Strašil Z., 2012. Evaluation of reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea L.) grown for energy use. Res. Agr. Eng., Field experiments with reed canary grass were conducted during 1996-2000 at four different sites (Ruzyně, Troubsko, Lukavec and Chomutov in the Czech Republic). In the period 2001-2009 the experiments were run at Ruzyně and Lukavec. During vegetation the following indicators were monitored: the course of weather in individual years at given sites and infestation of stands by pests and diseases. Furthermore, we monitored the effects of N application rates, year, site, as well as the effect of harvest time on yields of harvested biomass, moisture content, elements content, and energy content. The content of heavy metals in soils and subsequently in plants was also monitored. The zoning methodology was created for reed canary grass. The highest average dry matter yield of reed canary grass harvested in late autumn was achieved for comparable periods during 1996-2000 at Ruzyně (8.33 t/ha), and the lowest at Chomutov (6.80 t/ha). The greatest effect of N fertilization on yields was recorded at Ruzyně, where the N2 rate (80 kg/ha) increased the yield on average by 28.6% in comparison with the non-fertilized variants. Average loss of biomass over winter was 23.0%.

Strašil Z., Kára J., 2010. Study of knotweed (Reynoutria) as possible phytomass resource for energy and industrial utilization. Res. Agr. Eng., This paper deals with the Reynoutria × bohemica and Reynoutria japonica under conditions of the Czech Republic. It evaluates the impact of soil, weather conditions and various terms of harvest (autumn, spring) on the yield, dry matter content, phytomass loss, ash content, and basic elements content change in plants. Heavy metals content was determined in soil where plants were grown and consequently in plants themselves. The average yield of dry matter at the fully closed stands of Reynoutria japonica were 9.06 t/ha in autumn, Reynoutria × bohemica from 13.23 to 21.41 t/ha, according to the site. The yield losses within the winter period were found on average 42% for Reynoutria japonica and 34% for Reynoutria × bohemica. The moisture decrease of Reynoutria japonica was found from 68% in the autumn to 24% in the spring, and of Reynoutria × bohemica from 67% to 23%, respectively. Decreased content of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and magnesium in the knotweed phytomass was found during the latter (spring) harvest periods in comparison with the earlier harvest periods. Decreased elements content in phytomass during the latter harvest period (spring) increases the phytomass quality as a fuel from both aspects -technical and emissions generation. The ash content in plants varied according to the site, on average from 3.12% in Ruzyně to 4.6% in Chomutov. None of the heavy metals monitored in knotweed plants reached the maximum admissible values determined for the food or feed purposes in the Czech Republic. From the results of combustion experiments, it is evident that Reynoutria × bohemica is a good fuel. Energy sorrel shows the extreme CO concentration in flue gases in comparison with other monitored fuels. According to the ČSN EN 12809 (2001) standard it does not meet even the third class of requirements. On the contrary, knotweed and wood bark fulfill the requirements for the first class. The surprising fact is that both of these fuels show the lower level of CO emissions, than the wooden briquettes. Concentrations of nitrogen oxids are comparable with biofuels, except of wood, and probably are related to the nitrogen content in heating material.

The paper identifies and compares the energy balance of winter wheat, spring barley and white mustard – all grown in crop rotation under different tillage conditions. The field trial included the conventional tillage (CT) method, minimum tillage (MT) and a system with no tillage (NT). The energy inputs included both the direct and indirect energy component. Energy outputs are evaluated as gross calorific value (gross heating value of phytomass dry matter) of the primary product and the total harvested production. The energy effectiveness (energy output: energy input) was selected for evaluation. The greatest energy effectiveness for the primary product was established as 6.35 for barley, 6.04 for wheat and 3.68 for mustard; in the case of total production, it was 9.82 for barley, 10.08 for wheat and 9.72 for mustard. When comparing the different tillage conditions, the greatest energy effectiveness was calculated for the evaluated crops under the MT operation and represented the primary product of wheat at 6.49, barley at 6.69 and mustard at 3.92. The smallest energy effectiveness for the primary product was found in wheat 5.77 and barley 6.10 under the CT option; it was 3.55 for mustard under the option of NT. Throughout the entire cropping pattern, the greatest energy effectiveness was established under the minimum tillage option – 5.70 for the primary product and 10.47 for the total production. On the other hand, the smallest values were calculated under CT – 5.22 for the primary product and 9.71 for total production.

