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 Szentl & odblac;rinck & aacute;ta). 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 (ho)) 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 degrees C at mid-distances and +0.38 degrees 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 degrees Bx). Protected sides favored higher TA at P3 (0.70%) and Hue (ho) values at P3 with (53.06 +/- 0.30) with Ace55 and SAR at P3 (16.35) with Szentl & odblac;rinck & aacute;ta. Windy sides significantly enhanced FRAP and TPC, with the Szentl & odblac;rinck & aacute;ta 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.

Climate change intensifies drought, heat stress, and production instability, requiring scalable monitoring systems to support climate-smart agriculture. Remote sensing has evolved into operational decision-support infrastructure enabled by open-access satellite archives, multi-sensor integration, cloud-native computing, and machine learning. This review synthesizes peer-reviewed literature (2000–2025) and proposes a unified five-layer computational framework for agricultural climate adaptation. The framework integrates data acquisition, cloud processing, machine learning analytics, data fusion, and decision-support outputs into end-to-end workflows. The synthesis is based on a structured review of 120 core peer-reviewed studies, complemented by additional foundational and methodological references to ensure technical depth. Comparative evidence indicates that multi-sensor fusion enhances robustness relative to single-source approaches. Optical-radar integration using Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 has achieved classification accuracies of up to 89 % in cloud-prone regions, compared to approximately 76 % using optical data alone. ML-based yield prediction models frequently improve performance by 5–20 % in R2 relative to empirical regression under data-rich conditions, while multi-temporal ML approaches enable detection of crop stress 2–4 weeks before visible symptoms occur. However, ML superiority over process-based models is conditional on calibration quality, data availability, and cross-regional transferability. Cloud-based platforms have reduced computational barriers and enabled large-scale time-series analysis, supporting operational monitoring from field to regional scales. Despite these advances, reproducibility limitations, ground-truth data scarcity, and reduced transferability across agroecological zones remain significant constraints, particularly in smallholder-dominated systems. Advancing climate-smart agricultural monitoring therefore depends not only on improved sensing technologies, but on interoperable, reproducible, and transferable computational frameworks capable of delivering reliable decision support across heterogeneous agricultural landscapes.

The advancement of controlled environment agriculture (CEA) has amplified the importance of light quality in crop production, particularly for high-value horticultural crops like tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.). The central research question is to analyse tomato targeted LED light settings focusing on seedling production, plant production and protection, nutritional value, tomato-specific light measurement, design, application, recommendations for growers, and future perspectives. This review synthesizes the latest technological developments in LED grow light applications for tomato cultivation, with a focus on light quality (spectral composition), light quantity (intensity), and light timing (photoperiod). In tomato cultivation, light intensity typically ranges from 200 to 400 mu mol center dot m-2 center dot s-1 with a 16-20 h photoperiod, supporting healthy early growth, while lower levels from 100 to 150 mu mol center dot m-2 center dot s-1 can sustain photosynthesis during seedling grafting. With an 18 h photoperiod, adding 2 h of night lighting further improved seedling health, biomass, and root activity. Emphasis is placed on how these parameters influence physiological processes and the accumulation of phytonutrients, while also addressing promising lighting strategies with roles in plant protection and post-harvest optimization. The highest lycopene and beta-carotene levels were obtained under a B:G:R ratio of 58:30:12 (460, 525, 630 nm) at 150 & micro;mol center dot m-2 center dot s-1. Blue light from 405 to 462 nm limits Botrytis spoilage, and UV-A/UV-C suppress Fusarium, Oidium, Penicillium. Key aspects of light design, monitoring, and measurement are also discussed, with emphasis on fresh tomato production. The most important light factors in different growing stages of tomato were identified. Coherences of light spectra, intensity, duration, LED-plant placement (geometry) and homogeneity aspects with productionbiological traits in fresh tomato CEA experiments were summarized. Plant protection LED applications were explored in depth. Future trends related to tomato CEA production driven by networked sensor systems (internet of things, IoT) based automated systems are discussed as well. Finally, LED light specific recommendations were proposed for tomato growers and consultants.

