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Loss and Disease Development of Monilinia fructigena (Aderh. & Ruhl.) Honey in an Organic Apple Orchard
6-8Views:145In a two-year-study, yield loss and temporal development of incidence of Monilinia fructigena were quantified in organic apple orchards and the importance of fruit wounding agents was determined. The first infected fruits were observed at the beginning of August in 2001 and 2002. Disease development was continuous until fruit harvest in both years. Pre-harvest yield loss caused by Monilinia fructigena amounted on average 27.2% in 2001 and 41.6% in 2002 by fruit harvest. The growth rate of disease development was almost double in 2002 compared to 2001. All infected fruits were injured by wounding agents such as aboitic and mechanical injury factors, codling moth (Cydia pomonella), common earwig (Forficula auricularia) and birds. In this study, the most important wounding agents were codling moth and mechanical injury factors in organic apple orchards. In both years, our results showed that 70-80% of the infected fruits were damaged by codling moth in organic apple production. Moreover, 10-15% of the infected fruits were mechanically injured in the two years. Our results indicated that most of the damaged fruits fell on the orchard floor before harvest and they became an important secondary inoculum source of M. fructigena. Biological and practical implications of the results are discussed.
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Trends in Dry Pea (Pisum sativum L.) Production
53-58Views:125Dry pea is an important, cool-season grain legume, which is grown worldwide on over 6 million hectares. The major producing countries outside Europe are China and Canada, followed by India, Australia, and the United States. France, Canada and Australia produce over 2 million hectares and are major exporters of peas. During the 1980’s, in developed countries of the European Union, pea production rose yearly by 6-10%, which represents a significant increase in both area and yield. Europe accounts for 50-75% of world pea production. In the 1990’s, the European Union produced 4-5 million tonnes of dry pea, of which 3-4 million tonnes were used for feed and 1 million tonnes for export. At the end of the 20th century, the growth in production was low, mainly because of the absence of support measures, and the better returns offered by other crops. In the countries of the former Soviet Union, dry pea was primarily used as feed and pea production dropped, due to a trend in livestock raising.
Food consumption of dry pea is concentrated in developing countries, where grain legumes represent a useful complement to cereal-based diets as a relatively inexpensive source of high quality protein. As a result, human consumption of grain legumes fell from 2,2 kg/capita in 1961 to 0,5 kg/capita in 1999. The importance of grain legumes in food protein supply decreased, while that of cereal products increased. Shortage of grain legumes has adverse effects on the nutritional standard of poor people in developing countries.
World dry pea production reached 16,7 million tonnes in 1990, with 3,7 million tonnes used as food, 11,4 million tonnes used as feed, and 1,0 million tonnes used as seed. Dry pea production was 10,9 million tonnes in 1999, and 3,5, 5,8 and 0,8 million tonnes was used as food, feed and seed, respectively. In the coming decades, world grain legume production and utilization as feed are expected to expand at a slower rate than in the 1980’s. Most of the increase is expected to occur in Eastern European countries, Canada and Australia, where production is anticipated to grow at 2% annually. The projection for the new millennium was derived from adjusted trends in area and yield over the period 1961-2000, based on FAO statistical data. -
Effect of cropyear on the different agrotechnical parameters and yield of asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L.)
53-58Views:112The experiments were performed in the University of Debrecen Centre fog Agricultural Research Institute of Nyíregyháza of 1500 m2 asparagus plantation in 2011. We were determine the number of shoots, plant height, fold thickness and yield of asparagus hybrids. I observe in the effects of three different asparagus genotypes (Vitale, Cumulus, Grolim) growth and development of the data sets are required. Compared to previous years, the year 2014 was also an unusually warm and rainy weather, which makes the plantation produced outstanding development. Effect of the early warming, this year the harvest was to begin one month then in 2013.
