The rising demand for safe plant compounds and herbal products that contribute positively to human health is in line with current market trends. Plants belonging to the Satureja genus, particularly the aromatic medicinal S. montana L. from the Lamiaceae family, are well suited to these trends as they serve as pharmaceutical raw materials. This research aimed to assess the influence of sowing date and fertilization doses, as well as their interaction, on the fresh weight, essential oil content, and composition of S. montana. Experimental cultivation involved varying nitrogen and phosphorus levels. The second cut had the highest fresh weight and oil production compared to the first cut. The highest total plant biomass was achieved with autumn sowing and fertilization at 55 kg N/ha and 37 kg P/ha, whereas Spring sowing exhibited higher essential oil production, with the maximum oil % with 74 kg P/ha and oil yield after applying 55 kg N/ha and 74 kg P/ha. The GC-MS analysis revealed that carvacrol was the predominant compound, with it being recommended to grow S. montana in Spring at doses of 55 kg N/ha and 74 kg P/ha for the superior oil yield. Additionally, S. montana essential oil demonstrated notable biological and antimicrobial activity, positioning it as a potential alternative to chemical food preservatives.

Barley (Hordeum vulgare) grain stands out among other cereals due to its high nutritional value. It results mainly from the high content of fiber and antioxidants, such as phenolic compounds. Barley grains can also be an important source of unsaturated fatty acids and carotenoids that are beneficial to health. This study assessed the effect of the foliar application of an amino-acid biostimulant on the content of phenolic compounds, carotenoids, and the composition of fatty acids in the grain of alternative, black-grain barley genotypes, and the commonly used ‘Soldo’ cultivar, grown in conventional and organic farming systems. The dark-pigmented grains contained significantly more phenolic acids and flavonoids than the yellow seed of the traditional cultivar and were characterized by a significantly higher proportion of unsaturated fatty acids. The application of the biostimulant significantly increased the concentration of phenolic compounds in grains, especially of alternative genotypes.

Nitrogen fertilization may affect the functioning of photosynthesis as well as the chemical composition and antioxidant potential of cereal grains. Little is known about the relationship between the efficiency of photosynthesis and the content of phenolic compounds in barley grain, especially in conditions of varying nitrogen availability. In this regard, a field experiment was conducted to examine the responses of two primary barley genotypes with elevated phenolic compound content (TPC) in grain and an intensive modern cultivar H. v. vulgare with high protein content to increasing nitrogen fertilization (rates of 0, 30, 60 and 90 kg N ha⁻¹) during the study years, which differed in terms of hydrothermal conditions. The leaf greenness index (SPAD) and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters were evaluated on three occasions throughout the growing season. Following the harvest, the chemical composition of the grains, including phenolic acids, flavonoids and antioxidant potential, was evaluated. The antioxidant potential and chemical composition of the grain, including TPC and protein content, depended to the greatest extent on genetic and environmental factors, and only then on nitrogen fertilization. Nitrogen increased the TPC content and antioxidant capacity ABTS⁺ of the grains of all studied genotypes and the protein content in H. v. vulgare grain. Rates of 60 and 90 kg N ha⁻¹ resulted in a significant increase in the SPAD, PI_abs and F_v/F_m in BBCH 34 and 57. A positive correlation was confirmed between the SPAD and PI_abs and the content of TPC and ABTS⁺ in the grain. The dependence of qualitative characteristics on the F_v/F_m was also demonstrated. The primary genotypes are characterized by a greater genetic potential for the synthesis of phenolic compounds than the modern cultivar H. v. vulgare. The synthesis of phenolic compounds, and thus their accumulation in the grain, is clearly stimulated by unfavorable environmental factors and moderate nitrogen rates and depends on the chlorophyll content in the leaves and the efficiency of photosynthesis. N fertilization has a beneficial effect on the content of phenolic compounds in grain resulting from the improvement in the SPAD and PI_abs. The chemical composition of grain and the increase in antioxidant potential are determined by the F_v/F_m, which is low under hydrothermal stress conditions.

