The challenges of a changing climate have directed greater attention to afforestation, but the effects of afforestation on soil fertility and soil biota have not been fully clarified. To explore changes in the soil conditions in two 20-year-old forest plantations established in formerly intensively fertilized plots of agricultural land, we focused on the current developmental state of the sites that received the most fertilizer and evaluated soil properties and Collembola (springtails) communities. Sessile oak (Quercus petraea) and black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) that had been planted in the afforestation sites were assessed for differences between plantations of native and invasive species. Five adjacent reference associations, including forests and open habitats, were also analyzed and compared. Results showed that the soils in the two afforested sites were similar in their properties and Collembola communities to those of the control cultivated forests, but differed from each other in pH, calcium, phosphorus, and ammonium content. The available potassium and phosphorus contents in the soil of the sessile oak plantation were still high, while the soil organic matter content was adequate (SOM > 2.0%) in both plantations. Species richness of Collembola ranged from 18 in the cultivated arable land to 43 in the relict forest. Only a few species typical for forests (e.g.,Neanura muscorum,Isotomiella minor,Entomobrya muscorum) were detected in the young plantations, while species characteristic of open habitats (e.g.,Protaphorura campata,Lepidocyrtus cyaneus) occurred as well. Although more individuals and species of Collembola were present in the soil of young plantations than in arable fields, their community diversities were significantly lower compared to the control forest stands. Collembola community diversity differed significantly also between the two plantation types (with native and non-native tree species). Mean abundance in the afforested sites was about 2.5 times higher than in the cultivated arable land, yet far lower than the mean abundance in the control forests.

It is hardly an exaggeration to state that producing and consuming mushrooms may provide an answer to several of the challenges facing mankind. This research is related to the UN sustainable development goals relative to different issues. First of all, mushroom production uses agricultural and industrial byproducts as inputs and being labor intensive contributes to the job and income creation for undereducated people in less developed areas. In addition, as mushrooms have high protein content and they are a suitable alternative for meat for populations with a diet lacking in variety; at the same time, they also have the potential for food connoisseurs and consumers who make conscious and educated choices to improve their diet by using healthful and environmentally friendly methods. The nutritional value of mushrooms means that consumption could be an important supplementary therapy for several illnesses. The key issue of sector development is the increasing demand. In order to address this, investigation and research related to consumer behavior is needed. The aim of this research was to explore the dimensions of Hungarian mushroom consumer behavior and to segment Hungarian consumers. An online questionnaire survey was conducted between December 2019 and February 2020 and the final sample of 1768 respondents was considered for the purposes of analysis. Exploratory factor analysis was used to identify groups of correlating variables describing mushroom consumption. The authors identified four dimensions of Hungarian mushroom consumer behavior: (1) medicinal and functional properties, (2) consumption for enjoyment, (3) supplementary food source, and (4) negative assessment of the product range. Using cluster analysis, three consumer groups were identified: (1) health-conscious consumers, (2) indifferent consumers, and (3) average consumers. The research results indicated that consumers’ sociodemographic characteristics (age, educational level, marital status, and place of residence) have a significant impact on mushroom consumption behavior. The results of this paper can have implications for policy makers and business management in diversifying their production and selecting marketing tools.

Water supply is a primary contributor to the growth and phytonutrient composition in chili peppers. Several physiological stress factors can influence phytonutrients in chili peppers, resulting in their differential synthesis. Maintaining the right and exact amount of water through a drip system can promote an effective fruit set and crop quality. Four pepper cultivars (‘Hetényi Parázs’; HET, ‘Unikal’; UNIK, ‘Unijol’; UNIJ and ‘Habanero’; HAB) were investigated under different water supply treatments: RF or rain-fed, DI or deficit irrigation, and OWS or optimum water supply. The two-year experiment was carried out in May 2018 and 2019 under open field conditions. Physiological parameters (relative chlorophyll content, chlorophyll fluorescence, and canopy temperature) were measured during the growth stage and phytonutrients (vitamin C, capsaicinoids and carotenoids) analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) at harvest in September. The study revealed that, due to higher precipitation and rainfall interruption, increased water supply affected physiological response and phytonutrients in the cultivars. HAB under OWS had a lower response during the growth period when compared to HET, UNIK, and UNIJ. As water supply increased, measured individual carotenoid concentration increased in some cultivars. On the other hand, as water supply decreased, vitamin C and capsaicinoids concentration increased. Even though cultivars responded to the water supply treatments differently, HET exhibited a more uniform and stable composition in all treatments.

