Articles

Effect of Goat Dung Charcoal Blend of Lontar Shell and Other Biomass on Physical and Chemical Properties of Biocharcoal Briquettes

This study aims to determine the physicochemical properties of biocharcoal briquettes blend of goat dung charcoal, lontar shell charcoal and various biomasses. This study used a completely randomised design with 4 treatments and 4 replicates. The treatments were T1: 50% goat dung charcoal + 40% lontar shell charcoal + 10% lontar male fruit charcoal, T2: 50% goat dung charcoal + 40% lontar shell charcoal + 10% rice husk charcoal, T3: 50% goat dung charcoal + 40% lontar shell charcoal + 10% corn cob charcoal, T4: 50% goat dung charcoal + 40% lontar shell charcoal + 10% lamtoro twigs charcoal. The variables studied were briquette yield, density, moisture content, ash content, calorific value, volatile matter, and fixed carbon. The statistical analysis showed that the treatment had a very significant effect (P<0.01) on density, moisture, ash content, calorific value, volatile matter, and fixed carbon, but no significant effect (P>0.05) on yield. The average of yield 56.41%, density 0.68g/cm3, moisture  5.39%, Ash 22.24%, fixed carbon 43.04%, volatile matter of 29.34% and calorific value 4555.67 cal/g.  It was concluded that biocharcoal briquettes produced blend of goat dung charcoal, lontar shell, and various biomasses (lontar male fruit, rice husk, corn cob and lamtoro twigs) had varying physical and chemical properties, but in this study using lontar male fruit charcoal, rice husk and lamtoro twig, were better.

Effect of Nutrients on Biomass Production of Helminthosporium Tetramera A Leaf Spot Pathogen of Sugarcane (Saccharum Officinarum)

Helminthosporium tetramera was a pathogen of Saccharum Officinarum, was isolated from diseased Saccharum Officinarum, leaves from Nashik district and used for the present study. Pathogen was grown on the Czapek-Dox liquid medium substituting or adding different carbon, nitrogen to study biomass production. The growth as dry mycelial biomass was observed on the 8th day of incubation period.
A grate extent of growth variation was observed on different carbon, nitrogen. Among the carbon source, fructose shows maximum biomass while glucose with minimum biomass. From nitrogen source cobalt nitrate and barium nitrate shows maximum and control condition with minimum biomass was recorded.