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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. ...

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 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 ...

Agriculture has been the only known and proven method to obtain food in order to meet demands of human population already for thousands of years. Quality and quantity of produced food depend on the technologies used in plant cultivation and on the condition of used land. Soil organic matter (SOM) together with soil biota form basic soil property referred to as soil fertility. Maintaining appropriate content of SOM in soils is possible by the application of organic fertilizers. However, these are not always availab...

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...