G. Takács
58045525400
Publications - 7
Microalgal and cyanobacterial biostimulants used in wheat and maize production
Publication Name: Biostimulants for Improving Reproductive Growth and Crop Yield
Publication Date: 2025-01-01
Volume: Unknown
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: 169-218
Description:
Wheat and maize are staple cereals that are each cultivated on about 200 million hectares globally. Microalgae and cyanobacteria have potential to be developed as biostimulants for wheat and maize production. This review focuses on biostimulating effects of various microalgae and cyanobacteria on seed priming, soil and foliar treatments applied in pot experiments and field trials. Two case studies on wheat and maize field trials are included. Seed priming with selected microalgal extracts is a promising method to promote plant growth but still needs validation in field trials. Soil biofertilizers based on living N2-fixing cyanobacteria (algalization) applied alone or in combination with plant growth promoting rhizobacteria modulate soil microbial composition and enhance nutrient uptake. However, this requires application of tens or hundreds kg/ha biomass to substitute for N-fertilizers so is not yet an economically viable option. The case studies indicated that a single foliar treatment of wheat at tillering and maize at the V6 growth stage with Chlorella vulgaris or Tetracystis sp. suspensions (0.1–1g DW/L applied at 400L/ha) increased grain yield, grain protein content and improve stress tolerance. These results indicated that certain microalgae could be effective biostimulants. However, producing sufficient microalgae biomass on a commercial scale is still a challenge. Monoalgal mass production in closed photobioreactors is expensive. A promising approach is the cultivation of mixed algal cultures in nutrient rich wastewater using open raceway reactors.
Open Access: Yes
Approaches to studying wheat and maize drought stress responses
Publication Name: Plant and Soil
Publication Date: 2025-01-01
Volume: Unknown
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
Introduction: Drought stress remains a critical challenge to sustainable agriculture worldwide, threatening crop productivity and food security. Understanding the physiological processes and defense mechanisms that crops employ under water-limited conditions is essential for developing strategies to enhance drought resilience. Plant responses to drought vary widely depending on species, genotype, developmental stage, and the severity and duration of stress. Beyond annual rainfall totals, yield is also shaped by seasonal precipitation patterns and related environmental factors, which influence the choice of cultivars and crop performance. Finding: This review examines the drought responses of maize and wheat, two globally important cereals, across morphological, physiological, biochemical, and molecular dimensions. Key responses include enhanced root development, reduced leaf area, stomatal regulation, decreased photosynthetic activity and water potential, and elevated proline and abscisic acid levels. Although varietal differences are noted, they are discussed only briefly. Water stress is commonly quantified via water potential and measured using tools such as the Scholander pressure chamber or the increasingly adopted ZIM probe, which allows non-destructive, continuous monitoring. While conventional breeding efforts have targeted drought tolerance, progress is constrained by these traits' polygenic and environmentally sensitive nature. Recently, biostimulants such as seaweed extracts and microalgae-based products have emerged as promising tools for enhancing stress tolerance. Conclusion: To meet the demands of a changing climate, future research should prioritize the integration of genetic, physiological, and biochemical strategies to develop crops with robust and durable drought resistance.
Open Access: Yes
Valorization of Pea Pod (Pisum sativum L.) Waste: Application as a Functional Ingredient in Flatbreads
Publication Name: Legume Science
Publication Date: 2024-12-01
Volume: 6
Issue: 4
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
Legumes provide valuable functional properties, serving as rich sources of protein, minerals, dietary fiber, and antioxidant compounds. This study evaluated the nutritional and antioxidant properties of pea pod powder (PPP) as a fortifying ingredient in flatbreads. The results indicate that PPP contains carbohydrates (55%), protein (16.7%), and dietary fiber (13.1%), with significant antioxidant properties (total polyphenol content: 463 mg GAE/100 g, total flavonoid content: 159 mg QE/100 g, DPPH radical scavenging activity: 166 mg AAE/100 g; IC50 : 2.31 mg/mL, chlorophyll a: 17.4 mg/100 g, chlorophyll b: 17.4 mg/100 g, and total chlorophyll: 32.6 mg/100 g). Rutin, chlorogenic acid, and p-coumaric acid were identified and quantified by HPLC-DAD, with concentrations of 15.2, 2.94, and 6.60 mg/100 g, respectively. Flatbreads fortified with PPP at 5%w/w and 10%w/w showed increased thickness, reduced diameter and spread ratio, and enhanced antioxidant properties. However, consumer acceptance significantly declined at the 10%w/w level, likely due to off-flavors that affected sensory appeal.
