Cultivation of legume-grain agrocenoses for the purpose of resource saving in forage production
S Y Bevz, E A Toshkina
Abstract
Abstract In order to identify more cost-effective technologies and cheaply grown crops, it is possible to compare various options on the basis of their total energy consumption and agro-energetics ratio. The analysis of the energy parameters of the technology of field and meadow forage production showed that the energy cost of cultivation of grain and legume - grain agrocenoses and their structure varied significantly and depended on the composition of cenoses, different types and doses of fertilizers, the type and quantity of seeds of annual crops and their energy consumption. In all agrocenoses, the operational energy costs were not equally distributed. The lowest cost accounted for labor (10 to 30%), and the highest cost (60 to 70%) – for fuel. The introduction of the legume component that does not require the application of energy-intensive nitrogen fertilizers to the field and meadow agrocenoses significantly reduces the energy consumption for their cultivation. This has affected the agroenergetics ratio of various technologies. Due to the inclusion of Vicia sativa (tare) in the field cenosis, the agroenergetics ratio increased by 20%, and the inclusion of clover in the meadow agrocenosis has led to the two-fold increase of the agroenergetics ratio, compared with grain cenoses. That is, when cultivating legume-grain grass stand, the greatest agroenergetics ratio was achieved. The yield of exchange energy is almost 9 times higher than the energy spent on the cultivation of this agrocenosis. For the purpose of resource saving in forage production and preparation of high-quality forage, it is expedient to cultivate legume-grain agrocenoses. The introduction of the legume component in the field and meadow agrocenoses will not only increase the nutritional value of the forage, but also rise the agroenergetics ratio.