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Intercropping is an alternative farming method that maximizes crop yield and resource usage effectiveness, especially in low-input agricultural systems. Legume-based intercropping systems can effectively boost the quality and wheat yield by promoting soil functions and microbial activities. However, changes in the types of legumes and field management can alter the response of crop functions. A three-year field study was conducted on intercropping cultivation of winter wheat variety (Butterfly and Lorien) and legume species (faba bean, incarnate clover, spring pea, winter pea) to assess grain yield and wheat quality in organic farming. Based on the results, Butterfly showed higher grain quality but lower grain yield and yield components than Lorien. Mixtures of legume crops with winter wheat did not significantly differ in wheat grain yield, but grain quality variables were significantly affected. Protein content (PC) was significantly higher in wheat and legume mixtures than in sole wheat by 4 %. PC in wheat + winter pea (Wheat + Wi) and wheat + faba bean (Wheat + Fa) were higher than wheat sown alone. Wet gluten (WG) was higher in Wheat + Wi than in sole wheat and wheat + incarnate clover mixtures (Wheat + In). The rheological parameters evaluated by the Mixolab showed greater wheat quality in Butterfly and legume mixtures. Mixed and row-row intercropping of wheat and legume species did not significantly influence rheological properties. To conclude, customizing wheat yield and grain quality under the effect of winter wheat and legume mixtures requires considering the optimal solution based on different cultivates, wheat varieties and legume species to achieve the desired response.

The effect of simultaneous intercropping of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) with different legumes of faba bean (Vicia faba L.), pea (Pisum sativum L.), and purple clover (Trifolium incarnatum L.) on selected production and qualitative parameters of wheat was evaluated in field trials conducted both in organic and conventional cropping systems, in comparison with pure sown wheat. Wheat intercropped with legumes achieved higher grain yield compared to pure sown wheat for an average of two years. However, in organic cultivation, the positive effect of intercropping on wheat yields was more pronounced. In addition, a strong influence of the year was noted. In 2021, in the organic cropping system, the most yielding intercropped wheat (especially with pea and bean) achieved 114-117% higher yields compared to pure sown wheat (in the previous year of 2020, it was usually only about 102-106%). In the conventional cropping system, the effect of intercropping on wheat yield was significantly weaker, and in 2021, wheat intercropped with legumes reached even lower yields than pure sown wheat in some cases. In terms of sowing methods (both in organic and conventional cropping systems), mixed sowing with individual legumes significantly exceeded the yields of wheat grown with legumes in separate, alternating rows. As regards quality parameters, wheat intercropped with legumes reached in comparison with pure sown wheat usually had higher crude protein content in wheat grain dry matter and higher values of Zeleny sedimentation.

The effects of various pre-sowing treatments of poppy seed (chemical product Cruiser OSR, stimulation products TS Osivo and Enviseed, physical treatment by E-ventus method, biological products Polyversum and Gliorex) on dynamics of field emergence, seed yield, and structure of yield parameters were evaluated in two cultivars grown in three-year trials. Seed treatment with TS Osivo and Enviseed led to a significant increase in field emergence compared to the untreated control and was on the same level as the Cruiser OSR-treated variant. In variants treated with Polyversum, Gliorex, and E-ventus, the number of emerged plants was noticeably lower. The stand density was a key factor in achieving a satisfactory yield, given that in the structure of other yield parameters (number of capsules per plant, weight of seed per capsule, and thousand seed weight), the differences between the variants were lower and often insignificant. The average yield ranged from 0.85 t/ha (Polyversum) to 1.39 t/ha (Cruiser OSR), and the stimulant seed treatments were also proved to be effective (TS Osivo 1.23 t/ha and Enviseed 1.16 t/ha). Variants with biological and physical treatment did not differ significantly from the control (0.88 t/ha) in average yield. All parameters evaluated were strongly affected by the year (weather conditions).

The oil content and fatty acid composition were determined in the seed of 19 poppy genotypes (both landraces and modern cultivars) grown in three-year field trials. The total oil content ranged from 34.56-44.76%. The oil content in white-seeded genotypes (40.73-44.76%) exceeded the oil content in blue-seeded genotypes (34.56-40.34%) and ocher-seeded genotypes (38.36-42.69%). Linoleic acid (71.41-74.02%), oleic acid (12.35-15.51%) and palmitic acid (8.95-10.29%) were the most abundant fatty acids in the evaluated seeds of poppy genotypes. A significant negative correlation (-0.7574**) was found between linoleic and oleic fatty acids. The sum of polyunsaturated (PUFA), monounsaturated (MUFA) and saturated (SFA) fatty acids ranged from 72.43-74.91%, 12.90-16.14% and 10.99-12.46% of the total fatty acids, respectively. Both the total oil content and the content of individual fatty acids were mainly affected by the crop year (weather conditions); however, the effect of genotype and year × genotype interaction was also significant. Due to the favourable composition of fatty acids, the evaluated poppy genotypes can be a good source of nutritionally valuable oil.

