Ákos Bede-Fazekas
54894406700
Publications - 8
Beyond land use: Understanding variations in topsoil bulk versus recalcitrant organic matter
Publication Name: Catena
Publication Date: 2024-09-01
Volume: 244
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
Soil organic matter (SOM) concentration and composition are essential properties that affect most functions and ecosystem services. The relationship between soil and environmental covariates regarding SOM concentration and composition in various pools is not completely understood. This study aimed to identify the most influential drivers of SOM stabilization, focusing on arable lands in Hungary. Hungary is an ideal area for investigating SOM variability because it is at the meeting point of the three main climate effects that trigger a wide range of soil, land use, and topographical conditions. Overall, 87 soil samples were taken from the topsoil (2–20 cm) and fractionated (<20 µm) to separate the mineral phase-associated organic carbon (MAOC) and bulk pools. MAOC concentration varied on a wide range (0.5–14.1 %) and was the function of bulk SOM aromaticity and slope steepness, rather than land use, climatic conditions, or soil properties, indicating that MAOC is also affected by decomposition if the bulk OM is less available for the microbiome. Land use, especially in forest topsoils, reflects the elemental composition of the OM, focusing on the variations of residue composition. In contrast, aromaticity is rather related to soil and climate properties, suggesting increased relevance of transformation processes. As a consequence, SOM composition varies on a wide range in the topsoil, however, the lack of a definite trend at the county level suggests the complexity of the system and highlights the role of local circumstances.
Open Access: Yes
Challenges in Mapping Soil Variability Using Apparent Soil Electrical Conductivity under Heterogeneous Topographic Conditions
Publication Name: Agronomy
Publication Date: 2024-06-01
Volume: 14
Issue: 6
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
Site-specific management requires the identification of treatment areas based on homogeneous characteristics. This study aimed to determine whether soil mapping based on apparent soil electrical conductivity (ECa ) is suitable for mapping soil properties of fields with topographic heterogeneity. Research was conducted on two neighbouring fields in Fejér county, Hungary, with contrasting topographic heterogeneity. To characterise the spatial variability of soil attributes, ECa was measured and supplemented by obtaining soil samples and performing soil profile analysis. The relationship between ECa and soil physical and chemical properties was analysed using correlation, principal component, and regression analyses. The research revealed that the quality and strength of the relationship between ECa and soil remarkably differed in the two studied fields. In homogeneous topographic conditions, ECa was weakly correlated with elevation as determined by soil physical texture and nutrient content in a strong (R2 = 0.72) linear model. On the other hand, ECa was significantly determined by elevation in heterogeneous topographic conditions in a moderate (R2 = 0.47) linear model. Consequently, ECa -based soil mapping can only be used to characterise the soil, thus delineating management zones under homogeneous topographic conditions.
Open Access: Yes
Drivers of species composition in arable-weed communities of the Austrian–Hungarian borderland region: What is the role of the country?
Publication Name: Applied Vegetation Science
Publication Date: 2024-01-01
Volume: 27
Issue: 1
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
Questions: Due to their high ecological and agronomical variability, borderland regions offer an excellent opportunity to study assembly patterns. In this study we compared the influence of various factors on summer annual weed communities consisting of both native and introduced species. Location: The borderland region of Austria and Hungary. Methods: We assessed the abundance of weed species in 300 fields of six summer annual crops, and collected information on 26 background variables for each plot. We applied redundancy analysis (RDA) to estimate multivariate species responses and variation partitioning to compare the relative importance of three groups of variables (environmental variables, management variables, and country as a singleton group), and we also checked for statistical association between country and the predictors of the other two groups. Results: The full RDA model explained 22.02% of the variance in weed species composition. Variation partitioning showed that environment and management had similarly high (~8%) influence on weeds, while country had a modest yet substantial (~1%) effect, and there was relatively little overlap between the variance attributable to the three groups. Comparing the individual variables, country ranked third (after preceding crop, and actual crop). The effects of 15 further variables were also significant, including seven management, and seven environmental variables, as well as the location of the sampling plots within the fields. Comparisons between the countries showed that farming type, preceding crops, tillage system, tillage depth and field size were significantly different between the countries. Conclusions: Country exhibited a small but significant influence on weed community composition, which could not be explained with easily accessible management and environmental variables. This suggests that the distinct historical agronomical background of the two countries, possibly involving some legacies of the former Iron Curtain period, still has an impact on the weed species composition of arable fields.
