Tons Of Dry Matter Research Articles

Land availability and potential biomass production with poplar and willow short rotation coppices in Germany

AbstractSeveral factors influence land availability for the growth of short rotation coppices (SRC) with fast‐growing tree species, including the nationwide availability of agricultural land, economic efficiency, ecological impacts, political boundaries and environmental protection regulations. In this study, we analysed the growing potential of poplar and willow SRC for bioenergy purposes in Germany without negative ecological impacts or land use conflicts. The potential biomass production using SRC on agricultural land in Germany was assessed taking into account ecological, ethical, political and technical restrictions. Using a geographic information system (GIS), digital site maps, climate data and a digital terrain model, the SRC biomass production potential on cropland and grassland was estimated using water supply and mean temperature during the growing season as parameters. From this analysis, a yield model for SRC was developed based on the analysed growth data and site information of 62 short rotation plantations in Germany and France. To assess the technical, ethical and ecological potential of SRC, restrictions in protected areas, technical constraints and competition with food and feed production were investigated. Our results revealed that approximately 18% (2.12 Mio. ha) of cropland and 54% (2.5 Mio. ha) of grassland in Germany were highly suitable for SRC plantations, providing favourable water supplies and mean temperatures during the growing season. These identified sites produced an average yield of more than 14 tons of dry matter per hectare per year. Due to local climate and soil conditions, the federal states in northern and eastern Germany had the highest theoretical SRC potential for agricultural land. After considering all ecological, ethical, political and technical restrictions, as well as future climate predictions, 5.7% (680 000 ha) of cropland and 33% (1.5 Mio. ha) of grassland in Germany were classified as suitable for biomass production with fast‐growing tree species in SRC.

Sedimentation dynamics and metal loading in Lake Pyhäjärvi, Finland

Post-isolation (9,600 year BP) sedimentology in Lake Pyhajarvi, Finland, was studied using sub-bottom echo-sounding and sediment coring. The sediment sequence appeared in the echo-sounding profiles as two sections: (1) a lower section of homogenous, light grey gyttja clays, and (2) an upper section with dark layers of mainly clay gyttjas and gyttjas, here referred to as C_gyttja. We investigated the thickness and volume of sediments as well as their morphology and areas of accumulation. Approximately 77 % of the lake represents areas of accumulation, containing 34 and 1.3 million tons of dry matter and carbon, respectively. Spatial variability in sedimentological properties indicates that accumulation in the Kirkkoselka sub-basin was focused into the deepest areas since lake isolation. In the Isoselka sub-basin, however, accumulation was focused partially onto the flanks of the depression, whereas the deepest parts (23–27 m) of the sub-basin represent erosional areas. There appears to have also been sediment re-suspension and re-deposition, as indicated by erosion surfaces. This, combined with dune-like bottom morphology in the accumulation areas, provides evidence for the role of wind-driven bottom currents on sedimentation dynamics in the Isoselka sub-basin. Increases in Cu and Zn concentrations, driven by Pyhasalmi mining activities, were used as a geochemical marker for recent sedimentation (RS) between 1966 and 2008. As a consequence of wind-driven bottom currents, 60 % of the metals accumulated in the Kirkkoselka sub-basin and 40 % accumulated in the Isoselka sub-basin. There is a spatial correlation between amounts of C_gyttja and RS. In the middle of dune-like C_gyttja formations in the Isoselka sub-basin, the RS grain size is smaller than in other areas. Variations in RS are greatest along the borders of the accumulation area, likely a consequence of bottom currents in those areas.

