Probiotics and probiotic therapy have been rapidly developing in recent years due to an increasing number of people suffering from digestive system disorders and diseases related to intestinal dysbiosis. Owing to their activity in the intestines, including the production of short-chain fatty acids, probiotic strains of lactic acid bacteria can have a significant therapeutic effect. The activity of probiotic strains is likely reduced by their loss of viability during gastrointestinal transit. To overcome this drawback, researchers have proposed the process of microencapsulation, which increases the resistance of bacterial cells to external conditions. Various types of coatings have been used for microencapsulation, but the most popular ones are carbohydrate and protein microcapsules. Microencapsulating probiotics with vegetable proteins is an innovative approach that can increase the health value of the final product. This review describes the different types of envelope materials that have been used so far for encapsulating bacterial biomass and improving the survival of bacterial cells. The use of a microenvelope has initiated the controlled release of bacterial cells and an increase in their activity in the large intestine, which is the target site of probiotic strains.

The objective of the present work was to determine the effect of pretreatment by extrusion on the biogas and biomethane yield of lignocellulosic substrates such as maize silage and maize straw silage. The biogas yields of the substrates before and after treatment were compared. Moreover, energy...

This paper presents the results of research on biocomposites made of the mixture of post-extraction rapeseed meal, microcrystalline cellulose and various fruit pomace (chokeberry, blackcurrant, apple and raspberry pomace). The biocomposites were made in the process of mechanical thickening by means of a heated mould (die and stamp) which is located between two heating elements installed on a hydraulic press. The presented research combines mechanical engineering and material engineering issues. The physical and mechanical tests of obtained biocomposites included mechanical strength measurements, thermogravimetric analyses (TGA), colour change tests and scanning electron microscopic (SEM) tests of the internal structure after breaking the sample. In addition, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) tests were carried out. Generally, the bend tests and Young’s modulus were significantly increased, for example, biocomposites with an addition of chokeberry pomace had the flexural strength higher by approximately 25% in relation to the primary sample. Furthermore, it is interesting to note the increase of water contact angle of these biocomposites by 40% in relation to the primary sample. The research indicates the potential for using fruit pomace for the needs of biocomposite production.

Operational research, i.e. searching for optimal solutions in a situation of uncertainty and risk, can also be used to support decisions to purchase expensive agricultural machinery. Although Polish farmers receive subsidies from the EU, it does not mean they do not need to make well-thought-out purchases, because wrong purchase decisions will have long-term consequences while using machinery. The article presents the results of the IFOP – the system which has been available on the Internet for several years. It collects data on farming machinery and vehicles based on users' voluntary but subjective opinions. The authors of this article developed an original multi-criteria method of evaluating the quality of these specific products, which enabled them to make relevant rankings of brands. It is an algorithmic-heuristic method, which uses pairwise comparison tools to determine the significance ratios of the criteria. This article presents the results of the 1st and 2nd IFOP edition (Race Ranking), which included several dozen brands of tractors registered in Poland. More than fifty qualitative (Q) and non-qualitative (C) traits of farm tractors were taken into account. According to Polish farmers, Valtra – a Finnish brand of farm tractors, part of the AGCO concern, was the most versatile (Q = 4.39 and Q&C = 4.23). These tractors received the best opinions for their functionality, durability, ergonomics and safety.

Kaplan–Meier analyses can be used in many disciplines, e.g., agricultural engineering. Agricultural machinery and vehicles can be regarded as objects that ‘die’ because, like living creatures, they failed, although after repair they can be used until scrapped. This article presents an example of using the Kaplan–Meier estimator to plot the reliability function curves of five different models of Zetor farm tractors. The research shows that the median operating time for one of the tested models, which is about 200 engine-operating hours, is 20% lower than for the entire population of analyzed Zetor tractors. This means that the quality of the model, which is very popular in Poland, differs significantly from the other models of this manufacturer. The method cannot be validated, due to a lack of similar functions for other brands of tractors. Progressive automation and digitization of agriculture can contribute to improving the reliability of agriculture work. The user can focus on the correct performance of agrotechnical treatments, and modern control systems will signal in real time, about identified or approaching costly failures.

This paper presents the results of a study on the influence of the addition of digestate (DG) sludge from an agricultural biogas plant on the mechanical properties of the coating obtained from thermoplastic starch (TPS). The dried, fragmented digestate, some of which had previously undergone ultrasound treatment, is used in the study. Biocomposites are produced by the pouring method using Teflon moulds as matrices. The physicomechanical study included the determination of the basic parameters of the materials obtained. Strength parameters, the contact angle, thermogravimetric properties (TGA), colour and colour difference and moisture absorption are determined. Photographs of the surface of the samples are taken with a scanning electron microscope (SEM) as well. It is found that the addition of the digestate has an advantageous effect on improving the physical and mechanical parameters. In general, samples with digestate also have a higher strength compared to the pure TPS material. The highest tensile strength and Young’s modulus are found in samples with the 14 wt% addition of ultrasound-treated digestate. On the basis of this study, it can be concluded that the addition of digestate is a promising approach for the production of TPS biocomposites with superior mechanical properties.