Peat extraction contributes to habitat loss, lowers water tables in peatlands, and releases stored carbon into the atmosphere. Rising awareness about the unsustainable use of peat as a growing medium has led to the search for more environmentally friendly alternatives. Leaf mould (also known as leaf compost), derived from deciduous leaves and characterised by a soft, porous structure, represents a potentially renewable peat-free substrate for seedling production. This study evaluated the suitability of mature leaf mould for vegetable seedling production using a citizen science approach. Hobby and market gardeners from Hungary cultivated lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.), kale (Brassica oleracea var. sabellica L.), kohlrabi (Brassica oleracea var. gongylodes L.), and pak choi (Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis (L.) Hanelt) in leaf mould and in commercially available or homemade control substrates. Seed emergence and seedling development were monitored for up to six weeks. Data collected included seed emergence, visual seedling appearance, and the number of true leaves, supported by photographic records. Overall, leaf mould supported seed germination to a similar extent as the control substrates. Seedling appearance was significantly improved in leaf mould compared with the control media for kale (p = 0.016) and pak choi (p = 0.007). Of the four crops, only pak choi developed significantly fewer true leaves in leaf mould than in the control substrates. The comparable performance of seedlings grown in leaf mould and control substrates, together with the observed improvements in seedling appearance for some crops, indicates that mature leaf mould can effectively support the early development of the tested vegetable seedlings. It may therefore represent a viable peat-free substrate for seedling production. The findings also demonstrate the potential of citizen science for evaluating horticultural growing media under practical cultivation conditions.

As climate change intensifies, organic agriculture faces new challenges in maintaining sustainability and environmental health. Precision agriculture offers climate-smart solutions by enabling resource efficient and data-driven farming. However, the adoption of precision agriculture technologies (PATs) is influenced by various socio-economic factors, behavioral factors, financial factors, institutional factors and technological factors. Adaptation factors for precision agriculture technologies and their application in response to climate change were identified through a systematic literature review (SLR) of 58 papers from journals indexed in Scopus and Web of Science. The investigation was performed for the Visegrad group countries: Czechia, Slovakia, Poland, and Hungary. Some of these technologies include satellite imaging, remote sensing, soil moisture sensors, and precision irrigation systems, which enable more efficient use of water, fertilizers, and energy. Through a comparative analysis of the application of precision agriculture technologies in the V4 countries, this review underscores the importance of tailored PA approaches to address a specific climate challenge and promote sustainable agricultural practices in the V4 countries.

Integration of breeding innovations and epigenetic modifications offers the potential to boost productivity and promote sustainable agricultural practices, particularly in tomato production, which accounts for 16 % of global vegetable production. They are susceptible to various stress factors, Both abiotic (light, temperature, water, humidity, nutrients) and biotic (pests, diseases), which can impact fruit quality and reduce yield quantity by 50-70 %leading to food insecurity and economic losses. Climatic factors impact the traditional farming of tomatoes in the open field; innovative technologies aim to tackle the adverse effects of both abiotic and biotic stress factors. It highlights advancements in crop productivity and stress tolerance, including increased phytochemicals biosynthesis, improved water use efficiency, and soil salinity tolerance. However, challenges like photooxidative damage and downregulation of anthocyanin biosynthetic genes persist. This review provides highlights of promising technologies to mitigate the impact of stress factors on open field tomato production, highlighting both qualitative and quantitative losses. Besides sustainable systematic solutions, such as agroforestry systems, the advantages of using beneficial microbial endophytes, nanomaterials, and exogenous phytohormones in agriculture are discussed.

Ever-growing cities constantly increase the distance between suburban regions and semi-urban areas on the perimeter of the cities, where traditional crop production can take place with relatively fewer restrictions. The implementation of ultra-short supply chains implies moving the means of crop production as close to inhabitants as possible. Two main directions can be identified as effective for increasing the food resilience of densely populated suburban areas; these are soil-based traditional urban agriculture and high-tech plant factories. Both approaches to crop production offer a certain level of integration with the built environment; however, these alternatives differ in terms of their contributions to environment modulation, agrobiodiversity, social well-being, and food resilience. Vertical farms can produce a high amount of nutritionally rich crops for direct use, although the involvement of inhabitants is minimal; therefore, they can be considered a service function without social advantages. Open-field plant production can contribute to the well-being of locals, but the yields are considered rather supplementary. The combination of both production approaches to strengthen common advantages is less likely; automated production technologies require a low number of highly qualified personnel; therefore, community plant factories cannot be considered possible contributors to urban social well-being in the future.

