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Challenges and agroecological approaches in crop production
75-89Views:169Never has the need been greater for an ecosystem approach to agriculture. As our global population exceeds 9 billion in the next 30 years, with a concomitant demand for agricultural products, ever more pressure will be placed on our agricultural systems. Meanwhile, climate change is altering the ecological settings in which agriculture is practiced, demanding adaptation. Knowledge generated by long-term research will help to address one of the grand challenges of our time: how to meet sustainably the growing world demand for agricultural products – in a way that minimizes environmental harm and enhances the delivery of a diverse array of ecosystem services.
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Comparison of Pálfai’s drought index and the Normalised Precipitation Index in the North Great Plain region
59-64Views:182Agriculture has always been an important role in economy, food supplies, sustainability of society and creation of job opportunities in Hungary. Our country has resource-related strength of agriculture, because we have more than 4.5 million ha for agricultural production. Agricultural production can be influenced by several factors, including climate, hydrology, soil conditions and antropogenic impacts. Climate determines the quality and quantity of the crop yields. The climate conditions in Hungary are variable and it shows spatial and temporal extremes. As a result of this, drought have become more frequent in our country (2003, 2007, 2009, 2012), which is reflected in the decline in yields as well. In the present study, Pálfai's Drought Index (PAI) and the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) were compared 2003–2012 in Debrecen. The temperature and precipitation data were calculated from data provided by a local meteorological station to work out PAI, while the SPI-3 index values were downloaded from the database of the European Drought Observatory. This allowed to drought assessment in a local and regional scale. Our study was supplemented with SPI-3, soil moisture anomalies, PAI and yields of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and maize (Zea mays L.) to evaluating the impact of drought on agriculture.
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Examination of the Nutrient and Water Utilization of Different Corn Genotypes in the Hajdúság
55-59Views:146The research was set up on chernozem soil at the Látókép MÉK research area of the University of Debrecen in Hungary. We examined the following factors of the hybrid P9494, P9578, PR37N01 and PR37M81 in 2013.Yield, yield production per 1 kg fertilizer, water utilization and nutrient reaction. We found that the best yield results were achieved at level N120+PK in case of hybrid P9494 (17 132 kg ha-1) P9578 (16 838 kg ha-1) and PR37N01 (17 476 kg ha-1) and at level N150+PK for hybrid PR37M81 (16 754 kg ha-1). Results of yield per 1 kg NPK studies indicate that the most intense yield growth occurred at level N30+PK compared to the control treatment. This means that yield production per 1 kg NPK was 39.2 kg kg-1 in the case of hybrid P9494, 54.2 kg kg-1 in the case of P9578, 17.6 kg kg-1 for PR37N01 and 44.2 kg kg-1 in the case of PR37M81. After comparing corn hybrids’ water utilization, our conclusion was that the control treatment achieved the worst results in the case of each hybrid (P9494: 20.8 kg mm-1, P9578: 21.0 kg mm-1, PR37N01: 26.2 kg mm-1, PR37M81: 19.5 kg mm-1). For hybrid P9494, P9578 and P37N01, the best water utilization results were measured at level N120+PK (31.5 kg mm-1, 31,0 kg mm-1 and 32.1 kg mm-1), while PR37M81 reached the highest values at level N150+PK (30.8 kg mm-1). We determined the hybrids’ nutrient reaction and its optimum fertilizer values. The best nutrient reaction results were achieved by hybrid PR37N01, while that of hybrid PR37M81 proved to be the weakest.
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The effect of different herbicide on the number and activity of living microorganisms in soil
76-82Views:123Sustainable plant growth, considering the difficulties of weed elimination, cannot be effective without the application of herbicides. However, these chemicals have enormous ecological implications, including effects on the microbiological communities of soils. It is advisable to use herbicides that have minimal secondary effects on the environment and soil-living microorganisms. In contrast, herbicides with prolonged growth stimulating or inhibiting effects are not suitable, because both types have strong influences on the number and activity of bacteria, thus causing changes in the ecological equilibrium.
