Grey-brown Podzolic Soil Research Articles

The effect of cover crops on soil moisture in ploughless and traditional tillage in the cultivation of carrot

In a view of the predicted drought that has appeared in recent years and water shortage in the growing season, which is getting worse every year, the problem of water retention in the soil and increasing its humidity becomes of exceptional importance. The field experiment was carried out in 2009–2012 on grey brown podzolic soil developed from loess formations covering the cretaceous marls with a granulometric composition corresponding to medium dusty loam. The aim of the study was to assess the impact of various species of cover crops and the method and date of mixing their biomass with the soil on the soil moisture in ploughless carrot cultivation. The experimental design included seven cover crop species (spring rye, common oat, common vetch, white mustard, lacy phacelia, buckwheat, fodder sunflower) and six kinds of soil tillage. The effect of cover crops and tillage on soil moisture was modified by the course of the weather and varied depending on the year of research, sampling date and soil layer. In spring, the highest layer of soil (0–20 cm) not cultivated before winter (NTz) accumulated the most water, and the least after pre-winter ploughing (Oz). In the 0–40 cm layer, the lowest humidity was in the soil ploughed before winter (Oz), and the highest after no-till (NTz) and after subsoiling before winter (GLz). The ridge cultivation performed in the spring caused the soil to dry out. In the remaining variants of no-ploughing tillage, soil moisture in the 0–40 cm layer was similar to that of conventional cultivation. Cover crops exerted a significant influence on the soil moisture in carrot cultivation at all test dates, increasing its moisture content compared to cultivation without cover crops. The rye cover crop had particularly favourable effect on the soil moisture.

Zbiorowiska roślinne upraw okopowych Wigierskiego Parku Narodowego

Two associations were identified in the agrocenoses of the WNP tuber crops: one community, characterised by the occurrence of characteristic species from the alliance Panico-Setarion, and two associations: Veronico-Fumarietum officinalis and Galinsogo-Setarietum. The syntaxons identified were internally diverse and divided into lower phytosociological units classified as variants. Patches of the community with species of the alliance Panico-Setarion usually established on light soils. Their appearance was mainly affected by acidophilous species, such as Setaria viridis, Setaria pumila, Spergula arvensis and Anthemis arvensis. In some patches more nitrophilous weeds were found with a high cover, including Matricaria maritima subsp. inodora, Chenopodium album, Viola arvensis and Stellaria media. Patches of Veronico-Fumarietum officinalis with a high share of characteristic species and indicators of this association, that is Fumaria officinalis, Lamium amplexicaule, Veronica agrestis, Veronica persica and Anchusa arvensis, were established in tuber crops cultivated on fertile soils, mainly proper brown or grey brown podzolic soils. Patches of the association Galinsogo-Setarietum were established in habitats in the proximity of buildings. They were characterised by a mass occurrence of Galinsoga parviflora and Galinsoga ciliata, the latter one being less frequent. Nitrophilous species also had a high cover in these patches. They included Chenopodium album, Stellaria media and Polygonum lapathifolium subsp. lapathifolium. Higrophilous species, e.g. Mentha arvensis and Bidens tripartite, were found is some patches, too.

Degradation rates of alachlor, atrazine and bentazone in the profiles of Polish Luvisols

AbstractThe degradation rates of three herbicides (alachlor, atrazine, and bentazone) were examined according to OECD Guideline 307 in three profiles of grey-brown podzolic soil (Luvisol) in a laboratory experiment. The aim of the experiment was to determine herbicide degradation parameters and their relationships with soil properties. Degradation processes were effectively described by a first-order model. However, in some cases, the best results were produced by bi-phasic kinetics (hockey-stick and bi-exponential model). The degradation rates of the tested herbicides at 25°C and 40% maximum water holding capacity, established based on half-life values in the Ap horizon, increased in the following order: atrazine (32.6-42.8 days) < bentazone (3.4-16.6 days < alachlor (4.4-5.7 days). The correlation analysis and the Principal Component Analysis revealed significant positive correlations between the herbicide degradation rates and the organic matter content of soils. The depth-dependent degradation factors obtained for topsoil and two subsoil horizons (1: 0.42: 0.11 – based on average values, and 1: 0.31: 0.12 – based on median values) reflect the degradation abilities of Polish Luvisols. The values noted are soil-specific; therefore, they can also be applied to other pesticides in Polish Luvisols.

