Marta Birkas

Tillage-induced soil compaction has often occurred in the Pannonian region. This form of compaction occurs on arable lands both in Hungary (1.82 million ha) and in Croatia (0.97 million ha) having negative impacts on crop production. In this study the tillage-induced compaction is discussed as an indicator of climate stress on arable fields. The research is based on soil condition

Although organic crop production has numerous advantages, concerns about economic sustainability, both environmental and financial, make farmers reluctant to convert their conventional production into the organic production. Certain agricultural methods, such as second crop use, can alleviate some problems regarding soil tilth, erosion prevention, nutrients availability and weed control, thus contributing toward more sustainable crop production. Also, the added value crop growth, such as maize (Zea mais L.) hybrid's parental line production, with lower yields but higher prices, can contribute to sustainability of organic production. In order to test the hypothesis that the use of second crops can contribute toward the sustainability of organically grown maize after soybean (Glycine max L.) as a previous crop in the crop rotation, the experimental site was established in Valpovo, Croatia, in the eutric brown soil type, during the years 2005 and 2006. The experimental design was s...

The Crop Production Institute of Szent István University carried out soil quality trials in the region of Gödöllő between 1977 and 2002, followed by similar experiments near the town of Hatvan since 2002. Soil quality factors that can be improved by tillage include the looseness of the root zone, the depth of the loosened layer, the duration of the loosened state, the thickness of the compact layer impeding water transport, the structure, the level of surface protection, the water intake/water loss balance, the organic material balance and earthworm activity. Optimising these factors can help reduce climate stress and extreme weather conditions do not undermine the reliability of farming. Most of the tillage interventions worked out with the aim of alleviating climate stress on the basis of the findings of the trials are different from conventional recommendations.

This paper is based on soil condition monitoring and measuring that was started 35 years ago and on soil tillage trials modelling and checking the extension of compaction in the soil. The survey comprised 2018 monitoring places on 17280 hectares and on 45 experimental plots. A total of seven typical versions of tillage-induced compaction were identified: 1) favourable to a depth of 60 cm; 2) favourable to a depth of 40 cm; 3) compaction at the depth of 28-32 cm; 4) compaction at the depth of 22-26 cm; 5) compaction at 18-22 cm; two compact layers below 16 cm; 7) three compact layers below 16 cm. The following points were chosen for monitoring: (i) Root zone state. (ii) Occurrence of compacted layer. (iii) Extension of the compacted layer. Accordingly, soil loosened to a depth of 35 – 40 cm qualifies as suitable, soil loosened to 28 – 32 cm is rated as adequate, while soil loosened only to a depth of 16–20 cm is conditionally adequate or inadequate. The depth of the loosened layer is...

The second crop use in organic agriculture is a known method of maintaining the soil tilth, soil protection against environmental deterioration, soil nutrients conservation and even the weed control. The nitrogen conservation from previous leguminose crop is even more important, especially in the organic agriculture where use of N-fertilizers is the strictly forbiden, and second crops can be used as a catch crops for nutrients in rotation prior to the crops with the high N requirement. The choice of the proper second crop has, however, been insufficiently investigated, especially for agri-environmental conditions of the Panonian agricultural area in Croatia. The second crop experiment was established in Valpovo, Croatia, in the eutric brown soil type, during the years 2005 and 2006. The aim of the experiment was to investigate the effects of different second crops and their combinations on maize (Zea mais L.) yield and yield components in organic agriculture after soybean (Glycine m...

The analysis approach has been based on government statistical data, land use technology characteristics as well as geographic information databases. Soil quality characteristics, land use systems (conventional, modern intensive, modern low intensity, integrated, ecological) and development, ecological background of crop production and tillage recommendations on Hungarian soils are elaborately discussed. Over the past century (from 1938 to 2010) profound changes have been introduced regarding the cropping structure of the country. The results obtained support a conclusion, that land use changes have induced increment of risk factors in agricultural area.

Global climate change is one of the major issues today. Th ere is a continuous rise in temperature escorted by the increasing frequencies of weather anomalies. In Hungary two facts can be observed: the ascending levels of temperature rise, with a magnitude of 1 oC and the annual precipitation decrease. Human activities are signifi cantly altering the natural carbon cycle. Long-term rise in atmospheric CO2 aff ects crop production regarding both adaptation and mitigation. Th e negative eff ects of climate change can be limited by changing crops and crop varieties, improved water management and irrigation systems, adapted plant nutrition, protection and tillage practices, and better watershed management and land-use planning. Th e global potential of carbon sequestration through crop production, land use and soil management practices may off set one-fourth to one-third of the annual increase in atmospheric CO2.

Variations in root growth and functions in response to soil compaction associated with soil and crop type, and soil wetness at the time of load application and weather in Central and Eastern Europe are reviewed. The effects of soil compaction on the morphological and anatomical modifications of the roots were shown. The influence of soil compaction on plasticity in root growth and functioning in relation to structural discontinuity is discussed. Possible mechanisms of root-shoot relations as affected by soil compaction are presented. Crop yields on compacted soil largely depend on weather conditions and initial soil compactness.

