Soil related environmental considerations of farmers in the Great Hungarian Plain

Abstract

Climate change and associated environmental changes are the major sustainability challenges facing the world today. The selection of appropriate agrotechnological elements is required not only to increase the quality and quantity of food produced but as well as reducing the costs of the farmers and protecting the environment for future generations. In the Great Hungarian Plain, the adoption of recent environmentally friendly technologies is still not sufficient and the region faces various environmental challenges. This study aimed to analyse the economic and environmental consciousness of farmers in the selection of 3 agrotechnological elements (soil protective cultivation, soil reclamation/conditioning, manure application). A pilot study was conducted on 5 representative farmers, in which they were interviewed, and questionnaires were designed to critically analyse farmers’ perceptions of the environment based on the opinions of 106 respondents. The result show that farmers are aware of the environmental impacts of selected technologies in their farms. They highlighted some of the environmental challenges they are experiencing including drought, secondary salinization, and unfavourable soil properties. However, they showed more economic than environmental consciousness, as they suggested that it was important to be familiar with economic issues and conditions to ensure higher income. The level of willingness to introduce or apply soil protective cultivation, soil reclamation/conditioning, and manure differed from low to high.