Search

Taking into consideration its physico-chemical properties, digestate should be used primarily as a fertiliser. The possible ways of using digestate as a fertiliser in agriculture were identified, and digestate collected from an agricultural biogas plant was tested for its macroelement and heavy metal content. The research was conducted on Haplic LUVISOLS soil according FAO classification. The area of the land plots was 75 m2. All measurements were carried out in ten replicates. Seed yield was determined at 2.6 t ha−1. The thousand-seed weight was similar in the three growing seasons, and averaged 171.49 g to 184.44 g for the three years under analysis. For the control object, the average thousand-seed weight from the three years of the experiment was 168.56 g. This parameter was significantly influenced by the year of analysis. The highest protein content was obtained in 2022 (an average of 20.3%), which was significantly higher than in 2021 (20.13%) and 2020 (20.12%). The analysis showed an increase in the average value for the three harvest years regarding the fat content of the multiflora bean seeds depending on the post-harvest digestate dose, ranging from 0.47% to 0.61%. In the control object, the average fat content for the three harvest years under analysis was 0.41%. The year under analysis had no significant impact on fat content. A positive correlation was found between the digestate dose and protein, fat, and carbohydrate contents per 100 g of beans. Increasing the dose resulted in statistically significant differences from the lower dose. The obtained results show an increase in macroelement content depending on the digestate dose applied. The average carbohydrate content per 100 g of beans for the three years under analysis ranged from 49.78 g to 54.01 g, while the calcium content per 100 g of beans ranged from 109.23 mg to 124.00 mg. In contrast, the magnesium content in 100 g of bean ranged from 129.91 g to 137.01 mg, the phosphorus content in 100 g of bean from 366.99 mg to 387.00 mg, and the potassium content in 100 g of bean from 1341.20 mg to 1394.06 mg. Statistical analysis revealed statistically significant differences except for potassium, where no differences were found for the two highest doses. In addition, no differences were found in the average phosphorus and potassium content between the years under analysis. The study showed an increase in yield depending on the amount of digestate applied. The highest dose used in the experiment provided the most nitrogen and macronutrients, with a positive effect on yield velocity, protein and fat content, micronutrients, and macronutrients in beans.

Tanacetum vulgare and Satureja montana essential oils (EOs) on Aronia melanocarpa before the flowering period were used against Acrobasis advenella. We hypothesised that the use of the aforementioned EOs (1.5%, 3% and 4.5%) would simultaneously improve yield and fruit quality. The profile of the EO constituents was determined by GC-MS analysis. Thujone (66.62%) was identified as the most abundant component in tansy EO, while thymol (40.04%) was dominant in savory EO. The mean weight of 100 berries ranged from 82.40 g to 88.00 g. A loss in fruit weight was recorded after the addition of 4.5% S. montana EO. A. melanocarpa shrubs treated with 4.5% tansy EO showed the highest content of phenols (848.03 mg per 100 g FW), along with high levels of anthocyanins (310.19 mg/100 g), tannins (1884 mg/100 g) and chlorogenic acid (187.38 mg/100 g) but exerted negative effects on the mineral fruit content (Mg, K). T. vulgare oil, particularly at higher concentrations, has shown promise for increasing the content of valuable compounds with strong antioxidant properties. The application of S. montana EOs positively affected minerals and chlorogenic acid content. However, their phytotoxic effects on A. melanocarpa preclude them from further use, even at low concentrations.

Wetland ecosystems are highly productive and valued for numerous reasons including wildlife habitat, biodiversity, water quantity and quality, and human uses. Grazing livestock on wet grasslands can sometimes be controversial due the humidity of the habitat, but on the other hand, it plays an important role in grassland preservation. Therefore, we evaluated the impact of Polish white-backed cattle grazing on changes in the vegetation (13 phytosociological relevés taken in years 2016–2019) of wet meadows as well as forage quality based on the species composition. Biodiversity was estimated based on species richness, Shannon–Wiener diversity and evenness indices, and Rényi diversity profiles. The peatland featured mostly high-sedge and wet meadows communities of the Magnocaricion and the Calthion alliances. The species and biodiversity indices demonstrated significant rising trends. Extensive grazing resulted in the decreased cover of the dominant species of rush meadows, e.g., the common reed, acute, and tufted sedge. The gaps that had emerged thanks to the reduced cover of the dominant species were filled by meadow plants, which led to increased biodiversity. During the four years of grazing, the cattle obtained satisfactory weight gains, particularly in 2019, which indicates that wet meadows are suitable for grazing and can provide sufficient feed for cattle.

