VENµS-Derived NDVI and REIP at Different View Azimuth Angles

The bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) is crucial in determining the quantity of reflected light on the earth’s surface as a function of solar and view angles (i.e., azimuth and zenith angles). The Vegetation and ENvironment monitoring Micro-Satellite (VENµS) provides a unique opportunity to acquire data from the same site, with the same sensor, with almost constant solar and view zenith angles from two (or more) view azimuth angles. The present study was aimed at exploring the view angles’ effect on the stability of the values of albedo and of two vegetation indices (VIs): the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and the red-edge inflection point (REIP). These products were calculated over three polygons representing urban and cultivated areas in April, June, and September 2018, under a minimal time difference of less than two minutes. Arithmetic differences of VIs and a change vector analysis (CVA) were performed. The results show that in urban areas, there was no difference between the VIs, whereas in the well-developed field crop canopy, the REIP was less affected by the view azimuth angle than the NDVI. Results suggest that REIP is a more appropriate index than NDVI for field crop studies and monitoring. This conclusion can be applied in a constellation of satellites that monitor ground features simultaneously but from different view azimuth angles.

Physico-chemical properties of grain of different ripening soft winter wheat varieties under different fertilizer systems

Aims. To determine the formation of physico-chemical properties of different ripening varieties of soft winter wheat grain under different fertilizer systems in a field crop rotation. Methods. Laboratory, mathematical and statistical, physicochemical. Results. The article presents the formation of physico-chemical properties (thousand grain weight, grain unit, hardness index, protein content) of different ripening varieties of soft winter wheat grain under different fertilizer systems in the field crop rotation. On average, over two years of research, thousand grain weight of KWS Emil soft winter wheat increased from 37.2 to 38.5 g, depending on the fertilizer system. The use of all types of fertilizers increased it by 3 % compared to areas without fertilizers. There is no significant difference between fertilizer application systems in the field crop rotation. The high stability index (0.96–1.00) of thousand grain weight formation under growing both varieties indicates a slight influence of weather conditions of the growing season. Thus, in 2020 this figure increased from 37.1 to 38.3 g, and in 2021 – from 37.2 to 39.1 g. In Rino variety, thousand grain weight was significantly higher than in KWS Emil variety by 16–17 %. The application of 75 kg/ha of nitrogen fertilizers increased it from 43.2 g to 43.6–43.8 g or only by 1 %, and at a double dose – to 44.8–45.2 g, or by 4–5 %. The efficiency of phosphorus-potassium fertilizers was higher than the cultivation of KWS Emil, and lower in Rino. The grain unit of both soft winter wheat varieties increased both on average and over the years of research with a stability index of 0.98–1.00. Thus, on average over two years of research, it increased in KWS Emil variety from 771 to 779–789 g/l or 1–2 % depending on the fertilizer system. Rino grain had 6% more grain unit compared to KWS Emil. On average, it increased from 820 to 831–838 g/l per fertilizer application or only by 1–2 %. Conclusions. It is established that the physico-chemical properties of grain change depending on the fertilizer system, variety and weather conditions of the growing season. Rino grain has higher physico-chemical properties. Thus, thousand grain weight increases from 43.2 to 43.6–45.2 g, grain unit – from 820 to 831–838 g/l, protein content – from 14.4 to 15.4–16.4 %, depending on the fertilizer system, hardness type – hard-grained. In KWS Emil variety, thousand grain weight increases from 37.2 to 38.3–38.5 g, grain unit – from 771 to 779–789 g/l, protein content – from 11.7 to 12.3–13.7 % depending on the fertilizer system, hardness type – soft-grained.

Clogging of crops and productivity of 5-field crop rotation against the background of different intensity of the main cultivation of chernozem soil