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Changes in weed flora of basket willow (Salix viminalis L.) under different soil nutrient supply
116-120Views:129The world is in a continuous progress, as a result of which energy consumption and with this the release of gases with adverse impact show rapid increase. As a result of the survey conducted by the International Energy Agency, if the major economic powers do not initiate a change in their energy policy, the increase of energy consumption may as well reach 40 % by 2030. This increased energy demand is getting more and more difficult to fulfill with the fossil energy resources, which is to lead to an increasing significance of renewable energy resources. In Hungary, these energy resources are the best to provide with biomass growth. Biomass growth for energetic purpose can mostly be provided by energy plants, out of which “energy willow” (Salix viminalis L.) is outstanding with its high yield and with its excellent burning technology characteristics of its timber. The willow’s cropping technology is being established in our country. One of our tasks is to work out an adequate weed control plan. The professional and safe use of herbicides can increase the success of production. In our paper, we discuss the weed flora data collected on treatments applied in the different fertilizer and compost. We started our survey in 2010. We examined twelve different fertilizer and compost treated areas. The dominant weeds were: Amaranthus retroflexus, Chenopodium album, Echinochloa crus-galli among annuals; Cirsium arvense and Agropyron repens among the perennials.
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Preliminary results of the combined production of duckweed Spirodela polyrhiza and common carp (Cyprinus carpio) in an aquaponic system
83-89Views:65As a result of population growth, increasin amount of food is needed, and agriculture is under an increasing burden to meet these needs. Traditional agriculture is often attacked due to its environmental impact. We must find alternative, environmentally friendly ways to produce more food. Aquaponics is a closed system in which we can produce both fish and plants at the same time. Duckweed species are small, aquatic, floating plants belonging to angiosperms. It can potentially be an alternative protein source, due to its high protein content, good amino acid supply, and rapid growth. Under suitable conditions, it doubles its weight in 2–4 days, and can reach a yield of 30 t ha-1 year-1in dry matter. It forms a carpet on top of the water and can be found in slow-moving or still waters. Since they are resistant to a wide range of nutrient concentrations, they are also suitable for cleaning wastewater (such as eutrophicated lakes, sewage reservoirs, liquid manure storage). Fish feed is the primary nutrient source for aquaponic systems, which usually contains fishmeal. If duckweed can be used as an alternative for fishmeal in the feed, it could improve the sustainability of the aquaponic and aquaculture systems. In this study, the aim was to develop an optimal harvesting protocol for duckweed Spirodela polyrhiza under aquaponic conditions. In a four weeks experiments, four harvesting protocols were set up, a control where only biomass measurements were made, a 25% group where 25% of the biomass at the time of measurement was harvested, and a 50% and a 75% group where at the time of measurement 50% and 75% of the biomass was harvested. Three replicates were used per treatment. We weighed the biomass every week and removed the amount corresponding to the group. Based on the preliminary results, it can be said that more biomass was obtained in the groups with the 25% harvesting protocol and the control group.
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Influence of temperature and variety on seed germination of soybean (Glycine max L. Merr) at different germination times
5-12Views:78Seed germination is an important stage in crop development that affects plant performance, crop yield, and quality. Many factors influence seed germination, and one of the most important factors is temperature. The closer the temperature is to the optimum, the faster germination will occur. Temperature affects seed germination in various plants and varies depending on the variety. Therefore, the effect of temperature on seed germination is necessary to investigate, also for soybean varieties. Soybean is one of the world's most valuable oil-seed crops. Generally, proper seedling establishment and germination of soybean seeds are crucial processes in the survival and growth cycle of the crop. Thus, a study was done to investigate the influence of temperature and variety on soybean seed germination at different times after sowing. The experiment was carried out at the Institute of Agronomy, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences (MATE), Crop Production Laboratory. Seeds of two soybean varieties were subjected to three different temperatures: 15, 25, and 35 °C, and two soybean varieties, Martina and Johanna were tested. There were four germination times based on the days after sowing: Days 3, 5, 7, and 9. This experiment was set up with a completely randomized block design and four replications. According to the findings of this study, the Martina variety showed a better germination rate as well as higher vigor and viability than the Johanna variety in the first 12 days after sowing. At temperatures of 15 °C and 25 °C, both varieties achieved comparable percentages of viability, but they were more vigorous at 25 °C due to better total seedling length. Thus, the information gained from this study will indirectly determine and confirm the proper temperature for the initial growth of the Martina and Johanna varieties.
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The Role of Trichoderma in the Rhizosphere of Tomato Plants
67-69Views:62It is well established that microorganisms are closely associated with the roots of plants can directly influence plant growth and development. Species of Trichoderma, on the other hand are primarily studied for their ability to control plant disease. The ability of species of Trichoderma to directly promote or inhibit plant growth has been noted for many years.