Land and the food–fuel competition: insights from modeling

Ecological–economic model simulations of the world food system have been used to study the impacts of historic and future liquid transport biofuel expansion on agricultural markets and the environment. Almost half of global cropland increase between 2000 and 2008 (about 8 Mha or 0.5% of global cropland) can be attributed to biofuel expansion alone. The central ‘New Policies Scenario’ of the World Energy Outlook 2011 projects an increase of conventional crop‐based biofuel use from 60 Mtoe (2.5 EJ) in 2010 to annually 160 Mtoe (6.7 EJ) in 2035. Until 2020, the projected biofuel consumption provides no or little cumulative net greenhouse gas (GHG) savings as the time period is hardly sufficient to compensate for carbon losses due to over 10 Mha of additional land use conversion. By 2035, cumulative net GHG savings improve up to 2.8 Pg CO2 equivalent in a scenario with assumed higher agricultural productivity growth in developing countries. This scenario increases the developing region's competitive positions and avoids additional people at risk of hunger due to higher commodity prices caused by biofuel use. Available underutilized grassland and woodland may provide land resources suitable for nonfood energy crop production required for the second‐generation biofuel conversion pathways, while causing only limited impacts on food security and biodiversity. We estimate between 246 and 475 Mha of global grassland and woodland to be agronomically suitable for industrial‐scale lignocellulosic energy crop production, with achievable rain‐fed yields of at least 10 tons of dry matter per hectare, with good accessibility and relatively low ruminant livestock density.This article is categorized under: Bioenergy > Economics and Policy Bioenergy > Climate and Environment

Potential and constraints in the development of animal industries in China

Over the past three decades, the growth in terrestrial livestock and aquatic animal production in China has been much faster than the annual increase of 1.92% in total grain production. It was estimated that farming animals, including aquatic animals, would require a total of 860 million tons of feed in 2008, comprising almost equal portions of concentrates, pastures, and crop straw. Grain production amounted to 528 million tons in 2008, about half of which were available for use in animal feed after satisfying demand for human consumption. This situation will not change in the near future. Pastures from the natural grasslands supply about 290 million tons of dry matter, and are also unlikely to increase. In contrast, only one third of the 890 million tons of crop straw was used as animal feeds. We conclude that the availability of grain and pasture is the major constraint to further expansion of animal production, as well as crop straw which is not fully utilised. China needs to strategically structure the industries of its herbivores and the other domestic species, and to develop sustainable faming systems based on its available feed sources.

Anaerobic digestion of industrial hemp–Effect of harvest time on methane energy yield per hectare

There is a worldwide emphasis to increase the share of renewable transportation fuels. When using agricultural land for production of renewable transportation fuels, the energy output per hectare for different crops and transportation fuels is a crucial factor. In this study, the gross methane energy yield per hectare from anaerobic digestion of industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.), was determined at four different harvest times between July and October in Southern Sweden, a cold climate region. The biomass yield was determined for three years and the methane yield was determined for two years through the biochemical methane potential test. The highest biomass yield, 16 tonnes dry matter per hectare on an average, and the highest methane energy yield per hectare was achieved when the hemp was harvested in September or October, with an average gross methane energy yield of 136 +/- 24 GJ per hectare. There was no significant difference in the specific methane yield between the harvest times; the average being 234 +/- 35 m(3) per tonne volatile solids. Biogas from hemp turned out to be a high yielding alternative to the currently dominating renewable transportation fuels produced from crops grown in Sweden: ethanol from wheat and biodiesel from rapeseed. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ethanol Production from the Organic Fraction Obtained After Thermal Pretreatment of Municipal Solid Waste

In this work, the use of organic fraction from municipal solid waste (MSW) as substrate for ethanol production based on enzymatic hydrolysis was evaluated. MSW was subjected to a thermal pretreatment (active hygienization) at 160 degrees C from 5 to 50 min. The organic fiber obtained after 30 min was used as substrate in a simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) and fed-batch SSF process using cellulases and amylases. In a fed-batch mode with 25% (w/w) substrate loading, final ethanol concentration of 30 g/L was achieved (60% of theoretical). In these conditions, more than 160 L of ethanol per ton of dry matter could be produced from the organic fraction of MSW.

The Effects of Topographic Factors on Aboveground Biomass Production of Grasslands in the Atacora Mountains in Northwestern Benin

The Atacora Mountain range is an important mountain chain in the West African landscape. It extends from northern Benin to Togo and Ghana. More and more cattle are starting to graze on the Beninese part of this range, although there is a critical lack of basic data on its ecological function. The present study assesses the effects of topography and aspect on the grassland biomass production of these mountains. The results show that annual grassland biomass production averages 5.29 tonnes dry matter (DM)/ha. This biomass production is significantly impacted by aspect (east facing versus west facing). Biomass is lower on east-facing sides (4.97 tonnes DM/ha) than on west-facing sides (6.10 tonnes DM/ha) and hilltops and valleys (6.24 tonnes DM/ha). This effect may be explained by direct exposure of east-facing sides to the harmattan, a northeast dry wind blowing from the Sahara Desert. No significant impact of topography on biomass production is observed.

