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Common sage is a versatile medicinal and aromatic plant that adapts well to unfavorable soil conditions. We determined the effect of Fluvisol and Chernozem soils on sage morphology, leaf yield, essential oil content, and composition under rainfed, temperate conditions for two consecutive years. Based on the plant height, diameter, shoot length, and yield, Chernozem soil was significantly superior to Fluvisol. However, S. officinalis is considered a drought-tolerant plant; our results confirmed the importance of the available water capacity of the different soil types since the yield on both soil types decreased significantly after an extreme drought event in 2022. The essential oil concentration (0.67–1.10 mL/100 g DM) was higher on the Fluvisol, but the total oil content was higher in the case of Chernozem (78.64 ± 20.50 mL/m2 DM). The ratio of essential oil components was also influenced by the soil types, but the highest amounts were analyzed for soils viridiflorol, α-humulen, and α-tujone. The essential oil yield showed a strong positive correlation with hydrocarbon sesquiterpenes (0.92) and oxygenated sesquiterpenes (0.95). Moreover, significant correlations were identified between the harvest time, seasonal precipitation patterns, soil and plant characteristics, and drug quality. On both soil types, the macronutrient content of the soils showed a strong positive correlation with the morphological parameters. The essential oil concentration was higher in the arid season of 2022 in the case of both soil types. The soil type and the seasonal effects can also change the ratio of essential oils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experiment was conducted within a framework of a two-factor long-term trial at the Research Institute for Fisheries, Aquaculture and Irrigation, in Szarvas, Hungary. This was a special field experiment, in which lysimeters have been installed in the middle of 32 m2 field plots. The main factor was the water supply with 4 levels: i1: non-irrigated control; i2: irrigated with one third of the optimal water supply; i3: irrigated with two thirds of the optimal water supply; i4: optimum irrigated plot, according to the requirement of sweet corn test plant. The amount of released irrigation water was 0, 54, 106 and 158 mm per year on average over 5 years. Within every water supply treatment there were 4 nutrient supply rates (N): N1, N2, N3, N4 = 100, 200, 300 and 400 kg ha−1 NPK fertiliser substance in ratio 2:1:1. The number of replications was 4, and the experiment was arranged in split-plot design. In the studied years, the amount of precipitation varied between 92 and 264 mm from sowing to harvesting. The effect of fertiliser was less in the non-irrigated treatments compared to that of the irrigated ones, and the yield was increased only up to 200 kg ha−1 NPK treatment level. The NPK dose of 300 kg ha−1 proved to be optimal in the irrigated treatments in which the utilization of fertilizer doses increased parallel to the improving water supply. In addition, the ratio of first class products (cobs longer than 20 cm) increased to a greater extent than the yield as a result of irrigation and fertilization. Water requirement of sweet corn proved to be between 400–450 mm resulting in an average yield of 20–24 t ha−1, of which 18–20 t ha−1 came from marketable cobs. The amount of evapotranspiration fluctuated between 270–440 mm during the five years, depending on the quantity of water supply, but it changed to a lesser extent than the amount of the yield. Increasing the fertilizer dose practically did not affect ET in non-irrigated plants, but increased it by 20–30 mm in irrigated ones. The change was not significant. The productivity of ET was only 30–45 kg ha−1 mm−1 in the non-irrigated treatment, while it was 50–55 kg ha−1 mm−1 in the irrigated treatments, with higher values at the higher fertiliser rates. The productivity of irrigation water exceeded far over the productivity of ET at adequate nutrient supply. The yield increase per 1 mm of irrigation water was on average 60 kg ha−1 mm−1, which was considerably higher than the productivity of ET of non-irrigated plants (39 kg ha−1 mm−1). There was a positive correlation between the yield and ET, and a negative correlation between the yield and specific water consumption. Irrigation and fertilization increased the average yield to a greater extent than evapotranspiration, so as the average yield increased, the ET per unit of yield decreased, i.e. the productivity of evapotranspirated water increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, agricultural production is highly exposed to the increasingly frequent extreme environmental events (drought, alternating inland water). In Hungary, the South Alföld Region is the driest area in the country. In 2022, 200 millimeters of precipitation fell in this area instead of the average annual precipitation of 500-550 millimeters, which results in a precipitation deficit of 300-350 millimeters. Adapting to such extremes means technical and financial difficulties for farmers. An accurate knowledge of forecasting systems (meteorological forecasts) and local natural systems (topography, soil properties, groundwater properties, vegetation cover) would make adaptation easier. The long-term, seasonal changes in the groundwater level it can be said to be constant, but if we take some examination, we can determine that this is not the case. It is difficult to identify the causes of fluctuations only by observing short-term water level records. The long-term groundwater-level records in the Hármas-Körös Sub-catchment area, were thoroughly analysed along with the results from the cumulative rainfall, and knowing the prevailing soil type. With our analysis, we assess the trends of the groundwater level (by examining the water levels of eight groundwater monitoring wells) and expected changes by examining the twenty-year monthly average data series of the sub-catchment area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture is a significant economic sector in Hungary. As a result of climate change, farmers can face extreme weather situations and their consequences (inland excess water, water shortage, drought, extremely high or low temperatures, yield loss) more often than before. Focusing on drought conditions in Szarvas town area (South-Eastern region of Hungary) we analysed temperature, precipitation and groundwater table level data of 4 monitoring wells between 2002 and 2021. In our study we used mainly the yearly average values. The Mann Kendall test was used to evaluate the data. Palfai Drought Index was calculated to quantify the level of drought. We found increasing trend in yearly average temperature, decreasing trend in groundwater level at most part of the area, no significant trend in yearly sum of precipitation and Palfai Drought Index. According to our data, the relative frequency of drought-free years in the Szarvas region is 30%, moderate and stronger droughts occurred in 50% of years, and the relative frequency of severe droughts was 10%. Severe droughts (PaDI 10-15) occurred twice in the 20 years studied, in 2003 and 2012. These data show the probability of a future drought or drought-free year. Our results hint to the importance of irrigation and irrigation development in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper the effect of different water supply treatments of processing tomato planted under field conditions was examined in the growing season of 2017, 2018 and 2019, so as to see how these various treatments affect the height of tomato plant and the chlorophyll content of the leaf (SPAD value). At harvest, the amount and proportion of stems to total fruits, the amount of red (marketable), green and diseased berries within the total crop, and the weight of small, medium and large berries within the red fruits were examined. Besides this, the soluble solids content of the red fruits was also determined. The field experiment was carried out in Szarvas, Hungary on the experimental area (School Land) of Szent István University. The soil type was chernozem meadow. The plots received different water supplies. Treatments are marked with: K; I50; I75; I100. The I100 = 100% represents the same water supply as potential evapotranspiration (PET). The plots with lower water supply received a certain percentage of the irrigation water delivered at 100% water treatment. Control (K) received only the amount of water by the precipitation besides the required irrigation (irrigation right after planting, irrigation after fertilization events). Increasing water supply results in a rising tendency at plant height and a decreasing trend at SPAD values. Regarding the ratio of stems to total fruits, it can be stated that due to the increasing water supply increases the weight of both the total fruits and the stem. The distribution of the quality categories of all the fruits points to the fact that an excessive dose of water not only increases the total fruit yield but also increases the weight of red (marketable) berries, and the number of ill fruits. Increasing water doses increase the weight of medium and large fruits within the red fruit compared to the control treatment. According to the results of the soluble solids measurement, the increasing water supply decreases the soluble solids content of the fruits. Larger tomato fruits have a slightly lower soluble solids content than medium and smaller fruits have. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]