Spelt wheat is one of the oldest wheat with very high nutritional value. It does not have particular climatic requirements and tolerates adverse environmental conditions well. The versatile advantages of spelt wheat make it attractive to farmers, plant breeders, food technologists, and consumers. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of different crop protection systems and seeding densities on yield, weed infestation, and grain health of the spelt wheat cultivars “Rokosz” and “Schwabenspelz”. The research showed that the spelt wheat cultivars studied responded differently to production intensification. The use of crop protection chemicals in the crop of the cultivar “Rokosz” resulted in lower weed infestation and in obtaining higher yields. In the case of the cultivar “Schwabenspelz”, production intensification did not have a significant effect on its productivity and quantitative weed infestation parameters. Therefore, this cultivar can be recommended for cultivation in farms with extensive farming methods, for example, in organic farms. In both cultivars studied, an increase in seeding density and chemical plant protection with fungicide caused lower grain contamination with mycotoxins, and the content of individual mycotoxins did not exceed the maximum levels set for grain intended for food and animal feed purposes.

As a result of human activity, the rate of extinction of species is now 100 to 1000 times faster than under natural conditions [1]. According to the FAO, 75% of the genetic diversity of agricultural crops worldwide has been lost since 1990. In Poland, about 100 species of field weeds are in danger of extinction. Archaeophytes growing on heavy calcareous soils, which are characteristic of the Lathyro-Melandrietum noctiflori, Caucalido-Scandicetum, Kicxietum spuriae communities, and weeds associated with the cultivation of flax, are particularly endangered. Halting the loss of rural biodiversity is a priority for the EU’s environmental protection strategy. Research aimed at assessing the infestation status of the weed agrophytocoenoses, located on rendzinas in the Lublin Province (Poland), has been conducted since 1997. The research was carried out using the Braun-Blanquet phytosociological method. Lublin Province is located in the south-eastern part of Poland. Here, there are good conditions for agricultural production. Agricultural land covers 57.9% of the total area of the voivodeship, of which 99.3% is agricultural land suitable for a good standard of farming. In such favorable environmental conditions, agriculture in the Lublin Province is characterized by an unfavorable structure of farms: 55.6% of more than 180,000 farms are those with an area under 5 ha. Such a large fragmentation of farms results in a low profitability of the agricultural sector, which results from extensive farming. Research has shown that low-input agriculture is conducive to the preservation of rare and endangered species of segetal flora [2]. Muscari comosum—a critically endangered (ER) species under strict protection—were found on several sites in the study area. Several sites of Caucalis platycarpos and Galium tricornutum, also recognized as ER species, were found in heavy rendzinas. Moreover, numerous sites of such rare species as Adonis aestivalis, Anthemis tinctoria, Thymelaea passerina, Lysimachia arvensis, Chaenorhinum minus and Euphorbia exigua were also identified. Research on the state of the population of rare species is a key challenge for scientists, because only knowledge about this will provide a basis for future relevant actions aimed at maintaining biodiversity and restoring degraded ecosystems [The poster presentation].

The distillery stillage is a major byproduct generated during ethanol production from plant raw materials (e.g., cereals) and molasses. It contains a high percentage of organic matter susceptible to biodegradation and nutrients necessary for plant growth, and therefore, can be used for fertilization purposes. This study evaluated the fertilizing value of rye stillage applied in a grain maize agroecosystem. The field study was carried out in 2017–2018 (two growing seasons) on Luvisol (loamy sand) in Poland. The experiment scheme included four treatments: W0—the control with no stillage treatment, W15—15 m3 of stillage per hectare, W30—30 m3 of stillage per hectare, and W45—45 m3 of stillage per hectare. It was found that application of rye stillage was significant for maize yields. However, it demands supplementary potassium fertilization and regulation of the soil reaction and/or stabilization of the pH of stillage before its application. Moreover, due to its contribution to the build-up of residual available phosphorus in the soil, rye stillage may pose an environmental risk.

Eksperyment polowy przeprowadzono w latach 2015–2018 w Gospodarstwie Doświadczalnym w Czesławicach. Celem badań było określenie wpływu aplikacji herbicydu na plonowanie, zachwaszczenie oraz parametry jakościowe ziarna pszenicy orkisz odmiany ‘Rokosz’. W przeprowadzonych badaniach wykazano, że ochrona herbicydowa spowodowała istotne zróżnicowanie plonu ziarna, zachwaszczenia łanu oraz zawartości białka i glutenu w ziarnie pszenicy orkisz. Obiekty, na których stosowano herbicyd, w porównaniu z obiektem kontrolnym, charakteryzowały się istotnie większym plonowaniem (o ponad 10%), mniejszą liczbą i powietrznie suchą masą chwastów ocenianą 3–4 tygodnie po aplikacji herbicydu oraz większą zawartością białka i glutenu. Pozostałe parametry elementów plonowania, zachwaszczenia badanego w fazie woskowej pszenicy orkisz oraz jakości ziarna nie były istotnie różnicowane przez chemiczną ochronę przeciwko chwastom. Na obiektach, na których stosowano pełną i zredukowaną o 25% dawkę herbicydu oceniane parametry nie różniły się istotnie. Świadczy to o możliwości zmniejszenia dawki aplikowanego herbicydu w ochronie pszenicy ozimej orkisz.