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  • The potential use of Pediococcus spp. probiotic in aquaculture: A review
    99-106
    Views:
    606

    Aquaculture production has significantly increased over the previous few decades. However, antibiotics have been implemented regularly and extensively to overcome outbreaks of pathogens in aquaculture to cover the human needs for animal protein, leading to the appearance of resistant strains that may cause serious damages in the environment and also human health. In the last few years, the implementation of probiotics as an alternative technique to antibiotics use in fish production has achieved promising results in aquaculture due to their beneficial impact on fish health and growth performance. Among different types of probiotics, the Pediococcus spp. bacteria stand out as a promising probiotic for their beneficial impact to aquaculture. Thus, the current study has been conducted to give an overview about the interactions between Pediococcus spp. and aquaculture. In addition, this review highlights the role of Pediococcus spp in promoting growth performance, improving feed conversion ratios and the intestinal architecture, enhancing the immune response and inhibiting fish pathogens, thereby preventing or at least reducing the use of antibiotics. Practical use of Pediococcus spp. probiotic in aquaculture as feed additives through selected case studies is also considered.

     

  • A review on fish in vitro digestion studies
    55-63
    Views:
    150

     (1) Background: In vitro experiments in fish have been developed to search for dietary substitutes of fish meal in aquafeeds by measuring the digestibility of various feedstuffs by simply simulating the conditions of the stomach or portions of the digestive tract. In vitro digestion studies involving mainly commercial fish species have been conducted to determine the digestibility of conventional and alternative ingredients in fish diets using diverse digestion models. However, there remains a significant knowledge gap, particularly regarding the enzyme functionality, digestion mechanisms in many fish species, and the factors influencing enzymatic activity. This review article is focused on the importance of the use of different enzyme sources in the in vitro digestion model to predict protein hydrolysis.;(2) Methods: For this review, a comprehensive analysis of articles was conducted to gain insights into diverse enzyme interactions and feed evaluation assessments, from the nutritional science and biotechnology sector.; (3) Results: A total of 36 peer-review papers, which include original, and review articles were selected.; (4) Conclusions: In vitro digestion studies offer a valuable tool for evaluating the digestibility of conventional and alternative feed ingredients, helping to identify sustainable dietary substitutes for fish meal while reducing dependence on live animal trials.

  • Unraveling changes in the duck microbiome and inflammatory processes due to allithiamine-enriched feed
    163-171
    Views:
    563

    The gastrointestinal tract of poultry harbors a diverse and intricate microbiome that plays a crucial role in nutrient digestion and absorption, immune system development, and enhances resistance against pathogens. Maintaining a healthy state and proper production is fundamentally determined by the symbiosis between the host and microbes. Due to genetic and technological improvements, intensive growth rate can be associated with many pathological conditions, such as increased susceptibility to infections. Intestinal inflammation in poultry industries detrimentally affects productivity by hindering nutrient absorption and the efficient allocation of nutrients for growth. The host releases different biomarkers in response to inflammation. Hence, there is an utmost interest of reliable, precise, sensitive and robust biomarkers to evaluate both the gastrointestinal health status and inflammation in poultry. The aim of this study was to determine how the developed feed prototype (allithiamine) affects the community diversity in raised duck, and the relationship between gut microbiome composition and inflammatory factor as calprotectin, using targeted 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and Chicken Calprotectin ELISA Kit.

  • Comparision of growth of mature all-female and mixed-sex Common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) stocks in RAS
    65-68
    Views:
    857

    The common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) is the most important fish species in Hungary, it is more than 70% of the total Hungarian fish production. The common carp production is important not only just in Hungary but in Middle-East Europe, as well as Southeast Asia. Majority of the production comes from fishpond culture. If the production sector wants to meet the increasing customer demands, there is need to intensify research on the intensive fish production opportunities for example all-female common carp technologies. The all-female technology is one of a genom-manipulation technology. Its production showed better growth rate than mixed-sex population in pond culture. Our experiment combined the recirculation aquaculture system (RAS) and the all-female common carp stocks intensification technologies. The reason for the experiment, is that there are no result about the growth of all-female common carp growth in RAS.

