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Item The Development and Condition of Selected Legume Species Depending on the Rate of Superabsorbent Application Under Conditions of Limited Irrigation(MDPI, 2026) Czopek, KatarzynaThe aim of the study was to assess the effect of superabsorbents on the condition of selected legume species grown with different watering frequencies. Three two-factor pot experiments were conducted in MICRO-CLIMA phytotrons. The objects of the study were three legume species: faba bean, pea and soybean. The first factor was the superabsorbent (SAP) rate (0, 2, 4, and 6 g·kg−1 of substrate), while the second factor was the watering frequency (the subjects were watered every 1, 3, 6, and 9 days). The study showed that faba bean and pea plants were significantly taller after superabsorbent application (by 17 and 11%, respectively) and developed greater root mass. The application of SAPs at a rate of 6 g·kg−1 increased the dry weight of the underground parts of faba beans and peas (by 56.8% and 85.9%, respectively) compared to the control. The highest SAP dose reduced the Fv/Fm index in soybean and the PI index in faba bean and soybean (by 5 and 29%, respectively). The lowest SPAD index in peas was recorded in the control treatment (without SAPs) and in soybeans at the highest dose of SAPs (6 g·kg−1). In all species, the best results for growth and biomass of the aboveground parts were obtained with daily watering, which increased plant height by an average of 26.5–60.9% and the dry mass of the aboveground parts by 42.6–60.6% compared to less frequent watering. Higher values of the Fv/Fm index were observed in soybean, and higher values of the PI index were observed in faba bean, pea, and soybean in the least frequently watered treatments. In all species studied, the SPAD index was higher under conditions of the greatest water deficit (watering every 9 days) compared to plants watered every 1, 3, and 6 days.Item Seeds Quality and Quantity of Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] Cultivars in Response to Cold Stress(MDPI, 2021) Staniak, Mariola; Stępień-Warda, Anna; Czopek, Katarzyna; Kocira, Anna; Baca, EdytaThe aim of the study was to identify the response to cold stress of 16 soybean cultivars by evaluating their emergence, yield level, and seed chemical composition. Studies were conducted in 2018–2019. A total of sixteen soybean cultivars belonging to three earliness groups (early, medium-early and late) were included. Short-term (3-day) cold stress (12/6 °C day/night) was applied immediately after sowing (A), 3 days (B) and 6 days (C) after sowing seeds, while long (9-day) cold stress (D) was applied immediately after sowing seeds. In the control plot (K), plants were grown under optimum conditions (20/15 °C day/night). The study showed that cold stress, reduced plant emergence by 5–10%, depending on the treatment. Long stress (D) had a beneficial effect on the yield of all soybean cultivars (average yield increase of 21.5%), with statistically significant differences in 12 cultivars and a trend in four cultivars. Short stress also caused a significant increase in yield on treatments B and C (by 6.8 and 11.6%, respectively). Cold stress did not significantly affect the nutrient content of seed yield. Varietal differentiation was found with respect to yield and chemical composition of seeds.Item Cold Stress during Flowering Alters Plant Structure, Yield and Seed Quality of Different Soybean Genotypes(MDPI, 2021) Staniak, Mariola; Czopek, Katarzyna; Stępień-Warda, Anna; Kocira, Anna; Przybyś, MarcinThe objective of the study was to evaluate the effect of cold stress at flowering stage on plant structure, yield and chemical composition of seeds of 15 soybean cultivars. The study was conducted in 2019–2020, using the complete randomization method, in three replications. Fifteen soybean cultivars belonging to three maturity groups: early (EC), middle-early (MC) and late (LC) cultivars were included. Weekly cold stress (17/13 °C day/night) was applied at plant flowering stage. In the control treatment, plants were kept under natural conditions (24/17 °C day/night). Our research showed that cold stress negatively influenced the elements of plant structure: height, number of nodes, stem dry mass, number and weight of pods, number and weight of seeds per plant, as well as yield of soybean seeds, reducing it on average by 24%, as compared to the control treatment. The highest yield decrease was found in LC cultivars (31.2%), while a smaller and similar one in EC and MC cultivars (by 19.7 and 20.1%, respectively). Significant varietal differences were found for plant biometric traits and seed yield. EC cultivars had the