DEPENDENCE OF GERMINATION OF SEEDS OF FODDER CROPS ON THE DURATION OF STORAGE IN A GAS ENVIRONMENT

The research was carried out in the laboratory conditions of the Federal Williams Research Center of Forage Production and Agroecology on the seed material of nineteen varieties of the selection of VIC, stored since 1986 in a gas environment. The viability of the seeds was determined after 33 years of storage. The laboratory germination rate of the samples after storage varied from 0.7 to 90.3%. Aging of cereal grasses is faster. After storage in a gas environment for 33 years germination of more than 80% was observed in four samples of the legume family and one of the cereals. After being removed from the CSG and placed in normal conditions for a year, most of the samples retained their economic validity, with the exception of forage cereals: brome grass, meadow and reed fescue, and cocksfoot.

Forage productivity of smooth brome grass mixtures under the application of growth regulators

Исследования проведены в 2019–2020 годах в экспериментальном севообороте научно-исследовательской лаборатории «Корма» кафедры «Растениеводство и земледелие» Самарского ГАУ. В статье представлены данные по кормовой продуктивности травосмесей костреца безостого с кострецом прямым, бобовыми травами и черноголовником многобрачным при применении стимуляторов «Матрица роста» и «Гуми-20М». В состав исследуемых травосмесей входили эспарцет песчаный, люцерна посевная и лядвенец рогатый. Посев проведён в мае 2015 года. Исследование охватывало фазу вымётывания костреца безостого и прямого и цветения бобовых, во время которой оценивалась урожайность, определялся химический состав травостоев (особое внимание уделялось содержанию протеина и динамике его изменения), а также проводился учёт кормовых достоинств (накопления сухого вещества, переваримого протеина и выхода обменной энергии). Высокую продуктивность формировали трёх- и четырёхкомпонентные травостои с эспарцетом песчаным и люцерной посевной. Травостои с лядвенцем рогатым обеспечивали максимальные показатели. Наблюдалось отчётливое увеличение всех изучаемых показателей при добавлении бобового компонента. Продуктивность обработанных стимуляторами травосмесей была, как правило, больше, чем в контрольном варианте. Минимальную продуктивность формировали смеси, в которых присутствовали только злаковые компоненты и которые не обрабатывались стимуляторами роста. Также выявлено, что содержание протеина в травостоях с бобовым компонентом было выше, чем в травостоях с мятликовыми культурами, обработка посевов стимуляторами способствовала повышению протеина. Анализ доли компонентов в травостоях показал, что злаковый компонент преобладал над бобовым, однако в некоторых вариантах наблюдалось преобладание эспарцета и люцерны над злаками. Наименьшую долю в травостое составляли лядвенец рогатый и черноголовник многобрачный. Зависимости процентного соотношения компонентов от варианта обработки выявлено не было. The investigation took place at the laboratory “Korma“ of the Samara State Agrarian University (the department of Crop Production and Arable farming) in 2019–2020. The article reports on the productivity of grass mixtures of smooth brome with erect brome, legumes and fodder burnet under the application of growth regulators “Matritsa rosta“ and “Gumi-20M“. The mixtures also contained hungarian sainfoin, alfalfa and birdʼs-foot trefoil. Crops were planted in May 2015. Crops were tested at the heading or flowering stages. The following traits were analyzed: productivity, chemical composition, dry matter content, crude protein and exchange energy yield. The dynamics of protein accumulation was studied. Three- and four-component grass mixtures with hungarian sainfoin and alfalfa showed the highest productivity. Mixtures with birdʼs-foot trefoil performed the best. Introduction of legumes into swards positively affected all the traits studied. Generally, the application of growth regulators resulted in higher productivity. Gramineous mixtures had the lowest productivity under no treatment. Swards with legumes provided more protein. The treatment with growth regulators increased protein concentration. Gramineous dominated legumes, however, in some variants hungarian sainfoin and alfalfa were predominant. Birdʼs-foot trefoil and fodder burnet had the smallest share in swords. There was no significant correlation between mixture composition and treatments.