    The experiment used the „Tatai grey scale type” common carp stocks. We propagated two all-female stocks (T2 and T3) and a control group (TK). Due to technological characteristics of RAS, the water quality parameters were the same for all treatments and corresponded to the technological tolerance of common carp.

    The experimental period was from July 10, 2019 – November 20, 2019. Result of growth performance showed that the growth of mixed-sex stock was significantly higher than all-female stocks; (Control=3692.0±590.5g, T2=3438.8±415.4g, T3=3294.1±659.1g). Feed conversation ratio (Control=1.3±0.1 T2=1.5±0.2 T3=1.6±0.5) and SGR% (Control=0.8±0.0 T2=0.7±0.1 T3=0.7±0.1) were similar.

    By the results it can be said the all-female common carp technology has neither advantages nor disadvantages compared to the mixed-sex stock. The all-female technology can be beneficial if the consumers need female common carps. It is worth continuing the experiment and examine how the stocks will perform above 3kg body weight.

  • Arthropods assiciated with the stinging nettle in Hungary
    97-103
    Views:
    271

    Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica Linnaeus) (Urticaceae) is a well known medicinal plant cultivated in some European countries for a long time. Because of its multiple usability (food, medicinal plant, feed, fiber), adventageous agrotechnical qualities and low demands for plant protection, its more extensiv utilization can be expected. However, during cultivation from time to time little damages can be occurred on it. The aim of this paper is to show and estimate the most important arthropods (pests and natural enemies) of stinging nettle. Under the pests characterized in the paper according to the references the peacock and the small tortoiseshell are the most important species living on stinging nettle. Their individuals from time to time propagated can cause an important damage on nettle leaves in cultivated nettle stands or assemblages. On the base of a 12 year observation period (Gödöllő, Debrecen, 1998-2010) the following species have been observed: Psylliodes attenuata, Chrysomela fastuosa, Phyllobius pomaceus, Pleuroptya ruralis, Inachis io, Aglais urticae, Microlophium evansi, Microlophium carnosum, Aphis urticata, Dasineura urticata, Tritomegas sexmaculatus. Inachis io has been the only species which during the observation period did danger the stinging nettle stand. The other pest species have not threated even timely either the stinging nettle stand or a single plant. The number and diversity of natural enemies was rather low: running crab spiders (Philodromidae), tangle-web spiders (Theridiidae), crabbing spiders (Thomisidae), lacewings (Chrysopa perla, Chrysopa formosa), coccinellids (Coccinella septempunctata, Propylea quattuordecimpunctata, Adonia variegata), hoverflies (Episyrphus balteatus), earwigs (Forficula auricularia), scorpionflies (common scorpionfly (Panorpa communis) and European paper wasp (Polistes dominula) predominated. 

  • Macro element contents of different genotype cows’ milk
    27-31
    Views:
    567

    The level of mineral elements is important factor regarding the quality of milk. The aim of our research study was to determine the content of mineral elements in milk of Holstein, Jersey, Brown Swiss, Ayrshire, Norwegian-red, Swedish-red cows in the first stage of lactation. All cows were fed with the same type (composition) of feed and they were kept under the same condition. The concentration of macroelements (K, Na, Ca, P, Mg, S) in digested milk samples was determined by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES).

  • Leaf protein analyses in order to utilise the leaf shoot of artichoke
    43-47
    Views:
    303

    The constat growth of the Earth’s population brings with itself a higher demand for food and protein not only in human nutrition but also for the feeding of livestock. Currently, the feed industry is mainly built onseed-based protein, wherethebaseplant is soybean, which is large lycovered by imports in Hungary, similar toother European countries. However, the long-term economically sustainable lifestock breeding demandschanges which has also worked out strategies. An alternative protein sources could be green leafy plants.

