Determination of genetic diversity and population structure of breeding material is an important prerequisite for discovering novel and valuable alleles aimed at crop improvement. This study’s main objective was to characterize genetic diversity and population structure of a collection representing a 40-year long historical period of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) breeding, using microsatellites, pedigree, and phenotypic data. The set of 90 barley genotypes was phenotyped during three growing seasons and genotyped with 338 polymorphic alleles. The indicators of genetic diversity showed differentiation changes throughout the breeding periods. The population structure discriminated the breeding material into three distinctive groups. The principal coordinate analysis grouped the genotypes according to their growth habit and row type. An analysis of phenotypic variance (ANOVA) showed that almost all investigated traits varied significantly between row types, seasons, and breeding periods. A positive effect on yield progress during the 40-year long breeding period could be partly attributed to breeding for shorter plants, which reduced lodging and thus provided higher yield stability. The breeding material revealed a considerable diversity level based on microsatellite and phenotypic data without a tendency of genetic erosion throughout the breeding history and implied dynamic changes in genetic backgrounds, providing a great gene pool suitable for further barley improvement.

Climate significantly affects cropping systems across Europe. Knowledge of the variability in grain number per unit area and grain weight across different growing seasons and its association with grain yield is important for further improving small grain crop production. The main aim of this study was to compare grain yield and its numerical components among triticale, wheat, two-rowed and six-rowed barley cultivars across different growing seasons in a typical Pannonian location (south-eastern part of Central Europe). Trials with twelve winter cereal genotypes (three two-rowed barley, three six-rowed barley, three wheat and three triticale genotypes) were carried out in four successive seasons in Novi Sad, Serbia. Results of this study showed that growing season, species, cultivar, and species × growing season interaction significantly (p<0.01) affected grain yield and its determinants. Generally, triticale had higher average grain yield, while the lowest grain yield was recorded in six-rowed barleys. Grain yield was more associated with the number of grains/m2 than with grain weight. Heading date was recognized as one of the important adaptive traits in crop development and yield determination. Short duration of the pre-anthesis phase in early cultivars and delayed anthesis in late cultivars significantly decreased the number of grains/spike in different species/spike types, reducing the final grain yield. Medium early cultivars had the highest number of grains/spike due to optimal duration of the pre-anthesis period and heading date and are suggested as recommendable for large scale production in the Pannonian environments.

Heat stress represents a significant environmental challenge that adversely impacts the growth, physiology, and productivity of wheat. In order to determine the response to high temperatures of the wheat varieties developed mostly in the Pannonian environmental zone, as well as varietal differences, we subjected seven varieties from Serbia, one from Australia, and one from the UK to thermal stress during anthesis and mid-grain filling and combined stress during both of these periods. The changes in chlorophyll fluorescence and index, leaf temperature, and main agronomic traits of nine winter wheat varieties were investigated under high temperatures. Heat stress negatively affected leaf temperature, chlorophyll fluorescence, and the chlorophyll index during different growth stages. Compared to the control, stress at anthesis, mid-grain filling, and combined stress resulted in yield reductions of 32%, 46%, and 59%, respectively. Single treatment at anthesis had a more severe effect on the number of grains per plant, causing a 38% reduction compared to the control. Moreover, single treatment during mid-grain filling resulted in the greatest decline in grain weight, with a 29% reduction compared to the control. There was a significant varietal variation in heat tolerance, highlighting Avangarda and NS 40s as the most tolerant varieties that should be included in regular breeding programs as valuable sources of heat tolerance. Understanding the genetic and physiological mechanisms of heat tolerance in these promising varieties should be the primary focus of future research and help develop targeted breeding strategies and agronomic practices to mitigate the adverse effects of heat stress on wheat production.

The Pannonian Plain, as the most productive region of Southeast Europe, has a long tradition of agronomic production as well as agronomic research and plant breeding. Many research institutions from the agri-food sector of this region have a significant impact on agriculture. Their well-developed and fruitful breeding programmes resulted in productive crop varieties highly adapted to the specific regional environmental conditions. Rapid climatic changes that occurred during the last decades led to even more investigations of complex interactions between plants and their environments and the creation of climate-smart and resilient crops. Plant phenotyping is an essential part of botanical, biological, agronomic, physiological, biochemical, genetic, and other omics approaches. Phenotyping tools and applied methods differ among these disciplines, but all of them are used to evaluate and measure complex traits related to growth, yield, quality, and adaptation to different environmental stresses (biotic and abiotic). During almost a century-long period of plant breeding in the Pannonian region, plant phenotyping methods have changed, from simple measurements in the field to modern plant phenotyping and high-throughput non-invasive and digital technologies. In this review, we present a short historical background and the most recent developments in the field of plant phenotyping, as well as the results accomplished so far in Croatia, Hungary, and Serbia. Current status and perspectives for further simultaneous regional development and modernization of plant phenotyping are also discussed.