Formulation of the problem. Crop rotations of modern field agriculture should be developed according to the principle of classical fruit change, which is an important factor in the high productivity of individual crops on different agro-backgrounds, which can be different ways of the depth of the main tillage. Verification of the latter was the main task of our research. Conditions and methodology. Field studies were carried out in a stationary experiment on podzolized chernozem with a 5-field crop rotation with such an alternation of spring crops: soybeans – rapeseed – wheat – oil flax – barley. The experiment compared the effect of plowing and flat-cut loosening at 15–17, 20–22 and 25–27 cm on the weediness of crops, crop yield and the productivity of crop rotation in terms of the yield of feed units and assimilated protein. Research results. It has been established that a significant part of weed seeds after flat-cutting loosening is concentrated in a layer of 0–10 cm, from where, under favorable moisture conditions, it can germinate with the formation of seedlings, which can bloom before cold weather and replenish the stock of weed seeds in the soil. During moldboard plowing, weed seeds are evenly distributed over the entire arable layer, as a result of which it can be half as much in the 0-10 cm layer as after non-moldboard plowing. Therefore, the actual weediness of crops cultivated in crop rotation has always been higher after flat-cutting loosening: soybeans – by 22.1 %, rapeseed – by 72.6 %, and wheat, oil flax and barley – 15.0, respectively; 20.4 and 20.3%. On average for the crop rotation, this increase averaged 25.2 % over three years. A decrease in the depth of cultivation also caused contamination of crops, and its deepening as a whole in the crop rotation had a positive effect on the cleanliness of crops from weeds. The level of weediness of crops of cultivated crops at the beginning of the growing season should be considered a determining factor in the formation of the productivity of these crops due to the presence of a strong and very strong correlation between these indicators. Wheat was the most productive in terms of the yield of feed units, and soy was the most productive in terms of the yield of digestible protein. This applied to both methods or techniques of the main processing, and individual crops against the background of plowing had an advantage in both productivity indicators over flat-cut loosening. The productivity of crops and crop rotation was higher against the background of deep cultivation compared to medium and shallow cultivation. Conclusions. The use of flat-cut loosening instead of moldboard plowing, as well as a decrease in the depth of both methods of processing, is accompanied by a significant increase in the contamination of crops. As well as a decrease in the yield of the main products and a noticeable decrease in the productivity of a 5-field crop rotation in terms of the yield of feed units and assimilated protein.

Influence of mineral fertilizers and seed sowing rates on productive tillering, yield and grain quality of winter wheat in the steppe zone of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic

The results of a study on the formation of productive tillering, yield and grain quality of winter wheat in the steppe zone of the KBR is presented. It is shown that only further improvement of the methods of cultivation of the best varieties will allow to realize the biological potential of the grain productivity of this crop more fully. The most effective technologies for the cultivation of winter wheat in field crop rotation, aimed at preserving soil fertility and obtaining stable grain yields with minimal labor and resources, have been determined. Keywords: TECHNOLOGY, CULTIVATION, WINTER WHEAT, FERTILIZER, YIELD

Hedging Effectiveness of Commodity Futures Contracts to Minimize Price Risk: Empirical Evidence from the Italian Field Crop Sector

Over the last years, farmers have been increasingly exposed to income risk due to the volatility of the commodities prices. Among others, hedging in futures markets (i.e., financial markets) represents an available strategy for producers to cope with income risks at farm level. To better understand the advantages of such promising tools, this paper aims at analyzing the hedging effectiveness for soybean, corn and milling wheat producers in Italy. Following the literature, three different methodologies (i.e., naïve, OLS, GARCH) are applied for the estimation of the hedge portfolio, then compared to an unhedged portfolio for assessing the income risk reduction. Findings confirm the hedging effectiveness of futures contracts for all the considered commodities, showing also that this effect increases with longer hedge horizons, and also showing better performances for the European exchange market (i.e., Euronext), compared to the North American counterpart.

Effectiveness of biologization predecessors and methods in increasing grain crops productivity and field crop rotations productivity in Nizhneje Povolzhje region

Researches on the study of predecessors and biologization techniques in field crop rotations were carried out in 2018-2020 in the dry steppe zone of the chestnut subzone of light chestnut soils of the Nizhneje Povolzhje region. It is necessary to grow biennial melilot for green manure as a fallow-growing crop in a grain-steam five-field crop rotation in order to increase the organic matter input into the soil. A significant increase in yield was achieved in chickpeas for winter wheat, its straw was plowed into the soil. The highest increase in the spring barley yield was provided during the chickpeas and sorghum cultivation, which straw entered the soil. When growing spring barley on safflower, its straw was plowed into the soil, the yield was also higher than the control variant. The highest grain yield was achieved in the control grain-fallow four-field crop rotation with complete fallow, where the cultivated crops straw was removed from the field and grain-fallow-grass green manure seven-field crop rotation with seed fallow, where straw and melilot were plowed into the soil. Grain-fallow seven-field and grain-fallow-grass-cultivated green manure seven-field crop rotations, where oats and phacelia straw and green manure mass entered the soil, were inferior to the control.