    In current work the Jerusalem artichokes as an alternative source of protein was studied, compared to alfalfa as a valuable protein plant. Our results indicate that fiber fraction ofJerusalem artichoke shootswas 34 to 37% after pressing in the autumn period while alfalfa slightly lower values were obtained (30%). On the other hand extracted green leaf protein concentration was higher in alfalfa than in Jerusalem artichoke. Along with this higher protein content could be measured from the leaf protein concentration of alfalfa and almost each amino acids were more, as well comparing to Jerusalem artichoke.

    Overall, the alfalfa proved to be advantageous as expected both in leaf protein extraction efficiency, both regarding the content of the protein in the Jerusalem artichoke. However, considering aminoacid composition and green biomass production, Jerusalem artichokecould be a promisingplant species asplant protein sourceinthefuture.

  • Use of essential trace elements enriched Artemia in the larval rearing of barramundi (Lates calcarifer)
    11-16
    Views:
    401

    Artemia is a vital nutriment in the rearing of barramundi (Lates carcarifer), however it’s mineral trace element content does not cover the requirements of the larvae. In our experiment the assumption was wether the cobalt, zinc and manganese concentration of Artemia could be increased during a 24 hours of enrichment period, as well as we wanted to investigate the resulted interactions between the elements. For this purpose 50, 100 and 1000 mg l-1 cobalt-chloride treatements (Co50, Co100, Co1000) were applied while in the case of 50 and 100 mg l-1 treatments the enrichment was also complemented with zink-sulphate and manganese-chloride in the same concentrations. According to the results the zooplankton were able to accumulate cobalt in higher amount, and yet zinc and manganese had no significant effect on each other, a strong synergistic effect occurred between cobalt and manganese. After the enrichment period the impact of essential trace element supplemented live feed on the survival and growth of barramundi larvae was also studied. The experiment was carried out by using 15 days-old larvae applying a total of 9 treatments for two weeks (Control, Co50, Co100, Mn50, Mn100, CoZn50, CoZn100, CoMn50, CoMn100), in duplicates. Considering the per cent of survivals, no significant difference was observed between the treatements (P>0.05). In the case of CoMn50 and CoMn100, the loss statistically increased (P<0.05) compared to the Control (80.5±4.95%) group. Our results show, that the Mn100 and CoMn100 treatements resulted in  ignificantly higher (P<0.05 ) in divid ual bod y w eight s, how ever taki ng the survival also into consideration the Mn100 treatements proved to be the most
    effective.

  • Development of maize production technology that increase the efficiency of bioethanol production
    17-26
    Views:
    402

    Maize is one of the most important crops worldwide and also in Hungary, it can be utilized for multiple purposes: as a feedingstuff, for human nutrition and for industrial processing. In the last decades, the per ha yield of maize varied greatly in Hungary, between 2004 and 2006, it was 6.82-7.56 t/ha, while in 2007, it was only 3.6 t/ha. Resulting from this, the price of maize became 2-2.5 times higher. The high price hinders bioethanol production. The largest per ton amount of bioethanol, 387 l, can be produced from maize.
    In addition to its classical utilization as feed and food, the industrial use (especially for bioethanol production) of maize is increasin.
    For industrial production, a new production technology is needed. I tested and selected hybrids appropriate for this purpose and set up fertilization and plant density experiments. The experiment were set up on chernozem soil in 2007.
    The applied fertilization treatment was N 120, P2O5 80 uniformly, and five different dosages of potassium: K2O 0, K2O 100 (KCl), K2O 100 (Kornkáli), K2O 200 (KCl), K2O 200 (Kornkáli) kg/ha active ingredient. The applied plant densities were 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 thousand plants/ha.
    The yield of maize hybrids in the fertilization experiment ranged between 10.53 – 14.62 t/ha. Both regarding the form and dosage, 100 kg/ha Kornkáli proved to be the best potassium treatment. Regarding the inner content parameters, the highest starch content in the average of treatments was obtained for the hybrid PR36K67: 73.57%, and its yield was also the highest, so this hybrid proved to be the most suitable for bioethanol production. The highest protein content was observed for the hybrids KWS 353 (12.13%), which can be favourable for feeding purposes.
    Most of the hybrids gave the highest yield at 80 thousand plants/ha plant density, however, hybrids PR36K67 and Mv Tarján achieved the highest yield at 90 thousand plants/ha.
    In bioethanol production, the selection of a high-yielding hybrid with high starch content, a slight reduction of N, increase of potassium, the application of the highest plant densities of the optimum interval, harvest at full maturity (when starch content is the highest compared to protein content) are of great importance. 

