Inulin Content in Chipped and Whole Roots of Cardoon after Six Months Storage under Natural Conditions

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

In the introduction add a table with an average content of inulin in chicory, Jerusalem artichoke and cardoon.

ln 51-54, please rephrase this sentence to make it clear that cardoon, chicory, and Jerusalem artichoke are from the Asteraceae family and all of them contain inulin in the belowground parts. 

ln 112 - please list the biologically active substances of herbicides used in the experiment.

ln. 114 - please give the doses of N, P used.

ln. 122 - Then the roots were mechanically cut off from the plants.

ln. 124 - what do you mean by "dirty roots"? How dirty were they?

ln. 135 - how finely were the roots chipped?

Table 1 - what is the number of replicates for that results?

I do not understand the idea of comparing "dirty" roots with "clean" roots. There is also no literature reference for this comparison in the manuscript.

ln 258 - what is T1? Where to search for it? Figure 5?

Again, please explain the abbreviation T1 in Figure 6.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Author Response

• In the introduction add a table with an average content of inulin in chicory, Jerusalem artichoke and cardoon.

Thank you for your suggestion, but it is quite difficult to add a table with an average content of inulin since it depends on many factors related to climate, agronomy, and harvest season. In Lines 55-57, I added the results found in a comparative study on the content of inulin in chicory, Jerusalem artichoke and cardoon grown on the same Mediterranean conditions.

 

• ln 51-54, please rephrase this sentence to make it clear that cardoon, chicory, and Jerusalem artichoke are from the Asteraceae family and all of them contain inulin in the belowground parts. 

Thank you, the sentence has been rephrased accordingly to your suggestion in Lines 51-54  

 

• ln 112 - please list the biologically active substances of herbicides used in the experiment.

We specified that a.i. pendimethalin was used.

 

• In 114 - please give the doses of N, P used.

We specified that 18 kg N and 46 kg P₂O₅ were used.

 

• In 122 - Then the roots were mechanically cut off from the plants.

Thank you, the sentence has been rephrased as you suggest.

 

• In 124 - what do you mean by "dirty roots"? How dirty were they?

I mean roots dirty by the adhering soil to the roots after the extraction. The adhering soil was more the 50% of the total fresh weight. However, we understand that such definition could create misunderstanding and that this parameter was not specifically assessed within the study, so we decided to remove the reference to “dirty roots”, here and throughout all the text.

 

• In 135 - how finely were the roots chipped?

We performed the particle size distribution analysis of the chipped material according to the reference Standard (EN 15149-1 Solid Biofuels - Determination of Particle Size Distribution - Part 1: Oscillating Screen Method Using Sieve Apertures of 1 mm and above; 2010)

90% of the chips was less than 8 mm length. Such a result was added in Lines 227-234, as well as the methodology in Materials and Methods section (Line 140).

 

• Table 1 - what is the number of replicates for that results?

The characteristics of roots and canopy were analysed in 30 randomly chosen plants. We stated it better in materials and methods in Line 132.

 

• I do not understand the idea of comparing "dirty" roots with "clean" roots. There is also no literature reference for this comparison in the manuscript.

We wanted to highlight the link between the presence of the adhering soil to the roots (dirty roots) and the logistic aspects. The removal of the adhering soil from roots by an efficient mechanical harvesting is crucial for the development of an industrial chain, but this aspect needs a specific study, not performed in the present one. So, in order to avoid confusion in the reader, we removed dirty roots from the comparison, leaving just fresh and dried whole roots and fresh and dried chips.

 

• ln 258 - what is T1? Where to search for it? Figure 5?

Thank you for your remark. T1 is the first month of storage (June). We added the explanation in Line 273.

 

• Again, please explain the abbreviation T1 in Figure 6.

 Done

Reviewer 2 Report

Major comments:

• There are no data about the size of chips
• Why moisture content decreases after 1 month storage but increases 6 months later
• Was chipping and drying used previously  for inulin containing crops (Jerusalem artichoke and chicory)? May this method be used for these crops? What are the prospects?

 

Minor comments:

• Decode T0, T1 abbreviation at the first appearance in the text
• Many references do not contain the data in Vol. number and pages (references 1-3, 5-7,9,10,13,17,26,29,32,33,34,39)
• No pages in ref.31
• Use Italics in the reference list for Latin name of plants (references: 3, 5-8. 14, 15, 17, 19, 21, 24, 26)
• Ref 19: change ‘cynara cardunculus’ to ‘Cynara cardunculus’
• Use one style in the reference list (for instance, in some cases ‘Vol. and pp.’ are used, in other cases these words are omitted (see ref.16, 19 as an example)
• may be it will be fine if the authors add one more citation: E Christaki, E Bonos, P Florou-Paneri ‘Nutritional And Functional Properties of Cynara Crops (Globe Artichoke and Cardoon) and Their Potential Applications: A Review’. Int. J. Appl. Sci. Technol.  2012,     2 No. 2: 64-70

Author Response

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Major comments:

• There are no data about the size of chips

Thank you for your remark. The results of the Particle Size Distribution (PSD) analysis were added in Lines 227-234, as well as the methodology in Materials and Methods section (Line 140).

 

• Why moisture content decreases after 1 month storage but increases 6 months later

As explained in Lines 266-277, the moisture content after 1 month storage (T1) increased significantly in both treatments, up to 12.1% and 10.8% respectively in WRt and CRt. This was probably due to the reabsorption of humidity from the external environment. In fact, as shown in Figure 6, the monthly moisture content measured in WRt and CRt traces the air moisture pattern recorded by weather station, reaching the maximum values in November (T6)

 

• Was chipping and drying used previously  for inulin containing crops (Jerusalem artichoke and chicory)? May this method be used for these crops? What are the prospects?

To the best of our knowledge, the drying of inulin-containing crops has never been evaluated for storage purposes. According to our results, the evaluation of drying technologies could be extended also for Jerusalem artichoke and chicory. In our opinion chipping is not applicable to these kind of small size tubers and roots. In order to reduce the drying times by increasing the total surface, cutting machines used for fourth-range carrots and potatoes cutting and packaging could be an option.

Minor comments:

• Decode T0, T1 abbreviation at the first appearance in the text

Done (lines 237 and 266).

 

• Many references do not contain the data in Vol. number and pages (references 1-3, 5-7,9,10,13,17,26,29,32,33,34,39)

Thank you for your remark. References have been reviewed.

 

• No pages in ref.31

Done

 

• Use Italics in the reference list for Latin name of plants (references: 3, 5-8. 14, 15, 17, 19, 21, 24, 26)

Done, thank you.

• Ref 19: change ‘cynara cardunculus’ to ‘Cynara cardunculus’

Done, thank you.

• Use one style in the reference list (for instance, in some cases ‘Vol. and pp.’ are used, in other cases these words are omitted (see ref.16, 19 as an example)

Done, thank you.

 

• may be it will be fine if the authors add one more citation: E Christaki, E Bonos, P Florou-Paneri ‘Nutritional And Functional Properties of Cynara Crops (Globe Artichoke and Cardoon) and Their Potential Applications: A Review’. Int. J. Appl. Sci. Technol.  2012,     2 No. 2: 64-70

Thank you for your suggestion. Citation added in line 38.

Round 2

Reviewer 1 Report

In my opinion, the article is ready to be published.