In the framework of the European mission “Soil Deal for Europe” ambitious tasks have been load to the whole European Union and forming its states in the field of carbon management. Departing from pedo-ecological conditions of Estonia, the pros and cons of the European Union's plans about carbon farming are treated. By the principles of pedocentric approach the soil humus status and carbon farming technologies are soil type specifics and should be utilized in the most detailed as possible soil taxonomic unit, for which by Estonian soil classification are soil species and soil varieties. Thanks to gathering during large scale (1:10,000) soil mapping in earlier time data and proceeding later field experiments in Estonia there are relatively good databases on soil humus status for all most dominated soil species and/or varieties by different land use conditions (arable, grass- and forest lands). The main available quantitative characteristics on soil humus status (expressed via carbon) are concentration (g C kg‒1) and superficial densities (Mg C ha‒1) of organic carbon given by soil species and their genetic horizons in above-named third land use conditions. Besides that, these data have been calculated (1) separately for humus cover (humipedons) and subsoil layers and (2) as well in relation to layers with certain thickness (30, 50 and 100 cm). As a qualitative index of humus status, the humus cover types (humus forms) have been elaborated separately for arable soils and for being in natural state soils. As the carbon concentration in arable soils depends mainly on contents of clay particles, watering conditions and calcareousness, was possible to elaborate for all dominating arable soils three humus (and carbon) concentration levels: scarce, optimal and excess, which are needed for choice of suitable to soil conditions agro technology. There is a declared serious shortage of knowledge on composition of soil organisms’ societies by soil types and on syn- and autecology of their functioning.
The analysis of efficiency’s research of interrelation between soil’s biomass and tillage systems and fertilizers is done. The number of microorganisms responsible for the transformation of nitrogen compounds and their state in typical black soil was studied. There is evidence-based scientific and practical research on the effectiveness of these microbiological processes and the improvement of environmental performance through the various fertilizer systems and soil tillage. The use of an organic-mineral fertilizer system increases the total number of soil microorganisms and exponential mobilization processes, compared to the variant without fertilizers. This pattern is clear in the variants of shelf tillage for row crop rotation. The number of microorganisms that absorb mineral compounds of nitrogen decreased by 24%, bacteria ammonification by 1.5–5.7% compared to plough tillage. The ratio between the number of microorganisms accounted for the nutrient laboratory solutions for organic-mineral fertilizer system, compared to variants without fertilizers, is greater by 20–26% for differentiated and 14–35% for shallow tillage.
In a field experiment, the efficacy of the newly released pre-mixed herbicide, Joystick®, in comparison with other pre-mixed herbicides was evaluated in winter wheat, Iran. The treatments included: weedy check, weed-free check (hand-weeded), Bromicide®MA at 600 g a.i. ha–1 + Axial® at 60 g a.i. ha–1, Othello® at 96 g a.i. ha–1, Axial One® at 55, 65, 75, and 85 g a.i. ha–1, Joystick® at 80, 94, and 108 g a.i. ha–1. The latter three treatments mentioned were applied with and without non-ionic surfactant Citogate® at 0.1% v v–1. The results revealed that all treatments significantly decreased the density and dry biomass of each weed species and increased the grain yield and biological yield of wheat. The highest performing treatment was Bromicide®MA + Axial®, followed by Joystick® at 108 g a.i. ha–1 plus Citogate®. The application of Joystick® at 108 g a.i. ha–1 plus Citogate® decreased the biomass of Malva neglecta, Lolium rigidum, Hirschfeldia incana, Centaurea pallescens, Veronica persica, and Carthamus oxyacantha up to 96.2, 78.1, 100, 91.0, 91.0, and 96.1%; respectively; with an 88% reduction in total weed dry biomass. Because of Joystick® at 108 g a.i. ha–1 plus Citogate® activity against weed species, the grain and biological yields of wheat improved up to 28% as compared to weedy check treatment.
