Tons Of Straw Research Articles

Sustainable Durum Wheat (Triticum durum) Production for Enhancing Food Security in Palestine

To enhance the productivity of durum wheat, it is crucial to disseminate new and improved wheat varieties along with other enhanced crop management practices. The NARC, NGOs and local universities in collaboration with the ICARDA, has implemented various activities in Palestine from 2014 to 2022 to achieve this goal. The study aims to assess the outcomes of the activities focused on enhancing durum wheat productivity through the dissemination of new varieties and the implementation of improved crop management practices. A total of 920 farmers participated in the initiative for disseminating improved durum wheat. Additionally, 47 tons of high-quality seeds were distributed for 183 farmers. The implementation included demonstrations of recommended agronomic practices. Furthermore, more than 50 farmers engaged in farmer-participatory demonstrations focused on adequate nutrient management, specifically composting. The outcomes of the durum wheat dissemination revealed a notable improvement in the productivity of three durum wheat varieties, demonstrating an increase of 11.5% to 19.7% in both grain and straw yields, respectively, when compared to the control variety. The overall benefit for the new varieties amounts to approximately 1230 US $ ha-1, whereas the control stands at about 901 US $ ha-1, indicating a notable increase of 36.51%. The seed producers produced a total of 340 tons of high-quality seeds and 490 tons of straw. The total benefit from the difference between the agronomic and farmers package was about 208 US $ per hectare. The average increase in grain yield was 5% for compost practices, while the increase for straw yield was about 13%.

Assessment of the phytosanitary state of agricultural seedings using agrobiotechnology

The results of weed infestation of cultivated oats and maize by the phases of their development and the manifestation of the signs of oat septoria affection in the experiment with an applied agrobiotechnology, including the use of biological preparations Trichoplant, SK (based on Trichoderma) and Biogor-Zh (based on Lactobacillus), nitrogen fertilizers (at the rate of 10 kg of NPPN per 1 ton of straw) and lime at the rate of 1.5 t/ha when using crushed by-products as fertilizer are presented. The work was carried out in the scientific and production experiment, founded in 2018 and located in Kursk Region, in Medvensky District, settlement of Panino, in two fields. In 2022 in the first field (cereal crop rotation) cultivated oat (Avena sativa L.) of the variety “Borets” was grown with buckwheat as a previous crop, in the second field (cereal and row crop rotation) maize for grain (Zea mays L.) of the variety “Delitop” was cultivated with winter wheat as a previous crop. The results were obtained in the following variants: 1. Control (no fertilizers and afterharvesting residues); 2. Crushed by-products of the crop as a background; 3. Background + nitrogen fertilizers; 4. Background + lime; 5. Background + biopreparations; 6. Background + biopreparations + nitrogen fertilizers; 7. Background + biopreparations + lime. The number of weeds less by 36.7 and 76.4 % related to the control, respectively, was found when biopreparations with nitrogen fertilizers were applied in maize and cultivated oats in the phase of ear emergence. The number of oat plants affected with ceptoria in the variants with biopreparations applied in the tillering phase and with combined application of biopreparations and lime in the phase of ear emergence was by 14.9 and 22.9 % less as compared to the control, respectively.

From straw to salmon: a technical design and energy balance for production of yeast oil for fish feed from wheat straw

BackgroundAquaculture is a major user of plant-derived feed ingredients, such as vegetable oil. Production of vegetable oil and protein is generally more energy-intensive than production of the marine ingredients they replace, so increasing inclusion of vegetable ingredients increases the energy demand of the feed. Microbial oils, such as yeast oil made by fermentation of lignocellulosic hydrolysate, have been proposed as a complement to plant oils, but energy assessments of microbial oil production are needed. This study presents a mass and energy balance for a biorefinery producing yeast oil through conversion of wheat straw hydrolysate, with co-production of biomethane and power.ResultsThe results showed that 1 tonne of yeast oil (37 GJ) would require 9.2 tonnes of straw, 14.7 GJ in fossil primary energy demand, 14.6 GJ of process electricity and 13.3 GJ of process heat, while 21.5 GJ of biomethane (430 kg) and 6 GJ of excess power would be generated simultaneously. By applying economic allocation, the fossil primary energy demand was estimated to 11.9 GJ per tonne oil.ConclusionsFossil primary energy demand for yeast oil in the four scenarios studied was estimated to be 10–38% lower than for the commonly used rapeseed oil and process energy demand could be met by parallel combustion of lignin residues. Therefore, feed oil can be produced from existing non-food biomass without causing agricultural expansion.

