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Soil compaction (SC) is one of the most damaging degradation processes. The effects of compaction are closely related to crop losses and GHG emissions due to additional fuel use. It is therefore important not only to correctly monitor the condition of the soil and the restoration of damaged soil but also to understand the costs of excessive exploitation of soil and individual risks in different countries and continents. A model of equations has been developed to assess the effects of compaction that can be used on a national or even single farm scale. However, for its further application, more data should be collected. Based on the data available in the public domain, the damage caused by compaction was compared between Ukrainian (UA) and Lithuanian (LT) scenarios as these countries have a similar situation but different levels of soil resource management. Soil characteristics, such as soil types and predisposition to compaction, depending on its type, were assessed in both countries. The main parameters used to estimate the damage due to SC were: yield loss; additional fuel consumption; losses of N, P, K fertilizers, water pollution, and flooding; erosion; and GHG emissions. The results reveal potential annual losses due to compaction of around EUR 27 million for Lithuania and around EUR 1.6 billion for Ukraine. Expected potential average losses per hectare of arable land are about EUR 49 ha−1 y−1 for Ukraine (33.9 million ha or 56.76% of the total area) and about EUR 13 ha−1 y−1 for Lithuania (2.11 million ha or 33.77%). Potential crop losses are one of the costliest consequences of compaction. They could cost about EUR 1 billion annually for Ukraine and about EUR 10.7 million for Lithuania. Moreover, the additional use of fuel and the associated GHG emissions can probably take away EUR 180 million (UA) and about EUR 4 million (LT) each year.
Andrii Zabrodskyi; Egidijus Šarauskis; Savelii Kukharets; Antanas Juostas; Gediminas Vasiliauskas; Albinas Andriušis. Analysis of the Impact of Soil Compaction on the Environment and Agricultural Economic Losses in Lithuania and Ukraine. Sustainability 2021, 13, 7762 .
AMA StyleAndrii Zabrodskyi, Egidijus Šarauskis, Savelii Kukharets, Antanas Juostas, Gediminas Vasiliauskas, Albinas Andriušis. Analysis of the Impact of Soil Compaction on the Environment and Agricultural Economic Losses in Lithuania and Ukraine. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (14):7762.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAndrii Zabrodskyi; Egidijus Šarauskis; Savelii Kukharets; Antanas Juostas; Gediminas Vasiliauskas; Albinas Andriušis. 2021. "Analysis of the Impact of Soil Compaction on the Environment and Agricultural Economic Losses in Lithuania and Ukraine." Sustainability 13, no. 14: 7762.
Solving traction force and energy consumption problem in crop production, the use of strategically selected bioproducts can change the physical properties of the soil and influence changes in the traction force during tillage technological operations. The aim of this work was to investigate the influence of different biopreparations on the physical properties of the soil, winter wheat residues and the machine traction force during shallow tillage. In spring, after the resumption of winter wheat vegetation, seven different biopreparations and their mixtures were used. In autumn, after the harvest, studies of plant residues and soil porosity and density were performed prior to shallow tillage. The traction force of the tractor when working the soil shallowly was determined at 3 driving velocities—8, 10 and 12 km h−1. Research has shown a positive effect of biopreparations on the total porosity, density, and traction force of the machine. However, biopreparations did not significantly affect the cutting force of winter wheat residues. Biopreparations can reduce the traction force in shallow tillage due positive changes soil properties.
Kristina Lekavičienė; Vilma Naujokienė; Egidijus Šarauskis; Algirdas Jasinskas. Influence of Biopreparations on Soil and Crop Residue Properties, Traction Force of Machines in Shallow Tillage. Applied Sciences 2021, 11, 6018 .
AMA StyleKristina Lekavičienė, Vilma Naujokienė, Egidijus Šarauskis, Algirdas Jasinskas. Influence of Biopreparations on Soil and Crop Residue Properties, Traction Force of Machines in Shallow Tillage. Applied Sciences. 2021; 11 (13):6018.
Chicago/Turabian StyleKristina Lekavičienė; Vilma Naujokienė; Egidijus Šarauskis; Algirdas Jasinskas. 2021. "Influence of Biopreparations on Soil and Crop Residue Properties, Traction Force of Machines in Shallow Tillage." Applied Sciences 11, no. 13: 6018.
Moisture content is one of the most important parameters related to the quality of wood chips that affects both the calorific and economic value of fuel chips. For industrial applications, moisture content needs to be detected quickly. For this purpose, various indirect moisture content measurement methods (e.g., capacitance, NIR, microwave, ECT, X-ray CT, and nuclear MR) have been investigated with different results in the past. Nevertheless, determining wood chip moisture content in real time is still a challenge. The main aim of this article was therefore to analyze the dielectric properties of wood chips at low frequencies (10 kHz–5 MHz) and to examine the possibility of using these properties to predict wood chip moisture content and porosity. A container-type probe was developed for this purpose. The electrical capacitance and dissipation factor of wood chips with different moisture content was measured by an LCR meter at 10 kHz, 50 kHz, 100 kHz, 500 kHz, 1 MHz, and 5 MHz frequencies. Wood chip porosity was also measured using a gas displacement method. Linear models for moisture content and porosity prediction were determined by backward stepwise linear regression. Mathematical model was developed to better understand the physical relationships between moisture content, porosity, and electrical capacitance. These models were able to predict the moisture content of observed quantities of wood chips with the required accuracy (R2 = 0.9–0.99). This finding opens another path to measuring the moisture content and porosity of wood chips in a relatively cheap and fast way and with adequate precision. In addition, principal component analysis showed that it is also possible to distinguish between individual wood chip fraction sizes from the information obtained.
