Search Results (9)

Contemporary agriculture faces the challenge of sustaining crop productivity amid increasing climatic pressures and simplified agronomic practices, such as monoculture. A field experiment conducted from 2022 to 2024 aimed to determine the effects of meteorological conditions and biological amendments on grain yield and yield structure in three maturity groups of continuous maize (Zea mays L.; FAO 200, 230 and 260). The split-plot experiment included applications of the biological amendments Neosol, Bactim Gleba and UGmax. Deteriorating agrometeorological conditions over the years studied led to a progressive decline in mean grain yield, reaching the lowest value in 2024 (5.06 Mg ha⁻¹). The cultivar belonging to the FAO 260 maturity group exhibited the highest yield potential. Application of all biological amendments resulted in a significant increase in grain yield and thousand-grain weight compared with the untreated control. The most effective treatment was UGmax which increased mean grain yield by approximately 14% and thousand-grain weight by 19% compared with the control. Path analysis revealed hierarchical relationships among components of ear structure and grain yield. The primary direct effect on yield increase was the number of kernels per ear, with thousand-grain weight also contributing significantly depending on maturity group. In later-maturing cultivars, kernel number per ear played the dominant role, whereas thousand-grain weight was more influential in earlier-maturing ones. The economic analysis demonstrated that all of the applied biological amendments generated a positive net profit, with the highest additional revenue obtained following the application of UGmax (160 USD·ha⁻¹). These results confirm that biostimulant application affected grain yield formation, and reduced yield losses under stress conditions. Full article

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of the application of different organic matter, UGmax soil conditioner and simplifications in potato cultivation on the content of dry matter, starch and sugars in tubers of the medium-early edible cultivar ‘Satina’ after harvest and after long-term storage. The highest dry matter (173.4 g kg⁻¹) and starch (124.6 g kg⁻¹ f. m.) content was obtained with the simultaneous application of a manure with soil conditioner at 100% mineral fertilization. In the case of sugars, the withdrawal of the soil conditioner from the crop proved most beneficial, for total sugars on the stubble intercrop (5.06 g kg⁻¹ f. m.) and for reducing sugars (1.99 g kg⁻¹ f. m.) in the case of straw treatment. Each protection reduction applied resulted in a significant reduction in starch content. In this regard, the withdrawal of herbicides with the simultaneous application of manure and UGmax proved most beneficial. Long-term storage of tubers caused a significant reduction in their quality in terms of dry matter and starch content (average by −3.6 and −2.3%, respectively) and an increase in total and reducing sugars (average by 11.8 and 9.6%, respectively). The decrease in dry matter and starch content was significantly influenced by the 50% reduction in NPK fertilization applied during the growing season, while the application of soil conditioner with full protection contributed to the increase in reducing sugars after storage at 28.9 pts%. Our research is in line with current trends of used potato cultivation technologies focused mainly on environmental protection, so the results of this study can provide a basis for validation for researchers currently engaged in such evaluation. Full article

In sustainable cultivation technologies, the method of managing crop residues and the microbiological activity of the soil, supported by the application of effective microorganisms, is of particular importance. Unfortunately, wheat monocultures are still common. Therefore, there is also a need to introduce elements of sustainable agrotechnics to such crops. The aim of the research was to compare the effect of 18 spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivation technologies in a monoculture. Therefore, a four-year two-factor experiment was carried out with a spring wheat monoculture. Six ways managing the organic matter before sowing and tillage (first factor) and the application of microbiological preparations (second factor) were tested, leasing to a total of 18 experimental objects. The parameterized weed infestation, chlorophyll index, and leaf area index, elements of the yield structure, and spring wheat yield were determined through tillage technology. In most cases, the application of biopreparations was not found to have a significant impact on the tested features. The highest yields of spring wheat were obtained through the following technologies: application of EM or UG_max microbiological preparations on the shredded straw of the forecrop; mixing the forecrop with the soil using a grubber immediately after harvest; sowing the white mustard catch crop; winter plowing. Full article

