In view of growing requirements of the food industry regarding elderberries (genus Sambucus), a need to increase their productivity and improve their chemical composition has emerged. With this purpose in mind, numerous elderberry interspecific hybrids have been created. In the present work, the content of minerals in their crucial plant parts was studied. It was also investigated whether superior genotypes regarding the mineral composition of berries and inflorescences could be predicted at early stages of plant development. The results showed that elderberry leaves contained the highest amounts of Ca, Mg, Mn, Zn, and Sr, while K and P were predominant in fruit stalks. Fe and Al prevailed in roots and Cu in bark. Although berries showed lower mineral content compared to other plant parts, their mineral content is not negligible and could be comparable to other commonly consumed berries. Genotypes with a favorable mineral content of inflorescences and berries could be predicted on the basis of known mineral composition of their shoots and leaves. The study also indicates that S. nigra genotypes and the majority of interspecific hybrids analyzed are suitable for further genetic breeding or cultivation.

Wild fruit species offer significant nutritional, environmental, and economic benefits. Among them, Prunus cerasifera Ehrh. (myrobalan) stands out for its resilience and nutrient-rich fruits, traditionally consumed fresh or dried. This study aimed to assess the morphological and biochemical diversity of 21 wild P. cerasifera accessions from Slovenia, focusing on 18 fruit and stone traits, including size, shape, color, and phenolic compounds such as total monomeric anthocyanins and total phenolic content (TPC). The objective was to identify genotypes with potential for cultivation and food production or as parental components in breeding programs. The results showed variability in fruit length (2.19–2.82 cm), width (2.18–2.99 cm), weight (67.98–150.30 g), firmness, and juiciness, with notable differences in stone characteristics. Phytochemical analysis revealed a wide range of TPC (277–1756 mg/100 g) and anthocyanin levels (0–710 mg/100 g), with higher concentrations in darker fruits. Statistical analysis compared PAM and AGNES clustering methods, finding that PAM with five clusters and AGNES with two clusters provided similar insights. The study emphasized variability in morphological and chemical traits among clusters, with specific accessions showing particularly valuable traits, such as accession RK13, which had high TPC and anthocyanins and a non-adherent stone.

A field experiment was conducted in two seasons (2019–2020 and 2020–2021) at three locations in Slovenia (Rogoza, Fala, and Brežice) to evaluate the yield and silage quality of winter cover crops (WCCs). The experiment included Italian ryegrass (IR) in pure stands, fertilized with nitrogen in spring, and mixtures of crimson clover (CRC), red clover (RC), and IR+CRC+RC without nitrogen fertilization in spring. The highest dry matter yield (DMY) was observed in IR+CRC+RC (4.98 t ha⁻¹). For fresh feed, the CRC+RC treatment had significantly higher (p < 0.05) crude protein (208 g kg⁻¹ DM), nitrate nitrogen (116.7 mg kg⁻¹ DM), and buffering capacity (1290 mmol kg⁻¹ DM) but significantly lower (p < 0.05) dry matter (128 g kg⁻¹) and water-soluble carbohydrates (121 g kg⁻¹ DM). For silage, the CRC+RC treatment had significantly lower (p < 0.05) dry matter (476 g kg⁻¹ silage), metabolic energy (9.65 MJ kg⁻¹ DM), net energy of lactation (5.77 MJ kg⁻¹ DM), and neutral detergent fiber (375 g kg⁻¹ DM) but higher ammonia nitrogen (66.5 g kg⁻¹ of total nitrogen), crude protein (158 g kg⁻¹ DM), and acid detergent fiber (279 g kg⁻¹ DM). No significant differences (p > 0.05) were found among treatments for acetic, lactic, and butyric acid, crude fat, pH, and soil mineral nitrogen (N_min). The results of the study show that the same or higher DMY and a comparable quality of highly wilted silage can be produced with mixed Italian ryegrass and clovers compared with those of Italian ryegrass in pure stands. The experiment aimed to determine whether clover-based mixtures can achieve comparable silage quality and dry matter yield without spring N fertilizers compared with those of pure stands of Italian ryegrass fertilized in spring.

In addition to improving soil quality, the fertilisation of grassland with cattle slurry is often associated with seed dispersal. Most studies focus on the effects of cattle slurry on the germination and early development of weed species, but less is known about how slurry affects the germination process of grasses and forage legumes. The aim of Experiment I of our study was therefore to investigate the influence of soaking time in cattle slurry of different concentrations on Lolium multiflorum, Dactylis glomerata, Trifolium pratense and Trifolium repens. Seeds were soaked in undiluted (100%) and diluted cattle slurries (50% and 25%) for 14, 28, 42, 56, 70 and 84 days. Experiment II was conducted to study the initial growth of studied plants from seeds soaked in cattle slurry of different concentrations for 14 days. After the germination test, which was carried out under controlled conditions, the germination index (GI) was calculated. The results (Experiment I) show that a short soaking in cattle slurry (14 days) has no negative effect on the germination process for all species. However, a longer soaking resulted in significantly reduced and delayed germination, especially in undiluted slurry for grasses and diluted slurries for clovers. The slurry concentration (Experiment II) only influenced the root growth of L. multiflorum. Seedlings grown from seeds soaked in undiluted slurry had a 17% higher relative root length than the control and developed significantly longer root systems than the other two slurry concentrations.