Yield, Weed Infestation and Seed Quality of Soybean Glycine max L. Merr. under Different Tillage Systems

Soybean is a very valuable crop plant and the soybean crop area is continually increasing in the world and in Poland. The effectiveness of soybean cultivation depends on soil and climatic conditions as well as on appropriate tillage. An alternative for plough tillage in the cultivation of soybean is to grow this crop using no-tillage, the popularity of which is constantly growing. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of conventional tillage (CT) and no-tillage (NT) on yield, weed infestation and qualitative seed composition of soybean grown under the conditions of the Lublin Upland. A field study was carried out over the period 2009-2012 at the Czeslawice Experimental Farm (51° 18′ 23″ N, 22° 16′ 2″ E). The experiment was set up on loess-derived grey-brown podzolic soil as a split-block design in four replicates. The experimental factors were the following tillage systems: conventional tillage (CT) and no-tillage (NT). The soybean cultivar Nawiko was grown in the experiment. The present study showed that the soybean seed yield obtained under CT was higher by 24.3% than under NT. The main reason of the seeds yield decrease in the NT was less soybean plant density. The significant higher number and weight of weeds were recorded in NT, relative to CT. The oil content in seed harvested from the NT plots was found to be higher by 0.3%.

Content of phenolic compounds in soils originating from two long-term fertilization experiments

AbstractThe objective of the study was to compare the impact of three systems of multiannual fertilization applied in two long-term field experiments on the content of phenolic compounds in the soil. In the study, both natural (manure, slurry) and mineral (NPK) fertilizers were used, along with combined, organic-and-mineral fertilization. Experiment I was established in 1972 on grey brown podzolic soil; experiment II, in 1973 on brown soil. In both experiments crops were cultivated in a 7-year rotation, with a 75% share of cereals. The experimental samples were taken from the top layer of soil after 36 (experiment I) and 35 (experiment II) years following the establishment of the experiments. It was demonstrated that the presence of phenolic compounds in the soils was significantly dependent on the contents of organic C and total N, type of soil and the type and dose of used fertilizers. In grey brown podzolic soil, the content of total phenolic compounds was at a lower level than the content found in brown soil. Multiannual fertilization contributed to an increase in the content of total phenolic compounds in relation to the values obtained in control objects, which was particularly reflected in the soil originating from objects fertilized with slurry applied at a dose being equivalent to manure in terms of the amount of introduced organic carbon. The percentage of water-soluble phenols in the total content of these compounds in grey brown podzolic soil was at the level of 18.4%, while in brown soil it amounted to 29.1%.

Diversity of weed communities in soybean [Glycine max (L.)] crop growing under direct sowing depending on cover crops and different herbicide doses

Despite being harmful for agricultural production, weeds are an essential component of biodiversity in agricultural landscapes. A field study was conducted during the period 2007–2009 on grey-brown podzolic soil (sandy), designated as PWsp, with the granulometric composition of silt and classified Class 2 in agricultural land suitability. The study evaluated the structure of weed communities based on selected indicators of diversity of a soybean crop grown under no-tillage with mulch from winter rye, winter oilseed rape, and white mustard as well as using herbicide rates reduced by 25% and 50% in relation to the standard rate (2 L ha<sup>−1</sup>). The studied factors were as follows: (i) mulch plant species and mulch management method; (ii) rates of the foliar herbicide Basagran 600 SL (a.i. bentazon; 600 g L<sup>−1</sup>). The results of this study confirm that no-tillage with mulch significantly changes the diversity of weed flora in a soybean crop. Among the mulches used, the mowed rye and winter oilseed rape in particular increased the values of the general diversity (<em>H</em>'), species richness (<em>d</em>), and evenness (<em>J</em>') indices relative to the control treatment. On the other hand, the study found a strong decrease in the value of the dominance index (<em>c</em>). Reduced herbicide rates modified only the species richness index, in the case of which the 75% rate resulted in its significantly higher values compared to the full rate.