Cultivation of Gal?ga Orient?lis in the Upper Volga of non-chernozem zone

Field studies were carried out at the Gubino reclamation facility located at the experimental base of VNIIMZ - a branch of the Federal Research Centre V.V. Dokuchaev Soil Science Institute in 2015-2019. We studied promising high-yielding varieties of legumes - gal?ga orient?lis, cereal rhizome grasses - awnless brome grass, canary grass and highly productive of loose shrub grass of meadow timothy. Studies have established that in the legume-cereal hay stands, the share of the gal?ga orient?lis was 18-83%. The share gal?ga orient?lis variety Gale ranged from 19 to 75%, variety Yubilyar from 18 to 79% and variety Krivich from 25 to 83%. On average, over the years of research, with two-fold mowing, the productivity of the gal?ga orient?lis and its mixtures with cereal grasses was 5.9-8.0 t / ha dry weight. The cereal grass mixture with two-cut use provided a dry matter yield at the level of 5.4-7.2 t / ha. The highest level of protein nutritional value was noted in the herbage of the gal?ga orient?lis variety Krivich 17-18%. The yield of green mass of legume-cereal hay herbage was 41.5-56.0 t / ha. Analysis of the dynamics of the density of the gal?ga orient?lis showed that the most dense was variety Krivich in single-species sowing - up to 166 pcs / m2. It was found that among the varieties of the legume component, the tallest, on average, over a five-year study were noted above-ground shoots of the gal?ga orient?lis variety Krivich - up to 117 cm. The gal?ga orient?lis had a high leafiness, the percentage of its leaves was 54-55%. In general, according to the options, the percentage of leaf apparatus in clean crops was 52-56%, in mixed crops - 48-57%. The output of fodder units was 4.7-6.8 thousand / ha.

Peculiarities of growth and development of alfalfa-grasses mixtures depending on species composition and fertilizing

The results of research on the influence of grass species composition, fertilizer level, and Fumar growth stimulator on plant density and botanical composition are presented. The experimental part of the work was performed in the scientific laboratories of the Department of Forage Production, Land Reclamation and Meteorology in the production unit of the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine "Agronomic Research Station". The territory of the research station is located in the Right-Bank Forest-Steppe and is a part of Bila Tserkva agro-soil district. The experimental plots were laid on typical low-humus chernozems, coarse-grained light loam in terms of mechanical composition, which are characterized by a high content of gross and mobile forms of nutrients. The climate of the region is characterized by unstable humidity and moderate temperatures. The average annual air temperature is 6-8 ° C. The annual amount of precipitation reaches 562 mm, during the growing season - 354-394 mm (63-70% of the annual norm), which fall unevenly throughout the year. Based on the research, it was found that sown grasses was formed with a density of 686–1250 shoots per 1 m2 and a height of 58–148 cm. Alfalfa-grasses and grasses are denser than alfalfa. During the period from the 1st to the 3rd year of grassland use, the density of alfalfa shoots decreases, while orchard grass and smooth brome grass increase, moreover, and more significant on the backgrounds of N60 application. During the first three years of use, grasslands are formed with the dominance of sown components with the share of alfalfa in single-species sowing 85–98%, in alfalfa-grasses mixtures - 30–58%. During the period from the 1st to the 3rd year of alfalfa-grasses stands using, the share of alfalfa decreases by 11–24%, and more significantly on backgrounds with N60 application. Also between the two kinds of grass components, there is a change of co-dominant - from meadow fescue to reed fescue, reed fescue to orchard grass, English bluegrass to smooth brome grass, while, as in grasses, reed fescue to smooth brome grass. English bluegrass in the 3rd year of use is much liquefied, reducing the share of participation to 5-14%.

Spatio-Temporal Dynamics of Soil Microbial Communities in a Pasture: A Case Study of Bromus inermis Pasture in Eastern Nebraska

Today’s intensified agricultural production is characterized by crop and pasture monocultures, which have a significant impact on soil microbial diversity and abundance. This chapter provides a case study in which the relative importance of brome grass (Bromus inermis) monoculture pasture versus intra-site microhabitat diversity is explored using fatty acid methyl ester (FAMEs) assay to delineate the presence and abundance of several classes of soil microbes instrumental in soil nutrient cycling, plant health, plant organic matter decomposition, and soil stabilization. The chapter explores spatio-temporal variability of bacteria, actinomycetes, saprophytes, mycorrhizae, and micro-eukaryotes over two durations (summer and fall) collected using two distinct sampling methods. One of the methods is commonly employed, namely, transect-based, while the other is informed by soil electroconductivity measurements conducted over the entire pasture site from a previous survey.

