In the future, the cultivation of maize will become more and more prominent. As the world’s demand for food and animal feeding increases, remote sensing technologies (RS technologies), especially unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), are developing more and more, and the usability of the cameras (Multispectral-MS) installed on them is increasing, especially for plant disease detection and severity observations. In the present research, two different maize hybrids, P9025 and sweet corn Dessert R78 (CS hybrid), were employed. Four different treatments were performed with three different doses (low, medium, and high dosage) of infection with corn smut fungus (Ustilago maydis [DC] Corda). The fields were monitored two times after the inoculation—20 DAI (days after inoculation) and 27 DAI. The orthomosaics were created in WebODM 2.5.2 software and the study included five vegetation indices (NDVI [Normalized Difference Vegetation Index], GNDVI [Green Normalized Difference Vegetation Index], NDRE [Normalized Difference Red Edge], LCI [Leaf Chlorophyll Index] and ENDVI [Enhanced Normalized Difference Vegetation Index]) with further analysis in QGIS. The gathered data were analyzed using R-based Jamovi 2.6.13 software with different statistical methods. In the case of the sweet maize hybrid, we obtained promising results, as follows: the NDVI values of CS 0 were significantly higher than the high-dosed infection CS 10.000 with a mean difference of 0.05422 *** and a p value of 4.43 × 10⁻⁵ value, suggesting differences in all of the levels of infection. Furthermore, we investigated the correlations of the vegetation indices (VI) for the Dessert R78, where NDVI and GNDVI showed high correlations. NDVI had a strong correlation with GNDVI (r = 0.83), a medium correlation with LCI (r = 0.56) and a weak correlation with NDRE (r = 0.419). There was also a strong correlation between LCI and GNDVI, with r = 0.836. NDRE and GNDVI indices had the correlation coefficients with a CCoeff. of r = 0.716. For hybrid separation analyses, useful results were obtained for NDVI and ENDVI as well.

White lupine (Lupinus albus L.) is a well-known green manure crop in Hungary, but the production of seeds can be badly impacted by weeds. The sweet white lupine ‘Nelly’ was grown on acidic sandy soil, and experimental plots were treated with different herbicides. Flumioxazin (0.06 kg ha⁻¹), pendimethalin (5 L ha⁻¹), dimethenamid-P (1.4 L ha⁻¹), pethoxamid (2 L ha⁻¹), clomazone (0.2 L ha⁻¹), metobromuron (3 L ha⁻¹), and metribuzin (0.55 L ha⁻¹) were applied pre-emergence (1–2 days after sowing). Imazamox was also tested and applied post-emergence (1 L ha⁻¹) when some basal leaves were clearly distinct (BBCH 2.3). In this paper, the weed control efficiency and the phytotoxicity of herbicides applied to lupine are examined. Vegetation index datasets were collected 12 times using a manual device and 2 times using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The phytotoxicity caused by herbicides was visually assessed on several occasions throughout the breeding season. The frequency of weed occurrence per treatment was assessed. The harvested seed yields, in kg ha⁻¹, were analyzed after the seeds were cleaned. The herbicides metribuzin and imazamox caused extensive damage to white lupine. While pendimethalin, dimethenamid-P, pethoxamid, and clomazone were outstanding in several measured indicators, the final ranking which summarizes all the variables showed that only the pethoxamid and clomazone treatments performed better than the control. Metribuzin and imazamox were highly phytotoxic to white lupine. In the future, it would be appropriate to integrate more post-emergence active substances into trials, and the pre-emergence herbicides involved in this study should be further tested.

Seed production of common vetch (Vicia sativa L.) and sweet white lupine (Lupinus albus L.) is risky due to weed infestation as few herbicides are permitted for use in crops. Our aim was to test herbicides in these crops in order to expand the list of available herbicides. Various pre- and post-emergence herbicides were tested for their phytotoxicity and weed-control activity in field cultures of the common vetch (cv. Emma) and sweet white lupine (cv. Nelly). After the application of herbicides, phytotoxicity was monitored visually. Data collection involved the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), the plant height, the number of weeds, yield, and its contamination. Additionally, 1000-seed-weight measurements were taken for lupine. Summarizing the phytotoxicity and efficacy results in common vetch, the agents S-metolachlor, flumioxazin, and clomazone can be recommended for further pre-emergence testing, while metazachlor + quinmerac, chlorotoluron, and flumioxazin can be recommended for further post-emergence testing. In sweet white lupine, pre-emergence applications of flumioxazin, pendimethalin, dimethenamid-P, pethoxamid, clomazone, metobromuron, and diflufenican were found to be effective without any significant phytotoxicity. Further post-emergence testing of flumioxazin, chlorotoluron, carfentrazone-ethyl, and diflufenican can also be recommended, as well as the application of halauxifen-methyl and sulfosulfuron at low doses (0.4 L ha⁻¹; 13.0 g ha⁻¹). Additional evaluations of these treatments are recommended, including in different soil and weather conditions.

