of Cd and Pb in antibiotics used in sugar-cane fermentation process by GFAAS

A method has been developed for the simultaneous determination of Cd and Pb in antibiotics used in sugar-cane fermentation by GFAAS. The integrated platform of transversely heated graphite atomizer was treated with tungsten to form a coating of tungsten carbide. Six samples of commercial solid antibiotics were analyzed by injecting 20 μL of digested samples into the pretreated graphite platform with co-injection of 5 μL of 1000 mg L-1 Pd as chemical modifier. Samples were mineralized in a closed-vessel microwave-assisted acid-digestion system using nitric acid plus hydrogen peroxide. The pyrolysis and atomization temperatures of the heating program of the atomizer were selected as 600°C and 2200°C, respectively. The calculated characteristic mass for Cd and Pb was 1.6 pg and 42 pg, respectively. Limits of detection (LOD) based on integrated absorbance were 0.02 μg L -1 Cd and 0.7 μg L-1 Pb and the relative standard deviations (n = 10) for Cd and Pb were 5.7% and 8.0%, respectively. The recoveries of Cd and Pb added to the digested samples varied from 91% to 125% (Cd) and 80% to 112% (Pb).

Direct and simultaneous determination of As, Cu, and Pb in Brazilian sugar cane spirits by graphite furnace AAS using tungsten permanent modifier with co-injection of Pd/Mg(N03)2

A method was developed using the multi-element graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry technique for the direct and simultaneous determination of As, Cu, and Pb in Brazilian sugar cane spirit (cachaça) samples. Also employed was the end-capped transversely heated graphite atomizer (THGA) with platforms pre-treated with W permanent modifier and co-injection of Pd/Mg(N03)2. Pyrolysis and atomization temperature curves were established in a cachaça medium (1+1; v/v) containing 0.2% (v/v) HN03 and spiked with 20 μg L-1 As and Pb and 200 μg L-1Cu. The effect of the concentration of major elements usually present in cachaça matrices (Ca, Mg, Na, and K) and ethanol on the absorbance of As, Cu, and Pb was investigated. Analytical working solutions of As, Cu, and Pb were prepared in 10% (v/v) ethanol plus 5.0 mg L-1 Ca, Mg, Na, and K. Acidified to 0.2% (v/v) HNO3, these solutions were suitable to build calibration curves by matrix matching. The proposed method was applied to the simultaneous determination of As, Cu, and Pb in commercial sugar cane spirits. The characteristic mass for the simultaneous determination was 16 pg As, 119 pg Cu, and 28 pg Pb. The pretreated tube lifetime was about 450 firings. The limit of detection (LOD) was 0.6 μg L-1As, 9.2 μg L-1 Cu, and 0.3 μg L-1Pb. The found concentrations varied from 0.81 to 4.28 μg L-1As, 0.28 to 382 mg L-1 Cu and 0.82 to 518 μg L-1 Pb. The recoveries of the spiked samples varied from 94-112% (As), 97-111% (Cu), and 95-101% (Pb). The relative standard deviation (n=12) was 6.9%, 7.4%, and 7.7% for As, Cu, and Pb, respectively, present in a sample at 0.87 μgL-1, 0.81 mgL-1, and 38.9 μgL-1concentrations.

Impact of changes in the European Union import regimes for sugar, banana and rice on selected CARICOM countries

Includes bibliography

¿A Chilean wine cluster? governance and upgrading in the phase of internationalization

Includes bibliography