Tomatoes were treated with different Trichoderma strains by seed treatment and soil inoculation. The Trichoderma were grown on malt-agar medium and conidia were washed off by sterile water for making suspension which contained 107 CFU/ml (colony forming unit/ml). The suspension was used for seed treatment and for the soil inoculation by watering as well. The artificial soil inoculation was made by Trichodermas growing on grounded maize were mixed in mould and tomato seed were sown in it. Tomato seeds were also sown in bags made of close-meshed material which allowed the soil microorganisms to colonize the roots but it simultaneously protected the roots from soil contamination. Roots were put on Trichoderma selective medium to check the root colonization of the Trichoderma.
The tomato plants were bedded out in a field in four repetition. After harvesting by hand the results supported by statistics shown that there was significant differences between the yield of the untreated and treated tomato plants by Trichoderma strains. -
The Role and Significance of Soil Analyses in Plant Nutrition and Environmental Protection
3-8Views:80Hungary has a rich history of soil analyses and soil mapping. Our main tasks today are the preservation of soil fertility as well as balancing the goals of production and environmental protection. The main requirement of agricultural production is to adapt to ecological and economic conditions.
In a series of consultative meetings in the past seven years, representatives from Central and Eastern Europe have analyzed nutrient management practices in their respective countries. According to a joint memorandum agreed upon in 2000, in the countries awaiting accession, the quantity of nutrients used per hectare is considerably smaller than the Western-European usage targeted through special subsidies. The current low nutrient usage contradicts the principles of sustainability and that of the efficient use of resources, jeopardizing soil fertility.
In Hungary, the use of inorganic fertilizers underwent a dynamic development, which manifested itself in an almost tenfold usage growth between 1960 and 1985. This growth slowed down somewhat between 1985 and 1990 and then reduced dramatically after 1990, reaching record lows at the usage levels of the 60s. The nutrient supply has had a negative balance for the last 15 years.
The increasing and then decreasing usage trends can equally be detected in the domestic yield averages of wheat and corn as well as in the nutrient supply of soils. Yields were the largest when usage levels were the highest, and decreased thereafter. Draughts have also contributed to smaller yields. The dramatic decrease in the use of inorganic fertilizers when adequate organic fertilizers are lacking endangers our soils’ fertility.
About 50% of soils in Hungary are acidic. Acidity is mostly determined by soil formation, but especially on soils with a low buffering capacity, this acidity may intensify due to inorganic fertilizers. Sustainable agriculture requires the chemical improvement of acidic soils. According to their y1 values, the majority of our acidic soils need to be improved. This chemical soil remediation is required in 15% of the acidic soils, while it’s recommended for another 20% of these soils.
Results of the analyses conducted in the framework of the soil-monitoring system set up in Hungary in 1992 show that in 95% of the analyzed samples, the toxic element content is below the allowable limit. Cultivated areas are not contaminated; toxicity above the legal level was found only in specific high-risk sampling areas: in the vicinity of industry, due to local overload. The basic principle of sustainable agriculture is to preserve soil fertility without undue strain on the environment. The intensity of the production needs to be considered according to the conditions of the site; i.e.; nutrient management needs to be site-specific. It is recommended to differentiate three types of cultivated land in terms of environmental sensitivity: areas with favorable conditions, endangered areas, and protected areas, and then to adopt nutrient management practices accordingly. To meet all the above-mentioned goals is impossible without systematic soil analysis. Tests conducted by the national monitoring system cannot replace regular field measurements. -
The effects of drought stress on soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) growth, physiology and quality – Review
19-24Views:189Abiotic stresses are one of the most limiting factors inhibit plant's growth, leading to a serious production loss. Drought stress is one of the most destructive abiotic stresses and is still increasing year after year resulting in serious yield losses in many regions of the world,
consequently, affecting world’s food security for the increasing world population. Soybean is an important grain legume. It is one of the five major crops in the world, an essential source of oil, protein, macronutrients and minerals, and it is known as the main source of plant oil and protein. Harvested area of soybean is increasing globally year after year. However, soybean is the highest drought stress sensitive crop, the water deficit influences the physiology, production and seed composition of this crop. We introduce a review for literatures concerning the changes of the above traits of soybean exposed to drought stress, with past explanations for these changes. -
Effect of harvest on the different fertilization methods of asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L.)
