As a country with not only significant production potential but also fragmented land ownership, the Kyrgyz Republic struggles with environmental efficiency, which is a strategic element of environmental management in agricultural production. The objective of this study was to assess the environmental efficiency of sheep’s wool when used as a fertilizer in bean production in northern Kyrgyzstan. In this study, the efficiency indicator was taken to be GHG emissions per functional unit of product, using a proprietary methodology for calculating GHG emissions to determine the true value of this material as a source of soil nutrients and organic matter. Two experimental factors were used in the experiment: fertilizer type and fertilizer rate. Fertilization with sheep wool resulted in a 15% higher bean yield compared to when fertilized with mineral fertilizers at a comparable rate, converted to pure nitrogen. By using sheep wool as a source of mineral nutrients for the plants, the carbon footprint was reduced by almost 10% compared to a facility with mineral fertilization. Therefore, the use of sheep wool as a source of plant nutrients is environmentally justified.

The problem of the use and disposal of horticultural substrates is an important element of the optimization of plastic greenhouse production in terms of economic and environmental efficiency. The production of mineral substrates is associated with a high energy expenditure, which generates costs and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. An important factor is also the transport of professional substrates over long distances. The research objective was to evaluate the possibility of using sheep wool to create horticultural substrates in the hydroponic production of cucumber. The modifier of production technology was the use of substrates of various origins. The experiment was based on the use of two substrates: one was a conventional substrate, made of mineral wool, and the other was made of greasy Gissar sheep wool, which is considered waste or a nuisance byproduct of sheep farming today. The adopted functional unit was 1 ton of commercial cucumber yield. The boundaries of the system were soil formation, fertilization, irrigation, and harvesting. The amount of GHG emissions was calculated in accordance with the ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 standards. The results of the experiment show that the use of sheep wool as a substrate in the hydroponic cultivation of cucumbers reduced yield by approximately 8%, but it allowed for a higher efficiency of water and mineral fertilizer use per crop mass unit. Within the adopted system boundary, the value of the carbon footprint in the object with the conventional substrate was 276.9 kg CO₂ eq · Mg⁻¹. The value of this parameter for the object with the sheep wool was 193.9 kg CO₂ eq · Mg⁻¹. The use of sheep wool did not increase the phytosanitary risk of the cultivated plants. An important goal for achieving sustainability, especially in food production, is to use materials that are easily recyclable and renewable, locally available, and environmentally friendly. The use of sheep wool as a substrate for soilless plastic greenhouse cultivation is a rational solution, as this material consists of 60% animal protein fibers, 10% fat, 15% moisture, 10% sheep sweat, and an average of 5% impurities. This makes it an easily recyclable, easily renewable, and environmentally friendly source of raw material for hydroponic substrates in food production, contrary to rockwool, which produces waste that is difficult to manage and a nuisance to the natural environment. In the countries of Central Asia, the sheep population is over 20 million; therefore, the potential for using sheep wool material for agricultural production is significant.

Bu çalışmada, tarımsal üretimin yoğun olarak yapıldığı İzmir ilinde yetiştirilen bazı bitkiler için bitki su tüketimi değerleri ile sulama programları belirlenmeye çalışılmıştır. Sulama programlarının oluşturulmasındaki toprak-su bütçesi yaklaşımı, yöre koşullarına uygun sulama planlarının elde edilmesinde ve farklı koşullarda ortaya çıkacak değişimlerin belirlenmesinde kullanılmaktadır. Bu amaçla çalışmada, İzmir yöresi için referans bitki su tüketimi değerleri Penman-Monteith (FAO Modifikasyonu) yöntemi ile hesaplanmıştır. Sulama zaman planlarının oluşturulmasında, yetiştirilen herhangi bir bitki için bölgenin iklim ve toprak koşulları, yetiştirilen bitkinin karakteristikleri, çiftçi istekleri ve kullanılan sulama yöntemi ile sulama sisteminin özelliklerini göz önüne alarak yeterli su koşullarında sulama planları elde edilmesini sağlayan IRSIS bilgisayar yazılımı kullanılmıştır.