While some studies regarding the effect of biofertilizers on plants, including their yield and quality, less is known about how they affect the soil properties, especially the microbial and enzymatic properties. Biofertilizers are promising for enhancing the nutrient availability in agricultural soils and reducing the reliance on inorganic fertilizers. The aim of this four-year-long field experiment was to assess the influence of the use of UGmax biofertilizer, which contains bacterial strains enhancing the soil phosphorus availability, e.g., the Pseudomonas spp. strains from Azotobacter and Penicillium genera, on the soil P forms and acid and alkaline phosphatase activity (AcP, AlP) in the surface soil horizon (Ap). Winter wheat was cultivated in 2005, 2006, and 2008, while winter rapeseed was cultivated in 2007 in a research area (2 hectare) that was selected for the investigation. These plants were selected because they are the main agricultural crops in Poland. UGmax was applied in three successive years after the plants had been harvested. One dose of the biofertilizer (0.7 L per hectare) was applied after the harvesting of wheat had been harvested (2005–2007), while the second dose (0.3 L per hectare) was applied as a top dressing in the spring, when the plants were beginning to grow (2006–2008). Forty soil samples were taken in 2005 (the control year without the application of UGmax). In the following years (2006–2008), 20 soil samples were taken from the area after the UGmax had been applied in the previous year, as well as 20 soil samples from the control area. A grid soil sampling technique (40 m × 25 m) was used to assess the changes in the soil properties across both of the studied areas. The soil samples were taken from the surface (Ap) horizon. Only at the end of the experiment (2008) did the application of UGmax remarkably increase the organic carbon (Corg) and total nitrogen (Nt) content, while the microbial biomass carbon (MBC) content was notably higher in the field with UGmax than in the control. The available P content (Pavail) was significantly higher in the field with UGmax compared to these without the biofertilizer in 2006 and 2008, while no considerable relation was noted for the total phosphorus (Ptot) and water soluble P (Pwater) content in any of the study years. Over the entire period of the experiment, the AcP and AlP were notably lower in the soil samples that were collected from the UGmax field compared to that of the control soil. It was concluded that the application of UGmax exhibited a phosphate-solubilizing activity that could be an encouraging attitude for increasing P bioavailability in arable fields and that further studies ought to be carried out under different soil and climatic conditions in order to confirm such a phenomenon. Full article

Increasing consumption of processed potatoes and consumer preference for buying potatoes washed and packed in transparent packages are a reason for increasing quality standards for potatoes. Processing and trade require potato tubers with smooth skin and without signs of disease, such as common scab, black scurf, and silver scurf. It is necessary to introduce protective measures to reduce the growth of pathogens causing these diseases and, at the same time, are safe for the environment and the consumer. To meet these requirements, the effects of application to soil and treatment of seed potatoes in the following solutions were examined: biological control agents (BCAs): Pythium oligandrum (BCAPo), Bacillus subtillis str. QST 713 (BCABs); microbial soil additives (MSADs): Efficient microorganisms (EM), UGMax soil conditioner, Biogen Rewital (BR); plant growth promoter (PGP): Ecklonia maxima (PGPEm) for the infection of the tubers by Streptomyces scabies (S.s), Rhizoctonia solani (R.s) Helminthosporium solani (H.s) and potato yield. Average Disease Severity Index (DSI) for common scab (S.s) 62.0%, black scurf (R.s) 57.88%, and silver scurf (H.s) 54.24%, obtained from three growing seasons, indicate their significant economic importance. The bio-preparations used significantly reduced their intensity. The effectiveness of protection for individual pathogens varied and was highly dependent on hydrothermal conditions. The analyzed preparations showed E between 8.0% and 50.8% against S.s. However, a stronger effectiveness was found in relation to H.s (12.9–56.6%) and R.s (19.5–69.2%). In years with water deficit, PGPEm and MSADs are more effective than BCAs in protecting potato tubers from skin diseases and contribute to higher yield increases. There was a significant negative correlation between the total DSI and the potato tuber yield. Full article