In areas where the supply of water for irrigation is limited, tomato production is often subject to drought stress. This study was conducted at the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Gardening, University of Diyala, Baqubah, Iraq in 2021 wherein 22 genotypes ('S.G', 'San II', 'M.O', 'Red Pear', 'F.R', 'Marb', 15 F1 hybrids were obtained from 6×6 half diallel cross and 'Bobcat' control hybrid) were cultivated under full irrigation [covering 100% of crop evapotranspiration demands (ETc)] and water deficit (50% of ETc) conditions. The results showed that cv. 1×6 produced the longest plants (119.01 cm) and the least time to flowering (10.23 days). Most branches (31.98) were produced by cv. 5×6. Both cvs. 1×6 and 5×6 produced the most leaf area (1 991 and 1 977 cm2 respectively) and most yield per plant (6.75 and 6.84 kg respectively). The 100% ETc irrigation treatment produced the longest plants (91.21 cm), the greatest number of branches (28.12), the most leaf area (1 673 cm2), and the highest plant yield (4.61 kg). The 50% ETc irrigation treatment produced the least time to flowering (13.7 days). Irrigation level lowering to 50% ETc achieved good results for the water use efficiency (WUE) use with predicted R2 = 1.00. Therefore, the results of this study recommend using the interaction of (both cvs. 1×6 and 5×6 irrigated with the 50% ETc treatment) to save water on irrigation and produce a high yield of tomatoes.
The retrospective analysis involved 562 Holstein cows, 545 Ukrainian Black-and-White dairy cows and 100 Ukrainian Red-and-White dairy cows in Breeding Station Terezyne, Kyiv region. The influence of age at first calving and first lactation milk yield on the duration and efficiency of the productive lifespan of cows was studied. The results showed that with the increase of age at first calving from less than 22 to more than 34 months there was a steady tendency to reduction in the longevity and lifetime productivity of cows. There was found a statistically significant (P <0.001) inverse correlation between the age at first calving and indicators of duration and efficiency of productive lifespan (r = –0.177…–0.459). The age at first calving determines 3.0–21.2% of the phenotypic variability of the considered indicators of duration and efficiency of the productive lifespan of cows (P <0.001). According to the set of features, the most rational is the planning of age at first calving before 26 months, i.e. heifers need to be served before 15 months of age. With the first lactation milk yield increases and the duration and efficiency of the productive lifespan of cows increase curvilinearly. Higher longevity is typical for cows with an average 305-d milk yield in the first lactation of 6 001–8 000 kg, and higher lifetime productivity – with the highest milk yield in the first lactation (over 9 000 kg). There was found a relatively low positive correlation between 305-d milk yield in the first lactation and the parity and lifespan (r = 0.087…0.164, P <0.001) and a moderately significant relationship – with lifetime productivity and lifetime daily milk yield (r = 0.327…0.504, P <0.001). The milk yield of primiparous cows has a relatively low impact on the variability of lifespan, productive lifetime and total lactation length (ηx2 = 3.6–5.6%, P <0.001) and a higher impact on the indicators of lifetime milk productivity and milk productivity per one day of life, productive lifetime and lactation (ηx2 = 12.5–35.6%, P <0.001). The productive lifespan of cows with first lactation milk yield over 6 000 kg can be considered quite effective.
The sowing unit is one of the most important working bodies of the drill. It is used to select from the total mass of a certain number of seeds and the formation of their output flow with the specified parameters. Therefore, the advantages and disadvantages of seeders, in terms of the quality of seed distribution in a row and general in the sown field, are mainly determined by the work of sowing machines. The research was carried out to develop a model of random packing of seeds of small-seeded crops in the tank of the sowing apparatus of the selection drill. The research was conducted based on numerical simulation in the software package of the CAE-system Simcenter STAR-CCM +. Because of research, the mathematical model of casual packing of seeds of small-seeded cultures in the capacity of the sowing device of a selection seeder is developed that allowed defining the equation of regression of its density from the effective diameter of seeds and coefficient of variation of this diameter. As a result of research of process of work of the batcher of the sowing device of a selection seeder regularity of change of its throughput from an angle of inclination of a gate, type of a form of executions (triangle, semicircle, rectangle) in the form of a polynomial of the third degree are received. It is established that the choice of the triangular shape of the dispenser allows for ensuring the highest accuracy of seed dosing.
The present paper aims to give an overview of results collected in the Estonian Crop Research Institute related to the comparison between guttation and yield in grain crop cereals. The objects of research were oat variety 'Eugen' and wheat 'Manu', which went through the stages of germinating their seeds (in vitro), set them by sprouts down into the soil, and the emergence of sprouts under conditions of a hydrothermostat. Since transpiration in a hydrother-mostat at an air temperature of 23 °C, and an extremely high value of air relative humidity was limited, therefore, due to this, the plant sprouts have begun to exude guttation fluid. As result, we have found that the amount of isolated gutted fluid correlates significantly with the grain yields of field trials indicators. The comparison between relative guttation and relative yield was described by a straightforward relationship. The entire experiment took about one week, and the first results of droplet prints on filter paper can be obtained after 60 hours. This was the novelty of our approach which provides the prerequisites for both increasing the reliability of conclusions regarding the yield obtained and its forecast.