Open Access: Yes
DOI: 10.1111/avsc.12764
A 4-year study of bovine reproductive hormones that are induced by pharmaceuticals and appear as steroid estrogenic pollutants in the resulting slurry, using in vitro and instrumental analytical methods
Publication Name: Environmental Science and Pollution Research International
Publication Date: 2023-12-01
Volume: 30
Issue: 60
Page Range: 125596-125608
Description:
The main objective of the research was to study the environmental "price" of the large-scale, milk production from a rarely known perspective, from the mapping of the estrogenic footprint (the amount of oestrus-inducer hormonal products, and the generated endoestrogens) in the resulting slurry in a dairy cow farm. These micropollutants are endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and can be dangerous to the normal reproductive functions even at ng/kg concentration. One of them, 17ß-estradiol, has a 20,000 times stronger estrogenic effect than bisphenol-A, a widely known EDC of industrial origin. While most studies on EDCs are short-term and/or laboratory based, this study is longitudinal and field-based. We sampled the slurry pool on a quarterly basis between 2017 and 2020. Our purpose was testing the estrogenic effects using a dual approach. As an effect-based, holistic method, we developed and used the YES (yeast estrogen screen) test employing the genetically modified Saccharomyces cerevisiae BJ3505 strain which contains human estrogenic receptor. For testing exact molecules, UHPLC-FLD was used. Our study points out that slurry contains a growing amount of EDCs with the risk of penetrating into the soil, crops and the food chain. Considering the Green Chemistry concept, the most benign ways to prevent of the pollution of the slurry is choosing appropriate oestrus-inducing veterinary pharmaceuticals (OIVPs) and the separation of the solid and liquid parts with adequate treatment methods. To our knowledge, this is the first paper on the adaptation of the YES test for medicine and slurry samples, extending its applicability. The adapted YES test turned out to be a sensitive, robust and reliable method for testing samples with potential estrogenic effect. Our dual approach was successful in evaluating the estrogenic effect of the slurry samples.
Open Access: Yes
Appearance of on-farm bovine reproductive hormones in the resulting slurry
Publication Name: Agrokemia Es Talajtan
Publication Date: 2022-12-05
Volume: 71
Issue: 2
Page Range: 289-308
Description:
A review of the international literature also found that the amount and the presence in slurry of oestrus inducer hormone preparations used in intensive dairy cattle production has not been investigated. In our study, we followed the path of 5 different sex-inducing drugs (alfaglandin, PGF, dinolytic, gonavet, ovarelin) including three active pharmaceutical ingredients (D-Phe6-Gonadorelin, Kloprostenol and Dinoprost-tromethamine) used in a cattle farm in Pest County from their use until their appearance in the slurry from 2017 to 2020. The study included a review of drug consumption and a seasonal analysis of the hormonal effects of slurry produced on the farm in quarterly cycles each year. We also tested separately the hormonal effects of the hormone preparations used on the farm. For the estrogenic effect tests, the yeast test with the human estrogenic receptor was used according to ISO 19040. Statistical evaluation of the results (Pearson correlation and Principal Component Analysis) was used to identify relationships between the use of sex inducers, the reproductive biology of the colony and the estrogenic effect of the slurry. We found that the estrogenic effects of slurry and sludge are strongly correlated. All three pharmaceuticals tested showed a strong correlation with the estrogenic effect of slurry/sludge. Our investigations confirm that slurry among other reasons due to its hormone and drug content shall be considered as a material that needs to be disposed of by new treatment methods before application to the field, because of its environmental and health risks.
Open Access: Yes
Calibration of an Arduino-based low-cost capacitive soil moisture sensor for smart agriculture
Publication Name: Journal of Hydrology and Hydromechanics
Publication Date: 2022-09-01
Volume: 70
Issue: 3
Page Range: 330-340
Description:
Agriculture faces several challenges to use the available resources in a more environmentally sustainable manner. One of the most significant is to develop sustainable water management. The modern Internet of Things (IoT) techniques with real-time data collection and visualisation can play an important role in monitoring the readily available moisture in the soil. An automated Arduino-based low-cost capacitive soil moisture sensor has been calibrated and developed for data acquisition. A sensor- and soil-specific calibration was performed for the soil moisture sensors (SKU:SEN0193 - DFROBOT, Shanghai, China). A Repeatability and Reproducibility study was conducted by range of mean methods on clay loam, sandy loam and silt loam soil textures. The calibration process was based on the data provided by the capacitive sensors and the continuously and parallelly measured soil moisture content by the thermogravimetric method. It can be stated that the response of the sensors to changes in soil moisture differs from each other, which was also greatly influenced by different soil textures. Therefore, the calibration according to soil texture was required to ensure adequate measurement accuracy. After the calibration, it was found that a polynomial calibration function (R2 ≥ 0.89) was the most appropriate way for modelling the behaviour of the sensors at different soil textures.
