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Management of catering waste, including coffee grounds, is becoming an important economic issue. Coffee grounds contain both organic compounds and mineral compounds, including macronutrients and micronutrients. The purpose of the study was to determine the fertilizer value of composts obtained using coffee grounds. The compost was prepared from vegetable raw material and coffee grounds with the addition of biocarbon or effluent obtained during yeast production. The experiment included 4 treatments: M – control - maize straw; M+CG – maize straw + coffee grounds; M+CG+BC – maize straw + coffee grounds + willow biochar; M+CG+E – maize straw + coffee grounds + yeast effluent. The amount of waste materials introduced into the composted maize biomass was limited not only due to their physical parameters, but also because of the humidity of the feedstock. The ratios of feedstocks used in individual treatments by weight of the dry matter were: M+CG – 1:0.89; M+CG+BC – 1:0.89:0.1; M+CG+E – 1:0.89:0.07. After mixing the materials, moisture of the mixture was equilibrated to 60% by weight. Aeration of the biomass was performed in cycles, 6 times a day; the air was flowing through the bioreactor in the amount of 15 dm³ min-1 for 60 min; the biomass was manually shifted every 10 days. The content of macronutrients and trace elements was determined in the product with regard to the admissible values for organic fertilizers. Composts with a very high proportion of coffee grounds meet the criteria regarding the minimum NPK and organic matter content in the fertilizer aspect. Coffee grounds are characterized by a low content of heavy metals, which in practice can cause their dilution in biological processing products. Utilization of the effluent from a yeast factory for irrigation of composted biomass is not possible on an industrial scale. A small addition of this waste leads to significant salinity of the compost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents computer program URwaga which operates measuring devices at the test stand. The program runs devices that communicate via RS232 interface and devices that are connected to a computer via USB. The obtained data are collected in a cumulative table and then exported to a spreadsheet. The program is applied in the studies on agriculture and mechanical engineering. The application cooperates with factory installations and an original measuring system on Arduino platform.

Soybean yield is the result of the interaction of environmental factors and agricultural practices. Agricultural practices developed for soybean assume optimal cultivation conditions. Aberrant rainfall distribution during the growing season reduces the productivity of the plants and the efficiency of N uptake, which is reflected in the seed yield and quality. Few studies in the literature focus on this question. Therefore, the purpose of this assessment was to compare yield, yield quality of two soybean cultivars (Augusta and Mavka) with two nitrogen application rate (basic and increased) and two date of sowing (early and late), in two-year field experiments under temperate zone conditions in central Europe. Results show that early sowing in combination with higher nitrogen application substantially improves crop productivity and the efficiency of nitrogen binding, especially in drought years. In contrast, delaying sowing by two weeks reduced the productivity of the plants, which was not compensated for by a higher level of mineral nitrogen application. Early sowing of the Mavka cultivar was more productive and more efficient in nitrogen accumulation in the seed yield in comparison to the Augusta cultivar. Under water deficit conditions a higher level of urea application and earlier sowing are recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the research was to analyze the degree of infection of winter wheat by fungal diseases and to evaluate the morphological and physiological parameters of plants depending on varied foliar fertilization (with and without the ionic form of silver) and applied plant protection agents (active ingredients: propiconazole, fenpropidin, azoxystrobin) in the 2016/2017, 2017/2018 and 2018/2019 growing seasons. The results showed that micronutrient fertilizers with silver and pesticides reduced the severity of fungal diseases better than the control. In most cases, foliar fertilizers enriched with the ionic form of silver at a dose of 1 and 2l·ha-1 were the most effective. Moreover, foliar fertilization and pesticides had a positive effect on the morphology of wheat. Combined treatment (micronutrient fertilizer with silver and pesticide at a dose of 11·ha-1) increased stalk length and weight, ear weight and thousand grain weight to the greatest extent in comparison to the other treatments, while the pesticides stimulated ear length the most. In turn, microelement fertilizers with silver at a dose of 1 and 21·ha-1 were better in terms of flag leaf length. Wheat treated with foliar fertilizer and pesticide significantly improved the chlorophyll content based on the leaf greenness index (SPAD). It was found that the foliar application of microelements with silver is promising for use in agriculture because they controlled fungal diseases and ensured the good condition of plants more effectively than pesticides harmful to the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the research was the evaluation of the influence linseed-legumes intercropping on linseed yield, fat yield, caloric value of the fat and fatty acids composition. The experiment was performed on experimental field in Kraków (50°07'N 20°05'E). The greatest fat content was found in linseed seeds from mixed cropping with pea (391 kg). Significantly higher calorific value (56.3 GJ) was obtained in seeds of the linseed pure stand. In seeds of linseed predominated unsaturated fatty acids (PUFA, MUFA). A slight increase in PUFA and MUFA content was observed in mixed cropping. The content of alpha-linolenic acid (C18:3n-3) in linseed seeds was significantly influenced by the sowing method and the weather. Linseed in mixed cropping with vetch contained significantly more linoleic acid (18:2n-6) and alpha-linolenic acid (18:3n-3) than in pure stand. There was considerably more linoleic acid (C18:2n-6) in mixed cropping with vetch, but in mixed cropping with pea there was much less of that acid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trends in global agriculture are expected to move towards an increase in the productivity of linseed, as an oil crop with a valuable composition of unsaturated fatty acids. It is thought that a new agrotechnical approach diversifying linseed cultivation may increase crop yields. The aim of the study was to compare linseed cultivation in pure stand and in mixture with wheat in new sowing proportions (75+25%, 50+50% and 25+75%). Mixed intercropping of linseed with wheat significantly decreased the length of the inflorescence, which was followed by a decrease in the number of branches and capsules. The spikes of spring wheat were longer in the two-species mixture, which resulted in a greater number of spikelets and grains. In the pure stand, the seed yield (g m-2) for linseed was 297.7, while that of spring wheat was 546.4. The percentage of linseed in the seed yield for the mixtures with a 75, 50 and 25% share of linseed in the mixture was 41.1, 17.7 and 4.9%, respectively. High productivity of linseed in a mixture can be obtained only when its share is optimal (at least 75%). However, the total productivity of components in two-species mixture is lower by about 28% in comparison to pure stand which, from practical point of view, is not excellent agrotechnical solution. The correct proportion of species in a two-species mixture is the most important aspect of plant productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Acta Scientiarum Polonorum. Agricultura is the property of University of Technology & Life Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Acta Scientiarum Polonorum. Agricultura is the property of University of Technology & Life Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Acta Scientiarum Polonorum. Agricultura is the property of University of Technology & Life Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Acta Scientiarum Polonorum. Agricultura is the property of University of Technology & Life Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)