Influence of systems of main processing and fertilizer on agrophysical indicators of the soil in cultivation of soy

Aim. To study the effect of long-term use of the main tillage and fertilization systems on the agrophysical properties of the soil in soybean crops, the yield of the crop and efficiency of the production under the researched technologies. Methods. The research was conducted during 2019–2022 in a stationary two-factor field experiment, which includes 5 systems of basic tillage (shelf, flat-cut, chisel, disk, differentiated) and two fertilization systems: mineral (background 1) – N60Р60K60; and organo-mineral (background 2) - precursor straw + N10/t of straw + N30Р30K30 in a short-rotation 4-field crop rotation with the following crop rotation: soybean, spring barley, white mustard, winter wheat. Results. The results of studies on the influence of main tillage systems, methods of fertilization on the main field agrophysical parameters of the soil and the formation of the soybean crop in the Forest-Steppe zone of Ukraine are presented in order to identify the most effective, adapted to the conditions that have developed in recent years. It was found that the most favorable agrophysical soil conditions for soybeans were created under the chisel system of the main cultivation and chiselling in a differentiated system against the background of both mineral and organo-mineral fertilization and the advantage of the mentioned indicators of the organo-mineral background over the mineral one. The highest yield of soybeans (2.55 t/ha) was obtained under the chisel system of the main tillage against the background of organic-mineral fertilizer, which exceeded the control (police system) by 0.25 t/ha (11%) and similar to the highest indicator (2.49 t/ha) against the background of mineral fertilizer and an advantage over the control by 0.12 t/ha (5%). All shelf-free systems on the background of organic-mineral fertilizer exceeded the control by 1–11% in terms of productivity, and similar systems on the background of mineral fertilizer by 1–4%. Conclusions. According to the best indicators of the physical condition of the soil and their influence on soybean yield, the chisel system of the main tillage to a depth of 25–27 cm against the background of organo-mineral fertilization with the leaving of winter wheat straw + N10 per ton of straw and the introduction of mineral fertilizer in the dose of N30Р30К30 can be considered promising and the most adapted to production under the conditions of recent years.

Comprehensive Benefit of Crop Straw Return Volume under Sustainable Development Management Concept in Heilongjiang, China

Straw burning can cause serious environmental pollution, whereas returning straw to the fields, as a green production method, can improve the rural environment and strengthen the sustainable development of agriculture. According to statistics, China produced 797 million tons of straw in 2020, but the current straw return technology still needs to be improved; the ability of farmers to choose the correct amount of straw to be returned to the field and their awareness of environmental protection still need to be strengthened. Straw is still openly burned in some areas, causing environmental pollution and the waste of resources, which are contrary to the concept of sustainable development in China. In this study, we estimated the amount of straw resources in Heilongjiang Province, a major grain-producing province in China, by quantifying the production of major crops between 2011 and 2020. We then identified and analyzed the current problems in terms of policy support and other aspects. We used an integrated AHP-fuzzy evaluation method to evaluate the comprehensive benefits of different straw return amounts, and we determined the amount of straw that should be returned to the soil to produce the best comprehensive benefits. We provide suggestions for the current main problems regarding the amount of crop straw to return to the soil in Heilongjiang Province, arguing that choosing a reasonable straw return amount will help farmers increase profit, reduce environmental pollution, and contribute to the sustainable development of the environment.

