Milan Macák

Influence of Soil Cultivation Technologies and Fertilisation on Productivity and Energy Production of Arable Crops

Influence of Soil Cultivation Technologies and Fertilisation on Productivity and Energy Production of Arable Crops The influence of three soil tillage technologies and two fertilisation levels on a productivity of crops and biomass for energy use, expressed in yield, cereal units (CU), energy acquired and indicative price of energy per hectare was evaluated at the experimental fields of Research Institute of Plant Production in Piešťany during 2007-2009. The highest yield of dry matter has been identified for maize for silage 19.41 t/ha, followed by winter oilseed rape 15.77 t/ha, triticale 15.39 t/ha and winter wheat 14.08 t/ha. Conventional tillage created soil condition for higher yield of dry matter in an average 17.92 t/ha, followed by minimum soil tillage 16.27 t/ha and no-till-age technology 14.3 t/ha. Nitrogen-based fertilisation (N120) has ensured a significantly higher yield of dry matter and a higher price of acquired energy €491.1 compared with €462.1 of zero-nitrogen fertilisation. The highest yield of cereal units has been identified for maize for silage 9.01 CU, followed by winter wheat 5.21 CU, triticale 4.70 CU and winter oilseed rape 4.55 CU. Energy of maize for silage has been calculated from biogas, winter oilseed rape from rape methyl ester, straw and crop residues, and for winter wheat and triticale from ethanol and straw. Average energy storage in plant biomass of crop rotation was 222.93 GJ/ha. The highest amount of energy acquired has been identified for winter oilseed rape 342.80 GJ/ha, followed by maize for silage with 236.99 GJ/ha, winter triticale 159.39 GJ/ha and winter wheat 152.52 GJ/ha.

The Impact of Multifunctional Crop Rotation on the Yield of Milk Thistle Fruits in the Years 2012 – 2015

Milk thistle can be an annual, rarely a biennial medicinal plant. Polyfactorial field experiment was established during the vegetation period of the years 2012–2015. Three evaluated factors were as follows: crop residues – intercrop – fertilization. Milk thistle was integrated to four crop rotation design with following order of crops: 1. common pea 2. winter wheat 3. milk thistle 4. maize. Milk thistle was subjected to the experimental treatments as follows: 1. K – straw of forecrop removed from the field, R – straw incorporated into soil, 2. M – white mustard as a freezing-out intercrop, B – no intercrop, 3. O – no fertilization, F – with fertilization, 4. experimental year (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015). The recalculated yield of Silybi mariani fructus ranged in the amount from 297 kg*ha-1 (RMO treatment – with crop residues, with intercrop and without the use of fertilizers, year 2015) to 745 kg*ha-1 (KMF treatment – without crop residues, with intercrop and the use of fertilizers, year 2013). Statistical testing of individual factors found highly significant effect of year and highly significant effect of fertilization, and statistically inconclusive effect of sowing intercrop and ploughing crop residues. In the experiment was found a statistically significant difference between yield on the treatments without fertilization and the use of mineral fertilizers.

The effect of fertilization on yield components and quality parameters of soybeans [(Glycine max (L.) Merr.)] seeds.

