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In the years 2011-2014, winter wheat grain yield, qualitative and economic parameters were evaluated according to different fertiliser treatments: (1) control: unfertilised treatment; (2) farmyard manure (FYM) and (3) FYM + NPK (farmyard manure applied together with mineral NPK). The highest yields (8.10 t/ha) were recorded in the FYM + NPK treatment, while significantly lower yields (6.20 t/ha and 5.73 t/ha) were recorded in FYM and control treatments, respectively. Similarly, statistically significantly higher values of the quality parameters were found in the FYM + NPK treatment (13.55% of crude protein content and 43.56 mL of Zeleny's sedimentation test), compared to control (10% and 22.44 mL, respectively). The modelling expert system (AGROTEKIS-Crop Technology and Economy) was used for the evaluation of economy. This software is based on technological methods of cultivation and norms of material input costs and costs of individual mechanised works. The economic benefits and profitability were evaluated for three different levels of grain market price. The highest gross profit per ha was recorded in the FYM + NPK treatment. According to the gross profit, the control treatment provided better results than the FYM treatment.

The aim of this study carried out in 2017-2018 was to determine the effect of white cabbage (Brassica oleracea L.), which is known to have an allelopathic effect on the germination of some weed and cultural crops seeds. In addition to weeds, Amaranthus retroflexus L., Chenopodium album L. and Solanum nigrum L., cultural plants such as Zea mays L., Beta vulgaris L., were used in this study. It has been shown that the seed germination rate was decreased by the increased concentration of white cabbage post-harvest leaves extractions, which were made with different concentrations of aqueous and methanol extracts (30, 40, and 50%). The methanol extract was found to be more effective in germination. According to these results, S. nigrum and Z. mays seeds were less affected than A. retroflexus, C. album and B. vulgaris seeds. In the light of these data, it is observed that extracts obtained from white cabbage can be effective on some weeds; however, it was concluded that in order to reach more definite conclusions, studies on the subject should be increased, and similar studies should be continued under greenhouse or field conditions.

One of the most serious threats facing agricultural productivity in the world is unfavourable soil conditions. Several studies have shown that almost half of the world's land-mass is affected by either natural or human-induced pollution. This, therefore, poses a threat to agricultural improvement needed to tackle the problem of a continuous increase in the world population. The emergence of soil extremophiles with plant growth-promoting trait has proven to be a reliable means to quell the threat posed by some factors limiting soil potency. Adopting these organisms as bio-inoculants will easily proffer a solution to both biotic and abiotic soil stress. As such, the natural bio-fertilisers will help to improve the quality of the soil by making it healthy enough to sustain sufficient plant growth. This review gives an overview of the multifarious importance of extremophiles on plants grown under harsh soil conditions, with the multifaceted application of omics as a means to unveil these organisms and their benefits for environmentally sustainable agricultural systems and food safety.

The study focused on the effects of gap size on natural regeneration of European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) and Norway spruce (Picea abies L.) and micro-environmental soil conditions in gaps of different sizes under temperate mixed forest in the Czech Republic. Six gaps comprising two for small (≥ 200 m²), medium (≥ 500 m²) and big (≥ 900 m²) each were selected. Ten circular 1 m² subsampling plots were established at 2 m intervals along individual North-South-East-West transects, including one at the gap centre. Regeneration was monitored in 2014 and repeatedly in 2019. Soil conditions were only measured in 2019. Gap size was found to be a significant parameter for European beech natural regeneration in 2014. Besides, the quick occupation of European beech in gaps at natural beech zone provoked its prolific regeneration compared to Norway spruce in 2014. However, in 2019 the recent threat of weather variabilities was responsible for the general abysmal growth performance of natural regeneration. Division of gap microsites into different within-gap positions based on prevailing light or shade conditions was helpful in assessing the significant variations of soil conditions within-gap positions and among gap sizes. Soil temperature and moisture significantly influenced the regeneration of European beech and Norway spruce, respectively.

