The role of ground and artesian waters as nutrient sources in the irrigation on the Great Hungarian Plain

One of the most significant attribute of soils is that they function as water reservoirs. Subsurface waters – used as irrigation water – can contribute to nutrient supply, but their pollution has a negative impact on the conditions of cultivation. In our study we present the results of our investigation of ground and artesian water samples from the Great Hungarian Plain, mostly from Kecskemét and its surroundings. Based on the depth of the sampling points, we divided the samples into three categories: between 10-30, 31-70 and 71-275 meters. The results showed that the salt content is decreasing with the deepness, primarily because of the decrease in sodium, hydro-carbonate and chloride contents in the samples. The level of nitrogen and phosphorous-ions were low in almost all water samples. Iron, manganese and arsenic content were the highest in the middle deep waters (31-70 m depth). These results – especially in the case of iron and arsenic – can cause problems in the use of these waters in agriculture for cultivation and irrigation