Legumes are increasingly important crops in most European Union (EU) countries because of the growing demand for feed protein, and also because they have been shown to improve the characteristics of soil. The main part of the crop rotation is taken up by cereals, but they are connected with undesirable side effects, such as the unilateral utilization of ingredients and the heightened risk of plant diseases, e.g., Fusarium. Simplification of farming methods has become increasingly popular as growers search for cheaper production technologies. However, the effects of long-term simplification in tillage practices on the production and economics of narrow-leafed lupine (NL) cultivation have not been studied. In 2012–2016, we carried out a field experiment in Poland with a one-factorial design with four replications. The aim of the experiment was to evaluate the productivity effect of conventional tillage (CT), reduced tillage (RT) and no-tillage (NT) on NL-winter wheat (WW)-winter triticale (WT)-winter barley (WB), rotation. Our results show that the productivity of this crop rotation was lower under RT and NT systems than under CT. From a practical point of view, the reduction of cultivation in rotation with 75% of cereals caused a decrease in yield in all species, which can result in resign of using the RT and NT in conditions of Albic Luvisols soil, as classified according to the World Reference Base (WRB). The highest incomes were found when the CT system was used with NL. Although income losses exceeded the value of savings in both minimalized soil tillage systems (RT and NT), all tillage systems of NL were profitable.

The aim of our three-year study was to determine the influence of sewage sludge and a consortium of aerobic microorganisms (BAF) on the dynamics of the development and activity of proteolytic and ammonifying bacteria, soil plant analysis development (SPAD), and the ratio of the leaf assimilation area in willows. Four experimental variants were used in the study: control, soil with sewage sludge, soil with sewage sludge and the BAF inoculant, and soil with the BAF inoculant. The experiment was conducted on the Start willow cultivar. In each year of our research (2013-15), soil samples for microbiological and chemical analyses were collected three times - in spring, summer, and autumn (in May, July, and September). The research involved the application of the Koch plate method to measure the count of proteolytic and ammonifying bacteria, and spectrophotometry to determine protease and urease activity. The green seeker index (SPAD) was measured by means of non-destructive methods with a SPAD index. The ratio between the willow leaf assimilation area and leaf area (LAI) was measured by means of the SunScan Canopy Analysis System. The content of chlorophyll a and b was analyzed by means of dimethyl sulfoxide extraction. The highest count and activity of proteolytic bacteria was observed in the soil in the third year of the experiment. Urease exhibited the highest activity in the second year of the research. Sewage sludge stimulated the proliferation and activity of proteolytic bacteria, the content of chlorophyll a and b, the leaf assimilation area, and the green seeker index (SPAD). None of the experimental variants stimulated the count of ammonifying bacteria. The research proved that BAF stimulated urease activity, which was positively correlated with the green seeker index (SPAD) and the ratio of the leaf assimilation area. The research also revealed positive dependence between the protease activity and the content of chlorophyll a and b. The protease and urease activity proved to be the most sensitive indicators of nitrogen transformation in soil, which is reflected by willow biomass formation.

The long-term effect of legumes as forecrops on the productivity of rotation (winter rape-winter wheat-winter wheat) with nitrogen fertilization | Agnieszka Faligowska, Grażyna Szymańska, Katarzyna Panasiewicz, Jerzy Szukała, Wiesław Koziara, Karolina Ratajczak | Agricultural Journals

Tropane alkaloids have attracted increasing scientific attention as natural compounds which display interesting biological properties. Tropine, a common constituent of tropane alkaloids, is a relatively inexpensive and commonly available compound which can be transformed into the form of quaternary salt in order to increase its uptake by plants. The aim of this study was to assess the properties of quaternary N-alkyltropinium bromides with various alkyl substituents and their impact on a model crop plant (maize) in order to evaluate their applicability as potential plant growth regulators. The products were obtained with high yield (81–96%) and their structures were confirmed using NMR. Some of the obtained salts exhibited surface active properties (CMC ranging from 5.12 × 10⁻² to 2.33 × 10⁻³ mg L⁻¹). The conducted experiments confirmed the positive effect of the synthesized salts on maize, such as increased seed germination (up to 60%), higher fresh/dry biomass yield (up to 20%), enhanced electron transfer rate (up to 40%) as well as improved total chlorophyll content (up to 60%). Further studies revealed that the properties of N-alkyltropinium salts depended on the structure of the substituent introduced during quaternization. The substituent can be adjusted to either ensure rapid biodegradability (100% in case of ethylacetyl substituent) or antimicrobial properties (MIC ranging from 2 to 20 mg L⁻¹). The obtained result suggest that N-alkyltropinium bromides potentially constitute a promising group of novel plant growth promoting agents.

Risks associated with drought are increasing and are a global problem. Therefore, there is a need for new solutions for the safe production of food, while maintaining respect for the environment. Fungicides are designed to protect maize plants against disease, but some of the active substances used in preparations can also promote plant growth, which is known as the ‘physiological effect’. However, there is a paucity of information as to how some of the ‘new generation’ fungicides act in stimulating grain yield in plants under abiotic stress, especially drought. Therefore, the effects of these products on conventional and stay-green maize varieties need to be better understood in order to reduce losses caused by droughts and to maximize production. In this study, the effect of a pyraclostrobin + epoxiconazole fungicide preparation on maize plants was evaluated at different times after spraying; during induced drought conditions and again during the regeneration process of the plants. The preparation was applied to ‘KWS 1325’ (conventional) and ‘Ambrosini’ (stay-green) varieties at the recommended dose, three times in greenhouse conditions. Plant gas exchange, plant water use efficiency, chlorophyll fluorescence and fresh and dry plant biomass were evaluated. The pyraclostrobin + epoxiconazole preparation increased stomatal conductance and photosynthesis intensity in the ‘Ambrosini’ plants. When maintained under a high light intensity, the variety used increased efficiency and exchanged excessive energy in the form of thermal energy to protect the maize leaf from light-induced damage under drought stress. Plant photosynthetic efficiency (ETR and Yield parameters) during drought stress and after regeneration was significantly higher in treated plants than in the controls. Thus, the beneficial effects on the physiology of the maize varieties grown under drought stress from the fungicide application are significant for farmers and growers.