The allelopathic impact of 23 perennial weed species on oilseed radish by petri dish and soil bioassays was studied. Weed extracts were prepared at concentrations of 0.25, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 4.0, 8.0 and 16.0%. The influence of the weed extract on germination and seedling growth of oilseed radish was analyzed according to several germination indexes. The "speed of germination", "coefficient of the velocity of germination" and the resulting levels of allelopathic potential in terms of seed germination (APG) were used to assess the allelopathic effect of the researched weed species. The application of indicators allowed determining the specific features of the influence of extracts of perennial weeds on the duration of the germination period, the effects of germination delay and the general prolongation of the period of formation of similar seeds with typification on classification groups. Conducted daily surveys for the calculation of these indices allowed to obtain a graphical interpretation of the reaction of the seeds of the test object to the extract of each weed species. This allowed identifying species of weeds for which the use of oilseed radish in the system of its biological control will be effective.
Observations of the process of ontogenesis in a group of woody plants and forest grass in the phytocenoses of the Ukrainian Polesie of Sumy region with their division into boreal and nemoral species were done. Found that in the last two decades, nemoral plant species begin vegetation earlier and pass the first phases of the ontogenetic cycle faster than boreal species. Changes in plant ontogenesis, in turn, lead to changes in the population characteristics of plant species: the number of individuals in the population, the size and configuration of the population field and the ontogenetic and vital spectra of populations changed. There has been a tendency to regular changes in the ontogenetic spectra of both nemoral and boreal plant species, but their nature was different. In nemoral plant species, the proportion of juvenile and immature individuals in the ontogenetic spectra increased and populations acquired the character of invasive, reflecting the process of progressive strengthening of their position in phytocenoses. In populations of boreal species, on the contrary, the ageing process accelerated – the proportion of old generative, senile and subsenile individuals increased.
Plant density and water availability are the most important factors determining the yield of crops and medicinal plants. To investigate the effect of these two factors and their interaction on the yield and morpho-physiological characteristics of fenugreek, an experiment was conducted in the form of split plots based on a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications in 2020. Water availability (favourable conditions, mild stress and severe stress) were placed in main plots and plant densities (22, 44 and 66 plants m2 –1) were placed in subplots. The results showed a three-fold increase in plant density under optimal moisture conditions increased grain yield from 998 to 1 380 kg ha–1 and biological yield from 2 600 to 3 259 kg ha–1, respectively, while in mild and severe water stress, did not affect grain yield and biological yield. In all three moisture conditions, a 3-fold increase in plant density reduced the number of seeds per pod and a 2-fold increase in plant density reduced the number of pods per plant. Although in some crops, the increase in density under water stress conditions can compensate for the decrease in yield, in fenugreek, the increase in density under water stress conditions was not beneficial for the plant. Increasing the density to medium (44 plants m2 –1) reduces the source strength and applying high density through sink restriction causes a decrease in yield. On the other hand, moisture limitation by reducing the number of pods per plant, the number of seeds per pod and the number of seeds per plant reduced the size of the sink and the mass of 1 000 seeds, which indicates the strength of the source, was not affected.
The article is devoted to mechanising composting based on energy-saving technical systems. The goal of the research is to determine the patterns that describe the impact of different drum-blade working bodies' design and technological parameters on their work energy performance, the homogeneity of the mixture components distribution and their structure in the formed composting pad of a certain height. The physical-mathematical model of the mechanized composting process of organic raw materials from agroecosystems by technical equipment with drum-blade working bodies has been theoretically substantiated and experimentally investigated. There has been developed the mathematical model that correlates the value of the mixing quality variation coefficient with the load factor and the kinematic indicator of the operating mode. It has been established that, if provided the composting pad layer height is the same, the use of a double-drum working body is more rational in terms of power loss in comparison with a single-drum one.
