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The aim of the work was to assess relation between the chemical composition of the biomass of cover crops and the intensity of its decomposition during the winter period. Parameters for 13 cover crop species included contents of soluble sugars, cellulose and lignin (ADL), on the basis of which derived indicators were calculated – Sugars/ADL ratio and lignocellulosic index (LCI). Biomass decomposition was assessed according to weight loss after winter exposure. Results showed a significant variability in the chem...

Biochar of the waste from seed cleaning to produce can improve soil fertility and carbon sequestration. Chemical properties of biochar are affected by input biomass (feedstock) type. Biochar production from wood pellets, pelletized sweet clovers, poppy residues, hay, straw, grass-seed and alfalfa is discussed. Micro-elements (Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, B) in biochars prepared from different types of pelletized biomass are evaluated. All materials exhibited higher element contents. The highest Fe and Cu were in biochar from p...

A significant component of soil organic matter (SOM) is constituted by disintegrating plant residues containing particularly cellulose and lignin which are resistant to microbial decomposition. Yet, the degradation of lignin may begin already in the early stages of organic matter decomposition if there is a sufficient amount of available saccharides in the soil as these serve as a quick source of energy allowing the microorganisms to produce enzymes for lignin decomposition. The aim of this study was to verify whe...

The submitted paper focuses the issue of using a new technology of Near Infrared Reflectance (NIR) sensors in practice for dosing organic fertilizers based on their composition. The HarvestLab 3000 system was tested in a selected enterprise in terms of its usability in practice. In 2021, an experimental plot was selected in a conventional company situated in the southern part of Czech Republic. The HarvestLab 3000 system with the NIR technology was used for the variable (VR) dosage of digestate as a basic fertiliz...

The presented paper focuses the issue of finding new sources of phosphorus fertilizers to be used in conventional agriculture. Various types of pellets for heating purposes were tested. Based on the determination of phosphorus (P) content in ash obtained from the combustion of pellets produced from plant waste generated during the production of seed materials, it was found out that getting P from this ash is more effective than getting P from the ash of wooden pellets that are commonly used as fuel in households. ...

Potential environmental impacts of growing maize as monoculture lead to efforts focused on finding other potentially suitable crops or their combinations that could replace the pure maize cultures. The most frequent and most effective combination is a mixed crop of maize and legumes. The presented paper deals with the issue of the quality of post-harvest residues when growing maize in the system of mixed cropping. In the field experiment, yield and quality of post-harvest residues were studied during the growing s...

White sweet clover (Melilotus albus Medik.) is a plant species from the group of legumes, and this is why it has a capacity to fix atmospheric nitrogen on the basis of symbiosis with bacteria of the genus Rhizobium that is not available for most plants.The species is used primarily for the production of biomass and for soil remediation. Biomass of white sweet clover can be used in biogas plants. It is also one of important producers of nectar for pollinators. The aim of the experiment was to find out whether the a...

In 2021, a field experiment was conducted with white mustard (Sinapis alba L.) the seed of which is an interesting raw material in agriculture, industry and food production. Stands of tested plants were established without tillage into a freezing catch crop from the Fabaceae family within regenerative agriculture. The stand of clovers was used as a tool of bio-drilling to work the soil and as a source of nitrogen required by the subsequent crop, and the frozen biomass was applied as mulch onto the soil surface. Th...

The presented paper deals with the targeted application of pre-emergent herbicides. The field experiment was established in 2022 and 2023; two plots sized 26 ha and 30 ha were selected and the accuracy of the application was tested. There were local outbreaks of weeds on selected plots of land, which had to be eliminated before sowing the main crop - soybeans. Both plots were monitored using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) - Mavic 3M with the multispectral camera. After the end of the monitoring, spectral analysi...

The presented paper deals with the issue of assessing the condition of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) stand during its development in the spring period. The field experiment was established in 2020; two plots sized 25 ha and 16 ha were selected with a model plant of winter wheat. In the spring period (BBCH 35 and BBCH 51), both plots were monitored using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and Sentinel 2 satellites. After the end of the monitoring, spectral analysis of pictures taken was made and a basic NDVI ve...