This paper proposes a method to determine the optimal parameters for the drying of soybean using a kinematic vibration dryer. Among the main parameters of the investigated vibroconveyor are heat and mass transfer, physical and mechanical. The paper presents a mathematical model of the dependence of parameters of the soybean drying process of soybean built based on experimental data obtained by organizing an effective experiment plan with a sufficiently large number of factor levels. To determine the rational parameters for drying soybean, it is important to build the most accurate and adequate mathematical model, which will determine the most accurate values of the required parameters. For this purpose, it is recommended to conduct an experiment with as many levels of factors as possible. The article proposes an experiment established on a dedicated balanced orthogonal plan, which is optimal according to the D-efficiency criterion. Based on the experimental data, an adequate mathematical model of the dependence of the drying characteristics of soybean (moisture of the processed material (%), temperature inside the product layer ( ^° С) on the parameters – vibration amplitude (mm), distance from the conveyor surface (mm), radiation power (Wt), weight (g·min ⁻¹ ). Following the analysis of the constructed mathematical model, optimal parameters of the developed vibroconveyor infrared dryer were substantiated. The main characteristics of the vibroconveryor mechanism of interoperational transportation of bulk products in the working area were also determined, and a technical and economic analysis of the developed oscillatory system was conducted.

Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) is one of the most important vegetables cultivated under greenhouse conditions in Turkey. Salinity problems are experienced in both the soil and irrigation water in agricultural areas. For this reason, soilless cultivation in greenhouses is increasing and important, meaning that salinity control must be conducted more effectively. The increase in soilless agriculture practices and salinity problems should be investigated and studies should be carried out to propose solutions to the problems experienced. In this study, the effects of different salinity levels and leaching fractions on the plant growth, yield, quality and water consumption of pepper grown in soilless cultures were determined. The experiment was carried out over four growing periods across two years. The adopted experimental design was a randomized split-plot design with three replications. Pepper plants were grown in a perlite and cocopeat mixture in 144 pots. The volume of the pots was 8 L and the pots were filled with a mixture of 4 L of perlite and 4 L of cocopeat. The plants were fed with a complete nutrient solution and their EC levels were used as the control treatment (S₁: the EC value of the control was 1.4–1.5 dS m⁻¹). The electrical conductivities of the solution in the other three treatments were increased to 2 (S₂), 4 (S₃) and 6 (S₄) dS m⁻¹ above the control by adding NaCl. We attempted to achieve two different leaching fractions (LR: leaching ratio) by means of weekly measurements, with 15–20% (LR₁) or 35–40% (LR₂) being applied at each salinity level. According to our results, there was no significant difference between the leaching fractions with respect to yield in any of the four growing seasons, but the yield decreased with the increase in salinity. The difference between the salinity level treatments and their interactions between the subjects was generally significant for the production periods.

This study evaluated the viability of utilizing membrane bioreactor (MBR)‐treated wastewater for the irrigation of safflower ( Carthamus tinctorius L., cv. Dinçer) under Mediterranean conditions. A field experiment was conducted in İzmir, Türkiye, from May 1st to August 13th, 2015, to assess the effects of four irrigation regimes under drip irrigation on plant growth and water use: weekly irrigation with MBR‐treated wastewater (I1), weekly irrigation with freshwater (I2), phenological‐stage irrigation with MBR‐treated wastewater (I3), and no irrigation (I4). Seed yield, 1000‐seed weight, oil content, evapotranspiration (ET), water use efficiency (WUE), and soil salinity were evaluated. Irrigation regimes significantly affected all yield‐related parameters. The highest seed yield (363.5 kg da ⁻¹ ) and oil yield (103.8 kg oil da ⁻¹ ) were obtained under I1, followed closely by I2. No significant differences in yield were observed between I1 and I2, indicating that MBR‐treated wastewater can serve as a viable alternative to freshwater for safflower irrigation. A notable saving in water use, accompanied with acceptable yield reductions, was achieved by phenological‐stage irrigation (I3). The highest oil content (31.8%) was recorded under I4, indicating that water limitation increased oil concentration but reduced total yield. Soil electrical conductivity of the saturation extract (ECe) increased in the surface soil layers under MBR‐treated wastewater irrigation (I1, I3); however, no adverse effects on plant growth were observed. Crop coefficient values ( K _c ) were higher than the standard FAO‐56 values. It was concluded that MBR‐treated wastewater can be utilized for safflower irrigation, if salinity and sodicity are regularly monitored and managed. Therefore, the adoption of this approach demonstrated to be a sustainable strategy for enhancing agricultural water reuse under water‐scarce conditions.