Competition is a fundamental ecological interaction among plants, arising when species utilise the same limited resources such as light, water, nutrients, and space. Resource limitations reduce the growth and survival of less competitive species, altering ecosystem structure. In agroecosystems, weed–crop competition is a major challenge, reducing yield and quality. Weeds often exhibit greater adaptability and resource efficiency, enabling them to outcompete crops. Competition intensity is influenced by population density, morphology, phenology and survival strategies. Understanding plant competitive interactions is crucial for ecologists and agronomists to develop sustainable weed management and resource optimization strategies. Climate change further alters competitive dynamics, favoring resilient and plastic species. Mechanisms like allelopathy, aboveground and belowground competition and adaptive growth responses shape community structure. Strategies to reduce weed pressure include breeding competitive crops and integrating cultural practices such as optimal sowing density, narrow row spacing, and cover cropping. Future research should address plant responses to multiple simultaneous stressors, the ecological role of allelochemicals under varying conditions, and the genetic mechanisms of competitive adaptability. A comprehensive understanding of these interactions is essential for designing resilient, high-performing agroecosystems in changing environmental conditions.

The paper proposes eight new nomenclatural combinations and indicates two new synonyms. There are 11 taxa (species and subspecies) of the vascular flora that are new for the flora of Serbia (of which nine are autochthonous and two allochthonous plants). Two autochthonous species were confirmed for the flora of Serbia. Six plant taxa are a novelty for proper Serbia, Vojvodina, or Kosovo and Metohija. There are eight taxa whose presence in Serbia or in its territorial units has been refuted.

Sustainable nutrition and food production involve dietary habits and farming systems which are eco-friendly, created to provide highly nutritious staple crops which could serve as a functional food at the same time. This research sought to provide a comprehensive analysis of whole-grain cereals, and some ancient grains toward important macro- (protein), micro-nutrients (mineral elements), and bioactive compounds, such as dietary fiber (arabinoxylan and β-glucan) and antioxidants (phytic acid, total glutathione, yellow pigment, and phenolic compounds) to provide functionality in a sustainable diet. Genotypes, such as durum wheat, triticale, spelt, emmer wheat, and barley, could be considered important and sustainable sources of protein (ranging 11.10–15.00%), as well as prebiotic fiber (β-glucan and arabinoxylan, ranging 0.11–4.59% and 0.51–6.47%, respectively), essential elements, and various antioxidants. Ancient grains can be considered as a source of highly available essential elements. Special attention should be given to the Cimmyt spelt 1, which is high in yellow pigment (5.01 μg·g⁻¹) and has a capacity to reduce DPPH radicals (186.2 µmol TE·g⁻¹), particularly Zn (70.25 mg·kg⁻¹). The presence of phenolics, dihydro-p-coumaric acid, naringin, quercetin, epicatechin in grains of oats (Sopot), as well as catechin in barley grains (Apolon and Osvit) underline their unique chemical profile, making them a desirable genetic pool for breeding genotypes. This research provides a comprehensive assessment of different nutritional aspects of various cereals (some of which are commonly used, while the others are rarely used in diet), indicating their importance as nutraceuticals. It also provides a genetic background that could be translated the genotypes with even more profound effects on human health.

The use of microwave irradiation energy for isolating bioactive compounds from plant materials has gained popularity due to its ability to penetrate cells and facilitate extraction of intracellular materials, with the added benefits of minimal or no use of organic solvents. This is particularly significant due to the possibility of using extracts in the food and pharmaceutical industries. The aim of this work is to examine the effect of microwave irradiation on the extraction of three of the most important isoflavones from soybean flour, glycitin, genistin, and daidzin, as well as their aglycones, glycitein, genistein, and daidzein. By varying the extraction time, temperature, and microwave power, we have established the optimal parameters (irradiation power of 75 W for 5 min) for the most efficient extraction of individual isoflavones. Compared to conventional maceration and ultrasound-assisted extraction, the total phenol content of the extracts increased from 3.66 to 9.16 mg GAE/g dw and from 4.67 to 9.16 mg GAE/g dw, respectively. The total flavonoid content increased from 0.38 to 0.83 mg CE/g dw and from 0.48 to 0.83 mg CE/g dw, and the antioxidant activity increased from 96.54 to 185.04 µmol TE/g dw and from 158.57 to 185.04 µmol TE/g dw, but also from 21.97 to 37.16 µmol Fe²⁺/g dw and from 30.13 to 37.16 µmol Fe²⁺/g dw. The positive correlation between microwave extraction and increased levels of total phenols, flavonoids, and antioxidant activity demonstrates the method’s effectiveness in producing bioactive compounds. Considering the growing recognition of glycitein’s potential role in medical and pharmaceutical applications, microwave-assisted extraction under optimized conditions has proven highly efficient.