THE ROLE OF ORGANIC FERTILIZERS (STRAW, GREEN MANURE, CROP-ROOT REMAINS) IN HUMUS REPRODUCTION AND PRESERVATION IN THE SOIL

The paper presents results of thestudies on assessment of the role of organic substances created in crop rotation agrocenoses and used as fertilizer for agricultural crops (straw, green manure, crop- root residues). The studies were carried out in a five-field grain crop rotation with alternation: vetch-oat mixture as a green manure crop - winter wheat - millet - spring wheat - barley. The scheme of the experiment consisted of six variants with application of organic, organo-mineral and mineral fertilizers: 1. Control (green manure); 2. Straw of the forecrop; 3.Straw of the forecrop+ 10 kg of nitrogen (urea) per 1 ton of straw; 4.Straw of the forecrop+ Biocomposite-correctbiological preparation; 5.Biocomposite-correctbiopreparation; 6. NPK (doses of fertilizers for the planned yield of winter wheat 4.5 t/ha, millet 4.0 t/ha, spring wheat 4.0 t/ha, barley 4.0 t/ha). It was found that usage of straw as an organic fertilizer contributes to an increase of crop yields in the first year of application. Its effectiveness is greatly increased in combination with a nitrogen supplement and a biological product: the increase of grain yield was (depending on crops) from 0.19 to 0.51 t/ha. The amount of organic matter entering the soil per 1 hectare of crop rotation area in case of combined usage of green manure, straw and crop-root residues was 2 times higher than the control variant (green manure). Complete reproduction and preservation of humus content is possible in case of combined usage of green manure, straw, crop- root residues and biological preparations as organic fertilizers in order to improve the conditions of their decomposition.

Yield of soy and efficiency of its cultivation under different systems of main tillage and fertilizer

Aim. To determine the effect of long-term use of various systems of basic tillage and fertilization on the productivity of soybean agrocenoses, the efficiency of its cultivation technologies. The article presents the results of research on the influence of the main soil tillage and fertilization systems on the formation of the soybean crop and indicators of the economic efficiency of its production in the conditions of the Forest-Steppe of Ukraine with the aim of identifying the most effective, adapted to the weather conditions that have developed in recent years. Methods. Research was conducted during 2018–2021 in a stationary two-factor field experiment, which includes 4 alternative systems of the main tillage (shelf, flat-cut, chisel, disk), and two fertilization systems: mineral (background 1) – N60Р60К60; and organo-mineral (background 2) - precursor straw + N10 / t of straw + N30Р30К30 in a short-rotational 4-field short-rotational crop rotation with the following crop rotation: soybean, spring barley, white mustard, winter wheat. Results. The highest soybean yield of 2.43 t/ha was obtained under the chisel system of the main tillage on the background of organic-mineral fertilizer, which exceeded the control (shelf system) by 0.22 t/ha (10%) and was similar to the highest indicator on the background of mineral fertilizer by 0.05 t/ha (2%). All shelf-free systems outperformed the control on the background of organic-mineral fertilizer by 4-10% and on the background of mineral fertilizer by 2-13%. Conclusions. According to indicators of economic efficiency and productivity of soybeans, the chisel system of the main tillage to a depth of 25–27 cm against the background of organic-mineral fertilizer with the leaving of winter wheat straw + N10 per ton of straw and the introduction of mineral fertilizers in the dose of N30Р30K30 turned out to be the most adapted to the weather and climate conditions of recent years and is promising for introduction into production.