Jakub Lev; Václav Křepčík; Egidijus Šarauskis; František Kumhála. Electrical Capacitance Characteristics of Wood Chips at Low Frequency Ranges: A Cheap Tool for Quality Assessment. Sensors 2021, 21, 3494 .
AMA StyleJakub Lev, Václav Křepčík, Egidijus Šarauskis, František Kumhála. Electrical Capacitance Characteristics of Wood Chips at Low Frequency Ranges: A Cheap Tool for Quality Assessment. Sensors. 2021; 21 (10):3494.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJakub Lev; Václav Křepčík; Egidijus Šarauskis; František Kumhála. 2021. "Electrical Capacitance Characteristics of Wood Chips at Low Frequency Ranges: A Cheap Tool for Quality Assessment." Sensors 21, no. 10: 3494.
Rapidly warming climate, tightening environmental requirements, an aging society, rising wages, and demand for organic products are forcing farming to be more efficient and sustainable. The main aim of this study was to perform an analytical analysis and to determine the energy use and GHG emissions of organic sugar beet production using different weed control methods. Seven different methods of non-chemical weed control were compared. Mechanical inter-row loosening, inter-row cutting and mulching with weeds, weed smothering with catch crops, and thermal inter-row steaming were performed in field experiments at the Experimental Station of Vytautas Magnus University (Lithuania, 2015–2017). The other three, namely, automated mechanical inter-row loosening with cameras for row-tracking, inter-row loosening with a diesel-powered robot, and inter-row loosening with an electric robot were calculated analytically. The results showed that the average total energy use of organic sugar beet production was 27,844 MJ ha−1, of which manure costs accounted for 48–53% and diesel fuel for 29–35%. An average energy efficiency ratio was 7.18, while energy productivity was 1.83 kg MJ ha−1. Analysis of GHG emissions showed that the total average GHG emissions to the environment from organic sugar beet production amounted to 4552 kg CO2eq ha−1, and the average GHG emissions ratio was 4.47. The most sustainable organic sugar beet production was achieved by using mechanical inter-row loosening with a diesel-powered robot for weed control.
Indrė Bručienė; Domantas Aleliūnas; Egidijus Šarauskis; Kęstutis Romaneckas. Influence of Mechanical and Intelligent Robotic Weed Control Methods on Energy Efficiency and Environment in Organic Sugar Beet Production. Agriculture 2021, 11, 449 .
AMA StyleIndrė Bručienė, Domantas Aleliūnas, Egidijus Šarauskis, Kęstutis Romaneckas. Influence of Mechanical and Intelligent Robotic Weed Control Methods on Energy Efficiency and Environment in Organic Sugar Beet Production. Agriculture. 2021; 11 (5):449.
Chicago/Turabian StyleIndrė Bručienė; Domantas Aleliūnas; Egidijus Šarauskis; Kęstutis Romaneckas. 2021. "Influence of Mechanical and Intelligent Robotic Weed Control Methods on Energy Efficiency and Environment in Organic Sugar Beet Production." Agriculture 11, no. 5: 449.
A field experiment with reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea L.) was carried out at LAMMC Vėžaičiai Branch (Western Lithuania) in 2010–2016 with the aim to evaluate the impact of liming and nitrogen on grass productivity, biomass chemical content and energetic parameters of the pellets. The site soil is the natural acidic loam Retisol (pH 4.2–4.6). Reed canary grass productivity was significantly affected by the year of growing and nitrogen fertilization. The average annual dry matter (DM) yield varied from 5442 to 11,114 t ha−1. The highest yields were obtained using the annual rate of 120 kg ha−1 N (nitrogen) fertilizers. Soil liming had a negligible effect on biomass productivity. Nitrogen utilization efficiency (NUE) varied greatly depending on the growing year and N fertilization rate. After analyzing the properties of reed canary grass and wood sawdust granules, it was found that the granules obtained a high density exceeding 1000 kg m−3 DM. The lowest calorific value of reed canary grass pellets was found to be quite high—17.4 MJ kg−1 DM. All harmful emissions did not exceed the permissible values. Summarizing the results, it can be stated that reed canary grass pellets may be recommended for burning in domestic boilers.
Gintaras Šiaudinis; Algirdas Jasinskas; Egidijus Šarauskis; Regina Skuodienė; Regina Repšienė; Danutė Karčauskienė. The Influence of Lime Material and Nitrogen Fertilization on Reed Canary Grass Productivity, Plant Quality and Environmental Impact of Using Biomass for Energy Purposes. Agronomy 2021, 11, 895 .
AMA StyleGintaras Šiaudinis, Algirdas Jasinskas, Egidijus Šarauskis, Regina Skuodienė, Regina Repšienė, Danutė Karčauskienė. The Influence of Lime Material and Nitrogen Fertilization on Reed Canary Grass Productivity, Plant Quality and Environmental Impact of Using Biomass for Energy Purposes. Agronomy. 2021; 11 (5):895.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGintaras Šiaudinis; Algirdas Jasinskas; Egidijus Šarauskis; Regina Skuodienė; Regina Repšienė; Danutė Karčauskienė. 2021. "The Influence of Lime Material and Nitrogen Fertilization on Reed Canary Grass Productivity, Plant Quality and Environmental Impact of Using Biomass for Energy Purposes." Agronomy 11, no. 5: 895.