During the years of 2015–2016 in Greece, an increase of imports of poultry meat has been occurred on a level of 10.2%, whereas in the years of 2018–2019 the increase has only reached the level of 1.9%. On the contrary, a reduction on a level of 14.2% on poultry meat imports, in Greece, between the years of 2019–2020 have shown the possible implications of the COVID-19 pandemic to poultry meat consumption and possibly to chicken meat consumption. Moreover, the Food related lifestyle (FRL) can be defined as a system of consumers' cognitive categories and relationships that connect a set of food-related behaviours, with a set of personal values of each consumer. Hence, this paper aims to segment Greek consumers according to their food-related lifestyles values and is tried to identify the aspects that may determine consumers' behaviour towards chicken meat preference, during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Four consumer segments appeared: "Sociable and safety seekers", "Light concerned and cooks", "Unconcerned and price seekers", "Innovative and moderate concerned". Uni- and multivariate statistical techniques have been used. Consumers' profiles that demonstrated different food-related attitudes towards the pandemic were analysed with the use of variables: gender, age, marital status, educational level, monthly income and chicken meat quality cues. Significant differences were found between the four segments in terms of gender, age and income. Moreover, "Light concerned and cooks" and "Innovative and moderate concerned" consumers revealed to consider the place of purchasing as a dominant extrinsic quality cue of chicken meat. Furthermore, these consumers appeared to trust butcher in terms of the safety of chicken meat that they purchased, whereas only the consumers of the segment of "Light concerned and cooks" showed a willingness to pay a higher amount for chicken meat that is produced by animal welfare standards.
Technogenic soils (TS) or Technosols are year 2022 soils of Estonia. In Estonian Soil Classification (ESC) totally 17 technogenic soil species is listed (Table 1). By way or mode of their forming or establishing almost four TS groups (formed on heaps of wastes, instead of removed soil cover, on mixed soil horizons with parent materials and buried soil covers) have been separated. In dominating cases by technological elaborating works much more than only humus cover are enfold. In the vertical profile of different development stages TS the humus cover, consisting from fine earth subsoil and parent material may be presented (or occur). In the work separately the formed on mineral and organic (mostly peats) origin parent material TS are treated. Among mineral TS by their moisture conditions the automorphic, moist and wet soils are distinguished. Among peaty TS the formed on fen (sapric) and bog (fibric) peats soils are prevailed. The main difference between grounds (non-soil) and TS is their functioning. The real TS is as sustainably functioning assemblage of soil and plant covers or soil-plant system. The concordance or matching of presented in ESC TS’ taxa with World Reference Bases for Soil Resources (WRB) and Polish Soil Classification taxa was elucidated by comparable analysis. The distribution and forming of soils associations with normally developed soils and non-soils (grounds) is characterised by mean of excerpts from digitalized large-scale soil map (1:10,000) and schematic distribution maps. In the work as well the peculiarities of establishing technologies of mineral and peaty TS is treated.
A pots experiment was undertaken to determine the combined effect of humic acids and mineral fertilizer on some characteristics of saline soil, growth, and yield components of broccoli. The experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The first factor consists of two levels of humic acids, namely without humic acid (H0 = 0.00 g L–1) and humic acid application (H1 = 0.35 g L–1), while the second factor included nine fertilizer (92 kg N ha–1, 200 kg P2O5 ha–1, 150 kg K2O ha–1) application rates that were (100, 100, 100%), (120, 120, 120%), (120, 120, 100%), (80, 120, 120%), (100, 100, 120%), (80.100, 100%), (120, 80, 80%), (100, 80, 80%), (80, 80, 80%) which added as a percentage of original fertilizer recommendation taking the symbols of R1 to R9 respectively. The treatment R1 was designated as a control treatment. The results indicated that humic acid application (H1) and increasing the amount of applied mineral fertilizer (R2) reduced the hydraulic conductivity of the soil for different soil depths. Humic acid addition (H1) increased concentrations of calcium and magnesium while reducing sodium concentration compared to control (H0). Contrary to humic acid, increasing the supplied mineral fertilizer led to a reduction in concentrations of calcium and magnesium while increasing sodium concentration in the soil. The sodium adsorption in soil particles in the ground was decreased due to humic acid application while improving the mineral fertilizer. Humic acid (H1) combined with increasing the amount of chemical fertilizer (R2) gave the desirable results in decreasing the sulphate, chloride and bicarbonate in the soil profile. The addition of humic acid (H1) and increasing mineral fertilizer application (R2) led to a significant increase in plant height, leaf area and head weight of broccoli per plant. Similarly, the interaction between humic acids and chemical fertilizers (H1R2) led to a significant increase in plant height, leaf area and head weight of broccoli per plant.
