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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: During this energy transition, research is being done to develop sustainable ways to support the shift to a decarbonized energy and production system. These ways include using renewable energy sources to promote circularity in products, green technologies, and safer procedures. Anaerobic digestion of palm oil mill effluent is a beneficial process for generating biogas, while the waste can also be utilized as fertilizer. The biogas can be further refined into biomethane, a valuable resource commonly used in transportation and power generation. The objective of this study is to examine the enhancement of biogas from Palm oil mill effluent and the elimination of sludge nutrients by utilizing microalgae Chlorella vulgaris. The microalgae will be cultivated in a modified photobioreactor to enhance the capture of carbon dioxide. METHODS: The study utilized anaerobic batch reactor digesters. A modified photobioreactor, consisting of two columns separated by a membrane, was developed for the technological advancement of biogas upgrading, specifically for carbon dioxide capture and biogas upgrading. A technological gap in biogas upgrade technology innovation is filled by the improved photobioreactor. To optimize the bio-fixation of carbon dioxide from flue gas, it is essential to carefully select a suitable strain of microalgae that possesses both a strong ability to absorb carbon dioxide and a high tolerance to varying concentrations of this gas. By choosing the right strain, the efficiency of carbon dioxide removal can be significantly enhanced. Since Chlorella vulgaris microalgae have demonstrated this potential, they were chosen for this investigation. Microalgae also play a role in removing nutrients contained in the sludge. FINDINGS: Numerous chemical and biological methods have been used to upgrade biogas. Results of biological upgrading of biogas from palm oil mill effluent have been reported, with carbon dioxide removal reaching 89 percent until the methane concentration of the biogas is upgraded to 84 percent. The highest biomass of 1,835 grams per liter was achieved by culturing the microalgae Chlorella vulgaris in laboratory-scale photobioreactors. In this study, the application of 15 percent volume per volume biogas with an optical density of 0.4 was found to be optimal for the growth of the microalgae. The cultivation period lasted for 14 days. The peak biomass production was observed due to the achievement of a remarkable 98 volume per volume efficiency in carbon dioxide removal, which subsequently led to a significant rise in methane content, reaching 60 percent. The enhanced biogas achieved a peak methane content of 98 percent, indicating a significant improvement in quality. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study, conducted using a modified photobioreactor, indicate that Chlorella vulgaris demonstrated high efficacy in the removal of carbon dioxide, with a rate of up to 90 percent. Additionally, it exhibited remarkable performance in upgrading biogas derived from palm oil mill effluent, achieving a conversion rate of up to 98 percent. The optical density of microalgae at 0.4 played a crucial role in these processes. Furthermore, Chlorella vulgaris showcased its ability to effectively eliminate nutrient nitrogen, reaching a removal rate of 90 percent at an optical density of 0.2. Moreover, it demonstrated a phosphate removal rate of 80 percent at an optical density of 0.4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi improve plant growth but have not been studied for slope stabilization. Inoculation of these fungi and bamboo intervention can enhance root growth toward the slip plane. The study tests tree roots' responses to seeding in bamboo tubes and the fungi consortium. METHODS: The growth of three fast-growing native Indonesian woody plants: Paraserianthes falcataria, Acacia mangium, and Gmelina arborea, was monitored in a screen house. These plants were seeded in bamboo tubes containing soil from Jati Radio and Citatah. The tubes were placed on an inclined plane resembling a 20o slope. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi were added in three doses and controlled by the plots without mycorrhiza and bamboo. FINDINGS: The results showed that bamboo could direct root growth toward the slip plane. The best arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi inoculation results were obtained in Gmelina arborea with a treatment dose of M3 or 30 grams on Jati Radio and Citatah soils. Both treatments did not show significant differences in both locations. CONCLUSION: Gmelina arborea has the highest phosphorus absorption at 80 percent and the highest biomass weight at 660 grams with M3 dose in Citatah, and 71 percent with 330 g at the same dose in Jati Radio, which is related to the optimal level of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi inoculation. Therefore, this species provides the best option for implementing biotechnological strategies to stabilize slopes in areas prone to landslides. Combining bamboo with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi can direct and accelerate root growth, with the goal of crossing landslide slip planes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Climate change has a greater influence on agriculture through local climate variability than global climate patterns. The impact of climate change on agricultural productivity and shifts in crop patterns varies significantly across regions. Its impact is closely tied to the technical abilities of farmers in managing their cocoa farming businesses. Technical skills encompass the proficiency of farmers in adopting adaptive cocoa cultivation techniques for planting, maintaining cocoa plants, as well as handling harvest and postharvest processes. The technical capability is interconnected with factors such as crop dependency on rainfall patterns, availability of infrastructure for quality inputs, soil degradation and fertility, nutrient levels, limited farmers' resources, and technology penetration. Given the significant impact of climate change on cocoa farmers, it becomes crucial to enhance their adaptive capacity to address these challenges. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the relationship between the characteristics of farmers and their adaptive capacity in responding to the impact of climate change. METHODS: Data were collected from 960 populations from two regencies, 4 districts, and 8 villages using the stratified sampling technique through interviews with 282 respondents. The sample size was determined using the Slovin formula through in-depth interviews with five key informants. The data collected were descriptively and statistically analyzed using the Excel program, which involved generating frequency distribution tables. Furthermore, the Mann-Whitney test, utilizing Statistical Product and Service Solution version 24, was employed to conduct a comparative analysis. FINDINGS: This result showed that the characteristics of farmers in the two areas were relatively the same in terms of age, non-formal education, number of family dependents, and perceptions of the climate. In terms of age, most farmers fell within the mature group of 36-48 years, with an average age of 44.63, considering in low category. The low productive age of farmers (44.63), along with their non-formal education, including training in climate field schools and integrated pest management field schools, as well as the number of dependents and their perceptions of climate change, emerged as significant parameters impacting farmers' decision-making processes. These factors also influenced their ability to cope, adapt, and seek new approaches to manage and mitigate the effects of climate change on their farming operations. CONCLUSION: The relationship between farmers' characteristics and adaptive capacity showed that the larger the land owned by farmers, the higher the managerial adaptability of farmers with lower technical ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Most Food Waste (FW) is dominated by domestic activities consisting of large numbers of organic pollutants, such as nitrogen and phosphate potentially hazardous to the environment. Domestic waste can be used as a feed source in Black Soldier Fly (BSF) cultivation with utility in pollutant removal, animal feed production, and compost fertilizer. Therefore, this study aimed to determine sustainability of larvae from BSF cultivation by calculating and analyzing index. METHODS: Data collection was conducted using the scientific judgment of experts and business actors in BSF through Focus Group Discussion and the filling out of questionnaires consisting of 31 attributes connected with environment or ecology, economics, social, and technology dimensions. Furthermore, the data were calculated using the multi-dimensional scale approach with rapid appraisal software. Sustainability status and leverage attributes were analyzed by Monte Carlo analysis, and alternating leastsquares algorithm. FINDINGS: Sustainability index for larvae of BSF production was 89.69%. The result suggested that the technique in several stages of operation including waste collection, cultivation, harvesting, and commercialization contributed to sustainability development when the elements of strength of each dimension are considered. From the analysis of the four dimensions, economic dimension had 100% or maximum leverage value. The environmental and social dimensions had the same leverage values of 92.02%, while the technological dimension had 74.74%. The results indicated that management experiences and techniques, potential for odor generated, family member involvement, productivity level, and managers level, warrant further attention to improve sustainability of BSF production. CONCLUSION: Production, productivity, land conversion, and population were identified as significant or dominating factors impacting the supply framework of BSF production by the intended investigation inside the display ponders. Therefore, study should be encouraged to effectively integrate BSF biomass as a value-added component in an ideal environmental, social, economic, and technical system. The results are significant in providing insights into the possibility of feasible BSF biomass production in Indonesia, which can inform government policies and programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Palm oil mill effluent is a liquid waste product of palm oil milling that contains abundant organic pollutants such as nitrogen and phosphorus that are potentially harmful to the environment. However, palm oil mill effluent can be used as a nutrient for the growth of microalgae with utility in pollutant removal and algae biorefinery production of biofuel and functional foods. The aim of the present study was to analyze the sustainability of microalgae biomass production by calculating a sustainability index. METHODS: Questionnaires were used to evaluate the scientific judgment of expert researchers in the field of microalgae research. Data were processed and analyzed using multidimensional scaling comprising social, economic, ecological, and technological dimensions with a total of 47 attributes in Rapfish software. FINDINGS: The sustainability index of microalgae biomass production was calculated as 73.53%, which indicates the process has the potential for sustainable development with consideration of the leverage factors identified in each dimension. Analysis of the four dimensions demonstrated that the environment dimension had the lowest leverage at 67.30%, while the economy, technology, and social dimensions had leverage values of 70.99%, 73.67%, and 82.17%, respectively. These findings indicate that management experience and skills (environment and technological dimensions), involvement of family members (social dimension), and productivity level (economic dimension) warrant further attention in order to improve the sustainability of microalgae biomass production. CONCLUSION: The prospective analysis in the present study identified production, productivity, land conversion, consumption per capita, and population as key or dominant factors influencing the microalgae supply system. Further research is required to fully utilize microalgae biomass as a value-added product in optimal, technically, economically, environmentally, and socially sustainable systems. The results of the present study provide insights into the feasibility of sustainable microalgae biomass production in Indonesia that may inform governmental policies and programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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