Analyses of statistical data were made and their results discussed in this article to identify the level of Poland’s energy security and to determine the role of agriculture in ensuring it. It has been demonstrated that coal continues to be the staple resource for the generation of energy in Poland. The current demands and requirements concerning the reduced consumption of non-renewable resources and Poland’s obligations towards the European Union regarding the production of energy from renewable resources—all these considerations contribute to the promotion of a skillful development of energy crop farming, which, in Poland, is likely to be very successful. Agriculture plays an important role in ensuring Poland’s energy security, and this branch of farming can grow dynamically provided adequate legal regulations and promotion are in place. The chief resource for renewable energy generation is biomass. Straw and biogas production in agricultural biogas plants are two solutions whose full energy production potential still awaits to be tapped.
Stanisław Bielski; Renata Marks-Bielska; Anna Zielińska-Chmielewska; Kęstutis Romaneckas; Egidijus Šarauskis. Importance of Agriculture in Creating Energy Security—A Case Study of Poland. Energies 2021, 14, 2465 .
AMA StyleStanisław Bielski, Renata Marks-Bielska, Anna Zielińska-Chmielewska, Kęstutis Romaneckas, Egidijus Šarauskis. Importance of Agriculture in Creating Energy Security—A Case Study of Poland. Energies. 2021; 14 (9):2465.
Chicago/Turabian StyleStanisław Bielski; Renata Marks-Bielska; Anna Zielińska-Chmielewska; Kęstutis Romaneckas; Egidijus Šarauskis. 2021. "Importance of Agriculture in Creating Energy Security—A Case Study of Poland." Energies 14, no. 9: 2465.
Differently tilled faba bean cultivations, in particular, require a comprehensive study of weed diversity, abundance, and seedbank due to the lack of experimental data. Therefore, in 2016–2018, field trials were conducted at Vytautas Magnus University on the basis of a long-term tillage experiment. Conventional deep and shallow plowing, deep chiseling, shallow disking, and no-tillage systems were investigated. According to the results of the investigations, the air temperature and amount of precipitation during the vegetative season had a greater influence on the total number of weeds (r = 0.538 and 0.833 p > 0.05) than the types of tillage systems investigated. However, on average, a reduction in tillage intensity did not change the weed number, especially in disked and not tilled plots. On average, the biomass of weeds varied little between the treatments (from 105.9 to 125.7 g m−2) and mainly depended on the volume of forecrop residues (rannual = −0.982 p ≤ 0.01 and rperennial = 0.890 p ≤ 0.05). Higher total weed seedbanks were found in the disked (+43.0%) and not tilled (+21.6%) soils compared to deeply plowed ones. The weed seedbank was almost similarly distributed between the treatments, irrespective of the tillage depth and method used.
Kęstutis Romaneckas; Rasa Kimbirauskienė; Aušra Sinkevičienė; Iwona Jaskulska; Sidona Buragienė; Aida Adamavičienė; Egidijus Šarauskis. Weed Diversity, Abundance, and Seedbank in Differently Tilled Faba Bean (Vicia faba L.) Cultivations. Agronomy 2021, 11, 529 .
AMA StyleKęstutis Romaneckas, Rasa Kimbirauskienė, Aušra Sinkevičienė, Iwona Jaskulska, Sidona Buragienė, Aida Adamavičienė, Egidijus Šarauskis. Weed Diversity, Abundance, and Seedbank in Differently Tilled Faba Bean (Vicia faba L.) Cultivations. Agronomy. 2021; 11 (3):529.
Chicago/Turabian StyleKęstutis Romaneckas; Rasa Kimbirauskienė; Aušra Sinkevičienė; Iwona Jaskulska; Sidona Buragienė; Aida Adamavičienė; Egidijus Šarauskis. 2021. "Weed Diversity, Abundance, and Seedbank in Differently Tilled Faba Bean (Vicia faba L.) Cultivations." Agronomy 11, no. 3: 529.
Reducing the overuse of mineral fertilizers in crop production is a key factor related to healthier soil, healthier food, and more economical, efficient, and cleaner agricultural production. The aim of this study was to investigate and to compare the effects of fixed and variable rate fertilization with fertilizer consumption, energy consumption, and environmental impact. A 4-year experimental field study using crop rotation of four plants (spring barley, winter oilseed rape, winter wheat, and faba bean) was performed. Fertilization with phosphorus and potassium at a variable rate were performed and applied based on the soil properties analyzed before the start of the research and completion of the fertilization maps. Nitrogen fertilization was performed by additional fertilization using a proximal N-sensor, which gives the accurate nitrogen uptake in plants in real-time. This was followed by a comparative evaluation analysis of variables and conventional fixed-rate fertilization methods to assess fertilizer consumption, energy consumption, environmental impact, and economic efficiency. The results of the study showed that an application of a variable fertilization rate can reduce the total amount of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium fertilizers by 24.9%, energy consumption by 3463.1 kg ha−1, and emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) by 341.5 kg CO2eq ha−1 compared to fixed fertilization rate. The method of fertilization with a variable application rate reduced the costs of fertilization, and at the same time, the costs of the total plant production by €168.0 ha−1, on average.
