What is the interpretation of "to reduce risks" in the context of Art. 4 para 1 of Directive 2009/128/EC establishing a framework for Community action to achieve the sustainable use of pesticides?

Renewable hydrogen and methane production from microalgae: a techno-economic and life cycle assessment study.

Micronutrients are part of many crucial physiological plant processes. The combined application of N and micronutrients helps in obtaining grain yield with beneficial technological and consumer properties. The main micronutrients needed by cereals include Cu, Mn, and Zn. The subject of this study was to determine yield, quality indicators (protein content and composition, gluten content, grain bulk density, Zeleny sedimentation index, and grain hardness), as well as mineral content (Cu, Zn, Mn, Fe) in winter wheat grain (Triticum aestivum L.) fertilized by foliar micronutrient application. A field experiment was carried out at the Educational and Experimental Station in Tomaszkowo, Poland. The application of mineral fertilizers (NPK) supplemented with Cu increased Cu content (13.0%) and ω, α/β, and γ (18.7%, 4.9%, and 3.4%, respectively) gliadins in wheat grain. Foliar Zn fertilization combined with NPK increased Cu content (14.9%) as well as high (HMW) and low molecular weight (LMW) glutenins (38.8% and 6.7%, respectively). Zinc fertilization significantly reduced monomeric gliadin content and increased polymeric glutenin content in grain, which contributed in reducing the gliadin:glutenin ratio (0.77). Mineral fertilizers supplemented with Mn increased Fe content in wheat grain (14.3%). It also significantly increased protein (3.8%) and gluten (4.4%) content, Zeleny sedimentation index (12.4%), and grain hardness (18.5%). Foliar Mn fertilization increased the content of ω, α/β, and γ gliadin fractions (19.9%, 9.5%, and 2.1%, respectively), as well as HMW and LMW glutenins (18.9% and 4.5%, respectively). Mineral NPK fertilization, combined with micronutrients (Cu + Zn + Mn), increased Cu and Zn content in grain (22.6% and 17.7%, respectively). The content of ω, α/β, and γ gliadins increased (20.3%, 10.5%, and 12.1%, respectively) as well as HMW glutenins (7.9%).

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Effect of foliar application of Cu, Zn, and Mn on yield and quality indicators of winter wheat grain

Disease Control in Crops, Biological and Environmentally Friendly Approaches

Studies of preparation of active carbons of good structural and adsorption properties based on commercial biochars, which become wastes after removal of precious volatile components from natural raw materials of different origin, i.e., from wheat straw, Miscanthus grass, walnut shells, and energetic willow were carried out. There was applied the physical activation under atmospheric pressure in the fluidal reactor using CO2 or overheated steam and in the closed system in the high pressure microwave reactor under hydrothermal conditions. The obtained active carbons were investigated by means of adsorption (N2), thermal (TG, DTG, DTA), spectral (Raman spectra) as well as electron microscopy methods. The adsorbents obtained as a result of modification were characterized by a well-developed porous structure and greater thermal resistance compared to the initial biochars.

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Active carbons from waste biochars

The emergence of plants is especially important for the winter crops that are grown in the challenging environmental conditions of many countries in Central and Eastern Europe. The emergence and initial growth of winter rapeseed were compared in field trials in a randomized block design with three replicates for plants sown in conventional tillage systems (CT) and strip-till (ST), which had different weather conditions and on soil with a non-uniform texture over a period of two years. Sowing in the CT was carried out using Horsch Pronto 4DC (Germany) at a row distance of 0.29 m. The ST operations were performed using a Pro-Til 4T drill manufactured by Mzuri Limited (Great Britain) - row spacing of 0.36 m. In favourable rainfall and thermal conditions, the density of winter rapeseed plants two weeks after sowing was found to be higher if it was sown after the CT than in the ST system. In the year that had a serious shortage of rainfall during the sowing period, a considerably higher density of plants was achieved using the ST system. The uniformity of plant growth using the ST technology in soil with a varied texture, especially in a year with an unfavourable distribution of rainfall, was proven by less variability in the number of leaves in the rosette, in the dry mass of the leaf rosette and in the root neck thickness of the winter rapeseed than in the CT system. The ST system can create good conditions for the initial development and preparation of rapeseed plants for wintering.

/pdf/strip-till-technology-a-method-for-uniformity-in-the-4f94oofqu9.pdf

Strip-till technology - a method for uniformity in the emergence and plant growth of winter rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) in different environmental conditions of Northern Poland

The paper presents the results of the elemental composition of the ash produced during combustion of straw and hay. Test samples of ash were characterized by alkaline pH (pH 10.2) and a substantial overall potassium content (155,7 g∙kg K), calcium (124,0 g∙kg Ca), phosphorus (15,1 g∙kg P) and magnesium (7,3 g∙kg Mg). In addition, presence of essential micronutrients for plants was found in them (Fe > Mn > Zn > Cu). A small natural content of heavy metals (Cr > Pb > Ni > Cd > Hg) in the ash is not a contraindication for the agricultural use of ash from the plant biomass.