lowest set first pod, as well as the lowest number of nodes, number of pods and seeds, pod and seed weight per plant, and seed yield. MC cultivars had the highest set first pod, and the smallest stem DM and seed yield average by 29.2% higher compared to EC cultivars. LC cultivars had the highest stem DM, number of pods and seeds, and pod and seed weight per plant compared to the other cultivar groups, and yield by 22.8% higher compared to EC cultivars. The experimental factors significantly affected crude protein, crude fat, and crude ash content, while they did not differentiate water-soluble carbohydrate and crude fiber content. Cold stress at the flowering stage caused a significant increase in protein content (by 4.1% on average) and ash content (by 3.8%) and a decrease in fat concentration (by 6.9%) in soybean seeds. Differences in nutrient content among cultivars were a genetic trait not related to cultivar maturity.Item Santalum Genus: phytochemical constituents, biological activities and health promoting-effects(De Gruyter, 2022) Sharifi-Rad, Javad; Quispe, Cristina; Turgumbayeva, Aknur; Mertdinç, Zehra; Tütüncü, Sena; Aydar, Elif Feyza; Özçelik, Beraat; Stępień-Warda, Anna; Staniak, Mariola; Koziróg, Anna; Otlewska, Anna; Antolak, Hubert; Sen, Surjit; Acharya, Krishnendu; Lapava, Natallia; Emamzadeh-Yazdi, Simin; Martorell, Miquel; Kumar, Manoj; Varoni, Elena Maria; Iriti, Marcello; Calina, DanielaSantalum genus belongs to the family of Santalaceae, widespread in India, Australia, Hawaii, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia, and valued as traditional medicine, rituals and modern bioactivities. Sandalwood is reported to possess a plethora of bioactive compounds such as essential oil and its components (α-santalol and β-santalol), phenolic compounds and fatty acids. These bioactives play important role in contributing towards biological activities and health-promoting effects in humans. Pre-clinical and clinical studies have shown the role of sandalwood extract as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, neuroleptic, antihyperglycemic, antihyperlipidemic, and anticancer activities. Safety studies on sandalwood essential oil (EO) and its extracts have proven them as a safe ingredient to be utilized in health promotion. Phytoconstituents, bioactivities and traditional uses established sandalwood as one of the innovative materials for application in the pharma, food, and biomedical industry.Item Restoring the Importance of Cereal-Grain Legume Mixtures in Low-Input Farming Systems(MDPI, 2023) Księżak, Jerzy; Staniak, Mariola; Stalenga, JarosławIn the paper, we overview the benefits of cereal-grain legume mixtures in low-input farming systems and identify the key factors affecting their agricultural performance. The review was based on the data collected from databases such as Google Scholar, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect. The gathered literature covered the original research articles, reviews, book chapters, and, in a few cases, conference proceedings. The focus was on literature coming from Mediterranean countries and Central-Eastern Europe, especially from Poland. Originating from two different plant families, legumes and cereals complement each other. The legumes provide biologically fixed nitrogen for the cereals in the mixture, but also increase its pool available to the following crops. Additional benefits include, but are not limited to more efficient pathogen and weed control, supply of high-quality fodder, and improved economic efficiency. Cultivation of crops after such mixtures usually results in higher and more stable yields. The productivity of cereal-grain legume mixtures largely depends on the soil factors (soil type, pH, water availability, etc.), crop species, crop variety, and crop management. Cereal-grain legume mixtures are particularly relevant to the poor (sandy) soils which are often unsuitable for the production of the components grown as a sole crop and are often linked with low-input farming systems.Item Polysaccharides as Edible Films and Coatings: Characteristics and Influence on Fruit and Vegetable Quality—A Review(MDPI, 2021) Kocira, Anna; Kozłowicz, Katarzyna; Panasiewicz, Katarzyna; Staniak, Mariola; Szpunar-Krok, Ewa; Hortyńska, PaulinaThere has been a significant increase in the development of edible films and coatings in recent times, and this is expected to have a significant impact on the quality of fruit and vegetables in the coming years. Consumers expect fresh fruit and vegetables free from pesticide residues, with high quality, nutritional value and an extended shelf life. The application of coatings and edible films to fruits and vegetables represents an