Prof. Dr. Lajos Helyes - MATE Research
Overview
Attila Hegedűs is a university professor at the Department of Plant Biotechnology, Institute of Genetics and Biotechnology. He serves as chair of the department and chair of the Agricultural Science Section, Council of the National Scientific Students’ Associations (OTDT). He had served as chair of the Committee on Horticulture and Food Sciences, Section of Agricultural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences (2017-2023); head of the Department of Plant Genetic Resources, Agricultural Institute, Centre for Agricultural Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Martonvásár, Hungary (2018-2020), and dean of the Faculty of Horticultural Science, BCE-SZIE (2014-2017).
Prof. Lajos Helyes is the president of the Doctoral School of Plant Sciences and also the president of the Doctoral and Habilitation Council. His research focuses on the development and application of molecular markers to support the breeding of stone fruit species with a special focus on the characterization of wild germplasm and cultivar identification. Prof. Attila Hegedűs pioneered the understanding of the genetic background of economically important traits (polyphenolics content in fruit, ripening time, endo-dormancy release, self-incompatibility) of Prunus species and the development of many molecular markers for those traits to assist breeding efforts.
He is Corresponding Members of the Hungarian Academy Sciences and chairman of the Horticulture and Food Science Committee. He is Elected member of ISHS Water Supply and Irrigation International working group.Prof. Attila Hegedűs’s work contributes to the clarification of the evolutionary and crop evolutionary history of stone fruit species. He made significant contributions to the identification of the Prunus-specific, non-autonomous, Mutator-type Falling Stones transposon, that has significantly influenced Prunus evolution. Across his research, he uses traditional and up-to-date techniques in biotechnology, genetics, genomics as well as bioinformatics.
He authored and co-authored 34 research articles in high-impact scientific journals (11 and 23 of those were published in D1 and Q1 journals).His main research areas are:
1. planning and timing of irrigation,
Prof. Attila Hegedűs has collaborated with seven research groups from countries including Turkey, Morocco, Spain, Tunisia, Austria, Greece, and the USA and he has successfully applied for 14 research grants nationally and internationally. Among others, he won the prestigious Bolyai Plaquette (Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 2012) grant and was awarded the Akadémiai Díj (Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 2022).
He is an associate editor of the journals Plants (Section Board Member), Crop Breeding, Genetics and Genomics, International Journal of Horticultural Science, and Kertgazdaság as well as a former editor of the Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry and many more journals.
He was the first to investigate the relationship between the surface temperature of plant stands and water supply. Based on these, it was possible to optimize the time of irrigation. He authored and co-authored 129 research articles in high-impact scientific journals. He is an Associate Editor of the Horticulture Journal. In the last 5 years he was conducted more than 50 reviews in relevant scientific journals.
He had/has international relations with the following international research groups:
• INRA- France
• Int, Agricultural Centre Wageningen, Netherlands
• University of Carthage, Tunisia
• Agricultural Engineering Research Institute Giza 12311 Egypt.
• Maritsa Vegetable Crops Research Institute Plovdiv-Bulgaria
Research keywords:
Publications
Helyes L. – Lugasi A. – Pék Z. (2006): Tomato fruit quality and content depend on stage of maturity. HortScience Q1 41, (6): pp. 1400-1401. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI.41.6.1400
Daood, H. G. Palotás, G. Palotás, G. Somogyi, Gy. Pék, Z. Helyes, L. (2014): Carotenoid and antioxidant content of ground paprika from indoor- cultivated traditional varieties and new hybrids of spice red peppers. Food Research International D1 65, pp. 231-237. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2014.04.048
Nemeskéri E. Molnár K. Pék Z. Helyes L. (2018): Effect of water supply on the water use-related physiological traits and yield of snap beans in dry seasons. Irrigation Science, D1 36. (3), pp.143-158. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00271-018-0571-2
Nemeskéri, E., Molnár, K., Rácz, Cs., Dobos, A. Cs., Helyes, L. (2019): Effect of Water Supply on Spectral Traits and Their Relationship with the Productivity of Sweet Corns. Agronomy Q1 9, 63; pp. 1-17 doi:10.3390/agronomy9020063
Nemeskéri E., Helyes L. (2019): Physiological Responses of Selected Vegetable Crop Species to Water Stress. Agronomy, Q1 9, 447; 19 p. doi:10.3390/agronomy9080447
Duah, S; Silva e Souza; Daood, H.G; Pék, Z; Neményi, A; Helyes, L. (2021): Content and response to Ɣ-irradiation before over-ripening of capsaicinoid, carotenoid, and tocopherol in new hybrids of spice chili peppers. LWT-FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Paper: 111555, D1 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lwt.2021.111555
Projects
KTAI-AIK 2012-2014 “Basic and industrial research related to the production of raw material of plant and animal origin that meet food safety condition”
We have developed tomato pomace with a high lycopene content for poultry feed. With this, we developed an egg with a high lycopene content.3-4 sentences describing the most important aspects of the project, and the project.
USOK 2009-2014 “High added value vegetables product and technology development for healthy nutrition”
We carried out technology experiments with processing tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, broccoli and onions. The aim of the research was a product with a high bioactive content. This is how we managed to develop a "Kenni jó" product line. This product line won an innovation grand prize.
GINOP- 2.2.1.-15- R&D competitiveness and excellence collaborations the sweet pepper and processing tomato research program of UNIVER Product Zrt.- research leader
One of the aims of the research is to increase the capsaicin content of paprika. That is why we investigated the effect of environmental factors (temperature, water supply, etc.) and other technological elements. Another focus of the research is the quantification of abiotic factors affecting the biosynthesis of lycopene.