Charcoal is a carbon-rich organic matter, which serves as a soil conditioner when applied to agricultural fields. When used in combination with nitrogen fertilizers, it has a synergistic effect that boosts plant growth. However, charcoal application alone or in combination with nitrogen fertilizer on vegetable crops is not fully understood. Therefore, a pots experiment was carried out to investigate the effect of charcoal and nitrogen levels on the growth and yield of broccoli. The variety of broccoli used was Centauro. The experiment was laid out in a two-factor Completely Randomized Design with five replications during the winter season of 2019–2020 at Sundarbazar, Lamjung, Nepal. Treatments consisted of four levels of charcoal (0%, 2.5%, 5%, and 7.5% per weight of soil) and three levels of nitrogen (0, 187.5 and 375 kg N ha–1). Results revealed that increasing nitrogen levels from 0 to 375 kg N ha–1 significantly increased the number of leaves, leaf area, head diameter, head weight and aboveground biomass. The maximum head weight per plant (258.77 g) was found by applying a nitrogen level of 375 kg N ha–1 and the lowest value at 0 kg N ha–1. The application of increasing levels of charcoal significantly improved root length, leaf area and head diameter. It was concluded from the results that the optimum nitrogen level for broccoli production could be 375 kg N ha–1.
Field experiments were carried out in 2017 and 2018 on two individual farms that grew maize for grain, in Tetovo and Skopje locality, to determine the effectiveness of different adjuvants on the efficacy of Stellar applied at reduced rates. Herbicide treatment selectivity and influence on grain yield were estimated, as well. Both sites were naturally infested with a high population of Polygonum lapathifolium L., Chenopodium album L., Echinochloa crus-galli (L.) P. Beauv. and Sorghum halepense (L.) Pers. Overall efficacy of herbicides in control of weeds 28 DAT was ranged of 77% (Stellar + White oil applied at 0.125 + 0.2 L ha–1) to 98% (Stellar + Trend applied at 0.75 + 1.0 L ha–1) in Tetovo locality, and 64% (Stellar + White oil applied at 0.125 + 0.2 L ha–1) to 99% (Stellar + DASH applied at 0.75 + 2.0 L ha–1) in Skopje locality, respectively. In both localities, the efficacy of the full rate of Stellar (90 and 80%, respectively) was on the level of Stellar + White oil applied at 0.25 + 0.2 L ha–1 (90 and 78%, respectively). Herbicide efficacy 56 DAT was similar to the previous period of estimation. Efficacy of herbicide and herbicide plus adjuvants treatments in control of prevailing weeds 28 and 56 DAT ranged from 22–100% in Tetovo locality and 30–100% in Skopje locality, respectively. No visual maize injured was determined by any herbicide treatments in both localities for both years. Maize grain yields for each treatment in both localities generally reflected overall weed control.
The study examined the content of reducing sugars in various varieties of potato, beetroot, turnip and pumpkin most commonly grown in Estonia. This study aimed to determine the varieties of vegetables with the lowest levels of reducing sugars after harvesting and after storage at two different temperatures (3 and 8 °C). In the present study it was found that the potato variety with the lowest content of reducing sugars after harvesting and after six months of storage was potato variety 'Birgit' with 0.19 g 100 g–1after harvesting, 0.98 g 100 g–1 after storage at 3 °C and 0.38 g 100 g–1 after storage at 8 °C, respectively. All three varieties of the beetroot, after harvest, contained a similar amount of reducing sugars. After six months of storage, the lowest content of reducing sugars was determined for variety 'Boro' with 1.22 g 100 g–1 at 3 °C and 0.96 g 100 g–1 at 8 °C, respectively. The lowest average concentrations of reducing sugars from turnips were after harvest in the variety 'Kohalik sinine' with 3.38 g 100 g–1. Also after storage, the same variety had the lowest content of reducing sugars with 8.36 g 100 g–1 at 3 °C and 3.76 g 100 g–1 at 8 °C, respectively. From the pumpkin varieties, the lowest reducing sugars contents were determined for variety 'Gold Medal' with 2.64 g 100 g–1after harvesting, 2.40 g 100 g–1 after storage at 3 °C and 1.90 g 100 g–1 after storage at 8 °C. It can be concluded that all studied vegetables stored at 3 °C contained higher amounts of reducing sugars than those stored at 8 °C.
