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Agronomy
Special Issues
Energy Saving, Environment Protection Technologies, and Machines in Crop Production
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Energy Saving, Environment Protection Technologies, and Machines in Crop Production

A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Agricultural Biosystem and Biological Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 July 2021) | Viewed by 17924

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Egidijus Šarauskis

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Guest Editor
Agriculture Academy, Faculty of Agricultural Engineering, Institute of Agricultural Engineering and Safety, Vytautas Magnus University, Studentu Str. 15A, LT-53362 Akademija, Kaunas Distr., Lithuania
Interests: agricultural engineering; environment engineering; reduced tillage technologies; sowing machinery; precision agriculture; sowing and weed control robots; technological, energetic, and environmental assessment of the impact of agricultural technological operations on soil and environmental pollution
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Vilma Naujokienė

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agricultural Engineering and Safety, Vytautas Magnus University, Akademija, Kaunas District, Studentu Str. 11, LT-53361 Kaunas, Lithuania
Interests: environmental engineering; technologies; energy cost reduction and environmental sustainability in various agricultural systems; multicriteria bioimpact effectiveness for environmental improvement
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Increasing healthy food production and energy use efficiency, as well as optimizing the cost effectiveness of production and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, are currently the most important objectives of agriculture. The efficiency and environmental impact of crop production can be measured using a variety of energy consumption and GHG emission indicators, respectively. In this Special Issue, we invite you to share the results of your high-quality research, energy, environmental, and economic assessment analyses, and insights on sustainable crop production technologies, including soil protection, the use of different fuel-saving agricultural machinery processes, precision farming, reduced tillage, direct sowing, crop care, and harvesting in a variety of organic and conventional farming systems.

Prof. Dr. Egidijus Šarauskis
Dr. Vilma Naujokienė
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Agronomy is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • agricultural machinery
  • energy use efficiency
  • environment mitigation
  • sustainable farming
  • fuel consumption
  • GHG emission
  • precision agriculture
  • soil properties
  • sustainable agricultural technologies
  • technological operations
  • tillage

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 2366 KiB  
Article
The Influence of Lime Material and Nitrogen Fertilization on Reed Canary Grass Productivity, Plant Quality and Environmental Impact of Using Biomass for Energy Purposes
by Gintaras Šiaudinis, Algirdas Jasinskas, Egidijus Šarauskis, Regina Skuodienė, Regina Repšienė and Danutė Karčauskienė
Agronomy 2021, 11(5), 895; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11050895 - 2 May 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2905
Abstract
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 [...] Read more.
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. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy Saving, Environment Protection Technologies, and Machines in Crop Production)
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13 pages, 2756 KiB  
Article
Simulation of Granular Organic Fertilizer Application by Centrifugal Spreader
by Raimonda Zinkevičienė, Eglė Jotautienė, Antanas Juostas, Antonio Comparetti and Edvardas Vaiciukevičius
Agronomy 2021, 11(2), 247; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11020247 - 29 Jan 2021
Cited by 20 | Viewed by 5245
Abstract
There is no specialized equipment designed to spread granular cylindrical organic fertilizer in the soil. There are also no rational recommendations available on how to spread this type of fertilizer. Mineral fertilizer spreaders are most often used for spreading granulated organic fertilizer. However, [...] Read more.
There is no specialized equipment designed to spread granular cylindrical organic fertilizer in the soil. There are also no rational recommendations available on how to spread this type of fertilizer. Mineral fertilizer spreaders are most often used for spreading granulated organic fertilizer. However, these fertilizers are significantly different from mineral fertilizers. Due to these differences, organic granular fertilizers often are spread unevenly, and the fertilizer does not reach the required working width. Furthermore, the rate of spreading is not accurate, and the fertilizer is often crushed too much. The objective of this research is to develop a simulation model for granular organic fertilizer applications with a centrifugal spreader in EDEM (extended distinct element method) software. It is possible to develop a numerical model that corresponds to a real spreader, and to determine the key physical–mechanical parameters for the application of granular organic fertilizer. This model can also be used for evaluating the transverse uniformity of the fertilizer in the field (along the trajectory normal to the machine). The results of this research show that the distance traveled by the fertilizer granules partially depends on the particle size, initial speed, type of fertilizer and the parameters of the spinning discs of the spreader. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy Saving, Environment Protection Technologies, and Machines in Crop Production)
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19 pages, 5800 KiB  
Article
Comparative Analysis of Energy and GHG Emissions Using Fixed and Variable Fertilization Rates
by Marius Kazlauskas, Indrė Bručienė, Algirdas Jasinskas and Egidijus Šarauskis
Agronomy 2021, 11(1), 138; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11010138 - 13 Jan 2021
Cited by 22 | Viewed by 3988
Abstract
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 [...] Read more.
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. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy Saving, Environment Protection Technologies, and Machines in Crop Production)
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20 pages, 6399 KiB  
Article
Soil Bio-Impact Effectiveness for the Optimal Multicriterial Environmental Sustainability in Crop Production
by Vilma Naujokienė, Daiva Rimkuvienė and Egidijus Šarauskis
Agronomy 2021, 11(1), 72; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11010072 - 31 Dec 2020
Viewed by 2610
Abstract
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 [...] Read more.
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. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy Saving, Environment Protection Technologies, and Machines in Crop Production)
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24 pages, 7641 KiB  
Article
Study on Anti-Friction Mechanism of Canna-Leaf Biomimetic Micro-Textured Fruit Tree
by Jianfeng Sun, Bo Li, Kaifeng Xing, Zhu Liu and Zhou Yang
Agronomy 2020, 10(12), 1866; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10121866 - 26 Nov 2020
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2124
Abstract
Fruit tree pruning is an important part of orchard management. In this paper, the force on and the wear of the pruner in the pruning process were studied with a canna-leaf biomimetic convex-hull pruner. The pruner was formed by laser etching technology. The [...] Read more.
Fruit tree pruning is an important part of orchard management. In this paper, the force on and the wear of the pruner in the pruning process were studied with a canna-leaf biomimetic convex-hull pruner. The pruner was formed by laser etching technology. The influence of laser power and scanning speed on the geometric dimensioning of the micro texture was analyzed. The shear force calculation model was built to obtain the positive pressure load during the pruning process, while the model accuracy was verified in the static pressure shear test, and the wear mechanism was analyzed in the wear test. The real pruning process was simulated to compare the worn areas of the textured and non-textured pruners and the number of cuts in fixed wear condition, for proving the wear reduction characteristics of the micro-textured pruner. The results show that: the optimal forming parameters are 70 W 1.6 mm/s (10 mm-diameter branches), 80 W 2.4 mm/s (15 mm-diameter branches) and 80 W 1.6 mm/s (20 mm-diameter branches), and the convex hull spacing is 300 μm. Laser power affects the depth and width of the texture, while scanning speed affects the depth of the texture. The positive pressure on the pruner is proportional to the modulus of elasticity, moment of inertia, cut depth, and bevel angle, whilst it is inversely proportional to the distance from the fixed point of the blade to the positive pressure. The wear test shows that the anti-wear performance of the textured pruner is not obvious at the load of 300 g, while the anti-wear performance of the textured pruner is significant at the loads of 1000 g and 2000 g. The wear mechanism shifts from the abrasive wear in the early stage to more complex oxidative wear and adhesive wear. The actual shear test shows that the textured pruner wears less than the non-textured pruner and enters the stable shear faster. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy Saving, Environment Protection Technologies, and Machines in Crop Production)
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