Given the increasing demand for wheat and the challenges of climate change, it is essential for breeding programs to adapt their strategies to reach the maximum biological potential of new varieties faster. Our study investigates the relationship between wheat yield, protein content, and starch accumulation over five years of Romanian winter wheat varieties. This study included a total of 25 wheat varieties, comprising 16 newly developed ones and 9 varieties registered and cultivated in Romania. The experiment was conducted in three replications over a period of five years. To monitor the equilibrium pattern, the Glosa variety was used as a reference, known for its optimal balance of yield and protein across Romania, as reported in several studies and farmers’ reports. Our research results indicate an inverse correlation between protein content and yield, whereas starch content exhibits a positive correlation with yield among the wheat varieties analyzed. K-means and Principal Component Analyses (PCA) identified Glosa, Lovrin02, Lovrin08, and Boema as the most balanced varieties regarding yield and grain quality stability. The equilibrium model revealed in the results offers information on trait inheritance and heritability, as similar equilibrium patterns were observed across the 25 analyzed varieties over a five-year testing period. Furthermore, integrating an equilibrium model into computational breeding could provide a framework for enabling breeding programs to optimize yield and grain composition while eliminating low-potential varieties.

Lotus corniculatus L. is a valuable fodder legume, recognized for its ecological adaptability and high potential for production and fodder quality. In this study, 18 genotypes collected from wild flora were analyzed to highlight genetic variability and facilitate the selection of genotypes with superior potential. The collection area was in the western part of Romania and featured a diverse topography, including parts of the Banat Plain, the Banat Hills, and the Southern and Western Carpathians. The genotypes selected from the wild flora were cultivated and evaluated for morpho-productive and forage quality traits, including pod weight, average number of seeds/pods, green mass production, and protein percentage. PCA highlighted the main components explaining the variability, and K-means clustering allowed for the identification of groups of genotypes with similar performances. ANOVA showed statistically significant differences (p < 0.001) for all traits analyzed. According to the results, genotypes LV-LC-3, LV-LC-4, LV-LC-6, and LV-LC-16 showed high productive potential and were highlighted as the most valuable for advancing in the breeding program. The moderate relationships between traits confirm the importance of integrated selection. The identified genetic variability and selected genotypes support the implementation of effective breeding strategies to obtain high-performance Lotus corniculatus L., adapted to local soil and climate conditions and with a superior forage yield.

Forest-steppe grasslands are highly important ecosystems because they provide the transition from temperate forests to open steppes. This makes them exceptional from many important perspectives, such as biological diversity, ecological services, gene pools, agroecosystem resources, etc. These are some of the main reasons for the demand for long-term studies on topics such as vegetation succession or climate resilience records, because they can be useful for authorities and entities involved in the restoration of these agroecosystems. The aim of the research is to analyse the sward of a successional ex-arable grassland in the Western Romanian forest-steppe area, managed under an extensive system, using Ecological Indicator Values (EIVs) and their interaction with biodiversity, floristic composition (functional groups) and pastoral value. Data collection began in the ninth year after land abandonment, specifically in 2003. The results of the present research are extended to 21 years, covering the period from 2003 to 2023. The Landolt EIVs considered were the preferences for plant species in soil reaction (R), nutrients (N), soil moisture (F), temperature (T), light (L), and climatic continentality (K). The successional evolution of vegetation was highly complex during the study, highlighting changes in species composition, influenced along the time gradient by changes in biotope conditions. These changes were expressed by the trend of most of the analysed EIVs, respectively, temperature (T), soil moisture (F), soil reaction (R), and nutrients (N). EIVs are a useful tool that offers a more detailed description of a permanent grassland, expressing the evolution of the biotope conditions. Biodiversity was influenced by N and K, and floristic composition mostly by K.