The aim of this paper was to determine the changes in some biochemical and physiological processes, which occurred in seeds and seedlings of faba bean and to evaluate the germination dynamics and plant emergence after pre-sowing seeds treatment with a magnetic field. The study was carried out on Petri dishes in climatic chambers of the company HERAEUS (Germany). Each plate was lined with filter paper and 80 seeds of faba bean were sown. The paper was sprayed with the same amount of distilled water in each plate. Treatment of seeds significantly increased the activity of amylolytic enzymes in faba bean seeds and seedlings. The greatest differentiation in enzymatic activity between stimulated and nontreated seeds was noted after 96 h from the time of sowing. Seeds treated with the magnetic field showed greater dynamics of weight at the time of imbibition than nontreated seeds. Treating of seeds with a magnetic field considerably increased the amount of indole-3-acetic acid and gibberellic acid in germinating seeds, above-ground parts and in roots of faba bean seedlings. The pre-sowing treatment with a magnetic field had favorable effects on the growth and development of seedlings.

Soybean yields can be considerably improved by inoculation with selected Bradyrhizobium japonicum strains and fertilization. The aim of this study was to assess the productivity of two soybean cultivars depending on the applied N mineral fertilizers and seed inoculation with B. japonicum. The study showed that on average, for both cultivars, the soybean yield was most favorably affected by the combined use of inoculation and nitrogen fertilization (increase in seed yield by 42%, protein yield by about 28%). The application of mineral nitrogen at the dose of 30 or 60 kg·ha⁻¹ allowed the increase in the seed yield by about 17% and protein content by about 14% compared to the control. Inoculation of soybean seeds with B. japonicum increased the yield of soybeans by about 20%, proteins by about 10% compared to the control, and inoculation of Hi^®Stick Soy favored a better yield than Nitragina. Inoculation of seeds with Nitragina or Hi^®Stick Soy and fertilization with mineral nitrogen increased the content of protein and fiber in seeds of both soybean cultivars, as well as reduced the amount of ash and fat. The seeds of cv. Aldana had a higher amount of protein and ash than cv. Annushka, but a similar amount of fat and fiber.

The successful production of soybean seeds is dependent on the sowing date, because every sowing outside of the optimal time contributes to losses of yield. The aim of the study was to identify the response to sowing date of the chosen soybean cultivars by the evaluation of the length of the soybean vegetation period, yield level, its parameters and seed chemical composition. A field experiment was conducted in the years 2016–2019 at the Agricultural Experimental Station in Grabów (Masovian Voivodeship, Poland) belonging to the Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation—State Research Institute in Puławy. Soybean cultivars (four in 2016–2017 and six in 2018–2019) listed in the EU Common Catalogue with various earliness were included in the experiment. Three different sowing dates were used: I—early, II—medium and III—delayed. The two-factor experiment was carried out using a split-plot design on Luvisol soil with sandy loam texture classes, in four replications. Soybean seeds were inoculated with a bacterial culture Nitragina containing strains Bradyrhizobium japonicum. After reaching full maturity, the most important morphological traits of 10 plants and yield components: the number of pods per plant and the number of seeds per pod were provided. After harvest, the seeds yield (kg per hectare at the 14% moisture), and 1000-seed weight were determined. The study showed that in the years with favourable weather conditions during the growing season the best yields were obtained for soybean sown on the second date, while in the year with unfavourable weather conditions, the sowing date had no significant effect on the yields. Seeds of the soybean cultivars grown under conditions of limited rainfall contained about 9% more protein than those grown under more favourable agroecological conditions. The delay of sowing date by about 20 days positively influenced the accumulation of protein in seeds.

The aim of the presented studies was to evaluate the magnetic field (MF) effect on changes in some enzymes and phytohormones that takes place in the process of seed germination and growth of seedlings. Studies were led in the climatic chambers HERAEUS, on Petri dishes during six consecutive days. Pea seeds were divided into three groups from which one was the control (without stimulation) and two were treated with different doses of magnetic field (30 and 85 mT, respectively). Contents of amylolytic enzymes (AE) and phytohormones were determined at seven terms (0; 24; 48; 72; 96; 120 and 144 h) after placing them on the dishes. A favorable effect of seed stimulation with MF was found on the biochemical processes in the germinating seeds and pea seedlings. The size of changes in enzyme concentration was dependent mainly on the advancement of germination process (i.e., on length of time in which the seeds were on the dishes) and the MF treatment. The use of MF also had an effect on the increase in hormone content in the seeds and organs of seedlings, but values from objects treated with different doses did not differ significantly.

Legume seeds, such as grass pea, yellow lupine, and narrow-leaf lupine, are highly nutritious and offer a wide range of health benefits. The objective of this research was to explore the possibility of partially replacing wheat flour (at levels of 10, 15, 20, and 25%) with flour derived from these legume seeds in sourdough wheat bread and examine its impact on the physicochemical and sensory properties of the bread. The physical properties of the dough were also assessed. The substitution of wheat flour with ground legume seeds resulted in increased water absorption (from 54.1 to 63.5%) and prolonged dough development time (from 2.0 to 13.5 min). Ground lupine seeds reduced the volume of the bread and increased its crumb density, consequently making the bread harder. The most significant increase in hardness was observed when narrow-leaf lupine flour was added to the wheat flour (from 8.4 to 22.5 N). Narrow-leaf lupine had the greatest impact on enhancing the protein content in the enriched bread (from 11.5 to 20%), while yellow lupine caused the highest increase in fiber content (from 1.9 to 6.9%). The proposed additives slightly but significantly (p < 0.05) increased the antioxidant activity and phenolic content in the bread samples. Importantly, for all legume seeds, replacing up to 15% of the wheat flour allowed the production of bread with high consumer acceptability.