Modern adaptive systems of basic main tillage under white mustard

Aim. To study the effect of long-term use of the primary soil treatment and fertilization systems on the yield of white mustard. The results of research of the impact of basic soil treatment and fertilizer systems on yield and economic efficiency of white mustard production in the Forest-Steppe zone of Ukraine are presented in order to identify the most effective, adapted to natural and climatic conditions in recent years. Methods. The research was conducted during 2018–2021 in a stationary two-factor field experiment, which includes 4 alternative systems of basic soil treatment (shelf, flat, chisel, disk) and two fertilizer systems: mineral (background 1) – N60P60K60 and organo-mineral ) – predecessor straw + N10 per 1 t of straw + N30Р30К30 in short-rotation 4-field crop rotation with the following alternation of crops: soybean, spring barley, white mustard, winter wheat. Results. It was found that the highest yield of white mustard seeds 1.05 t / ha was provided by the chisel system of basic tillage against the background of organo-mineral fertilizer, which exceeded the control (shelf system) by 0.1 t/ha (11%) and similar to the highest rate against the background of mineral fertilizers by 0.13 t/ha (14%). Conclusion. Flat-cut and chisel systems on the background of organo-mineral fertilizer in terms of yield prevailed control by 11% and 17% and similar on the background of mineral fertilizer by 14%. In terms of economic efficiency and yield of chisel mustard. The system on the background of organo-mineral fertilizer with the predecessor leaving straw + N10 per ton of straw and application of mineral fertilizer at a dose of N30P30K30 can be considered promising and most adapted to production in weather and climatic conditions in recent years. Against the background of organo-mineral fertilizer, the use of any shelf-free main treatment for mustard is more profitable than the most productive against the background of mineral fertilizer. Production of white mustard with the use of mineral fertilizers at a dose of N60P60K60 is unprofitable for all systems of basic cultivation.

BIOLOGICAL PRODUCTS AS A MEANS OF RESTORATION OF BLACK SOIL HEALTH

Usage of crop residues as fertilizer leads to soil intoxication and, consequently, to soil health deterioration. Usage of beneficial microorganisms solves this problem. The studies were carried out in 2018-2021 in order to study the effect of Gribofit and Imunazot microbiological products, nitrogen fertilizers, individually and in combination, on phytotoxic effect removal of the soil when plant residues are applied for fertilization in grain crop rotation on typical slightly eroded heavy loamy black soil. The experimental field is located in Kursk region, Medvenskiy district of Panino village. All residues were used for fertilization in all variants of the experiment; nitrogen fertilizers were additionally applied at a dose of 10 kg of a.r. N per 1 ton of straw in the second variant; in the third variant, seeds, soil, crops and straw residues were inoculated with biological products Gribofit and Imunazot; in the fourth variant, combined application of nitrogen fertilizers and biological products as studied. Specification of soil phytotoxicity was carried out according to international standard ISO 11269-2:2012, as a test culture, seeds of radish (Raphanus sativus L.) were used. Application of plant residues for fertilization for four years led to sustainable phytotoxic effect of the soil, reducing seed germination energy of the test crop from 88% to 57%. Usage of Gribofit and Imunazot separately and in combination with nitrogen fertilizers contributes not only to improvement of soil ecological state, but also to its health. Biological products increase seed germination energy of the test culture from 11% to 28% compared to absolute control, depending on the type of plant residues, and index of the assessed factor increases to 1.27. Application of nitrogen fertilizers with cereal straw contributed to low toxicity of class 4. Broad beans have the ability to reduce soil toxicity, but their effect lasts only during the period of crop cultivation.

Selected Parameters of Oat Straw as an Alternative Energy Raw Material

Straw is treated as agricultural waste, and it is available in almost every region of Poland. A total of 30 million tons of straw is produced per year, of which there is a surplus of approximately 13.5 million tons of undeveloped straw. For energy purposes, straw from cereals or rapeseed is most often used. When analyzing scientific publications, it was noticed that, in Poland, large amounts of oat straw are produced, and there is no alternative use for it. Hence, we conducted research to determine the energy value of oat straw. Raw material was obtained from an individual farm from 2018 to 2020. Selected energy parameters for straw burned alone (100%) or co-fired with coal were analyzed in the following weight proportions: 70/30, 80/20, and 90/10 coal/oat straw. It was shown that changing weather conditions, in particular years, had a modifying effect on some of the energy parameters of straw. The calorific value of straw was lower than that of coal, but its impact on environmental pollution turned out to be significantly lower. The difference in combustion heat between coal and straw was 11.74 MJ·kg−1. Investigations into pollutant concentrations were performed for cubes of compressed straw and hard coal. Mixtures of these fuels were not studied in this part of the work. The combustion of straw resulted in a reduction of harmful NO, NOX, and SO2 pollutants and an increase in CO compared to coal combustion. As for hydrogen content—it was the highest in carbon and the lowest in straw. In the case of analytical moisture, an inverse relationship was observed. In the case of both coal and straw, the ash content varied throughout the years of research. As the boiler power increased from 5 to 25 kW, the consumption of burned raw material increased significantly. The results indicate that the surplus of oat straw can be rationally used to obtain thermal energy, including co-combustion with coal. This will allow one to avoid burning straw in the fields, which causes great harm to the natural environment.