The SIDASS project “A spatially distributed simulation model predicting the dynamics of agro-physical soil state within Eastern and Western Europe countries for the selection of management practices to prevent soil erosion based on sustainable soil–water interactions” required a method for estimating the dates (or soil water conditions) under which soil tillage operations could be performed. For this purpose, methods were developed for estimating the optimum and the range of soil water contents for tillage. These methods are based on the soil water retention curve. In this paper, we further develop the method in two ways. First, we take account of the fact that the soil properties: clay content, organic matter content and bulk density are not independent. This is done through the use of simple pedo-transfer functions which are based on measurements on many soils. Second, we present a simplified and more rapid method for estimating the lower (dry) limit for tillage. This enables this...

Soils are the largest carbon reservoir of the terrestrial carbon cycle. The quantity of C stored in soils is highly significant; soils contain about three times more C than vegetation and twice as much as that which is present in the atmosphere. Proper management of soil carbon requires an understanding of the cycling and balance of carbon. Soils vary greatly in their organic matter content. Soil organic matter consists of two groups of compounds, nonhumic and humic substances both play important roles in the environment affecting the biochemical, physical and chemical properties of soil. Within Bilateral Project between Hungarian and Croatian scientists "Impact of tillage and fertilization on probable climate threats in Hungary and Croatia, soil vulnerability and protection" carbon storage were determined in different soil types in agroecological conditions of Pannonian plain and in Mediterranean conditions. Total carbon content, pH and C/N ratio in different natural (gra...

This paper includes both climate and management challenges of the vineyard soil tillage. Possible climate phenomena and mitigation possibilities are listed and discussed. Compaction problems originating management operations and alleviation steps are also presented. Methods of the soil preserving possibilities, including surface cover are also discussed

Microorganisms are the largest group of soil-borne organisms in terms of both number and mass. As soil is their habitat, any changes in the soil physical state and the addition of any materials – whether raw organic and inorganic materials or chemicals – to the soil; will affect their activity and real functioning. The crop-oriented tillage practices applied over centuries and the large number of – often ill-timed –, tillage operations have had negative impacts on soil condition and biological activity. In the Pannonian region studies of the impacts of tillage on soil microbiological activity were started in the 1930s. Scientists have identified the main circumstances, in which the various tillage interventions can be beneficial or deleterious to the soil-borne organisms. More recent studies have clarified the microbial background and consequences of tillage-induced compaction (qualifying as environmental damage) and of soil tillage operations of various impacts. Research about the ...

DESCRIPTION The region faces recurrent floods, owing to the geological formation. In addition to floods, inland waters also rise significantly. Water inundation is found to be a real hazard in lowlands and along the rivers. In this study the causes of the inland water inundation is shortly summarised as well as presenting results that may complete knowledge of the water inundation impacts on soil condition. Difference between natural and human induced water stagnation seems obvious when water level flow down. Degrees of the water stress and water inundation endangering soil quality are also demonstrated.

The use of geostatistical interpolation methods represents a significant progress in describing and monitoring the spatial variability of soil properties. With selection of interpolation methods we can produce prediction maps with significant accuracy, and reduce the required number of samples to describe and determin a soil. On an example of undisturbed samples collected from experimental field „Potok 2“, with geostatistical data analysis and selection the ordinary kriging as interpolation model spatial maps have been generated for individual physical characteristics of plain pseudogley. This paper demonstrates the applicability of ordinary kriging techniques to characterize the spatial variation of soil physical properties on the basis of 48 undisturbed samples (0-20 cm) collected from 2.8 ha of plain pseudogley, strongly anthropogenized. Present research supports the usefulness of geostatistical techniques to analyze spatial distribution of some soil physical properties. Provided...

The winter barley crop growing has not been adequately researched regarding soil tillage systems, especially in crop rotation with the soybean, both crops gaining importance as food or fodder. Also, productivity of such crop rotation in low nitrogen environment is especially interesting for organic crop growing, where mineral nitrogen fertilization is not allowed. The research on two soil tillage systems, the conventional one, based on mouldboard ploughing (PLOW) and reduced soil tillage, based on discharrowing (DISC), with no other nitrogen source except symbiotic soybean bacterial fixation, was conducted at the experimental site Bokšić (Croatia), during the seasons 2004/05 and 2005/06. Results showed low but stable yields of winter barley, between 2.1 and 2.6 t ha-1, where PLOW treatment recorded lower yield than DISC in 2005, and usual soybean yields (between 2.8 and 3.4 t ha-1), with higher soybean grain yields for PLOW only in 2006. The absolute mass and hectolitre mass did not...

Influence of crops grown in crop treatments (maize, oats, clover-grass mixture - CGM and lupine) with the application of combined organic and mineral fertilisation and liming on some mechanical, physical and chemical characteristics of mollic gleysol was studied. Two calculation models were designed for statistical data processing (model 1 - without comparison with the control; model 2 - comparison with the control). The highest increase of soil air capacity was recorded in the second crop rotation field and after maize and CGM. The best soil compaction status was recorded after lupine. Using model 1, significantly higher value of soil reaction measured in water was determined in the third year compared to the first year as well as of the degree of base saturation of the adsorption complex in the second compared to the first year according to both models. Increased humus contents were generally found in most fields under lupine and CGM, but without significant differences. Using mod...

