Abstract
This article presents the results of a three-year experiment involving a multi-criteria evaluation (productivity, economic and energy balance) of the effectiveness of nitrogen (N) and sulfur (S) fertilization in different cultivars of winter oilseed rape (open-pollinated, semi-dwarf hybrid, long-stem hybrid) grown in north-eastern (NE) Poland. The yield of the semi-dwarf cultivar was 11% lower than the yield of the long-stem hybrid cultivar and 18% higher than the yield of the open-pollinated cultivar. In all cultivars, N fertilization improved yields up to a rate of 180 kg ha−1 and up to a rate of 230 kg ha−1 in years with low precipitation in spring and summer. Seed yield increased in all cultivars in response to S fertilization at 40 kg ha−1. Higher rates of N fertilizer decreased the content of crude fat and glucosinolates (GLS) and increased the concentration of total protein in all cultivars. Sulfur fertilization increased the content of total protein (in long-stem cultivars) and GLS (in all cultivars). Production costs ranged from €542–624 ha−1 (≤130 kg N ha−1) to €619–697 ha−1 (≥180 kg N ha−1). The demand for energy in the production of winter rapeseed ranged from 14.5–19.3 GJ ha−1 (≤130 kg N ha−1) to 22.4–27.0 GJ ha−1 (≥180 kg N ha−1).
Highlights
The global production of oilseed crops is estimated at 550 million Mg yr−1
Bronowski contained ten-times less GLS than the remaining varieties of B. napus [4]. Owing to these breakthrough discoveries, contemporary rapeseed cultivars grown for the food and feed processing industries contain practically no erucic acid (EA) in oil and are characterized by low levels of GLS in fat-free seed residues
The objective of this study was to identify N and S fertilization systems characterized by the highest agricultural productivity, economic performance and energy efficiency in the production of various cultivars of winter oilseed rape in north-eastern (NE) Poland
Summary
The global production of oilseed crops is estimated at 550 million Mg yr−1. The leading oilseed crops in the world are soybeans (Glycine hispida (Moench) Maxim.) (63%), rapeseed (Brassica napus (L.)ssp. oleifera (Metzg)) (12%) and sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) (9%) [1]. Bronowski contained ten-times less GLS than the remaining varieties of B. napus [4] Owing to these breakthrough discoveries, contemporary rapeseed cultivars grown for the food and feed processing industries contain practically no EA in oil and are characterized by low levels of GLS in fat-free seed residues. These rapeseed lines are referred to as double-low, double-zero or canola-quality cultivars [5]. The production and commercialization of canola-quality rapeseed has led to a rapid increase in the demand for these cultivars in the food and feed processing industries [6].
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