The article describes the use of the recently commercially available technique of microwave induced plasma optical emission spectrometry with plasma gas (nitrogen) generation for the determination of calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium in Mehlich 3 extracts. The specifics of the analysis of the agricultural samples for soil fertility assessment mean there are often a great number of samples to analyse in laboratory (the daily throughput of 500 or more samples). The analytical procedures were adapted to special requirements by the use of the new multielemental instrumental techniques. The detection limits were 0.43; 0.86; 0.20 and 0.06 mg/L; the precision for real sample analysis: 4.6; 1.0; 1.8 and 1.0%; the mean accuracy 97; 92; 107 and 100% for P, Ca, Mg and K, respectively, the real throughput reached 100 samples per hour.

Soil microorganisms are critical to maintain soil function, enhance plant health and increase crop yields. This study investigated the effects of organic matter on soil microbial community and assessed which of soil microbes were in positive correlation to maize yields. The results showed that different fertilizer treatments shaped specific microbial communities in the same soils. The most abundant beneficial soil microbes were found in treatments with organic fertilizer produced from cattle manure, return of wheat straw and 70% NPK admixture fertilizers treatment. The correlation analysis revealed that maize yields were in no correlation both to the shifts of soil microbial community structure and to the number of sequences or operational taxonomic units (OTUs) in soil microbes. However, maize yields were in positive correlation to microbial community structure shifts at the species level. 35 bacteria OTUs from 19 orders in 14 classes in 9 phyla were in positive correlation to yields of maize, while in fungi only one OTU₂₅ belonging to Sordariales was in positive correlation. Our results indicate that the long-term application of organic and inorganic amendments could enrich the soil bacterial and fungal community and promote its diversity.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of growth regulator applications on yield and physiological parameters of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under water deficit. Water deficit was induced artificially by using rain-out shelters in period between booting and late milk ripeness. The effect of growth regulators was evaluated in two contrast years in terms of yield formation (2014-2015). In both years the water deficit caused a significant reduction of grain yield. The negative effect of water deficit was partly alleviated by application of growth regulators. However, the effect of individual growth regulators varied depending on year. In favourable conditions for grain filling (2014) the alleviating effect was more pronounced in application of azoxystrobin which slows down the leaf senescence. On the contrary, in the year with suitable conditions for tillering (2015), the alleviating effect was most apparent in application of chlormequate-chloride. The applications of trinexapac-ethyl and ethephon showed small reduction of negative effect of water deficit consistently in both years. The CO₂ assimilation rate and stomatal conductance were recovered particularly by applications of chlormequate-chloride and azoxystrobin. Chlorophyll content and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters were more affected by water deficit in 2014, and the alleviating effect of growth regulators corresponded with yield response.

Soybean yields can be considerably improved by inoculation with selected Bradyrhizobium japonicum strains and foliar fertilization. An exact field experiment was carried out in 2012-2014 at the Experimental Station of Cultivar Assessment in Przecław, Poland. The test plant was soybean cv. Aldana. The experimental factors were: bacterial inoculant Nitragina (Bradyrhizobium japonicum); foliar fertilization with Mikrokomplex; combined applications Nitragina + Mikrokomplex and the control treatment. Significant effect of Nitragina on an increase in the number of plants prior to harvest, plant height and the number of pods per plant was indicated. Fertilization with Mikrokomplex caused an increase in the number of pods per plant and thousand seed weight. Nitragina + Mikrokomplex increased the number of plants prior to harvest, plant height, the number of pods per plant and thousand seed weight. Seed yield was significantly higher in all the treatments compared to the control (2.31 t/ha). Higher soil plant analysis development values were found after the application of Nitragina + Mikrokomplex, and in the stage of pod development, also after foliar fertilization with Mikrokomplex. Application of Nitragina and Nitragina + Mikrokomplex resulted in an increase in leaf area index and mean tip angle and total protein in seeds. Fe content in seeds was the lowest in the control (69.2 mg/kg) and significantly higher in the other treatments (Nitragina, Nitragina + Mikrokomplex), and Mg content significantly increased after the application of Mikrokomplex and Nitragina + Mikrokomplex.

