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Agrometeorological characteristics of the extreme drought of 2022 in Debrecen-Látókép
5-18Views:177A large part of Hungary, including the Debrecen area, was facing a very severe drought in 2022. Our research examined the weather conditions that led to maize yield losses on a scale not seen in decades.
In the winter before the growing season, deeper soil layers were not able to replenish water, and the spring water availability of maize was particularly low. April was cool with average rainfall. Thereafter, the weather was warm or very warm, sunny and extremely dry practically until the second half of August. Monthly mean temperatures in all three summer months were relatively uniformly 2–3 ºC above the multi-year average, with 44 heat days. In total, only 56 mm of rain fell during the summer, with only two daily rainfall events above 10 mm, which did not contribute significantly to the water supply of the maize due to the very high evaporation capacity of the air. From the beginning of the summer, soil drought severely limited water uptake and transpiration, and maize growth was very poor. The drought (a combination of soil and atmospheric drought), which worsened during the critical phenological phases (flowering and yield formation), left most maize plants infertile.
The exceptional nature of the drought of 2022 is due to the combination of very hot summer weather, with virtually no precipitation during the main periods, and very low initial soil water availability. In our region, we can expect an increase in drought risk as a result of climate change. -
Meteorological conditions of maize growing experiments on the agricultural campus of the University of Debrecen in the growing season 2022
5-19Views:185In 2022, a very severe drought developed in the Debrecen area. The average yield of the maize experiments at the University of Debrecen was lower than ever before. On several plots the crop yielded practically nothing. The evaluation of the meteorological conditions of such an exceptional year is essential to increase knowledge on the drought susceptibility of maize and to clarify the limits of stress tolerance. As far as possible, meteorological data measured at or near the experimental site should be used. In response to this need, we have investigated and presented the meteorological conditions on the agricultural campus, especially for maize. An important factor in the exceptional nature of the 2022 drought was the lack of sufficient precipitation to recharge the deeper layers of the soils during the previous winter. April was still average in terms of rainfall, but thereafter a very significant rainfall deficit developed. In the three summer months, a total of 66 mm of rain fell, 115 mm below average. The lack of water and its adverse effects were exacerbated by the fact that temperatures in the May-August period were significantly higher than normal. In particular, the summer months were much warmer than the long-term average, with positive temperature anomalies of 3.4 °C, 2.4 °C and 2.9 °C respectively. -
Agrometeorological characteristics of the 2025 maize growing season in the Debrecen region
45-55Views:158In Hungary, soil drought, atmospheric drought, and extremely high temperatures often interact in complex ways to cause significant maize yield losses, so the issue of drought was also the focus of the agrometeorological study for 2025. As in previous years, the main meteorological factors determining crop yield were analysed and the weather in the Debrecen region was evaluated in relation to the individual phenological phases.
At the beginning of the growing season, the upper soil layers were saturated with water, but slightly less water than usual reached the deeper layers. April, which is favorable for maize (sowing and germination period), was followed by a particularly cool May, significantly slowing down plant development. Due to the very dry, very hot June, signs of water stress were already visible to the naked eye in the second half of the month (plant height, leaf condition), as a result of increasing soil drought and regular atmospheric drought during the daytime. July proved to be favorable with rainy and moderately warm weather, which was the main reason why the average maize yield was above average. In line with previous research results, this year's harvest proves that the seemingly extremely unfavorable weather in June does not in itself prevent above-average yields. -
Effect of the year on yield, grain moisture, and quality parameters of maize (Zea mays L.) (2020–2023)
51-68Views:195Maize (Zea mays L.) is one of the most important arable crops in Hungary, whose yield stability and quality have increasingly depended on annual and climatic conditions in recent years. The period between 2020 and 2023 clearly illustrates that variability in temperature and precipitation patterns fundamentally determines yield performance, grain moisture content, and quality parameters. While in 2020 balanced heat and water availability ensured high yields, favorable starch content, and an extended ripening period, in 2022 the extreme drought and record-high temperatures resulted in a drastic yield reduction, low grain moisture, and moderate starch content.
During critical phenological phases – particularly flowering and grain filling – heat stress and water shortage greatly influenced pollination success, dry matter accumulation, and thus overall crop quality. In unfavorable years, an increase in protein and oil content at the expense of starch was often observed, indicating an inverse relationship between quantitative and qualitative parameters. Although lower grain moisture at harvest can offer technological advantages, rapid water loss may lead to structural damage and an increased risk of mycotoxin contamination.