Open Access: Yes
DOI: 10.1002/leg3.70017
Yield Performance, Laying Behaviour Traits and Egg Quality of a Crossbred Laying Hen in Alternative Housing Systems
Publication Name: Chemical Engineering Transactions
Publication Date: 2023-01-01
Volume: 107
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: 121-126
Description:
One aim of this study was to investigate a crossbred laying hen line (400 hens) in two alternative housing systems in two replicates between 20-72 weeks of age. One rearing system was deep litter (D) with artificial light. Hens from Group R were housed in a poultry house with windows on deep litter and access to a runway without artificial light. Birds were fed ad libitum with a concentrate layer feed (18.0 % protein, 11.6 MJ). The egg production was influenced by the housing system. Lower average egg weight was observed in Group R. The feed consumption was also lower here, but the FCR was better compared to D. Floor egg did not cause any problem in the examined systems. The shell strength decreased with age in both systems. However, the rate was higher in Group D. The albumen height and HU value were higher in Group R at the end of the experiment (72nd week of age). Some differences were found in the fatty acid profile between the two housing systems. Another goal of the study was to observe the behaviour patterns of animals kept under different conditions. Behavioural traits were monitored for 100 hens in total on the two farms that applied different housing technologies (50-50 birds with or without outdoor access). Birds with outdoor access showed 0.23±0.81 aggression-related traits per hour, whereas chickens without outdoor access produced 0.15±0.76 of the same traits (p>0.05). Hens with outdoor access showed 2.30±4.65 activity-related traits, whereas, for hens without outdoor access, 0.72±1.83 observations were recorded per hour (p<0.05). Comfort behaviour was similar (p>0.05) in the two groups. In conclusion, the housing system has a complex effect on the assessed crossbred laying hen line.
Open Access: Yes
DOI: 10.3303/CET23107021
Dietary Inclusion of Defatted Silkworm (Bombyx mori L.) Pupa Meal for Broiler Chickens at Different Ages: Growth Performance, Carcass and Meat Quality Traits
Publication Name: Animals
Publication Date: 2023-01-01
Volume: 13
Issue: 1
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
The present study was conducted to assess the effects of a 4% defatted silkworm (SWM-DEF) meal dietary incorporation into chickens’ diet at different growth stages on growth performances, carcass, and meat quality traits. A total of 90 Ross 308 one-day-old male broiler chickens were randomly allocated into 3 dietary groups of 5 replicated pens/diet (6 chickens/pen). One group was fed a standard soybean-based diet (C); group SWM1 consumed a starter diet (1–10 days of age) including 4% SWM-DEF and then the C diet up to slaughter (11–42 days of age); group SWM2 was fed with the C diet in the starter phase and the 4% SWM-DEF diet up to slaughter. Individual live weight and pen feed intake were determined at the end of each feeding phase: starter, grower, and finisher. Weight gain and FCR were then calculated. At 42 days of age, chickens were slaughtered and carcass traits determined. Leg and breast physico-chemical meat quality was also evaluated. Results confirmed that SWM-DEF could be a possible alternative feed source for chickens since growth performance, carcass, and meat physical traits were overall comparable in the three treatment groups. The feeding stage seemed to play a relevant impact on the sole meat protein content (SWM1 < SMW2 and C; p < 0.001). Concluding, the results available to date indicate that 4% SWM-DEF can be provided to chickens in different growth phases, and the choice of the inclusion period is more an industrial cost-benefit evaluation. From the scientific point of view, however, an administration in the grower-finisher phase rather than in the starter one provided the best meat nutritional quality. Further investigations should focus on the impact on meat fatty acids profile and sensory traits, which are of utmost importance for consumers.