Research background: There is currently a need for empirical research regarding the validity of specific work environment model elements supported by strong statistical evidence. The amount of research conducted in this field has been particularly limited in Central-Eastern Europe. The desire to fill in these gaps was at least in part responsible for the uniqueness of the research approach and its differences from previous similar studies. Purpose of the article: The purpose of this study was to examine factors affecting employee engagement and to examine their relationship with each other using Visegrad countries as an example. Methods: The initial data is taken from the fourth European Company Survey (2019) for management respondents. After data cleaning, the sample sizes for Czechia, Hungary Poland, and Slovakia are N(CZ)=904, N(HU)=682, N(PL)=511, and N(SK)=361, respectively. As a result of the exploratory factor analysis (EFA), the following five dimensions were identified for this research: (1) inclusiveness, (2) empowerment, (3) work autonomy, (4) organizational learning environment, and (5) work engagement. An analysis of structural equation modeling (SEM) was conducted to determine the links that exist among these dimensions of a constructive work environment. Findings & value added: The structural model indicates that inclusiveness and empowerment have a significant positive impact on work engagement in all the countries examined. Inclusiveness was the strongest predictor of work engagement, followed by empowerment. Both of the two other predictors in the model (workplace autonomy and organizational learning environment) generally had less or no effect on employee engagement. The present study extends recent literature on work engagement by empirically validating the influence of workplace environment-related factors, as well as providing useful organizational policy recommendations for managers.

The aim of this study was to determine the environmental suitability of conservation tillage systems. A 3-year experiment was conducted in Croatia, to study the effects of different tillage treatments on soil properties, with the following: deep (DC), shallow tine cultivation (SC) and ploughing (P). Soil penetration resistance (SPR) was significantly greater in P compared to DC in all three years. In 2016, it was found at 30–40 and 40–50 cm; in 2017 at 10–20 cm; in 2018 at 0–10 and 10–20 cm. However, SC was significantly greater at 20–30, 30–40 and 40–50 cm compared to P and DC in 2017. The greater surface coverage in DC and SC (>30%) as compared to P (<1%) provided significantly higher soil moisture content (SMC) in maize (2016) and soybean (2018). In 2017, SMC in SC was significantly lower than in P and DC. Regarding all the 3 years, the agronomic structure in DC and SC had significantly greater crumb ratio compared to P, whereas P had significantly higher dust ratio than DC and SC. Throughout the 15 measurements, DC provided the most favorable soil habitat (11 occasions out of 15). In 2017, the earthworm abundance was significantly higher in DC compared to SC. In all the three years, DC resulted the highest yield, however the difference was not significant. Higher surface coverage and SMC positively impacted the ratio of agronomic structure (decreased dust and increased crumb ratio) and earthworm abundance. It can be concluded that DC and SC provided greater soil coverage which positively affected SPR, SMC, agronomic structure and earthworm abundance as compared to P.

Qatar FIFA 2022 was the first FIFA Football World Cup to be hosted by an Arab state and was predicted by some to fail. However, it did not only succeed but also showed a new display of destination sustainability upon hosting mega-sport events and linked tourism. Yet, some impacts tend to be long-term and need further analysis. The study aims to understand both positive and negative impacts on destination sustainability resulting from hosting mega-sport events, using bibliometric analysis of published literature during the last forty-seven years, and reflecting on the recent World Cup 2022 tournament in Qatar. A total of 2519 sources containing 665 open-access articles with 10,523 citations were found using the keywords “sport tourism” and “mega-sport”. The study found various literature researching the economic impacts in-depth, less on environmental impacts, and much less on social and cultural impacts on host communities. Debates exist in the literature concerning presumed economic benefits and motivations for hosting, and less on actual results achieved. Although World Cup 2022 is considered the most expensive among previous versions, destination sustainability seems to have benefited from the event’s hosting. Socio-cultural impacts of hosting mega-sport events seem to be addressed to an extent in the Qatar version of the World Cup, as well as environmental impacts while creating a unique image for FIFA 2022 and the destination itself. FIFA showcased this as using carbon-neutral technologies to create the micro-climate including perforated walls in the eight state-of-the-art stadiums, with the incorporation of a circular modular design for energy and water efficiency and zero-waste deconstruction post-event. The global event also drew attention and respect to the local community and underprivileged groups such as people with disabilities. Further research is needed to understand the demand-side perspective including the local community of Qatar and the event’s participants, and to analyze the long-term impacts and lessons learned from the Qatari experience.