Climate change phenomena may be related to the rise in atmospheric CO2. Crop production can be a major tool regarding both adaptation and mitigation. The negative effects of climate change can be limited by changes in crops and crop varieties, plant nutrition, and various agronomic techniques. The global potential of carbon sequestration through crop production, land use and soil management

The second crop use in organic agriculture is a known method of maintaining the soil tilth, soil protection against environmental deterioration, soil nutrients conservation and even the weed control. The nitrogen conservation from previous leguminose crop is even more important, especially in the organic agriculture where use of N-fertilizers is the strictly forbiden, and second crops can be used as

Although organic crop production has numerous advantages, concerns about economic sustainability, both environmental and financial, make farmers reluctant to convert their conventional production into the organic production. Certain agricultural methods, such as second crop use, can alleviate some problems regarding soil tilth, erosion prevention, nutrients availability and weed control, thus contributing toward more sustainable crop production. Also, the added value

ABSTRACT Tillage systems commonly used in Hungary are in no way similar to the number of new soil-preserving shallow-tillage or direct-drilling systems now commonly used in other countries. The applicability of such new methods in Hungary is currently being tested. New methods are to be introduced where they result in lower production costs without hazarding yields.In Hungary conventional primary cultivation prevailed until the end of the 1970s. The introduction of up-to-date mechanization was necessitated by a number of causes: the aims of developing factory-like production systems; the development of the Hungarian farm-machinery industry; a government programme for wheat production. The introduction of new tillage system is also called for by the rise of energy prices and the necessity of cutting production costs, the preservation of soils and a more economical soil-moisture management.At present, no-till farming is very uncommon in Hungary. Soil-conserving cultivation focuses on the preservation of soil structure and is closely related to the sequence of plants grown.Cultivation practice does not favour the use of stubble to protect the soil. In certain habitats the peculiarities of the site make shallow discing more of a risk.

Abstract An overview of carbon dioxide (CO2) exchange and soil respiration measurements is given for representative Hungarian agroecosystems. We present results of long-term atmosphere/biosphere CO2 exchange measurements carried out at the Hungarian tall ...

... Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Udine, I-33100, Udine via delle Scienze 208, Italy Krisztina Pintér Plant ... Stingli Institute of Crop Production, Szent István University, H-2103 Gödöllő, Páter K. u. 1., Hungary István Szilágyi Chemical Research ...

ABSTRACT Loss of soil carbon and carbon storage were studied in different soil types in the agroecological conditions of the Pannonian plain and in the Mediterranean region. Total carbon concentration, pH and C:N ratio under pastures, meadows, forests, vineyards, gardens and crop fields were determined. Soil samples were taken in 2010 at depths from 0–3, 3–10, 0–30, 30–60 and 60–90 cm depending on the location, region, soil type and type of ecosystem. Soil pH varied between strongly acid 4.3 measured in crop field on distric Stagnosols (0–30 cm) to weakly alkaline 7.6 in a crop field on Chernozems; C:N ratio varied from 8 measured on distric Stagnosols to 39 on Cambisol calcaric; Soil carbon concentration observed in this study varied from 3.3 g C/kg at Szentgal on an agricultural crop field on Eutric Cambisol, in the deep layer (60–90 cm; L4) to 107.2 g C/kg on Regosol on karst measured in the surface layer of a Mediterranean grassland (0–3 cm; L10).

... Márta BIRKÁS 1 – Anthony DEXTER 2 – András SZEMŐK 3 ... Heat stress, drought (–) Water stress, waterlogging (–) Soil moisture: expected (+), deficit, surplus (–) Agronomical structure: crumbling (+), dust forming (–) Organic materials: depletion (–), build-up (+) ...

2 Agroszen Kft. Tápiószele Abstract: Our objectives were to assess and rank 3 soil condition variants - root zone improving (RI), mulch leaving (ML) and minimum disturbing (MD) - suitability to soil quality improvement and demonstrate the plant responses to different soil state and find a possible relation between soil condition and plant growth under extreme climate. To rank the soil-plant interrelations twelve soil and plant factors were assessed; quality and depth of loosening state, surface protection by plants and stubble residues, soil aggregation, earthworm number, water supply in the root zone, tillage-induced C-flux, rooting depth of plants, yield, dry biomass and biomass recycling. Finally, seven fundamental requirements were selected to mitigate climate-stress and to improve plant resistance to the heat damage. A climate damage mitigation soil tillage strategy can establish a harmony between soil conservation and the demands of crop production.

The philosophy toward tillage throughout the last century in Hungary can be characterized as a fight against extreme climatic and economic situations. The ‘Hungarian reasonable tillage’ approach that was promoted by Cserháti at the end of the 1800s was aimed at reducing tillage without increasing the risk of crop failure in arable fields. Recently, new tillage trends and systems have