Marius Kazlauskas; Indrė Bručienė; Algirdas Jasinskas; Egidijus Šarauskis. Comparative Analysis of Energy and GHG Emissions Using Fixed and Variable Fertilization Rates. Agronomy 2021, 11, 138 .
AMA StyleMarius Kazlauskas, Indrė Bručienė, Algirdas Jasinskas, Egidijus Šarauskis. Comparative Analysis of Energy and GHG Emissions Using Fixed and Variable Fertilization Rates. Agronomy. 2021; 11 (1):138.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMarius Kazlauskas; Indrė Bručienė; Algirdas Jasinskas; Egidijus Šarauskis. 2021. "Comparative Analysis of Energy and GHG Emissions Using Fixed and Variable Fertilization Rates." Agronomy 11, no. 1: 138.
Different bio-impacts affect the various properties and composition of soil, plant residues, harvests, and technological processes, as well as the interactions between different parts of the soil, working machine tools, energy consumption and environmental pollution with harmful gases. To summarize the wide-coverage investigations of various aspects of different bio-impact parameters, a multicriteria evaluation was conducted. Experimental research shows that different bioeffects such as those of agricultural practices can be oriented towards a reduction in fuel consumption, followed by reductions in CO2 emissions from machinery and changes in soil properties, dynamics of composition, yield and other parameters. A multicriteria assessment of the essential parameters would give farmers new opportunities to choose one optimal decision for reducing fuel consumption and increasing agricultural production, thereby reducing the negative environmental impact of soil cultivation processes, increasing yields and improving soil. Of all the properties investigated, from a practical point of view, the selection of the most important of all the essential links, such as reducing energy and expenditure, reducing environmental pollution, improving soil, and increasing yields and productivity, is reasonable. The evaluation of the bio-impact effects in agriculture by accounting for many criteria from several aspects was the main objective of the multicriteria assessment using the analytic hierarchy process. Based on the results of a multivariable research of fuel consumption—C1, C2, yield—C3, CO2 from soil—C4, density—C5, total porosity—C6, humus—C7, soil stability—C8, and soil moisture content—C9, the evaluation used experimental research data and the Simple Additive Weighting (SAW) mathematical method to find the best-case scenario. Multicriteria effectiveness was most pronounced after the first and third soil bio-impacts by using a solution of essential oils of plants, 40 species of various herbs extracts, marine algae extracts, mineral oils, Azospirillum sp. (N), Frateuria aurentia (K), Bacillus megaterium (P), seaweed extract. The most important goal was to achieve the best soil bio-impact effectiveness—minimized energy consumption from ploughing and disc harrowing operations, parallelly minimized harmful emissions from agricultural machinery, minimized CO2 from soil, soil density, maximized soil total porosity, soil humus, soil stability, yield and optimized soil moisture.
Vilma Naujokienė; Daiva Rimkuvienė; Egidijus Šarauskis. Soil Bio-Impact Effectiveness for the Optimal Multicriterial Environmental Sustainability in Crop Production. Agronomy 2020, 11, 72 .
AMA StyleVilma Naujokienė, Daiva Rimkuvienė, Egidijus Šarauskis. Soil Bio-Impact Effectiveness for the Optimal Multicriterial Environmental Sustainability in Crop Production. Agronomy. 2020; 11 (1):72.
Chicago/Turabian StyleVilma Naujokienė; Daiva Rimkuvienė; Egidijus Šarauskis. 2020. "Soil Bio-Impact Effectiveness for the Optimal Multicriterial Environmental Sustainability in Crop Production." Agronomy 11, no. 1: 72.
Soil tillage intensity influences the chemical composition of soil, the distribution of nutrients, and soil physical and mechanical properties, as well as gas flows. The impact of reduced tillage on these indices in faba bean cultivation is still insufficient and requires more analysis on a global scale. This study was carried out at Vytautas Magnus University, Agriculture Academy (Lithuania) in 2016–2018. The aim of the investigation was to establish the influence of the tillage systems on the soil chemical composition, temperature, moisture content, and CO2 respiration in faba bean cultivation limited by the semi-humid subarctic climate. On the basis of a long-term tillage experiment, five tillage systems were tested: deep and shallow moldboard plowing, deep cultivation-chiseling, shallow cultivation-disking, and no-tillage. Results showed that in conditions of plowless tillage systems, the content of precrops’ residues on the topsoil before the spring tillage was 5 to 15 times higher than in plowed plots. It undoubtedly was for the amount of available nutrients in the soil, soil temperature, and moisture content. Plowless and no-tillage systems could initiate an increase in the amount of available nutrients in soil. The highest concentration of chemical elements was found in no-tilled plots. So faba bean crops could largely increase the composition of potassium and total nitrogen and stabilized CO2 respiration from soil during one vegetative period.
Rasa Kimbirauskienė; Kęstutis Romaneckas; Vilma Naujokienė; Aušra SINKEVIČIENĖ; Egidijus Šarauskis; Sidona Buragienė; Stanisław Bielski. Planosol CO2 Respiration, Chemical and Physical Properties of Differently Tilled Faba Bean Cultivation. Land 2020, 9, 456 .