Status of rangeland resources and strategies for improvements in Nepal.

Abstract The livelihood of the Himalayan people depends on rangeland-based livestock farming in Nepal. Above 2500 m altitude, the contribution of rangelands to livestock feed supply is more than 65%. Rangeland comprises about 11.5% of the total land resources of Nepal and over 98% are located in high mountains and Himalayan regions. Nepal is rich in biodiversity, with over 6500 species of flowering plants, including 180 species of grasses and legumes. Major rangelands vegetations are tropical (such as Phragmites -, Saccharum - and Imperata -type), sub-tropical ( Themeda - and Arundinella -type), temperate ( Andropogon -type), sub-alpine ( Danthonia -type), alpine ( Kobresia -type) and steppe. The production and productivity of rangelands are very low, ranging from 0.12 to 3.2 metric tonne (mt) dry matter (DM)/ha. Only 64% of the rangelands are accessible. Most of the rangelands are overstocked and severely grazed out. The estimated carrying capacity ranges from 0.06 to 1.4 livestock units (LU)/ha. The stocking rate on rangelands is very high - up to 37 times the carrying capacity. Indigenous techniques for rangeland management are not keeping pace with the increased livestock population. The traditionally practiced transfrontier pasturing between Tibet and Nepal has been stopped by the Tibetan/Chinese Government for Nepalese migratory herds effective from 1990, which compelled the Nepal Government to initiate various rangeland development activities to meet the feed supply for Himalayan herds. Until now, only 0.5% of the total rangelands of the high Himalayan regions have been improved. Major challenges on rangeland development/management are ownership/users' rights, illegal occupation of community rangelands as a private property, lack of basic information on rangelands, deteriorating conditions of rangelands and associated forests, poor infrastructure facilities, remoteness, ad hoc collection of grazing fees, lack of correlation between stocking rate versus carrying capacity, community awareness, lack of support services, invasion of rangelands, poor stakeholder participation, poor research and extension, high cost of development and poor supply/production of planting materials. The rangeland improvement programmes should be continued to improve the livestock-based livelihoods of the Himalayan community. Recently, Nepal has been transformed from a monarchy to a republic, and the Himalayan community are also aware of the poor situation and are demanding an equal share in developmental activities, and action should be taken to resolve the Himalayan problems through establishing a Himalayan Rangeland Board immediately.

Water balance of centre pivot irrigated pasture in northern Victoria, Australia

The irrigated dairy industry in Australia depends on pasture as a low-cost source of fodder for milk production. The industry is under increasing pressure to use limited water resources more efficiently. Pasture is commonly irrigated using border-check but there is growing interest amongst dairy irrigators to explore the potential for overhead sprinklers to save water and/or increase productivity. This paper reports on a detailed water balance study that evaluated the effectiveness of centre pivot irrigation for pasture production. The study was conducted between 2004/2005 and 2005/2006 on a commercial dairy farm in the Shepparton Irrigation Region in northern Victoria. More than 90% of supplied water (irrigation plus rainfall) was utilized for pasture growth. Deep drainage of respectively 90 and 93 mm was recorded for the two observation seasons. During the 2004/2005 season, deep drainage resulted from large unseasonal summer rainfall events. Over the 2005/2006 season, deep drainage resulted from excess irrigation. The cumulative pasture dry matter (DM) production was 15.5 and 11.3 tonnes DM ha −1 for the two irrigation seasons, with an agronomic water use efficiency (WUE) of 16 and 12 kg DM ha −1 mm −1 respectively. The farmer's intuitive irrigation scheduling was found to be very effective; the pattern of irrigation application closely matched measured pasture water use, prevented water stress and resulted in high irrigation efficiency.

