Drought affects common bean productivity, and the severity of its impact is expected to increase due to climate change. The use of versatile genotypes could contribute to securing future bean production. This study investigates the adaptability of 10 common bean genotypes of indeterminate growth type under water scarcity conditions by measuring agronomic and physiological parameters. The evaluation occurs under irrigation treatments applied at two different phenological stages (anthesis (WDA) and seed filling initiation (WDSF)). The recorded adaptabilities of the genotypes (G) showed that G10 produced the highest overall seed yield in the normal irrigation (NI) (197.22 g plant⁻¹) and WDA (192.78 g plant⁻¹), while the G6 had the highest yield at WDSF (196.71 g plant⁻¹). For the genotype’s average mean, chlorophyll content decreased by 10.5% under drought at WDSF. Net photosynthetic rate (P_n), stomatal conductance (g_s), and transpiration rate (E) were reduced at WDA by 53%, 80.8%, and 61.4% and at WDSF by 43.75%, 57.7%, and 36%, respectively, while relative water content (RWC) reduced by 16.48%, on average, for both stages. G10 and G6 showed adaptability when water scarcity occurred at an early (WDA) or later stage (WDSF), respectively, providing insights into using germplasm resources to cope with the drought effect.

This study investigates the effect of different nitrogen fertilization levels on the agronomic traits of five Greek oregano populations. Nitrogen supply positively affected dry bio-mass production, with the highest accumulation recorded at 80 kg N ha⁻¹ (N2), which was 59% higher compared to the control plots (no additional nitrogen). In contrast, the essential oil content (mL 100 g⁻¹ DW) was reduced, with the control treatment showing a 15% higher value compared to the mean value of the nitrogen treatments. However, nitrogen supply positively affected the essential oil yield (L ha⁻¹), and the highest value was recorded at 80 kg N ha⁻¹, (N2), showing a 40% increase compared to the control. A wide phenotypic variation among the five populations was also observed. In the three-year analysis, the population with the highest dry biomass production was Papadates (92% higher), that with the highest essential oil content was Vytina (25% higher), and the highest essential oil yield was observed for Papadates and Litochoro (57% and 51% higher, respectively), compared to the least yielding population. Significant interactions were also found between nitrogen levels and populations, implying that, in all cases, nitrogen levels should be specified for each population in order to optimize oregano productivity in sustainable farming systems.

The present study is aimed to analyze the composition of microelements in wines prepared by amateur winemakers in Drama region (recognized as Protected Geographical Indication (PGI)), especially the toxic ones, as well as the phenolic content and antioxidant activity of these wines since moderate wine consumption may contribute to health benefits to the consumers. A total of twenty-four wines, comprising sixteen red and eight white, were tested. The micro and macroelements were determined with ICP-OES (Inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry). Chromatic characteristics of wines and total phenolic and flavonoid compounds as well as their antioxidant activity with three different assays were determined spectrophotometrically. The amateur’s wines showed levels of contaminants with toxic metals less than the limits set from the International Organization of Vine and Wine (OIV). Moreover, toxic metals concentrations were comparable to those of European wines. The Principal Component Analysis discriminated wines into white and red and further distinguished the red wine into two groups depending on the Total Flavonoid content, antioxidant activity and color intensity. The moderate consumption of amateur wines can be recommended since their consumption is not harmful to the health, and they contain high amount of phenolics and flavonoids comparable or even higher to that of commercial wines.

The contribution of litterfall (dead leaves, twigs, etc., fallen to the ground) and forest floor (organic residues such as leaves, twigs, etc., in various stages of decomposition, on the top of the mineral soil) is fundamental in both forest ecosystem sustainability and soil greenhouse gases (GHG) exchange system with the atmosphere. The effect of different thinning treatments (control-no thinning, traditional-low thinning, selective-intense thinning) on litterfall and forest floor nutrients, in relation to soil GHG fluxes, is analyzed. After one year of operations, thinning had a significant seasonal effect on both litterfall and forest floor, and on their nutrient concentrations. The intense (selective) thinning significantly affected the total litterfall production and conifer fractions, reducing them by 46% and 48%, respectively, compared with the control (no thinning) sites. In the forest floor, thinning was able to significantly increase the Fe concentration intraditional thinning by 59%, and Zn concentration in the intense thinning by 55% (compared with control). Overall, litterfall acted as a bio-filter of the gasses emitting from the forest floor, acting as a GHG regulator.

Biostimulants contribute to the physiological growth of plants by enhancing the quality characteristics of fruit without harming the environment. In addition, biostimulants applied to plants strengthen nutritional efficiency, abiotic stress tolerance, and fruit biochemical traits. We investigated the effectiveness of specific organic biostimulants. Five treatments were tested: (1) control (H₂O, no biostimulants); (2) Magnablue + Keyplex 350 (Mgl + Kpl350); (3) Cropobiolife + Keyplex 120 (Cpl + Kpl120); (4) Keyplex 120 (Kpl120); and (5) Magnablue + Cropobiolife + Keyplex 120 (Mgl + Cpl + Kpl120) on the mineral uptake and physiology in black chokeberry (Aronia) plants, as well as the quality of their berries. The different treatments were applied to three-year-old chokeberry plants, and the experimental process in the field lasted from May to September 2022 until the harvest of ripe fruits. Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES) revealed that the fifth treatment significantly increased concentrations of P, Ca, and K. Additionally, the fifth treatment enhanced photochemical efficiency (Fv/Fm), water-splitting efficiency (Fv/Fo) in PSII, and the performance index (PI) of both PSI and PSII in chokeberry leaves. Improvements in photosynthesis, such as CO₂ assimilation (A), transpiration (E), and water-use efficiency (A/E), were also noted under biostimulant applications. Upon harvesting the ripe fruits, part of them was placed at room temperature at 25 °C, while the rest were stored at 4 °C, RH 90% for 7 days. The cultivation with biostimulants had beneficial effects on the maintenance of flesh consistency, ascorbic acid concentration, and weight of berries at 4 and 25 °C, especially in the 5th treatment. Moreover, the total antioxidant capacity, anthocyanin concentration, and total phenols of the berries were notably higher in the third and fifth treatments compared to the control. These data suggest that selecting appropriate biostimulants can enhance plant yield and fruit quality by potentially activating secondary metabolite pathways.