The North China Plain (NCP) serves as China's second most important maize production region. Rotary tillage, a popular method used in winter wheat/summer maize systems in the region, has adverse effects on maize production. The current study was conducted to determine whether rotary tillage after subsoiling in the winter wheat season (RS) improves the grain-filling rate and yield of summer maize by decreasing soil bulk density, when compared with rotary tillage (R), in the NCP. The RS treatment decreased soil bulk density and increased soil moisture in the summer maize season when compared with the R treatment. Root number under the RS treatment at 8 collar and silking stages was 22.4-35.3% and 8.0-11.7% greater than under the R treatment, respectively. The RS treatment significantly enhanced the grain-filling rate and grain weight as compared to the R treatment. Yield, thousand grain weight, biomass, and harvest index under the RS treatment were 7.7, 7.2, 2.3 and 5.3% higher than under the R treatment. Thousands grain weight was correlated with soil bulk density and soil moisture after silking. Consequently, the increase in grain weight and yield of summer maize resulted from the decrease in soil bulk density and a consequent increase in soil moisture, root number and grain-filling rate.

Minituber production by traditional method is an expensive procedure due to limited productivity. In order to increase the multiplication rate of seed material in vitro, multiple techniques have been assayed in the last decades. The aeroponic system is a soilless culture system, where roots are kept in a dark environment saturated with aerosol of nutrient solution. Aeroponics technology is potentially efficient for specific potato cultivars. The aim of this study was to investigate the multiplication rate of microtubers of national cultivars in aeroponics while maintaining weekly intervals between harvests. The total number of harvests was 14 to 15 depending on year. The results of the experiments were analysed with ANOVA and means were separated with the Tukey's test at 5% P-value. The most important parameter of minituber production, their number, was on average 32.5-36.0 per plant and 1268-1396 per m² depending on cultivar. Number of minitubers was two to three times greater in the case of aeroponic production than by traditional method. A full economic analysis is necessary to prove that this production technique can be put into practice.

There is a lack of information regarding the arsenic (As) and selenium (Se) concentrations in Spanish rice (Oryza sativa L.) fields and how soil conditions affect such concentration, especially those derived from the typical monoculture practiced in the studied area. To clarify these aspects, 76 soil samples and 95 grain samples were collected from 19 rice fields along the Vegas Altas area, the most important rice growing area of south-west of Spain. The results suggested a significant increase in the soil total As and Se concentrations as the number of monoculture years increased. While As concentration reached toxic levels in 12 out of the 19 locations, Se concentration in all the analysed fields could be considered as deficient. An increase of the As and Se concentration in soil produced a subsequent increase of the concentration of both elements in the rice grain. Therefore, it might be extremely important to control both levels. It would be necessary to establish different actions, including rotations with other crops, in order to remediate As accumulation and to increase Se intake.

Regarding the increased surface runoff from production areas, wide-row crops grown on slopes are considered risk crops. By reducing the surface runoff, it is possible to mitigate the negative effects on both the soil and the plants and positively influence the subsequent production, e.g., after application of de-stoning before planting. During this research, the tied ridging method was applied during planting by a two-row planter in both central and tractor trail furrows in potato rows and on the slope of 8.8% compared to a control plot without this treatment. Rainfall and surface water runoff were monitored, and the crop yields were compared. During three monitored years, up to 86% of the runoff water in the central furrows was saved compared to the control, whereas it was up to 72% in the wider furrows for tractor travel. The total yield was increased on the treated area, however, the increase could not be statistically proven.

The nutritional status of winter oilseed rape (WOSR) during its vegetative period is crucial for plant growth and can be used for the seed yield prediction. This hypothesis was verified based on the data from long-term field experiments. The experiment consisted of four potassium (K) treatments based on the progressive K supply potential to plants from soil and fertilizer and two magnesium treatments (-Mg, +Mg) conducted in 2013-2015. The content of nutrients (N_tot, P, K, Mg, Ca, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu) was determined at the rosette stage (BBCH 30) for leaves and separately for leaves and stems in the late stage of inflorescence growth (BBCH 57-59). The low K content appeared as the key limiting nutrient in WOSR plants in the rosette stage due to the insufficient soil fertility level, depended even more on weather conditions. This negative K nutritional trait persisted through the whole vegetative WOSR growth. Its detection was possible, because stems were included in the diagnostic procedure. The most reliable prognosis of WOSR yield was conducted based on the nutritional status of stems in the late stage of the inflorescence development.

