Energy and Agricultural Environment

PH.D. M.T. Al-Mansouri

• Publisher: Rustik Haws LLC
• Year: 2020
• ISBN:
  9781649341181
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Éducation
• Subtopic: Éducation générale

The evaluation of biological-agricultural results in multi-directional plant cultivation in the crop-rotation system and in conditions of extreme specialization - the mono-culture system; Evaluating the possibilities of diminishing the negative-biological and production results of continuous cultivation by pesticide application; The economic evaluation of input, the structure and efficiency of human labour and accumulated energy spent on the agro-technological process. The experiment was carried out in two phases. In the first phase, on the basis of technological cards, including agro-technological activities, material input, obtained yield, the group of proper equivalents, very detailed documentation for each species was made. The results of the above are presented in annexes 1-5 ( RZESZUTEK et al. 1995/96, TAWFlK SALAM et al. 1995/96a, 1995/96b, ZAWI?LAK et al. 1995, 1995/96 ). In the second phase, this dissertation was written as a synthesis of data enabling the comparison of the experimental objects for all plant species. Working with the data, the common methods of natural yield evaluation was used (grain, seeds, roots) as well as the adventive crop (straw, leaves).

RESULTS AND DISCUSION

Evaluation of plant efficiency in various crop measurements

Natural units. The basic crop yields in the years 1983-1987 were high but markedly different as a result of crop rotation (Chart 3 ); they differed Iess because of the different levels of applied plant protection liquids (Chart 4 ) In 16-20 year continuous cultivation, the lowering of crops was Statistically high (most notably rape).

Table 3. The following Table shows the importance of the differences in crops of the basic

plant species cultivated in crop rotations and in long-term monocultures. LSD x ha-1
* significant differences at P = 0.05
** significant differences at P = 0.01

Their diminishing role, represented by percentage, was as follows; field bean (47.7), winter wheat (43.6), sugar beet (24.2), winter oil rape (23.1), spring barley (19.3). The above order, called intolerance increasing sequence. starting from the most sensitive species up to less sensitive ones in general confirms earlier results [NIEWIADOMSKI 1987, 1992].There arc some differences, however, concerning winter oil rape, the species regarded as a plant tolerant of consecutive sowing [DZIENIA 1976, GONET and STADEJEK 1991, NIEWIADMSKJ 1987. 1992]. The scale of crop reduction cultivated in monocultures compared to crops gained in crop rotations was higher than the average data shown in Polish scientific experimental papers [ZAWIŚLAK, SADOWSKI, 1992, ZAWISLAK and TYBURSKI, 1992].

The widely-understood processes of soil stress were the factors responsible for the crop reduction. Earlier, in sugar beet monoculture, humus reduction in soil was reported and, in all cases, acidic soil [ZAWIŚLAK, ADAMIAK and TYBURSKI, 1988], accumulation of toxic phenal compounds [HRUSZKA 1987], strengthening of root and leaf diseases [WOJCIECIIOWSKA-KOT, MIKOŁAJSKA 1982, SADOWSKI 1989. KUROWSKI 1992], and in case of sugar beet and field bean, the development of parasites was reported [WOLNY 1992]. In compact plants of cereal and winter oil rape, strong wheat development was reported. The above weeds were difficult to combat [ADAMIAK 1992].

Chemical plant protection (objects H + F) in the compared species of plants had a positive effect. The above effect was generally more intensive in the monocul1ure system than in the crop rotation system. A particularly high increase in crops occurred In both species of cereal, and the highest in winter wheat [ZAWIŚLAK and ADAMIAK 1994a]. The increase in amount of grain in wheal equaled relatively 16 and 58%, and in spring barley 7 and 14%. The above increase was due to intensive control of characteristic plant growth and leaf and stalk fungal diseases In the crop rotation system field bean reacted in the opposite way. The decrease of the field bean seeds by :!.38%was reported. In the monoculture system due 10 the same reasons as in cereal, the amount of field bean seeds increased’ 30%. [RZESZUTEK et al. 1995/96].

Other two species. sugar beet and winter oil rape cultivated in both systems reacted in the same way to the chemical protection application (sugar beet 18 and 17%, rape 8 and 7%) The application of the chemical plant protection regardless of the applied system, appeared to be very important except in the case of sugar beets. Additionally, in the case of winter wheat, 11 very important interaction occurred called “the system of plant sequence x chemical protection” confirming the highly positive influence of weed removal in winter wheat monoculture on its efficiency. The above activities were less effective on the spring barley field [ZAWIŚLAK and ADAMIAK 1994a]. in winter oil rape monoculture, as we1l as the monoculture of winter wheat, the amount of weeds was high and the application of herbicides was insufficient and additional weed removal using hoes was applied [ZAWIŚLAK et al. 1995/96]. In sugar beet and field bean cultivation. in spite of the mechanical weed-removal, the positive influence of herbicides eliminated weed competition in the beginning stages.

