Characterization of dhaincha accessions based on morphological descriptors and biomass production
Forty five accessions of dhaincha germplasms were collected from different parts of Bangladesh and characterized on the basis of morphological descriptors and biomass production ability. Thirty eight accessions were identified as Sesbania bispinosa, four as S. cannabina and two as unidentified Sesbania spp. One accession as S. rostrata was included for comparison. Both at seedling and maturity stages, wide and significant differences were observed among the accessions of different dhaincha germplasms for their biomass production capability and other morphological descriptors. At the seedling stage, total dry mass (TDM) production varied from 10.2 to 41.6g 30-plants–1. At the maturity stage, plant height, total number of branches and base diameter of dhaincha germplasms varied from 347.5–474.7cm, 10.4–23.7, and 1.9–4.9cm, respectively. The highest amount (4.10kg 10-plants–1) of above-ground TDM was produced in one accession of unidentified Sesbania sp. followed by S. rostrata and one accession of S. cannabina (3.85kg 10-plants–1), and the lowest TDM (0.9kg 10-plants–1) was measured in two accessions of S. bispinosa. It may be concluded that the biomass production capability of at least two accessions of local Sesbania germplasms were higher/comparable to that of exotic S. rostrata. It will be too early to make a conclusive remark based on only a few dhaincha germplasms. A detailed study with a large number of germplasms collected from whole Bangladesh is obviously needed to reach in a precise conclusion.
Effects of Crotalaria and Sesbania aculeata green manures and N fertilizer on soil fertility and the productivity of sugarcane
The effects of green manuring with dhaincha (Sesbania aculeata) and sunhemp (Crotalaria juncea) in combination with four levels of urea-N (0, 75, 150 and 225 kg N/ha) on the productivity of a subsequent sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) crop and the fertility of the soil were examined. C. juncea contributed more nitrogen to the soils when ploughed down than S. aculeata (56·7 v. 40·0 kg N/ha). The green manures and the supplemented urea-N increased cane yield by 2 to 26% and 26 to 57%, respectively. The organic matter, total N, available P and S of the soil was only slightly increased by the incorporation of green manures.
CONTINUOUS PRODUCTION OF BLUE‐TYPE CHEESE FLAVOR BY SUBMERGED FERMENTATION OF Penicillium roqueforti
A two-stage continuous process for the production of Blue cheese flavor from lipolyzed milk fat by submerged fermentation of Penicillium roqueforti was developed. In the first stage, P. roqueforti was grown aerobically on a corn-steep liquor/sucrose medium at 25° C, pH 7, aeration rate 1 liter air/min/L medium, and dilution rate 0.05 hr−1. The effluent air and culture over-flow were led to a maturing tank and allowed to age 24 hr. The mycelial culture was then pumped into a second fermentor to which lipolyzed milk fat was also fed continuously. An average 24 hr contact time between mold mycelium and fatty acids was maintained. The fatty acids and perhaps other components of the lipolyzed cream were metabolized by the P. roqueforti mycelium to produce a fluid product with a Blue cheese-type flavor. Small portions of this product were acceptably added to snack and party dips and salad dressings, as a Blue cheese replacement.