The presented paper deals with the issue of enhancing soil erosion resistance in the cultivation of crops prone to soil erosion. In the period before growing maize (Zea mays L.) as a main crop, a system of cultivating intermediate crops was tested with the use of clovers. The main criterion in the classification of soil resistance to erosion was the soil aggregates stability (SAS). In 2017, the experimental plot was divided after the harvest of spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) into the following four variants: a...

The main goal of research was to assess whether the growing of intermediate crops prone to frost kill could contribute to increase the capacity of arable land for the retention of N-substances. In 2018, a field experiment was established, in which the following intermediate crops were grown in the period between the main crops (wheat - corn): (i) Trifolium vesiculosum Savi., (ii) Trifolium pannonicum Jacq., (iii) Trifolium subterraneum L., and a control variant with no inter crop. The intermediate crops were sown ...

The main goal of this work was to determine the effect of fertilization with N and P on three varieties of clover (Trifolium incarnatum L., Medicago lupulina L., Trifolium repens L.), their biomass production and soil quality under the cultivated crop. Soil conditions were monitored using the following indicators: content of plant available nutrients (P, Ca, Mg), Ctot and Ntot. The measured values will be used as a basis for the technology of growing clover and maize in mixed cropping. Our greenhouse pot experimen...

Unequal distribution of annual precipitation is negative trend of last year?s influencing primary agricultural field production. One of the natural possibility for elimination of this gesture is to increase patience to the actual conditions and functionality of root system of the plants. Among possible abilities of field crops protection to abiotic stresses during vegetation period belongs strengthening of their natural tolerance. Present situation of soil degradation does not allow to plants sufficiently deploy r...

The leaching of mineral nitrogen (Nmin) represents a serious problem of modern agriculture in the European Union and also in the Czech Republic. The reason is the loss of nutrient important for plants from the soil environment and subsequent threat to the quality of soil ecosystem. The main goal of the present work is to show the influence of the mixed cropping system in the sowing process on Nmin leaching of from arable soil. Mixed cropping system represents cultivation of different crops at one field simultaneou...

C:N ratio in after-harvest residues (including straw) decides on speed and intensity of decomposition. In one-year field small-plot experiment, there were included these variants: (1) monoculture of winter wheat fertilized with 140 kg N/ha; (2) monoculture of winter pea not fertilized with nitrogen; (3) mixed culture of both these crops in 1:1 ratio fertilized with 112 kg N/ha; (4) mixed culture of the crops in 1:1 ratio fertilized with 70 kg N/ha; (5) mixed culture of both crops in 1:1 ratio not fertilized with n...

Biogas production and its use in biogas plants presents established technology with the aim of production of renewable energy and also using organic residues with different origin. The main goal of this work was to analyse potential legume and grass crops in methane production as an alternative to corn silage. Ten different crops within individual variants were chosen as a potential source of biomass for biogas production: Medicago sativa L. (two varieties), Trifolium pannonicum L., Galega orientalis L., Lolium pe...

The main goal of the presented research was to compare the nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) of winter wheat and white clover mixed cropping system (MC) with sole cropping system of winter wheat (SC). The above goal was investigated using lysimetric experiment carried out for two vegetation periods (2012?2014). The experiment consisted of seven variants with different cropping system and level of fertilization: five variants were grown as MC (0 kg N/ha; 112 kg N/ha; 112 kg N/ha + 1.25 L of humic acids/ha; 70 kg N + 0....

This paper presents the first year of the field experiment to evaluate the possibility of growing corn (Zea mays ssp. mays) in mixed culture (MC) with selected leguminous species. The main objective was to monitor the influence of MC agrotechnology on the yield of maize, individual leguminous crops and evaluation of biological yields through using the Land Equivalent Ratio (LER) for each variant of experiment. The selected legumes plant and corn were grown separately like sole crop (SC) or in MC (legumes and plant...

Mixed intercropping of cereal-leguminose presents important tool to increase efficiency of using nitrogen from soil and fixing it from air while current recovery of soil fertility. The paper presents first results of a field experiment after its start in 2012. The main goals of a presented study were as follows: (a) to describe setting and assessing the results of the experiment in the system of mixed cereal-legume culture, (b) to investigate the utilization of N in the mixed culture of winter wheat and winter pea...