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The formation of soil aggregates, including water-stable aggregates, is linked to soil organic matter (SOM). Biochar (B) is carbon-rich, which, in addition to storing carbon in a stable form for many years, has important benefits for soils and plants, but the mechanisms of soil structure formation after B and mineral fertiliser application are not sufficiently studied. For this reason, the study aimed to answer the following questions: How (1) the rate of B and (2) varying levels of nitrogen fertiliser (N) being applied to the soil affect the dynamics of soil aggregation due to the increase in the content of soil organic carbon, labile carbon in the bulk soil and in the content of water-stable aggregates (WSA) size-fractions. In 2014–2021, in Dolná Malanta (experimental site of Slovak University of Agriculture on silty loam Haplic Luvisol) during the growing seasons, soil samples were collected from all the B (0, 10 and 20 t ha–1) and N (0, 1st and 2nd level of N fertilisation) treatments. The results have shown that the highest values of many variables were associated with B20 treatment for all the N fertilisation levels. B compared to N more significantly affected the content of almost all the size-fractions of WSA. In all the treatments, the content of WSAma >5 mm, 5–3 mm, 3–2 mm and 1–0.5 mm in size was increasing over time – a yearly increase from 0.31 to 2.14% for 8-years. Based on the changes in the SOM content, WSA were divided into 3 groups: 1) Water-stable microaggregates (WSAmi < 0.25 mm), 2) Smaller size-fractions of water-stable macroaggregates (WSAma 1–0.25 mm), and 3) Medium and large fractions of WSAma (WSAma ≥1 mm).

Urban greening can reduce concentrations of particulate matter (PM). However, most of the PM is deposited temporarily on foliage and can be removed by precipitation. Due to the unpredictability and randomness of natural rain and the complexity of environmental conditions, the effect of rainfall on PM removal from foliage is usually examined using simulated rain. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of natural and simulated rain on washing off PM deposited on the foliage of seventeen plant species (evergreen/deciduous trees and shrubs, herbaceous plants). Regardless of the PM fraction studied, simulated rain washed off a larger fraction of the PM than natural rain. A novel finding is the differential role played by various plant characteristics in determining the effectiveness of PM wash off under natural and simulated rain conditions, with their influence being more pronounced under natural rainfall. The type of rainfall and PM size fraction influenced the effectiveness of the PM wash-off from different plant groups. Natural rain was more effective at removing PM from evergreen trees, while simulated rainfall was more effective at removing PM from deciduous shrubs and herbaceous plants. The results obtained from this study suggest that simulated rain does not reflect the effects of natural precipitation on the processes removing PM from leaves, and therefore should not be used to explain phenomena that occur in realistic conditions., Competing Interests: Declarations Competing interests The authors declare no competing interests. Plant material statement The experiment (including field studies and harvest of plant material) complied with relevant institutional, national, and international guidelines and legislation., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Otopheidomenidae include 30 species of parasites of insects. These mites occur in areas with warm and hot climates. The only exception is Hemipteroseius adleri, the distribution of which reaches the central European region, which is characterised by a moderate climate with below-zero temperatures in winter. In Europe, H. adleri only parasitises the red firebug (Pyrrhocoris apterus). Field observations indicate that only fertilised females of H. adleri survive winter conditions. The aim of the study therefore was to evaluate the impact of air temperature on the development and survival of H. adleri. A research model was established involving mites parasitising red firebugs in laboratory conditions at 15, 20, 25 and 30 °C. After oviposition, no egg development was possible at 15 °C. Egg development began at 20 °C, however the egg-to-adult period lasted for 13 days and larval mortality was significantly higher at this temperature than at 25 and 30 °C. At the latter tem temperatures, mites matured fastest (five and four days, respectively). The net reproductive rate (R 0 ) was 10.8, the mean generation time was (T) 14.4 (SD = 0.273), the intrinsic rate of population increase (r m ) was 0.165 (SD = 0.003), and the finite rate of population increase (λ) was 1.12. At 25 °C, H. adleri required 4.2 days to double its population. The results indicate that the thermal conditions prevailing in early spring in central Europe are highly unfavourable for the effective reproduction of H. adleri. The presence of northern populations of this mite is discussed in the context of behavioural thermoregulation mechanisms adapted by its host, P. apterus., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The aim of this study is to develop an efficient method for micropropagation of Pennisetum × advena 'Rubrum'. Agar cultures containing Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 6-benzyl-amino-purine (BAP) in various concentrations (0.5 mg/L to 2 mg/L) and a temporary immersion bioreactor system (TIS) using liquid medium MS with an addition of 1 mg/L BAP were tested. Rooting was performed using ½ MS medium supplemented with different auxin combinations (indole-3-butyric acid IBA and α-naphthalene acetic acid NAA) and activated charcoal. The TIS method was found to be the most efficient, producing 36.9 new plants within four weeks. The resulting plantlets were thin and bright green in color, with no signs of hyperhydricity. The most suitable agar medium yielded 19.5 new plants within eight weeks. For rooting, ½ MS supplemented with 0.5 mg/L IBA and 0.5 mg/L NAA exhibited an 84% rooting rate, whereas the addition of activated charcoal inhibited rooting.

Soybean ( Glycine max (L.) Merr.) is a species of relatively little economic importance in Central and Eastern Europe, including Poland. Due to its popularity for the production of soybean oil, livestock feed, and human food, soybeans are a widely cultivated agricultural crop in the world. The aim of the presented research is to determine the most important agronomic and environmental variables in soybean production in Central and Eastern Europe. This work used a dataset from the Polish Post-Registration Variety Testing System in multi-environmental trials from the years 2012-2021. Variables classified for crop management included doses of mineral fertilizers (N, P, and K) and herbicides, sowing, and the type of previous crops. The environment was also included in the analysis through soil and weather characteristics using climatic water balance (CWB). The analysis was performed using multiple linear regression models and regression trees. It found that the variability of the soybean yield depended mainly on water available to plants and physical soil properties. This means that environmental variables have a stronger effect in comparison to crop management variables. The effect of the nutrients applied in the fields was relatively weak and only important in the case of phosphorus. Other variables which characterize crop management (including sowing date, previous crop, and plant protection using pesticides) have a weak effect on grain yield and yield-related traits variability. As there are not many studies on soybean cultivation in Poland, this work might be used as an introduction to research on soybean management in a hemiboreal climate.