Crop performance and yield are the results of genotypic expression as modulated by continuous interaction with the environment. Among the environmental factors, water is one of the most important, which limits the crop production on a global basis. Water resources in the world are steadily diminishing, and in many areas, including Poland, more frequent periods of drought are observed. There are many problems that are specifically related to water scarcity: an extremely dynamic nature of plant water status, relationship to the severity of the effects of water, time stress during ontogeny of plants, and the interaction of water stress with other environmental variables. The paper presents a review of recent literature on the effect of the grasses to drought stress at the level of physiological processes and the possibility of yielding. A better understanding of how long-term growth and yield are affected by water stress should aid in improving irrigation efficiency and practices, in modifying plants for more efficient water use, and in developing effective dryland agriculture.

One of the cheapest, environmentally friendly methods for cleaning an environment polluted by heavy metals is phytoextraction. It builds on the uptake of pollutants from the soil by the plants, which are able to grow under conditions of high concentrations of toxic metals. The aim of this work was to assess the possibility of growing and phytoextraction potential of Miscanthus x giganteus and Sida hermaphrodita cultivated on two different soils contaminated with five heavy metals simultaneously: Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn. A 3-year microplot experiment with two perennial energy crops, M. x giganteus and S. hermaphrodita, was conducted in the experimental station of IUNG-PIB in Poland (5° 25' N, 21° 58 'E), in the years of 2008-2010. Miscanthus was found more tolerant to concomitant soil contamination with heavy metals and produced almost double biomass than Sida in all three tested years, independent of soil type. Miscanthus collected greater amount of heavy metals (except for cadmium) in the biomass than Sida. Both energy crops absorb high levels of zinc, lower levels of lead, copper, and nickel, and absorbed cadmium at least, generally more metals were taken from the sandy soil, where plants also yielded better. Photosynthesis net rate of Miscanthus was on average 40% higher compared to Sida. Obtained results indicate that M. x giganteus and S. hermaphrodita can successfully be grown on moderately contaminated soil with heavy metals.

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Incorporation of organic materials into soil improves the soil sorption capacity, while limiting the mobility of metals in soil and their availability to plants. These effects can be taken advantage for remediation of soils polluted with heavy metals. The objective of this study is to assess the remediatory potential of peat applied to soils with concomitant pollution with Cd, Pb, and Zn. Two 1-year experiments were run in microplots in which maize was grown as the test plant. The following treatments were compared on two soils (sandy soil and loess): (1) control, (2) heavy metals (HM), (3) HM + peat in a single dose, and (4) HM + peat in a double dose. Maize was harvested in the maturity stage; the biomass of roots and aerial parts, including grain and cobs, was measured. Besides, concentration of metals in all those plant parts and the net photosynthetic rate and transpiration rate were determined. The approach of using peat in soil remediation led to satisfactory results on sandy soil only. The application of peat to sandy soil caused significant changes in the accumulation of the metals and their translocation from roots to other parts of plants, which resulted in a higher intensity of photosynthesis and an increase in the maize biomass compared to the HM treatment.

The effect of different rates and methods of fertilizer nitrogen application and potassium nutrition on the root nodule t'ormation of faba bean plants vat. Nadwiglafiski and on their nitrogenase activity was studied. It was found that fertilizer N depressed the nodule formation and nitrogenasc activity, but inhibitory effect of N was smaller when it was supplied to the leaves instead to the soil. Plants growing at higher K level were in a position allowing on better development of nodules and consequently higher N2 -fixation.other legume plants (Wojcieska et al. 1993, Premaratne andOertli 1994). Addition of mineral nitrogen to the culture lnedium depresses, however, the root nodule formation and symbiotic nitrogen fixation (Ruszkowska et al. 1991, Kocoti 1993, Wojcieska et al. 1993 and many others).T h e paper presents the results of the investigation on the effect of different rates and methods of N application, at two levels of potassium fertilization, on the r o o t nodule formation of faba bean var.Nadwiglafiski and on their nitrogenase activity at successive stages of plant development.

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Gałązka A., Gawryjołek K., Kocoń A. (2017): The effect of the same microbial products on basic biological activities of soil under cereal crops. Plant Soil Environ., 63: 111-116.The aim of this research was a preliminary evaluation of the effectiveness of using three preparations which improve soil fertility and yield of plants. Field tests with microbial products: EM (effective microorganisms), EmFarma Plus and UG max were carried out in the Agricultural Research Centre in Grabowo, Poland. The experimental plants were: spring triticale, spring barley and winter wheat. Bioproducts were applied directly into stubble or straw left in the field after harvesting grain and straw with an addition of nitrogen and were compared against control treatments, without the use of the above preparations. The implied treatments are determined for soil biological activity and the basic chemical properties of the soil. The microbiological tests showed a statistically significant difference between the control treatments and treatments with EM and UG max preparations (a statistically significant increase in microbial biomass and activity of dehydrogenases). Analysis of principal component analysis (PCA) explained 52.54% of the variation and separated the three groups: I (UG max ), II (EM) and III (control and EmFarma Plus). It was found that the average yield of triticale grains was approximately only by 4% higher in treatments where EM and EmFarma Plus were applied, while in treatments with UG max , triticale yielded at control level.Keywords: microorganisms; soil enzymes; total organic carbon and nitrogen; cereal plants; soil qualityThe research was conducted within the statutory activity of IUNG-PIB (1.09) and the frames of Task 1.4. Multi-Annual