Monk's rhubarb, Rumex alpinus L. (R. alpinus), is a perennial plant native to the mountains of Central and Southern Europe. Currently, the distribution of R. alpinus has been partly affected by its utilization as a vegetable and a medicinal herb. In the mountains of the Czech Republic, it is considered an invasive plant, probably introduced into the Krkonoše Mountains by colonists from the Alps. This study's main aim was to verify whether R. alpinus was introduced into the Krkonoše Mountains by alpine colonists or whether it was anthropogenically introduced from the Carpathians. Furthermore, the genetic structure of native and introduced populations of R. alpinus was determined. For the evaluation of genetic structure, 417 samples of R. alpinus were collected from the Alps, Carpathians, Balkan, Pyrenees, and Czech Mountains. In total, 12 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers were applied. The results of AMOVA showed a high 60% variation within populations, 27% variation among groups, and 13% among the population within groups. The overall unbiased gene diversity was high (̂ĥ = 0.55). The higher level of genetic differentiation among populations (FST = 0.35; p < .01) indicated restricted gene flow between populations. Compared to native populations, limited genetic variability was observed in the nonnative populations. It was concluded that local adaptation, low gene exchange, and genetic drift affected the genetic diversity of nonnative R. alpinus. The results support a genetic link between Alpine and Czech genotypes of R. alpinus, while the Carpathians genotypes corresponded to the Balkan genotype.

Rumex alpinus L. (R. alpinus) is a non‐native invasive plant in Czech mountain regions, altering ecosystem structure and function in protected areas. Rumex obtusifolius L. (R. obtusifolius) is a native species and a problematic weed in Czech meadows, while Rumex longifolius DC. (R. longifolius) is characteristic of Fennoscandia and widespread in northern and central Europe. This study explores temperature‐driven germination patterns in R. alpinus, R. obtusifolius, and R. longifolius and also focuses on potential differences across populations of R. alpinus. The hypothesis suggests that R. alpinus is not established in lowland areas due to temperature limitations during germination. A second experiment evaluates the influence of native and non‐native localities on R. alpinus seed germination. The primary experiment was conducted at 6°C, 12°C, 18°C, 24°C, 29°C, and 35°C in a climate chamber, while the second experiment was performed at 24°C for 14 days. Contrary to expectations, R. alpinus exhibited the highest germination rate across all temperatures. In the second experiment, germination rates varied significantly, with a positive correlation between germination success and transition from Alpine to Czech localities. The highest and fastest germination was observed in seeds from the Krkonoše Mountains, where R. alpinus is an invasive plant species.

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is an economically important cereal crop. Its genetic diversity is a prerequisite for successful breeding for resistance to leaf and stem rust, as well as for other important traits. Therefore, the main objective of the study was to determine the level of genetic diversity of a file of 185 wheat accessions chosen to represent a wide range of resistance levels to leaf and stem rusts. They were evaluated at two locations in three years (2023–2025) for leaf and stem rust resistance by means of visual evaluation and fungus content using real-time PCR. BLUP values were then computed from these multi-environmental data. In addition, data on other traits such as heading time, plant height, and grain quality were collected. In the PCA, grain quality variables represented the first factor, explaining 41% of the total variability. Rust resistance was mainly associated with the second and the third factor. Population analysis revealed primary two (K = 2) and secondary six (K = 6) clusters, computed by using 13,274 DArT markers. The correlation between genotype and phenotype data was high (R = 0.89) when all traits were analyzed, and lower (R = 0.58) when only leaf and stem rust resistance variables were considered. Genetic diversity was also studied through an association analysis between markers and phenotypic traits using GLMs and MLMs. As a result, 300 statistically significant marker-trait associations (MTAs) were identified (p ≤ 3.77 × 10⁻⁶). Of these MTAs, 180 were associated with rust resistance variables and 120 with other traits. A BLAST search of rust resistance MTAs identified 128 putative genes; 47 of them can be taken for candidate genes related to fungal resistance. The results show that association analysis can help to explain the genetic diversity of selected wheat accessions, and that leaf and stem rust resistance are complex traits involving many non-specific resistance genes.