This paper provides an overview of the progress of tillage in Hungary. The local and international impacts on the national practice are summarized, and some adoption of the conservation tillage results is presented concerning Hungary. The interest in conservation agriculture in Hungary dates back almost 120 years; however, any significant changes only occurred in the last 50 years. Interestingly, the factors of progress and restraint in tillage have appeared simultaneously over the years. Among the factors restraining tillage progress, the most retarding were the beliefs that have existed for many decades, as soil conservation was not considered nor was the need to mitigate climate-related hazards. Progress was driven by the commitment to soil protection, the opportunity to raise farming standards, and the need to mitigate climate-related threats. Since the average yield in Hungary was usually sufficient for the domestic need, the main objective of crop production was to avoid yield loss. Long-term experimental data and monitoring results were considered for this study. The impacts of new tillage solutions, elaborated in foreign countries, on tillage modernization were reviewed. The experiences and first results in no-till (direct drilling) and strip-tillage showed that difficulties can gradually be reduced through site-specific technology solutions. The need for subsoiling is not a matter of debate nowadays but rather the timing of operation and the investigation of the duration of the effects. Due to its complex advantages, tine tillage occupies an increasing rank among soil conservation systems. The area of ploughed soils has decreased; however, improved implementation is required.

This study evaluates the impact of ten stubble tillage methods, cultivators, and disk harrows, on clay loam soil under uncovered and mulched conditions during a wetter-than-average (+20% precipitation) summer in 2020. Key parameters such as soil moisture, penetration resistance, soil structure, surface coverage, and earthworm abundance were assessed. Shallow tillage with the Lemken Rubin 9 disk preserved the highest soil moisture (27.65% at 15–30 cm depth) while reducing compaction. Mulched conditions with the Bird cultivator yielded the highest earthworm abundance, while uncovered treatments, such as Carrier deep, outperformed covered alternatives in some cases. The study underscores the role of stubble tillage in soil conservation, particularly under climate change scenarios, and aligns with the European Green Deal’s emphasis on sustainable and resilient agricultural practices by contributing to the development of sustainable farming practices.

Enhancing the nutritional content of crops is crucial for safeguarding human health and mitigating global hunger. A viable method for attaining this goal is the planned implementation of various agronomic practices, including tillage and nutrient provision. A field experiment was executed at the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences in Gödöllő in the 2023 and 2024 growing seasons. The study aimed to assess the effects of foliar nutrient supply and soil tillage methods on the grain nutritional composition and mineral content of winter barley. Employing a split-plot design with three replications, the experiment included four nutrient treatments (control, bio-cereal, bio-algae, and MgSMnZn blend) and two soil tillage types (i.e., plowing and cultivator). The results indicated that while protein content was not influenced by the main effects of nutrients and tillage, the levels of β-glucan, starch, crude ash, and moisture content were significantly (p < 0.05) affected by the nutrient treatments and by growing year, treated as a random factor. Notably, bio-algae and bio-cereal nutrients, combined with cultivator tillage, enhanced β-glucan content. All applied nutrient treatments increased the level of starch compared to the control. With regard to grain mineral content, the iron and zinc content responded to the nutrient supply, tillage, and growing year. However, applying a multiple-nutrient composition-based treatment did not increase iron and zinc levels, suggesting that individual applications may be more effective for increasing the content of these minerals in grains. Cultivator tillage improved iron and zinc levels. Moreover, manganese (Mn) and copper (Cu) were predominantly affected by nutrient availability and by growing seasons as a random factor. Therefore, to improve grain quality, this study emphasizes the significance of proper nutrient and tillage methods by focusing on the intricate relationships between agronomic techniques and environmental factors that shape barley’s nutritional profile.

Continuous world population growth imposes the need to produce higher-quality food. Due to the high content of valuable protein and high concentration of carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, soybean (Glycine max L.) is one of the most essential leguminous and oilseed crop that contributes to human alimentation and animal nutrition. This study assesses the possible impacts of soybean seedling development and seeds’ quality indicators correlate to water supply aboveground and in the root zone. The level of water management is crucial in and out of the growing season; however, the increase in temperature may adversely affect climatic conditions. As a consequence of water contained in soil, leguminous crops can improve soil texture and the capacity of minerals if admissible water is available for the crop. Soil tillage is cardinal for agricultural water management; by practising proper tillage continuously, soil properties can increase, and exposedness can decrease in the long term.

Temperature stress significantly affects seed germination and seedling development by disrupting physiological and biochemical processes in peanuts and chickpeas. Understanding these effects is crucial for improving germination efficiency, optimizing seedling establishment, and developing stress-tolerant crops, which are essential for ensuring agricultural productivity under changing climatic conditions. Therefore, this study, conducted in 2023, examines the germination and seedling development of peanut and chickpea seeds under abiotic stress. Temperature ranges of 5 - 10 - 15 - 20 - 25 - 30 - 35 - 40 - and 45 0C were used. Temperature significantly influenced the germination percentage, germination duration, and seedling development of both crops. The ideal level for peanuts is 25 °C, with a range from 20 to 30 °C. The ideal temperature for the laboratory experiment of chickpeas is 20 Celsius degrees, with a more comprehensive range from 15 to 20 °C. Lower temperatures affect the seedling development rate and germination, while higher temperatures negatively impact germination percentage. This study is unique due to its focus on the crop, its comparison to other research, and the specific levels and types of abiotic stress applied.

Choosing the most sustainable and ecologically stable soil tillage techniques requires dependence on long-term field trials, which are essential for successful interventions and evidence-based decision-making. This research evaluated several factors, including soil biological activity (CO₂ emission), soil chemical properties (pH (KCl), soil organic matter (SOM)), plant growth physiological indicators (Leaf Area Index (LAI), Soil and Plant Analysis Development (SPAD)), crop yield, and grain quality (Zeleny index, protein %, oil %, and gluten % content), under six soil cultivation methods that represent varying degrees of soil disturbance in a long-term (23 years) tillage experiment. Conventional tillage (ploughing (P)) and conservational tillage techniques (loosening (L), deep cultivation (DC), shallow cultivation (SC), disking (D), and no-till (NT)) were examined for three years (2022, 2023, and 2024) in a winter barley–soybean–winter wheat cropping system. Results indicate that tillage intensity has a differential influence on soil biological parameters, with minor variations in SPAD values across treatments. The findings show significant variations in CO₂ emissions, LAI values, and grain quality in certain years, likely due to the influence of P and L tillage treatments. The novelty of this study lies in determining that, although the short-term effects of soil tillage on crop physiological parameters and grain yield may be minimal under fluctuating climatic conditions, long-term tillage practices significantly influence existing disparities, underscoring the necessity for site-specific and climate-resilient tillage strategies in sustainable crop production.