Productivity, Energy and Economic Balance in the Production of Different Cultivars of Winter Oilseed Rape. A Case Study in North-Eastern Poland

In this study, the agricultural inputs, energy requirements and costs associated with the production of semi-dwarf (PR45 D03 and Avenir) and long-stem (Visby) cultivars of winter oilseed rape were optimized in an experiment with 35-1 fractional factorial design. A field experiment was carried out in the Agricultural Experiment Station in Bałcyny (north-eastern Poland) in 2008–2011. The study investigated the responses of two morphotypes of hybrid cultivars of winter oilseed rape to key yield-forming factors (seeding date, seeding rate, nitrogen fertilization) and yield protection factors (fungal disease control). Agronomic inputs were tested at three levels. Our findings indicate that production technologies (characterized by a different intensity of agricultural inputs) should target the specific requirements of winter oilseed rape cultivars. Semi-dwarf cultivars of winter oilseed rape (PR45 D03 and Avenir) were characterized by higher yield potential at different input levels than the long-stem cultivar (Visby). Semi-dwarf cultivars required higher levels of agricultural inputs than the long-stem cultivar. Semi-dwarf cultivars grown in high-input technologies were characterized by the highest energy efficiency ratio. In contrast, the long-stem cultivar was characterized by the optimal energy input-energy output ratio in the low-input technology. Regardless of cultivar, high-input production technologies were more profitable because the resulting increase in seed yield significantly outweighed the rise in production costs.