The foliar application of yeast ( Saccharomyces cerevisiae ) suspensions is a widely used small-scale horticultural practice against stress impacts and to boost vegetative and nutritional characteristics. In this study, the impact of two strains of S. cerevisiae was investigated on tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum L.) and rocket ( Eruca sativa L.) plants in terms of vegetative growth and nutritional content, focusing on antioxidant properties (FRAP, DPPH, TPC, lycopene) and chlorophyll content. The treatments were applied in two dilutions (0.1 and 1% v/v) and two frequencies (once and three times). When the type strain solutions were applied, DPPH values of both tomato and rocket samples were elevated up to 7.18 and 17.98 i %, respectively, compared to control values of 6.26 and 14.11 i %, respectively. While the other investigated antioxidant traits (FRAP, TPC, lycopene) were identical or slightly lower, than the control values, total chlorophyll content was significantly increased for tomato, up to 61.18 g/100 g, from the control value of 53.46 g/100 g, and for rocket, reaching 43.14 g/100 g, from the control value of 39.13 g/100 g, after using instant yeast solutions. Among the combinations, the double-sprayed 1% suspension and the single-sprayed 0.1% suspension had the most favorable impact on the investigated nutritional traits. Species-level application technology details are still open for refinements.

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.

A comprehensive analysis of the volatile components of 11 different cherry tomato pastes (Tesco Extra, Orange, Zebra, Yellow, Round Netherland, Mini San Marzano, Spar truss, Tesco Sunstream, Paprikakertész, Mc Dreamy, and Tesco Eat Fresh) commercially available in Hungary was performed. In order to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the measurement, the optimal measurement conditions were first determined. SPME (solid-phase microextraction) fiber coating, cherry tomato paste treatment, and SPME sampling time and temperature were optimized. CAR/PDMS (carboxen/polydimethylsiloxane) fiber coating with a film thickness of 85 µm is suggested at a 60 °C sampling temperature and 30 min extraction time. A total of 64 common compounds was found in the prepared, mashed cherry tomato samples, in which 59 compounds were successfully identified. Besides the already published compounds, new, cherry tomato-related compounds were found, such as 3 methyl 2 butenal, heptenal, Z-4-heptenal, E-2-heptenal, E-carveol, verbenol, limonene oxide, 2-decen-1-ol, Z-4-decen-1-al, caryophyllene oxide, and E,E-2,4-dodecadienal. Supervised and unsupervised classification methods have been used to classify the tomato varieties based on their volatiles, which identified 16 key components that enable the discrimination of the samples with a high accuracy.

The integration of Precision Agriculture (PA) technologies into organic farming offers substantial potential for enhancing efficiency and sustainability, yet adoption rates vary significantly across countries. This study presents a model for assessing PA adoption in organic farming within the Visegrad Group countries: Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia using a survey-based approach. Key technologies examined include drones, sensors, and robots used in organic crop and livestock production. Findings indicate that the Czech Republic leads in drone usage for soil monitoring (70%), Hungary excels in soil moisture sensors (55%), Slovakia prioritizes drones for fertilizer application (75%), and Poland shows significant use of robots for harvesting and seed planting (33%). This model effectively highlights cross-country differences in PA technology adoption and associated environmental outcomes, addressing a gap in understanding PA use in organic farming in Visegrad group countries. The results of the study provide actionable insights for improving the adoption of Precision Agriculture technologies in organic farming across the selected countries. The findings offer valuable insights for policymakers and stakeholders promoting sustainable agricultural innovation. Limitations include reliance on survey data, which may impact broader applicability, and a geographic focus on the Visegrad region, suggesting the need for future studies in other areas.

