The conference provided an opportunity for researchers and students from different fields of soil sciences to present their latest research results in the form of oral presentations or posters. During the lunch break the organisers prepared a surprise programme, the 75th birthday of the Institute for Soil Sciences was celebrated by a cake.
Special conference theme: The main focus of the conference will be on soil conditioning and how to improve soil quality in practice.
Key topics:
• Application of effective measures to mitigate the negative impacts of soil degradation processes.
• Soil amendments and soil conditioner (incl. fertilization and inhibitor treatment): their potential benefits to meet the demands of improving yields without compromising the environment.
• Soil and plant health monitoring for more sustainable agriculture practices.
• Proximal and remote sensing as complementary tools for studying changes in soil processes.
Registration (until May 3, 2024)
Information on how to reach the conference venue
We look forward to seeing you at our event!
Organizing Committee of ARSD2024
In this context, the Ministry of Agriculture has launched a 6-year research programme in collaboration with the HUN-REN ATK Institute for Soil Sciences, in which small plot and farm experiments were set up to study the use of N active substances at levels exceeding the maximum N application rates (Nmax) currently in force and their agronomic, efficiency and environmental impact.
Sándor Koós started the lecture series with a retrospective presentation of all the projects (carried out between 2015 and 2024) launched jointly by the Ministry of Agriculture and the Institute for Soil Sciences on the different elements of the N and C cycles.
Following, Sándor Koós presented the main objectives of the small plot Nmax experiment series, the experiment locations, parameters and the results in 2023.
Anita Szabó presented the Nmax experiment series at the farm level, presenting the basic concept of the experiment, the locations, the farmers involved, the parameters of the experiment setup and the 2023 results.
Afterwards, Béla Pirkó presented the results of the two Nmax experiments based on a 6-year data series, summarizing that the experiments demonstrated no increase in environmental risk with higher Nmax doses, indicating that the plants can effectively utilize the increased N active ingredient applied. The experiments confirmed that N balances are strongly negative under domestic agricultural practices, which is also reflected in Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE) values. At the very end of his speech he presented the new Nmax values proposed by Institute for Soil Sciences for 9 different cultivated crops.
Last but not least, Márk Rékási presented the results of the ongoing research on organic fertilizers and organic wastes, including biogas residues. At the end of his presentation, he outlined the research projects planned for 2024, the tasks undertaken in relation to the delineation of the agricultural carbon footprint and the delimitation of soil health zones in Hungary, and the continuation of research on organic fertilisers focusing on digestates.
Following the presentations, questions and comments were invited. It is worth mentioning that the farmers present confirmed the results of the research, its importance and timeliness, and unanimously called for the introduction of new Nmax values.
The representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture present indicated that they continue to rely heavily on targeted research to underpin their policies, in which they continue to give our Institute a prominent role.
The presentations (PDF, in Hungarian) can be downloaded from the following links:
The aim of the Pro Geographia Szegediensis award is to draw attention to the colleagues who have contributed significantly to the reputation of the Szeged School of Geography at national and international level, and to express the gratitude of the donating professional organization for their activities. The award is thus granted to those who have collaborated with the higher education of geography in Szeged, in the field of basic- and applied research or teaching in the long term, or have actively supported such collaboration at the organisational level, preferably in the form of scientific works and successful professional projects.
Special conference theme: The main focus of the conference will be on soil conditioning and how to improve soil quality in practice.
Key topics:
Conference participation is free of charge but registration is required.
Download 3rd announcement in PDF
Registration and abstract submission
We look forward to seeing you at our event!
Organizing Committee of ARSD2024
The researchers investigated the bacterial composition and microbial activity pattern in soils under four typical sodic grassland vegetation in Apaj, Kiskunság National Park, Hungary. They found that the genus-level bacterial composition and community-level physiological profiles differed significantly in soils with different alkaline vegetation. The results showed that the soil pH, together with salt content, and Na+ content of the soils were the main edaphic factors influencing both bacterial diversity and metabolic activity patterns in the investigated soils with different salinity and sodicity.
The article can be accessed at the following link:
Enhancements in the elaboration process of HU-SoilHydroGrids:
HU-SoilHydroGrids provides nationwide information on the most frequently required soil hydraulic properties (water content at saturation, field capacity and wilting point, saturated hydraulic conductivity and van Genuchten parameters for the description of the moisture retention curve) at a spatial resolution of 100 meters, up to 2 meters soil depth for six GSM standard layers. In comparison to EU-SoilHydroGrids, the description of soil moisture retention curves and hydraulic conductivity has significantly reduced squared error in the case of HU-SoilHydroGrids.
HU-SoilHydroGrids opens up possibilities for countrywide applications and research studies to analyze environmental problems. The further development of this dataset will be directed by its integration into environmental models and their subsequent practical application. The derived 3D soil hydraulic database (ver1.0) is presently available in the frame of National Laboratory for Water Science and Water Safety for project partners in order to test its functional performance in describing hydrological and ecological processes.
Special conference theme: The main focus of the conference will be on soil conditioning and how to improve soil quality in practice.
Key topics:
Conference participation is free of charge but registration is required.
Download 2nd announcement in PDF
Registration and abstract submission
We look forward to seeing you at our event!
Organizing Committee of ARSD2024
Special conference theme: The main focus of the conference will be on soil conditioning and how to improve soil quality in practice.
Key topics:
Conference participation is free of charge but registration is required.
Download 1st announcement in PDF
Registration and abstract submission: Open from 25 March 2024 (more details in the 2nd announcement)
We look forward to seeing you at our event!
Organizing Committee of ARSD2024
