Mechanization in agriculture & Conserving of the resources
Vol. 68 (2024), Issue 4

Table of Contents

  • MECHANIZATION IN AGRICULTURE

    • Study of a flexible screw conveyor for reclamation of agricultural soils disturbed by military operations

      pg(s) 119-121

      The article studies the damage and destruction of the fertile soil layer as a result of military operations, in particular the detonation of various kinds of explosives, and examines the level of contamination of agricultural soils with heavy metals and other harmful substances. A method of restoring the surface of damaged land caused by bombing is proposed, which involves first cleaning the craters from damaged and contaminated soil with heavy metals and other dangerous substances. If a dangerous concentration of heavy metals and other dangerous substances is found on the surface of the crater, the removed contaminated soil layer must be disposed of. When disposing of the removed contaminated soil layer, it is proposed to use a flexible screw conveyor with a sectional auger working body. The constructive scheme of the experimental setup with a hitch system of a machine-tractor unit and a flexible screw conveyor is shown. To select the rational design parameters of the screw sections of the working body, computer modeling of the influence of power loads on the corresponding deformations depending on the conditions of their operation was carried out.

    • Optimization of vertical surfaces with continuous and discrete finning

      pg(s) 122-124

      The article deals with the optimization of vertical surfaces with continuous and discrete finning under conditions of natural convection. The optimization was carried out using experimental data obtained for finned surfaces made of steel, taking into account the non-isothermal temperature distribution over the surface of continuous and discrete fins. The dependences of the optimal distance between the ribs on the Rayleigh number and the geometric dimensions of the ribs are found. It was found that with a decrease in the Rayleigh number for discrete non-isothermal fins, the optimal distance between the fins increases compared to the same distance for continuous non-isothermal fins. The differences can be more than 30%. The obtained results for continuous non-isothermal fins are compared with the known results for isothermal fins. It is shown that the presence of non-isothermicity on the surface of continuous fins made of metal materials leads to the need to reduce the inter-fin distance by up to 40%. The results obtained can be useful in the design of finned surfaces under natural convection conditions.

    • The main requirements for the modern content of lectures under the condition of direct training in the training of mechanical engineers in the field of agricultural engineering

      pg(s) 125-129

      A new approach for analyzing the content and structural units of modern lectures in a higher educational institution is presented. The requirements that should be presented to the lecture in order for it to meet its modern purpose in the continuous education of students have been analyzed. It is quite natural that individual lectures from certain disciplines may not meet all the listed requirements at the same time. However, any lecture should satisfy the educational, developmental and educational functions as much as possible.

  • CONSERVING OF THE RESOURCES

    • Research on the possibilities of restoring agricultural land damaged by military operations

      pg(s) 130-134

      The article presents an analysis of the impact of armed aggression and military operations on soil cover, in particular, damage and chemical contamination. It shows the approaches most commonly used when sampling bombed soil, provides possible levels of contamination of agricultural land, and suggests measures for the use of such land depending on the level of chemical contamination.

    • Study of moisture conditions of chernozem in the left-bank forest-steppe of Ukraine

      pg(s) 135-137

      The article analyzes the dynamics of moisture content of the chernozem soil and the accumulation of productive moisture reserves in its thickness based on the data set from 1947 to 2022. Changes in the moisture regime within the periodically flushing water regime of the central part of the Left-Bank Forest-Steppe of Ukraine are analyzed. The central Forest-Steppe zone is characterized by a periodically flushing water regime, when an average of 165 mm of moisture accumulates in the meter thick chernozem, and therefore tends to the values of the moisture reserve under the non-flushing water regime, which exceeds its value by 25 mm, which is a stable trend of aridization of soil conditions in the spring. In the current climatic conditions of the central part of the Left-Bank Forest-Steppe, a regime of black soil moisture has been formed in the long-term time interval, which, under the influence of agrotechnical influences, cannot be shifted beyond the parameters of the non-flushing or periodically flushing water regime in the agrocenosis. The process of self-regulation of the Forest-Steppe zone’s resistance to active aridization and the Steppe’s “advance” on the Forest-Steppe is manifested.

    • Integrated low-carbon practices for managing key resources in agriculture, soil and water

      pg(s) 138-140

      The purpose of this report is to present the possibilities, goals and benefits of implementing integrated low-carbon practices for managing basic resources in agriculture, soil and water and achieving the main goals of the EU programs – “circular economy” and “green deal”, as well as and mitigating the causes of climate change.