Contemporary State and the Attempt at the Reconstruction of the Soil Cover in the Highly Diversified Loess Area on the Basis of the Sandomierz Upland in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski and Ćmielów Surroundings

This study is an attempt at reconstructing the soil cover of the northern slope of the Opatów loess patch based on the morphology analysis of 23 investigated soil profiles and their chemical properties. It was stated that at present the investigated area is mainly occupied by secondary, typical brown soils, acid and leached, on slopes weakly developed, strongly eroded. The Holocene model profiles of grey-brown podzolic soils occur only in forest areas, e.g. in the Las Górny forest. The bottom of the loess valleys is mainly occupied by deluvial-aluvial soils, as an effect of long lasting human activity started in neolith.

Zur Regenwurmfauna (Oligochaeta: Lumbricidae), insbesondere zur Proctodrilus-Verteilung, in den Auen der Tschernosem- und Parabraunerde-Gebiete beiderseits des Erzgebirges

On the earthworm fauna (Oligochaeta: Lumbricidae), in particular the distribution of Proctodrilus, in the floodplains of the chernozem and gray-brown podzolic soil areas on both sides of the Ore Mts. In a study of mineral soils in floodplains, shallow depressions, and dry valley heads of the Saale-Elster plateau in eastern Germany and along the lower Eger/Ohře river in Czechia, sixteen earthworm species were found. On the basis of these findings, areas of gray-brown podzolic soils can be differentiated from chernozem areas mainly by the occurrence in the former of the two species Proctodrilus antipai and P. tuberculatus. In a section of one floodplain in the gray-brown podzolic soil area, the distribution of these two earthworm species shows a vicariance situation, such that P. antipai is restricted to the outer edges of the floodplain while P. tuberculatus inhabits the parts close to the river. In the chernozem areas, on the other hand, P. antipai is the only one of the two species to occur, and is also found in those areas close to the river. P. tuberculatus disappears in the transitional zone between a floodplain where it occurs and a chernozem floodplain. The distribution of P. antipai ends where a floodplain inhabited by it graduates into one belonging to a large river with a high rate of flow. On the stretch of the Elbe near Mlekojedy, where the position of the confluence with the Ohře has migrated over time, the vicariant distribution of the two species within the soil profile was noted. Here P. antipai is found in the uppermost soil layer, while P. tuberculatus lives in the lower-lying mineral soil at the same location. This ecological vicariance appears to represent different stages of clay translocation in flood loam. The results show that P. tuberculatus is dependent on such clay translocation or lessivage, and where this soil-profile-influencing process cannot take place the species does not occur. Examples would be oligotrophic acid montane brown forest soils, eutrophic brown forest soils, and chernozems, as well as the floodplain soils derived from all three.

Weed infestation of soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.) under different tillage systems

Direct drilling is one of the methods to reduce tillage costs. Low labor intensity of this system also makes it possible to grow crops in locations where it is a problem to maintain optimal sowing time. However, the use of no-tillage can cause increased weed infestation of crop plants and as a consequence a decline in crop yields. The present study investigated the effect of two tillage systems, plough tillage and direct drilling, on the species composition, density and air-dry weight of weeds in crops of two soybean cultivars (‘Aldana’ and ‘Augusta’). A three-year field experiment was set up on loess-derived gray-brown podzolic soil. The study showed that the use of direct drilling for soybean cropping resulted in a significant increase in the density and dry weight of weeds relative to plough tillage. The study also found richer floristic composition of weeds and an increase in the numbers of dominant species under no-tillage conditions. <em>Elymus repens</em>, <em>Echinochloa crus-galli</em> and <em>Chenopodium album</em> were dominant weed species in all experimental treatments. <em>Chenopodium album</em> and <em>Galinsoga parviflora</em> were characterized by the highest constancy (constancy classes V and IV) in crops of both soybean cultivars, whereas <em>Echinochloa crus-galli</em> showed the highest constancy value in the ‘Aldana’ crop. Under direct drilling, most weed species were found to exhibit higher constancy compared to plough tillage.