AMA StyleRasa Kimbirauskienė, Kęstutis Romaneckas, Vilma Naujokienė, Aušra SINKEVIČIENĖ, Egidijus Šarauskis, Sidona Buragienė, Stanisław Bielski. Planosol CO2 Respiration, Chemical and Physical Properties of Differently Tilled Faba Bean Cultivation. Land. 2020; 9 (11):456.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRasa Kimbirauskienė; Kęstutis Romaneckas; Vilma Naujokienė; Aušra SINKEVIČIENĖ; Egidijus Šarauskis; Sidona Buragienė; Stanisław Bielski. 2020. "Planosol CO2 Respiration, Chemical and Physical Properties of Differently Tilled Faba Bean Cultivation." Land 9, no. 11: 456.
Agricultural management, environmentally friendly technologies, chemical, organic and bio-based substances used, as well as meteorological factors, have a significant impact on the fluctuations of soil organic carbon (SOC). The aim of this research was to analyze the effect of different biopreparations on the changes of SOC content and the winter wheat and winter oilseed rape yields by assessing the energy consumption efficiency and the environmental impacts. The experimental research was conducted from 2017 to 2019 in three different treatments, in two of which were used either a molasses and magnesium sulphate based-biopreparation (T1) or a bacteria-based biopreparation (T2), while treatment T3 was applied as a control where no biopreparations were used. The dynamics of SOC content were analyzed at two depths: 0–10 and 10–20 cm. For the analysis of energy efficiency indicators and environmental impacts, the greenhouse gas (GHG) and energy consumption conversion equivalents were used. A summary of the results showed that both types of biopreparations had a positive effect on the changes of SOC content, which was especially evident in the deeper layers at 10–20 cm depth, where, irrespective of the crop type, a more significant increase of the SOC content was observed every year of the experiment compared to the control treatment. Biopreparations had a significant effect in increasing the winter wheat and winter oilseed rape yield. The best energy efficiency ratio was observed in winter wheat (4.84) and winter oilseed rape (5.11) in treatment T1. The results of the environmental impact assessment showed that the lowest GHG emissions were recorded in the winter wheat production in treatment T1 at 108.7–149.1 kg CO2eq Mg−1, while the highest were observed in oilseed rape production in the control treatment T3 at 343.4 kg CO2eq Mg−1.
Darius Juknevičius; Zita Kriaučiūnienė; Algirdas Jasinskas; Egidijus Šarauskis. Analysis of Changes in Soil Organic Carbon, Energy Consumption and Environmental Impact Using Bio-Products in the Production of Winter Wheat and Oilseed Rape. Sustainability 2020, 12, 8246 .
AMA StyleDarius Juknevičius, Zita Kriaučiūnienė, Algirdas Jasinskas, Egidijus Šarauskis. Analysis of Changes in Soil Organic Carbon, Energy Consumption and Environmental Impact Using Bio-Products in the Production of Winter Wheat and Oilseed Rape. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (19):8246.
Chicago/Turabian StyleDarius Juknevičius; Zita Kriaučiūnienė; Algirdas Jasinskas; Egidijus Šarauskis. 2020. "Analysis of Changes in Soil Organic Carbon, Energy Consumption and Environmental Impact Using Bio-Products in the Production of Winter Wheat and Oilseed Rape." Sustainability 12, no. 19: 8246.
In order to evaluate the liming and nitrogen efficiency of cocksfoot (Dactylisglomerata L.) productivity, a field experiment was performed in Western Lithuania’s naturally acidic Retisol area (55°43′ N, 21°27′ E). Based on seven years of research data, dry mass (DM) yield (including first and second cuttings) reliably varied depending on the growing year, from 4.57 to 7.34 t ha−1. The most significant and positive impact on DM yield was obtained by the application of higher liming (6.0 t ha−1 CaCO3) and nitrogen (120 kg ha−1) rates. Liming utilization efficiency (LUE) was affected by the year of growth (although not always significantly), with a 6.0 t ha−1 CaCO3 liming rate and nitrogen fertilization. Nitrogen utilization efficiency (NUE) varied depending on the growing year and N fertilization rate. One of the most effective solutions for improving cocksfoot biomass is to prepare pressed granulated biofuel, which is potentially a good quality raw material for the direct combustion process. The execution and evaluation of technological parameters and properties of produced pellets revealed that cocksfoot pellet humidity reached 10.0% ± 0.6%, whereas pellet density was sufficiently high, and reached 983.8 ± 22.9 kgm−3 DM. The lower calorific value of cocksfoot pellets reached 17.7 MJkg−1. Ash content after pellet burning was relatively high, reaching 7.0–7.6%. Pellet ash melting temperatures were sufficiently high, with ash softening temperature (ST) reaching 1065 °C. Determined emissions of harmful gases from the burning of cocksfoot pellets (CO2, CO, SO2, NOx and unburnt hydrocarbons CxHy) did not exceed the permissible limits.
Gintaras Šiaudinis; Algirdas Jasinskas; Danutė Karčauskienė; Egidijus Šarauskis; Kristina Lekavičienė; Regina Repšienė. The Dependence of Cocksfoot Productivity of Liming and Nitrogen Application and the Assessment of Qualitative Parameters and Environmental Impact Using Biomass for Biofuels. Sustainability 2020, 12, 8208 .