ВПЛИВ СИСТЕМ ОБРОБІТКУ ГРУНТУ ТА УДОБРЕННЯ ІЗ ВИКОРИСТАННЯМ ПОБІЧНОЇ ПРОДУКЦІЇ НА ПРОДУКТИВНІСТЬ ПШЕНИЦІ ОЗИМОЇ В ЗАХІДНОМУ ПОЛІССІ УКРАЇНИ

The peculiarities of influence of tillage and fertilization systems with use of by-products on the winter wheat productivity were established by research, which was conducted on dark gray podzolic soil the in a four-field short-term crop rotation (winter rape - winter wheat – maize – spring barley). We studied three tillage systems (nonmoldboard plowing to 20–22 cm, shallow tillage to 10–12 cm, and surface tillage to 6–8 cm) and fertilization system with the use of crop by-products on the background of mineral fertilizers N128P90K120 kg/ha of crop rotation area. The highest plant productivity was formed by moldboard plowing to 20–22 cm and shallow tillage to 10–12 cm in fertilization variants with straw and straw + Ecostern destructor, in this case, the thousand grain weight was 47.1 and 47.9 and 46.4 and 47.0 g, the of grain weight per spike – 2.1 and 2.2 and 1.9 and 2.0 g. And lowest plant productivity was under surface tillage to 6–8 cm and various fertilization systems, where the thousand grain weight was 45.2–45.6 g, and the grain weight per spike 1.8–1.9 g. At moldboard and non-moldboard plowing to 10–12 cm and using straw + destructor, it was observed that an gluten content in winter wheat grain increased to 23.5 and 22.7 %, and protein content – to 12.9–11.7 % compared to with surface tillage, where these figures were 21.5 and 9.5 %, respectively. It was found that the moldboard plowing to 20–22 cm and shallow tillage to 10–12 cm was effective at winter wheat cultivation, which formed a higher grain yield – 6.80 and 6.32 t/ha. It was clarified that surface tillage to 6–8 cm caused a decrease in grain yield by 1.45 t/ha compared to the moldboard plowing. On average, over the research years, there was an increase in yield by 0.36 and 0.45 t/ha due to the use of straw as a fertilizer separately and in combination with the Ecostern destructor. By comparison, in the variant without straw, the yield was 5.89 t/ha on average by a factor. Consequently, we established that for winter wheat cultivation in the Western Polissia of Ukraine, it is expedient to carry out the moldboard plowing to 20–22 cm and the non-moldboard plowing to 10–12 cm and to use fertilization system with straw + Ecostern destructor + N 10 kg (ammonium nitrate) per 1 ton of straw. Key words: winter wheat, tillage, fertilizers, yield, destructor.

On-Station and On-Farm Assessment of the Effects of Soil Cover on Conservation Agriculture Performances in Western Burkina Faso

Conservation agriculture (CA) is one option for dealing with such a challenge, but its main difficulty in West Africa is in maintaining permanent soil cover, particularly with crop residues, due to their preferential use for livestock fodder. The aim of our study was to determine the effect of crop residue mulching on the efficiency of cropping systems based on the principles of conservation agriculture. The experimental design was based on on-station experiments, intended to assess the specific effect of different levels of crop residue mulching on the biological and chemical soil fertility parameters, while in on-farm experiments we mainly assessed the ability of farmers to actually collect crop residues for soil cover and the associated effects on weeds and yields. The on-station experimental design was in fully randomized factorial blocks comprising five treatments and three replicates. The treatments compared the conventional system, tillage and cropping without mulching, and CA systems with 1 ton, 2 tons, and 4 tons of straw per hectare in plots of 10 m2. The effects of CA on the macrofauna, respiratory activity, and soil chemical parameters were evaluated in the 2014 and 2015 growing seasons. For the on-farm experiments, the conventional and CA practices of 15 farmers were compared to conventional practices in 2013 and 2014 in plots of 626 m2. The on-station results showed that the presence of crop residue mulching induced an increase in the density of termites. A significant release of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the CA treatments compared to the conventional treatment was also observed. For the chemical parameters (pH, N, P and K) were significantly and positively affected by mulch in the top 5 centimeters of soil. The on-farm experiments confirmed the difficulty of farmers in collecting enough biomass, with negative effects on grass cover leading to generally lower yields than conventional treatments. Other practices also affected the results, such as the maize sowing date, the gap between sowing and weeding, the gap between sowing and urea supply, the number of years of CA practices in the plot and, the gap between maize sowing and cowpea sowing. For the farmers having the human resources to collect enough crop residues for soil cover and follow the steps of the crop management sequences, it was possible to maintain yields compared to the conventional practice.