Black-seeded barley can be a valuable raw material for functional food. However, its restoration to cropping should be preceded by the identification of the characteristics determining productivity. The field study was conducted to identify specific parameters of the black-seeded barley genotypes (Hordeum vulgare var. nigricans and H. v. var. rimpaui) and compare them with common barley (H. vulgare) under the different hydrothermal conditions of the two growing seasons of 2021 and 2022. Our research has shown that each genotype has a set of specific characteristics that best describe it at a given developmental stage. H. v. rimpaui was well characterized by chlorophyll fluorescence parameters such as F_V/F_M, F_V/F₀, and PI_ABS at the seedling stage and H. v. nigricans by F_V/F_M and F_V/F₀ at the flag leaf stage. Moreover, H. v. var. rimpaui was distinguished by a high biomass of shoot (726 g m⁻²) and straw yield (5.04 t ha⁻¹) but H. v. var. nigricans by a high number of sterile generative tillers (103 m⁻² in the dry year 2022). Further research should focus on the response of black-seeded barley genotypes to abiotic stresses, while in agronomic practice, efforts should be made to increase the number of grains per ear and 1000-grain weight.

Using conservation tillage to grow crops that enhance soil quality, such as legumes, seems to be one of the best solutions for sustainable agriculture. The field study was conducted to identify the effect of soil cultivation technology and fertilization, via strip-tilling (reduced) vs. plowing (conventional), on the availability and uptake of NPK and Mg, as well as on the growth of shoots and roots and yield of green peas (Pisum sativum L.). The research was carried out in central Poland (53°05′16.8″ N, 19°06′14.4″ E) over two growing seasons of green peas in 2016 and 2017. Our study has shown that the spatial distribution of macroelements in the soil is influenced by the tillage method. The availability and nutrient uptake by green peas, their growth parameters, and yield were also influenced by the tillage system. However, the effect was observed mainly in the first year of the study, which had less precipitation and higher temperatures. In general, in our study, the strip-till has a positive impact on the nutrient uptake by plants, contributing to longer shoots and roots and higher biomass accumulation, especially in the first part of the growing season. In 2016, with less rainfall, green peas under strip-tilling produced more pods per plant and the yield was higher than under plowing (by 13.8%). In 2017, with higher precipitation, an increase in yield under strip-tilling compared to plowing was also observed (by 9.1%), but this difference was not statistically significant. To sum up, strip-tillage seems to have a positive impact on the spatial distribution of macroelements, growth parameters, and yield of green peas, and can be recommended as a technology for the sustainable production of this crop.

The cultivation of crops that enhance soil fertility, such as legumes, through the implementation of conservation tillage, is a strategy that may be highly effective in achieving sustainable agricultural objectives. A field study was conducted to examine the impact of soil tillage and fertilisation technology, employing strip-tillage (reduced tillage) and ploughing (conventional tillage), on the content of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), and magnesium (Mg) in two soil layers (0–20 and 20–40 cm), as well as in the sowing strip (row) and inter-row. Furthermore, the influence of the tillage on the availability and uptake of NPK and Mg by green beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), as well as on their shoot and root growth and the yield and its components, were evaluated. The experiment was performed in central northern Poland (53°05′6.4′′ N, 19°06′2.6′′ E) over two consecutive growing seasons of green beans in 2016 and 2017. This study revealed significant effects of strip-till and conventional tillage on the spatial distribution of plant-available nutrients in the soil, the content and uptake of these nutrients by plants during the growing season, shoot and root growth, and the pod yield of green beans. Using strip-tillage was demonstrated to increase the nitrogen content within the sowing strip, when compared to the inter-row. Furthermore, the technology resulted in higher nitrogen and potassium concentrations in the topsoil (0–20 cm), thereby enhancing the uptake of these nutrients by plants. The cultivation of P. vulgaris in a strip-till system resulted in more dry matter, longer shoots and roots, a higher number of pods per plant, and a higher yield of bean pods (27.3% greater than with the ploughing system). The impact of tillage was, however, found to be negligible when climatic conditions during the growing season were more conducive to the crop. This suggests that strip-till technology has a beneficial influence on green bean cultivation, particularly in the context of unfavourable meteorological conditions. With the increasing frequency of periods of water scarcity and higher temperatures, the employment of strip-till technology is recommended as a strategy for enhancing crop yields and advancing the sustainability of agricultural practices.