Mushroom cultivation is an important branch of the agricultural industry, and global mushrooms production has increased more than sixfold in the last decade. This industry uses large amounts of agricultural, forestry, livestock, and industrial wastes and their by-products. However, it also generates millions of tons of spent mushroom compost (SMC) (approximately 100 million tons per year) which has emerged as a significant issue that hinders the growth of the mushroom business and impacts the environment. Many crop diseases, which cause significant economic losses, are introduced by soil-borne plant pathogens. Spreading spent mushroom compost (SMC) to agricultural soils is a natural way to control plant diseases. Using organic waste material instead of chemicals, which is the most widely used method in agriculture today, is also a more environmentally responsible option. The generated SMC can potentially be used as a soil conditioner, an organic fertilizer, and suitable medium for growing various vegetable crops. The application of SMC has been found to be beneficial in the control of crop diseases by inducing microbiostasis, direct toxicity, or by inducing systemic resistance of the host plant. In the current review, the practical application of SMC in the cultivation of tomato, pepper, lettuce, cucumber, and eggplant was addressed. The application of SMC as a soil amendment showed a significant improvement in soil properties, including soil NPK, organic matter content, and soil beneficial microorganisms. Our review indicated that SMC could be used as a low-cost, alternative growing medium in vegetable production or as a soil amendment to add nutrients and restore soil fertility in agricultural lands. The SMC may be able to replace peat, a non-renewable natural resource, and thereby mitigating the adverse effects of excessive peat extraction in wetlands, bogs, marshes, and peatlands. This review uses unique data on the effective use of SMC in agricultural disease management, reducing the need for chemical pesticides that have adverse effects on both the environment and human health. It also provides a safe method for reusing, recycling, and integrating SMC into a circular economy that reduces its negative environmental effects and carbon footprint impacts. This work also offers a novel application of SMC as a low-cost substitute for peat or other growing media that pose environmental risks.

In industrialised countries, around 670 million tonnes of food are lost every year, much of it still fit for human consumption. Due to the special nutrient management of organic farming, root vegetables have a higher dry matter content and a lower nitrate content, which also affects their shelf-life. The effect of storage under domestic conditions was investigated in our experiments on organic and conventional carrot lots. It was found that packaged organic carrots in a 4°C environment showed the longest shelf life, lowest nitrate content and weight loss during household storage. The results of the experiment may contribute to lower food waste through changes in consumer habits.

AbstractTomato (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’.

A megfelelően kiválasztott takaróanyag használatának számos előnye lehet szamócatermesztés során is: a víz megtartásán és a gyomok visszaszorításán kívül csökkentheti a szintetikus kemikáliák használatának szükségességét, melyek ökológiai gazdálkodásban eleve tiltottak. A talaj takarása mellett a fajtaválasztás is kiemelkedően fontos eleme a sikeres öko-szamócatermesztésnek. 2017 őszén, minősített öko-területen állítottuk be kísérletünket szabadföldön szamóca (Fragaria x ananassa) tesztnövénnyel. A bakhátakat 10 cm vastagon a gazdaságban termett gabona szalmájával fedtük be, mely az ökológiai gazdálkodás szemléletéhez közel álló szerves takaróanyag. Két éven keresztül (2018 és 2019) vizsgáltunk három, különböző helyen nemesített, fajtát: a 'Clery'-t, a 'Honeoye'-t, és a 'Kortes'-t. Vizsgáltuk a fajták szalma takarással tapasztalható koraiságát, tövenkénti átlagos termésmennyiségét, átlagos tövenkénti zöldtömegét, a bogyók átlagos méretét és a tövenkénti átlagos bogyószámot. A 'Clery' mutatkozott mindkét évben a legkoraibb fajtának és nevelte a legnagyobb méretű bogyókat a három vizsgált fajta közül, viszont a termések számát tekintve alulteljesített. A tövenkénti átlagos termésmennyiség tekintetében a 'Honeoye' emelkedett ki a fő termő évben (2019-ben), míg az átlagos tövenkénti zöldtömeg vizsgálata mindkét évben kimutatta, hogy a 'Kortes' szignifikánsan kisebb lombozatot nevel, mint a másik két fajta. A nem piacos termések arányában nem találtunk szignifikáns eltérést a három fajta között. Összességében kísérletünkben a 'Clery' tetszetős, élénkpiros nagyméretű bogyóival, a 'Honeoye' pedig kiemelkedő mennyiségű termésével és erős lombozatával megállta a helyét ökológiai gazdálkodás körülményei között, míg a 'Kortes' fajta gyengébben teljesített több mért paraméter szempontjából is, ezért kevésbé ajánlható öko-termesztésre.