environmentally friendly approach to an innovative solution to this problem. Coatings and edible films can act as ecological and biodegradable packaging. The coating strategy involves a combination of natural biopolymers and appropriate preservation methods. The article presents the applicability, trends and perspectives of polysaccharide coatings and edible films and their impact on the quality of fruit and vegetables, providing an understanding of their main functions and benefits. Numerous studies show that natural polysaccharides are well suited for use as packaging material for fresh fruit and vegetables and can often be an important alternative to synthetic compounds. Natural polymer materials are a good barrier to oxygen and carbon dioxide; however, they are characterised by excessive solubility in the water environment, water vapour permeability and low extensibility. The properties of edible coatings can be modified by the addition of plasticisers, surfactants, cross-linkers, antimicrobial agents, functional additives, nanosilver particles or fruit and vegetable residues. The use of an electric field is also a promising technology here. The use of polysaccharides for the preparation of edible films and coatings is justified not only by the possibility of reducing the consumption of packaging made of synthetic polymer materials but also by the fact that the production of some natural polymers can be made using waste products generated during the processing of food raw materials.Item Chemical Composition, Biological Activity, and Health-Promoting Effects of Withania somnifera for Pharma-Food Industry Applications(Wiley, 2021) Sharifi-Rad, Javad; Quispe, Cristina; Ayatollahi, Seyed Abdulmajid; Kobarfard, Farzad; Staniak, Mariola; Stępień, Anna; Czopek, Katarzyna; Sen, Surjit; Acharya, Krishnendu; Matthews, Karl R.; Sener, Bilge; Devkota, Hari Prasad; Kırkın, Celale; Ozçelik, Beraat; Victoriano, Montserrat; Martorell, Miquel; Suleria, Hafiz Ansar Rasul; Alshehri, Mohammed M.; Chandran, Deepak; Kumar, Manoj; Cruz-Martins, Natalia; Cho, William C.The Withania genus comes from the Solanaceae family and includes around 23 species, spread over some areas of the Mediterranean, Asia, and East Africa. Widely used in traditional medicine for thousands of years, these plants are rich in secondary metabolites, with special emphasis on steroidal lactones, named withanolides which are used as ingredients in numerous formulations for a plethora of diseases, such as asthma, diabetes, arthritis, impotence, amnesia, hypertension, anxiety, stress, cancer, neurodegenerative, and cardiovascular diseases, and many others. Among them, Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal is the most widely addressed species from a pharmacological and agroindustrial point of view. In this sense, this review provides an overview of the folk uses, phytochemical composition, and biological activity, such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and cytotoxic activity of W. somnifera, although more recently other species have also been increasingly investigated. In addition, their health-promoting effects, i.e., antistress, anxiolytic, adaptogenic, antirheumatoid arthritis, chemoprotective, and cardiorespiratory-enhancing abilities, along with safety and adverse effects are also discussed.Item Weed Ecology and New Approaches for Management(MDPI, 2021) Kocira, Anna; Staniak, MariolaItem Effect of catch crops and tillage systems on some chemical properties of loess soil in a short-term monoculture of spring wheat(Polskie Towarzystwo Magnezologiczne im. prof. Juliana Aleksandrowicza (PTMag) oraz Uniwersytet Warmińsko-Mazurski w Olsztynie (UWM), 2020) Kwiatkowski, Cezary A.; Harasim, Elżbieta; Staniak, MariolaThe aim of the present study was to compare the chemical soil quality parameters in a three-year spring wheat monoculture as affected by the incorporation of biomass of selected catch crops into the soil under two tillage systems (plough tillage and no-tillage). The experiment was set up as a split-plot design with 5 replicates on 27 m2 plots. The suitability of the following catch crops plants: white mustard, lacy phacelia, and a mixture of legumes (faba bean + spring vetch), was tested relative to the control treatment. The study was conducted in Czesławice (Poland), in 2013-2015. The experiment was established on loess soil with the grain size distribution of silt loam and classified as good wheat soil complex (soil class II). Soil samples were taken using a soil sampling auger from an area of 0.20 m2 (from the 0-20 cm layer) in each plot in the spring period (before spring wheat was sown). This study hypothesized that the catch crops, in combination with conservation