  • Ecotoxicological impact of DON toxin on maize (Zea mays L.) germination
    35-40
    Views:
    508

    Fusarium graminearum is one of the most significant arable pathogen in Hungary, and various types of trichothecene mycotoxins (mostly DON, deoxynivalenol) are detected most commonly in cereals (Biró et al., 2011). Fusarium infection and mycotoxin production could not be eliminated, and infected maize by Fusarium sp. cannot be exploited as food, seed, or animal feed. However it can be raw material of biogas production. In this research we would like to investigate the content and effect of the toxin in the end product of biogas production on plant germination. The Fusarium sp. can cause mildew and seedling mortality in seed of maize (Zea mays L.), so we examine the effect of this on germination. In preliminary examination Fusarium sp. was not detected in the bioreactor of the Institute after the retention time (30 day), however it can be assumed that during the hydrolysis of the fungus growth and mycotoxin production also increased exponentially. There were no appropriate tools to detect the toxin in the end product of biogas production so modelling of anaerobic hydrolysis was necessary. The effects of hydrolyzed product for germination were also detected.

  • Single nucleotide polymorphism analysis in meat-production related genes in broiler chickens
    79-82
    Views:
    303

    In broiler chickens, the intensive selection for growth rate, feed efficiency, body composition (breast muscle weight) traits in the last decades was successful. To improve economically important characteristics, it is possible to use molecular markers associated with meat production traits. The aim of this study was to examine genotype polymorphisms in ROSS 308 broilers for thyroid hormone responsive Spot14α, insulinlike growth factor 1 (IGF1), IGF-binding protein 2 (IGFBP2), somatostatin (SST) and prolactin (PRL) genes. A further goal of this investigation was to study the relationship between the polymorphisms and phenotypic characteristics.

    In the investigated broiler population, the frequency for CC homozygous genotype was 0.77 in Spot14α (AY568628), AA homozygous genotype was 0.80 in IGF1 (M74176), GG homozygous genotype was 0.85 in IGFBP2 (U15086), DD homozygous genotype was 0.60 in PRL (FJ663023 or FJ434669). Only the AA homozygous genotype was found in SST (X60191). Chickens with AC genotype in Spot14α, and with GG genotype in IGFBP2 had higher body weight (BW) and carcass weight (CW), compared to CC and GT genotypes. However, the differences were not significant (P>0.05). There was significant association (P<0.05) between PRL genotypes and body and carcass weight, where chicken with homozygous DD surpassed individuals with homozygous II genotypes.

  • Evaluation of the synergistic effect of yeast and Chicory-inulin on rumen fermentation parameters and estimation of methane emission
    13-18
    Views:
    267

