Climate change is advancing faster than conventional crop cycles, and this temporal lag represents a critical constraint on modern agricultural production. By significantly shortening generation times, speed breeding (SB) transforms breeding from a fixed constraint into a manageable experimental parameter. Today, SB is increasingly integrated within climate-smart agriculture, not only for rapid generation turnover but also through emerging stress-informed SB protocols designed to mimic key abiotic constraints. At the same time, no universal approach to SB exists. Protocols must be adapted to the highly heterogeneous species-specificities regarding photoperiodicity and light response. The accelerated loss of genetic diversity due to small populations, together with the limited ability of controlled chambers to simulate complex field conditions, remains a major challenge. This review synthesizes literature from 1995 to 2025 on the technical foundations of SB, its application in major crops, and integration with modern breeding, phenotyping, and AI-driven tools. The available knowledge and evidence indicate that SB is most effective when integrated into breeding pipelines together with multi-district field-testing and stress-aware protocols, rather than used as an isolated technique. SB provides one of the strongest levers available to accelerate crop improvement under rapidly changing climate conditions.
One of the most promising alternatives to synthetic pesticides for protecting stored products from insect pests is diatomaceous earth (DE). However, certain limitations of DE hinder its broader application in large-scale storage systems. To reduce the amount of DE dust required for effective treatment while maintaining insecticidal activity, a possible solution is to combine DE with other approaches, such as botanicals. For this purpose, we developed a powdered formulation based on DE SilicoSec (R), silica gel SIPERNAT (R) 50 S, and botanicals (bay leaves, corn oil, and lavender essential oil), designated as N Form. The formulation was evaluated against the lesser grain borer, Rhyzopertha dominica (F.), on three maize hybrids: OSSK 617, OSSK 596, and Drava 404. In maize hybrids OSSK 596 and OSSK 617, the insecticidal activity of N Form was significantly higher than that of DE alone, resulting in 100 % mortality at 400 and 600 ppm, respectively, after 7 days of exposure, along with complete progeny inhibition. Among the hybrids tested, N Form showed the lowest efficacy in hybrid Drava 404, achieving a maximum mortality of 60 % after 14 days of exposure. Germination of the treated maize seeds did not change significantly, although a decline in germination energy and a reduction in standard germination were observed in some treatments. The results of our study demonstrate that the efficacy of diatomaceous earth can be significantly enhanced when combined with plant-derived and inert substances.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of selenium (Se) biofortification on growth, biomass accumulation, and micronutrient composition of industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L., cv. Finola) microgreens, with emphasis on Se uptake and its distribution among leaves, stems, and roots. Microgreens were subjected to four Se treatments (Se_0, Se_2, Se_4, and Se_6 µmol Se/L), and changes in morphological traits, micronutrient status (Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn), and Se accumulation were assessed. Selenium biofortification had a marked impact on plant morphology and biomass. Stem length decreased by 12–18% under Se treatments compared with the control, whereas root length increased slightly, particularly at Se_2 and Se_4 (up to +6%). Fresh industrial hemp microgreens biomass responded strongly to Se supply, with the highest stem, root, and total fresh mass recorded at Se_4—representing an increase of 15–22% relative to control plants. At the highest Se level (Se_6), biomass declined by approximately 10–14%, indicating potential growth inhibition at excessive Se concentrations. Micronutrient concentrations were significantly affected by Se. Leaf Mn increased from 152 mg kg−1 at Se_0 to 175 mg kg−1 at Se_6 (+15%), while leaf Zn decreased by 20–25% at higher Se exposure. Stems and roots showed similar antagonistic interactions, with Fe and Zn decreasing by up to 30% at elevated Se levels. Conversely, Mn in stems and roots increased with Se up to Se_4, reaching 400 mg kg−1 in roots. Selenium accumulation exhibited a strong linear response to biofortification, with high coefficients of determination (R2 = 0.9685–0.9943), confirming predictable and efficient Se uptake. Correlation analysis revealed strong positive associations among biomass-related traits and distinct interactions among micronutrients, especially the near-perfect correlation between Se and Cu in roots (r ≈ 0.99). Overall, industrial hemp microgreens demonstrate potential for selenium biofortification, provided that selenium application levels remain within safe dietary limits.
Lucerna (Medicago sativa L.) jedna je od najvažnijih višegodišnjih krmnih leguminoza, ali stabilna proizvodnja sjemena i dalje predstavlja izazov zbog snažnog utjecaja agroekoloških uvjeta. Cilj rada je prikazati ključne čimbenike koji utječu na sjemensku proizvodnju lucerne, s posebnim naglaskom na cvatnju, oprašivanje, oplodnju, formiranje mahuna, nalijevanje i dozrijevanje sjemena te ukazati na mogućnosti unaprjeđenja sjemenske proizvodnje. Povoljni klimatski uvjeti, dobra struktura i reakcija tla, uravnotežena gnojidba, odgovarajuća norma sjetve i međuredni razmak, učinkovita zaštita od korova, štetnika i bolesti te pravodobna žetva važni su za ostvarivanje stabilnog prinosa i visoke kakvoće sjemena. Razumijevanje međudjelovanja genotipa, okoliša i agrotehničkih mjera ključno je za unapređenje sjemenske proizvodnje lucerne u različitim agroekološkim uvjetima.
Improving both grain yield and quality in wheat is challenging due to genotype × environment interactions and inherent trade-offs between productivity and quality traits. This study evaluated 18 winter wheat genotypes across four locations in Croatia (Osijek, Tovarnik, Kutjevo, and Zagreb) over two growing seasons. Combined analysis of variance revealed significant (p < 0.001) effects of genotype, location, growing season, and their interactions almost for all evaluated traits, confirming substantial genetic variability and strong environmental influence. Grain yield and lodging were highly affected by environmental conditions, whereas test weight and starch content were comparatively more stable. Principal component analysis (PCA) explained 73.4