Economic analysis of different straw supply modes in China

Choosing an appropriate straw supply mode is crucial for reducing straw supply costs. This study considers four different supply modes: Farmer-Factory mode, Farmer-Broker-Factory mode, Farmer-Centralized Storage Site-Factory mode, and Farmer-Broker-Centralized Storage Site-Factory mode. Comparing the advantages and disadvantages and economic analysis of each mode are conducted. It is found that straw collection includes artificial and mechanized collection, straw transportation includes tractor and truck transportation, straw storage includes open field storage and centralized storage sites. When collecting 100,000 tons of straw, ordering the different supply modes based on cost result an order (from high to low) of 1A, 3, 2A, 1B, 4, 2B, ordering them based on equipment demand result in an order (from high to low) of 1A, 3, 2A, 1B, 2B, 4, and ordering them based on labor demand result in an order (from high to low) of 1A, 3, 2A, 1B, 4, 2B. It also can be seen that collection cost, transportation cost, and loading and unloading costs are important components of supply cost for each mode. Through the analysis of the six modes, mechanized baling collection can significantly reduce supply cost and equipment and labor requirements. Although intermediate links are added, mode 4 has become an economical supply mode that is also suitable for large-scale straw utilization due to its mechanized operations. As a conclusion, it will likely be the main straw supply mode of the future.

A potential method using magnetically modified wheat straw biochars for soil Cd extraction

Every year, hundreds of millions of tons of straw are produced by wheat planting all over the world. In this work, a potential method using wheat straw to produce magnetic sorbents for soil Cd extraction was studied. Wheat straw chips were pyrolyzed at 300 and 700 °C and then mixed with Fe3+/Fe2+ solution for magnetization. The obtained magnetically modified biochars (MMBs) were applied to two Cd-contaminated paddy soils. During a 30-day experiment, MMB recovery from soils by a magnetic rod decreased over time, ranging from 62% to 100% for MMB300 and from 36% to 65% for MMB700. At the end, extraction efficiency of Cd from soils by the MMBs ranged from 21.5% to 31.5%, which was related to sorption capacity of Cd by MMB, recovery percentage of MMB from soils and distribution of Cd fractions in soils. Cd in the exchangeable fraction was more easily extracted by the MMBs (46–78%) than the other Cd fractions. Furthermore, extracting Cd from soils by the MMBs reduced Cd concentration in ryegrass by about 70%, which was largely related to the decrease of soil exchangeable fraction. These findings demonstrate the efficient remediation of Cd-contaminated soils by MMB extraction and meanwhile provide some guidance for further optimization of MMB properties.

