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Evaluation of the correlation between SPAD readings and absolute chlorophyll content of maize under different nitrogen supply conditions
121-126Views:957Currently, one of the most important objectives of agriculture is to maintain the principles of the sustainability. The use of precision technologies in agriculture belongs to this topic. The use of precision technologies is increasingly widespread in the cultivation of various agricultural crops, including maize. Sensing is an important part of these techniques. In our experiment we compared two methods: measuring relative chlorophyll content and the method of determine the extractable chlorophylls. The experimental plant was maize (Zea mays L.) and the measurements were performed at an early development stage (V8) of three genotypes. Three levels of nitrogen (0; 80; 160 kg ha-1) were applied during the experiment. The relative chlorophyll content was measured by SPAD-502 (Minolta, Japan) and a handheld GreenSeeker (Trimble, USA) device. The extractable total chlorophyll content decreased in parallel with the increased nitrogen level. The obtained SPAD values were diversified furthermore the NDVI values have not been changed for the effect of different nitrogen fertilization. In the early stages of development of maize, these parameters need to be complemented with other measurements to provide reliable information about the crops nitrogen status.
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Herbicide resistance: Implications of climate change on the susceptibility of weeds to herbicides – A review
59-64Views:91Climate change is a major issue in agricultural sustainability posing severe problems that threaten global food security. Conventional farming often utilizes herbicides to control weeds in most management strategies. In recent times, transformations in weeds due to shifts in climatic conditions across the globe are making management strategies in many ecosystems more complex. Climate variables including high carbon dioxide concentrations, increased temperature levels and altered moisture conditions affect many plants physiology. In weed species, a change in climate conditions can impact growth of weeds and the effectiveness of herbicides used in controlling the weeds. Therefore, there is the need for changes to be made with production practices to reduce emissions and to adapt to a changing climate in agriculture to limit the negative impact of weeds. The aim of this perspective is to deliver insights on herbicide application, describe the effects of climate on weed biology and development, and highlight the necessity to synthesize this information for establishing a long-term framework for sustainable weed management.
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Setting up the operation of a Science Centre using process management tools
47-55Views:243Nowadays, Science Centres, which have a very long tradition in Europe, are continuously spreading in Hungary. These institutions primarily aim at raising public awareness of science in young people via informal learning (hands-on, minds-on etc.) methods. Based on this phenomenon, the construction of Scientific Adventure Park has been started in the Debrecen Botanical Garden. In addition, the Municipality of Debrecen established a new organization who will be responsible the reaching the defined goals and sustainability of Debrecen Science Centre according to the Application Form. Therefore, it will be designed a new institution with characteristics of Science Centre and provide innovative and complex services in the segments of culture and education. In this paper, I'm searching for answers to the question if based on this process-oriented method and management approach; it is possible to design operation system capable of achieving the strategic goals mentioned above.
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Agri-Environmental Issues in the National Sustainable Development Strategy of the Member States of the Enlarged EU
346-353Views:229In preparation for the World Summit on Sustainable Development (Johannesburg), almost all EU member-states and some accession countries presented their national strategies for sustainable development (NSSD) during the summer of 2002. Along with other countries, Hungary is only now setting up this important document. Everywhere during the last decade, as in the EU countries, the intention was to involve the environmental problems into other political questions (agricultural, energy and transport policy, etc.). Today the strategy-builders have given up the sectoral view because of difficulties and setbacks, and use a view aiming the problem.
Agri-environmental issues appear as the elements of sustainability in the national strategies. For example, in accordance with the danger of global warming, the emission of green-house gasses of agriculture; in line with eco-efficiency, the production of renewable raw materials and energy sources originating from agriculture, and, in relation to changing lifestyle, food-safety and the future of biological agriculture will be disputed. With this study, I investigate the main characteristics of sustainable development strategies at both the EU level and at the level of the different member states from an agri-environmental point of view. -
Optimized balance between crop productivity, restoration and maintenance of vital soil functions and soil carbon sequestration and storage – the SmartSOIL (FP7) project
213-215Views:279Soils provide the most indispensable function of supporting the production of food and feed for a growing human population. At the same time they provide a range of regulating and supporting functions related to climate change and removal of greenhouse gases. The majority of the soil functions are closely linked to the flows and stocks of soil organic carbon (SOC); low levels of both flows and stocks may seriously interfere with several of the essential soil functions and thus affect the ecosystem services that soils deliver. Soil degradation is considered a serious problem in Europe and a large part of the degradation is caused by intensive cultivation practices in agriculture. The aim of the SmartSOIL project is to link the results of different scientific fields through a holistic and multidisciplinary approach and as a result develop a decision making tool contributing to sustainable development.
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Soil Fertility Management in Westsik’s Crop Rotation Experiment
34-39Views:257The crop rotation experiment, established by Vilmos Westsik in 1929, is the best known and most remarkable example of continuous production in Hungary. It is still used to study the effects of organic manure treatment, develop models and predict the likely effects of different cropping systems on soil properties and crop yields. Westsik’s crop rotation experiment provides data of immediate value to farmers concerning the applications of fertilisers, green, straw and farmyard manure. The experiment also provides a resource of yield, plant and soil data sets for scientific research into the soil and plant processes which control soil fertility, and into the sustainability of production without environmental deterioration. The maintenance of Westsik’s crop rotation experiment can be used to illustrate the value of long-term field experiments.