The results of the examined period highlight that extreme weather factors caused by climate change—heatwaves, drought periods, and precipitation deficits—not only limit yield potential but also alter quality traits. Therefore, in the future, adapting to year-to-year variations will play a key role: the use of stress-tolerant hybrids, optimization of sowing dates, adoption of water-conserving tillage practices, and targeted irrigation strategies can collectively enhance the stability of maize production under changing agroclimatic conditions. -
Possibilities for reducing drought stress in potatoes (Solanum tuberosum) through various foliar treatments
57-80Views:79Abiotic stress factors, especially drought and heat stress, which are becoming more frequent and intense due to climate change, pose significant challenges to potato production. The aim of this research was to examine the effects of different irrigation schemes and foliar treatments – salicylic acid, silicon, hydrogen peroxide, and microelements – on the physiological parameters, yield, and quality characteristics of potatoes under drought conditions. In a field experiment conducted in Sonkád (Hungary) during the 2024 growing season, a medium-late Manitou variety was used. During the study, two irrigation doses and four types of foliar treatments were tested in a split-plot design. Based on the results, full and 50% irrigation significantly increased stomatal conductance, NDVI, leaf area index, and yield. Among the foliar treatments, silicon and hydrogen peroxide had a positive effect on relative chlorophyll content and NDVI, but did not result in a significant increase in yield. Treatments with salicylic acid, microcomplex, silicon, and the total dose significantly increased starch content, while the application of silicon increased the amount of reducing sugar content. The results of the first year of experiments indicate that foliar treatments applied without irrigation can only occasionally mitigate the negative physiological effects of water deficiency, but irrigation is essential to achieve significant improvements in yield and quality. The research may contribute to technological developments aimed at increasing drought tolerance in potato production, but further experiments are needed. -
Possibilities of reducing drought stress through various foliar treatments in potato (Solanum tuberosum) during the 2024 and 2025 growing seasons
97-136Views:83Increasing drought caused by climate change poses a significant challenge to potato production. In our experiment conducted in Sonkád (Hungary), different leaf treatments and irrigation regimens were tested over two growing seasons in a randomized block design using the Manitou variety. During the experiment, three irrigation rates (full, 50%, and dry control) were used, along with four foliar treatments – salicylic acid, hydrogen peroxide, silicon, and micronutrients – which were applied exclusively to the non-irrigated plots. A total of seven different treatments were carried out in four replicates. Based on the results from the two growing seasons, the silicon, hydrogen peroxide, microcomplex, and salicylic acid foliar treatments significantly increased the relative chlorophyll content (SPAD) compared to the control and the irrigated treatments. On average over the two years, the NDVI value was significantly increased by the silicon, hydrogen peroxide, microcomplex, and salicylic acid foliar treatments compared to the control, and no statistical difference was observed in performance between the full-dose irrigation treatment and the listed treatments. NDVI measurements taken at various time points confirmed that treatments with the tested substances were able to slow chlorophyll degradation and maintain the integrity of the photosynthetic apparatus even during the critical post-flowering period. In the case of the leaf area index, the highest value was observed in the treatment irrigated with the full dose, but no significant difference was found compared to the performance of the silicon, hydrogen peroxide, microcomplex, and salicylic acid treatments. At the same time, the most important indicator in terms of yield was irrigation, which had a significant impact in both years. Although the foliar treatments mitigated stress and improved plant vitality, they did not result in a statistically significant increase in yield compared to the untreated control. -
Prospectives of grass pea (Lathyrus sativus L.) production in the context of its drought and salt tolerance
121-137Views:89Unfavourable climatic and soil conditions, as well as climate change, force us to grow crops that are inherently resistant to abiotic stresses, thus ensuring the maintenance of food security. Legumes are the second most important food source after cereals. Legumes are preferred not only for their nutritional (mainly high protein content) and health (bioactive compounds) value but also for their economic (cheap meat replacement, especially in poorer regions) and ecological (nitrogen fixation) advantages. This study is intended to analyse the significance of grass pea (Lathyrus sativus L.), with special regard to its drought and salt tolerance. Grass pea is a plant with a short growth cycle, which has excellent adaptability to adverse environmental factors. Thanks to its drought, cold, and moderate salt tolerance, grass pea can be grown in diverse climatic and soil conditions, even in places where other cultivated plants cannot. The production and breeding of drought- and salt-tolerant grass pea varieties should be considered in many places to adapt to abiotic environmental stress factors and maintain production capacity. -
The impact of drought on winter wheat yield under conventional and reduced tillage systems in the Nagykunság region