ЭКОНОМИЧЕСКАЯ ЭФФЕКТИВНОСТЬ ВЫРАЩИВАНИЯ ЗЕРНОВЫХ КУЛЬТУР В ЗАВИСИМОСТИ ОТ СИСТЕМ ОБРАБОТКИ ПОЧВЫ И ПРИМЕНЕНИЯ УДОБРЕНИЙ

The research was carried out in order to find new technological and technical solutions that ensure the economic efficiency of farming, stabilization and increase of crop yields due to the rotation of grain crop rotation in the conditions of the southeast of the Volga-Vyatka region. The field experience was established in 2014 in the Nizhny Novgorod region. Scientific research was carried out in the grain crop rotation: 1. mustard for seeds 2. winter wheat; 3. soy; 4. spring wheat; 5. peas; 6. oats. The scheme of the experiment included 5 tillage systems (factor A), which differ in the methods of the main finch tillage. For each tillage system, the effect of mineral fertilizers at a dose of N60P60K60 and destructors of plant residues (ammonium nitrate at a dose of 10 kg a.i. per 1 ton of straw and the biological product Stimix®Niva) was determined (factor B). All the studied tillage systems and applied mineral fertilizers with straw destructors allow for expanded agricultural production. The lowest conditional profitability of production was found for the traditional tillage system using a plow with dumps - 99.3 %, which is 34.6% lower than the conditional profitability in the field experiment variants using disking as the main autumn tillage - which provides the highest average conditional profitability of 133.9 %. The average conditional profitability of grain production using the No-till technology for the rotation of the grain crop rotation was 123.3 %, which is 24.0 % higher than the conditional profitability of traditional tillage and 10.6 % lower than that of the resource-saving technology of agricultural production using a disc harrow. At the same time, the direct sowing technology provides the highest absolute profitability of grain production for the rotation of a six-field crop rotation in the conditions of the southeast of the Volga-Vyatka region when cultivating crops according to N60P60K60 background together with the use of the biological product Stimix®Niva – 170.9 %

Investigation of Buckwheat Hulls as Additives in the Production of Solid Biomass Fuel from Straw

The aim of this study was to further increase the amount of straw that can be used to produce solid biofuels, as currently only about 130–140 thousand of the 3 million tonnes of straw collected annually in Lithuania are used for solid biofuel production. Therefore, the use of buckwheat hulls as an additive in solid biofuel production was investigated. Mixtures of wheat straw and buckwheat hulls were used for this research, with an increase in buckwheat hulls from 25% to 75% of the total weight of the mixture. Results of the analysis of the chemical composition, moisture, ash, and volatile matter content of the mixtures, as well as their ash properties, were compared with the corresponding results obtained with pure buckwheat hulls, wheat straw, and wood chips. It is observed an increase in all ash melting temperatures by increasing the portion of buckwheat hulls in the mixture. Additionally, the ash shrinkage starting temperature was shown to increase as the total content of buckwheat hulls also increased in the mixture. This increase ranged from 90 °C to 210 °C. Furthermore, the Cl concentration in fuel mixtures and the corrosion risk of equipment are accordingly reduced by using buckwheat hulls, as an addition that does not contain Cl.

Productivity of a cereal-row crop rotation in the context of an applied biologization practice

The research was carried out to study the effect of biological preparations (Gribofit and Imunazot), applied both separately and together with nitrogen fertilizers (at the rate of 10 kg of NPPN. per 1 ton of straw) with the use of by-products as fertilizer on crop yield and productivity of the link of the cereal-row crop rotation “sunflower–barley-soybean”. The work was carried out in 2018-2020 in Kursk Region on typical slightly eroded heavy-loamy chernozem. The results are obtained for the following variants: 1. crushed by-products of crop rotation crops (control); 2. crushed by-products of crop rotation crops + nitrogen fertilizers at the rate of 10 kg of NPPN per 1 ton of cereal straw; 3. crushed by-products of crop rotation crops + biological preparations (Gribofit and Imunazot); 4. crushed by-products of crop rotation crops + biological preparations (Gribofit and Imunazot) + nitrogen fertilizers at the rate of 10 kg of NPPN per 1 ton of cereal straw. The results of the studies showed that the application of biological preparations against the background of surface embedded crop by-products provided an increase in the yield of all the crops of the crop rotation link in relation to the control. But higher efficiency was noted when using nitrogen fertilizers against the background of the applied crushed plant residues, it was 10.67 thousand grain units per 1ha, which exceeded the control by 3.19 thousand grain units per 1 ha (42.6%).

