Economic and energy efficiency of cultivation of alfalfa-cereal herbage

Abstract

Aim. To establish indicators of economic and energy efficiency in the cultivation of alfalfa-cereal mixtures under the influence of lime and fertilizers. Methods. Field, laboratory, mathematical-statistical, economic-mathematical. Results. The influence of lime and fertilizers on only alfalfa, alfalfa-cereal and only cereal agrophytocenoses was carried out during 2019−2021 in the Forest-steppe zone of Ukraine on dark gray podsolized coarse silt-light loam soil. The results of research on the study of economic and energy efficiency indicators are shown in terms of the cost of gross production, total costs, net profit, profitability per 1 hectare, cost of fodder units and raw protein, payback of total energy costs, gross and exchangeable energy output are calculated per1 ton. Conclusions. The use of symbiotic nitrogen fixed by alfalfa in its single and mixture crops with cereal increases the net profit from 6.9 to 27.1−35.0 or by 20.2−28.1 thousand UAH/ha, profitability − from 114 to 300−343%, KEE − from 5.7 to 10.9−12.4 and BEC − from 3.0 to 6.1−7.1, and the cost of 1 ton of fodder units decreases from 2.6 to 1.2−1.4 thousand UAH, and energy consumption per 1 ton of fodder units from 4.30 to 1.64−2.0 MJ. The annual application of P45K90 reduces net profit by 3.7−4.4 thousand UAH/ha, profitability by 160−168%, KEE by 1.6−2.5 and BEC by 0.6−1.3 and increases the cost price of 1 ton of fodder units − by 763−827 UAH and energy costs per 1 ton of fodder units − by 0.58−1.55 compare that to the option without fertilizers. The application of lime reduces the profitability of cultivation by 25−78%, KEE – by 0.2−1.0 and BEC – by 0.1−0.5 and increases the cost of 1 ton of fodder units – by 143−369 UAH/ha. The combined application of the fertilizers and lime reduces profitability by 55-194%, KEE by 2.1−2.8 and BEC by 1.0−1.5, and increases cost and energy costs per 1 ton of fodder units.