33-37Views:133The experiments were performed in the University of Debrecen Centre for Agricultural Research Institute of Nyíregyháza of 1500 m2 asparagus plantation in 2011. We were determind the number of shoots, plant height, fold thickness and yield of asparagus hybrid. I studied to the effects of various cropyear is addition Grolim hybrid asparagus growth and development. Compared to previous years, 2014 was unusually wet and cold weather conditions which causes the plantation has developed outstanding. The soil temperature early and dynamic increase due to, the harvest had started a one month earlier 2014 than the 2013. The experiment asparagus harvested from lower yields as a result of the extremely dry spring in 2015.
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Evaluation of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) in response to salinity stress
105-110Views:203Soil salinity is a severe and expanding soil degradation problem that affects 80 million ha of arable lands globally. Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is very sensitive to saline conditions; the most susceptible genotypes may die in just 25 mM NaCl in hydroponics. Approximately 8–10% yield loss in chickpea production is estimated due to salinity stress. However, it is still not established why chickpea is so susceptible to salt affection. Salinity (NaCl) impedes germination of seeds, though chickpea varieties considerably differ from one another in this respect. Some chickpea genotypes are more tolerant in the stage of germination, tolerating even 320 mM NaCl. The reasons of this variation are unrevealed; there is a shortage of knowledge about the germination abilities of chickpea genotypes in saline conditions. Nevertheless, the effect of salt stress on vegetative growth can be analysed in hydroponics, in pot or field conditions, regardless the experimental environment, the ranking of genotypes regarding salt resistance is coherent. Chickpea genotypes can be different in their ability to retain water, maybe under salt affection; the more salt tolerant lines can maintain higher water content in the shoots, while the more sensitive ones cannot. The identification of salt tolerant chickpea landraces based on developing genetic variability is a suitable strategy to combat against salinity problems arising in arid and semi-arid areas.
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Promising Leuce poplar clones in sandy ridges between the rivers Danube and Tisza in Hungary: a case study
111-113Views:214An intensive integrated research and development work has been carried out on the improvement of Leuce poplars including primarily the native white poplar (Populus alba L.) and its natural hybrid grey poplar (Populus × canescens). More than 70 percent of the Leuce poplar stands can be found on calcareous sandy sites in the Danube–Tisza region, so they play a significant role in the poplar management of this part of the country. The most important task ahead of Hungarian poplar growers is to improve the quality of poplar stands and plantations based on selecting new clones and cultivars. The growth and yield of four promising Leuce poplar clones was evaluated on a marginal site in central Hungary. The clones ‘H 425-4’ (Populus alba L. × Populus alba L.), and ‘H 758’ (Populus alba L. Mosonmagyaróvár 124) seem to be suitable for wood production, while the ‘H 427-3’ (Populus alba L. × Populus alba L. cv. Bolleana) and ‘H 422-9’ (Populus alba L. × Populus grandidentata (Michx)) clones (with decorative stem form) could be better used for tree lines and ornamental plantations.
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Microgreen leaf vegetable production by different wavelengths
79-84Views:150Microgreens are becoming more popular in gastronomy, especially as a salad ingredient. In this study, two plant species belonging to the cabbage family were grown as microgreens, namely red cabbage and broccoli. Three different light-emitting diodes (LEDs) were used in the experiment, blue, red, and combined (blue:red) lighting. The experiment was carried out by 118 µmol-2 s-1total Photosynthetic Photon Flux (PPF), LED lighting was applied for 16 hours a day. Blue light primarily stimulates leaf growth, while red light promotes flowering. In our experiment, blue and combined lighting favorably affected plant development, yield (~3000 g m-2), chlorophyll-a (~8.0 mg g-1), and carotenoid content (9.0 mg g-1). However, the red light resulted in reduced harvest yields (~2200 g m-2), chlorophyll-a (~6.0 mg g-1), and carotenoid content (~7.0 mg g-1). The development of red cabbage was favorably influenced by the blue spectrum, while the combined spectrum favorably influenced the development of broccoli.
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Challenges – the impact of climate change on the nutritional management of Hungarian orchards
323-334Views:213The agricultural sector is increasingly exposed to both environmental and economic risks due to the phenomena of climate change and climate variability. Fruit growth and productivity are adversely affected by nature’s wrath in the form of various abiotic stress factors. Climate change and extreme climatic events are predicted to increase in intensity, frequency, and geographic extent as a consequence of global climate change. It is no doubt that frequency of unexpected climatic events and their growing rate result in an increasing amount of problems for fruit growers globally. Today, climate change impacts are the most serious problems for Hungarian fruit growers as well. It can be stated that the nutrient demand of fruit trees can be supplied only under even worse conditions.