tillage, would result in an improvement in some soil fertility chemical indicators in a several-year monoculture of spring wheat. It was proven that, regardless of a tillage system, the catch crops (in particular the mixture of legumes and white mustard) beneficially affected the soil chemical properties (in particular the content of soil humus, organic C, P, Mg and micronutrients). Tillage systems did not cause significant differences in soil pH. The catch crops also contributed to a reduction in phenolic compounds in the soil. Tillage systems had a weaker impact on the soil chemical parameters. Despite this, plough tillage promoted more favorable soil chemical composition in spring (compared to the conservation tillage).Item Role of Environmental Factors in Legume-Rhizobium Symbiosis: A Review(MDPI, 2025) Yeremko, Liudmyla; Czopek, Katarzyna; Staniak, Mariola; Marenych, Mykola; Hanhur, VolodymyrLegumes play a pivotal role in addressing global challenges of food and nutrition security by offering a sustainable source of protein and bioactive compounds. The capacity of legumes to establish symbiotic relationships with rhizobia bacteria enables biological nitrogen fixation (BNF), reducing the dependence on chemical fertilizers while enhancing soil health. However, the efficiency of this symbiosis is significantly influenced by environmental factors, such as soil acidity, salinity, temperature, moisture content, light intensity, and nutrient availability. These factors affect key processes, including rhizobia survival, nodule formation, and nitrogenase activity, ultimately determining the growth and productivity of legumes. This review summarizes current knowledge on legume-rhizobia interactions under varying abiotic conditions. It highlights the impact of salinity and acidity in limiting nodule development, soil temperature in regulating microbial community dynamics, and moisture availability in modulating metabolic and hormonal responses during drought and waterlogging. Moreover, the role of essential nutrients, including nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and trace elements such as iron, molybdenum, and boron, in optimizing symbiosis is critically analyzed.Item Conservation Agricultural Practices for Improving Crop Production and Quality(MDPI, 2025) Staniak, Mariola; Szpunar-Krok, EwaItem Role of Agriculture in Implementing the Concept of Sustainable Food System(MDPI, 2025) Kocira, Anna; Staniak, MariolaItem Challenges of Pasture Feeding Systems—Opportunities and Constraints(MDPI, 2023) Wróbel, Barbara; Zielewicz, Waldemar; Staniak, MariolaGrazing plays an important role in milk production in most regions of the world. Despite the importance of grazing, current trends in livestock farming in Europe are causing a decline in the popularity of pasture-based feeding of dairy cows. This paper aims to provide an overview of the challenges faced by the pasture feeding system under climate change. Grazing lands provide ecosystem services including regulation and storage of water flows, nutrient cycling, and C sequestration. Livestock grazing is the most important factor shaping and stabilizing pasture biodiversity. Some opportunities for pasture feeding are the health-promoting and nutritional qualities of milk and milk products, especially milk from pasture-fed cows. The beneficial effects of pasture feeding on animal health and welfare are not insignificant. Available organizational innovations can help better manage livestock grazing and, above all, better understand the impact of the grazing process on the environment and climate change.Item Responses of Soybean to Selected Abiotic Stresses—Photoperiod, Temperature and Water(MDPI, 2023) Staniak, Mariola; Szpunar-Krok, Ewa; Kocira, AnnaThe sharp increase in soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merrill) acreage in the late 20th century and early 21st century is due to the demand for edible oil and feed protein. However, a limiting factor in the extent of soybean cultivation is its high heat requirements and response to photoperiod. Most varieties are short-day plants and are generally the best-yielding genotypes. At higher latitudes (longer day length), there is a delay in the occurrence of subsequent developmental stages and problems with plant maturation before the onset of autumn frost. Global warming allows the cultivation range of warm-season species (including soya) to be shifted; however, periodic droughts and very high temperatures limit crop production. Adverse weather events result in a reduction in soybean seed yield of around 30%. Environmental stresses related to day length, high and low temperatures and water shortage or excess have the greatest impact on soybean