    Probiotics and prebiotics are feed additives that have been extensively utilised in animal nutrition for a considerable duration. However, only some studies have investigated their synergistic effects on rumen fermentation parameters and their role in minimizing methane emission. Therefore, this study examined the impact of combining chicory-inulin with yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) on rumen fermentation parameters and methane emissions in weaned dairy goats. The feeds were formulated into eight diets and offered to 24 Saanen×Toggenburg crossbred weaned female dairy goats weighing 14±0.5 Kg in a Completely Randomized Design with a (4x2) factorial arrangement. The diets were Rhodes grass hay and chicory supplementation at four levels: 0, 10, 20, 20, and 30% as the main effects and with (+) and without yeast (-) yeast as interaction levels. The findings indicated that the inclusion of yeast and Chicory had a significant effect (p<0.05) on rumen pH, ammonia nitrogen concentrations, production of volatile fatty acids), and estimated methane emission. The highest pH was recorded in T1- with 7.27. It was followed closely by T1+ with 6.73. T1+ recorded the highest methane (39.67 mmol/L), while T4- had the lowest (32.42 mmol/L). This study concludes that Chicory-inulin has prebiotic properties by maintaining pH levels and affecting amounts of ammonia nitrogen. The lack of a significant interaction effect between yeast and Chicory in methane emission implies that their combined influence may not significantly affect methane emissions in the current study's experimental settings.

  • Investigation of new seed mixtures in wildlife forage ground managem
    9-13
    Views:
    391

    One of the most important method of habitat development is wildlife forage ground management. Many plant species can be grown on the crop fields, as mixture, too. Use of seed mixtures has not been spread on the native wildlife forage ground, however there are many advantages of them.

    The aim of the research is to examine the role of the different plant species, seed mixtures in the game feeding, the savouriness of the plants of crop fields, as well as ascertain which seed mixtures are more suitable for wildlife forage ground management. On the basis of the investigation it can be find out that big amount of forage can be produced on mixed crop fields. Buckwheat, corn, rape, millet and white lupine proved to be the most beloved plants. It is suitable to make such mixed forages and use widely in the native wildlife forage ground management,

    – which assures better feed conditions for the game,

    – which are more attractive for the game and can draw away from other areas, so prevent, reduce game damage in forestry sector and in

    agriculture that is in the forest manager’s, agricultural and game manager’s interests, too.

  • Upgrading breeding value estimation in beef cattle
    451-458
    Views:
    370

    This paper gives a summary of the possibility for applying genomic information for breeding value estimation in beef cattle breeding. This process is called genomic prediction and is now widely used in dairy cattle globally as well as in some beef and sheep populations. The advantage of genomic prediction is a more accurate estimate of the genetic merit of an individual at a young age thereby facilitating greater annual genetic gain, predominantly through shorter generation intervals. Genomic predictions are more advantageous for sex-linked (e.g., milk yield), low heritability (e.g., fertility) and difficult-to-measure (e.g., feed intake) traits. The larger the reference population, on average, the more accurate the genomic predictions; additionally, the closer genetically the reference population is to the candidate population, the greater the accuracy of genomic predictions. Research is continuing on strategies to generate accurate genomic predictions using a reference population consisting of multiple breeds (and crossbred). Retrospective analysis of real-life data where genomic predictions have been operation for several years clearly shows a benefit of this technology.

  • Evaluation of the optimal temperature for digestive protease function in the hybrid catfish Clarias gariepinus × Heterobranchus longifilis
    65-70
    Views:
    215

    (1) Background: Water temperature is a key determinant of fish digestion. In vitro methods provide a reliable approach to assess enzyme activity, which is especially important in carnivorous catfish with protein-rich diets. Although the hybrid catfish Clarias gariepinus × Heterobranchus longifilis is widely farmed in Hungary, its optimal temperature for maximizing digestibility remains under investigation.; (2) Methods: Fish were reared at 23 ºC, 25 ºC, and 27 ºC, and stomach and proximal intestine content samples were collected, and it was determined the protease activity (3) Results: No statistically significant differences were observed in enzyme efficiency, crude protease activity (p > 0.05). Despite not significant differences, the stomach and intestinal, protease activity tended to be higher at 25 °C (3.41 ± 0.16 U/mL), and, while in the intestines was higher at 27 °C (2.03 ± 0.27 U/mL). Stomach activity was higher at 27 ºC, at 27 °C (2.03 ± 0.27 U/mL, respectively. (4) Conclusions: Stomach protease activity tended to be higher at 25 °C, while intestinal activity was highest at 25–27 °C. These results may indicate a better starting digestion that supports feed digestion.