Plastic traits are argued to favor the establishment of invasive alien plants and to evolve during the invasion process, so that invasions may be favored by both plasticity and evolutionary changes in plasticity. Despite this aspect being pivotal to understanding invasion processes, no information is available about the effect of residence time on the evolution of phenotypic plasticity of aliens to produce locally adapted phenotypes. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate changes in the morpho-functional traits of the invasive alien Ambrosia trifida L. over time. Specifically, we grew A. trifida plants under laboratory (at different temperatures: 10 °C, 20 °C and 25 °C) and field conditions by using seeds collected from 2011 to 2020 from an Eastern European population. Data about seedling emergence, vegetative (laboratory and field) and reproductive (field) traits were collected, e.g., maximum plant height (cm), total dry biomass (g), number of flowers (n) and number of new seeds (n). Analysis of variance (ANOVA), linear regressions and a plasticity index were applied to assess differences in plant performances when grown from seeds of different ages. An auto-regressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model was applied to predict future trends of some key plant traits (maximum height, total dry biomass and number of new seeds). Overall, the time of seedling emergence was not statistically different among seeds of different age, and regression analyses exhibited a positive relationship between residence time (seed age) and vegetative and reproductive parameters of A. trifida. Only male flower production exhibited a negative trend over time. At all temperatures (especially at 25 °C), the vegetative parameters increased with the decrease in residence time. The plasticity index of the measured traits tended to decrease over time for most traits both in the field and in the laboratory trials. The ARIMA model predicted that plant traits will continue to increase in size over time by 2030, suggesting further plastic adaptation of A. trifida. The results highlighted that residence time influences the evolution of phenotypic plasticity of A. trifida, which has strengthened its adaptability to the new conditions over a decade, also demonstrating a great adaptive and invasion potential for the future.

Buckwheat is important not only for its role in enhancing soil quality and preventing erosion but also for its excellent nutritional profile, making it suitable for use in functional foods. This study aimed to investigate how long-term storage (3, 6, and 9 months) affects chemical, nutritional, and antioxidative properties, phenolic acids, and the bioflavonoid profiles of Novosadska variety buckwheat. Standard methods were used for quality determinations, and instrumental methods (spectrophotometry, reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography) were employed to determine antioxidant activity and bioactive compounds in Novosadska variety buckwheat. One-way ANOVA and Tukey’s HSD post hoc tests were performed for statistical data processing. Throughout the storage period, proximate composition and starch content significantly decreased (p < 0.05), while total carbohydrates, β-glucan, and energy value significantly increased (p < 0.05). Significant decreases in pH and alcoholic acidity (pH = 0.55) and 0.33% DM were observed. Total phenol content and antioxidant activity decreased to 5.57 mg GAE/g DM TPC, 22.20 μmol Fe²⁺/g DM FRAP, and 8.12 μmol TE/g DM DPPH during storage (p < 0.05). Of the 15 phytochemical compounds, gallic, p-coumaric, trans-cinnamic acids, and epicatechin were highly abundant in this buckwheat variety, with a notable 38% decrease in epicatechin. Dihydrocaffeic and phloretic acids, daidzein, naringin, and naringenin were also quantified in buckwheat. Its easy adaptability to the environment, ability to attract various insects, being a speedy short-season growing plant for food, and numerous nutritional and health benefits give buckwheat the potential to be a sustainable and biodiversity-friendly crop.