Could a Legume-Switchgrass Sod-Seeding System Increase Forage Productivity?

Nowadays, the lack of cattle feed, particularly green fodder, has become a key limiting factor in the agricultural economy. Switchgrass appears to offer a viable solution to the feed shortage. An improved cultivation practice might be needed to boost switchgrass forage production all season long. This study was conducted to quantify the positive effects of introducing different legume crops (vetch and pea), optimally fertilized, on the production and quality of mixed harvested switchgrass-legumes hay in late spring (May) and switchgrass hay harvested once more in early fall (September). The studied intercropping systems, independently of the legume species used, increased forage productivity (almost threefold), reaching 7.5 t ha-1 and quality characteristics, with protein content almost rising threefold, reaching 12.5%. The aforementioned practice can assist the perennial crop (switchgrass) in providing a high hay production during the early fall harvest, even without fertilization. The overall annual economic benefit for the farmers may be increased by 90-720 € per ha, depending on the prevailing weather conditions. Overall, it may be concluded that the suggested cropping system produces a significantly higher yield of cattle feed compared to traditional monocultures, improving the agricultural economy while reducing the negative effects of modern agriculture on the environment.

Determination of heavy metals in the territory of contaminated areas of Greece and their restoration through hyperaccumulators.

Phytoremediation is an effective technique for the processing of contaminated soil and for sequestering environmental contaminants such as heavy metals. This kind of pollution is ubiquitous in mines and similar excavation sites. This mini-review aims to provide an overview of the alternative forms of restoring contaminated soils (phytoremediation) highlighting the areas of Kozani (Agios Dimitrios) and Chalkidiki (Stratoni) in Greece characterized by exorbitant metallurgical activities. Firstly, a literature search in databases such as ScienceDirect, SciFinder, PubMed, Google Scholar, and Scopus was conducted, using the following keywords to identify relevant articles: "utilization", "plants", "phytoremediation", "sustainability", "environment", and "restoration". Two case studies have subsequently been chosen in Northern Greece, one characterized by metal mining (Pb, Zn, Ag) and hot summer Mediterranean climate and another one involving lignite mining and concomitant Cr, Zn, Cu, and Ni pollution under subtropical climate. Based on the literature search some possible, non-invasive plant species were proposed, focusing on the most efficient hyperaccumulators.