Preceding small plot experiments, laboratory tests were carried out to study the effect of herbicides used in maize cultures on the number of bacteria and growth of microscopic fungi.
Substances that were observed to have stronger influences were applied in small plot experiments set up in the experimental garden of the Department of Plant Protection of the University of Debrecen. We studied the effects of four herbicides (Acenit A88EC, Frontier 900 EC, Merlin SC and Wing EC) on the microbiological properties of the soil. These herbicides were used in different concentrations in maize culture, and we investigated the effects in different soil layers.
In the laboratory experiments, we determined the total number of bacteria and microscopic fungi and examined the growth of Aspergillus niger, Trichoderma sp. and Fusarium oxysporum on peptone-glucose agar containing herbicides.
During the small plot experiments, soil samples were collected 3 times a year from 2-20 cm depth. The total numbers of bacteria and microscopic fungi were determined by plate dilution method, while the method of most probable number (Pochon method) was used to determine the numbers of nitrifying bacteria and cellulose decomposing bacteria. To evaluate the microbiological activity of the soil samples we measured carbon-dioxide release (after 10 days incubation), nitrate production (after 14 days incubation) and the concentration of C and N in the biomass.
We can summarize our results as follows:
• In laboratory experiments, herbicides caused a decrease in the number of bacteria and inhibited the growth of microscopic fungi.
• Frontier 900 EC and Acenit A 880 EC had the strongest inhibiting effect on microorganisms.
• In small plot experiments, herbicide treatment decreased the total number of bacteria and microscopic fungi.
• Herbicides caused a significant increase in the number of nitrifying and cellulose decomposing bacteria.
• Different herbicides containing the same active compound had similar influences on soil microoorganisms.
• A significant increase was observed in the physiological processes of tolerant microorganisms surviving the effects of herbicides -
Investigation of directions of crossing in maize (Zea mays L.)
43-48Views:97In Hungary, we examined eight features of twelve direct cross hybrids over a period of three years. The twelve hybrids were derived from direct and reciprocal crosses of four parental lines. We did not find significant differences in the cases of stalk diameter and leaf number in the average of 3 years in any of the hybrids. Statistically explainable differences in primary branches were observed in hybrids UDH5 and UDH8 and also in UDH6 and UDH11. It was evident in both instances that degrees of heterosis in reciprocal crosses far exceeded those of direct ones. High tassel branch number was dominant over the low one; consequently, parents with higher tassel numbers enforced their effects during the formation of this trait in hybrids. We experienced positive correlation (r=0.67**) between plant height and main ear height. A positive correlation (r=0.89**) was also found between the tassel length of the main axis above the lowest and the upper side branch. We observed a medium correlation (r=-0.42**) between the number of primary lateral branches and plant height. The number of primary lateral branches showed the highest heterosis. These results can be utilized in practical selection and seed production.
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Effect of Irrigation on Maize Yield (Zea mays L.)
30-35Views:330We have been continually examining the fertilizer and irrigation reaction of commonly cultivated maize hybrids for nearly twenty years at the Látókép experimental station of the Center for Agricultural Sciences, Debrecen University.
Upon evaluating the results, it can be established that year significantly influences the size of yield. Between the years of 1999 and 2002, in the average of applied fertilizers the difference is 3,4 t/ha, but even in irrigated treatments it reaches 3 t/ha. This is more than the effect of irrigation. Of the applied agrotechnical elements, the yield increasing effect of fertilization is the greatest and can even be greater than the effect of year. The yield increasing effect of fertilization can be reliably detected with small and medium doses, but at higher doses a plateau section is reached, where it is not worth applying more nutrients. Cultivation with irrigation can only be done with appropriate nutrient supply, due to the positive correlation of the two factors. The positive correlation also means that if the water supply of the plant declines, less fertilizer is needed for safe production. The two factors (irrigation and fertilization) have to be increased or decreased at the same time.