Grasslands provide many ecosystem services. Apart from being a source of fodder for animals, grasslands regulate water and soil quality by reducing nitrogen emissions to the environment. The aim of the study was to determine the biophysical and monetary value of ecosystem services of grassland based on the “mineral nitrogen content in the soil layer 60–90 cm” indicator depending on the method of use and the type of soil, against the cultivation of maize for green fodder. The study area encompassed three provinces, different in terms of soil use, livestock population and intensity of grassland use. The investigation indicated that the value of ecosystem services provided by grasslands varied spatially and depended on the type of use and type of soil. In mineral soils, the lowest levels of this index were recorded from sites used for pasturing, while the highest levels were found under maize crops. In organic soils (without maize crops), the smallest losses of Nmin were observed in meadows while the highest losses were in pastures. Nmin losses in organic soils were higher than in mineral soils. The losses observed were highest in Opolskie Province, followed by Podlaskie Province, with the lowest losses in Lubelskie Province.

Nitrogen, an indispensable component of living organisms can exert a negative impact on various elements of the environment. The study objective is to identify the correlation between certain environment and production factors and mineral nitrogen content in the 60–90 cm soil layer, recognised as a potential loss of this ingredient from the production and economic perspective and as a hazard to water quality. The study is based on the results obtained from 320 points (a total of 2560 samples from the 0–30, 30–60 and 60–90 cm layers), located in mineral soils in the Lublin Province, as part of a Nmin monitoring project in the years 2008–2011. The soil material was collected in the spring and autumn, Nmin content was determined using (the spectrophotometric method) against the background of precipitation and air temperature and groups of crop plants, fertilisation and animal stock at farms where measurement points were located. Livestock and crop cultivation had the greatest impact on Nmin loss. There was no significant impact of the weather conditions and N doses in the mineral fertilizers in the spring measurement period. In contrast, the correlations with the analysed factors were stronger in the autumn.

Celem pracy jest analiza warunków hydrotermicznych w okresie wegetacyjnym ostatniego 50-lecia (lata 1966–2015) w środkowej części rejonu kanału Wieprz-Krzna (centralnej części Polesia Lubelskiego). Charakterystykę warunków hydrotermicznych okresu wegetacji opracowano, wykorzystując dane temperatury powietrza i sum opadów ze stacji meteorologicznej zlokalizowanej w Sosnowicy (wschodnia Polska). Stacja meteorologiczna znajduje się na obszarze odwodnionego i zagospodarowanego kompleksu torfowiska niskiego położonego pomiędzy kanałem Wieprz-Krzna a rzeką Piwonią. Warunki wilgotnościowe analizowanych okresów i podokresów oceniono na podstawie przedziałów zaproponowanych przez Skowerę i Pułę wg współczynnika hydrotermicznego Sielianinowa. W analizowanym 50-leciu (1966–2015) obserwowano systematyczny wzrost średnich temperatur powietrza w kolejnych dekadach. Roczne sumy opadów w tym rejonie kształtowały się w przedziale od 327,2 mm do 819,5 mm, co wskazuje na ich duże zróżnicowanie. Okres wegetacyjny (kwiecień–wrzesień) charakteryzował się większą sumą opadów niż okres pozawegetacyjny (październik–marzec). Dwa lata (2002 i 2003) odznaczały się skrajnie suchym okresem wegetacyjnym, a 21 lat – suchym lub dość suchym. Pozostałe lata cechowały się korzystnymi warunkami wilgotnościowymi w okresie wegetacji, jednak analizując krótsze (2-miesięczne) okresy, należy stwierdzić, że przeważały niekorzystne warunki, zwłaszcza w okresach letnim (czerwiec–lipiec) i letnio-jesiennym (sierpień–wrzesień).