The main purpose of the study was to evaluate the possibility of replacing hexane, which is traditionally used for the extraction of vegetable oils, with ethanol as a safer solvent when extracting oil from sunflower meals and rapeseed in the microwave field. Thus, the influence of the solvent type on physicochemical characteristics of oil and the low-fat meal was studied. The main indicators of the composition and quality of sunflower and rapeseed extraction oil were studied. The quality of oil and ways of its use in food products are mostly determined by its fatty acid composition. Analysis of the fatty acid composition of the oil was performed by the method of gas chromatography using a column HP-88 100 m* 0.25 mm*0.20 µm. The possibility of using oil in food was established by conducting pilot laboratory studies and investigating changes in physicochemical parameters during storage. The extraction by the Soxhlet method (hexane as a solvent) was compared with the method of extraction of raw materials in a microwave field (ethyl alcohol as a solvent). Studies of physicochemical parameters indicate the degree of oil oxidation (determi¬nation of peroxide and anisidine values). The peroxide value is an indicator of the content of primary oxidation products. The peroxide value of the oil obtained by the method of Soxhlet extraction (hexane as a solvent) was 5.0 (½O mmol) kg–1. The peroxide value of the oil obtained by extraction in a microwave field (ethyl alcohol as a solvent) was 3.8 (½O mmol) kg–1. The anisidine value is an indicator of the content of aldehydes in vegetable oils (secondary oxidation products). The anisidine value of the oil obtained by the method of Soxhlet extraction (hexane as a solvent) was 0.3 s.u. The anisidine value of oil obtained by extraction in a microwave field (ethyl alcohol as a solvent) was 0.2 s.u. Comparing the data of peroxide and anisidine values, it can be argued that the oil obtained by extraction of raw materials in a microwave field (ethyl alcohol as a solvent) had the best indicators. The acid value is one of the main qualitative indicators that characterize the degree of oil freshness. The acid value of the oil obtained by the method of Soxhlet extraction (hexane as a solvent) was 3.1 (mg KOH) g–1. The acid number of the oil obtained by extraction in a microwave field (ethyl alcohol as a solvent) was 2.1 (mg KOH) g–1. A comparison of the acid values of oils extracted from the raw material by different extraction methods shows that the oil obtained by the method of extraction of raw materials in a microwave field using ethyl alcohol as a solvent has the best acid value. Studies have shown that the oil, which was obtained by extraction of raw materials in a microwave field using ethyl alcohol as a solvent, had the best resistance to oxidation during storage (three months).
The goal of this study was to evaluate the comparative effect of alcoholic extracts of pomegranate peel powder (POMPEP), potato peel powder (POTPEP) and apple peel powder (APPPEP) on oxidative and microbial stability of chicken meat patties during frozen storage at −18 °C for 60 days. The formulations of meat products were treated with different freeze-dried alcoholic peel extracts (T1 – control; T2 – 1% POMPEP; T3 – 1% POTPEP and T4 – 1% APPPEP). Peroxide value (PV), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), free fatty acids (FFA), pH, total aerobic bacteria (TAB), and psychrophilic bacteria (PSB) counts were determined after 0, 15, 30, 45 and 60 days of storage. The addition of extracts led to a significant decrease in PV (13.62–26.82%), compared with control. Regarding the secondary oxidation products, the TBARS values of different patties decreased in the order of POMPEP > APPPEP > POTPEP > Control. FFA values of the POTPEP treated patties were significantly higher than in other extracts, whereas there were no significant differences in the pH values among studied extracts. TAB and PSB values of the treated patties were less than the maximum allowed value.
The efficiency of growing leguminous and cereal agrophytocenoses (Trifolium pratense and Medicago sativa sown with the addition of Bromus inermis, Lolium multiflorum, Festuca rubra), highlighted their economic and energy advantages over cereal grasses. The article presents the results of the study of the influence of grass mixtures on the main indicators of the efficiency of growing sowing phytocenoses during haymaking in the Carpathians on dark grey soil. Growing agrophytocenoses without mineral fertilizers ensures the maintenance of 370–520 € ha–1 of net profit, with the profitability of 151–187%, the cost of 1 ton of feed units – 56.7–66.7 €, bioenergy coefficient – 2.5–2.9, energy efficiency ratio – 5.8–6.5 and energy consumption per 1 ton of feed units – 4.0–4.7 GJ. The cultivation of alfalfa-cereal grasses is ensured on dark-wet soil with three years of use of the best indicators of economic and energy efficiency. It was found that on both experimental bean-cereal grasses the highest efficiency is maintained when P60K60 is applied in combination with inoculation of seeds of bean strains of nodule bacteria.
