Zita Szalai

The field production of tomato faces challenges regarding abiotic stress factors, which unfavorably impact fruit quality traits. Hedgerows, a form of agroforestry, offer a climate-resilient strategy to buffer temperatures and reduce the impact of direct wind stress on crop production. This study assessed the impact of hedgerow microclimate modulation effects on open-field tomato fruit quality, employing three genotypes (Roma, Ace55, and Szentlőrinckáta). Key quality traits (Total Soluble Solids (TSS), Titratable Acidity (TA), Sugar–Acid Ratio (SAR), Ferric-Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP), Total Phenolic Content (TPC), Chroma (C*), and Hue (h^o)) were measured over two harvests per season, in two consecutive years (2023–2024). Plots were positioned at five distances (3, 6, 9, 12, and 15 m from the hedge) on both windy and protected sides (W1–W5 and P1–P5, respectively, with 1 showing the closest position). We observed that the microclimate of the protected side was consistently warmer, with an average deviation from the reference temperature of +3.54 °C at mid-distances and +0.38 °C higher overall across both growing seasons. Results show that mid-distance zones (P3–P4, W3–W4) consistently exhibited the highest C* (up to 39.44) at W4 and TSS values at W1 (7.00 °Bx). Protected sides favored higher TA at P3 (0.70%) and Hue (h^o) values at P3 with (53.06 ± 0.30) with Ace55 and SAR at P3 (16.35) with Szentlőrinckáta. Windy sides significantly enhanced FRAP and TPC, with the Szentlőrinckáta genotype exhibiting the highest antioxidant capacity at W1 (23.67 mg AAE 100 g⁻¹, FRAP) and TPC (244.17 mg GAE 100 g⁻¹). At W4, Roma showed a 9.4% increase in TPC in the second harvest, while Ace55 showed the highest FRAP values during late-season sampling, highlighting genotype-specific antioxidant resilience under contrasting microclimates. These findings suggest that mid-distance zones and microclimatic variation between windy and protected sides remarkably influence fruit quality traits and antioxidant profiles.

Az ökológiai gazdálkodás pozitív hatását a talaj termékenységére számos kutatás igazolta. További javulás érhető el a talajegészségében, ha az ökológiai gazdálkodásban a talajművelés minimalizálása és a talaj folyamatos növényi borítottsága is hangsúlyos célként fogalmazódik meg. A hagyományos talajvizsgálatok elsősorban a talaj kémiai tulajdonságait, a tápanyag- ellátottságát vizsgálják és figyelmen kívül hagyják a talajt, mint olyan élő rendszert, ami hozzájárul a növény folyamatos táplálásához, egészséges fejlődéséhez, meghatározva a termés beltartalmi és táplálkozás élettani tulajdonságait is. Jelen kutatás a forgatás nélküli művelés és a takarónövények alkalmazásának rövidtávú hatását vizsgálja néhány talajbiológiai tulajdonság változására. Teszteltük a talajok dehidrogenáz (DHA) és fluoreszcein-diacetát (FDA) hidrolízissel kimutatható enzimaktivitását, továbbá a mikorrhiza gombák glomalinnal összefüggő talajfehérjéinek könnyen kinyerhető formáját. A három évig tartó ökológiai gazdálkodási kísérletben egy hagyományos szántásra alapozott művelést (SZ) hasonlítottunk össze forgatás nélküli műveléssel (K) és azt kiegészítve takarónövények alkalmazásával (KT). A talajok biológiai tulajdonságai közül a DHA enzim aktivitásban találtunk szignifikáns különbséget a KT kezelésben (+47,4%). Az FDA enzim aktivitásban, a tápanyag tartalomban (NPK), a glomalin tartalomban (EEGRSP) két év alatt még nem volt kimutatható változás a különböző talajkezelések között. A változatos összetételű takarónövény-keverék már rövidtávon is kifejtette hatását a DHA enzimaktivitáson keresztül. Az eredmények a talajegészség módszerek összehangolt, következetes és kombinált alkalmazásának a szükségességét is alátámasztották.

The planting of inter-row cover vegetation has long been practised in Western European fruit-growing regions, yet research in this area remains limited in many countries. With the rise of organic farming, the role and selection of inter-row cover species are becoming increasingly important. Proper species selection enhances weed control and promotes biodiversity, supporting flowering plants and beneficial insects in orchards. The six-year research aimed to develop a multi-species, perennial, multifunctional inter-row cover species mixture for a dry continental climate, which is suitable for soil protection and the displacement of heat-loving, drought-tolerant, invasive weed species. There was another expectation for this native seed mixture to be able to regenerate spontaneously and to be sustainable in the orchard for a long time with minimal maintenance. Based on our results, the two multi-species mixtures (15 and 18 species) successfully reduced the cover of weed species, and their composition changed in the direction of the natural flora characteristic of the area. According to general management practices, native species could not widely appear in the control rows created by mowing the local weed flora.

