Progress in the implementation of the project:
A company was selected for conducting tests of nutrients content in the soil and soil variability that allowed for evaluation of the progress in soil development process. The following parameters will be tested: humus content. specific gravity of the soil. N. P. K. Mg content and pH of the soil.
In January 2013 soil was sampled at 25 ha of the KWB Konin post-mine land..
Implementing this action a field preparatory work was conducted comprising removal of bushes. weeds and stones which made the preparation of the soil for sowing difficult. Next. the pre-sowing. agronomic treatments were conducted. namely:
- disc harrow treatment – three times.
- ploughing.
Following field preparation. the lime was applied at 6 tons/25 ha. followed by mineral fertilizers application (NPK). in accordance with fertilization plan in the first year of the Project:
- application of N in the hemp fields at 150 kg N/ha * 12.5ha. and
- application of N in the alfa-alfa fields at 40 kg N/ha * 12.5 ha.
- application of P at 150 kg P2O5/ha * 25 ha equally for hemp and alfa-alfa.
Seeds of alfa-alfa were dressed with nitragine (Rhizobium meliloti) before planting followed by sowing of hemp and alfa-alfa in earlier prepared fields.
Hemp was planted at total area of 12 ha at 42 kg of seeds/ha. while alfa-alfa – on 13 ha at 25 kg/ha.
Forms of Project promotion:
- participation in Polish-German cooperation discussion at the booth of the Federal Ministry of Education and Science (BMBF) during POLEKO 2012 fairs.
- discussion with the representatives of the Leibnitz Institute for Agricultural Engineering Potsdam-Bormin ATB and the Institute for Food and Environmental Research.
- presentation of the Project during the training for hemp producers in Piątkowa, Przemyśl County.
- information about the project as a part of presentation of the Institute activities during the meeting of the Clustering Centre of Wielgopolska District (WCK). Meeting attended by representatives of Ministry of Economy, Polish Agency for Entrepreneurship Development and local authorities.
- presentationof the Projectduring teh General Meeting of the Polish Flax and Hemp Chamber.
- the Project was submitted for presentation at the International Fairs of Environmental Protection Poleko 2013. The Project will be promoted on a separate booth.
- presentation of the Project at the meeting with the Governor of the KazimierzBiskupi Community and the President of the Board of the PAK Lignite Mine, Mr.ZbigniewBryja, where work progress in the project was presented.
On September 17th, the project team was visited by monitoring officers Dr. Dariusz Kobus of the Astrale Monitor, Warszawa and Dr. Remo Savoia of the European Comission. During the visit, a project documentation was presented followed by the visit of the experiment sites.
Systematically, from July to September, the straw samples were collected to determine morphological parameters listed in the table below.
October 4th, hemp in the experimental fields located on remediated land was mowed. Mowing was conducted using a mower pulled by the tractor, equipped with three knives cutting the stem into three sections. This facilitates later plowing the biomass down. Working width of the mower is 4 m and it is able to mow 3-4 ha/h.
Hemp and alfalfa samples were taken. The amount of biomass produced per ha of remediated land was determined.
October 14th, the mowed biomass was sprayed with a product accelerating decomposition of mowed biomass. The operation was conducted only in the smaller field to investigate its action. The treatment was conducted before plowing at the dose of 60 dm3/ha.
Project activities were presented during the following events:
- International Environmental Protection Fairs POLEKO in Poznań (exhibition booth presenting the Project) – 7-10 October,
During POLEKO’2013 Fairs, the EKOHEMPKON Project was presented in pavilion 6A at the booth No. 58. Reclamation of degraded land was this year one of the topic of the Fairs.
Project exhibition covered roll-up posters presenting the reclamation process and logos of institutions involved: LIFE+, NFOŚiGW, IWNiRZ and the logo of the EKOHEMPKON Project. A number of leaflets informing about the project was handed out to visitors. The information in the leaflet was bilingual (Polish and English).
Visitors could watch the non-stop presentation of pictures showing the project activities progress. The slides showed post-mining land, soils for reclamation, conducted experiments and activities connected with soil sampling and agronomic treatments. Description of crops used in reclamation experiments – hemp and alfalfa – was also provided. A short movie from hemp harvest in experimental fields was also presented.
The stuff involved in the project discussed many times the project objectives and activities with interested representatives of the industry and people interested in pro-environmental activities. Short presentations about the project were given to the students visiting the booth (TechnicalSchool in Zbąszyń, Environment Protection students of the University of Life Science in Poznań, etc.).
During the POLEKO’2013 fairs the staff involved in the Project actively participated in the Polish-German Cooperative Discussions at the booth of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). The Project was presented to representatives of the University of Sustainable Development / University of Applied Sciences Eberswalde, Faculty of Landscape Management and Nature Conservation and to Brandenburg University of Technology, Department of Power Plant Technology.
- Technical Textiles Fairs in Łódź – 17-18 October,
- Special Textile Products Conference "InnovaTex" in Łódź – 17 October.
In November 2013, a seminar „Innovations for the environment by implementing a green technology of post-mining land reclamation” was organized in local Cultural Centre in Kazimierz Biskupi. The seminar was attended by representatives of local authorities of Kazimierz Biskupi Community (by the Community Governor and his deputy), representatives of self-governance from the communes located in the area of excavations of KWB Konin, representatives of the Lignite Mine in Konin and farmers from the area where the project is conducted. Local media were also represented on the seminar.
The interview with the Project Manager, Prof. Jerzy Mańkowski was published in “Ekspres Wielkopolski” and emitted by local TV Broadcaster. The interview can be viewed here: http://www.tvkonin.pl/index.php/konin-aktualosci/15426-kazimierz-biskupi-szansa-w-konopiach
In December 2013, a seminar for the students of the 3rd year of Agriculture at the University of Life Science was organized at the Institute of Natural Fibres and Medicinal Plants, where the problems addressed by the Project were presented.