Improving Nutrient Supply of Grassland Soil

In the Southern corner of the Eastern Carpathian Mountains is located the hilly region of Barcaság. The total agricultural area is 180 thousand ha of which 90 thousand ha is grassland. The maximum yield of natural grassland does not exceed 1.2 t ha-1 hay. The aim of this work is to find appropriate fertiliser and liming rates to increase the hay yield and improve the soil nutrient supply

Investigation of a Bronze Age tell using soil analysis data

Human presence leaves an imprint not only on its environment but also on the soil cover. Soils are capable of preserving the signs of all the natural and human-induced activities that ever affected them. Via the identification and understanding of these signs it is possible to reconstruct ancient environments and obtain an insight into the lives of ancient societies. This has been successfully proven in numerous studies in Hungary (e.g. BARCZI et al., 2009; KRAUSZ, 2014; PETŐ, et al. 2015). This paper aims at furthering the understanding and reconstruction of the history of the Százhalombatta-Földvár tell site by analysing soil science data. Tell sites are very complex, so parallel to traditional archaeological investigation, a range of natural sciences (e.g. plant, animal and geological sciences) are involved in their analysis. In this study, soil science techniques, namely soil analysis and thin-section soil micromorphological analysis were employed to gain an insight into the past 4 000 years of the settlement’s history. The intensity and the variability of human activities are also investigated. The results revealed very intensive human influence and significant environmental changes in Százhalombatta-Földvár, demonstrating the importance of the area

Influence of Zeolite and Posidonia oceanica (L.) in the Reduction of Heavy Metal Uptake by Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) Plants of Central Greece

In two soils from Central Greece, a pot experiment was conducted with the addition of mixture at various ratios of zeolite and compost (based on Posidonia oceanica (L.) leaves) applied at a rate of 5% w/w (calculated on a soil dry weight basis). Three varieties of tobacco (Burley, Virginia, and Oriental) were cultivated, and Cu, Zn, and Cd concentrations in tobacco leaves were measured at first, second, and third primings. We found that the addition of zeolite in the soil1 led to a significant reduction of metal concentration in all three tobacco varieties compared to the control. Also, zeolite addition reduced significantly the water-soluble, as well as, DTPA-extractable metal concentrations, compared to the other treatments. Our results suggest that the most effective amendment in soil 1 was the mixture consisting of 20% compost and 80% zeolite; this mixture led to higher reduction of metal concentration in all tobacco varieties. As for soil 2, which had almost twice as high Cd concentrations as than in soil 1, Posidonia compost was more effective in reducing Cd concentrations from all three tobacco varieties. In all cases studied, both in soils 1 and 2, Cd concentration was higher in Burley tobacco leaves. The results indicate that a mixture of zeolite and compost consisting of Posidonia oceanica (L.) is a low-cost soil conditioner that is effective in reducing tobacco Cu, Zn, and Cd uptake. © 2017, Springer International Publishing AG

Spectral properties of strawberry plants

Strawberry varieties were studied in 3 different growing areas of different soil- and ecological properties in Hungary. We have measured the optical spectra of the leaves together with their nutrient content and performed sensory examinations on the deep frozen and melted fruit. The 6 varieties were Elsanta, Marianna, Spadeka, Symphony, Camarosa, and Raurica. The 3 sites were Újfehértó, Pölöske, and Kecskemet. Colour of the leaves was characterised by their lightness and dominant wavelength. Under non-optimal soil and ecological conditions the varieties could be distinguished by their colour — the leaves became lighter and more yellow. The fruits did not produce the genetically determined taste if the plant can not grow in optimal circumstances — we found a negative correlation between the leaf colour in flowering time and the fruit flavour. Leaf colour measurements performed in flowering time make it possible to improve fruit quality by changing the nutrient supply between flowering and ripening