Energy crops in Ireland: An economic comparison of willow and Miscanthus production with conventional farming systems

Abstract Recent full decoupling of EU agricultural subsidy payments from production in Ireland is forecast to result in substantial destocking of grassland over the coming decade. In conjunction with increased energy prices, this presents new opportunities for energy crops. This paper uses extensive literature review and country-specific information on current prices to construct life-cycle cost assessments for production of Miscanthus and short-rotation coppice willow (SRCW) in Ireland. Gross margins for different harvest and supply strategies (e.g. chopped or baled harvest for Miscanthus ; stick or chipped harvest for SRCW) are calculated based on farm-gate biomass prices equivalent to 70, 100 and 130 € t −1 dry matter (DM) at maximum 20% moisture content—reduced for some SRCW supply strategies to reflect additional chipping and transport costs, and lower heating values. These are compared with gross margin projections for conventional agricultural systems (dairy, cattle rearing, ‘cattle and other’, sugar beet, winter wheat, spring barley and set aside) using a net present value approach. Production costs expressed per tonne DM were similar for Miscanthus (€37–48) and SRCW (€31–46). Mid-estimate discounted, annualised gross margins ranging between 326 and 383 € ha −1 for Miscanthus , and between 211 and 270 € ha −1 for SRCW, compared favourably with all conventional agricultural systems considered except dairy. These gross margins were based on peak-productivity combustible yields of 14 and 10 t DM ha −1 a −1 for Miscanthus and SRCW. Yield variation will affect gross margins, but low yields were still calculated to realise positive returns. However, the application of high-activity cost estimates for all energy-crop cultivation activities resulted in negative returns for some supply strategies. Recently announced government support for SRCW and Miscanthus considerably reduces investment risk for farmers, whilst utilisation of SRCW to treat waste water could substantially increase revenues. Energy crop cultivation has the potential to offer farmers a modestly profitable alternative to declining returns from conventional land uses.

Global patterns of socioeconomic biomass flows in the year 2000: A comprehensive assessment of supply, consumption and constraints

Human use of biomass has become a major component of the global biogeochemical cycles of carbon and nitrogen. The use of land for biomass production (e.g. cropland) is among the most important pressures on biodiversity. At the same time, biomass is indispensable for humans as food, animal feed, raw material and energy source. In order to support research into these complex issues, we here present a comprehensive assessment of global socioeconomic biomass harvest, use and trade for the year 2000. We developed country-level livestock balances and a consistent set of factors to estimate flows of used biomass not covered by international statistics (e.g. grazed biomass, crop residues) and indirect flows (i.e. biomass destroyed during harvest but not used). We found that current global terrestrial biomass appropriation amounted to 18.7 billion tonnes dry matter per year (Pg/yr) or 16% of global terrestrial NPP of which 6.6 Pg/yr were indirect flows. Only 12% of the economically used plant biomass (12.1 Pg/yr) directly served as human food, while 58% were used as feed for livestock, 20% as raw material and 10% as fuelwood. There are considerable regional variations in biomass supply and use. Distinguishing 11 world regions, we found that extraction of used biomass ranged from 0.3 to 2.8 t/ha/yr, per-capita values varied between 1.2 and 11.7 t/cap/yr (dry matter). Aggregate global biomass trade amounted to 7.5% of all extracted biomass. An analysis of these regional patterns revealed that the level of biomass use per capita is determined by historically evolved patterns of land use and population density rather than by affluence or economic development status. Regions with low population density have the highest level of per-capita biomass use, high-density regions the lowest. Livestock, consuming 30–75% of all harvested biomass, is another important factor explaining regional variations in biomass use. Global biomass demand is expected to grow during the next decades; the article discusses some options and possible limitations related to such a scenario.