The objective of this study was the model comparison and economic evaluation of different methods of soil tillage and crop stand establishments used. Based on yield results (winter wheat, spring barley, and white mustard cultivated in three-crop rotation) from field experiments with conventional, conservation with minimum tillage, and no-tillage methods conducted at the site Prague-Ruzyně, model economic balances were evaluated. Prices of the main products were determined based on the yield results from the period 2010-2013 and the current market prices. In the individual tillage systems, the total costs of production of evaluated crops were counted up and profitability was calculated as a ratio of profit to total costs. The highest total costs of crop cultivation were identified in cereals under conventional soil tillage, on the contrary, the lowest in cereals cultivated under conservation tillage technology. As for the growing technologies, the highest profitability was found in winter wheat, as for the tillage methods, it was in the conservation variant with minimum tillage. The economic evaluation for individual crops was based on standards of growing technologies and particular work operations.

Field trials were conducted at two sites Troubsko near Brno and Prague-Ruzynì in 19961999 with three varieties of safflower (Gila, Sironaria). Three rates of nitrogen fertilization were used: N 0 = no fertilization, N 1 = 40 kg.ha 1 , N 2 = 80 kg.ha 1 . Sowing rates were 50 and 70 germinable seeds per m 2 . The average values of oil content were highest in seeds of CW-74 variety (27.2%). Gila had on average the lowest oil content (24.5%). Linoleic acid was dominant in all three safflower varieties. Variation in content of linoleic acid in different years was not so high as in oil content. The highest average content of linoleic acid was found in Gila variety (81.2%), the lowest in Sironaria (77.4%). At Ruzynì average seed yield on dry basis was 2.7 t.ha 1 and average straw yield was 7.56 t.ha 1 . At Troubsko seed yield was 2.56 t.ha 1 and straw yield was 3.69 t.ha 1 (by 50% lower than at Ruzynì). The effect of year of growing and site on seed yields and on other parameters was highly significant. N fertilization increased safflower seed yield at Troubsko site only, where the dose of 40 kg.ha 1 N increased the yield by 0.08 t.ha 1 on average of years and the dose of 80 kg.ha 1 N increased the seed yield by 0.2 t.ha 1 in comparison with no nitrogen fertilization treatments. Increased N rates and especially higher plant density resulted in an increase in straw yields. Neither were thousand seed weight nor number of flower heads influenced significantly by different N rates or the above-mentioned differences in plant density.Keywords: safflower; N fertilization; sowing rate; yields; yield structure Developmental trends in neighbouring countries of Western Europe and in this country indicate that in European agriculture there exists overproduction in the plant production sector aimed at food supplies. Agriculture in Western countries has already suggested a new trend when besides traditional crops for food use alternative crops for non-food use start expanding. This trend must be accepted in the agriculture of Czech Republic too. Taking into account continuous development of agriculture we will have to adopt innovations that are more radical in a farming system. One of the possibilities is to grow alternative crops such as safflower.Safflower production was tested in field conditions in the Research Institute of Crop Production at PragueRuzynì in cooperation with the Forage Crop Research Institute Troubsko. Field trials were conducted in 19961999 to study the effect of soil and climatic conditions, sowing rate and different N fertilization on yields and yield structure in three safflower varieties. MATERIAL AND METHODSField trials were carried out at two different sites (Troubsko near Brno, Prague-Ruzynì) in 19961999. Site conditions at experimental localities are shown in Table 1. Weather conditions at both sites in the experimental period in comparison with long term average are shown in Tables 2 and 3. Cultural practicesGrain crop was a forecrop for safflower at both sites and in all years of observation. ...