AMA StyleGintaras Šiaudinis, Algirdas Jasinskas, Danutė Karčauskienė, Egidijus Šarauskis, Kristina Lekavičienė, Regina Repšienė. The Dependence of Cocksfoot Productivity of Liming and Nitrogen Application and the Assessment of Qualitative Parameters and Environmental Impact Using Biomass for Biofuels. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (19):8208.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGintaras Šiaudinis; Algirdas Jasinskas; Danutė Karčauskienė; Egidijus Šarauskis; Kristina Lekavičienė; Regina Repšienė. 2020. "The Dependence of Cocksfoot Productivity of Liming and Nitrogen Application and the Assessment of Qualitative Parameters and Environmental Impact Using Biomass for Biofuels." Sustainability 12, no. 19: 8208.
There is a lack of research on the practice of intercropping sugar beet and the impact of such agrocenoses on soil and crop fertility, especially under organic farming conditions. For this reason, a three-year stationary field experiment was performed at Vytautas Magnus University, Agriculture Academy, Lithuania. Sugar beet was grown continuously with intercropped Persian clover (Trifolium resupinatum L., MC), white mustard (Sinapis alba L., MM) and spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L., MB) as a living mulch. Inter-row loosening (CT) and mulching with ambient weeds (MW) were used as comparative treatments. The results showed that, under minimal fertilization, CT and intercropping increased the average content of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in the soil. However, the average content of magnesium was reduced in single cases (MW, MB), and the average content of sulphur was reduced in all cases. Intercropping significantly decreased the yields of sugar beet root-crop, but was mainly neutral in quality terms. The meteorological conditions during experimentation had a weak impact on root-crop quantity and quality. Generally, the practice of sugar beet intercropping requires more detailed research on how to minimize the competition between the sugar beet, living mulch and weeds, and how to balance the nutrition conditions.
Kęstutis Romaneckas; Aida Adamavičienė; Egidijus Šarauskis; Jovita Balandaitė. The Impact of Intercropping on Soil Fertility and Sugar Beet Productivity. Agronomy 2020, 10, 1406 .
AMA StyleKęstutis Romaneckas, Aida Adamavičienė, Egidijus Šarauskis, Jovita Balandaitė. The Impact of Intercropping on Soil Fertility and Sugar Beet Productivity. Agronomy. 2020; 10 (9):1406.
Chicago/Turabian StyleKęstutis Romaneckas; Aida Adamavičienė; Egidijus Šarauskis; Jovita Balandaitė. 2020. "The Impact of Intercropping on Soil Fertility and Sugar Beet Productivity." Agronomy 10, no. 9: 1406.
Faba beans are an important crops in the agricultural crop rotations and are valuable as medicine, food and feed. Faba beans improve the soil, reduces the utilization of chemical fertilizers for future crops and contribute to the reduction of environmental pollution in agriculture. The aim of this work was to evaluate the potential for environmental mitigation, including the reduction of total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from agricultural inputs, and the potential for improving the energy efficiency in faba bean production by managing tillage intensity. Experiments in faba bean production were performed using five tillage methods with different intensities: T-1-C, conventional tillage with deep ploughing at a depth of 23–25 cm (as a control); T-2, shallow ploughing at a depth of 12–15 cm; T-3, deep chiselling at a depth of 23–25 cm; T-4 – shallow cultivation at a depth of 12–15 cm; and NT, no-tillage. The results showed that the replacement of deep ploughing with lower-intensity tillage operations in faba bean production reduced fuel consumption by 9.8–50.8%, total energy consumption by 298–1194 MJ ha−1 and total GHG emissions by 21–128 kg CO2eq ha−1. The highest yields of beans (4.41 Mg ha−1) and energy output (88,133 MJ ha−1) were obtained under treatment T-3, whereas the best energy productivity (0.37 kg MJ−1) and energy efficiency ratio (7.43), and the lowest environmental pollution (481 CO2eq ha−1) were observed under the NT treatment. The analyse of energy efficiency and pollution in this research led to very important findings: less intensive and more soil-friendly tillage practices have a considerable potential for environmental mitigation in agriculture and simultaneously improve energy efficiency without reducing yield.
Egidijus Šarauskis; Kęstutis Romaneckas; Algirdas Jasinskas; Rasa Kimbirauskienė; Vilma Naujokienė. Improving energy efficiency and environmental mitigation through tillage management in faba bean production. Energy 2020, 209, 118453 .
AMA StyleEgidijus Šarauskis, Kęstutis Romaneckas, Algirdas Jasinskas, Rasa Kimbirauskienė, Vilma Naujokienė. Improving energy efficiency and environmental mitigation through tillage management in faba bean production. Energy. 2020; 209 ():118453.
Chicago/Turabian StyleEgidijus Šarauskis; Kęstutis Romaneckas; Algirdas Jasinskas; Rasa Kimbirauskienė; Vilma Naujokienė. 2020. "Improving energy efficiency and environmental mitigation through tillage management in faba bean production." Energy 209, no. : 118453.
Andrii Zabrodskyi; Egidijus Sarauskis; Antanas Juostas; Savelii Kukharets. Effect of pneumatic tire pressure and deformation parameters on decreasing soil compaction. 20th International Scientific Conference Engineering for Rural Development Proceedings 2020, 1 .