     

     

  • Results of Giltsrearing in Outdoor Production System
    8-11
    Views:
    273

    The applied technology is an alternative approach to pigkeeping-systems. An outdoor pig production breeding sows are kept at pasture either year-round or in a certain period of the year. The important equipments of outdoor pig production are farrowing or grouping sows inhuts, which protect pigs against the effects of extreme weather, and electric fences, which surround and divide the pasture. Concentrate feed can be fed from the ground or from feeders which are made of steel or timber. One of main advantages of this pig keeping system is the total mobilizable keeping technology.
    Within the scope of the study we are performing an experiment to make a comparison between coventional system and free range sows keeping technology. Pannonhybrid F1 gilts were used in this experiment, 28 gilts were kept on pasture all day and 28 gilts are kept in conventional, indoor system.
    In this work the results of gilts-rearing are presentated as a part of our two-years experiment.

  • An unimportant insect pest with characteristic symptoms: Halticus apterus (Miridae)
    19-23
    Views:
    392

    Halticus apterus, a tiny mirid bug with jumping hind legs has not been taught in agricultural entomology courses in Hungary. However, the most detailed agricultural entomology text book, the “Handbook of Agricultural Entomology” briefly presents the pest. Although, it is common in Hungary, its damage is insignificant because of the low density; it can cause quality loss in feed crops only. Nevertheless, its special symptom – spottedness – is worth taking into consideration. The author has been studying pests and natural enemies of alfalfa for a long time (at least ten years), so he focused attention on this species. Occurrence of H. apterus was only sporadic in the alfalfa field, but it showed characteristic and frequent symptoms at a density of averagely three individuals per alfalfa plants in mixed plant associations at the studied field edge. By presenting the damage appearance and form, it was possible to make a more accurate description of H. apterus’symptoms, and with evaluating relevant European references, also the detailed entomological characterisation, economic importance and assessment of future risks have been achieved. As a difference to former descriptions, the special leaf spottedness of H. apterus does not consist of homogenous round spots but rather of spherical conglomerations of tiny whitish dots caused by the piercing and sucking mouthparts and the injected saliva

  • Organic soybean production in Hungary
    45-52
    Views:
    472

    Organic soy production, particularly for feedstuff in organic animal husbandry, is needed in Hungary and the EU regions. Soybean producing crop area in Hungary has increased in the last years, however, the agroecological potential would allow for a larger soybean production area. This study presents the soybean market in Hungary, and the role of soybeans in protein supply in food and feed, summarising the critical elements of organic soybean production from variety selection to marketing. During the field research, the effects of the agronomical environment on yield potential factors were examined. We aimed to determine how different row spacing and tillage systems affect organic soybean yields of different varieties, with particular attention to the dry region, and determine the specific methods and varieties of soybean that favour these areas. We found that the tillage (plough/grubber), the spacing (wide/narrow), and the variety effects were all significant on morphological variables. The most remarkable difference was seen in plant height and the number of pods per plant, while the number of nodes was also highly impacted by tillage treatment and variety. The nutrition variables were significantly different, mainly as an effect of tillage and spacing interaction with significantly different plant responses of varieties.

  • Effect of different n-6/n-3 fatty acid proportion oil sources on reproduction performance and fatty acid profile of milk in modern genotype sows - Pleminary results: Preliminary results
    121-128
    Views:
    312