Enzymatic Activity and Certain Chemical Properties of Grey-Brown Podzolic Soil (Haplic Luvisol) Amended with Compost of Tobacco Wastes

Abstract The paper addresses the effect of a compost prepared from tobacco wastes with an admixture of bark and straw on the enzymatic activity and certain chemical properties of a grey-brown podzolic soil amended with that compost. The study was conducted under the conditions of a pot experiment in which the soil material was collected from the surface horizon of the grey-brown podzolic soil. The effect of the application of the compost was compared with soil without such amendment. The test plant was maize cv. Kosmo 230. Fertilisation of the light soil with the compost studied caused changes in the enzymatic activity of the soil that were related both to the dose of the compost and to the kind of enzyme studied. With increase in the dose of the compost there was an increase in dehydrogenase activity (highest dose) and a significant decrease in the activity of acid phosphatase. Moreover, it was observed that tobacco compost was a significant source that enriched the light soil in organic matter, total nitrogen, and available forms of phosphorus, magnesium and potassium, which was evident in increased yields of maize grown as the test plant. Significant correlations were also demonstrated between a majority of the biochemical and chemical parameters, which indicates that those parameters characterise well the biological properties of a grey-brown podzolic soil amended with tobacco compost.

Influence of liming and mineral fertilization on the copper content in grain of spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivated on loessial soil

The paper presents research on the copper content in grain of winter wheat and spring barley cultivated in 1986-2001, on grey-brown podzolic soils developed from loess (static fertilization experiment) underlying a field located in the Rzeszow Foothills (SE Poland). The experiment was set up by the random sub-block method, on a field under a static fertilization trial composed of a four-year crop rotation system and the NPK Mg or NPK Mg Ca fertilization system. The first variable was liming (A) and the second one consisted of different mineral fertilization variants (B). The basic level of fertilization (N1P1K1) was 80 kg N ha -1 , 100 kg P2O5 ha-1 and 120 kg K 2 O ha-1 under spring barley and 90 kg N ha-1, 80 kg P 2 O 5 ha-1, 100 kg K 2 O ha-1 under winter wheat. The crop rotation was the following: in 1986-1989 – potatoes, spring barley, fodder cabbage, winter wheat; in 1990-1993, 1994-1997, 1997-2001 – potatoes, spring barley, fodder sunflower, winter wheat. Mineral fertilization included NPK fertilization with constant Mg fertilization, and differentiated NPK fertilization with constant Mg and Ca (liming) fertilization. Liming was performed in 1985, 1989, 1993 and in 1997 (4 t ha-1 CaO). The experiment included 14 fertilization variants with 4 replications. The copper content in plants was determined by FAAS after mineralization of plant samples in a mixture of HNO 3 :HClO 4 :H 2 SO 4 in the 20:5:1 ratio. Liming decreased the copper content in spring barley grain but had no statistically significant effect on the copper content in winter wheat grain. Mineral fertilization did influence the copper content winter wheat grain, but decreased it grain obtained from the plot with lower P fertilization together with NK fertilizer. However the interaction (liming x NPK fertilization) did not influence the copper content in cereal grain.

Microbiological activity of soil amended with granulated fertilizer from sewage sludge

The study was conducted on a model of a pot experiment in which grey-brown podzolic soil developed from weakly loamy sand was amended with granulated dry organic-mineral fertilizer prepared from municipal sewage sludge. Three levels of pre-sowing fertilization with the granulate were applied: I – a dose which brought nitrogen in the amount of 0.35 g kg-1 d.m. of soil, II – a 50% higher dose, and III – a 100% higher dose. Additionally, a treatment with average mineral fertilization (NPK) was run. The control treatment was non-fertilized soil. Soil prepared as above was placed in pots and sown with white mustard (cv. Borowska) in spring in the 1 st and 2nd year of the experiment. During the experiment, the soil moisture was maintained at the level of ca 60% t.w.c. Microbiological and biochemical soil assays were conducted three times in the first and second years of the experiment, i.e. in May and July and 41 days from harvesting the crop and mixing of its fragmented residues with the soil. The scope of the analyses included numbers of bacteria with low and high nutrition requirements, total numbers of filamentous fungi, cellulolytic, proteolytic and lipolytic bacteria and fungi. Other analyses included determinations of the respiratory activity in soil, the rate of cellulose mineralization and the activity of dehydrogenases, lipase, protease and acid phosphatase. The study showed a stimulating effect of the sludge granulate on the above groups of bacteria and fungi, both in the 1 st and in the 2 nd years of the experiment. The effect generally weakened with time. The fertilization also stimulated the respiratory rate and activity of phosphatase. However, it inhibited the mineralisation of cellulose as well as the activity of dehydrogenases, lipase and protease in soil. The application of mineral fertilization in the form of NPK did not cause any changes in numbers of the analyzed bacterial groups, except a certain decreasing tendency in the second year. In both years, mineral fertilization contributed to the stimulation of the growth of most fungi. It also enhanced the respiratory activity, rate of cellulose mineralisation, and the activity of dehydrogenase and acid phosphatase, albeit only in the first year of the experiment. Finally, in the soil with mineral fertilization the activity of protease and lipase was observed to have declined.