Open Access: Yes
Weed Composition in Hungarian Phacelia (Phacelia tanacetifolia Benth.) Seed Production: Could Tine Harrow Take Over Chemical Management?
Publication Name: Agronomy
Publication Date: 2022-04-01
Volume: 12
Issue: 4
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
Phacelia tanacetifolia, an excellent cover, green manure and honey crop is now widely cultivated throughout the world. One of its principal European seed production regions is north‐western Hungary, where the recent withdrawal of a potent herbicide, linuron, created a new challenge for many growers. The goal of this study is to identify the main factors determining weed species composition in the phacelia fields of the region and to assess the efficiency of tine harrow and clopyralid herbicide in reducing weed abundance and biomass. We carried out a series of weed surveys across the study region following a two‐level design: (i) we estimated the cover of all weed species in 205 fields (broad‐scale survey, BS); and (ii) in 22 of these fields, we provided more precise biomass measurements (counting the individuals and measuring the dry weights of all weed species) in microplots samples (fine‐scale survey; FS). To characterize the fields, 34 background variables were also collected for all of the studied fields. In both investigations, Chenopodium album was by far the most abundant weed. Within the BS, using a minimal adequate model containing 11 terms with significant net effects, 20.93% of the total variation in weed species data could be explained. The variation in species composition was determined by environmental factors (soil pH, clay and K; precipitation and temperature), non‐chemical management variables (crop cover, preceding crop, irrigation and tillage system) and herbicides (linuron and clopyralid). Variation partitioning demonstrated the dominance of environmental and cultural components in shaping the weed species composition. Although the effect of mechanical treatments was most likely masked in the BS by the soil properties, our FS suggests that tine harrow could efficiently decrease the total number and biomass of weeds and can be a useful tool in the phacelia management of the future.
Open Access: Yes
Drivers of Ambrosia artemisiifolia abundance in arable fields along the Austrian-Hungarian border
Publication Name: Preslia
Publication Date: 2019-12-06
Volume: 91
Issue: 4
Page Range: 369-389
Description:
The Carpathian Basin is one of the most important regions in terms of the invasion of the common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) in Europe. The invasion history of this weed, however, seems to have been assessed differently in Austria and Hungary: Scientists in both countries assumed that this species had become abundant earlier and had caused more problems in their own than in other country. The goal of this study is to resolve the historical misunderstandings and scrutinize the related popular beliefs by a concise literature overview and an extensive analysis of the current patterns in ragweed infestations in crops in the borderlands in eastern Austria and western Hungary. The abundance of A. artemisiifolia was measured in 200 arable fields across the region, along with 31 background variables. Data were analysed using binomial generalized linear models (GLM), decision tree models and variation partitioning. Ambrosia artemisiifolia occurred more frequently in Hungary, but there were no significant differences in the proportion of larger cover values recorded in these two countries, and 'cover values > 10%' were even slightly more common in Austria.We found that previous crops of maize and soya bean and conventional farming were associated with the higher abundances in Austria, while organic farming was associated with relatively higher frequencies of heavy infestations in Hungarian fields. In the overall analysis crop cover was the most important variable with low crop cover associated with high ragweed abundance. Temperature and phosphorous fertilizer were negatively, while precipitation and soil phosphorous concentration positively associated with the abundance values. Land-use variables accounted for more of the variance in the abundance patterns of common ragweed than environmental variables. The current patterns in ragweed distributionmight indicate that a saturation process is still underway on the Austrian side. The saturation lag of 20-30 years is possibly due to several factors and the role of the Iron Curtain in determining cross-border exchange of propagules could be decisive. Nevertheless, the discrepancies uncovered in the accounts of the invasion of Hungarian and Austrian authors might also be seen as legacies of the Iron Curtain, which were caused by mutual limitations on access to national data and literature of the other country in a critical period of rapid ragweed spread. These discrepancies, that had a long-lasting effect on the work of scientific communities, are documented here in detail for the first time.
Open Access: Yes
