Responses of Soil Respiration to Biotic and Abiotic Drivers in a Temperate Cropland

Eurasian Soil Science - To investigate the temporal dynamics of CO2 efflux from the soil surface in a temperate cropland and to quantify the effects of soil temperature, soil water content, N...     

Temporal Variability and Drivers of Nitrous Oxide Emissions from Central Hungarian Croplands: Field and Lab Experiments

Eurasian Soil Science - There is a need for long-term data on N2O emission in Central Europe to provide a thorough understanding of the variability of the emission processes as affected by...     

The community structure of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in roots of maize grown in a 50-year monoculture

We assessed the diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi colonizing maize roots grown in a long-term monoculture experiment established at Martonvásár, Hungary, 50 years ago to understand the effect of this extremely long monoculture on the community structure of these organisms. Mycorrhizal colonization of root samples was analyzed by PCR amplification and sequencing of partial ribosomal small subunit DNA fragments of fungal origin. Of the 257 sequences recovered, 203 belonged to Glomeromycota AM fungi. Phylogenetic analysis assigned the Glomeromycota sequences into 22 operational taxonomic units belonging to three families including Archaeosporaceae, Glomeraceae, and Paraglomeraceae. In agreement with previous reports, Glomus group A fungi dominated the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi community of maize, but we found a relatively high richness of phylotypes within this group even after such an extreme and durable reduction of host plant diversity. Agricultural practices, including mineral fertilization and incorporating stalk residues, significantly affected the diversity within Glomus group A.     

Combining novel monitoring tools and precision application technologies for integrated high-tech crop protection in the future (a discussion document)

The possibility of combining novel monitoring techniques and precision spraying for crop protection in the future is discussed. A generic model for an innovative crop protection system has been used as a framework. This system will be able to monitor the entire cropping system and identify the presence of relevant pests, diseases and weeds online, and will be location specific. The system will offer prevention, monitoring, interpretation and action which will be performed in a continuous way. The monitoring is divided into several parts. Planting material, seeds and soil should be monitored for prevention purposes before the growing period to avoid, for example, the introduction of disease into the field and to ensure optimal growth conditions. Data from previous growing seasons, such as the location of weeds and previous diseases, should also be included. During the growing season, the crop will be monitored at a macroscale level until a location that needs special attention is identified. If relevant, this area will be monitored more intensively at a microscale level. A decision engine will analyse the data and offer advice on how to control the detected diseases, pests and weeds, using precision spray techniques or alternative measures. The goal is to provide tools that are able to produce high-quality products with the minimal use of conventional plant protection products. This review describes the technologies that can be used or that need further development in order to achieve this goal.     

Evaluation of the length of competitive life in Hungarian sport horses

The aim of this study was to analyse the duration of the competitive life of jumping horses in Hungary to assess the potential for genetic evaluation and to get information about the risk factors affecting jumping performance of sport horses. The data set included lifetime performance in jumping competitions for 8475 horses born from 1992 onwards with records between 1996 and 2011 (32.7% were right‐censored). Longevity was measured as the number of years spent in the competition. Discrete time survival model included fixed effects of gender, age at first competition, and the time‐dependent effect of competition level. All fixed effects were highly significant (p < 0.001). The highest risk of ending the race career was estimated for horses competing in the lowest level (category 1) events. The smallest risk was found in horses competing in the highest category. The culling risk for stallions was 15% higher, for geldings 20% lower when compared to mares. As the age at the first competition result increased, the risk ratio also increased. Risk ratios of horses starting as 8 years old or older were 56% higher than those of 5‐year‐old horses. The longest time in sport tracks belonged to horses starting their career as 4 years old. Their culling risk was 20% lower than those of 5‐year‐old horses. The heritability of the length of competitive life was 0.17. Breeding values were predicted for each animals, and 47 showed an accuracy greater than 0.60. The clear benefit of the analysis was shown by comparison of offspring to extreme stallion groups.     

Random regression model estimation of genetic parameters for show‐jumping results of Hungarian Sporthorses

The aim of this study was to estimate the genetic parameters for show‐jumping competition performance of Hungarian Sporthorses using a random regression model. There were 21 210 records from 739 horses collected in Hungary between 1996 and 2004. Performance was expressed as shifted Blom normalized ranks and as the difference between fence height and fault points. The random regression model (RRM) included fixed effects for sex, year, location, and obstacle height and random effects for animal, rider and permanent environment. Regressions for the random effects in the RRM were modelled with Legendre polynomials from first to fifth order of fit. The model focused on performance of horses from 4 to 11 years of age, with heterogeneous residual variances considered. The heritabilities were low to moderate for both variables. Genetic and phenotypic correlations between different ages decreased with increasing distance between the ages.