The effect of flower removal on the growth and quality of bushes of two rose (Rosa L.) varieties

<p>The present study was conducted during the period 2008–2011 in a production nursery without irrigation and established on grey-brown podzolic soil classified as soil class II. The study investigated the effect of regular flower removal on the growth and quality of bushes of the following rose (<em>Rosa </em>L<em>.</em>) varieties: a multi-flowered variety ‘Arthur Bell’ and a large-flowered variety ‘Burgund’. In the case of the multi-flowered variety ‘Arthur Bell’, flower removal was found to have a significant effect on the number and total length of shoots growing from the bud union in bushes. On the other hand, this practice was not shown to have an effect on the growth and quality of bushes of the large-flowered variety ‘Burgund’.</p><p> In the case of bushes of the studied varieties budded on <em>Rosa multiflora</em> Thunb. rootstock, the study showed significant differences in plant growth and branching between years. In 2009, after spring frosts that damaged young shoots and as an effect of a lower amount of rainfall by about 60 mm during the growing season, a much worse quality of rose bushes was obtained than in the other years.</p>

Weed infestation of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under the conditions of application of some retardants

<p>A field study was conducted in the period 2004–2007 on grey-brown podzolic soil (sandy). This study analysed the relationship between the use of stem shortening in cereals by means of retardants with the following active substances: chlormequat chloride (Antywylegacz Płynny 675 SL), trinexapac-ethyl (Moddus 250 EC), chlormequat chloride + ethephon (Cecefon 465 SL), and weed infestation. The retardants were applied at the 1st node stage (BBCH 31 – Antywylegacz Płynny 675 SL) and the 2nd node stage of winter wheat (BBCH 32 – Moddus 250 EC and Cecefon 465 SL), together with the adjuvant Atpolan 80 EC (75% of SN 200 mineral oil) or without the adjuvant. Winter wheat, cv. 'Muza', was grown after vetch grown for seed. The whole experiment was sprayed with the herbicides Apyros 75 WG and Starane 250 EC at the full tillering stage (BBCH 29–30). Plots where no growth regulators were used were the control treatment.</p><p>Weed density and biomass showed great variation between years. In the winter wheat crop, <em>Veronica persica, Viola arvensis, Veronica arvensis, Capsella bursa-pastoris</em>,and<em> Chenopodium album </em>dominated in the dicotyledonous class, whereas <em>Apera spica-venti</em>, <em>Echinochloa crus-galli</em>,and<em> Elymus repens </em>were predominant among monocotyledonous plants<em>. </em>The level of weed infestation of the winter wheat crop, as measured by the number and air-dry weight of weeds, was significantly differentiated by years and retardants used as well as by interactions of these factors. The adjuvant Atpolan 80 EC did not have a significant effect on the above-mentioned weed infestation parameters.</p>.

The formation of microorganism communities in the soil under the effect of chitosan and runner bean (Phaseolus coccineus L.) cultivation