The study aimed to evaluate the effect of the straw mulch and compost application on the soil losses in potatoes cultivation. The three-year (2016-2018) exact field plot trials with the potato cv. Dicolora was carried out at the experimental station in Prague-Uhříněves. Wheat straw mulch in two doses 2.5 t/ha (SM1) and 4.5 t/ha (SM2) was applied on the soil surface; the compost in a dose of 20 t/ha (CM) was shuffled to the surface soil layer. Both straw mulch and compost application contributed to the significant reduction of the soil losses compared to control untreated (C). In the average of 2016-2018, the lowest soil loss 17.54 g/m2 (amount of the soil sediment caught) was found for the variant with the straw mulch treatment (SM2); it means the decrease of soil losses by 71.9% compared to C. Variant SM1 (lower rate of straw mulch in dose 2.5 t/ha) showed the soil loss 18.6 g/m2 (the decrease by 70.2% compared to C). The similar results for both variants indicate that for effective soil protection, it is not necessary to use the high doses of the straw mulch. Regarding the distribution of precipitation during the vegetation season, intensive precipitation during the short time, especially when they came after the longer period of drought led to higher soil losses compared to the precipitation distributed regularly.

The total antioxidant activity (TAA), total contents of polyphenols (TPC), phenolic acids (TPA) and tocols (TTC) were determined in the grain of 5 oat cultivars of Czech origin grown under organic and conventional cropping systems in two-year experiments (2018 and 2019). The TPC ranged from 772.9 mg/kg DM (dry matter) (hulled oat cv. Seldon) to 890.6 mg/kg (naked oat cv. Patrik); the TPA from 261.6 mg/kg (cv. Seldon) to 479.0 mg/kg (cv. Patrik); the TTC from 110.9 mg/kg (hulled oat cv. Korok) to 126.5 mg/kg (cv. Seldon). The TAA ranged from 427.1 mg/kg (cv. Korok) to 474.9 mg/kg (cv. Seldon). Besides the effect of the cultivar, the TAA and antioxidant contents were significantly affected also by year (weather conditions); higher values were observed in the drier and warmer the year 2019. The effect of the cropping system was statistically insignificant.

The frequent occurrence of years with extreme drought leads to the investigation of measures for mitigation of their impacts. The efficiency of organic mulch materials - straw and compost application as the preservation of potato production in drought conditions were verified in this study. Three mulching treatments were verified during the three experimental years (2016-2018) in an exact field trial with potatoes cv. Dicolora. Wheat straw mulch in the rate of 2.5 t/ha (SM1) and 4.5 t/ha (SM2), compost in the rate of 20 t/ha (CM), and control block without any treatments (C) were used. The yield of marketable tubers (tuber over 40 mm) showed a significant increase by 21.2% at the straw mulch treatment (SM2) in comparison with control. As for the straw mulch (SM1) and compost mulch (CM), tubers yields increased by 12.8% and 10.1%, respectively, compared to control.