The Comparative Efficiency of Organic, Mineral and Organo-Mineral Fertilizers for the Winter Wheat Grain Yield in the Forest-Steppe of the Volga Region

The study deals with organic, mineral and organo-mineral systems of winter wheat fertilization in the conditions of the Volga forest-steppe. According to the organic fertilization system, straw of the predecessor, green manure and Biocomposite-correct were introduced into the soil (typical medium-thick medium loamy chernozem) for green manure mass (vetch-oat mixture). The organo-mineral system included two options: straw applied together with nitrogen in a dose of 10 kg per 1 ton of straw and zeolite enriched with amino acids. The mineral fertilizers were nitrogene phosphorus with the NPK content of 16 kg ai/ha, carbamide and potassium chloride. In addition, highly siliceous rock zeolite was applied as a fertilizer. It was found that the use of organic and organomineral fertilizers improves the nutrient regime of the soil; in terms of the content of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in the arable layer, these options were not inferior to the option with the use of mineral fertilizers. When introducing zeolite enriched with amino acids, the yield of winter wheat exceeded the option with the use of mineral fertilizers by 0.59 t/ha. The use of organic and organo-mineral fertilizers contributes to the production of environmentally friendly products

Biogas as an alternative to stubble burning in India

Crop residue management and curbing stubble burning is of global interest. For every tonne of rice harvested, approximately 1.4 tonnes of straw is left behind on the crops and a similar proportion applies for the other major crops as well. Direct on-farm burning remains the most common method in India to manage these huge volumes of crop residues. Generating biogas from the crop wastes could be an effective and environment friendly alternative. Biogas is a renewable source of energy, offers controlled waste management along with reducing greenhouse gases and harmful pollutants. The digested sludge when used as an organic fertiliser even completes a sustainable loop of recycling nutrients back into the soil. Crop residues due to their rich organic content have demonstrated excellent biogas potential. Most energy crops have shown methane yields of approximately 300 m3/t of organic matter. This gas could be used as a fuel or converted to electricity or even upgraded to bio-methane. To further optimise the process, different types of pre-treatment methods and co-digestion of the substrates have been identified. The current article aims at providing a perspective on the impact of stubble burning and replacing the practice by producing biogas instead, thus, providing information on the potential, limitations and methods for optimising methane generation from the crop residues.

The effect of light-gray forest soil tilling systems on the yield and quality of oat grain in the Nizhny Novgorod region

The research was conducted in the Nizhny Novgorod region in 2019 on light gray forest soil in the pea-oat crop rotation link. Studied was the effect of soil tillage systems (traditional mouldboard tillage with mouldboard plow; non- mouldboard deep tillage with boardless plow; non-mouldboard surface tillage with a Pottinger Synkro 5030 K chisel cultivator; minimal tillage with a disc harrow Discover XM 44660 nothad; zero tillage (No-till) with a Sunflower 9421-20 seeder) and the influence of mineral fertilizers (N 60 P 60 K 60 kg a. i.) and straw destructors (ammonia saltpeter in a dose of N 10 kg. a.i. per 1 ton of straw and Stimix ® Niva biologics, 2 l/ha) on changes in the yield and quality of Yakov variety oat grain. The traditional system of soil tillage provided the yield of oat of 4.82 t/ha when using mineral fertilizers in a dose of N 60 P 60 K 60 together with ammonium nitrate as a straw destructor, which was 1.04 t/ha (LSD05 =0.72) higher than the best result in terms of the yield of this crop obtained when it was cultivated using the No-till technology with the Stimix@Niva biological product on the background of N 60 P 60 K 60 (3.78 t/ha) . Use of the studied straw destructors is more effective for the N 60 P 60 K 60 background than for the non-fertilized background for all the studied soil tillage systems. When growing oat using No-till technology, the largest mass of 1000 grains was obtained when using ammonium nitrate - 46.5 g compared to other studied variants of using fertilizers and biologics (40.8-43.9 g, LSD 05 =1.1). Due to the unfavorable weather conditions of the growing season in 2019, the indicators of oat grain-unit were low. The lowest average grain-unit was found in oat cultivated using zero technology - 228.4 g/l, which is 16.2-18.4 g/l (LSD 05 - 3.0) lower than this indicator of grain quality when cultivated according to the rest of the studied tillage systems (244.6-246.8 g/l).