Abstract:The aim of this study was to examine the sustainability performance of organic and low-input conventional farms with the sustainability assessment tool-RISE 3.0. It is an indicator-based method for holistic assessment of sustainability of agricultural production at farm level. Ten organic and 10 conventional farms from eastern Poland, Lublin province were assessed. According to the thresholds levels of the RISE method, organic farms performed positively for 7 out of 10 themes, while the values of the other 3 topics, biodiversity, working conditions, and economic viability, were at medium level. Conventional farms reached positive scores for 9 out of 10 themes. The only middle-performing theme was biodiversity. None of the two farm types had the lowest, problematic scores for examined themes. For the theme biodiversity and two indicators (greenhouse gas balance and intensity of agricultural production), significant differences between farming systems were found. Biodiversity performance, an important indicator of sustainability, estimated with the RISE system, was highly correlated with measured on-field weed flora and Orthoptera biodiversity of farms. High soil acidity and low crop productivity, improper weed regulation, and energy management were the most common problems in both types of farms. Working hours and wage and income levels were also assessed as being low. Recommendations to improve the sustainability of both organic and conventional farms are presented.

The aim of the study was to determine the relationship between morphological features and canopy parameters of winter wheat varieties and weed infestation. The 2-year-long field experiments were conducted at 3 locations, on 13 varieties of winter wheat cultivated on organic farms. The response of the tested cultivars to weed infestation was similar regardless of the location. The number of weeds did not differ significantly between the wheat varieties and was similar in all locations and years of the study (109-122 plants/m2). The weed dry matter was significantly lower in Chomentowo (38 g/m2) compared to Osiny and Chwałowice (66 and 85 g/ m2). Nateja and Legenda wheat varieties showed the biggest competitiveness against weeds in both years and locations, whereas Alcazar, Boomer and Jenga were characterized as having the least competitive ability. Natula, Kohelia, Batuta and Ostroga wheat varieties showed a different response to weed infestation over the years. The analysis of correlation and cluster analysis showed that wheat dry matter, plant density, and wheat height had the greatest impact on the number and dry matter of weeds. There was no significant correlation between number of tillers per plant and weed infestation parameters measured in the dough stage

The aim of the study was to compare 10 winter triticale varieties according to their traits useful for cultivation in organic farming. The study was carried out in the years 2014–2017 in the experimental organic farm of the Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation–State Research Institute in Pulawy (Poland). The highest-yielding varieties under organic conditions were Pizarro and Subito. Borowik cultivar showed the highest competitive ability against weeds. The highest number of weeds was found in the Leontyno cultivar, which was connected to the lowest plant density, the lowest weight of the above-ground parts of the canopy and smaller value of tillering coefficient. The most affected by the fungal pathogens Drechslera tritici-repentis (Died.) Shoem. and Puccinia striiformis Schwein. were Fredro and Algoso. Cluster analyses indicated that the most useful cultivars for cultivation in the organic system were: Borowik, Subito, and Tomko, which all showed higher yielding potential, bigger competitiveness against weeds, and average resistance against fungal pathogens. Pizarro, Tulus, and Twingo, which showed high resistance to fungal pathogens with lower competitiveness to weeds, were classified to the second group of usefulness. The least useful for the organic system were: Algoso, Fredro, Grenado, and Leontyno.

In recent years, the European Union has been paying particular attention to the problem of biodiversity loss. The possibilities of its assessment and conservation are included in the latest European Union (EU) policies and reflected in the European Biodiversity Strategy. The biodiversity of weeds in winter cereals in organic and conventional low-input farms in Eastern Poland was investigated during a 3-year period. Significantly more species and larger abundance were found in organic than in conventional farming systems. The biodiversity of these communities was described by Shannon’s diversity and Simpson’s dominance indices, which showed diversity to be well maintained in both farming systems; however, significantly higher Shannon’s index and significantly lower Simpson’s index values were observed in organic farms. Both farming systems were the mainstay of endangered and rare species, as well as some invasive weed species. Weed communities of organic farms were dominated mostly by Setaria pumila and Elymus repens, while conventional farms were dominated by Juncus bufonius and Setaria pumila. The study showed the importance of organic farming systems for biodiversity conservation. It was also shown that low-input (traditional) conventional farms are also beneficial for biodiversity conservation.

The present pilot study examined the potential of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) as an energy source. The fresh matter of whole tobacco plants, the yield of dry matter of stems and leaves, as well as the higher heating value and methane production potential from tobacco biomass were determined. The yield of tobacco leaves was on average 4.69 Mg ha−1 (dry matter) and 76.90 GJ ha−1 yr−1 (biomass energy yield). Tobacco stems yielded on average 8.55 Mg ha−1 and 150.69 GJ ha−1 yr−1, while yields of whole tobacco crops were (on average) 13.24 Mg ha−1 and 227.59 GJ ha−1 yr−1. Methane potential of tobacco plants was (on average) 248 Nm3 Mg−1 VS (volatile solids). The tobacco plants tested in the study could be used as energy crops as their dry matter and energy yields are similar to those of the most popular energy crops being currently used in biomass production in Poland and the European Union. Nevertheless, further studies to choose the Nicotiana species and varieties most suitable for energy production and to assess the cost-effectiveness of tobacco biomass production are needed.