Biologically active compounds are key-important ingredients of tomato fruits, especially those produced by organic agricultural practices. Being biologically effective soil treatments, microbial inoculants can improve soil quality through a variety of mechanisms. Their activity can influence soil properties and plant development, thereby determining the quantity and quality of the crop. However, little research was done on how these inoculants affect the nutritional quality of the tomato fruit and on the antioxidant status of the fruits. This study investigated lycopene content and total antioxidant capacity of organically grown tomato fruits (Solanum lycopersicum L. var. ‘Mobil’) using various types of single and combined bioeffector products in two growing seasons. Single inoculation contained Trichoderma harzianum, plant growth promoting Pseudomonas sp., and phosphorus-mobilizing Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strains. The combined treatment consisted of biotic Trichoderma harzianum, Pseudomonas fluorescens, and Bacillus subtilis strains with abiotic micronutrients of zinc and manganese. Sum of ranking differences method, as a multicriteria optimization method, was used to rank the treatments and identify the ones deviating the least from the reference treatment. The results showed that all microbial soil inoculants positively affected tomato lycopene content. The combined treatment showed significantly higher lycopene content than the Control in both years. We found that weather and climate conditions also greatly influence the total antioxidant capacity. Based on our results, we recommend the use of combined bioeffective treatments to improve the food quality value of tomato fruits.

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is grown worldwide in open fields and greenhouses in a range of climate conditions. Hedgerows are a type of agroforestry systems that monitors ecological and influence microclimate conditions. An experiment was conducted at the Soroksár experimental field of the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences in 2022 to investigate the influence of hedgerow technology on tomato plant leaves, N, P, K, chlorophyll, and carotene mineral levels from different distances, Exposed sides W1-3m, W2-9m and W3-15m and Protected sides NP1-3m, NP2-9m and NP3-15m, meters from the hedgerow trees. The results investigate potassium and carotene, as well as chlorophyll b levels, are less differed among the protected and exposed side of the hedgerows trees, while the others were impacted to a certain extent; nitrogen and chlorophyll content was generally higher on the exposed side regardless of variety, while in the case of phosphorus adverse effects were observed. Distance from the hedge showed similar patterns for all traits. The results will help to better understand the impact of alternate technologies on tomato production in open-field conditions. Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is grown worldwide in open fields and greenhouses in a range of climate conditions. Hedgerows are a type of agroforestry systems that monitors ecological and influence microclimate conditions. An experiment was conducted at the Soroksár experimental field of the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences in 2022 to investigate the influence of hedgerow technology on tomato plant leaves, N, P, K, chlorophyll, and carotene mineral levels from different distances, Exposed sides W1-3m, W2-9m and W3-15m and Protected sides NP1-3m, NP2-9m and NP3-15m, meters from the hedgerow trees. The results investigate potassium and carotene, as well as chlorophyll b levels, are less differed among the protected and exposed side of the hedgerows trees, while the others were impacted to a certain extent; nitrogen and chlorophyll content was generally higher on the exposed side regardless of variety, while in the case of phosphorus adverse effects were observed. Distance from the hedge showed similar patterns for all traits. The results will help to better understand the impact of alternate technologies on tomato production in open-field conditions.

Hedgerow systems are capable of modulating the environmental impacts of cultivated species, thus supporting them by providing beneficial ecosystem services. This study focuses on assessing the impact of insect damage caused by potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata), cotton bollworm (Helicoverpa armigera), fungal infections by (Phytophthora infestans), and wildlife damage from rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) and roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) on three tomato genotypes, ‘Szentlőrinckáta’, ‘ACE55′, and ‘Roma’ produced in a hedgerow system. Plants were grown in random block design on both sides of a hedgerow at the Soroksár experimental field of the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences in 2022. The plots were situated at five distances (3 m, 6 m, 9 m, 12 m, and 15 m) from the hedgerow on both windy and protected sides. The results indicate that variety selection has a significant effect on fruit production; ‘ACE55′ yielded less amounts of healthy unripe and ripened fruits compared to ‘Roma’ and ‘Szentlőrinckáta’. Tomato variety, side, and distance significantly influenced insect damage and overall yield in tomato plants. Fungal damage was not significantly affected by variety, side, and distance. Potato beetle damage was more prevalent on the protected side; ‘ACE55‘ had significantly fewer damaged fruits compared to other genotypes. Wild animal damage was significantly affected by distance from the hedgerow. Insect damage was higher on the protected side and lower on the windy side of the hedgerow, depending on insects and survey date. Despite higher insect damage, the protected side generally promoted healthy red and green fruit production, particularly for ‘Roma’ and ‘Szentlőrinckáta’.

The natural environment of crops is exposed to a complex collection of biotic and abiotic pressures. Abiotic stresses cover a diversity of environmental elements that cannot be avoided, such as temperature, drought, salinity, cold, heat, light, and water stress. Biotic stress is caused by living organisms with which plants coexist and interact. Pathogens and herbivores are examples of biotic stressors that can threaten food security and result in significant economic losses. Agricultural production systems differ in the extent of stress towards cultivated crops; agroforestry is considered to provide a protective function against environmental stress. The concept of this review was to assess the impact of environmental change and the atmospheric variability on the plants in agroforestry systems. The application of trees in field crop production has become more and more involved in practice, especially in areas with an extreme climate and unfavorable soil conditions. The main reasons for the rising interest are the effects of climate change, soil degradation, and erosion. Most of the trees are used as hedgerows or farm boundaries, or as scattered planting on the farm to control soil erosion as well as to improve farm productivity, which requires a thorough understanding of each stress element.