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The potential of site-specific fertilization holds great promise for more efficient fertilizer use, which can make crop production more sustainable. The challenges for farmers to produce food more sustainably are increasing. With site-specific fertilization, the heterogeneity of the soil in the field can be taken into account when applying fertilizer. In this paper, the use of site-specific fertilization is investigated in terms of economic and environmental trade-offs and synergies based on on-farm trials. In total, on-farm-research trials were evaluated on three farms over a period of three years of data collection. The results are compared with uniform fertilization. The effects of site-specific fertilization are calculated economically using cost–benefit analysis in combination with a sensitivity analysis, while the ecological evaluation is carried out using the carbon footprint method. The results show that the yield could be increased by an average of 5.6% with site-specific fertilization. This also has environmental benefits, as more yield is achieved with the same input, which reduces emissions per tonne of grain by 5.1%. Economically, however, there are large uncertainties in balancing the additional costs with the benefits of site-specific fertilization. Taking into account the results of the sensitivity analysis, the additional costs can only be covered in 11 out of 30 cases. The results of the case study show that the use of site-specific fertilization can increase the environmental sustainability of agriculture, regardless of the size of the farm. From an economic point of view, the results show that the size of the farm is decisive for the profitability of site-specific fertilization. The smaller the farm size, the higher the costs per unit associated with the technology.
Market-based instruments (MBIs) for the protection and promotion of biodiversity have gained significant importance in recent years. The success of MBIs depends largely on the transparent presentation of their actual effects, which rely on the quality of implementation. Quality criteria can be used to evaluate this. To date, few studies have examined whether and how these criteria are applied. This study seeks to address this gap, by using MBIs in the German agricultural landscape as a case study. Quality criteria were defined on the basis of a literature review; then applied to MBIs identified through an internet search and finally analyzed. Quality criteria related to methodological approaches (implementation, maintenance, used seed mixtures) and quality control (monitoring, localization) are presented less frequently than information on rights and obligations or the use of financial funds. Among the 151 MBIs analyzed, 70% lack control mechanisms and monitoring systems, indicating unverified effectiveness. Additionally, MBIs financed through program approaches are more likely to have control mechanisms and include perennial measures than MBIs funded by direct payments of sponsors or consumers purchasing a product. The development of MBI offerings suggests that there is persistent and growing demand, as some programs have been running for several decades. However, without ecological monitoring, it is not possible to ascertain whether these measures benefit biodiversity. To establish standardized methods for comparing MBIs for biodiversity, policymakers must consider official guidelines and, where appropriate, implement regulatory frameworks
Growth in planted areas of Miscanthus for biomass in Europe has stagnated since 2010 due to technical challenges, economic barriers and environmental concerns. These limitations need to be overcome before biomass production from Miscanthus can expand to several million hectares. In this paper, we consider the economic and environmental effects of introducing seed based hybrids as an alternative to clonal M. x giganteus (Mxg). The impact of seed based propagation and novel agronomy was compared with current Mxg cultivation and used in 10 commercially relevant, field scale experiments planted between 2012 and 2014 in the United Kingdom, Germany, and Ukraine. Economic and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions costs were quantified for the following production chain: propagation, establishment, harvest, transportation, storage, and fuel preparation (excluding soil carbon changes). The production and utilization efficiency of seed and rhizome propagation were compared. Results show that new hybrid seed propagation significantly reduces establishment cost to below £900 ha-1. Calculated GHG emission costs for the seeds established via plugs, though relatively small, was higher than rhizomes because fossil fuels were assumed to heat glasshouses for raising seedling plugs (5.3 and 1.5 kg CO2 eq. C Mg [dry matter (DM)]-1), respectively. Plastic mulch film reduced establishment time, improving crop economics. The breakeven yield was calculated to be 6 Mg DM ha-1 y-1, which is about half average United Kingdom yield for Mxg; with newer seeded hybrids reaching 16 Mg DM ha-1 in second year United Kingdom trials. These combined improvements will significantly increase crop profitability. The trade-offs between costs of production for the preparation of different feedstock formats show that bales are the best option for direct firing with the lowest transport costs (£0.04 Mg-1 km-1) and easy on-farm storage. However, if pelleted fuel is required then chip harvesting is more economic. We show how current seed based propagation methods can increase the rate at which Miscanthus can be scaled up; ∼×100 those of current rhizome propagation. These rapid ramp rates for biomass production are required to deliver a scalable and economic Miscanthus biomass fuel whose GHG emissions are ∼1/20th those of natural gas per unit of heat.