QUALITY OF HERBAL RAW MATERIALS AND NUTRIENT REMOVAL IN LONG-TERM MID-RIPENING THREE-CUT CEREAL STANDS

The studies were conducted on long-term (1–34th years of use) mid-ripening three-cut agrocenoses. It was found that during irrigation and application of N260P75K220, an increase in the yield of 1 ha compared to non-irrigated grasses when feeding N180P35K160 amounted to 21–23% on the agrocenoses with awnless brome grass and 30–31% with reed canary grass. Consumption of nitrogen by herbs increased by 20–24 (herbage with awnless brome grass) and 27–29% (with reed canary grass), and phosphorus (P2O5) — by 20–25 and 34–35%. The increase in the removal of potassium and calcium during irrigation did not depend on the composition of agrocenoses and amounted to 17–22 (for K2O) and 47–51% (for CaO). With each centner of dry matter is carried out: 2.1–2.2 kg of nitrogen; 2.2–2.4 K2O; 0.6–0.7 P2O5 and 0.6–0.8 kg CaO. Some of these substances are extracted from the grass soil. To maintain the productivity of grass stands at a high level with long-term intensive use of the meadow, the reserves of nutrients available to herbs in the soil are not enough. Multi-cut use of agrocenoses is possible only with the systematic feeding of each subsequent mowing with optimal doses of fertilizers. In the mowing conveyor system, mid-season grass stands allow to extend the harvesting period of high-quality green mass for haylage and silage by 7–10 days in each mowing. The obtained grass raw materials on three-mowing agrocenoses (during irrigation and without irrigation) in terms of the content of crude protein and crude cellulose meet the requirements of GOST in the first mowing on grass stands with awnless brome – the second class, with reed canary grass – of the third class. In the second mowing of all agrocenoses, the raw material mass corresponded to the second class, in the third mowing – to the first class. According to the content of macronutrients (phosphorus, potassium and calcium) in the dry matter of grass raw materials obtained on agrocenoses with awnless brome and reed canary grass during irrigation and natural moisture, the green mass corresponds to zootechnical norms of animal feeding. The use of high-quality bulky feeds prepared from the green mass of the middle link of the raw material conveyor will reduce the consumption of concentrates and mineral additives in the winter diet of animals.

GRAIN FROM MEDJYBIZH

During the archaeological research of the Medjybizh fortress (fig. 1), palaeoethnobotanical materials were found three times in its yard: in 1991, 2013 and 2015. The first definition was made by G. O. Pashkevich. Mostly rye was identified as well as bromus, sorrel and an ergot fungus claviceps purpurea. From materials ща 2015 about 30 ml of grain were provided, mostly rye, which is approximately 1800—2000 grains. This is a sample of the harvest of one year. Single kernels of hulled barley (5); emmer (2) and soft wheat (1) were identified. Weeds are represented by 3 species, they are convolvulus (19), brome grasses (11) and cleavers (7) (figs. 2—4). Identified weeds are concomitant for cultivated cereals and real anthropochores; they may be useful for therapeutic purposes. Brome grass is a winter plant that pollutes crops of winter rye and wheat. Fields pollution indicates a use of old arable fields: the population lived in this place continuously from the eleventh century. Consequently, the fields exploded about 2—3 centuries. Winter crops also show the use of old arable fields. According to the aggregate of weeds, these fields were located on high places with droughty soils. According to the analysis of topography and soil, these fields were in the western sector on the elevated plateau (supposedly the places of Dolzhok and Pereimska Dacha). Find of the rye also indirectly indicates a high level of development of agriculture. While plowing tools from Medzhybizh are unknown, we should assume the use of plow, which is the most progressive form of them.

Biological nitrification inhibition by weeds: wild radish, brome grass, wild oats and annual ryegrass decrease nitrification rates in their rhizospheres

This study investigated the ability of several plant species commonly occurring as weeds in Australian cropping systems to produce root exudates that inhibit nitrification via biological nitrification inhibition (BNI). Seedlings of wild radish (Raphanus raphanistrum), great brome grass (Bromus diandrus), wild oats (Avena fatua), annual ryegrass (Lolium rigidum) and Brachiaria humidicola (BNI-positive control) were grown in hydroponics, and the impact of their root exudates on NO3– production by Nitrosomonas europaea was measured in a pure-culture assay. A pot study (soil-based assay) was then conducted to confirm the ability of the weeds to inhibit nitrification in whole soils. All of the tested weeds slowed NO3– production by N. europaea in the pure-culture assay and significantly inhibited potential nitrification rates in soil-based assays. Root exudates produced by wild radish were the most inhibitory, slowing NO3– production by the pure culture of N. europaea by 53 ± 6.1% and completely inhibiting nitrification in the soil-based assay. The other weed species all had BNI capacities comparable to that of B. humidicola and significantly higher than that previously reported for wheat cv. Janz. This study demonstrates that several commonly occurring weed species have BNI capacity. By altering the N cycle, and retaining NH4+ in the soils in which they grow, these weeds may gain a competitive advantage over species (including crops) that prefer NO3–. Increasing our understanding of how weeds compete with crops for N may open avenues for novel weed-management strategies.

Comparison of selected parameters of biomass and coal

As a fuel, biomass differs in its properties from fossil fuels and acquisition thereof for energy purposes is limited; hence, the ongoing search for new bioenergetically useful plants. The article presents the results of physical and chemical analyses of seven species of perennial grasses: tall wheatgrass, tall wheatgrass ‘Bamar’, brome grass, tall fescue ecotype, reed canary grass, giant miscanthus, and sorghum. The research involved technical and elemental analysis as well as analysis of the ash composition performed in order to determine their potential use for combustion process. The measurement results were compared with those obtained for hard coal and agricultural biomass, which is widely used in the energy industry. The results suggest that perennial grasses can successfully be combusted with similar performance to coal if burned in appropriate combustion installations.