AMA StyleAndrii Zabrodskyi, Egidijus Sarauskis, Antanas Juostas, Savelii Kukharets. Effect of pneumatic tire pressure and deformation parameters on decreasing soil compaction. 20th International Scientific Conference Engineering for Rural Development Proceedings. 2020; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAndrii Zabrodskyi; Egidijus Sarauskis; Antanas Juostas; Savelii Kukharets. 2020. "Effect of pneumatic tire pressure and deformation parameters on decreasing soil compaction." 20th International Scientific Conference Engineering for Rural Development Proceedings , no. : 1.
Marius Kazlauskas; Egidijus Sarauskis; Kestutis Romaneckas; Dainius Steponavicius; Algirdas Jasinskas; Vilma Naujokiene; Indre Bruciene; Tadas Ziogas; Dovydas Vaicekauskas; Justinas Anusauskas; Abdul Mounem Mouazen. Effect of variable rate seeding on winter wheat seedbed and germination parameters using soil apparent electrical conductivity. 20th International Scientific Conference Engineering for Rural Development Proceedings 2020, 1 .
AMA StyleMarius Kazlauskas, Egidijus Sarauskis, Kestutis Romaneckas, Dainius Steponavicius, Algirdas Jasinskas, Vilma Naujokiene, Indre Bruciene, Tadas Ziogas, Dovydas Vaicekauskas, Justinas Anusauskas, Abdul Mounem Mouazen. Effect of variable rate seeding on winter wheat seedbed and germination parameters using soil apparent electrical conductivity. 20th International Scientific Conference Engineering for Rural Development Proceedings. 2020; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMarius Kazlauskas; Egidijus Sarauskis; Kestutis Romaneckas; Dainius Steponavicius; Algirdas Jasinskas; Vilma Naujokiene; Indre Bruciene; Tadas Ziogas; Dovydas Vaicekauskas; Justinas Anusauskas; Abdul Mounem Mouazen. 2020. "Effect of variable rate seeding on winter wheat seedbed and germination parameters using soil apparent electrical conductivity." 20th International Scientific Conference Engineering for Rural Development Proceedings , no. : 1.
This paper presents the results of research on the preparation and use for energy purposes of three reed herbaceous energy plants: reed (Phragmites australis) and bulrush (Typha); both grown in local vicinities on lakes and riverbanks and reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea L.). The physical-mechanical characteristics (density, moisture, and ash content) of chopped and milled reeds were investigated. The investigation of mill fractional compositions determined the largest amount of mill—reed mill, collected on the sieves of 0.63 mm (40.0%). The pellet moisture ranged from 10.79% to 6.32%, while the density was 1178.9 kg m−3 for dry matter (DM) of reed. The ash content of reed, bulrush and reed canary grass pellets was 3.17%, 5.88%, and 7.99%, respectively. The ash melting temperature ranged from 865 to 1411 °C; these temperatures were high enough for ash melting. The determined pellet calorific value varied from 17.4 to 17.9 MJ kg−1 DM. The disintegration force, indicating pellet strength, ranged from 324.25 N for reed canary grass to 549.24 N for reed. The determined emissions of harmful pollutants—CO2, CO, NOx, and unburnt hydrocarbons (CxHy)—did not exceed the maximum permissible levels. The assessment of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from technology showed that the CO2 equivalents ranged from 7.3 to 10.1 kg CO2-eq. GJ−1 for reed and reed canary grass, respectively.
Algirdas Jasinskas; Dionizas Streikus; Egidijus Šarauskis; Mečys Palšauskas; Kęstutis Venslauskas. Energy Evaluation and Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Reed Plant Pelletizing and Utilization as Solid Biofuel. Energies 2020, 13, 1516 .
AMA StyleAlgirdas Jasinskas, Dionizas Streikus, Egidijus Šarauskis, Mečys Palšauskas, Kęstutis Venslauskas. Energy Evaluation and Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Reed Plant Pelletizing and Utilization as Solid Biofuel. Energies. 2020; 13 (6):1516.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAlgirdas Jasinskas; Dionizas Streikus; Egidijus Šarauskis; Mečys Palšauskas; Kęstutis Venslauskas. 2020. "Energy Evaluation and Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Reed Plant Pelletizing and Utilization as Solid Biofuel." Energies 13, no. 6: 1516.
Research related to fertilization in winter triticale cultivation was limited to macroelements. The effects of boron on triticale (deficiency or toxicity) affecting productivity are still unknown. In 2013–2015, a field experiment was carried out at the Experimental Station in Tomaszkowo near Olsztyn. The objective was set response of winter triticale variety Pigmej under the influence of various levels of nitrogen (N) and boron (B) fertilization. Five levels of nitrogen fertilization: 0, 40, 80 (50 + 30), 120 (90 + 30), and 160 (90 + 70) kg ha−1 and four levels of boron fertilization: 0, 0.8, 1.6, and 2.4 kg ha−1 were tested. The experiment has demonstrated considerable differences in the grain yield volume and structure under the influence of various weather conditions and different doses of nitrogen. The difference between the highest and lowest grain yield was 1.7 t ha−1—53.6%. The effect of boron application was also manifested as an increase in the winter triticale grain yield and improved yield component structure, but the statistically significant differences were observed only in ears number per 1 m2. The highest dose of boron applied in the experiment caused a decrease in the quantity of grain yield and its component parts.
Stanisław Bielski; Kęstutis Romaneckas; Egidijus Šarauskis. Impact of Nitrogen and Boron Fertilization on Winter Triticale Productivity Parameters. Agronomy 2020, 10, 279 .