Dung deposited by grazing animals is a key driver affecting sward structure and nutrient cycling in pastures. We tested herbage and soil properties in three types of tall sward-height patches (> 10 cm): (i) patches with dung under intensive grazing; (ii) patches with dung under extensive grazing; and (iii) patches with no dung under extensive grazing. These patches were compared with grazed swards under intensive and extensive grazing. Analyses indicated no significant effect of different types of patches on plant available nutrients. Herbage nutrient concentrations from the different types of patches differed significantly. The highest concentrations of nitrogen (30.65 g/kg), phosphorus (4.51 g/kg) and potassium (22.06 g/kg) in the herbage dry matter were in the tall patches with dung presence under intensive grazing regime because of nutrients from dung utilized for sward regrowth. Regardless of dung presence, similar herbage nutrient concentrations were revealed in non-grazed tall sward-height patches in extensive grazing regime. The presence of dung did not have any effect on the plant available nutrients in any type of patches, therefore we suppose that non-utilized nutrients were probably leached, volatilised or transformed into unavailable forms and thus soil nutrient enrichment was low.

The effects of irrigation regimes (full irrigation and water-withholding at anthesis) and post-anthesis nitrogen supplies (LN: 0, MN: 20 and HN: 40 kg N/ha) on grain yield and its components in winter wheat were studied, with attention to biomass gain by assimilation and its loss by respiration. Fully-irrigated wheat responded to N fertilization with increased grain number (GN) and decreased grain weight (GW) and achieved similar grain yields (5.2 to 5.5 t/ha) at different N supplies. However, drought-stressed wheat responded to N with higher GN without significant changes in GW, and achieved higher grain yields (2.7 vs. 3.3 t/ha) with HN compared to LN. Net assimilation rates during grain filling (NARg) increased with increasing post-anthesis N fertilization for drought-stressed wheat (NARg: 3.8 and 4.5 g/m/day for LN and HN). Apparent whole-plant respiration (R_A) was not influenced by increased post-anthesis N fertilizer. Thus, in drought-stressed wheat, the total biomass and straw yield at maturity were increased by increasing N supply. These results suggest that high N supply at anthesis satisfied the grains' increased demand for N by increasing post-floral assimilation, and the surplus assimilates not only compensated for the low-N-induced biomass loss by respiration but may also have increased the

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of a year of cultivation and three agronomic measures (pre-crop, soil tillage, application of fungicides) on the yield of winter wheat grown in the crop rotation without the livestock production. The results from the years 2011-2017, except for the year 2012, from the Žabčice Field Experimental Station (49°01'20''N, 16°37'55''E) were evaluated. The soil texture is clay loam soil and the soil type is fluvisol. In the field trial, winter wheat was grown after two pre-crops (winter wheat, pea). Two soil tillage technologies, namely the conventional tillage - CT (ploughing - at a depth of 24 cm) and the minimum tillage - MT (shallow loosening - at a depth of 15 cm) were used. Two fungicide treatments against leaf and spikelet diseases were used, and they were compared to the non-treated variants. The obtained results showed that the grain yield of winter wheat was statistically influenced not only by a year of cultivation, but also by the pre-crop, the application of fungicides, and mostly by the interaction of these factors with the soil tillage. The importance of pea as a suitable pre-crop for winter wheat was confirmed as the grain yield was higher compared to winter wheat as a pre-crop by an average of 0.49 t/ha. It was also found that the MT is a more appropriate technology than the CT, on average by 0.12 t/ha over the six years. The importance of fungicide treatment was also confirmed, where the grain yield of winter wheat was higher by 0.26 t/ha compared to the non-treated variant. The presented results brought a new knowledge for winter wheat management practice in dry conditions.