Effect of a lignite-coal extract on nutrient composition and gas emissions from cattle feedlot manure

An experiment was conducted to determine the effect of a liquid lignite coal extract (LC; pH = 3.5) on gas emissions and the chemical composition of feedlot cattle manure. Eighty steers were randomly divided into four groups, penned individually, and fed a barley grain – barley silage diet sprayed with 0 (control), 0.5, 1.0 or 2.0 L of LC per tonne of dry matter. Manure samples (mixture of excreta and wood chips) were collected 25, 53, 81, 109 and 150 d after the LC was included in the diet. Inclusion of LC in the diet reduced both the pH and dissolved NH3+ NH4+ content of manure collected on days 25 and 53. Ammonia emissions were also significantly reduced on these occasions. In addition, butyric acid content was higher and isovaleric acid content lower in manure from cattle fed LC compared with manure from control cattle. Levels of nitrate, total volatile fatty acid (VFA), acetic, isobutyric, propionic, and capric acid in manure were not altered by the inclusion of LC in the diet. Greenhouse gas emissions (CO2, CH4 and N2O) from manure were not affected by inclusion of LC in the diet. The lower manure pH, NH3 + NH4+ content and NH3 emission at early sampling dates suggest that LC could play a role in reducing gaseous ammonia N emission to the atmosphere. Further studies are needed to determine whether the reduction in dissolved NH3 + NH4+ content in manure is due to an LC-mediated change in the amount of urea produced by the animals or to the inhibition of the hydrolysis of urea in manure. Key words: Cattle (feedlot), urea (manure properties), VFA content, greenhouse gas (CH4, N2O, CO2), emission, ammonia emission

Food and processing residues in California: Resource assessment and potential for power generation

The California agricultural industry produces more than 350 commodities with a combined yearly value in excess of $28 billion. The processing of many of these crops results in the production of residue streams, and the food processing industry faces increasing regulatory pressure to reduce environmental impacts and provide for sustainable management and use. Surveys of food and other processing and waste management sectors combined with published state data yield a total resource in excess of 4 million metric tons of dry matter, with nearly half of this likely to be available for utilization. About two-thirds of the available resource is produced as high-moisture residues that could support 134 MW e of power generation by anaerobic digestion and other conversion techniques. The other third is generated as low-moisture materials, many of which are already employed as fuel in direct combustion biomass power plants. The cost of energy conversion remains high for biochemical systems, with tipping or disposal fees of the order of $30–50 Mg −1 required to align power costs with current market prices. Identifying ways to reduce capital and operating costs of energy conversion, extending operating seasons to increase capacity factors through centralizing facilities, combining resource streams, and monetizing environmental benefits remain important goals for restructuring food and processing waste management in the state.

Evaluation of Bangkok sewage sludge for possible agricultural use

Bangkok (Thailand) covers more than 1500 km2 and has 10 million inhabitants. The disposal of wastewater is creating huge problems of pollution. The estimated amount of sewage sludge was estimated to be around 108 tonnes dry matter (DM) per day in 2005. In order to find a lasting way of disposal for this sewage sludge, the suitability of the sludge produced from three waste-water treatment plants for use as fertilizing material was investigated. Monthly samplings and analysis of sewage sludge from each plant showed that the composition of sludge varied according to the area of collection and period of sampling, and there was no link to rainfall cycle. Plant nutrient content was high (i.e. total N from 19 to 38 g kg(-1) DM) whereas organic matter content was low. The concentrations of heavy metals varied between sludge samples, and were sometimes higher than the E.U. or U.S. regulations for sewage sludge use in agriculture. Faecal coliforms were present in the sludge from one of the plants, indicating a possible contamination by night soil. In order to decrease this potentially pathogenic population the sewage sludge should be heated by composting. As the C/N ratio of sewage sludge was low (around 6) some organic by-products with high carbon content could be added as structural material to enhance the composting.