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The elemental composition of ash from straw and hay in the context of their agricultural utilization

In the field experiment, conducted in 2007-2010 in Mochelek (53 o 13' N; 17 o 51' E) near Bydgoszcz on good rye complex, the effect of nitrogen fertilization (40, 80, 120, 160 kg N∙ha -1 ) on the yield and grain technological quality of winter wheat cultivars Bogatka, Nutka, Kris, Tonacja was evaluated. The study found that in agricultural techniques of winter wheat on light soil, cultivar and nitrogen fertilization are elements having an independent effect. Under these soil conditions, in this region and in the years of relatively low rainfall totals during the growing season, nitrogen fertilization above 80 kg N∙ha -1 did not significantly increase the grain yield, but positively affected its technological value. Among the compared winter wheat cultivars, Kris cultivar yielded the best. Grains of this cultivar, however, had the lowest grain technological quality.

http://yadda.icm.edu.pl/yadda/element/bwmeta1.element.agro-1f015436-501d-4c20-9e70-c42323d1aaae/c/7.pdf

Effect of nitrogen fertilization on yield and grain technological quality of some winter wheat cultivars grown on light soil

Greater vigour of plants that border with unsown areas, known as border effect, compensates for the use of tramlines in the lowland meadow but also gives an error to the results of field experiments. This phenomenon is well-known for certain cultivated plant species. However, there is a lack of publications which would make it possible to analyze and compare the border effect of several plant species in similar habitat conditions and evaluated in the same way. The aim of the study was to recognize and compare the border effect in the cultivation of spring cereals: wheat, triticale, barley, oat, pea, and yellow lupine, as well as to determine the effect of this phenomenon on yield overestimation in plot experiments. In years 2004-2010 at the University of Technology and Life Sciences Research Station at Mochełek (5313 N; 1751 E), a series of plot experiments was carried our, each according to the same methodology. Experimental factor was the situation of plant rows on the plot; four rows into the plots from the unsown path 50 cm wide were evaluated. It was found that the border effect resulted in greater values of nearly all the evaluated plant characteristics. Oat was the most susceptible to the effect. Border effect in cereals, in relation to most characteristics, was limited only to the row of plants directly adjacent to the path, while in the subsequent two rows the values of the particular characteristics were usually close to the evaluation of the fourth row. In the case of legumes, the effect was visible also in the subsequent two rows into the lowland meadow. Yields of plants harvested from the whole plot were greater by 18.3%-28.0% than in the mid area of the plot, depending on the plot area and plant species. It was also found that in order to avoid the border effect influencing yield size estimation, it is recommended to omit during harvest one border row of oat plants from both sides of the experimental plots and two rows of triticale and barley. In the case of wheat, lupine and pea, three rows of plants from each side of the plot should be excluded from harvest.

Border effects in the growth of chosen cultivated plant species

In a field experiment in years 2007-2009 at Mocheek (53 o 13' N; 17 o 51' E) near Bydgoszcz on good rye complex soil, the effect of forecrop (spring barley, blue lupine, blue lupine + spring triticale, spring rape) and nitrogen fertilisation (40, 80, 120, and 160 kg N·ha -1 ) on the yield and grain technological quality of winter wheat cultivar Tonacja was estimated. It was stated in the research that significant elements in the agronomical practices of winter wheat grown on light soil, although affecting independently, are forecrop and nitrogen fertilisation. Grain yield and its quality on a worse stand cannot be improved by increased fertilisation. The most favourable stand for winter wield yield was blue lupine in pure sowing. Spring rape, and also a mixture of lupine with spring triticale and spring barley were worse forecrops than blue lupine. On light soil in region and years with relatively low precipitation sums during the growth period, independently of forecrop, nitrogen fertilisation above 80 kg N·ha -1 did not

Mariusz Piekarczyk

Papers

Strip-till technology - a method for uniformity in the emergence and plant growth of winter rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) in different environmental conditions of Northern Poland

The elemental composition of ash from straw and hay in the context of their agricultural utilization

Effect of nitrogen fertilization on yield and grain technological quality of some winter wheat cultivars grown on light soil

Border effects in the growth of chosen cultivated plant species

Effect of forecrops and nitrogen fertilisation on the yield and grain technological quality of winter wheat grown on light soil