To determine the best phosphorus (P) fertilizer management strategy in chernozem soil in the semi-arid region of Northeast China, a field experiment under film mulched drip irrigation was conducted for two consecutive years. Five P application methods were tested, including no P fertilizer applied (P0); P fertilizer one-time basal application (P1); one fertigation one time (P2); fertigation twice (P3) and fertigation four times (P4). The shoot dry matter weight, phosphorus accumulation, yield and POlsen in soil were measured regularly during the maize growing season. The results demonstrated that P fertilizer application methods imposed significant effects on dry shoot matter, the apparent P loss, P fertilizer use efficiency and yield of maize (P < 0.05). The yield, P agrinomic efficiency and P recovery efficiency of P4 treatment were significantly higher than P1 treatment by 4.2, 39.7, and 66.4% across two year. In addition, P4 treatment significantly enhanced the shoot dry matter weight after V12 stage, post-silking P uptake and reduced the apparent P loss. In conclusion, P fertigation and a rational frequency (e.g., fertigation four times) enable to keep the maximum grain yield, the shoot dry matter, and recovery efficiency of P fertilizer (66.4%) though changing agronomic methods for efficient acquisition of P toward a sustainable and productive agricultural fertigation system.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the amount of nitrogen taken up from air, mineral fertilizers and soil by yellow lupine (Lupinus luteus L.) and spring triticale (Triticosecale Wittm. ex A. Camus) in their intercropping cultivation. The factor examined in the experiment was percentage of yellow lupine seeds and spring triticale grain in sown mixtures: 100/0, 75/25, 50/50, 25/75 and 0/100, respectively. Yellow lupine yield was reduced by spring triticale when intercropped. In the yield of both plants the percentage share of spring triticale grain was larger and that of yellow lupine seed was smaller than in the sown mixture. Land equivalent ratio informs that yield advantage under intercropping of lupine and triticale was minor. The total protein yield was the highest in lupine cultivation when sown pure, and decreased with increasing share of triticale in their intercropping. The mean percentage nitrogen share from N₂ fixation, fertilizer and soil reserves in yellow lupine mass was: 65.2, 8.8 and 26.0%, respectively, while in the mass of spring triticale it was 10.1, 23.5 and 68.8%, respectively.

The study aimed at the evaluation of the accumulation and vertical distribution of different forms of phosphorus (P) in reference to phosphorus sorption properties subject to mineral (NPK), mineral-organic (NPK + M), and organic (M) fertilisation. It was carried out in a long-term experimental field in Skierniewice (Central Poland) conducted since 1923 under rye monoculture. Total P content in the M and NPK soil profile was similar and lower than in the NPK + M soil. The content of organic P in A_p and E_et horizons of both manured soils was similar and higher than in the NPK soil. The Langmuir P sorption maximum (S_max) in the studied soils ranged from 39.7 to 90 mg P/kg, while the Freundlich P sorption coefficient a_F ranged from 6.9 to 41.9 mg P/kg. Higher variability of parameters related to the binding energy from the Lanqmuir (k) and Freundlich (a_F) equations was determined between soil horizons than between the fertilisation systems. Nonetheless, in M and NPK + M soils, sorption parameters a_F and S_max and binding energy (k, b_F) were considerably lower than in the NPK soil. The content of water extracted P in manured soils was higher than in the NPK soil.

The frequent occurrence of years with extreme drought leads to the investigation of measures for mitigation of their impacts. The efficiency of organic mulch materials - straw and compost application as the preservation of potato production in drought conditions were verified in this study. Three mulching treatments were verified during the three experimental years (2016-2018) in an exact field trial with potatoes cv. Dicolora. Wheat straw mulch in the rate of 2.5 t/ha (SM1) and 4.5 t/ha (SM2), compost in the rate of 20 t/ha (CM), and control block without any treatments (C) were used. The yield of marketable tubers (tuber over 40 mm) showed a significant increase by 21.2% at the straw mulch treatment (SM2) in comparison with control. As for the straw mulch (SM1) and compost mulch (CM), tubers yields increased by 12.8% and 10.1%, respectively, compared to control.

In this work, a simple, safe and rapid method for enumerating nitrifying bacteria was used as an alternative to traditional harmful chemical methods. The enumeration of nitrifying bacteria was based upon the change of color of the growth media containing pH indicators in response to acid production during nitrification. The oxidation of ammonia to strong acids by nitrifiers leads to pH decrease, which can be detected by pH indicators such as methyl orange (MO), bromocresol green (BCG), methyl red (MR), bromothymol blue (BTB), and phenol red (PhR) using the Most Probable Number (MPN) technique. The use of these pH indicators revealed a higher estimate than the classical chemical methods in all tested samples. Ammonium oxidizer counts always exceeded those of nitrite oxidizers in the surveyed environments. The time required for the detection of growth (positive tubes in MPN) was descending in the following order: MO, BCG, MR, BTB and PhR. The time to detection was shorter for ammonium oxidizers than for nitrite oxidizers. Generally, nitrifier counts were very low in soils compared with farmyard manure or sewage effluent. Incubation periods for both organisms differed from 4 to 8 weeks depended upon the indicator used. Finally, it could be concluded that the use of pH indicators, especially phenol red, as proposed in this study was accurate, sensitive and successfully applicable for the enumeration of nitrifiers in different environments.

