Energy Optimization in Different Production Technologies of Winter Triticale Grain

Abstract

This article presents the results of a field experiment investigating the energy efficiency of grain produced by a semi-dwarf genotype of winter triticale at different levels of agricultural inputs. The energy efficiency of winter triticale grain production was evaluated in two low-input and two high-input cultivation practices that differed in the rate of nitrogen fertilizer (split application) and disease control. The energy inputs associated with the production of winter triticale grain at low levels of agricultural inputs were determined to be 14.5 to 14.7 GJ ha−1. Higher levels of agricultural inputs increased the demand for energy in grain production by 25% on average. The energy output of grain peaked (163.3 GJ ha−1) in response to a fertilizer rate of 120 kg ha−1 applied in a split ratio of 50:50 (BBCH 27/32) and two fungicide treatments (BBCH 31 and 39). The energy output of grain from the remaining cultivation regimes was 3–13% lower. The energy efficiency ratio was highest in the low-input cultivation regime with a nitrogen rate of 90 kg ha−1 split into two applications (60 and 30 kg ha−1 for BBCH 27 and 32, respectively), seed dressing with fungicide (thiram and tebuconazole) and one fungicide treatment (azoxystrobin) (BBCH 39).

Use of Intermediate Crops to Increase Productivity of Irrigated Arable Land in Southeastern Kazakhstan

“…A1), raw biomass, g (A2), dry biomass, g (A3), the weight of 1000 seeds, g (A4), yield, centner/ha (A5), and feed units (A6) in corn grown for grain cultivation of winter crops (barley and triticale), while for the cultivation of the late summer crops (corn) precipitation of the second half of summer is more important. Thus, increased stability of agricultural production and soil resistance to adverse environmental effects is achieved [Panasiewicz et al, 2020;Szempliński et al, 2021]. In the southeast of Kazakhstan, winter triticale and barley crops fit well into crop rotations of various irrigated agricultural landscapes as intermediate crops, which also contributes to improving soil fertility; in particular, crop rotation reduces clogging and weed contamination, and increases the amount of root and crop residues .…”

Investigating the Benefits of Tectonite Dust as an Amendment for Bark Substrates and Dryland Crops

“…Leveraging waste products like tectonite dust allows farmers to decrease reliance on traditional inputs like synthetic fertilizers, which are often energy-intensive to produce and transport. Studies on wheat production in other parts of the world have highlighted that fertilizer inputs constitute one of the most energy-intensive aspects of production [ 29 ]. Therefore, locally sourced agricultural amendments like tectonite can play a role in optimizing agricultural operations.…”

Triticale in Italy

“…In recent years, the use of the whole plant as a source of renewable energy has attracted high interest. Some results have already been achieved, showing the high yield of biogas that makes triticale a good choice for biomass production [7,9,[23][24][25][26]. Further studies are necessary to identify a mix of sustainable products to valorize the use of crop residuals and further minimize the competition with the production for human and animal nutrition.…”

“…More recently, triticale has received attention as a potential energy crop, and research is currently being conducted on the use of the crop biomass in bioethanol production. Szempli ński et al [9] underlined that energy efficiency is one of the key priorities of a sustainable crop, and in this regard, the energy efficiency ratio of winter triticale has been found to be remarkably high at all levels of agricultural inputs.…”