Open Access: Yes
DOI: 10.3390/ani13010119
Plant biostimulating effects of the cyanobacterium Nostoc piscinale on maize (Zea mays L.) in field experiments
Publication Name: South African Journal of Botany
Publication Date: 2021-08-01
Volume: 140
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: 153-160
Description:
Biostimulants, when applied to plants in small amounts, increase crop yield and plant tolerance to abiotic and biotic stress. They play an important role in the development of new environmentally sustainable technologies. The aim of the current experiment was to investigate the potential of a cyanobacterium strain (Nostoc piscinale) to improve the growth, grain yield and stress tolerance of maize (Zea mays SY Zephir hybrid). Field trials were established at two sites. Freeze-dried biomass of N. piscinale resuspended in tap water (1g/L DW) was applied as a single foliar treatment (400 L/ha) at the V6-V7 phenological stage. Number of leaves, chlorophyll content, relative water content (RWC%) and free proline content were measured weekly. Grain yield, yield components and grain protein content were measured at harvest. N. piscinale treated maize had significantly earlier development in the vegetative growth stages with a higher number of leaves. Chlorophyll content (SPAD value) was significantly higher in the treated plants during the reproductive stages. There was little difference in the RWC and proline content compared to control plants. Faster vegetative growth and higher chlorophyll content in the cyanobacterium treated plants meant great photosynthetic light absorption over a longer period of time, resulting in significantly higher grain yield (6.5% and 11.5% at the two production sites) and increased grain protein content. Grain yield was significantly influenced by cob length and thousand grain weight. In conclusion, it was proved in field trials conducted in two different regions in Hungary that a single foliar application of a cyanobacterium-based biostimulant can contribute to crop production in a sustainable and environmentally friendly manner.
Open Access: Yes
Biostimulating effects of the cyanobacterium Nostoc piscinale on winter wheat in field experiments
Publication Name: South African Journal of Botany
Publication Date: 2019-11-01
Volume: 126
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: 99-106
Description:
Due to global warming, a permanent rainfall deficit and higher temperatures reduce the available water in the soil, which severely influences plant water status. Current research needs to address ways to overcome these problems in order to maintain crop yields. The beneficial effects of seaweed extracts against abiotic and biotic stress factors of plant growth is well known but the use of microalgae for the same purpose is not well described. The aim of the present work was to investigate the plant biostimulating effects of the cyanobacterium Nostoc piscinale on the winter wheat variety “Bőség.” Experiments were carried out over three years in Hungary at the Mosonmagyaróvár Faculty Farm. Freeze-dried cyanobacterium was re-suspended in water (0.3 or 1.0 g/L) and sprayed at 400 L/ha on wheat leaves at tillering or tillering and ear emergence. Root weight, relative water content (RWC), chlorophyll and proline content of leaves were measured during the vegetation period. Ear number, ear length, grain numbers in ear, thousand grain weight and yield were measured at harvest. The most economic and highest yield increase was obtained by 0.3 g/L treatment with N. piscinale at tillering and ear emergence. Beneficial effects included a stronger root system, elevated leaf RWC, higher proline content and increased leaf chlorophyll content, which remained high in plant leaves treated with N. piscinale for one or two weeks longer than in the control leaves. The high chlorophyll content extended the productive vegetation period of the treated plants. Cyanobacterium treatment increased the ear number, ear length, grain number per ear, thousand grain weight and yield of the wheat crop.
Open Access: Yes