    This study was conducted to investigate the effects of supplemental n-6 and n-3 fatty acids on sow’s milk fatty acid composition during the lactation period and on reproductive efficiency of sows in the subsequent gestation period. Data were collected on a total of 213 DanBred sows (108 control and 105 experimental) representing parity of 2–7, respectively. Control and experimental sows were placed in the same housing conditions during lactation and gestation period. Control group received 6.3 g of sunflower oil (SO) per kg feed as n-6 fatty acid supplementation, whilst experimental animals received the same amount of fish oil (FO) as n-3 fatty acid source. Diets were corn meal-extracted soybean meal based. The experiment was conducted in one replication as being a part of a longer and more comprehensive trial. It was found that the consumed long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs) appeared in the sow’s milk and changed its fatty acid profile. With this alteration, the n-6/n-3 ratio of experimental (FO) sows’ milk were narrower than in SO group (SO: 13.82 vs. FO: 5.89). The benefits of n-3 fatty acids supplementation were evident for the subsequent reproduction cycle, when experimental sows heated more reliable and earlier than control (weaning to oestrus interval: SO: 5.86 vs. FO: 4.48 days). Only 2.33% of experimental sows (FO) did not heat within 7 days after weaning, but this was 12.36% in the control group (SO). The present study requires further research to evaluate the effect of n-3 fatty acids on maintenance of pregnancy and improved subsequent litter size.

  • Mitigation of environment impact of mycotoxins produced by Fusarium species
    159-164
    Views:
    500

    The Fusarium fungi hazards the grain quality of cereals, therefore significantly affects their utilization as animal feed or consumable product. The Fusarium can decrease the quality of wheat in different ways: decreases the germination capability, causes visible discoloration, mould may appear, reduces the dry material and nutrient content of the grain, causes mycotoxin infection – as a result given by its by-product. Micotoxins produced by Fusarium genus, as the trichotecenes (T-2, HT-2, deoxynivalenol, nivalenol, diacetoxyscirpenol, Fusarenone-X) and the zearalenone (F-2) are the most common in Hungary. Occurrence of fumonisins first discovered in 1988 are must be identified carefully. About 20–30% of the overall worldwide production of cereals is infected with Fusarium and its toxins, which situation is similar in Hungary. This infection causes serious yield-losses in cereal production. In the case of cereal products, which non-utilizable as forage seems, an optimal solution is utilizing as biogas raw material, but it is also important to examine the effect of the infected cereal on the anaerobe digestion process.

  • The effect of different sowing depth on the yield and yield-forming elements of maize
    173-176
    Views:
    308

    On a global scale, maize is an important food, feed and industrial crop, with an increasing production area (Nagy, 2007 and 2021). Among the environmental impacts, extreme weathering factors caused by climate change are causing serious problems for crop stability, and maize is no exception.

    Precision farming is today's most innovative agrotechnical approach, which can greatly increase crop safety and reduce costs by exploiting the genetic potential of our soils and the hybrids we use (Torres, 2012).

    Sowing is one of the most important agrotechnical elements, and with good seeding we can ensure that we have all the requirements of a high yielding, high growing crop (Pepó, 2019). In the case of sowing, it is important to place the seed in moist soil to provide the optimum environmental conditions for the crop to ensure uniform emergence (Széles et al., 2020; Shrestha et al., 2018).

    Precision planting is the market leading technology in precision planters in the United States, and when cooperating with them we looked for methods to optimise the depth of sowing and to monitor the effect on yield by studying the initial development of the plants. The seeder was equipped with the company's SmartFirmer soil scanner integrated into the seed drill. Automatic seed depth adjustment based on soil moisture is an exceptional solution for uniform emergence and drought protection.

  • Effect of fish feed containing two Chinese herbal extracts (Ganodema Iucidum and Lonicera japonica) on the non-specific immune system of Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus (preliminary results)
    9-14
    Views:
    234