The development of models to predict yield potential and quality of a Miscanthus crop must consider climatic limitations and the duration of growing season. As a biomass crop, yield and quality are impacted by the timing of plant developmental transitions such as flowering and senescence. Growth models are available for the commercially grown clone Miscanthus x giganteus (Mxg), but breeding programs have been working to expand the germplasm available, including development of interspecies hybrids. The aim of this study was to assess the performance of diverse germplasm beyond the range of environments considered suitable for a Miscanthus crop to be grown. To achieve this, six field sites were planted as part of the EU OPTIMISC project in 2012 in a longitudinal gradient from West to East: Wales—Aberystwyth, Netherlands—Wageningen, Stuttgart—Germany, Ukraine—Potash, Turkey—Adana, and Russia—Moscow. Each field trial contained three replicated plots of the same 15 Miscanthus germplasm types. Through the 2014 growing season, phenotypic traits were measured to determine the timing of developmental stages key to ripening; the tradeoff between growth (yield) and quality (biomass ash and moisture content). The hottest site (Adana) showed an accelerated growing season, with emergence, flowering and senescence occurring before the other sites. However, the highest yields were produced at Potash, where emergence was delayed by frost and the growing season was shortest. Flowering triggers varied with species and only in Mxg was strongly linked to accumulated thermal time. Our results show that a prolonged growing season is not essential to achieve high yields if climatic conditions are favorable and in regions where the growing season is bordered by frost, delaying harvest can improve quality of the harvested biomass.
Miscanthus is a genus of perennial rhizomatous grasses with C4 photosynthesis which is indigenous in a wide geographic range of Asian climates. The sterile clone, Miscanthus × giganteus (M. × giganteus), is a naturally occurring interspecific hybrid that has been used commercially in Europe for biomass production for over a decade. Although, M. × giganteus has many outstanding performance characteristics including high yields and low nutrient offtakes, commercial expansion is limited by cloning rates, slow establishment to a mature yield, frost, and drought resistance. In this paper, we evaluate the performance of 13 novel germplasm types alongside M. × giganteus and horticultural “Goliath” in trials in six sites (in Germany, Russia, The Netherlands, Turkey, UK, and Ukraine). Mean annual yields across all the sites and genotypes increased from 2.3 ± 0.2 t dry matter ha−1 following the first year of growth, to 7.3 ± 0.3, 9.5 ± 0.3, and 10.5 ± 0.2 t dry matter ha−1 following the second, third, and fourth years, respectively. The highest average annual yields across locations and four growth seasons were observed for M. × giganteus (9.9 ± 0.7 t dry matter ha−1) and interspecies hybrid OPM-6 (9.4 ± 0.6 t dry matter ha−1). The best of the new hybrid genotypes yielded similarly to M. × giganteus at most of the locations. Significant effects of the year of growth, location, species, genotype, and interplay between these factors have been observed demonstrating strong genotype × environment interactions. The highest yields were recorded in Ukraine. Time needed for the crop establishment varied depending on climate: in colder climates such as Russia the crop has not achieved its peak yield by the fourth year, whereas in the hot climate of Turkey and under irrigation the yields were already high in the first growing season. We have identified several alternatives to M. × giganteus which have provided stable yields across wide climatic ranges, mostly interspecies hybrids, and also Miscanthus genotypes providing high biomass yields at specific geographic locations. Seed-propagated interspecific and intraspecific hybrids, with high stable yields and cheaper reliable scalable establishment remain a key strategic objective for breeders.