Closed plant production systems are generally considered sustainable. Such systems are capable of minimizing externalities due to resource recycling. There are two systems, apparently diverging, recently considered as the counterparts of today's conventional agricultural practice: organic farming (OF) and plant factories (PFs). With a strong regulatory background, OF integrates plant production into natural ecosystems by minimizing agrochemical use, while PFs create an artificial environment where all factors can be fine-tuned according to the needs of the crop. In this study, both systems are investigated based on their similarities and constraints; for this, three pillars of production were selected as indicators and reviewed for sustainability based on literature data: I. regulatory background, II. growing media use, III. species use, along with certain socio-economic factors. The reasons for co-existence were highlighted in every aspect. Alternatives for sustainable growing media use are introduced. PF-targeted species selection and variety breeding are necessary to maximize facility utilization. The main barriers to system interoperability are identified in growing media use and regulatory restrictions. The present global processes envisage the trends of the future, such as threats of living ecosystems, plant species allocation, urbanization impacts, agricultural intensification, economics of PFs, local supply chains, education about OF and PFs, consumer acceptance of OF and PF products, and discrepancies in global regulations. These aspects will certainly trigger further research in the scientific community.

Lettuce is one of the most important crops of plant factories with artificial lighting (PFALs) due to their small size, fast growth rate, low energy demand and high marketing value. High-end adjustable LED-based lighting environments, as well as controlled environment smart solutions enable producers to fine-tune leafy crop pro-duction according to consumer demands. However, knowledge about light quality, quantity and duration related underlying mechanisms influencing the production-biological traits of lettuce is still incomplete. Therefore, the aim of this review is to provide an up-to-date comprehensive picture about the interrelations of light parameters and lettuce vegetative development and phytochemical content based on available experimental results with special emphasis on existing knowledge gaps, the impact of spatial PPFD variation, as well as variations in R/B and R/FR ratios. Besides light duration, the effect of pulsed lighting, interlighting and upward lighting is also discussed. Smart PFAL systems are knowledge-demanding in terms of automated light recipes, growth predictors, machine vision and automated controlling systems. The future development directions and perspectives visible from international studies are also summarized for supporting PFAL growers in future investments and to inspire researchers to conduct studies in this field. Among light parameters, the effect of PPFD, light duration, and spectral compositions and ratios was in the focus of most studies in the last decade; less attention is paid for the analysis of the impact of light pulsation and of light parameters uniformity so far. The development of sensing technology enables a cutting-edge shift from 2D light characterization to 3D sensing, which is optimized to the multi-layer system of plants.

Propagation from seedlings is generally applied in the horticultural sector and it has many advantages including earlier harvest and more efficient resource (land, time, energy and seeds) utilization, as well as healthy and homogenous plant production. In conventional large-scale horticulture, seedling cultivation has already become a separate sector. The basis of successful seedling production is the use of the suitable substrate. The physical and chemical quality of the growing medium is crucial. There can be significant differences among the growing media available at the domestic market. For own substrate, farmers put different mixtures of peat, perlite and nutrients together according to a unique recipe. According to the Regulation (EU) 2018/848 on organic production and labelling of organic products, only organic seed and seedling can be used for organic plant production. Therefore, seeds, fertilizers, plant protection and disinfection substances are allowed to be applied only when authorized for use in organic production by the regulations. Recently there are only a few professional organic seedling producers in Hungary. Most of the organic farmers produce their own seedlings. For this purpose, commercially available certified organic growing media, or home mixed substrates are used. In this study, two commercially available organic substrates (Florasca Bio B and Klasmann KKS Proline) are compared with two typical farmer mixtures: peat with pelleted cattle manure and peat with compost. The physical and chemical properties of the substrates are investigated and presented.