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More than 50% of agricultural land is threatened by water erosion in the Czech Republic. With respect to soil erosion, maize (Zea mays L.) belongs to the most problematic crops; one of the possibilities to increase protection against erosion is intercropping. In this study, we attempted to find out the effects of individual intercrops and their mixtures (sown 4--6 weeks after sowing maize) or a mixed culture (maize plus lupine) on the soil losses and surface runoff in the period 2019--2021. The study was realised in a sugar beet growing region (Haplic Luvisol); a field rainfall simulator was used. From the used variants with Lolium perenne L., Trifolium repens L., Vicia villosa Roth, Lolium multiflorum Lam., Festuca arundinacea Schreb., Triticum aestivum L. or a mixture (Vicia villosa plus a Trifolium hybrid diploid), the variants with Lolium perenne, Lolium multiflorum, Vicia villosa or Vicia villosa plus the Trifolium hybrid diploid, established between the maize rows (hybrid maize, cultivar Walterinio) on May 27, were the most efficient in case of both the soil losses and runoff reductions in the year 2019. For example, Triticum aestivum between the maize rows mostly reduced the soil losses and the surface runoff was similar (or higher) compared with the control (maize without any intercrop). The variant with Trifolium repens had mostly higher (or similar) soil loss values (compared with the control); in this variant, the runoff was lower compared with the control. We proved our hypothesis with regards to the higher reduction in the soil losses than with the runoff in the variant with Lolium perenne. The results from the years 2020 (the used variants with Lolium multiflorum, Secale cereale L., Trifolium incarnatum L., Phacelia tanacetifolia Benth., Lolium multiflorum plus Trifolium incarnatum, Lolium multiflorum plus Vicia pannonica Crantz) and 2021 (the variants with Lolium multiflorum, Lolium multiflorum -- early sowing, Secale cereale, Trifolium incarnatum, Phacelia tanacetifolia, Lolium multiflorum plus Trifolium incarnatum, a mixed culture = maize plus Lupinus albus L.) showed the variants with Trifolium incarnatum, the mixture (Lolium multiflorum plus Trifolium incarnatum), Phacelia tanacetifolia (in the year 2020) or the mixture (Lolium multiflorum plus Trifolium incarnatum) and a mixed culture (maize plus Lupinus albus) (2021) had the most positive effect -- the soil loss and surface runoff values were lower when the maize was > 2 m compared with the maize < 1 m. The results obtained in the period 2019--2021 showed the grasses were the most efficient in decreasing the soil losses when the maize was < 1 m and when the maize was > 2 m with the used mixtures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing the soil productivity is challenged by the increasing biotic threat to plants and microorganisms, by the resistance to agrochemicals, and by the declining soil health. Soil management strategy is, therefore, aimed at erosion prevention and the minimisation of soil organic matter losses. A key factor in an agroecosystem is the appropriate biological stability. It is essential not only at present, but also for further sustainable agriculture. This study was based on the hypothesis that afforestation and conversion from arable land to permanent grassland improves the organic matter status and biological stability in the agroecosystem. The experiment was conducted from 2014 to 2018 in the Uhřice bio-corridor (Kroměříž region, the Czech Republic). Haplic Luvisol has been investigated for its basic biological and chemical properties after the arable land was converted to a natural vegetation system. The afforested segment (F), permanent grassland segment (G), and arable land segment (A) have been sampled in the upper soil horizon (0-0.30 m). Standard analytical methods were applied for the determination of the basic soil properties. A principal component analysis and factor analysis were used for interpreting the connection between the parameters of the soil organic carbon, the humic substances, the humic acids, and the fulvic acids, the agrochemical properties of the soil (the pH, the content of the nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, etc.), and the soil biological properties (basal soil respiration (BSR), the ratios of the N/BSR, NG/BSR, etc.). After five years of investigation, the differences in the studied parameters were evident. The factor analysis and multivariate exploratory techniques showed that the soil properties were grouped based on the management into three different categories - F, G and A. The different land use directly influenced the quality and stability of the humic substances, basal soil respiration, and carbon and nitrogen utilisation. In comparison to the arable land, the forest and grassland were considered to have a higher accumulation potential of carbon and nitrogen. A negative correlation between the soil basal respiration (r = -0.95); total nitrogen (r = -0.93); total organic carbon (Cox) content (r = -0.82); and partial Ca (r = -0.82) was found. A positive correlation (r = 0.80) between the humic substances (C-HS) and soil reaction (pH) was determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maize (Zea mays L.) belongs among the most important agriculture crops all over the world. The conventional way of cultivating maize with wide row spacing does not have a soil conservation effect and significantly contributes to water erosion and surface run-off. In our research, we tested the soil conservation technology (strip-till into grass cover) which took place in 2016 and 2017 in the location of Central Bohemia. The impact of a strip-till system of maize into grass cover on reducing the soil loss due to erosion was verified on the area of 21 m² using a rainfall simulator. During the research, 70 measurements were realised. The strip-till was compared to fallow land, conventional cultivation and no-till methods. Profound differences were found in the soil loss between the treatments. There was a decrease in the soil loss of about 98% in