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This study is focused on the vegetation of seminatural dry grasslands. These grasslands are valuable with large biodiversity; however, their long-term preservation requires regular conservation management. This report demonstrates the results of a 13-years mowing experiment, designed to suppress the spread of an unpalatable grass species, Calamagrostis epigejos. The study site was located in mid-successional grasslands, in the Western-Cserhát, near Rád, Northern Hungary. The experimental design consisted of eight permanent plots, where mowing was applied twice a year. The vegetation was sampled annually (from 2001 to 2013). The impacts of mowing were tested using repeated–measures analyses of variance (ANOVA). In 2001, Calamagrostis epigejos was the species with the highest cover in both the mown and control sites, with an average cover value of 63%. However, as a result of mowing, a significant difference was detected in the amount of litter and legumes species as well. The number of species showed an increase in both types of treatment, from 15 to 37 in the mowed plots, but also from 18 to 27 in the control plots. We concluded that mowing twice a year proved to be a useful measure for modifying botanical composition of a grassland. It was well suited for agricultural usage, in particular grazing, which can replace the expensive and time-consuming scythe. Mowing can also be a suitable management measure for controlling native invader species such as Calamagrostis epigejos, and can significantly increase the proportion of species with higher forage values.

Quality and quantity of different irrigation water types from conventional and alternative sources have a significant role on the productive parameters and chemical composition of crop plants. Appropriate alternative water sources and the reutilization of agricultural effluents can reduce the impact of rice production and animal husbandry on the natural water bodies. In the present study, influence of four different types of irrigation water was analyzed on the nutrient uptake (P, K, Ca, Mg, Na) of aerobic rice (Oryza sativaL.) in a complex lysimeter experiment in two consecutive years. Early maturing Hungarian rice varieties (M 488 and Janka) were irrigated with traditional river water (RW) and different alternative irrigation sources to evaluate the feasibility of a sodium containing intensive fish farm effluent with (EWG) or without (EW) gypsum supplementation and with the addition of natural river water (EWGR). Significant effects on the mineral content of the aboveground biomass were measured. P uptake by M 488 and Janka decreased after the irrigation with EW in 2017. In case of EW, EWG and EWGR, the Na content increased significantly (p ≤ 0.05) in both varieties; however, pre-treatment of salt containing effluent waters can moderate the stress level. As a consequence, the ability of both rice varieties to absorb Na suggests that rice production could be conditionally part of bioremediation of salt-affected soils and water bodies.

Due to the threats posed by climate change and landscape alteration, there is an increasing need to better understand using seed banks of continental grasslands as a possible aid to conservation and restoration. Here, the soil seed bank of a wet grassland type, an ecotone and a semi-dry grassland type, all formed along a slope in NE Hungary, were compared from the aspect of recovery potential. For this, a vegetation survey and a seedling emergence examination were performed. The seed banks of the three grassland types differed significantly in terms of density. It was significantly higher in both the wet and the ecotone grassland types than in the semi-dry one. The seed banks of the three grassland types proved to be very similar in terms of diversity. The floristic similarity between the vegetation and the seed banks was much higher in both the wet and the ecotone grassland types than in the semi-dry one. Most of the abundant species of the vegetation had transient seed banks, but more of the characteristic species of the wet and the ecotone grassland types maintained dense and/or persistent seed banks than those of the semi-dry one. In the case of degradation, a complete recovery is not ensured by the seed bank of either studied grassland type; however, compared to that of the semi-dry grassland, the wet grassland’s seed bank better supports an increase in diversity within a limited period. In the case of restoration, within five years after destruction, it could be more rewarding to deal with wet grassland types prior to dry ones.

Organisms with different life histories are able to act as indicators of different characteristics of their environment. Here, we compared the precision of habitat indication by the vegetation and soil microbial communities in four salt-affected pastures: annual open salt sward, Pannonic Puccinellia limosa hollow, Artemisia saline puszta and grassy saline puszta. Dissimilarity of habitats was evaluated by standardized principal component analysis (PCA) based on four different datasets: catabolic profiles of microbial communities in June (a) and September (b), composition of vascular vegetation (c) and physical and chemical properties of the soil (d). Procrustes analysis was used to quantify the resemblance between pairs of PCA ordinations based on soil properties (d) and various biotic communities (a, b, c). PCA ordination based on vegetation most closely matched the soil data-based ordination, thus vegetation appears to better indicate habitat conditions than soil microbial communities do. For microbial communities, a better agreement with the soil data-based ordination was reached in September than in June. Most probably, the long-lived sedentary habit of perennial plants in these communities requires adaptation to long-term average habitat conditions. In contrast, short-lived soil microbes can quickly follow environmental changes, thus the composition of soil microbial communities better reflect actual soil conditions.

As a result it could be stated that the dolomite slope rocky grassland is more sensitive against excess intensive grazing. Ratio of characteristic species has been decreased, giving floor for degradation tolerant species and poisonous or sticky plants not favored by animals. From a nature conservation point of view, a positive change has happened on the once mowed area converted into pasture of Hungarian Grey Cattle breed near the Inner Lake (Tihany peninsula).

The original soil type of both examined areas was Luvisol, originally covered by forests. Soils undergone extreme changes in the Bukk Mountains, following the forest cuttings, in most of the area lacking the humic layer. The area of thinner soils and sediment areas increased. In the Putnok Hills area the reason of relatively low erosion rate originates in soil texture (clay-clayey loam) and land use (household crop cultivation by hand tools, frequent monitoring of the area and dense grass vegetation). After erosive rainfall events surface is smoothed soon, therefore erosion cannot develop any further on the arable control area. The other reason for slower erosion is the shorter slope and a relatively long non-erosive plateau above the arable land, covered by alfalfa.