The high crop yield resulted from the protection activities in monocultures of held bean. wheat and barley was also caused by the reduction of funga1 diseases of leaves [KUROWSKI 1992]. The above influenced the prolongation of vegetation and the process of photosynthesis allowing the process of forming higher yield crops of seeds and grain.

The variation of the adventives crop. which was generally calculated using proper coefficients, was very close to the basic crop (Chart 3&4). Only the leaves of sugar beets.. whose yield was estimated while harvesting, reacted to continuous cultivation with higher reduction than their roots (leaves 39%, roots 24%). For many years. the leaves in monoculture systems have been strongly attacked by fungal diseases (Cercospora beticola, Ramularia betae and other fungi) causing stains on leaves, premature death and falling [ZAWIŚLAK et al. I995a]. For this reason, the protection activities using fungicides in monoculture re:3ulted in higher crop yields than in the crop rotation. system (in crop rotation 6.9%, in monoculture 29.3%).

While discussing the differences in plant crop yield. in cultivation systems, it is worth asking whether the cultivation of different species in consequence degraded soil features. Comparing the average numbers for crop rotation and monoculture fields. it is easy to see that on the monocultured fields acidification and reduction of magnesium and copper levels occurred (Chart 2). The rest of the numbers either stayed unchanged or underwent insignificant increases. While discussing the particular fields a monoculture. it is easy to see the negative inf1uence of continuous sugar beet cultivation on humus reduction, acidification and reduction of magnesium and copper in soil. The continuous cultivation of rape and field bean acidified the soil even more. The above direction of changes was reported earlier [ZAWIŚLAK, ADAMIAK and TYBURSKI1988].

Cereal units. The total yield of crops. basic and adventives. were represented by the above measurement systems (chart 3,4& 5). For all these cultivated species in crop rotations, on average 84,21 cereal units per hectare were achieved and in monoculture of the same species only 58.6 cereal units (60%). The beneficial influence of the complex plant protection resulted in an increase in plant productivity in crop rotations by 9.7% and In monocultures by 13.3%. The net negative differences caused by abandoning crop rotation were not different than the ones calculated in natural units.

On average, the total bio-mass yield of compared species show very significant high productivity of sugar beet which is two times higher than the rape crop, 2.5 times higher than wheat or barley and 3 times higher than the field bean crop. 29% of sugar beet bio¬mass was constituted by leaves. 13% and 16% in wheat and barley bio-mass was constituted by straw and 6% in rape and field bean bio-mass constituted straw unsuitable for fodder, only useful for bedding or degradation in soil after ploughing.

TOTAL DIGESTIVE PROTEIN. On average, for five species in crop rotation, 830 kg of protein per hectare was obtained while from the continuous system of cultivation, only 570 kg. totalling 68.7% of the above. was obtained. Using the plant protection activities, the total protein increase in crop rotation was 6.6% and in monoculture 13.8%, (chart 6 ). On average, for the described years in crop rotations field bean and sugar beets characterized the highest efficiency of protein. followed ;n order by winter oil rape, wheat and barley. It is worth mentioning that the 86% of field bean protein is accumulated in ‘seeds which are highly useful as an element of fodder and a raw martial for many food products. In sugar beets 75% of the protein is located in the leaves which is very good fodder in the form of silage, had significant losses and whose fodder value is now questioned. Also, the protein .of winter oil rape in 78% comes from seed and has a high fodder value because this is a species not containing the erucic and glycolic acids. The protein of cereal-straw may be partly used for fodder, although currently when there are not enough cattle it is often left and treated as an organic fertilizer.

It is worth mentioning that complex plant protection had the highest protein-creating effect in field bean monoculture (increased by 460 kg per hectare) lower in wheat and sugar beet (relatively increased by 160 and 157 kg per hectare) and rather low in barley and rape (relatively by 55 and 24 kg per hectare). The energy value of crops as accumulated metabolic energy in plant organs is also considered as total crop yield (Chart 7&8a-8b ). For compared species in the crop rotation system 2:26 GJ/ha/year was obtained, while for the continuous cultivation 156 GJ (69%) was obtained. The yield of energy by chemical plant protection in the crop rotation system increased by 9.2% and in monoculture by 13.5% The hig...