Search Results (5)

Diversifying crop rotations by incorporating legumes is recommended to enhance the resilience of agricultural systems against environmental stresses and optimize nitrogen utilization. Nonetheless, ploughing forage legumes or grass-legumes poses a significant risk of nitrate leaching. The study aimed to assess the impact of strip tillage intercropping management on soil mineral nitrogen, water-extractable organic carbon, mobile humic substances content, and winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grain yield compared to forage legume and winter wheat monocropping with conventional tillage. In the intercropping systems, the following bicrops were used: black medick (Medicago lupulina L.) with winter wheat, white clover (Trifolium repens L.) with winter wheat, and Egyptian clover (Trifolium alexandrinum L.) with winter wheat. Research was conducted in two experiments. The results indicated that after implementing strip tillage and winter wheat intercropping, the soil mineral nitrogen content was similar to or lower than that observed in conventional tillage and winter wheat sowing after forage legumes. Winter wheat grain yield in intercrops decreased compared to the legumes monocultures that were ploughed before winter wheat sowing. The highest amount of water- extractable organic carbon was in intercropping growing white clover and winter wheat bicrops or in all fields (except Egyptian clover and winter wheat bicrops) after applying strip tillage. During the research period, the quantities of mobile humic substances and mobile humic acids exhibited similar changes. Their content increased substantially in fields with white clover and Egyptian clover, regardless of whether the legumes were ploughed or grown with winter wheat. Full article

Reducing tillage intensity and increasing crop diversity by including perennial legumes is an agrotechnical practice that strongly affects the soil environment. Strip tillage may be beneficial in the forage legume–cereals intercropping system due to more efficient utilization of biological nitrogen. Field experiments were conducted on a clay loam Cambisol to determine the effect of forage legume–winter wheat strip tillage intercropping on soil nitrate nitrogen (N-NO₃) content and cereal productivity in various sequences of rotation in organic production systems. Forage legumes (Medicago lupulina L., Trifolium repens L., T. alexandrinum L.) grown in pure and forage legume–winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) strip tillage intercrops were studied. Conventional deep inversion tillage was compared to strip tillage. Nitrogen supply to winter wheat was assessed by the change in soil nitrate nitrogen content (N-NO₃) and total N accumulation in yield (grain and straw). Conventional tillage was found to significantly increase N-NO₃ content while cultivating winter wheat after forage legumes in late autumn (0–30 cm layer), after growth resumption in spring (30–60 cm), and in autumn after harvesting (30–60 cm). Soil N-NO₃ content did not differ significantly between winter wheat strip sown in perennial legumes or oat stubble. Winter wheat grain yields increased with increasing N-NO₃ content in soil. The grain yield was not significantly different when comparing winter wheat–forage legume strip intercropping (without mulching) to strip sowing in oat stubble. In forage legume–winter wheat strip intercropping, N release from legumes was weak and did not meet wheat nitrogen requirements. Full article

Medicago lupulina is an ancient edible plant from the Fabaceae family. In this work, two eco-friendly methods for extraction of bioactive phenolics from M. lupulina were developed using mixtures of water with two non-toxic, skin- and environmentally-friendly polyol solvents: glycerol and polypropylene glycol. Ultrasound-assisted extractions were optimized using a Box–Behnken design. The independent variables were the concentration of organic solvent in water (X₁), extraction temperature (X₂) and time (X₃), while the response was phenolic content. The optimum conditions for extraction of polyphenols were (X₁, X₂, X₃): (45%, 70 °C, 60 min) and (10%, 80 °C, 60 min) for glycerol and polypropylene glycol extraction, respectively. The extracts prepared at optimum conditions were rich in phenolic compounds, mainly derivatives of apigenin, kaempferol, luteolin, quercetin, caffeic and ferulic acid, as well as coumestrol. Their cosmeceutical and antidiabetic activity was tested. Both extracts demonstrated notable antioxidant, anti-lipoxygenase and anti-α-amylase activity. In addition to those activities, the glycerol extract efficiently inhibited protein coagulation, elastase and α-glucosidase activity. Glycerol present in the extract displayed enzyme-inhibiting activity in several assays and supported the action of the bioactive constituents. Thus, the optimized glycerol extract is a desirable candidate for direct incorporation in antidiabetic food supplements and cosmeceutical products. Full article

Cereal-legume intercropping is important in many low-input agricultural systems. Interactions between combinations of different plant species vary widely. Field experiments were conducted to determine yield formation regularities and plant competition effects of oat (Avena sativa L.)–black medick (Medicago lupulina L.), oat–white clover (Trifolium repens L.), and oat–Egyptian clover (T. alexandrinum L.) under organic farming conditions. Oats and forage legumes were grown in mono- and intercrops. Aboveground dry matter (DM) measured at flowering, development of fruit and ripened grain, productivity indicators, oat grain yield and nutrient content were established. The results showed that oats dominated in the intercropping systems. Oat competitive performance (CP_o), which is characterized by forage legumes aboveground mass reduction compared to monocrops, were 91.4–98.9. As the oats ripened, its competitiveness tendency to declined. In oat–forage legume intercropping systems, the mass of weeds was significantly lower compared to the legume monocrops. Oats and forage legumes competed for P, but N and K accumulation in biomass was not significantly affected. We concluded that, in relay intercrop, under favourable conditions, the forage legumes easily adapted to the growth rhythm and intensity of oats and does not adverse effect on their grain yield. Full article

The aim of the study was to analyze potential health-promoting and nutritional components (polyphenols, L-ascorbic acid, carotenoids, chlorophylls, amino acids, organic acid, sugars, ash and pectins) of selected sprouts (radish, lentil, black medick, broccoli, sunflower, leek, beetroot, mung beans) and microgreens (kale, radish, beetroot, green peas, amaranth). Moreover, antioxidant capacity (2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS), ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP), and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC)), in vitro anti-diabetic potential (inhibition of α-amylase and α-glucosidase), and anti-obesity (pancreatic lipase) and anti-cholinergic (acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase) activity were evaluated. The results of this study show that sprouts are effective in antioxidant capacity as a result of a high content of polyphenols and L-ascorbic acid. Additionally, sprouts are better sources of amino acids, pectins and sugars than microgreens. Microgreens were characterized by high content of carotenoids and chlorophylls, and organic acid, without any sugars, exhibiting higher anti-diabetic and anti-cholinergic activity than sprouts. Some selected sprouts (broccoli, radish, lentil) and microgreens (radish, amaranths, kale) should be used daily as superfoods or functional food. Full article