The geographical features and natural processes on the examined slopes resulted in shallow soils. Shallow soils have extreme water regime (Birkas et al. 2005) and their organic matter content plays an important role as nutrient (Hoyk 2005). Any activity that reduces the soil cover by removing the vegetation is unfavorable, increases the effect of erosion processes, especially considering the effect of future climate change (Mudri et al. 2005)! Grazing must consider the nature protection values of the area, too. On the grazed areas there were extreme changes in the species composition. The number of the annual weed species increased. In the partly vegetated grasslands the typical plants were still present, often with lower coverage in spite of intensive grazing. The fully vegetated and grazed grasslands were totally degenerated, more poisonous species were wide spread, and the typical species were replaced. On these areas grazing must be decreased. In the fully vegetated areas surface cover of bushes is increasing, which is favorable for the erosion protection but unfavorable for the habitat of the Mediterranean species.

The microalgae cultivation has been developed over the last decades because it is capable of producing valuable metabolites, such as n-3 fatty acids for nutraceutical purposes. Aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the micro-alga as fat supplement on fatty acid profile of goat and cow milk, with particular reference to n-3 fatty acids and rumenic acid. Twenty dairy goats and 16 dairy cows were randomly allocated to two isonitrogenous treatment groups to investigate the effect of micro-alga supplementation on the composition and fatty acid profile of milk. The 1st goat group was fed with alfalfa hay and concentrate; the 2nd goat group received the same forages but the concentrate was supplemented with 10 g kg-1 DM intake micro-alga. The control group cows were fed with alfalfa hay, corn silage and concentrate, while the experimental animals were fed with the same forages but the concentrate was supplemented with 7.4 g kg-1 DM intake micro-alga. The experimental periods lasted for 17 d. The micro-alga supplements considerably increased rumenic acid concentration in milk (1.20% vi. 1.54%, P < 0.001 for goats; 0.75% vs. 0.85%, P < 0.05 for cows). The n-3 fatty acids were higher in milk (1.02 vs. 1.35; P < 0.001 for goats; 0.47 vs. 0.56; P < 0.05 for cows) and in addition the n-6/n-3 ratio was also more favorable in the micro-alga supplemented groups (3.53 vs. 2.88; P < 0.01 for goats; 4.18 vs. 3.36; P < 0.05 for cows). It is concluded that the diet with micro-alga supplementation significantly increased the concentration of beneficial fatty acids in both goat and cow milk.

Négy kunhalom (Pincés-halom, Kántor-halom, Hegyes-halom, Bökény-halom) botanikai és talajtani felvételezését végeztük el. A halmok növényzetének jellemzése érdekében a tipikus vegetációs egységekben cönológiai felvételeket készítettünk. Az általános botanikai vizsgálatok mellett a talaj-növény kapcsolatok értékelése érdekében a Kántor-halmon transzekt-felvételeket is készítettünk. Összességében nemcsak a morfológiai vizsgálat mutatta hasonlónak az eltéro társulások talajviszonyait, hanem a vizsgált fizikai és kémiai talajjellemzok között sem találtunk olyan tényezot, amelyik egyértelmuvé tenné a vegetációváltást. Az eltéro társulások talajánál a pH-ban, CaCO3-tartalomban és fizikai féleségben nem tapasztaltunk eltérést. Eltérés a humusztartalomban, tápanyagokban és mintavételezéskori nedvességtartalomban mutatkozott. A kutatást vízgazdálkodási és mikroklíma mérésekkel kívánjuk bovíteni.

Examined area can be found at Balaton Uplands National Park (Hungary). 5 sample areas were examined in Badacsonytordemic: 1: 32 hectare under-grazed pasture, 2: 38 hectare overgrazed pasture, 3: 34 hectare hayfield, 4: trampled area, 5: beaten track. Livestock population was 118 in the monitored pastures. Sampling was executed along five 52m long circular transects, within 5cm × 5cm interlocking quadrates. Based on the data we can state that the curve of the drinking area was the highest of speciesarea examinations however weed appeared because of degradation which provided more species. According to species-area examinations overgrazed areas were richer in species then other examined areas. Based on diversity data drinking area considered degraded, while meadow and overgrazed areas was considered as proper state. Diversity of meadow was larger, but dominance of economically useful species was smaller. The amount of less valuable species – Carex hirta – increased.

Second crops of oil radish (Raphanus sativus) and white mustard (Sinapis alba) being in the bloom stage were evaluated for nutritive value for wether lambs (n=5 per crop, BW=35.6 kg) and in situ grazability by ewes (n=15 per crop, BW=50 kg). Animals received no supplemental feed. The two forage crops differed in dry matter (DM) (135 vs. 154 g/kg) as well as in crude protein (148 vs. 206 g), crude fibre (141 vs. 194 g) and N-free extract (550 vs. 482 g) per kg DM. In the feeding trial, total daily DM intake of lambs from oil radish and white mustard differed (1063 vs. 1203 g/head) but was similar in percent bodyweight (3.3-3%). Apparent digestibility of the two forage crops were similar for crude protein (69-70%) and N-free extract (70-71%), but differed (Pm (5.70-5.88 MJ) per kg DM. In the 4-day grazing trial was used rotational grazing, based on results, the oil radish provided a carrying capacity twice as high as white mustard’s notably, 1700 vs. 740 ewe grazing days per ha - equal to 60 ewes grazing one hectare for 28 and 12 days, respectively. Thus, oil radish seemed better to be used as fall grazing pasture for mutton sheep.