AbstractField trials in Europe with Miscanthus over the past 25 years have demonstrated that interspecies hybrids such as M. × giganteus (M × g) combine both high yield potentials and low inputs in a wide range of soils and climates. Miscanthus hybrids are expected to play a major role in the provision of perennial lignocellulosic biomass across much of Europe as part of a lower carbon economy. However, even with favourable policies in some European countries, uptake has been slow. M × g, as a sterile clone, can only be propagated vegetatively, which leads to high establishment costs and low multiplication rates. Consequently, a decade ago, a strategic decision to develop rapidly multiplied seeded hybrids was taken. To make progress on this goal, we have (1) harnessed the genetic diversity in Miscanthus by crossing and progeny testing thousands of parental combinations to select several candidate seed‐based hybrids adapted to European environments, (2) established field scale seed production methods with annual multiplication factors 1500×, (3) developed the agronomy for establishing large stands from seed sown plug plants to reduce establishment times by a year compared to M × g, (4) trialled a range of harvest techniques to improve compositional quality and logistics on a large scale, (5) performed spatial analyses of yield potential and land availability to identify regional opportunities across Europe and doubled the area within the bio‐climatic envelope, (6) considered on‐farm economic, practical and environmental benefits that can be attractive to growers. The technical barriers to adoption have now been overcome sufficiently such that Miscanthus is ready to use as a low‐carbon feedstock in the European bio‐economy.
This paper describes the complete findings of the EU-funded research project OPTIMISC, which investigated methods to optimize the production and use of miscanthus biomass. Miscanthus bioenergy and bioproduct chains were investigated by trialing 15 diverse germplasm types in a range of climatic and soil environments across central Europe, Ukraine, Russia, and China. The abiotic stress tolerances of a wider panel of 100 germplasm types to drought, salinity, and low temperatures were measured in the laboratory and a field trial in Belgium. A small selection of germplasm types was evaluated for performance in grasslands on marginal sites in Germany and the UK. The growth traits underlying biomass yield and quality were measured to improve regional estimates of feedstock availability. Several potential high-value bioproducts were identified. The combined results provide recommendations to policymakers, growers and industry. The major technical advances in miscanthus production achieved by OPTIMISC include: (1) demonstration that novel hybrids can out-yield the standard commercially grown genotype Miscanthus x giganteus; (2) characterization of the interactions of physiological growth responses with environmental variation within and between sites; (3) quantification of biomass-quality-relevant traits; (4) abiotic stress tolerances of miscanthus genotypes; (5) selections suitable for production on marginal land; (6) field establishment methods for seeds using plugs; (7) evaluation of harvesting methods; and (8) quantification of energy used in densification (pellet) technologies with a range of hybrids with differences in stem wall properties. End-user needs were addressed by demonstrating the potential of optimizing miscanthus biomass composition for the production of ethanol and biogas as well as for combustion. The costs and life-cycle assessment of seven miscanthus-based value chains, including small- and large-scale heat and power, ethanol, biogas, and insulation material production, revealed GHG-emission- and fossil-energy-saving potentials of up to 30.6 t CO2eq C ha−1y−1 and 429 GJ ha−1y−1, respectively. Transport distance was identified as an important cost factor. Negative carbon mitigation costs of –78€ t−1 CO2eq C were recorded for local biomass use. The OPTIMISC results demonstrate the potential of miscanthus as a crop for marginal sites and provide information and technologies for the commercial implementation of miscanthus-based value chains.