According to the experiment, in unirrigated treatments, 90 kg/ha nitrogen and the related phosphorus and potassium are enough, while in irrigated treatments this was 120 kg. -
Response of maize seedlings to the latent zinc deficiency under different Fe/Zn rati
125-128Views:93Zinc (Zn) deficiency is a critical nutritional problem for plants and peoples all over the world. Almost half of the world’s cereal crops are deficient in Zn, leading to poor crop yield. In this study, the effect of different Fe/Zn ratio on some physiological parameters of maize seedlings were investigated on the dry matter of shoots and roots and their ratio, SPAD index and the total length of shoots. The relative chlorophyll contents significantly decreased under increasing Fe given to the Zn deficient. The results showed that the different Fe/Zn supplies decreased the total length of shoots - ranging from 9% to 65% - by latent Zn deficiency. Corresponding to several scientific findings, it was observed that the non-optimal Fe/Zn ratio of tissues take part in the evolution of latent Zn deficiency in the case of high Fe concentration.
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Effects of soil cultivation and environmental changes on maize yield
97-100Views:143We evaluated the relationships among soil cultivation and other agrotechnical factors (fertilization, number of plants and hybrid) within the framework of a multifactorial long-term experiment set at the Látókép Experimental Site of the Centre for Agricultural Sciences of the University of Debrecen in mid-heavy chalcareous chernozem soil based on a long-term experiment conducted for a 5-year period (2002–2006).
Based on the evaluation of soil cultivation by the average of treatments, it may be assessed that spring ploughing (8.204 t ha-1) provides more favourable conditions to the stand compared to spring shallow cultivation; however, this did not result in a significant difference. Spring ploughing considerably increased the yield of hybrid FAO 300 in dry years, whereas it considerably increased the yield of hybrid FAO 400 in favourable crop years. A stand of 70 thousand stems/ha provided the higher yield result in both soil cultivation types. It was sufficient to use a fertilizer dose of 120 kg N ha-1 for economical production.
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Agronomical and economic evaluation of various cultivation systems on meadow soil
103-106Views:108The requirements and objectives of cultivation are in constant change. There are different cultivation aims if the objective is soil protection, the prevention of its moisture content or on areas with different precipitation supply or production site endowments. Based on the experimental database of the Institute for Land Utilisation, Regional Development and Technology of the University of Debrecen, Centre for Agricultural and Applied Economic Sciences and the KITE Plc., the various cultivation systems in Hajdú-Bihar country were examined with maize as indicator plant. The sample area can be found in the outskirts of Biharnagybajom on meadow soil. On the examined plot, spring strip basic cultivation, loosening and autumn ploughing were applied on 15-15-15 ha, respectively. At the time of taking undisturbed soil samples, soil conductivity measurements were also performed with a Penetronik penetrometer. Undisturbed soil samples were taken from each treatment before sowing (on 5th April 2012). The yield obtained in the strip cultivation treatment increased that of the ploughing and the loosening technology. The economic indexes are the most favourable in the strip cultivation.
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Technological development of sustainable maize production and its effect on yield stability
379-388Views:170In 2015 and 2016, we examined the effect of NPK nutrients, sowing date and plant density on yield on typical meadow soil. The amount of precipitation was 282.0 mm in 2015 (January–September), 706.0 mm in 2016 and the 30-year averageis 445.8 mm.Agrotechnical factors:– Experiment a)5 Dow AgroSciences hybrid with three sowing dates and three plant densities– Experiment b)In 2015 eight, in 2016 ten hybrids with different genetic characteristics and growing seasons, with control (without fertilization), N80+PK and N160+PKtreatments, five plant densities (50–90 thousand) with 10 thousand plants difference between the different densities.
In a drought year, we reached the higher yield in the earlier sowing date and with the lower lower plant density of 70 thousand plants ha-1-. The maximum yield, depending on the agrotechnical factors, was 10–12 t ha-1 in 2015, while in 2016 it was 14–16 t ha-1. Yield stability can be increased using hybrid-specific cultivation techniques.