The study aimed at evaluating the total content of polyphenols (TPC) and phenolic acids (TPA) in grain of 4 spring einkorn, 4 emmer, 4 spelt and 4 common wheat genotypes cultivated under organic cropping system in two-year trials. The TPC and TPA were significantly affected both by genotype, wheat species and crop year (weather conditions). At the same time, TPC and TPA were mainly affected by the crop year while the effect of genetic factors was lesser. The TPC ranged from 618 mg/kg DM (dry matter) (common wheat cv. Annie) to 792.37 mg/kg DM (Triticum monococcum GEO) and TPA from 700.66 mg/kg DM (cv. Annie) to 874.74 mg/kg DM (Schwedishes einkorn) in an average of two-year results. Related to the wheat species, total content of polyphenols was in order einkorn > emmer > common wheat > spelt, total content of phenolic acids in order einkorn > spelt > emmer > common wheat. Higher TPC and TPA were observed in the very dry year 2018.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of genotype, tuber flesh colour, site conditions, year of cultivation and storage on the content of ascorbic acid (AAC) in the tubers of twelve potato cultivars with coloured flesh, compared with the yellow-flesh cv. Agria. AAC ranged from 88.6 to 282.0 mg/kg fresh matter (FM) and it was significantly influenced by genotype. A significantly highest AAC, on a three-year average, was achieved by cv. Rosemarie with red flesh (218.9 mg/kg FM; 1.10-1.84-fold more than the other cultivars). Position number two was achieved by the control cv. Agria (199.4 mg/kg FM). The purple or red colour of the cultivars with coloured flesh did not have a significant effect on the AAC. A significantly higher (1.17 times) AAC was determined at the Uhříněves site with warmer climate and drier weather before the harvest, compared with the other site in Valečov. The AAC was also significantly affected by year of cultivation. Cold storage (4°C, 180 days) resulted in a significant decrease in AAC, which varied in dependence on the genotype of the cultivars (34.6% to 65.1%). However, no link to the colour of the tuber flesh was found.

The aim of the study was to evaluate total antioxidant activity (TAA) and total content of carotenoids (TCC), anthocyanins (TAC), phenolics (TPC) and phenolic acids (PAs) in grain of selected pigmented wheat genotypes and traditional control cultivar cultivated under organic and conventional cropping systems in two-year trials. All of the evaluated parameters were significantly affected both by genotype and evaluated environmental factors. While in TPC, PAs and TCC the effect of years prevailed, TAC was affected mainly by genotype. The effect of genotype and year in TAA was comparable. TPC ranged from 581.71 mg/kg (control cv. Annie) to 723.60 mg/kg (cultivar with purple pericarp PS Karkulka), total PAs content from 711.77 mg/kg (cv. PS Karkulka) to 849.47 mg/kg (cv. Skorpion with blue aleurone). TCC varied from 1.56 mg/kg (cv. PS Karkulka) to 5.32 mg/kg (cv. Citrus with yellow endosperm). The highest TAC (63.23 mg/kg) was found in cv. Skorpion, the lowest (12.70 mg/kg) in cv. AF Jumiko with purple pericarp. Anthocyanins were not detected in cvs. Annie and Citrus. TAA varied from 162.68 mg/kg in cv. Annie to 226.71 mg/kg in breeding line KM 53-14 with blue aleurone. Higher TAA and antioxidants contents and lower grain yields were observed in organic cropping system and in drier year 2016.

Our study was focused on the evaluation of the content of a wider spectrum of eight avenanthramides (AVNs) as unique components of oat grain under the effects of four selected factors (cultivar, locality, cropping system, and year). The weather effects on changes in the AVN content and their relationship to other important parameters of oat grain were further evaluated in more detail. A sensitive UHPLC system coupled with a QExactive Orbitrap mass spectrometer was used for AVN quantification. AVNs confirmed a high variability (RDS = 72.7–113.5%), which was dominantly influenced by the locality and year factors. While most AVN types confirmed mutually high correlations (r = 0.7–0.9), their correlations with the other 10 grain parameters were lower (r ≤ 0.48). Their significant correlations (0.27–0.46) with β-D-glucan could be used in perspective in breeding programs for the synergetic increase of both parameters. PCA analysis and Spearman correlations based on individual cultivars confirmed a significant effect of June and July precipitation on the increase of Σ AVNs. However, the results also indicated that higher precipitation can generate favorable conditions for related factors, such as preharvest sprouting evoking a direct increase of AVNs synthesis in oat grain.

Response of 35 spring wheat varieties and lines (of four Triticum species) to spray inoculation with Fusarium culmorum was evaluated in field experiments over three years (2010-2012). Data on mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON) content were complemented by symptom scores and determination of the percentage of Fusarium damaged kernels and percent reduction of thousand grain weight and of grain weight per spike due to infection. Resistance to Fusarium head blight (FHB) determined on the basis of the five mentioned traits was variable in all the examined genotype groups and very high only in the non-adapted check variety Sumai 3. The common wheat landrace Červená perla, four T. dicoccum genotypes (May Emmer, Weisser Sommer, Tábor, and Rudico), T. spelta (Ruzyně), and the commercially grown bread wheat variety Vánek can be considered as moderately resistant to FHB. DON accumulation was significantly higher in the modern common wheat varieties than in the other Triticum species and common wheat landraces. The latter nonetheless showed similar average reductions in grain weight per spike due to infection as did current spring wheat varieties. It is particularly important that DON content was found to be low and least variable not only in Sumai 3 but also in some T. dicoccum (Rudico and Tábor) and T. spelta (Ruzyně) genotypes. It was documented that FHB-resistant emmer and spelt wheat materials have some outstanding grain-quality parameters (e.g. very high protein content) and can be progressively utilized particularly in breeding wheat for alternative use and growing in organic farming systems. It is important to make substantial progress towards developing resistance in common spring wheat, because most current varieties other than Vánek and Trappe were found to be moderately susceptible or susceptible to FHB.