Auswirkungen digitaler Technologien im Betriebsalltag aus Sicht baden-württembergischer Landwirte
(2023)
Bisherige Untersuchungen geben vielfach nur einen theoretischen Überblick zu möglichen arbeitswirtschaftlichen und sozialen Folgen der Nutzung von digitalen Technologien im Alltag landwirtschaftlicher Betriebsleiter. Sie geben aber keine Einschätzungen der Landwirte aufgrund der praktischen Erfahrungen im Betrieb wieder. Unbekannt ist auch, ob sich deren Einschätzungen aufgrund ihrer persönlichen und betrieblichen Merkmale oder zwischen den Technologien unterscheiden. Allerdings sind dies wichtige Erkenntnisse, um den Landwirten konkrete Unterstützung anbieten zu können und langfristig die Verbreitung digitaler Technologien zu fördern. Die vorliegende Studie untersucht daher die folgenden Forschungsfragen: (i) Wie wirkt sich der Einsatz digitaler Technologien für Landwirte auf den Betrieben aus? (ii) Bestehen Unterschiede hinsichtlich der persönlichen und betrieblichen Merkmale, der Technologieart und der sozialen Folgen im Betriebsalltag durch die Nutzung digitaler Technologien? Die Grundlage bildet eine Online-Befragung von Betriebsleitern in Baden-Württemberg im Jahr 2021, an welcher 302 Betriebe teilgenommen haben. Neben einer deskriptiven Betrachtung wurden die Daten mithilfe einer Indexbildung und nicht parametrischem Hypothesentest auf Gruppenunterschiede statistisch geprüft. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass es statistisch signifikante Unterschiede in persönlichen (z. B. Alter), betrieblichen (z. B. Digitalisierungsgrad) und technologiespezifischen (z. B. Technologieart) Merkmalen in der Beurteilung der belastenden (z. B. erhöhter Betreuungsaufwand und Wissensbedarf) und entlastenden Wirkungen (z. B. weniger Stress im Arbeitsalltag) gibt. Ferner zeigt sich beispielsweise auch, dass sich Vorteile wie die Arbeitszeitentlastung nur bedingt äußern. Daraus können sich Ansatzpunkte für die Verbesserung von Technologien ergeben, aber auch für die gezielte Unterstützung von Landwirten bei der Einführung digitaler Technologien.
Einsatz teilflächenspezifischer Stickstoffdüngung: Erfahrungen von Landwirten aus Baden-Württemberg
(2025)
Die teilflächenspezifische Stickstoffdüngung bietet für die kleinstrukturierte Landwirtschaft eine Möglichkeit, um gesetzlichen Anforderungen sowie zukünftigen Herausforderungen, z. B. Ressourcenmangel, erhöhte Produktionskosten, Dokumentationsanforderungen, zu begegnen. Dennoch ist die Nutzung auf den landwirtschaftlichen Betrieben verhalten, hemmende Faktoren sind hierbei die Investitionskosten sowie die fehlende Kenntnis des tatsächlichen Mehrwertes für den Betriebsalltag. Daher betrachtet die Studie den Entscheidungs- und Implementierungsprozess sowie die Veränderungen im Betriebsalltag hinsichtlich der teilflächenspezifischen Stickstoffdüngung anhand von Interviews mit sechs Ackerbaubetrieben. Die Ergebnisse verdeutlichen, dass die befragten Landwirte entlastende Effekte wahrnehmen, aber die Einarbeitung aufgrund technischer Herausforderungen langwierig ist. Insgesamt mangelt es an fachkundigen Ansprechpersonen zur Unterstützung. Daher sind zukünftig spezifische Schulungen für Landwirte aber auch fachkundiges Personal höchst relevant. Die Ergebnisse dieser Untersuchung zeigen zudem, dass es wichtig ist, Netzwerke für den gezielten Erfahrungsaustausch zu etablieren.
Entrepreneurial intention (EI) is a predictor of entrepreneurial behavior. In past years, it received significant attention due to the numerous advantages of entrepreneurial activities. The formation of EI within diverse international settings has been studied by researchers; however, the results of these studies are still inconclusive. Building on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), this study aims to shed light on how EI is created within three countries with different cultural, economic, and social backgrounds. Data was collected through a questionnaire completed by 413 business students enrolled in three universities in Germany, Romania, and Ukraine. Structural equation modeling analysis was used to examine the structure model of developing EI, and bootstrap confidence intervals were examined to test the mediating role, and multi-group analysis was used to identify differences among the three samples. Overall, the results reveal that both the attitude toward behavior (ATB) and the perceived behavior control (PBC) influence the EI of business students. These relationships were found to be significant in the three samples. ATB and PBC were identified as significant mediators of the relationship between social norms (SN) and EI in the overall sample. Within the subsamples, ATB was shown to have a mediation effect within the Ukrainian sample, whereas PBC was found to mediate the impact of SN on EI within the German and Ukrainian samples. The findings are discussed and both theoretical and practical implications are provided.