3-18Views:80In the present study, the effects of reduced and conventional tillage on the grain yield of winter wheat were investigated during the extremely dry 2021/2022 growing season in Karcag, Hungary. The research was conducted within the framework of the local long-term soil tillage experiment, where the reduced tillage plots have been managed since 1997 using non-inversion, loosening-based primary tillage and mulch farming. The soil of the experimental site is a clayey loam textured, deep-saline meadow chernozem. The experiment was carried out in four replications on meso-plots (1890 m²). For the evaluation of the results, key local meteorological data were considered, including precipitation totals, temperature data, and potential evapotranspiration (PET), from which the climatic water balance (CWB) was calculated. Descriptive statistical parameters were determined, and following a (positive) homogeneity test, a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed. Based on the results, reduced tillage achieved an experimental average of 4.45 (±0.10) t ha⁻¹, significantly outperforming (p<0.05) the conventional, moldboard ploughing-based tillage yield of 3.62 (±0.29) t ha⁻¹. The processing and evaluation of meteorological data revealed that the 2021/2022 growing season in Karcag was extremely dry for winter wheat production, particularly during the critical spring vegetative and especially the reproductive stages. This drought intensified the differences in soil water management between reduced and ploughing-based conventional tillage systems. Based on these findings, the previously described soil moisture-conserving effect of reduced tillage was confirmed, and it was concluded that significant yield surpluses can be achieved with reduced tillage in winter wheat production during drought years. -
Analysis of agricultural land use of Hungary (1990–2022)
109-126Views:197In the recent decades, the structure of Hungarian agriculture has undergone significant transformation. Between 1990 and 2022, the number of farms decreased from 1.4 million to 241,000. After the political transition, large-scale collective farms were replaced by small- and medium-sized private holdings; however, later a renewed trend of concentration emerged, especially in arable crop production. By 2022, the share of arable farming rose to 66.8%, while the proportion of horticultural and plantation farms declined.
In terms of land ownership, medium-sized farms (5–300 hectares) became dominant, while small-scale farming lost ground. The share of large farms also significantly decreased, with land use becoming increasingly concentrated in the hands of mid-sized operators.
The extent of agricultural land has continuously declined, whereas forested areas expanded. The proportion of land withdrawn from cultivation has increased, primarily due to urbanisation and infrastructure development. Kitchen gardens have almost disappeared, and vineyard, orchard, and grassland areas have also shrunk.
Changes in cropping patterns were shaped by market conditions and climate factors: the cultivated area of cereals – especially wheat and rye – declined, while sunflower and rapeseed production expanded. The area under most vegetable and fruit crops decreased, with only a few newer crops (e.g., broccoli, zucchini) showing growth.
The average yields of major crops generally improved due to technological advancement. However, climatic extremes – particularly the severe drought of 2022 – caused substantial declines in productivity. -
Response of Szeged winter wheat cultivars (Triticum aestivum L.) to drought stress
63-78Views:59In our experiments, we aimed to identify which cultivars from the applied breeding program have favorable drought stress resistance properties. The experiments described in this paper were conducted under field conditions from 2013 to 2022, using the automatic rain shelter system of our institute, as well as the adjacent control treatments. Twelve Szeged wheat cultivars and one drought-tolerant control cultivar, Plainsman V., were compared for their response to drought stress based on three agronomically important parameters (heading time, plant height and yield). The effect of water deprivation was most pronounced on yield, with an average yield depression of 31% observed in the tested cultivars. Heading time and plant height were not as sensitive to water deprivation, but significant differences were observed in some cultivars based on these parameters as well. In some cases, considerable deviations were observed in positive and negative directions from the average values among the tested cultivars. Based on the obtained results, it can be concluded which cultivars are suitable for cultivation in drought-prone areas, can be used for further detailed research on the effects of drought stress, and can serve as a breeding material for drought tolerance. -
Analysis of dry matter, nitrogen and calcium incorporation dynamics in Honey sweet maize (Zea mays L. convar. saccharata Koern) hybrids
21-35Views:170The cultivation of sweet maize is of great importance in Hungary. Hungary is the largest producer on the European continent and the second largest exporter in the world after the United States. The average annual production of Hungarian sweet maize, which is in demand all over the world, reaches 500,000 tonnes as a result of the properly selected precision cultivation technology. Yields of sweet maize are above average in precision farming, with nearly 70% of the area irrigated.
An important factor in the exceptional nature of the drought of 2022 was the lack of rainfall in the previous winter half-year, which was not sufficient to replenish the deeper layers of the soil. April was still average in terms of rainfall, but thereafter a very significant rainfall deficit developed. A total of 66 mm of rain fell in the three summer months. The water shortage and its adverse effects were exacerbated by significantly higher than normal temperatures between May and August. The water deficit was compensated for during the growing season by precision drip irrigation, with 344 mm of water being applied. In particular, the summer months were much warmer than the long-term average, with positive temperature differences of 3.4 °C, 2.4 °C and 2.9 °C respectively. The best indicator of sweet maize yields is dry matter incorporation dynamics.
