High temperature induces oxidative processes in wheat, the alleviation of which is promising using biostimulants. Priming has been used for enhancing stress tolerance of seedlings. However, the usage of biostimulants for priming is an unexplored area under either normal or stress conditions. Therefore, the aim of our study was to evaluate the heat stress alleviation capability of differentially applied biostimulant treatments on wheat seedlings. The investigation included stress parameters (fresh/dry weight ratio, chlorophyll content estimation, antioxidant capacity and lipid oxidation) combined with biophoton emission measurement, since with this latter non-invasive technique, it is possible to measure and elucidate in vivo stress conditions in real-time using lipid oxidation-related photon emissions. We confirmed that a single biostimulant pretreatment increased antioxidant capacity and decreased biophoton release and lipid oxidation, indicating the reduction of the harmful effects of heat stress. Therefore, biophoton emission proved to be suitable for detecting and imaging the effects of heat stress on wheat seedlings for the first time. Two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed that biostimulant (p = 4.01 × 10⁻⁷) treatments, temperature (p = 9.07 × 10⁻⁸), and the interaction of the two factors (p = 2.07 × 10⁻⁵) had a significant effect on the overall count per second values of biophoton emission, predicting more efficient biostimulant utilization practices, even for seed priming purposes.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the aroma profile, microbial and chemical quality of winter cereals (triticale, oats, barley and wheat) and Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam., IRG) plus winter cereal mixture silages detected with an electronic nose. Four commercial mixtures (mixture A (40% of two cultivars of winter triticale + 30% of two cultivars of winter oats + 20% of winter barley + 10% of winter wheat), mixture B (50% of two cultivars of winter triticale + 40% of winter barley + 10% of winter wheat), mixture C (55% of three types of Italian ryegrass + 45% of two cultivars of winter oat), mixture D (40% of three types of Italian ryegrass + 30% of two cultivars of winter oat + 15% of two cultivars of winter triticale + 10% of winter barley + 5% of winter wheat)) were harvested, wilted and ensiled in laboratory-scale silos (n = 80) without additives. Both the principal component analysis (PCA) score plot for aroma profile and linear discriminant analysis (LDA) classification revealed that mixture D had different aroma profile than other mixture silages. The difference was caused by the presence of high ethanol and LA in mixture D. Ethyl esters such as ethyl 3-methyl pentanoate, 2-methylpropanal, ethyl acetate, isoamyl acetate and ethyl-3-methylthiopropanoate were found at different retention indices in mixture D silage. The low LA and higher mold and yeast count in mixture C silage caused off odour due to the presence of 3-methylbutanoic acid, a simple alcohol with unpleasant camphor-like odor. At the end of 90 days fermentation winter cereal mixture silages (mixture A and B) had similar aroma pattern, and mixture C was also similar to winter cereal silages. However, mixture D had different aromatic pattern than other ensiled mixtures. Mixture C had higher (p < 0.05) mold and yeast (Log₁₀ CFU (colony forming unit)/g) counts compared to mixture B. Mixture B and C had higher acetic acid (AA) content than mixture A and D. The lactic acid (LA) content was higher for mixture B than mixture C. In general, the electronic nose (EN) results revealed that the Italian ryegrass and winter cereal mixtures (mixture D) had better aroma profile as compared to winter cereal mixtures (mixture A and B). However, the cereal mixtures (mixture A and B) had better aroma quality than mixture C silage. Otherwise, the EN technology is suitable in finding off odor compounds of ensiled forages.

Changes in land use and agricultural practices have altered the resilience of plant communities and can lead to the emergence of invasive species. One of these is the perennial grass species Bothriochloa ischaemum (L.) Kleng., whose diversity-reducing effects are known from several studies. Our exploratory questions were as follows: How does the presence of B. ischaemum affect the diversity and ratio of the species of sandy grasslands? To what extent does this diversity change depend on site characteristics? The supporting studies were carried out in five low-lying sand dune slacks and six relatively higher areas in the upper-intermediate part of the dunes and on an abandoned old field located in the Hungarian Great Plain in the Carpathian Basin. The cover of vascular plant species was recorded in all sampling sites in twelve 2 by 2 m plots, and the dataset was analysed using agglomerative cluster analyses and a non-parametric Kruskal–Wallis test. Five significantly different groups were identified, separating the vegetation types of the sides of the sand dunes, the vegetation types of the dune slack and the old field, and a Stipa borysthenica Kolkov ex Prokudin-dominated vegetation type. Our results suggest that B. ischaemum is only present as small tussocks on the drier, more exposed sides of dunes, with 3.9–24.2% average coverage; is less able to outcompete Festuca vaginata Waldst. et Kit. ex Willd. and S. borysthenica; and is only able to form large tussocks mainly in the lower dune slacks, with 45.6–79.5% average coverage. Here, in the wetter areas, it achieves high cover with a considerable accumulation of litter, and it becomes a dominant species in this association. The diversity-reducing effect of B. ischaemum on old-field grasslands depends on the age of the site and on the stability of the vegetation.

Sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) is very sensitive to fluctuations in micronutrient availability, and either an excess or a shortage of boron (B) may reduce the plant’s development and its ability to withstand stress. B is essential for photosynthesis and cell wall integrity, but the physiological requirements for an optimal supply during early development remain unclear. The photosynthetic efficiency and oxidative stress reactions of sugar beet seedlings were tested under five different B concentrations: 0, 50, 500, 1000, and 2000 µM H₃BO₃. Integrating non-invasive methods like SPAD, delayed fluorescence (DF), and maximum quantum efficiency of PSII (Fv/Fm) with red–green–blue (RGB) imaging enabled the detailed processing of both the initial and decay phases of DF. According to the results, SPAD and Fv/Fm were not sensitive indicators of early B stress; however, DF decay slopes and red–green–blue pixel distribution distinguished between optimum (500 µM), inadequate (0 µM), and hazardous (2000 µM) treatments. Moreover, lipid oxidation-related biochemical analyses were used to evaluate the ferric reducing antioxidant capacity (FRAP) and malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration. At the extremes of insufficiency and toxicity, MDA levels demonstrated enhanced lipid peroxidation, while FRAP increased with B concentration. The outcome of the research revealed optimum (500 µM) and toxicity-inducing (2000 µM) concentrations at early stages of sugar beet development. The study highlights that the combined use of DF kinetics and RGB analysis provides valuable, non-invasive markers for the early identification of B-stress, which is also confirmed by biochemical indicators, thereby promoting more efficient micronutrient management in sugar beet cultivation.

Climate change requires the introduction of alternative crops in certain temperate areas due to the warmer and drier growing seasons. Maize, one of the most important crops, is projected to become less tolerant of a drier climate. Therefore, it is necessary to find an alternative species that is less susceptible to environmental stressors. This study compared the germination, growth vigour, and stress tolerance of maize and sorghum grow in six types of soil under three water regimes. The results indicate that sorghum germination is faster and more uniform. The most significant differences in germination rates were found in chernozem (88.9% and 72.2% for sorghum and maize, respectively) and saline solonetz (74.4% and 63.3% for sorghum and maize, respectively). Maize exhibited higher growth vigour only in three cases, i.e., under solonetz–flooding, shifting sand–drought, and brown forest floor–flooding conditions. An ANOVA showed a significant difference between sorghum and maize stress conditions due to soil conditions and water availability (p < 0.0001). Sorghum can be a suitable alternative to maize, but only in areas with hot, dry periods and in areas where the soil is not too prone to waterlogging, regardless of its quality.

Oulema melanopus L., 1758 (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) is one of the significant pests affecting cereal crops in Europe. Its damage is evident in the destruction of leaves during the spring growing season, leading to substantial impacts on both the quantity and quality of the harvested yields. The study aimed to evaluate the extent of leaf surface damage, changes in chlorophyll content caused by this pest, and the subsequent effects on yield quality. To achieve this, two experimental parcels were established, each subjected to different pesticide treatments during the spring vegetation cycle, but notably, with the difference that one parcel did not receive insecticide applications. The phytosanitary status, yield quantity, and quality parameters of thes parcels were compared. Chlorophyll content in damaged and undamaged plants was monitored in vivo using SPAD measurements, while the extent of leaf surface damage was assessed through image analysis using GIMP software 2.10.32. Harvested grain underwent milling and baking analysis, with milling and baking-quality indicators measured using a NIR grain analyzer. The results revealed that omitting springtime insecticide treatments during the emergence of O. melanopus led to significant reductions in leaf area and yield quality. In untreated parcels, leaf decession followed linear progression, reaching 35–40% within 20 days. This damage correlated with the decline in SPAD index values, indicating a 40–50% reduction in chlorophyll content dependent photosynthetic activity. Consequently, there were substantial decreases in milling and baking qualities, including nearly 30% reductional protein-content indicators and 10% in the Hagberg falling number. In summary, our large-scale field experiments demonstrated that persistent O. melanopus damage in wheat fields significantly reduced both the quantity and quality of yields, particularly protein content. These facts underscore the economic importance of timely pest-control measures to mitigate damage and preserve crop value.