Biochar can potentially increase crop production in saline soils. However, the appropriate amount of biochar that should be applied to benefit from resource preservation and increase both grain yield (GY) and quality is not clear. A pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of biochar applied at various rates (i.e., 0, 5, 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 t/ha) on the nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), GY and amino acid (AA) contents of wheat plants in saline soils. The results showed that the application of 5-20 t/ha biochar increased wheat NUE by 5.2-37.9% and thus increased wheat GY by 2.9-19.4%. However, excessive biochar applications (more than 30 t/ha) had negative effects on both the NUE and GY of wheat. Biochar had little influence on leaf soil and plant analyzer development (SPAD) values, the harvest index or yield components. The AAs were significantly affected by biochar, depending on the application rate. Among the application rates, 5-30 t/ha biochar resulted in relatively higher (by 5.2-19.1%) total AA contents. Similar trends were observed for each of the 17 essential AAs. In conclusion, the positive effects of biochar occurred when it was applied at appropriate rates, but the effects were negative when biochar was overused.

To assess the response of promising safflower genotypes to late-season drought stress in delayed planting conditions, an experiment was conducted in two years (2016-2017 and 2017-2018) in Iran. The irrigation regime was specified in two levels, including normal irrigation and irrigation cut off in the seed filling stage in main plots, and five safflower genotypes, including Soffe, Goldasht, Golmehr, Padideh, and Parnian were categorized in subplots. Applied drought stress significantly reduced the seed yield and yield components of all genotypes, which accompanied with a substantial decrease in oil content and oil yield of all genotypes. However, the highest seed and oil yield in drought stress conditions obtained in the Parnian genotype by value 2338 and 561 kg/ha, respectively. Moreover, a significant drought-induced increase in palmitic, stearic, and oleic acids, as well as a decrease in linoleic acid content, was observed in all genotypes. Parnian genotype with high unsaturated fatty acids content (90.9%) and the minimum amount of saturated fatty acids (8.7%) might be a promising genotype to starting a formal crop improvement program to achieve more drought-tolerant safflower genotype.

The efficacy of using maize (Zea mays L.) as a suitable substitute for other crops with high arsenic (As) accumulation in As-contaminated farmlands remains debated. Here, the As uptake capacity and the stability of accumulated As of different maize cultivars were studied using pot and field experiments, outdoor investigations and literature data analysis. When the total and available soil As levels were 238.8 and 8.1 mg/kg, respectively, grain As ranged from 0.03 to 0.07 mg/kg, significantly lower than the acceptable As limit (0.5 mg/kg) for maize in China. The results of field investigations and literature data analysis also supported this observation. Maize is a crop with low grain As, thus, making it suitable for substitution planting in As-contaminated farmlands. Further, grain As concentration varied among different maize cultivars. The planting of normal and waxy maize is prioritized over the sweet maize as the first one has lower available bio-concentration factor (aBCF) of 0.007 for grain and higher accumulated As stability among its cultivars (CV < 10%) than those for sweet maize (aBCF = 0.01 and CV = 35.5%). Arsenic compartmentalization in the roots and low As upward migration into the grain were responsible for the low grain As of maize.

Based on a long-term fertilization experiment on sandy soil, research concerning the effect of variable fertilization on the soil content of silicon extracted by CaCl₂ solution was performed. The content of plant available silicon was evidenced to depend on the applied fertilization and soil properties. Plant silicon supply coefficient varied depending on the fertiliser combination. In the case of potatoes this coefficient was smaller then 1 but for oat was usually higher then one. It suggesting that the amount of available silicon in soil is sufficient to cover the nutritional needs of potatoes but not sufficient for oat.

