Effects of soil tillage (CTconventional, SS-subsoiling, CH-chiselling, DH-disk-harrowing and NT-no-till) and nitrogen rate (reduced N1, optimal N2 and luxury N3) on yield and yield components of maize and winter wheat in two different agricultural subregions of Croatia (Magadenovac and Cacinci site), were studied in the years 2013–2014 as part of a long-term experiment. Maize yield and yield components were influenced by site properties, tillage and nitrogen treatments. The highest yields and yield components were recorded at the Magadenovac site with N2 and N3. The lowest values of the yield and yield components of maize were recorded on NT and were significantly lower than CT, SS, CH and DH, among which no significant differences were recorded. Winter wheat yield and yield components were affected by site properties and nitrogen rates while soil tillage treatments only had an influence on grain and straw yield and plant height. Winter wheat achieved maximum yield and yield components on a N3 and N2 and at the Magadenovac site. Winter wheat grain yield decreased in the following order: SS > DH > CH > NT > CT. The obtained results indicate the importance of optimal nitrogen fertilization and the possibility of the implementation of conservation tillage for maize and winter wheat production in different agroecological conditions.

Conservation tillage (CT) is an effective tool for maintaining crop productivity under adverse climate conditions, while its adoption is conditioned by the possible negative response of crop weed. Research with CT and liming (L) was conducted at different experimental sites on acid soils (ES 1 and ES 2) to determine the maize weediness and yield. The tillage treatments used were ST (conventional tillage), CTD (deep loosening), CTS (shallow loosening), and liming; Ly (CaO) and Ln (no CaO). The weediness assessment was conducted at the V7 and R5 maize growth stages. Weed density (WD), biomass (WB), weed coverage (WC), and species density (WSN) were determined. The highest WD was recorded on ES 2 in V7, and WB, WC, and WSN were significantly higher at CTS in R5 compared to ST. Liming affected the decrease of WD and WC in V7 and WB, WC, and WSN in R5. The average maize yield on ES 2 was 36% higher compared to ES 1. CTS resulted with the highest yield at ES 1, while at ES 2, it was similar to ST. Liming application significantly increased the maize yield. The given results indicated the positive impact of CT and L on crop productivity in different agroecological conditions, despite the increased weediness.

Seed dormancy is a major impediment for the production of Salvia officinalis L. (sage) seedlings. This study aims to test seed priming methods to break the dormancy of sage seeds in controlled conditions. Seeds were subjected to four treatments respectively hydropriming, magneto-priming, electro-priming and control with no seed priming techniques. During germination development stage all parameters were registered according to BBCH (Biologische Bundesanstalt, Bundessortenamt und CHemische Industrie) standardized scale. Daily assessments were made, germination indices were calculated, new germination secondary stages were observed and described, and daily range for each secondary stage were obtained. All priming methods had different effect on sage seeds. The hydropriming treatment was the most effective with 70% seeds germinated in 10 days. Sage seeds from magneto-priming determine more than 50% seeds to germinate in only 8 days. Control and electropriming treatment showed a similar value of seed germination, set around 64-65%. In control, electro- and hydropriming treatments are necessary 6 days for the achievement of more than 50% seed germination, while for magneto-priming are necessary 8 days. Hydropriming has the highest germination index, significantly higher than control and magneto-priming. During the germination, hydropriming shows a gradual transition of seeds from one BBCH sub-stage to another, while electro- and magneto-priming induce a heterogenous variation through the entire process. Overall, the hydropriming treatment registered better results of sage germination compared to the control treatment.

Abiotic stressors driven by climate change increasingly threaten global horticultural productivity and crop quality. This closing editorial synthesizes nine multidisciplinary articles published in the Special Issue, focusing on physiological, biochemical, and molecular mechanisms governing crop resilience and secondary metabolite biosynthesis. Through comprehensive assessments of biostimulant applications, seed priming memory, and sugar-mediated signaling, the featured studies demonstrate that targeted exogenous treatments such as amino-acids, seaweed extracts, and melatonin effectively alleviate heat, drought, and salinity damage. Furthermore, research highlights the role of genetic regulators like flavonol synthase (ZjFLS) and tissue culture stress in metabolic reprogramming. Long-term studies reveal persistent physiological benefits of seed priming on photosynthetic efficiency and dry matter allocation in fruit crops. Altogether, this Special Issue addresses the knowledge gaps by bridging fundamental cellular responses with applied agronomic practices. To ensure sustainable horticultural production under escalating environmental pressures, future research must prioritize multi-stress field trials, epigenetic mechanisms underlying stress memory, multi-omics integration, and standardized field protocols for biostimulant management.

Structural and functional soil degradation under conventional tillage has reached a critical point, requiring a shift towards conservation practices to mitigate the negative effects of climate change. This study evaluated the multi-year effects (2021–2024) of conventional tillage (CT), conservation deep tillage (CD), and conservation shallow tillage (CS) on soil physical properties (density, air capacity, and water content), water distribution, infiltration rate, and maize yield in a silty Gleysol. Soil water content (SWC), i.e., distribution, was monitored using PR2 profile probes at depths of 10, 20, 30, and 40 cm. CT treatment resulted in impaired soil physical properties, characterized by a significant increase in air capacity (+233.9%) and with a significant decrease in volumetric water content (qw, ≈40%). In contrast to CT (47.91 cm h⁻¹), the CS treatment resulted in more favorable hydraulic properties, i.e., and infiltration rate of 102.29 cm h⁻¹, by 2024. Statistical analysis (R², RMSE) confirmed that CS provides the most reliable and consistent environment for monitoring SWC. While maize yields were significantly higher in CT during the initial year (2021; 9.5 t ha⁻¹ vs. 8.4 t ha⁻¹ in CS), no significant differences were observed by 2024, and all tillage systems reached yields of ≈13.0 t ha⁻¹. The results suggest that after the four-year study period, CS tillage stabilized soil hydraulic properties and pore continuity, thereby resulting in maize yields equivalent to those of CT. Therefore, CS has proven to be a more resilient and effective strategy for sustainable water management in silty Gleysols.