The subject of the studies was the soil with introduced solutions containing 0,1% chitosan. These materials were obtained from the Institute of Chemical Fibres in L6d2 (in the form of a microcrystalline gel) and also from the Department of Food Biochemistry and Chemistry of the University of Agriculture in Lublin (in a liquid form,i.e.dissolved in acetic acid). In order to set an experiment in a growth chamber, grey brown podzolic soil formed from loesses and taken from a mechanically treated belt of black fallow was used. The soil (1000 g) was watered every 8 days with 100 ml of examined chitosan solutions per pot. Control soil was watered with sterile distilled water. Seven days after each watering, soil samples were taken for microbiological analysis. Then 25 runner bean seeds were sown into each pot. After six weeks of plants' growth the experiment was finished and the number of plants was counted, their healthiness determined and soil microbiological analysis was performed. Regardless of chitosan form introduced to the soil it stimulated the growth of bacteria and fungi, since in these experimental combinations was found a significantly higher number of microorganisms as compared with the control. A particular high increase in the number of microorganism colonies was observed with simultaneous growth of plants and the application of chitosan. A considerable increase of fungi colonies from the <i>Trichoderma</i> genus was found in the soil treated with chitosan in the form ofboth a microcrystalline gel and a liquid. The species of this genus are considered to be antagonists; it affects pathogenic fungi through competition, antibiosis and over-parasitism. An increase in colonies of saprophytic microorganisms, including antagonistic ones of <i>Bacillus</i> spp. and Pseudomonas spp. was observed in the soil treated with chitosan . On the other hand, in the soil after the growth of bean and treated watered with chitosan only few colonies of <i>Fusarium oxysporum</i> f.sp. <i>phaseoli</i>- bean pathogen were found. The healthiness of plants grown in soil treated with chitosan was significantly better as compared to the control. The populations of antagonistic microorganisms formed in the soil in these treatments probably limited the growth of pathogenic fungus.

Yield and some quality traits of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grain as influenced by the application of different rates of nitrogen

A field study was conducted in the period 2004–2007 at the Czesławice Experimental Farm, belonging to the University of Life Sciences in Lublin, on loess-derived grey brown podzolic soil (good wheat soil complex). This study determined the effect of two levels of nitrogen fertilization on yield and the basic quality traits of grain of the winter wheat cultivar ‘Muza’. The study results show the dependence of the grain quality characters mainly on variable weather conditions throughout the study period and to a lesser extent on the level of nitrogen fertilization. Good technological parameters were obtained in the seasons with low rainfall and high air temperature. The study also demonstrated that the higher rate of nitrogen tended to have a positive effect on total protein and wet gluten content, falling number, sedimentation value, and grain test weight. In spite of the lack of significant differences, the quality of gluten was found to decrease with the increasing rate of nitrogen.

The effect of reduced rates of crop protection agents and adjuvants on productivity, weed infestation and health of spring barley (Hordeum sativum L.)

A field experiment on the cultivation of spring barley was carried out in the period 2009–2011 at the Experimental Farm in Czesławice (central Lublin region) on grey-brown podzolic soil derived from loess (soil quality class II). The study included 3 rates of herbicides, growth retardant and fungicides (100%, 75% and 50%) as well as different types of adjuvant (oil, surface-active, mineral). Plots without adjuvant were the control treatment. A hypothesis was made that the reduction in rates of crop protection agents by 25–50%, with the simultaneous addition of adjuvants, would allow spring barley productivity to be maintained at a level similar to that obtained under the conditions when recommended rates are applied without adjuvant. It was also assumed that particular types of adjuvant would show different interactions with specific groups of crop protection agents. It has been proved that a rational reduction in rates of crop protection agents is up to a limit of 25%, especially when an adjuvant is added to such reduced rates. This allows spring barley productivity to be maintained at the level obtained after the application of full rates (without adjuvant). But a further reduction in rates of crop protection agents by 50%, in spite of the interaction of adjuvants, results in a significant deterioration of all spring barley yield components, since such conditions lead to increased occurrence of agricultural pests (weeds, fungal diseases) as well as increased crop lodging. Among the group of adjuvants tested in the present experiment, the oil adjuvant Atpolan 80 EC showed the best interaction with crop protection agents used.

Modifications in the content of available zinc and copper in soil fertilized with bio-waste composts

