In recent years, land degradation has become a major challenge for human society, with negative impacts on the natural habitat, the economy, and human well-being. A variety of anthropogenic and natural factors are exacerbating the processes of land degradation in the era of climate change. Land restoration is an important and proactive strategy to combat this negative situation. Among the many approaches, the use of vegetation plays a central role in restoring soil health, preventing erosion, promoting biodiversity, and improving water retention. Therefore, the identification of new plant species that have the properties to contribute to land restoration is a necessity today. The plant proposed in this conceptual review for land restoration is the cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum L.). After a brief presentation of the agronomy, adaptability, and multiple uses of this plant species, its potential to provide important ecosystem services useful for land restoration to combat land degradation is herein emphasized. Recent studies have shown that this plant has great potential for phytoremediation of soils contaminated with heavy metals (Zn, Pb, Cr, Cd, Ni, Hg, and Co), especially in post-mining areas where pollution exceeds ecological limits. Most studies have shown that the accumulation of heavy metals is higher at the lamina stage. There is also some evidence that the cup plant thrives in flood-prone areas and contributes to their restoration. Cup plant cultivation can also reduce greenhouse gasses and increase the organic carbon content of the soil. Another method of land restoration related to the establishment of the cup plant in a given area is the suppression of weeds, particularly the prevention of the invasion of exotic weed species. Further research under different soil–climatic conditions is needed to investigate cup plant cultivation as a promising strategy for land restoration in a time when the climate is constantly changing.

Lolium rigidum is among the most prevalent and noxious weeds in cereal and perennial cropping systems worldwide and has developed resistance to several herbicide modes of action. This study employed a sensor-based smart farming method for the early screening of herbicide resistance across three L. rigidum accessions in Greece, followed by dose–response experiments with clodinafop-propargyl, glyphosate, and mesosulfuron-methyl + iodosulfuron-methyl. In the preliminary screening, herbicides were applied at their highest recommended rates, whereas the dose–response experiments included five application rates (0, 1/4X, X, 2X, and 4X). The EM2 accession exhibited confirmed resistance to mesosulfuron-methyl + iodosulfuron-methyl, with a resistance index of 5.31 and a five-fold increase in the herbicide rate required compared to the susceptible EM1 accession. For clodinafop-propargyl, the GR50 value of the resistant EM3 accession (147.97 g a.i. ha⁻¹) was approximately 2.5-fold higher than that of the susceptible EM2 accession (60.28 g a.i. ha⁻¹). Glyphosate application provided only partial biomass reduction in resistant accessions, indicating reduced susceptibility. In parallel, TaqMan assays were developed and validated to detect target-site mutations linked to resistance against EPSPS-, ACCase-, and ALS-inhibiting herbicides, supporting the molecular interpretation of the observed resistance patterns. Overall, the results demonstrate that sensor-based smart farming approaches can provide a rapid and reliable tool for the early screening of herbicide resistance, enabling more informed crop protection strategies and supporting sustainable weed management. Further research across diverse soil types and climatic conditions is warranted to validate and extend the applicability of these approaches.