One of the new methods of protecting and supporting plant growth is the use of low-temperature plasma. The aim of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of using plasma activated water produced in an atmospheric pressure gliding arc reactor for germination of beetroot (Beta vulgaris) and carrot (Daucus carota) seeds. The study was carried out for different plasma treatment times of water (5, 10 and 20 min) and with fixed geometry and power of the discharge system, using air as the working gas. The effect on germination was evaluated based on the fraction of germinated seeds and their length at 7 and 14 days after treatment. Analysis of fungi present on the seed surface and imaging of the seed surface using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were auxiliary methods to evaluate the type of treatment effect. In the case of beetroot, a positive effect on the number and length of germinated seeds was observed, which increased with increasing treatment time. This effect can be attributed, among other things, to the surface changes observed on microscopic photographs. In the case of carrot seeds, a more significant positive effect on germination was observed. Fungal decontamination effect was relatively weaker than with the use of the chemical method with sodium hypochlorite.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the influence of mycorrhizal fungi (MF) and irrigation on biological properties of sweet pepper rhizosphere in organic field cultivation. For this purpose, MF were applied to plants in the form of commercial mycorrhizal inoculum (Rhizophagus aggregatus, R. intraradices, Claroideoglomus etunicatum, Endogone mosseae, Funneliformis caledonium, and Gigaspora margarita) and irrigation according to the combinations: mycorrhized plants (PM), mycorrhized and irrigated plants (PMI), and irrigated plants (PI). Plants without MF and irrigation served as the absolute control (P). The study used classic and molecular techniques, assessing catalase activity, biodiversity of soil microorganisms (soil DNA analysis), and the Community-Level Physiological Profiles (CLPP) analysis using Biolog EcoPlates. The highest catalase activity was recorded in the control and mycorrhized soil sample. The highest total number of bacteria was noted in the rhizosphere of control plants (P) and irrigated plants, while the lowest number in the rhizosphere of mycorrhized and irrigated plants. Plant irrigation contributed to the increase in the total number of fungi in the rhizosphere. The rhizospheric soil of PM and PMI were characterized by the highest utilization of amines, amides, and amino acids, whereas the lowest level of utilization was detected in the P and PI rhizospheres. The highest biodiversity and metabolic activity were observed in the rhizospheres from the PMI and PM samples, whereas lower catabolic activity were recorded in the P and PI rhizospheres. The mycorrhization of crops improved the biological properties of the rhizosphere, especially under conditions of drought stress.

Sustainable and organic plant production uses natural products and natural self-regulation processes occurring in the ecosystem. The awareness is growing and the demands of consumers are higher and higher. One solution is to use various methods, as an alternative to pesticides. It is also very important to care for the stored crops after harvesting especially using non-chemical methods. The physical method of plant protection consists in treating the harmful organism with physical factors such as temperature, its same light and radiation, controlled atmosphere, special packaging, pressure, various sounds, ozone, and low-temperature plasma. The availability of effective application techniques opens up new possibilities for the storage of crops in order to maintain their health and quality for a long time. This review focuses on the analysis of physical methods of postharvest protection, especially the latest methods using ozone and low-temperature plasma. As a result, consumers of agricultural crops will be able to consume food free of insects, mycotoxins and pesticide residues.

This study aimed to determine the effects of plant species on the biological parameters of Tetranychus urticae Koch and the time of mite infestation on plant physiology in Ocimum basilicum L., Melissa officinalis L. and Salvia officinalis L. Mite infestation induced various levels of oxidative stress depending on plant species and the duration of infestation. Host plants affected T. urticae life table parameters. The low level of susceptibility was characteristic of S. officinalis, which appeared to be the least infected plant species and reduced mites demographic parameters. Infested leaves of S. officinalis contained elevated levels of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and malondialdehyde (MDA) compared to control. In addition, higher membrane lipid peroxidation and higher activity of guaiacol peroxidase (GPX) and lower activity of catalase (CAT) were recorded with a longer mite infestation. In contrast, O. basilicum appeared to be a suitable host on which T. urticae could develop and increase in number. In basil leaves, increasing levels of hydrogen peroxide and MDA with elevated GPX activity and strongly decreased catalase activity were recorded. Knowledge of the differences in mite susceptibility of the tested medicinal plants described in this study has the potential to be applied in breeding strategies and integrated T. urticae pest management in medicinal plant cultivations.

Praca porusza współcześnie ważne zagadnienia dotyczące zrównoważonego rozwoju miast z zachowaniem bioróżnorodności. Artykuł ma charakter przeglądowy, obejmuje analizę literatury przedmiotu i ocenę systemów przyrodniczych miast Lublina oraz Warszawy. Procesy globalizacji wywierają coraz silniejsze piętno na jakości środowiska. W równym stopniu zanieczyszczeniom i degradacji podlegają wszystkie jego komponenty: atmosfera, hydrosfera, pedosfera i biosfera. Nigdy dotąd tyle elementów i układów środowiska nie zostało poddanych tak silnej antropopresji, która zakłóca lub niszczy równowagę ekologiczną. Miasta rozrastają się, wypierając przyrodę. Wiele gatunków roślin, owadów, ptaków czy ssaków całkiem dobrze sobie z tym radzi, choć obserwuje się również nadmierny rozwój gatunków inwazyjnych. Trudno jest godzić interesy rozwoju miasta z potrzebami natury. Biorąc pod uwagę z jednej strony szybkie rozrastanie się miast i zapotrzebowanie na nowe grunty pod budownictwo, a z drugiej strony silny nacisk kładziony na troskę o bioróżnorodność i zachowanie ekosystemów oraz związane z tym niekorzystne interakcje, coraz częściej sygnalizuje się problemy związane z połączeniem często skrajnych potrzeb. Praca niniejsza jest próbą oceny sytuacji w tej dziedzinie, opiera się na analizie sytuacji związanej z bioróżnorodnością w dwóch miastach: Warszawie i Lublinie jako przedstawicielach dość odmiennych aglomeracji, zwłaszcza w związku z gęstością zaludnienia i szybkością zmian podyktowanych antropopresją.