Currently, in agricultural engineering, plant growth regulators or biostimulants, immunity stimulants or bacterial vaccines are becoming standard elements in the production technology of many types of field, fruit and vegetable crops. The research was based on a three-year field experiment carried out in 2018–2021 at the Agricultural Experimental Station of northeastern Poland. The aim of the research was to determine the effect of biostimulators containing microorganisms and micro and macro elements, phosphorus and potassium and silicon on the morphological features of the leaf rosette and the increase in fresh and dry mass of the above-ground part of the rosette and the root system of three winter rape cultivars. The conducted research showed that the application of the organic preparation Ugmax significantly increased the number of rosette leaves (by an average of 13.9%), the length of the tap root (by an average of 2.3 cm), root neck diameter (by an average of 4.2%), fresh and dry weight of the above-ground part of the rosette (by an average of 6.0% and 6.6%) and fresh weight of the root system (by an average of 0.88 g) compared to the control variant. The hybrid morphotypes that were restored compared to the population cultivar Chrobry were characterized by a weaker autumn development of the leaf rosette. Full article

One of the main tasks in the search for environmentally friendly crop-growing methods is to increase soil fertility by improving its physical, chemical and biological parameters. The aim of this study was to determine the effect that the long-term annual application of different types of soil fertility agents (exogenous organic matter: 1. manure, 2. straw in combination with nitrogen fertilization and liming and 3. the addition of biostimulants) had on organic matter properties, including humic acid (HAs) properties. The research was carried out on the basis of soil samples from a ten-year pot experiment which was set up as single-factor pot experiment with four replications. PVC pots with perforated bottoms were filled with soil samples taken from the tilled layer of an arable field where winter wheat was grown in monoculture. The pots were exposed directly to the weather and were left without vegetation. The soil samples were assayed for the content of total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen and fractional composition of humus. HAs were extracted with the Schnitzer method and analyzed for the elemental composition, spectrometric parameters in the FT-IR and UV-VIS range and hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties. In addition, EPR spectra were produced. The results showed that the content of organic matter compared to soil without additives increased with the use of manure and the use of straw in the CaO variant and in the form of a mulch. The content of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) ranged from 124.6 to 286.1 mg kg⁻¹ and had strong positive correlation with TOC content. The values of the ratio of carbon content in humic acids to carbon content in fulvic acids (CHAs/CFAs) ranged from 0.71 to 0.99. The use of a biostimulator—with or without the addition of straw—increased carbon sequestration in humic acid molecules, as well as their oxidation level and their share of hydrophobic fractions with the longest retention time. Thus, the addition of UGmax intensifies humification processes, leading to the formation of stable humic acid molecules. Full article

Potato protein is a valuable source of essential plant-derived amino acids, the composition of which is similar to that of chicken egg protein considering the amino acid reference. Many factors used in potato cultivation can modify its composition. The use of bio-fertilizers in potato growing offers a possibility of a better use of minerals from soil and organic sources and reducing the need for mineral fertilizers by activating minerals present in soil. The effect can be to improve not only the potato tuber yield but also the nutritional value. The aim of this study has been to determine the hanges in the content of crude protein and the composition of amino acids in potato tubers, depending on the application of the bio-fertilizer (UGmax), organic fertilizers (pea as a catch crop, straw, and farmyard manure (FYM)) as well as mineral fertilization (100% and 50% of the reference rate). The application of bio-fertilizer significantly increased the content of essential and non-essential amino acids in potato tuber protein. With the half-decreased mineral fertilization rate, bio-fertilizer most effectively increased the content of tyrosine, methionine, asparagine in potato tuber protein in the treatments with FYM or with a catch crop as well as without organic fertilization. Full article

This paper deals with the effects of slurry, soil conditioners, and mineral fertilizers on Festulolium braunii fiber content. The field studies with three replications and a completely randomized design lasted two years (2016–2017). The effects of slurry applied on its own or in combination with mineral fertilizers and with two products improving soil properties was tested on the Sulino cultivar of F. braunii, a forage grass species. The results of the studies demonstrated that crude fiber content of F. braunii significantly varied across harvests. The treatment also significantly affected neutral detergent fiber (NDF) fraction content in the biomass. Due to an interaction effect, its amounts in grass treated with the combination of slurry and UGmax, a product improving soil properties, increased by 10% when compared to plants treated with slurry only, and the addition of Humus Active, another product improving soil properties, increased it by 7%, while the addition of mineral fertilizers did so by only 4%. The amounts of acid detergent fiber (ADF) in F. braunii significantly varied across growing seasons. However, none of the research factors significantly affected the amounts of acid detergent lignin (ADL). Full article