Field experiment was carry out at experimental farm Oponice (West Slovakia, 48° 28´N, 18° 9´E) ) in 2004-2007. The aim of the work was to evaluate the influence of nitrogen fertilization treatments on yield and yield component and selected quality parameters (proteins, oil, fibre, isoflavones) of soybeen seeds variety Korada, in agri-environmental condition of western part of Slovakia. The fertilization treatments were as follows: (I) unfertilized treatment; (II) application of nitrogen fertilizers LAV 27 % (ammonium nitrate with lime - 40 kg ha-1 nitrogen) in the vegetative stage V2; (III) Humix complet in split application of total dose 4 +4 L ha-1 applied in growth stage of V2 and in reproductive growth stage of R1 (beginning bloom). Humix complet contain bioactive ingredient and nutrients for plant nutrition with 2.5% of humic acids, 4.0% total N, 0.5 P2O5, 3% K2O, and micronutrients. Result showed the highest variation of pods per plant in dependence of year condition (range 17.8-24.7). No significant differences between numbers of seeds were noted (2.13-2.29). The split application of Humic complet significantly influence the higher number of pods per plant (24.8) while keeping the number of seeds per pod (2.13). The yield of seeds was significantly influenced by weather conditions (2.84 t ha-1 - 4.68 t ha-1) and by fertilization treatments. Supplemental ammonium nitrate with lime (treatments II) in the vegetative stage of V2 or Humix complet (treatment III) applied in V2 and R1 stages significantly increased yield of soybean seeds up to 3.91 t ha-1 and 4.27 t ha-1 with comparison to control treatment (3.49 t ha-1). Content of protein, oil and fibre was not significantly differing between fertilization treatments. In spite of significantly higher soybean yield in Humic complet treatment, content of protein (37.67%), oil (15.83%) and fibre (9.47%) was at the same level as lower yielded treatments. Soybean seeds from higher yielded fertilization treatments have significantly less content of isoflavones. Split application of Humic complet is effective method for improving yield of soybean seeds while maintaining the composition of protein oil and fibre.

Yield and technological quality of ecological and low-input production of potatoes

The yield and other quantitative (number of plants, number of tubers, weight of tubers per 1 m2) and qualitative parameters (content of vitamin C, starch, nitrogen and dry matter) of the Solanum tuberosum L. early variety “Collete” have been studied in ecological and low-input farming systems with two levels of organic fertilization during 2003-2005. The experiment was situated in water-protected zone of western Slovakia on Luvi-Haplic Chernozem. After harvest of forecrop in higher level of organic fertilization treatment catch crop – phacelia and mustard was grown. Highly significant differences in each studied parameters of potato tubers between certain years were ascertained, thus great influence of weather conditions on quality and quantity of potatoes was confirmed. Yields was highly significantly influenced also by farming systems, when in low-input system the average yield was 21.38 t ha-1 and in ecological system 20.02 t ha-1. Green manure management did not influence yield significantly. In treatment without green manure the average yield 20.47 t ha-1 was reached with comparison to green manure application treatments 20.93 t ha-1. In low-input system significantly higher C vitamin content (4.23 mg 100g-1) was ascertained compared to ecological one 3.53 mg 100g-1. Other qualitative parameters were more or less on the same level. We recommended both farming system for growing potatoes in water vulnerable zones and for better fulfil the Good Agricultural Practices in Slovak conditions.

The influence of an ecological and a low input system on yield and yield components of spring barley

Oil rape is a valuable fodder because in early spring and late autumn it produces green forage used for the nutrition of domestic animals. It has been replacing sunflower and soy in colder and wetter regions. It is additionally advantageous because it leaves behind more nitrogen in soil, which is beneficial to other plants in plant rotation. There are some possible ways for the fixation of nitrogen in soil and they are as follows: by the means of oil rape straw ; by relatively long roots ; by the action of nitrogen bacteria, which perform the nitrogen synthesis within their root system, which is the case in some leguminous plants. Oil seed rape is expected to be wider used in crop rotation of West and Middle Europe, Croatia included. Due to this various sorts have been introduced and potential positive impacts have been studied in order to boost the process. This paper presents information on barley and wheat yield in case when they were sown after oil seed rape and corn. The aim of the research is to determine the presence of positive impacts upon the soil with special attention paid to a potential increase of nitrogen content after oil seed rape was grown. The preceding crops had statistically significant effect. Rape yield was significantly higher compared to the one with corn as preceding crops. Very similar results were obtained in 2007.The maize hybrids seed from three different FAO groups (FAO 400, FAO 500 and FAO 600) in four fractions (KO, KP, SO and SP) produced in two climatically different years (extremely dry 2000 and extremely wet 2001) had been different in quality and chemical composition. The effects of year, genetic specifity and seed fraction at the kernel mass, chemical composition (starch, proteins, cellulose, oil and moisture content) and seed vigour have been evaluated. The influence of agroecological conditions during two production years have been exposed at seed chemical composition and vigour indicators (cold test – CT and bulk seed electrical conductivity - EC). The genetic specificity and seed fraction had significant influence at all tested indices, with the exception of the influence of the fraction at the starch content