AMA StyleStanisław Bielski, Kęstutis Romaneckas, Egidijus Šarauskis. Impact of Nitrogen and Boron Fertilization on Winter Triticale Productivity Parameters. Agronomy. 2020; 10 (2):279.
Chicago/Turabian StyleStanisław Bielski; Kęstutis Romaneckas; Egidijus Šarauskis. 2020. "Impact of Nitrogen and Boron Fertilization on Winter Triticale Productivity Parameters." Agronomy 10, no. 2: 279.
The intensification of agricultural production under modern conditions implies the use of super-powerful mobile technical means, which leads to an increase in the levels of technogenic impact on soil and, consequently, deteriorates its fertility. Therefore, the most acute issue related to current agricultural production is aimed at resolving the task on improving the operational indicators of wheeled running systems of mobile technical means. This necessitates an analytical study into the processes of soil deformation under the elastic motors of mobile wheeled agricultural machinery.We have proposed a procedure of the graph-analytical step-by-step modeling of the process of soil deformation under pneumatic tires of mobile agricultural equipment taking into consideration the changing shape of an elastic tire sheath. Using appropriate graphic models makes it possible to explore, in stages, the process of soil compaction inside the profile of the track it formed. It has been found that in the contact area «deformed soil – the surface of an elastic wheeled mover of the mobile vehicle» the highest level of compaction is observed in the soil layer, which is directly in contact with the elastic mover. The depth of the recompacted soil layer on the «track bottom» depends on the dimensions of a tire of the wheeled mover and does not exceed the value of 0.075 width of the tire. The highest soil compaction level is observed in the area directly adjacent to the gauge. It has been established that the most dangerous design of a pneumatic tire, in terms of soil overcompaction in the track, is the shape of an elastic tire sheath that is described by the curve of the Cassini oval with four points of inflection. We have outlined distinctive features of recommendations to determine the operational values of tire working pressure depending on specific physical-mechanical and agro-technological properties of soil and the character of performed technological operations
Bogdan Sheludchenko; Egidijus Sarauskis; Gennadii Golub; Savelii Kukharets; Oleksandr Medvedskyi; Viacheslav Chuba; Andrii Zabrodskyi. Graph-analytical optimization of the transverse vertical cross-section of a contact zone between soil and an elastic wheeled mover. Eastern-European Journal of Enterprise Technologies 2019, 6, 77 -84.
AMA StyleBogdan Sheludchenko, Egidijus Sarauskis, Gennadii Golub, Savelii Kukharets, Oleksandr Medvedskyi, Viacheslav Chuba, Andrii Zabrodskyi. Graph-analytical optimization of the transverse vertical cross-section of a contact zone between soil and an elastic wheeled mover. Eastern-European Journal of Enterprise Technologies. 2019; 6 (1):77-84.
Chicago/Turabian StyleBogdan Sheludchenko; Egidijus Sarauskis; Gennadii Golub; Savelii Kukharets; Oleksandr Medvedskyi; Viacheslav Chuba; Andrii Zabrodskyi. 2019. "Graph-analytical optimization of the transverse vertical cross-section of a contact zone between soil and an elastic wheeled mover." Eastern-European Journal of Enterprise Technologies 6, no. 1: 77-84.
Energy use in agricultural production has been increasing faster than in many other sectors of the world economy. Owing to high energy consumption during the production of agricultural inputs, with mineral nitrogen fertilizers in particular, it is often questioned as to whether agricultural production is still energy efficient. The objective of this research was to evaluate the energy efficiency of different intensity systems for the production of semi-dwarf winter triticale cultivar ”Twingo”. Cultivar “Twingo” entered the Polish National List in 2012 as one of the best yielding. For this reason, it was used in this experiment to examine its response to basic agrotechnical factors. The field experiment was conducted in the Agricultural Experiment Station in Tomaszkowo in 2013–2015. Low-input, medium-input and high-input production systems were evaluated. The compared systems differed in nitrogen fertilization rates and the level of fungicide protection. The highest output/input ratio was noticed growing winter triticale in low-input production system. The most energy-consuming operation during winter triticale production in the compared systems was mineral fertilization. The high-input production system was significantly lower energy efficiency than the other systems (6.21, medium-input 5.95, low-input 8.19). The energy return on investment (EROI) ratio was low, but above 1, in all the analyzed technologies (low-input 1.30, medium-input 1.14, high-input 1.15). The energy value of the bioethanol produced was higher than the energy inputs into the production of raw material and its processing. The conversion of winter triticale grain to bioethanol proved that the EROI reached the most favorable value for the low-input production system.
Stanisław Bielski; Kęstutis Romaneckas; Anastasija Novikova; Egidijus Šarauskis. Are Higher Input Levels to Triticale Growing Technologies Effective in Biofuel Production System? Sustainability 2019, 11, 5915 .
AMA StyleStanisław Bielski, Kęstutis Romaneckas, Anastasija Novikova, Egidijus Šarauskis. Are Higher Input Levels to Triticale Growing Technologies Effective in Biofuel Production System? Sustainability. 2019; 11 (21):5915.
Chicago/Turabian StyleStanisław Bielski; Kęstutis Romaneckas; Anastasija Novikova; Egidijus Šarauskis. 2019. "Are Higher Input Levels to Triticale Growing Technologies Effective in Biofuel Production System?" Sustainability 11, no. 21: 5915.