Therefore, it is so important to know and apply adaptation and mitigation strategies in horticulture to improve fruit quality and yield. In the last ten years, at the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management at University of Debrecen expanded studies have been made to prove the importance of groundcover management in horticultural applications. In this mini review paper, is presented, how the university's researches contributed to the expansion of knowledge of preservation of soil moisture and what advice we can provide for fruit growers to face the challenges of climate change.
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Nitrogen Supplying Capacity of Brown Forest Soil under Different Cropping Practices and 0.01 M CaCl2 Soluble Organic Nitrogen
17-23Views:86The best known and most remarkable example of continuous production in Hungary is the Westsik’s crop rotation experiment, which was established in 1929, and is still in use to study the effects of organic manure treatment, to develop models, and predict the likely effects of different cropping systems on soil properties and crop yields. In this respect, Westsik’s crop rotation experiment provides data of immediate value to farmers concerning the applications of green, straw and farmyard manure, as well as data sets for scientific research.
Although commonly ignored, the release of nitrogen by root and green manure crops has a significant impact on soil organic matter turnover. The design of sustainable nitrogen management strategies requires a better understanding of the processes influencing nitrogen supplying capacity, as the effects of soil organic matter on soil productivity and crop yield are still very uncertain and require further research. In the treatments of Westsik’s crop rotation experiment, nutrients removed from soil through plant growth and harvesting are replaced either by fertilisers and/or organic manure. Data can be used to study the nitrogen supplying capacity of soil under different cropping systems and its effect on the 0.01 M CaCl2 soluble organic nitrogen content of soil.
The aim of this paper is to present data on the nitrogen supplying capacity of brown forest soil from Westsik’s crop rotation experiment and to study its correlation with hundredth molar calcium-chloride soluble organic nitrogen. The main objective is to determine the effects of root and green manure crops on the nitrogen supplying capacity of soil under different cropping systems. The nitrogen supplying capacity was calculated as a difference of plant uptake, organic manure and fertiliser supply.
The 0.01 M CaCl2 soluble organic nitrogen test has proved reliable for determining the nitrogen supplying capacity of soils. Brown forest soils are low in organic matter and in the F-1 fallow-rye-potato rotation, the nitrogen supplying capacity was 15.6 kg/ha/year. 0.01 M CaCl2 soluble organic nitrogen content was as low as 1.73 mg/kg soil. Roots and green manure increased the nitrogen supplying capacity of soil by more than 100%. This increase is caused by lupine, a legumes crop, which is very well adapted to the acidic soil conditions of the Nyírség region, and cultivated as a green or root manure crop to increase soil fertility. -
Changes in the Sulphur Content of Winter Wheat in a Field Experiment
85-88Views:76The use of superphosphate as P-containing fertiliser decreased in the last years in many countries in accordance with strict air pollution laws, and the S-deposition decreased from the atmosphere to the soil as well.
Winter wheat is the one of the S-demanding plants. Recently, the gradually increasing S absence endanger the formation of required average yield of winter wheat, and has bad effect on its quality.
We examined the effect of treatments on the sulphur-, nitrogen content and the N/S ratio of winter wheat in the whole upperground plant and in the grain and straw at harvest in a arable land sulphur fertilization experiment on brown forest soil (Agricultural Company of Felsőzsolca).
We analysed the samples from spring to harvesting, in the critical phenophases. In this study we discuss only the values from the stooling and stalking and the results of analysis of grain and straw in the harvest.
We experienced that the concentration of sulphur in the whole upperground parts of winter wheat showed increase to the end of vegetation independently of fertilization. The N/S ratio was between 8% and 12% in the beginning of the growth period in the whole upperground plant, while the ratio in the grain at harvest was between 13 and 14%. When we examined the whole upperground plant, stalk and leaf at stalking, we got the highest sulphur content in the leaf. Mostly the middle level sulphur fertilization dose (4 l/ha) increased the sulphur accumulation in the green plant. At total maturing, the greatest part of accumulated sulphur is in the grain, but then the effect of fertilization is less glaring.