Based on the results measured during the phenophase, it was found that the growing season can be divided into three dominant intervals. The Honey maize hybrid produced 18% dry matter in the first stage, from emergence to the juvenile stage, and an additional 4% from the juvenile stage to silking. The intensive stage of dry matter incorporation lasted from silking to the R3 phenophase (harvest), with a total of 72%. Continuous knowledge of the grain moisture content of sweet maize is an important indicator for operational efficiency. Our research showed that, at the R3 phenophase, the moisture contents of plant parts were closely correlated, with the grain moisture content being the highest. Our research results demonstrated that dry matter gain from silking to the R3 (harvest) phase is very intensive, with a total heat requirement of 840 HU for the examined hybrid. -
Smart parameter analysis of maize hybrids with different FAO numbers (Zea mays L.)
5-20Views:181Maize is a heat-intensive crop and requires a lot of water. Rainfall is the main meteorological factor determining the yield, and water scarcity is the biggest problem in maize production. When the growing season is dry and temperatures are above average, soil drought typically develops in the summer. The dry autumn-winter period preceding the growing season increases the risk of drought. In our research, we studied five different FAO maize genotypes using intensive cultivation techniques, determining the yields that can be obtained and the main yield parameters that determine the yields and the relationships between them. In our experiment, all five maize hybrids showed excellent yield performance. The highest yield was obtained by hybrid H11 (18.4 t/ha), which exceeded the values of the other tested hybrids by about 5.7–22.8%. Significant differences were measured between the individual grain weight values of the hybrids. Hybrid H13 stood out with the highest individual grain weight value, exceeding the other genotypes by 1.6–25.9%. Based on the correlation analysis between the individual parameters, we demonstrated a significant (p<0.05) positive correlation of individual grain weight with individual grain number values (r=0.568) and also with grain moisture at harvest (r=0.592). Our results indicate that each of the measured individual yield parameters contribute differently to high yield, resulting in significant effects. -
Innovative nutrient conservation techniques in horticultural practice
119-134Views:53In recent decades, drought-induced crop losses have caused significant losses for farmers. Therefore, it is an urgent task for researchers to find innovative solutions that can mitigate crop losses and can be successfully applied in agricultural practice.
Our aim was to transform chicken manure from large-scale poultry farming, which is considered hazardous waste, into composite products by further additions that increase soil organic matter content and have a positive effect on mineralisation processes.
In our experiments, superabsorbent polymers were added as additives to the fermented chicken manure in two different doses (S1 and S2) and their effects on soil parameters were investigated. The results obtained were compared with the control (K) and chicken manure only (KNEX) treatments.
Soil analyses were carried out every six weeks to check the effect of the treatments applied. The results obtained showed that the composite products were effective in increasing soil organic matter content compared to the control.
Our results show that the composite products increase the soil organic nitrogen content over time and have a positive effect on mineralization processes.
In brown forest soils with a poor nutrient supply capacity and a sand texture, we measured a nitrate content of 140–170 mg/kg in the topsoil in the treatments.
This confirms the idea that these composite products are useful for enhancing mineralization and increasing water retention, especially in soils with low nutrient sources and low organic matter content. -
Agrometeorological characteristics of the 2024 maize growing season in Debrecen-Látókép
67-78Views:154The impact of weather on yields is realised in a complex interaction with agrotechnical factors. In this agrometeorological study for the year 2024, the main meteorological factors determining yields were analysed in relation to the agrotechnical elements and phenophases. The research was based on air temperature, soil temperature and precipitation measurements at the Látókép Experimental Station of the University of Debrecen and on sunshine duration data from the HungaroMet Debrecen Airport Station.
It can be concluded that the year 2024 was characterised by a marked duality in terms of maize production. The weather was favourable until June. Water availability was still adequate (partly due to favourable initial water availability in the soils) and temperatures were mostly above the multi-year average, without periods of extreme heat. Overall, this resulted in a well-developed stand with high yield potential. Subsequently, the weather changed fundamentally. Both July and August mean temperatures were close to record highs (24.2 °C). One of the heatwave peaks was in mid-July, coinciding in several places with the most heat stress-sensitive flowering phenophases of maize. The persistent, extremely hot weather in July-August was primarily responsible for the yield depression in the 2024 growing season. The below-average rainfall, combined with a significant soil depression, mainly during the maturing period. The combination of the soil trough, the atmospheric drought and the extremely high air temperatures caused the significant yield losses.
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