Modification of Fungicide Treatment Needs and Antioxidant Content as a Result of Real-Time Ozonation of Raspberry Plants.

Raspberry plants need intensive anti-fungal protection. A solution to this problem could be the application of an ozonation process. For this purpose, a technical solution was proposed and implemented in raspberry plant production. The proposal suggests replacing 25% of standard fungicide treatments with ozonation. It was demonstrated that the use of ozone under the proposed conditions made it possible to maintain stable parameters of chlorophyll content and fluorescence (no significant differences), but the intensity of gas exchange was increased. The greatest differences were observed in the second measurement period (T2), when the plants were in the stage of most active development. Additionally, the content and profile of low-molecular-weight antioxidants and the microbial load were determined in the collected fruits. In periods T2 and T3, the proposed method caused a reduction reaching ~2 log cfu g-1 in the microbial content of raspberry fruits. It was shown that ozone treatment intensified the biosynthesis of low-molecular-weight antioxidants in fruit (increasing the total polyphenol content by more than 20%). The proposed scheme allows a 25% reduction in standard fungicide treatments while maintaining the health of cultivated raspberry plants. The reduction in fungicide use aligns with the EU regulations and produces fruit with better quality.

The Modification of Substrate in the Soilless Cultivation of Raspberries (Rubus Idaeus L.) as a Factor Stimulating the Biosynthesis of Selected Bioactive Compounds in Fruits.

Raspberry fruits are a valuable source of bioactive compounds. The study used the modification of the substrate (coconut fibre), consisting of the use of various organic and mineral additives, in the soilless cultivation of raspberries. The additives influenced the biosynthesis of bioactive compounds in the raspberry fruits by modifying the sorption properties and the abundance of the substrate. The influence of the additives on the content of polyphenols was determined as well as their profile (UPLC-MS), antioxidant potential (ABTS), vitamin C content, and the activity of selected enzymes that are markers of stress and resistance to abiotic factors. In the study, a significant effect of these additives was observed on the biosynthesis of polyphenols in raspberry fruit. The highest increase in the content of these compounds in relation to the control sample (substrate-100% coconut fibre), namely 37.7%, was recorded in the case of fruit produced on coconut substrate enriched with sheep wool. These fruits were also characterised by a significantly different profile of these compounds. These changes were caused by readily available ammonium nitrogen and free amino acids in the decomposition of proteins contained in the sheep wool. This was confirmed by the recorded content of chlorophyll SPAD in the plant leaves and the activity of selected enzymes, which proves a low level of stress and good condition of the plants.

Waste Utilization: Insulation Panel from Recycled Polyurethane Particles and Wheat Husks.

This study provides a solution for the utilization of two waste materials, namely the residues of soft polyurethane foam from the production of mattresses and winter wheat husks. Thermal insulation panels with a nominal density of 50-150 kg/m3, bonded one-component moisture curing polyurethane adhesive, were developed, and the effect of the ratio between recycled polyurethane foam and winter wheat husk on internal bond strength, compressive stress at 10% strain, water uptake, coefficient of thermal conductivity, and volumetric heat capacity was observed. The developed composite materials make use of the very good thermal insulation properties of the two input waste materials, and the coefficient of thermal conductivity of the resulting boards achieves excellent values, namely 0.0418-0.0574 W/(m.K). The developed boards can be used as thermal insulation in the structures of environmentally friendly buildings.