This study was carried out in the experimental field and in unheated greenhouses of the Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry Institute of Horticulture. The investigation aimed to evaluate the morphological features, amount of essential oil, and productivity of 10 basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) cultivars grown under different growing conditions. Studied cultivars were different according to morphological parameters, productivity, and the accumulation of essential oil. Most of the investigated parameters were influenced by growing conditions. Basil plants of cultivars Sweet Genovese and Toscano were determined to be the highest, and their height reached up to 70.5 cm. Cultivar Sweet Genovese was the most productive; its fresh herb mass per plant reached up to 0.71 kg under growing in the open field and greenhouse. Higher air temperature and constant watering of the soil in the greenhouse increased the accumulation of essential oils of basil. The biochemical analyses showed that the essential oil amount of 31% was higher when basils were grown in a greenhouse compared to an open field.

The Allium genus belongs to the family Amaryllidaceae. These species are native to the Northern Hemisphere and grow in various regions. Among Lithuania’s perennial Allium plant species, the most well known and cultivated are Allium schoenoprasum L., Allium angulosum L., Allium nutans L., Allium fistulosum L., and Allium ursinum L. These Allium species are important for practical insights and are discussed in this review to present their specific features. The changing climate impacts perennial plants’ agrobiological and nutritional properties, but not all kinds can adapt to new conditions, reducing species diversity. Perennial Allium species adapt well in local growing areas, but yields remain constant or may increase when the bulbs are transplanted under conditions similar to the plant’s native growing location. In addition, the susceptibility of garlic to pests and pathogens also poses a serious threat to genetic resources stored in uncontrolled field collections. Since ancient times, Allium species have played a significant role in the human diet, in traditional medicine for many ailments the treatment of, and in official medicine as a supplemental ingredient. This review analyzes the nutritional importance and consumption of the perennial Allium species, their biochemical composition, and their tolerance to environmental conditions.

The investigations of genetic resources in Lithuania started in 1924. Collections including more than 110 samples of different vegetable species have been accumulated and continue to expand. The breeding program is focused on productivity, quality traits and biochemical composition, and tolerance of unfavorable environmental factors in changing climates. Currently, over 95 cultivars and hybrids of vegetables have been released, about 40 of which are included in the EU Common catalogue of varieties of vegetable species. From 2012 to 2021, twelve cultivars were developed at the Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, seven of which are fruit vegetables, four are root crops, and two are in the onion group. The breeding direction was to increase the sustainable production of vegetables and improve the quality of the products by using national and adapted genetic resources as valuable parental forms. For 10 years, vegetable plant hybrids and cultivars were developed to meet commercial cultivars’ market requirements. The tomato cultivars ‘Ainiai’ H, ‘Adas’ H, ‘Auksiai’ H, ‘Alvita’ and cucumber cultivar ‘Roliai’ are distinguished by a good biochemical composition and taste, while the sweet pepper cultivar ‘Gabija’ has high productivity and fruit quality. The carrot hybrids ‘Ieva’, ‘Rokita’, ‘Jola’, garlic cultivar ‘Dangiai’, and onion cultivar ‘Joriai’ are distinguished by their productivity and good storage ability. The Jerusalem artichoke cultivar ‘Sauliai’ has tubers with white skin and the colour of the flowers is yellow.

The study examines the influence of humic and amino acid applications on the productivity and nutritional value of white cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata). Two cultivars, ‘Bagočiai’ and ‘Kamienna glowa’, were investigated at the Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry during the 2020–2021 period. The experiment was carried out in the experimental field where four different combinations of humic and amino acids were applied. Productivity and biochemical parameters were evaluated. It was determined that the application of amino and humic acids influenced the productivity of white cabbage. The obtained results showed that biostimulants enhanced the yield of heads up to 25% for cultivar ‘Bagočiai’ and 35% for ‘Kamienna Głowa’ compared with the control. The highest productivity, reaching 72.5–78.6 t ha⁻¹ of cultivar ‘Kamienna Głowa’ and 74.9 t ha⁻¹ to 76.2 t ha⁻¹ of ‘Bagočiai’, was determined in the variants where amino acids and a combination of humic + amino acid were applied. The amount of vitamin C increased when plants were treated with an amino acid solution, while the highest crude protein content was found when plants were treated with humic acid.

The aim of this study was to evaluate phenotypic traits and genetic diversity of the 13 tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) varieties and 6 hybrids developed at the Institute of Horticulture Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry (LRCAF IH). For the molecular characterisation, seven previously published microsatellite markers (SSR) were used. A24 and 26 alleles were detected in tomato varieties and hybrids, respectively. Based on the polymorphism information content (PIC) value, the most informative SSR primers for varieties were TMS52, TGS0007, LEMDDNa and Tom236-237, and the most informative SSR primers for hybrids were SSR248 and TMS52. In UPGMA cluster analysis, tomato varieties are grouped in some cases due to genetic relationships, as the same cluster cultivars ‘Viltis’ (the parent of cv. ‘Laukiai’) and ‘Aušriai’ (the progeny of cv. ‘Jurgiai’) are present. The grouping of all hybrids in the dendrogram is related to the parental forms, and it shows the usefulness of molecular markers for tomato breeding, as they can be used to trace the origin of hybrids and, eventually, varieties accurately. The knowledge about the genetic background of Lithuanian tomato cultivars will help plan targeted crosses in tomato breeding programs.