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Plant clinic in Nepal: An overview
5-10Views:464Plant clinics play an important role in supporting farmers in growing healthy crops and achieving higher productivity in Nepal. The development and operation of plant clinics in Nepal are assessed in this study through a comprehensive analysis of the institution via literature review and interaction with key stakeholders. The plant clinic approach of the agriculture extension system started in Nepal in 2008, followed up with engagement with CABI and the Government of Nepal. Enhancement of farmers' knowledge and skill, encouraging sustainable farming methods, and ultimately increasing crop yields are the impact of plant clinics. However, there are some challenges faced during the implementation of plant clinics in the existing agricultural extension systems. In Nepal, the plant clinics are primarily operated by agricultural technicians with expertise in plant protection, as well as IPM farmer facilitators and community business facilitators after attending an intensive plant doctor's training. Plant clinics have been integrated into the agricultural extension system by agro-advisory service provider of the government of Nepal. Despite institutionalisation, policy support needs to be strengthened to ensure the sustainability of the different components of the (e.g., data management, validation, monitoring, localised content, etc.) plant clinic in Nepal.
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Opportunities of renewable energy use in Hajdú-Bihar and Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg counties
143-146Views:338Today it's an important role of the renewable energy resources, improving energy efficiency, thereby contributing to sustainable, ecofriendly use of local energy resources. Globally intensify the requirements and considerations related to environmental conservation. In this light, the main objective of the Hungarian energy concept is to maintain long-term security of supply, the economy and the environment occurring contradictions. So there is a need for systems that, in compliance with EU environmental directives, acceptable cost level will ensure the desired and expected security of supply. In the study, three companies and other technical parameters of these are examined. For each undertaking, different results were observed. For two undertakings, we are talking about realized investments, in one case a prognosis was examined. All three companies contributed to the requirement of renewable energy sources reaching 13% in Hungary by 2020.
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Land use, water management
81-87Views:740Due to the prognosed population increase to 9.2 billion people by 2050, the world’s crop production does not have any other chance than to increase production. This demand is a huge challenge for agriculture. Based on the forecasts, the growth rate of production of the main cereals will decrease as a result of the effect of soil, water, the increasing fuel and fertiliser prices and the impacts of climate change. Methods ensuring sustainability have to be preferred. Precision agriculture is the most effective method of crop production. We have to apply minimum cultivation in order to protect the soil surface, maintain its moisture content and increase its water reception ability. In addition to the localised use of fertiliser, sowing seed, irrigation and pesticides, it is also important to apply them in a targeted way on the basis of plot imaging. The use of the new technology results in significant cost saving and it could also reduce environmental load.
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Effect of Silver willow “Russian olive” (Elaeagnus angustifolia) on extensive sheep management
157-162Views:257We carried out a study in the Karcag Research Institute, which affected the areas of narrow-leaved silver willow. In the framework of this research, we performed Balázs's coenology, and thus established the degree of Borhidi degradation, which resulted in the fact that the areas of the silver willow were degraded practically irreversibly, the diversity of the grassland has decreased. We consider it very important to study these grassland areas of silver willows, as they can provide an additional fodder base for sheep grazing, which will also increase the sustainability of the grassland. The obtained soil analysis results show that the soil samples of the silver willow areas are richer in nitrogen (p-value: 0.006) and phosphorus (p-value: 0.003) than the examined control area.
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New wonder of an old hormone: Hungarian sour cherry varieties as natural melatonin sources
65-72Views:482Agriculture has always been an important role in economy, food supplies, sustainability of society During our experimental work an effective extraction procedure has been developed for melatonin. Further chromatography was developed the quantitative and qualitative determination of melatonin. A compound that was equal to the standard was purified from the extract by preparative HPLC technique and the structure of the purified sample was confirmed by MALDI-TOF-MS and NMR analysis. Based on our measurements, harvested in the state of biological maturity Hungarian sour cherry cultivars contain high levels of melatonin.
Our results show that "VN4" variety has extremely high melatonin content, 9.893 ug g-1 and suggest that "VN4" which were selected from the "Bosnyák" varieties is melatonin accumulating. The average value of the melatonin content of Hungarian sour cherry cultivars is 2.319 ug g-1.
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Application fields of wood as a renewable energy source in Europe
31-35Views:293Fuelwood, and wood wastes provide almost half of the renewable energy production of the European Union. Enhancing the use of wood in renewable energy production has more constraint than wind- or solar energy. Forests in the EU member states are sustainably used, they are increasing both in terms of area, and growing stocks. There are possibilities to enhance the fallings and use more fuelwood. Short rotation coppices could fulfill the long term demand for fuelwood; because these plantations surpass the dendromass yield of forests.
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Environmental Indicators – Agri-Environmental Indicators
248-255Views:206close relation. This means that policies related to the economy and the environment cannot be handled without each other. The United Nations Conference (Stockholm, 1972) was the first global conference to signal that environment concerns have increasingly become subject of mainstream socio-economic policies. The process started in the Seventies, laying emphasis on environment protection, plays an important role in the policy of international agencies. The use of environmental indicators is essential for monitoring the effects of environmental measures. The best way of evaluating sustainability if the results can be compared on a global level. International efforts are being made by the United Nations (UN), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the Statistical Office of the European Commission (Eurostat) and other international agencies to develop a framework for environment statistics. This study deals with these frameworks, paying attention to agri-environment indicators. Hungary became a member of the UN in 1955, of the OECD in 1996, and will become a member of the European Union in 2004. The first summary in connection with environmental indicators of Hungary, taking the OECD Pressure – State – Response framework as a basis, was published in 1994. As a result, comparability of environmental indicators for Hungary with those used international are given.