Climatic variability, particularly fluctuating precipitation and rising temperatures, poses a significant threat to crop productivity and stability. Forage sorghum hybrids are a promising alternative for fodder and bioenergy due to their high level of drought tolerance. This study evaluated genotypic variation and environmental adaptability of 60 forage sorghum genotypes: 13 parental lines, their 40 crosses and seven commercial hybrids, to identify high-yielding, stable hybrids for biomass production under changing agroecological conditions. Field trials conducted over two contrasting years revealed significant genotype-by-environment interactions (p < 0.05), highlighting the need for multi-year evaluations. While favorable rainfall in 2020 enhanced vegetative traits (plant height, stem diameter, leaf area), biomass yield variability increased, emphasizing that favorable vegetative development does not necessarily correlate with yield stability. Principal component analysis indicated that plant height, stem diameter and leaf-related traits contributed most to genotypic differentiation. However, no single trait emerged as a reliable predictor of yield, suggesting complex trait interaction. These findings underscore the importance of integrative breeding strategies that combine phenotypic trait assessment with environmental adaptability to ensure sustainable biomass production. Sorghum’s drought tolerance and resilience make it a promising crop for future food and feed security in regions prone to climatic stress.

Background: Pea (Pisum sativum L.) provides one of the best solutions for the lack of plant-based protein. The different agroecological conditions and the difference in seed color and type can affect seed protein content, composition and agronomic traits. Methods: A two-year trial on two European sites was done using an augmented block design. Agronomic traits and seed protein content were determined for each plot. Pearson’s correlation coefficients and multivariate analysis were done to analyze the structure and pea traits. Electrophoresis was done to investigate variations in protein composition. Result: The results of multivariate analysis showed the separation of pigmented seeds from non-pigmented seeds, with no clear grouping concerning seed type. The protein composition differed between seeds of different colors. Environmental factors had a significant impact on the duration of flowering, the number of pods and seeds and seed weight per plant.

The limited understanding of the factors that influence intercrop component performance continues to constrain the widespread adoption of intercropping systems. This study examined the relationships between dry yield, yield components, thousand kernel weight (TKW), hectoliter weight (HLW), and crude protein content in spring oat and hull-less barley using principal component analysis with mix data (PCA mix), general linear modeling (GLM), and regression analysis. Results showed that the total intercropping yield of spring oat and pea can match that of oat pure stands. Year, cropping system, and their interaction had significant effects on total dry yield (p < 0.001). Spring oat showed more stable seed quality across years and cultivation systems but had lower crude protein content, TKW, and HLW compared to hull-less barley. TKW and crude protein content were significantly influenced by year, crop species, and their interactions (p < 0.001), as well as cultivation practice*year interaction (p < 0.001), while cultivation practice had no significant effect on HLW (p = 0.904). A stronger negative correlation between dry yield and crude protein was observed in hull-less barley (R² > 57.8%) than in oat (R² < 13.9%), indicating higher protein yield trade-offs in barley. The dry yield–TKW relationship was negative in barley, reaching an R² of 52% in 2023, but it was positive in oat (R² = 26.6% in 2023; 28% in 2024), confirming crop-specific physiological responses under the same agro-ecological conditions.

Krmno bilje predstavlja grupu različitih biljnih vrsta iz familija Poaceae, Fabaceae, Brassicaceae, Amaranthaceae, za koje je zajedničko formiranje bujne vegetativne mase koja se koristi u ishrani stoke (Karagić i sar., 2019). U poslednje tri godine, površine pod krmnim biljem u Srbiji iznosile su između 223.000 i 235.000 ha. Tokom 2020. godine krmno bilje je u ukupnoj površini zasejanih oranica i bašta zauzimalo 9,0%, tokom 2021. godine 8,7%, a 2022. godine 8,6% (Republika Srbija, 2023). Biljna masa krmnih biljaka se u ishrani stoke koristi kao kabasta ili koncentrovana hrana, kao proteinska ili ugljeno-hidratna komponenta. Krmne biljne vrste se mogu gajiti kao pašnjaci i livade ili kao oranične kulture, usevi koji se uzgajaju za konzervisanu ili svežu hranu (Fuglie et al., 2021). U Srbiji je dominantniji način iskorišćavanja proizvodnja kabaste stočne hrane, zelena krma, seno, senaza ili silaza, dok se proteinski grašak koristi za proizvodnju zrna (Karagić i sar., 2012). Upotrebom konzervisane kabaste hrane zadovoljavajućeg kvaliteta postiže se ušteda u proizvodnji na račun manje potrošnje skupih koncentrata (Karagić i sar., 2016). Većina krmnih biljaka može se gajiti i kao združeni usev sa drugim biljnim vrstama i na taj način osigurava se proizvodnja veće količine izbalansirane stočne hrane u pogledu hranljive vrednosti. Gajenje krmnog bilja ima niz prednosti, osim direktne koristi koja se ogleda u proizvodnji stočne hrane, uključivanjem krmnih biljaka u plodored smanjuje se ili u potpunosti izostavlja primena mineralnih đubriva i povećava efikasnost iskorišćavanja mehanizacije (Katanski i sar., 2022). Za postizanje visokih prinosa zelene krme zadovoljavajućeg kvaliteta neophodna je pravovremena primena svih neophodnih agrotehničkih mera. Mamlić i sar. (2023) su na osnovu rezultata višegodišnjih istraživanja na biljkama iz familije leguminoza zaključili da pravovremena i pravilna primena preporučenih agrotehničkih mera, pre svega obrada zemljišta i upotreba đubriva u proizvodnji, imaju veliki uticaj na ostvarivanje visokog prinosa.

The rice weevil, Sitophilus oryzae (L.) is recognised as one of the most polyphagous and extremely destructive pests of stored cereal grains worldwide. It develops under a wide range of environmental conditions, however, there have been some indications about alterations in specimen morphology when observed across populations originating from different commodities. While responses to different stressors have mainly been evaluated using survival, progeny production, and developmental time, body size as an indicator of developmental stress has received limited attention. This study investigated whether centroid size (CS), assessed through geometric morphometrics, reflects the influence of hosts changes, i.e whether these responses are associated with seed traits. A parental population reared on wheat was transferred to maize and sorghum, and progeny production and body size were analysed. Adults from maize were statistically significantly smaller than those from wheat, despite similar progeny production. Sorghum significantly reduced progeny production but did not significantly affect body size. Phenotypic variability in CS was the highest in the maize population. According to two-block Partial Least Squares analysis, larger body size was associated with higher protein content, while seed hardness and increased total phenolic contents, including flavonoids and tannins, were linked to reduced CS. These results indicate that body size must be measured as an indicator of developmental responses. Also, our study suggests the importance of integrating complementary biological parameters to provide a more comprehensive understanding of developmental responses to host shifts and other stressors, and helps to identify host characteristics associated with insect performance.