    • Influence of soil organic matter on the water-soluble forms of technogenic radionuclides in soils – a model study

      pg(s) 141-144

      Soil contamination with radionuclides poses a serious threat to the health of the population. It can occur in radioactive incidents and accidents and improper management of radioactive waste. The mobile and bioavailable forms of radioactive contaminants are critical in predicting their transfer through food chains. This study presents the influence of soil organic matter on the leaching of 241Am, 60Co and 137Cs by distilled water from soils, taken from six regions in Bulgaria. The experiment was carried out by Chromic Cambisol, Eutric Fluvisol, two Calcaric Chernozem soils, Gleyic Fluvisol and Vertisol, taken from the surface soil layer 0-10 cm. The initial soil samples did not contain radionuclides and were contaminated by radioactive solution in the laboratory. The soil organic matter was removed from aliquot of the samples by treatment with 6 % NaClO and heating at 96 oC. The investigation aimed to examine the water-soluble forms of the radionuclides in soils, containing aliquots with removed organic substances as well as in natural soils. The contaminated soils were stored at 18 oC and water extraction of the radionuclides was performed after 75 min and 3 weeks after radioactive pollution. The radioactivity of the samples was measured by gamma spectrometry. The results showed that removing soil organic matter has different effects on the watersoluble forms of radiocesium and radiocobalt. No changes in the water-soluble forms of americium were measured. Adding soil with removed organic matter to Calcaric Chernozem soil was found to be an efficient approach to decrease the water-soluble forms of 60Co in the first three weeks after contamination.

    • The influence of the method of agricultural production on the state of surface water

      pg(s) 145-150

      According to various researchers, the ever-increasing pollution of water resources in the world by wastewater from agricultural sectors poses a great challenge to human health, especially in economically developed areas. Agriculture and its methods of operation constantly influence the water quality of surface water bodies. It was established that in Lithuania, 63% of water bodies in the categories of rivers and 64% of lakes are classified as risk water bodies and do not meet the criteria of good condition. One of the main group of factors that led to the deterioration of the condition of water bodies is the continuous and increasing pollution, mainly from agricultural activities. This study aims to find out how much the ecological method of agricultural production affects the nearby surface water bodies. The obtained results show that the larger the area of organic farms from the entire area of the lake’s nutrient basin, the lower the values of biochemical oxygen consumption, total phosphorus, phosphate phosphorus, nitrate nitrogen and total nitrogen concentrations. It was established that most of the surface water bodies in southern Lithuania corresponded to the values of the class of very good and good ecological status. The ecological method of agricultural production has a positive effect on the condition of surface water bodies.

    • Agro-Climatic Suitability of Albanian Arable Land for Nigella Sativa L.: Analyzing Soil Structure and Organic Matter Effects

      pg(s) 151-154

      Soil conservation is paramount to sustainable agriculture, particularly in regions facing environmental challenges. Nigella sativa L., commonly known as black cumin, is a versatile annual crop recognized for its nutritional and medicinal properties. This study investigates the potential of integrating N. sativa cultivation into Albanian agriculture to assess its impact on soil quality and conservation. Employing a comprehensive approach encompassing field experiments, laboratory analyses, and geospatial modeling, this research evaluates the adaptability of 8 diverse N. sativa genotypes to the agro-climatic conditions of three distinct Albanian regions: Tirana (central), Shkodra (northwestern), and Korca (eastern). The study particularly emphasizes the influence of soil structure, organic matter content, and water-use efficiency on N. sativa growth and yield.
      Preliminary results indicate that the genotype originating from Turkey demonstrated superior performance, achieving a seed yield of 12.8 g in the Tirana region, characterized by silt-loam soil structure and an organic matter content of 1.78 %.

    • Low-input fertilization with organic and complex mineral fertilizers and their influence on the content of available and total forms of macroelements in haplic chernozems

      pg(s) 155-158

      The use of complex mineral, organo-mineral and organic fertilizers on Haplic Chernozems for 8 years lead to changes in the composition of soil organic matter. These fertilizers without the use of mineral N fertilization have a positive effect on the values of +NH4-N, available and total phosphorus in the soil, as well as cation exchangeable potassium.
      Certainly organic fertilization as well as its combination with multicomponent mineral fertilizer has a positive impact on the agrochemical status of the soil. The potential nitrogen supplying capacity of the soil determined on the 28th and 56th days of incubation significantly increased the amount of mineralized nitrogen. The same was highest in the use of the organic fertilizer ExcelOrga, where the excess over the control in the values of net mineralizing capacity was 24.20%.

    • Study of the seasonal dynamics of microcystins and nutrients in Kokalyane bent

      pg(s) 159-161

      This article presents a summary of data derived from studies conducted on the seasonal dynamics of microcystins and nutrients in the water of Kokalyane bent in 2023 and 2024. The chromatographic analytical method (HPLC) was employed for the determination of microcystins in water samples from Kokalyane bent. Ten water samples were examined, and traces of microcystins were identified in two samples from 2023 (equivalent concentration of MYC-LR approximately 0,2 μg L^-1). The measured concentrations of total nitrogen ranged from 0,58 to 1,75 mg L^-1, while those of total phosphorus ranged from 0,02 to 0,04 mg L^-1.