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ABSTRACT:The substantial generation of organic waste together with increasing interest in developing sustainable agriculture heralds an opportunity for mobilizing the recycling of these materials as a source of organic matter and nutrients into a viable management strategy option.A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the use of compost derived from waste produced by the winery and distillery industries in a drip-irrigated melon crop traditionally grown in the area where these wastes are generated. A randomized complete block design was used with four treatments consisting of three different dose levels of compost: 7 (D1), 13 (D2) and 20 (D3) t ha -1 and a control (D0) without the application of compost. The effects of these treatments on plant growth, nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) accumulation as well as fruit yield and quality were studied. The application of compost produced a slight increase in plant biomass accompanied by changes in the relative growth rate (RGR) and net assimilation rate (NAR). As a result, a significant improvement in fruit yield was observed in the plots amended with D2, which met all the requirements to obtain elevated yields. In terms of environmental correctness applications were below the limits established by a number of impact indexes. Additionally, the application of compost improved fruit quality resulting in an enhancement of Brix degrees. Although the potential effects of N and P derived from compost were partially masked by other inputs of these nutrients into the system (N in irrigation water, P supplied through fertigation), an effect of P was observed resulting in an increase in the number of individual fruits in the plots amended with compost.

The application of wastes from the wine-distillery industry as source of organic matter and nutrients could be a good option of agricultural management. This study is focused on soil nitrogen (N) mineralisation after addition of compost derived from this industry at different doses (7, 13 and 20 t ha -1 ). An aerobic soil incubation in controlled conditions was carried out to study N mineralisation from the soil-compost mixture as well as isolating the compost from the soil. The data were fitted to a non-linear regression obtaining low values of potentially mineralisable N (N 0 ) and constants of mineralisation (k) (from 81 to 104 mg kg -1 and from 0.008 to 0.013 L day -1 for the soil-compost mixtures, and from 42 to 71 mg kg -1 and from 0.009 to 0.015 L day -1 for the increasing doses of compost) which indicates that it is a mature compost very resistant to mineralisation. Nitrogen mineralised (NM) in the field during two growing seasons (2011 and 2012) of a melon crop was calculated through a N balance, taking into account N inputs and outputs in the soil-plant system. NM in the unamended plots accounted to 31 kg ha -1 and 24 kg ha -1 in 2011 and 2012, respectively, and increased proportionally to the dose of compost applied until 113 kg ha -1 and 98 kg/ha in the consecutive years. The constants of mineralisation obtained in the laboratory were adjusted by field temperatures to predict NM in the field and a general overestimation was observed. The best estimates were obtained when considering the mixture of soil and compost, which reflects the important role of the soil to evaluate N mineralisation caused by the addition of organic wastes.

The study developed a Zero Fossil Fuel Distiller (ZFFD) to address environmental issues on bioethanol production from Nipa Sap. The Mariano Marcos State University had developed a distiller that can produce 95% fuel grade bioethanol powered by fuelwood. While burning woods provides a good heat source, this activity’s byproducts are not good for the environment. The scarcity of fuelwood will also be a problem for bulk production. Hence, the development of a ZFFD integrated with the Internet of Things (IoT) technologies for easy monitoring, control, and configuration. A 10 kWp Hybrid Solar Photovoltaic System with battery backup was designed to power a 150 L capacity distiller. The power system is capable of storing excess harnessed energy to a battery and a grid for future use, as well as managing and monitoring the inflow and outflow of electricity on-site or remotely via IoT. Results show an average harnessed energy of 47.11 kWh to supply a 33.99 kWh required energy to distill 133 L of feedstock daily. The excess energy of 13.12 kWh is stored in the grid for future use. The developed ZFFD shows an improved regulation of the Kettle temperature, Column temperature, and Cooling System water flow.

Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) started the Bioethanol industry way back in 2008 and produced the first fuel-grade Hydrous Ethanol (95%) in the Philippines in 2012. Developments continued until the team developed Village-scale fuelwood fired 150 L and 850 L capacity Multi-Feedstock Bioethanol Distiller. Recently, the Village-Scale Bioethanol Industry established in Pamplona, Cagayan, produced more than 4000 L of 95% Ethanol from Nipa Sap last year. The output of the team was remarkable. Challenges encountered in monitoring operation protocols resulted in low efficiency, mainly because the distillers are situated about 4 hrs away from the University. With a low ethanol yield of 5-6 percent during the production last year, the team was challenged to develop a Remote Monitoring and Control System for the Distillers deployed in Cagayan. This study aims to automate the Bioethanol distiller to increase the yield of ethanol. Implementing IoT via web application for real-time monitoring and control, and integrating Photovoltaic cells for an energy self-sufficient Bioethanol Distiller. Results showed that it is functional and effective in controlling the kettle temperature, water pump, and the Bioethanol distiller’s energy usage wirelessly and remotely through the MMSU i4.0 platform. It was observed that the ethanol yield is up to 8.39%. Furthermore, a better quality of the front and tail ethanol yield was achieved by implementing PID control.