yields, as we have no influence on them and can only, to a very limited extent, offset their negative effects. This paper reviews the recent world literature on how soybean responds to these stress factors. The results of our own research were also used.Item New climate dataset from Mazovia (Central Poland) from the late 19th century as a basis for estimating the urban effect in multi-year trends in air temperature in Poland(Springer Nature, 2026) Jarzyna, Krzysztof; Żmudzka, Elwira; Berbeć, TytusThe paper examines changes in thermal conditions in Płońsk and Warsaw (central Poland) between the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 21st century. The study uses four air temperature datasets: newly found and digitised dataset from Płońsk from a period 1881–1895, a dataset from the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management – National Research Institute (IMGW-PIB) weather station in Poświętne from a period 1985–2014 and two datasets from the Astronomical Observatory in Warsaw from the same periods as in Płońsk and Poświętne. The increase in Tmean of 1.9 °C was found in Płońsk between 1881 and 1895 and 2000–2014. The longest spell of days with a statistically significant warming was identified in Płońsk in late July – early August (spell of twelve consecutive days). The increase in air temperature in Warsaw was 0.4 °C higher than in Płońsk and this is believed to be the effect of urbanization. A significant reduction in a duration of the thermal winter (a reduction of 27 days in Płońsk and 34 days in Warsaw) and extending of the summer were detected as well as the shift in the timing of transitional seasons.Item Prolonged drought stress induced changes in yield and physiological processes of Trifolium repens and Festulolium braunii(Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, 2020) Staniak, Mariola; Bojarszczuk, Jolanta; Kraska, Piotr; Kwiatkowski, Cezary; Harasim, ElżbietaWater deficit is one of the main environmental factors, and the recognition of plant response to drought stress seems to be crucial for the yield improvement of the important crops. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of prolonged drought stress on dry matter yield, gas exchange parameters, and relative chlorophyll content in the leaves of Festulolium braunii and Trifolium repens grown in pure stands and in mixture. In the pot experiment, different levels of soil moisture (well-watered conditions and drought stress) and of cultivation method (pure stand and mixture) have been applied. The study has shown that all measured parameters were affected by drought stress. Dry mass yield, net photosynthetic rate (PN), transpiration rate (E), and stomatal conductance were significantly lower under drought stress than under well-watered conditions in all treatment types. T. repens showed the strongest response to stress, whereas F. braunii the weakest when both those species were grown in the pure stand. Under drought conditions, the yield of the mixture was similar to that of F. braunii cultivated in the pure stand, and significantly higher than that of T. repens cultivated in the pure stand. It was also found that under the stress, PN and E of both species in the the mixture was higher than in the pure stand. The highest water use efficiency was observed in F. braunii grown in the mixture. Our research shows, that in regions with limited rainfall, T. repens is more useful for growing in a mixture with F. braunii, than in the pure stand.Item Supporting Crop and Different Row Spacing as Factors Influencing Weed Infestation in Lentil Crop and Seed Yield under Organic Farming Conditions(MDPI, 2020) Kraska, Piotr; Andruszczak, Sylwia; Kwiecińska-Poppe, Ewa; Staniak, Mariola; Różyło, Krzysztof; Rusecki, HubertA field study was conducted at the Certified Organic Farm in Poland over the period 2014–2016. This study evaluated weed infestation and seed yield of the lentil varieties ‘Tina’ and ‘Anita’, as well as of a mixture of these two varieties, sole cropped and row intercropped with naked oats as a supporting crop. Additionally, lentil was sown at a di erent row spacing of 20 and 25 cm. The lentil variety ‘Anita’ produced 25.3% higher yields than var. ‘Tina’. Weight of 1000 seed, number of pods per plant, and first pod height did not di er significantly in the treatments with the lentil varieties. The lentil seed yield obtained in the treatments with a supporting crop was lower by 9.4% compared with the sole cropped plots. In turn, the 1000 seed weight was 3.9% higher in the treatment where a supporting crop was used. The presence of oats as a supporting crop in lentil crop allowed crop competitiveness against weeds to be increased significantly, thus