    The effect of two Chinese herbs (Ganoderma lucidum and Lonicera japonica) on non-specific immune response of tilapia was examined. In addition to the control (no herbs), three diet variations were used. These contained 1.0% of Lonicera, 1.0% of Ganoderma and a mixture of Ganoderma (0.5%) and Lonicera (0.5%). The respiratory burst and phagocytic activity of blood leukocytes were monitored. Three weeks after feeding, the fish were infected with Aeromonas hydrophila. The results of this study showed that feeding tilapia with Ganoderma and Lonicera alone or in combination enhanced the phagocytosis of blood leukocytes, but not the respiratory burst activity. Both herbs, when used alone or in combination, reduced mortality after challenge with A. hydrophila. The highest mortality was observed in the control fish – 56.66%, and fish fed with Lonicera extract – 43.33% while 30% of fish died in the group fed with Ganoderma and the lowest mortality (20%) was observed when the fish were fed with a combination of the two herbs. It can be concluded that the herb extracts added to this diet act as immuno-stimulants and appear to improve the immune response and disease resistance of tilapia.

  • Examination of the effect of pelleted poultry manure products on a sunflower test plant in a laboratory model experiment
    83-88
    Views:
    585

    Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) is one of the most important oil plants in Hungary, with a sown area of more than 627.000 ha in 2019. Sunflower cultivation is primarily important for use in the oil industry, but its role in feed and beekeeping cannot be neglected either. Sunflower adapts well to different production areas in terms of soil demand, yet, as important fact, it must be grown on soils with poorer conditions with intensive nutrient replenishment. From the agri-environmental point of view, in addition to the use of pelleted poultry manure products, which are also new to the consumer market, is of paramount importance. Their advantages include a wide range of nutrients as well as a soil structure improving effect.

    In our research, we investigated the starter effect of pelleted poultry manure products applied at different doses (200 kg ha-1 and 400 kg ha-1) on sandy soil with humus using a sunflower plant. The aim of our research to investigate the effect of using pelleted fertilizer products as starter fertilizers on sunflower plant germination, and investigate the effect of poultry manure products on soils.

    Based on our results, it can be stated that the pigment content (chlorophyll and carotenoid content) was positively influenced by the higher dose treatments (400 kg ha-1), thus increasing the photosynthetically active leaf area. Compared to the control, the carotenoid content in the test plants of the treatments increased, and the differences of this treatment proved to be significant (p<0.05). Our experiments supported the beneficial effect of pelleted poultry manure-based products in the soil-plant system.

  • Milestones in the development of agronomic management practices in crop production
    203-209
    Views:
    282

    From the dawn of the history of the human race, agriculture has always been a profound activity of mankind producing food and feed as well as various plant originated materials for further processing.

    Agronomy, like any other human activity, depends on the perpetual development of knowledge and technical skills, - in a modern context – science and innovation. This paper is intended to provide the reader with information regarding the main phases of the development of agricultural production from the Neolithic societies through the early Mesopotamian and Egyptian empires to the inventions of first organised learned society of Rome. The major research findings of the past two millennia including agro-chemistry, genetics and technical development are presented.

    Such a review should not lead to any scientific conclusions, but rather a philosophical postulate similar to that of Jonathan Swift written some centuries ago: “And he gave it for his opinion, that whoever could make two ears of corn, or two blades of grass, to grow upon a spot of ground, where only one grew before, would deserve better of mankind, and do more essential service to his country, than the whole race of politicians put together”.

  • The importance of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) and its cultivation in Hungary: A review
    71-75
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    252

    Climate change today is no longer a question for the future. Climate change impacts not only human populations but also plant species, which are increasingly exposed to its negative effects. The increasing number of days of drought, the lack of precipitation and its unfavorable distribution are observed each year, which require adaptation. Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is a drought-tolerant species characterized by deep root system that enables it to withstand prolonged periods without precipitation. Additionally, it is a thermophilic crop and tolerates moderate increases in average temperature." There is no great tradition of its cultivation and use in Hungary, but it has been cultivated by the Iregszemcse Research Institute since the 1970s. In addition to the positive aspects of its cultivation, it also has good nutritional values, outperforming in some parameters the beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and peas (Pisum sativum L.) what are popular in Hungary. Its high protein and crude fibre content allows it to be used not only for human consumption but also for animal feed. The aim of this review is to describe the importance of chickpea and to identify the advantages and disadvantages of its cultivation.