Climate change in the Pannonian region is accelerating a shift toward autumn sowing of cool-season grain legumes (pea, faba bean, lentil, chickpea, lupine) to achieve higher yields, greater biomass production, enhanced nitrogen fixation, improved soil cover, and superior resource use efficiency compared with spring sowing. However, successful overwintering depends on the availability of robust winter-hardy cultivars. This review synthesizes recent breeding advances, integrating traditional approaches—such as germplasm screening, hybridization, and field-based selection—with genomics-assisted strategies, including genome-wide association studies (GWAS), quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping, marker-assisted selection (MAS), and CRISPR/Cas-mediated editing of CBF transcription factors. Key physiological mechanisms—LT₅₀ determination, cold acclimation, osmoprotectant accumulation (sugars, proline), and membrane stability—are assessed using field survival rates, electrolyte leakage assays, and chlorophyll fluorescence measurements. Despite challenges posed by genotype × environment interactions, variable winter severity, and polygenic trait control, the release of cultivars worldwide (e.g., ‘NS-Mraz’, ‘Lavinia F’, ‘Ghab series’, ‘Pinklevi’, and ‘Rézi’) and ongoing breeding programs demonstrate substantial progress. Future breeding efforts will increasingly rely on genomic selection (GS), high-throughput phenomics, pangenomics, and G×E modeling to accelerate the development of climate-resilient legume cultivars, ensuring stable and sustainable production under increasingly unpredictable winter conditions.

Improving water productivity while maintaining technological quality is a major challenge for sugar beet production under increasing water scarcity. This study was conducted for only one year at one location during the 2023/2024 winter season near the Village Kafraljaraydh to evaluate the effects of irrigation water type (normal vs. magnetized), irrigation levels (100 and 75% ETc) combined into four irrigation treatments, and NPK fertilization levels (100, 80, 60, and 40% of the recommended dose) on growth, yield, quality, and water relations of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) under field conditions in Egypt (2023/2024 season; strip-plot design; three replicates). Magnetized water treatment (MWT) enhanced vegetative growth, root development, and biomass accumulation, improving yield. The highest root yield (80.34 t ha⁻¹) and sugar yield (16.62 t ha⁻¹) were obtained under magnetized irrigation at 100% ETc; 80–100% NPK, representing a 3–6% increase over normal irrigation. Technological quality improved, with higher sucrose content, total soluble solids, apparent purity, and reduced impurity-related parameters (α-amino N, K, Na, and molasses sugar). Deficit irrigation reduced yield but had limited effects on quality. Water use efficiency was mainly driven by irrigation level, with higher values under 100% ETc, while MWT provided a moderate improvement. Reducing fertilization to 80% NPK maintained yield and improved quality under MWT. MWT improved crop performance and quality without increasing water use, supporting sugar beet production.

Regenerative farming practices, including the use of leguminous green manures, are increasingly recognized for their potential to improve soil quality, enhance nutrient cycling, and reduce nitrogen losses. In this study, we investigated the effects of two leguminous green manure crops, lupine (Lupinus albus L.) and common vetch (Vicia sativa L.), on maize (Zea mays L.) yield and soil mineral nitrogen dynamics in two soil layers (0–25 cm and 25–50 cm). The treatments were compared with mineral nitrogen fertilization (80 kg ha⁻¹ N) and an unfertilized control under field conditions on humic sandy soil in Hungary between 2021 and 2023. The results showed that under extreme drought conditions (2022), maize yield in mineral-fertilized plots (0.90 t ha⁻¹) was significantly lower than in the unfertilized control (1.61 t ha⁻¹), while green manure treatments maintained substantially higher yields (4.11–4.21 t ha⁻¹). Soil nitrogen dynamics were strongly influenced by precipitation patterns. Correlation and regression analyses revealed that increasing precipitation reduced mineral nitrogen content in the topsoil, while promoting its accumulation in deeper soil layers. This effect was particularly pronounced in mineral-fertilized treatments, where a significant negative correlation was observed in the 0–25 cm layer and a positive correlation in the 25–50 cm layer, suggesting greater downward movement of mineral nitrogen within the soil profile. Principal component analysis further indicated that mineral fertilizer-derived nitrogen was more strongly associated with precipitation variables than nitrogen originating from green manure treatments. The results suggest that the application of leguminous green manures promotes a more stable soil nitrogen distribution and reduces sensitivity to precipitation-driven nitrogen redistribution compared with mineral fertilization.