Yield and Chemical Composition of Cassava Foliage and Tuber Yield as Influenced by Harvesting Height and Cutting Interval

A 3x4 factorial field experiment with a complete randomised split-plot design with four replicates was conducted from June 2002 to March 2003 at the experimental farm of the Nong Lam University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam,to determine effects of different harvesting heights (10, 30 and 50 cm above the ground) and cutting intervals (45, 60, 90 and 285 days) on yield of foliage and tubers, and chemical composition of the foliage. Cassava of the variety KM 94 grown in plots of 5 m×10 m at a planting distance of 30 cm×50 cm was hand-harvested according to respective treatments, starting 105 days after planting. Foliage from the control treatment (285 days) and all tubers were only harvested at the final harvest 285 days after planting. Dry matter and crude protein foliage yields increased in all treatments compared to the control. Mean foliage dry matter (DM) and crude protein (CP) yields were 4.57, 3.53, 2.49, and 0.64 tonnes DM ha - 1 and 939, 684, 495 and 123 kg CP ha - 1 with 45, 60, 90 and 285 day cutting intervals, respectively. At harvesting heights of 10, 30 and 50 cm the DM yields were 4.27, 3.67 and 2.65 tonnes ha - 1 and the CP yields were 810, 745 and 564 kg ha - 1 , respectively. The leaf DM proportion was high, ranging from 47 to 65%. The proportion of leaf and petiole increased and the stem decreased with increasing harvesting heights and decreasing cutting intervals. Crude protein content in cassava foliage ranged from 17.7 to 22.6% and was affected by harvesting height and cutting interval. The ADF and NDF contents of foliage varied between 22.6 and 30.2%, and 34.2 and 41.2% of DM, respectively. The fresh tuber yield in the control treatment was 34.5 tonnes ha - 1 . Cutting interval and harvesting height had significant negative effects on tuber yield. The most extreme effect was for the frequent foliage harvesting at 10 cm harvesting height, which reduced the tuber yield by 72%, while the 90 day cutting intervals and 50 cm harvesting height only reduced the yield by 7%. The mean fresh tuber yield decreased by 56, 45 and 27% in total when the foliage was harvested at 45, 60 and 90 day cutting intervals, respectively. It is concluded that the clear effects on quantity and quality of foliage and the effect on tuber yield allow alternative foliage harvesting principles depending on the need of fodder for animals, value of tubers and harvesting cost. An initial foliage harvest 105 days after planting and later harvests with 90 days intervals at 50 cm harvesting height increased the foliage DM and CP yield threefold, but showed only marginal negative effect on tuber yield.

Productivity and thinning effects in hybrid aspen (Populus tremula L. × P. tremuloides Michx.) stands in southern Sweden

Summary The productivity of hybrid aspen stands in southern Sweden, originating from clone selections performed during the 1980s, was investigated. Thirteen former research and demonstration sites were included. Repeated measurements of tree diameters and heights were taken, from which yields were estimated. The results indicate that the mean annual increment, obtained without any artifi cial addition of fertilizers or irrigation, will exceed 20 m 3 of stem wood ha � � a � � during a 20 – 25-year rotation period. This corresponds to a total average woody biomass production, including branches, of over 8 tonnes dry matter ha �� a �� . These production levels show that hybrid aspen is a competitive alternative for short rotation forestry in Sweden, and that the clone selection programme has greatly enhanced productivity, compared with published growth rates of the material previously used. For comparison, two stands that regenerated via root suckers from material used in the breeding programme up to the 1960s were included. They showed higher growth than the 13 planted stands, mainly due to higher stem density and faster height development. This indicates that even further increases in hybrid aspen yield are possible in stands derived from suckers of the most recently selected clones. Thinning studies, including three different weights of thinning, were carried out on fi ve of the sites. Five years after the start of the treatments, stands given no thinning showed signifi cantly higher current annual increment, but signifi cantly smaller mean stem diameter than stands in which thinning was applied. However, the faster diameter development (and thus higher volumes of valuable wood assortments) associated with heavier thinnings may compensate economically under current market conditions for the loss in total volume production.