The aim of this study has been to determine the indirect and direct effects of farmyard manure and sewage sludge composts, produced in the north-eastern part of Poland, on the content of 1 mol HCl⋅dm-3 soluble forms of zinc and copper in soil. In 2004-2007, a field experiment was carried out at the Experimental Station in Ba³cyny near Ostroda. The experiment was established on proper grey-brown podzolic soil originating from light boulder clay, which was rich in P, moderately abundant in K and low in Mg. It comprised a four-field crop rotation system (potato, spring barley, winter oilseed rape and winter wheat. The design of the experiment, set up according to the random block method, involved 8 objects (2 x 4): 1) farmyard manure, 2) compost (sewage sludge + straw), 3) dried and granulated sewage sludge, 4) composted sewage sludge. The composts and FYM were introduced to soil once (in 2004) at a rate of 10 t d.m.⋅ha -1 or 2 × 5 d.m.⋅ha -1 (under potato and winter oilseed rape). In 2004, nitrogen in the soil enriched with natural fertilizers was balanced to 150 kg⋅ha-1 according to the N-total content. In 2005, soil cropped with spring barley received only mineral fertilization, whereas winter oilseed rape received the second rate of organic fertilizers (in the series consisting of 2 × 5 d.m.⋅ha -1 ) and nitrogen was balanced to 120 kg⋅ha -1 . In 2006, soil under winter wheat received only mineral fertilization. Prior to the establishment of the experiment, soil, manure and compost samples were taken. Having been averaged, the samples were subjected to determination of their content of Cu and Zn in 1 mol HCl dm -3 . The soil, whose reaction was 5.04 in 1 mol HCl dm -3 , was moderately abundant in available zinc and low in copper. After four years of the trials, the levels of available forms of copper and zinc in the soil fertilized with sewage sludge

Content and removal of Cu and Zn with harvested crops grown on soil fertilized with composted municipal sewage sludge

The purpose of the study has been to determine the direct and residual effect of farmyard manure and composts made from sewage sludge on the content and uptake of copper and zinc by crops growing in a four-field crop rotation system. In 2004-2007, a field experiment was established on proper grey-brown podzolic soil, originating from light boulder clay, rich in P, moderately abundant in K and low in Mg, whose reaction was pH = 5.04. The experiment involved a four-field crop rotation cycle with the following crops: potato, spring barley, winter oilseed rape and winter wheat. The design of the experiment, set up according to the random block method, consisted of 8 object (2 x 4): 1) FYM, 2) composted sewage sludge, 3) compost (sewage sludge + straw), 4) dried and granulated sewage sludge. The composts and farmyard manure were applied once in the rotation system (under potato) at a rate of 10 t d.m. ha-1 or twice, each time 5 t d.m. ha-1 (under potato and under winter oilseed rape). In the objects fertilized with organic fertilizers and manure, nitrogen was balanced to 150 kg⋅ha -1 (under potato) and to 120 kg⋅ha -1 (under oilseed rape) depending on their total content of nitrogen. Spring barley and winter wheat received only mineral fertilizers. Before the experiment was set up, samples of soil, manure and composts had been collected for determination of Cu and Zn in 1 mol HCl dm-3 by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The content of zinc and copper in the crops was modified by the form of sewage sludge and sewage sludge composts to a greater extent than by the way these fertilizers were applied in the crop rotation system. Soil fertilization with dried and granulated sewage sludge or composted sludge increased the content of copper and its removal with harvested potato and winter rape, but the analogous values were higher when the cereals were grown on FYM fertilized soil. The strongest influence on the content and removal of zinc

The effect of adjuvants and reduced rates of crop protection agents on the occurrence of agricultural pests and on winter wheat productivity

A field experiment in growing winter wheat was carried out in Czesławice (the central part of the Lublin region) in 2009–2011. The experiment was set up as a split-block design with 3 replications on grey-brown podzolic soil derived from loess. Tillage was performed in accordance with the agronomic practices typical of this species. NPK mineral fertilization was adjusted to high soil nutrient availability. The research included 3 rates of herbicides, fungicides and a retardant (100, 75, 50%) as well as various types of adjuvants (surface-active, oil, mineral). Plots without adjuvant application were the control treatment. It was shown that a 50% reduction in the rates of crop protection agents caused a considerable decrease in winter wheat grain yield and in some yield components compared with the 75% rate and the maximum rate. Due to the addition of adjuvants (especially the oil adjuvant) to the spray solution, the reduction in the rates of crop protection agents by 25% did not cause any decrease of winter wheat productivity. A further reduction (by 50%) in the rates of crop protection agents, in spite of the application of adjuvants, had a negative effect on wheat yield caused by an intense accumulation of air-dry weight of weeds in the crop as well as by higher susceptibility of wheat to a complex of fungal diseases infecting the stem base.