Browsing by Subject "nutrient balance"
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(2014)Tillage and sowing methods impact on the nutrient balances which is an interest of researchers and farmers. An aim of the research is to compare nutrient balances of tillage and sowing. During the years 2000 – 2010 in Jokioinen, studies have been conducted concerning how different tillage and sowing methods affect spring cereal nitrogen and phosphorus balances in heavy clay soil. The compared tillage systems were autumn mouldboard (25 cm) plough, stubble cultivation (10 cm) and no-till. The sowing systems under comparison were combined rotovator and shoe coulter seeder and single and double coulters disk seeders. The measurement thinks were yield (seed and straw), nitrogen and phosphorus content. From the measured values were calculated N and P balances which included seed, nutrient and natural deposition. The range of nutrient balances was large during the experiment period. Average nitrogen balance of different tillage methods were: plough 41,3 kg/ha stubble cultivation (S) 40,1 kg/ha and no-till (N) 44,0 kg/ha. Average phosphorus balance were P -0,5, S -0,3 and N 0,1 kg/ha. Average nitrogen balance of different sowing methods were combined rotovator, single disk coulter (R) 43,7 kg/ha and double disk coulter (SK) 44,9 kg/ha. Average phosphorus balance were JK -1,1, R 0,2 and SK 0,3 kg/ha. The weather conditions, especially precipitation, effects strongly on nutrient balances of tillage methods. In dry conditions no-till reached better nutrient balances than the other tillage methods. In other hand, in wet conditions mouldboard plough were better than an average. The weather conditions did not affect nutrient balances of the sowing methods. Furthermore combined rotovator and shoe coulter seeder achieved almost without exception better nutrient balances than others sowing methods regardless of the growing season precipitation.
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Towards local balance of crop and animal farming for recycling of nutrients and for localizing food (2018)Circular economy and nutrient recycling have become central aims of agricultural development domestically and internationally. In Finland the enhancement of nutrient recycling is hindered by the areal dividedness of agricultural production. The high animal densities in West-Finland produce more manure nutrients than the area can sustain whereas in the South-Finland the Uusimaa region is dependent on mineral phosphorus fertilizers as there isn’t enough manures in the region. Also the unutilized grasslands have potential for increasing efficient silage and energy grass production, which enables nutrient recycling through biogas or livestock production. In this thesis the agricultural production structure of Uusimaa is approached from the perspective of the regional feed production and the feed production potential as an enabler of more balanced regional crop-livestock production. Simultaneously the regional nutrient recycling and livestock product self-sufficiency enhances. The method used is MFA (material flow analysis) which is applied to the case study area of the Mäntsälä municipality with results scaled up to the rural areas of Uusimaa County. The materials were based on annual statistics of Finland’s production structure and agricultural production. The Mäntsälä municipality’s nutrient balance of nitrogen and phosphorus, the average yields and self-sufficiency in livestock products were analyzed. Three alternative scenarios were introduced to analyze the possibilities of increasing livestock production, enhancing nutrient recycling and attaining livestock product self-sufficiency. The case area has remarkable potential for livestock production increases. With these increases the cereal dominated region gains the possibility of replacing a majority of mineral fertilizers with the manures. Simultaneously, the municipal production can come close to meeting the municipal consumption. These additions of livestock can be carried out without changes in crop areas, but then the livestock production would depend on imported mineral and protein feeds. Also the increases in protein feed needs can be met by transforming the needed areas from cereal areas. In addition the unutilized grasses provide a potential for enhancing the areal silage production. The case study area can’t meet the areal consumption of livestock produce without using the expanse of the present cereal cultivation areas. The results suggest that Uusimaa and its surrounding rural regions have great potential for increasing livestock production and enhancing the nutrient recirculation, whereas the regional consumption cannot be met with the regional production. To enhance sustainable agroecosystem in Finland changes in production structure, way of production and the consumption patterns of citizens are needed.
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