Germination and seedling development are essential stages in a plant’s life cycle, greatly influenced by temperature and moisture conditions. The aim of this study was to determine maize (Zea mays L.) seeds’ germination and seedling development under various abiotic stresses. Eight different temperature levels, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, and 40 °C, were used. Drought and waterlogging stresses were tested using 30 water levels based on one-milliliter intervals and as percentages of thousand kernel weight (TKW) at 20 and 25 °C. Seedling density and the use of antifungals were also examined. Temperature significantly affected germination duration and seedling growth, and 20 °C was found to be ideal with an optimal range of less than 30 °C. Germination occurred at 25% of the TKW. The optimal water range for seedling growth was higher and broader than the range for germination. Seed size assisted in defining germination water requirements and providing an accurate basis. The present research established an optimum water supply range of 150–325% of the TKW for maize seedling development. A total of 6 seeds per 9 cm Petri dish may be preferable over greater densities. The technique of priming seeds with an antifungal solution before planting was observed to have a better effect than applying it in the growth media.
Conservation tillage harmonizes soil protection with demands of the crop, soil and climate. The continuous conservation tillage improves soil properties and modifies impact of weather extremes. The aim of the paper was to investigate the changes in four soil physical states affected by soil conservation tillage and to evaluate soil water content in a critical period. The study was carried out on Chernozems applying six tillage treatments, that are loosening, ploughing, tine tillage (a deeper, and a shallower), disk tillage and direct drilling. The investigation suggested that soil conservation was the major solution resulting in the balanced water content (SWC) and penetration resistance values in both treatments under peculiar weather conditions. However, the crumb ratio and the crusted area resulted in significant differences between the treatments, presumably due to the level of surface preservation. Soil water content differed significantly between months, with higher contents in spring and lower values in the end of summer. The higher SWC expected at the beginning of the growing season was reliably fulfilled, but the SWC level for workabilty differed from the optimum.
This paper provides an overview of the progress of tillage in Hungary. The local and international impacts on the national practice are summarized, and some adoption of the conservation tillage results is presented concerning Hungary. The interest in conservation agriculture in Hungary dates back almost 120 years; however, any significant changes only occurred in the last 50 years. Interestingly, the factors of progress and restraint in tillage have appeared simultaneously over the years. Among the factors restraining tillage progress, the most retarding were the beliefs that have existed for many decades, as soil conservation was not considered nor was the need to mitigate climate-related hazards. Progress was driven by the commitment to soil protection, the opportunity to raise farming standards, and the need to mitigate climate-related threats. Since the average yield in Hungary was usually sufficient for the domestic need, the main objective of crop production was to avoid yield loss. Long-term experimental data and monitoring results were considered for this study. The impacts of new tillage solutions, elaborated in foreign countries, on tillage modernization were reviewed. The experiences and first results in no-till (direct drilling) and strip-tillage showed that difficulties can gradually be reduced through site-specific technology solutions. The need for subsoiling is not a matter of debate nowadays but rather the timing of operation and the investigation of the duration of the effects. Due to its complex advantages, tine tillage occupies an increasing rank among soil conservation systems. The area of ploughed soils has decreased; however, improved implementation is required.
The seed germination and seedling growth of rapeseed are crucial stages in plant life, especially when facing abiotic stresses. In the present work, the effects of water and temperature on seed germination and seedling growth were investigated in a rapeseed crop (Brassica napus L.). The plants were examined under different temperature levels (5 °C, 10 °C, 15 °C, 20 °C, 25 °C, 30 °C, and 35 °C) and water levels (twenty-nine levels based on either one-milliliter intervals or as a percentage of the thousand-kernel weight (TKW)). Moreover, planting densities and antifungal application techniques were investigated in the study. The findings demonstrated substantial variations between all the growth parameters investigated at all the tested temperatures, and 20 °C was considered the optimum within a broad range of 15–25 °C. Water availability plays a significant role in germination, which can be initiated at 0.65 mL, corresponding to 500% of the TKW. The method of TKW is a more accurate aspect of water application because of the consideration of the seed weight and size. The optimal water range for the accumulation of dry weight, 3.85–5.9 mL (2900–4400% of TKW), was greater than that required for seedling growth, 1.45–3.05 mL (1100–2300% of TKW). Twenty to twenty-five seeds per 9 cm Petri dish exhibited the most outstanding values compared to the others, which provides an advantage in breeding programs, especially when there are seed limitations. Seed priming is a more effective antifungal application strategy. These data can be incorporated into future rapeseed germination in vitro studies, breeding programs, and sowing date predictions.
Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L.) is a widely cultivated plant in Europe. Septoria melissae Desm. is the most important pathogen of lemon balm crops, which may cause serious yield loss by the severe leaf fall. As chemical control of the pathogen is restricted, alternative plant protection methods, like the use of tolerant varieties, should be taken under consideration. The goal of our work was to evaluate the susceptibility of three lemon balm varieties to Septoria leaf spot in field. The trials were carried out in 2016 and 2017 in Budapest-Soroksár, Hungary. Dynamics of infection showed characteristic sharp increase from the beginning of August in both years. The lowest infection levels were observed in cultivar ‘Lemona’. The disease incidence in the middle of August was 19% in the first year and 59% in the second year, while these values were over 40% and 70% in the other cultivars ‘Soroksári’ and ‘Quedlinburger Niederliegende’, respectively. The manifestation of symptomps was also significantly lighter on the ‘Lemona’ plants and they had the highest ratio of healthy leaves (81%) compared to the other cultivars. According to the data, weather conditions might modify the range of the differences among the cultivars. It was concluded that appropriate selection of varieties could be an effective and enviromental friendly plant protection method in the practice of lemon balm cultivation.
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