reducing their total number and dry weight by 5.3% and 30.5%, respectively. Sowing lentil at di erent row spacings did not have a significant e ect on seed yield and weed infestation in crop. The greatest diversity of weed species was found in the treatments where the mixture of the lentil varieties was sown and in the treatment with the smaller row spacing. Intercropping of lentil with oats resulted in reduced occurrence of monocotyledonous weeds such as Echinochloa crus-galli and Elymus repens. The presence of oat as a supporting crop can e ectively reduce the pressure from weeds without significantly reducing lentil cultivar yield in organic farming.Item Legume Cover Crops as One of the Elements of StrategicWeed Management and Soil Quality Improvement. A Review(MDPI, 2020) Kocira, Anna; Staniak, Mariola; Tomaszewska, Marzena; Kornas, Rafał; Cymerman, Jacek; Panasiewicz, Katarzyna; Lipińska, HalinaThe benefits of conservation practices increased the interest of farmers in the cultivation of cover crops (CCs). This review aims to present and analyze the state of the art on the cultivation of legume CCs, including their importance in protecting crops against weeds, as well as their e ects on organic matter and nitrogen content in the soil, physical and biological properties of the soil, and its erosion. The multi-purpose character of legume CCs is visible in their positive effect on reducing weed infestation, but also on the soil: reducing its compaction and erosion, improving its structural and hydraulic properties, increasing the content of organic matter and activity of soil microorganisms, or increasing its nitrogen content due to symbiotic N2 fixing. This review demonstrates that a wider use of legume CCs in organic farming is needed. The benefits of legume CCs for successive crops in these cultivation conditions, both in terms of inhibiting weed populations and improving fertility and soil properties, also need to be identified. Further research is also needed to determine the potential impact of legume CCs on the improvement of the quality of degraded soils, or those with less favorable physicochemical properties.Item Organic but Also Low-Input Conventional Farming Systems Support High Biodiversity of Weed Species in Winter Cereals(MDPI, 2020) Berbeć, Adam Kleofas; Staniak, Mariola; Feledyn-Szewczyk, Beata; Kocira, Anna; Stalenga, JarosławIn recent years, the European Union has been paying particular attention to the problem of biodiversity loss. The possibilities of its assessment and conservation are included in the latest European Union (EU) policies and reflected in the European Biodiversity Strategy. The biodiversity of weeds in winter cereals in organic and conventional low-input farms in Eastern Poland was investigated during a 3-year period. Significantly more species and larger abundance were found in organic than in conventional farming systems. The biodiversity of these communities was described by Shannon’s diversity and Simpson’s dominance indices, which showed diversity to be well maintained in both farming systems; however, significantly higher Shannon’s index and significantly lower Simpson’s index values were observed in organic farms. Both farming systems were the mainstay of endangered and rare species, as well as some invasive weed species. Weed communities of organic farms were dominated mostly by Setaria pumila and Elymus repens, while conventional farms were dominated by Juncus bufonius and Setaria pumila. The study showed the importance of organic farming systems for biodiversity conservation. It was also shown that low-input (traditional) conventional farms are also beneficial for biodiversity conservation.Item The Therapeutic Potential of the Labdane Diterpenoid Forskolin(MDPI, 2019) Salehi, Bahare; Staniak, Mariola; Czopek, Katarzyna; Stępień, Anna; Dua, Kamal; Wadhwa, Ridhima; Chellappan, Dinesh Kumar; Sytar, Oksana; Brestic, Marian; Bhat, Namrata Ganesh; Kumar, Nanjangud Venkatesh Anil; del Mar Contreras, María; Sharopov, Farukh; Cho, William C.; Sharifi-Rad, JavadForskolin is mainly found in the root of a plant called Coleus forskohlii (Willd.) Briq., which has been used in the traditional medicine of Indian Ayurvedic and Southeast Asia since ancient times. Forskolin is responsible for the pharmacological activity of this species. Forskolin is a labdane diterpenoid with a wide biological e ect. Several studies suggested a positive role of forskolin on heart complications, respiratory disorders, high blood pressure, obesity, and asthma. There are numerous clinical and pre-clinical studies representing the effect of forskolin on the above-mentioned disorders but more clinical studies need to be performed to support its efficacy.