WALNUT AS A FARM CROP IN THE NETHERLANDS: AN AGROFORESTRY PROJECT IN THE EAST AND SELECTION OF CULTIVARS FOR ORGANIC CULTIVATION IN THE NORTH

Foreign and Dutch walnut cultivars have been evaluated in experiments at the Research Station for Fruit Growing located in the Southwest. The cultivars that performed best in these trials originated from British Columbia (`Broadview?) and The Netherlands (`Buccaneer?). In an agroforestry project in the East, 8 farms planted 10 ha of walnut (`Broadview?, `Buccaneer?), cherry and sweet chestnut at a spacing between 10-20 metres. The initial investment for trees, poles, wire netting to protect against animals, resulted in a low net income for the first 5 years. Thereafter, the income from the combination of walnut and quality timber with grass is reasonable and may exceed the income from subsidised, extensively managed grass. The grass production varied from 3 to 9 tons of dry matter per hectare per year. In the 4 years of investigation there was no visible evidence that the presence of the trees had influenced the composition and production of the grass vegetation. Based on predicted crown development grass production will be possible for a long period. So far, the nut production from the young plantations has not been profitable. In order to find walnuts that were better adapted to the cooler weather conditions of the North, walnuts were selected from green areas in the North and evaluated for their characteristics. This resulted in at least two cultivars (`Dionym?, `Amphyon?) with excellent yield potentials together with a good external and internal quality. Both cultivars have a low susceptibility to disease and are particularly suitable for organic cultivation. `Dionym? and `Amphyon? are planted in private gardens but also in a commercial organic orchard of 1.5 ha in which the 200 walnut trees are grown together (mixed cropping) with hazelnuts and Sea Buckthorn.

The study of replacing maize silage with triticale or barley whole crop silage on feeding the lactating cows

Grass and forage maize are the most important fodder crops for feeding dairy cows. However, on drought prone sandy soils, and in years with insufficient rainfall the yield of maize is very low (7 to 8 tons DM/ha). In situations where water is a limiting factor for growing maize, triticale and barley may be an alternative fodder crop. Triticale grows mainly during the early spring when there usually is a precipitation surplus and so, water is not a limiting factor for growth. When triticale is harvested as triticale whole crop silage the DM yield ranges between 9 and 11 ton of dry matter per hectare. Therefore, under water limiting conditions it may be attractive to replace forage maize by triticale and barley whole crop silage. The objective of this study is to find the effects of replacing maize and barley silage by triticale whole crop silage on feed intake and milk production of lactating Holstein cows.

Applying science as a tool for dairy farmers

Dairy Systems Monitoring (DSM) was developed out of response from dairy farmers for a benchmarking tool that made fair and equitable comparisons between farms. This benchmarking system is used by the clients to improve their productivity and profitability. The dairy farm simulation model UDDER is used to simulate the farm system. The input information is milk production from fencepost, and monthly data from the farm, including, areas, stock numbers, supplements, crops and nitrogen (N). The model is then calibrated to simulate the farms production, revised and validated monthly. There has been a successful uptake of this program. Currently 50 farms are involved. Dairy Systems Monitoring has generated change in the systems of participating farmers. Dairy Systems Monitoring has proven to be an effective tool to demonstrate the impact of a range of new technologies on farm systems. The tool is used on an ongoing basis to simulate and compare different operating strategies. It has the ability for clients to compare themselves to simular farms. A key benchmark that is analysed is the feed harvested. For every additional 1 tonne of dry matter (DM) harvested, the gross margin (GM) increases by $339/ha. The question this poses for participants is "how do we harvest more pasture"? Is it by growing more pasture, or improving management to harvest more of the existing pasture growth? Dairy Systems Monitoring is an effective extension tool to highlight the impact of new technologies or management practices on the client's farm program. Keywords: benchmarking, dairy farm programmes, feed harvested, gross margins, UDDER model

Environmental analysis of the energy use of hemp � analysis of the comparative life cycle: diesel oil vs. hemp�diesel

Hemp (Cannabis Sativa L.) is a herbaceous crop with a potential production of 12 tons of dry matter per hectare and a seed output of 0.5–2 tons per hectare, depending on its handling. The agro-ecological aspects and the high yield of vegetable biomass from hemp farming are the factors that indicate a possible interest in this plant from the point of view of energy use, but in order to validate this it is necessary to carry out a Life Cycle Analysis. It is to be observed that the hemp energy resources come from the vegetable biomass used as fuel, or by obtaining bio-diesel from the oil derived from its seeds. In order to carry out the environmental analysis of the energy use of hemp-diesel the Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) has been used as an environmental tool which has allowed for a comparison of the results obtained with those of diesel oil.