Conservation tillage harmonizes soil protection with demands of the crop, soil and climate. The continuous conservation tillage improves soil properties and modifies impact of weather extremes. The aim of the paper was to investigate the changes in four soil physical states affected by soil conservation tillage and to evaluate soil water content in a critical period. The study was carried out on Chernozems applying six tillage treatments, that are loosening, ploughing, tine tillage (a deeper, and a shallower), disk tillage and direct drilling. The investigation suggested that soil conservation was the major solution resulting in the balanced water content (SWC) and penetration resistance values in both treatments under peculiar weather conditions. However, the crumb ratio and the crusted area resulted in significant differences between the treatments, presumably due to the level of surface preservation. Soil water content differed significantly between months, with higher contents in spring and lower values in the end of summer. The higher SWC expected at the beginning of the growing season was reliably fulfilled, but the SWC level for workabilty differed from the optimum.

A new food and feed self-sufficiency model for the Czech Republic (RESTEP) was applied for the evaluation of possible adverse climate impacts uniformly reducing crop production by 5, 10, 20, and 30%. The situation was simulated for the whole country and four different agriculturally important regions. Biomass production modeling confirmed that for the whole country, the food self-sufficiency is secured up to 20% of yield decline for most crops, but even 5% yield decline of silage maize would lead to its shortage in animal feeding. On the other hand, regional results vary significantly. Regions Jižní Morava and Střední Čechy shown oversupply of feedstuff allowing them to cover the demands of cattle and pigs up to 20% or 30% decline of yield, respectively. The opposite model represents the Vysočina (VY) region which is not able to cover the demands from own sources even at the baseline scenario. The acreage extension of maize is not possible due to erosion risk restrictions at 25% of arable land at VY. The possible solution consists of extension acreage of alfalfa and clover or finding other plants sufficient for feeding as well for biogas facilities in regions rich in biomass energy consumers.

The aim of the research conducted on eutric brown soil on the experimental facility of Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb in 2012 and 2013, was to determine the optimal sowing density for two cultivars of white lupin (Teodora and Energy) and a cultivar of narrow-leafed lupin (Arabella). The study included three sowing densities: 60, 75 and 90 germinated seeds/m². The cultivars of white lupin achieved significantly higher seed yield, higher 1000 seed weight, higher weight of seeds per plant and higher protein content in the seed, compared to the cultivar of narrow-leafed lupin. The sowing density had no effect on seed yield, but the increase in sowing density above 60 germinated seeds/m² significantly reduced the number of pods, the number of seeds and seed weight per plant.

The ways to improve the vitality of sorghum seed after treatment with Lexin and M-Sunagreen were tested in laboratory conditions. These methods of seed stimulation were also tested in field conditions. All experiments were carried out in 2011-2013. Positive results after using the presented formulations for testing of germination were observed not only in laboratory conditions but also in field experiments. Seeds stimulated by Lexin reached statistically higher germination (95%) compared to control (91.5%) with the shortest medium time of germination (3.5 days) versus control seeds (4.3 days). Higher, faster and smoother germination of stimulated seeds resulted in higher average number of plants per m² (about 2.1 plants/1 m² in Lexin compared to control seeds) and thereby contributed to higher average yields up to two tons of dry matter per hectare.

The paper presents results of 3-year field studies carried out in a split-block design in four replications in the years 2012-2014 at the Agricultural Experiment Station in Mochełek (Poland). The effect of intensification of cultivation technologies on the yield of morphologically diversified cultivars of white (Lupinus albus), yellow (L. luteus) and narrow-leafed lupin (L. angustifolius) was examined. Traditional cultivars of white and yellow lupin gave significantly higher yields than the self-completing ones, as opposed to narrow-leafed lupin in which the self-completing cultivar had higher yields. Increasing expenses on industrial production means caused an increase in the yield of all the studied species. Seed yield of white and narrow-leafed lupin was significantly the highest in high-input technology, while that of yellow lupin in high- and medium-input technology. In all lupin species, insignificant diversification was observed in the number of pods per plant in medium- and high-input technologies as well as in low- and medium-input technologies. A significant increase in the seed yield along with an increasing intensity of the cultivation of traditional and self-completing cultivars of white and yellow lupin, as well as self-completing cultivars of narrow-leafed lupin, resulted mainly from developing a higher number of pods.