Using vertical electrophoresis, a set of 22 biotypes heterogeneous according to their gliadin alleles as well as their low-molecular-weight (LMW) and high-molecular-weight (HMW) glutenin subunits were identified in 10 winter wheat varieties registered in the Czech Republic. The effects of individual biotypes and their specific allelic compositions on 16 grain quality parameters were investigated. Inter-varietal differences in particular quality parameters (Zeleny sedimentation, farinograph water absorption, several values of the solvent retention capacity test) were significantly greater than the differences detected among biotypes of each variety. Special attention was given to the LMW glutenin subunits and gliadin alleles and to mutual interactions responsible for significant differences in the tested grain parameters. The results revealed at least one case of significant differences in grain quality parameters among biotypes of eight heterogeneous wheat varieties. This work unambiguously indicates that the high prevalence of wheat biotype(s) with significantly poorer values in some grain parameters can also decrease the expected technological quality of the original wheat variety. In particular, multi-line wheat varieties carrying alleles Glu-B1 (6+8) and Glu-B1 (7+9) or Glu-B3j and Glu-B3g can indicate the possibility of some significant changes in grain quality parameters.

The aim of our work was to assess the possibility of detecting the changes in the baking quality of winter wheat with different levels of Fusarium spp. contamination using a new rheological system Mixolab, and to determine the correlations between the Mixolab characteristics and other quality parameters of wheat flour and grain. The standard technological characteristics (crude protein, Zeleny sedimentation index, wet gluten, falling number), loaf volume, shape features of bread (height and diameter), Mixolab parameters, and mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON) content were determined in 3 winter wheat cultivars (Akteur - quality group E - elite; Eurofit - quality group A; Meritto - quality group B) with different levels of Fusarium spp. contamination (8 variants) in two years. Increasing intensity of Fusarium spp. contamination evidently worsened the rheological quality and its negative effects on protein and mainly on the starch part of the grain was obvious in Mixolab curves. High correlations were found between Mixolab characteristics and standard technological parameters, as well as between Mixolab parameters and the main baking criterion - loaf volume.

Organic farmers have become more interested in the marginally grown (neglected) cultivars, as spring forms of the hulled wheat varieties (eincorn, emmer wheat, spelta wheat) or intermediate forms of the soft wheat. 173 land races from the gene bank at the RI in Praha-Ruzyně were grown on the organic certified parcel and evaluated in 2008. The trial aimed to evaluate the conditions of the competitiveness to weeds, tolerance to diseases, assimilation of the sun shine and establishment of the yield. The results show that all the evaluated material inclines to the competitiveness to weeds. This ability is, nevertheless, reduced because of the inclination to the lodging (all the cultivars have long weak stalks). Eincorn and emmer wheat are resistant to mildew and brown rust, spelta wheat is less resistant cultivar and the intermediate cultivars incline to disease attack very much. Eincorn and emmer wheat have short and dense spikes, spelta wheat has long and sparse spikes. Perspective materials have been found in the study and trials. We are going to focus on a possible increase of the resistance to lodging, choice of the resistant cultivars to funga diseases and increase of the spike productivity.

The quantity and quality of protein and the rheological traits of wheat are crucial for processing flour in the baking industry, but there are few comparisons in the literature between old and modern wheat species. To help fill this gap, the baking quality characterization, gluten content, protein fraction composition, high molecular weight glutenin subunits, and rheological properties of ancient and modern wheat were determined and compared. These varieties were collected by the gene bank of the Crop Research Institute in Prague-Ruzyne and were grown in organically certified research areas in the Czech Republic. Results revealed differences in protein content and composition between varieties with different ploidy levels, as well as differences in development time and stability between einkorn and bread wheat varieties. Based on the proximity of their positions to the parameter quality in the principal components analysis, such as gluten content, gluten index (GI), Zeleny test, stability, dough development time (C1) and gliadin, the baking performances of cultivars were identified.