The use of chemical herbicides in agriculture has raised concerns due to its adverse effects on farmers' health, environmental sustainability, and consumer safety. Paraquat, a widely used herbicide, has been banned in Thailand. In response to this issue, this research focused on the development of natural herbicide products as an alternative to conventional chemical herbicides. The study involved the extraction of bioactive compounds from selected plants with potential herbicidal properties and evaluating their effectiveness in controlling target weeds. The results indicated that the developed natural herbicide demonstrates significant weed control efficiency. Additionally, this product can be applied to organic farming systems, reducing reliance on hazardous chemicals and promoting sustainable agricultural practices. The development of this natural herbicide served as an essential step toward environmentally friendly and safe agricultural solutions.
ที่มาของโครงการนี้เกิดจากปัญหาการใช้สารเคมีกำจัดวัชพืชในภาคเกษตรกรรม ซึ่งแม้ว่าสารเหล่านี้จะมีประสิทธิภาพในการควบคุมวัชพืช แต่กลับก่อให้เกิดผลกระทบต่อสุขภาพของเกษตรกร ผู้บริโภค และสิ่งแวดล้อมในระยะยาว โดยเฉพาะสารพาราควอต ซึ่งเป็นสารเคมีกำจัดวัชพืชที่ได้รับความนิยมแต่ถูกห้ามใช้ในหลายประเทศ รวมถึงประเทศไทย เนื่องจากมีความเป็นพิษสูงและไม่มีวิธีการรักษาหากได้รับสารเข้าสู่ร่างกาย นอกจากนี้ การตกค้างของสารเคมีในดินและแหล่งน้ำยังส่งผลต่อความสมดุลของระบบนิเวศและคุณภาพของผลผลิตทางการเกษตร ด้วยเหตุนี้ โครงการวิจัยนี้จึงถูกพัฒนาขึ้นโดยมีเป้าหมายในการค้นหาและพัฒนาสารจากธรรมชาติที่สามารถทดแทนสารเคมีดังกล่าวได้อย่างมีประสิทธิภาพ เพื่อลดความเสี่ยงต่อสุขภาพของเกษตรกร ลดปัญหามลพิษทางสิ่งแวดล้อม และส่งเสริมการทำเกษตรกรรมที่ยั่งยืน นอกจากนี้ การวิจัยยังตอบสนองต่อนโยบายของภาครัฐในการสนับสนุนการใช้สารชีวภาพและนวัตกรรมที่เป็นมิตรกับสิ่งแวดล้อม เพื่อสร้างสมดุลระหว่างผลผลิตทางการเกษตรและการดูแลสิ่งแวดล้อมให้ยั่งยืนในระยะยาว
คณะเทคโนโลยีการเกษตร
In the present day, interest in health and the consumption of chemical-free food has been steadily increasing, particularly in homegrown produce such as Phoenix oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus pulmonarius), which are highly nutritious and suitable for weight control. However, small-scale mushroom cultivation often faces challenges related to unsuitable environmental conditions, such as unstable temperature and humidity, which affect the growth and quality of the mushrooms. The development of an automatic temperature and humidity control system plays a crucial role in addressing these issues by utilizing sensor technology to monitor and adjust environmental conditions with precision. This helps enhance production efficiency, reduce human errors in manual control, and promote safe food production at the household level. Additionally, it helps lower production costs and supports the concept of sustainable living. The adoption of this technology is considered an important innovation in improving the quality of mushroom cultivation and increasing sustainability in food production.
คณะวิศวกรรมศาสตร์
This study was conducted to develop a prototype cooling cover for transporting raw milk, aiming to provide a solution for maintaining the quality of raw milk during transportation to milk collection centers. The cooling cover is made using Phase Change Material (PCM), produced from water mixed with a gelling agent, in an amount of 5.6 kg, attached around an aluminum milk tank (with a capacity of 25 L). The cover is then covered with a UV-reflective fabric in two types: polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE). The temperature reduction performance of both types of covers was evaluated by measuring water temperatures at various points along the radial and vertical directions of the milk tank at six points, using type-T thermocouples, under three environmental conditions: a constant temperature of 25 °C, 35 °C, and outdoor ambient temperature (average temperature 35.5 °C) for a minimum duration of 180 min. The experimental results revealed that at 120 min., the water in the tank covered with PCM-PVC and PCM-HDPE covers had temperatures lower than the ambient temperature by 12.6 °C and 12.9 °C, respectively, under a constant ambient temperature of 25 °C, and under a constant ambient temperature of 35 °C lower by 16.7 °C and 16.4 °C, respectively, and outdoor conditions. Since the temperature reduction performance of PCM-PVC and PCM-HDPE covers showed no significant difference, the performance of microbial quality preservation of raw milk was assessed only with PCM-PVC cover in comparison to a non-covered case (control), by measuring coliform and Escherichia coli counts using compact dry plates. Results indicated that after 120 min., milk in the tank covered with PCM-PVC had an average coliform count of 1.6 × 10^4 CFU/ml and E. coli count of 2 × 10^3 CFU/ml, which was lower than the non-covered control with an average coliform count of 1.5 × 10^4 CFU/ml and E. coli count of 1.1 × 10^4 CFU/ml. This study concludes that the temperature reduction achieved by the cooling cover can help inhibit coliform growth to levels below raw milk quality standards, demonstrating the potential of the cooling cover in maintaining the quality and safety of raw milk during transport, ultimately contributing to an improved quality of life for Thai dairy farmers.
คณะอุตสาหกรรมอาหาร
Bio-calcium powders were extracted from Asian sea bass bone by heat-treated alkaline with fat removal and bleaching supplementary method. Cereal bars (CBs) were fortified with produced bio-calcium at 3 levels: (1) increased calcium (IS-Ca; calcium ≥10% Thai RDI), (2) good source of calcium (GS-Ca; calcium ≥15% Thai RDI), and (3) high calcium (H-Ca; calcium ≥30% Thai RDI) which were consistent with the notification of the Ministry of Public Health, Thailand: No. 445; Nutrition claim issued in B.E. 2023. Moisture content, water activity, color, calcium content and FTIR analysis of bio-calcium powders were measured. Dimension, color, water activity, pH and texture of fortified CBs were determined. Produced bio-calcium could be classified as a dried food with light yellow-white color. Calcium contents in bio-calcium powder was 23.4% (w/w). Dimension, weight and color except b* and ΔE* values of fortified CBs were not different (P > 0.05) from those of the control. Fortifying of bio-calcium resulted in harder texture CBs. An increase of fortified bio-calcium amounts decreased carbohydrate and fat but increased of protein, ash and calcium in the fortified CBs. Shelf life of CBs was to be shorten by fortification of bio-calcium powder because of the increment of moisture, water activity and pH. Yield of bio-calcium production was 40.30%. Production cost of bio-calcium was approximately 7,416 Bth/kg while cost of fortified CBs increased almost 2-3 times compared to the control. Calcium contents in IS-Ca (921.12 mg/100g), GS-Ca (1,287.10 mg/100g) and H-Ca (2,639.70 mg/100g) cereal bars could be claimed as increased calcium, good source of calcium and high calcium, respectively. In conclusion, production of cereal bar fortified with Asian sea bass bone bio-calcium powder as a fortified food was possible. However, checking the remained hazardous reagents in bio-calcium powder must be carried out before using in food products and analysis of calcium bioavailability, sensory acceptance and shelf life of the developed products should be determined in further studies.