the strip-till compared to the conventional cultivation. Moreover, the surface run-off was reduced by 79%. The ANCOVA (analysis of covariance) models of the log-transformed soil loss on the surface run-off and treatment were highly significant (P < 10-15). The measurement results clearly demonstrate the positive effect of the strip-till into the grass on the surface run-off and soil loss. This positive soil conservation effect was observed even in springtime, as well as the rest of the season. Using a grass cover for establishing the maize significantly contributes to the soil conservation on the land threatened by erosion and offers farmers a suitable way of farming when growing maize. Strip-tilling is a technology that has great potential in sustainable farming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the years 2011-2014, winter wheat grain yield, qualitative and economic parameters were evaluated according to different fertiliser treatments: (1) control: unfertilised treatment; (2) farmyard manure (FYM) and (3) FYM + NPK (farmyard manure applied together with mineral NPK). The highest yields (8.10 t/ha) were recorded in the FYM + NPK treatment, while significantly lower yields (6.20 t/ha and 5.73 t/ha) were recorded in FYM and control treatments, respectively. Similarly, statistically significantly higher values of the quality parameters were found in the FYM + NPK treatment (13.55% of crude protein content and 43.56 mL of Zeleny's sedimentation test), compared to control (10% and 22.44 mL, respectively). The modelling expert system (AGROTEKIS-Crop Technology and Economy) was used for the evaluation of economy. This software is based on technological methods of cultivation and norms of material input costs and costs of individual mechanised works. The economic benefits and profitability were evaluated for three different levels of grain market price. The highest gross profit per ha was recorded in the FYM + NPK treatment. According to the gross profit, the control treatment provided better results than the FYM treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Root diseases of lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) play a significant role in reducing the persistence and productivity of stands; however, the potential of using biological control in lucerne crops has not yet been investigated. Our objectives were to determine the effect of biological crop protection on (i) lucerne plant density and root traits development and (ii) lucerne forage yield and nutritive value in a two-year field experiment. The lucerne stand was managed under three treatments of disease control: an untreated control and spraying with either Albit (hydrolysate of microorganisms containing microelements and poly-beta-hydroxy butyric acid) or Polyversum (mycoparasitic Pythium oligandrum) under five-cut utilization. Application of Albit resulted in a negative yield response, associated with a reduction of root branching, and it also reduced crude protein and increased crude fibre and water-soluble carbohydrates in the second cut of the first year of the experiment. Polyversum increased the percentage of infected plants relative to the control in the last year of the experiment. The study highlights that biological control of lucerne under field conditions may not always be beneficial because of the complex interactions between plant, biological preparation, and environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changes in the agricultural management and climatic changes within the past 25 years have had a serious impact on soil organic matter content and contribute to different carbon storage in the soil. Prediction of soil carbon pool, validation, and quantification of different models is important for sustainable agriculture in the future and for this purpose a long-term monitoring data set is required. RothC-26.3 model was applied for carbon stock simulation within two different climatic scenarios (hot-dry with rapid temperature increasing and warm-dry with less rapid temperature increasing). Ten years experimental data set have been received from conventional and organic farming of experimental plots of Mendel University School Enterprise (locality Vatín, Czech-Moravian Highland). Average annual temperature in this area is 6.9°C, average annual precipitation 621 mm, and altitude 530 m above sea level. Soil was classified as Eutric Cambisol, sandy loam textured, with middle organic carbon content. Its cumulative potential was assessed as high. Results showed linear correlation between carbon stock and climatic scenario, and mostly temperature and type of soil management has influenced carbon stock. In spite of lower organic carbon inputs under organic farming this was less depending on climatic changes. Conventional farming showed higher carbon stock during decades 2000-2100 because of higher carbon input. Besides conventional farming was more affected by temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of leaf-applied fertilizers on nutritional status and yields of apple cv. Rubinola grown on two soil types (Luvisol, Cambisol) differing in yield levels was studied in a three-year experiment at the orchard in Vanovice, Czech Republic. Two fertilizers, A (containing N, Mg, Ca, B and Zn) and B (N, B, Zn, Mn and Fe) were applied after blooming, leaves and fruit were analyzed. Zn and B concentrations increased significantly in leaves and fruit in both soils after the application of solution A compared to the control. Foliar fertilizer B increased the concentration of Zn and Mn significantly both in leaves and fruit compared to the control. The content of Mn in dry leaf matter increased almost 4 times (from the control level about 30 mg/kg), of B up to 1.5 times (from 28 mg/kg) and the content of Zn even more than 10 times (from 15 mg/kg). The application of foliar fertilizers was more efficient in the Cambisol orchard section with worse soil conditions; however, the enhanced nutritional status did not significantly increase fruit yields in either of the experimental soil types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]