Fagopyrum

The Growth and Biomass Yield of Common Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum (L.) Moench) Under Different Crop Management Systems

Sunday Ebonka Nwajei, Jana Pexová Kalinová — Mon, 02 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0100

Growing crops as cover or companion crops, as well as for green manure, forms the basis of sustainable and organic field crop production. This practice helps reduce soil degradation and supports sustainable soil management. The aim of this field study was to evaluate the effects of crop management systems on the growth and biomass yield of two varieties of common buckwheat. The crop management systems tested were: common buckwheat (Zoe and Harpe) grown alone (control), intercropped with sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), intercropped with a mixture of lacy phacelia (Phacelia tanacetifolia) and white mustard (Sinapis alba), and grown in postharvest wheat residues (straw). The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replicates. Data were collected on plant height (cm), number of leaves/plant, number of branches/plant, total leaf area/plant (cm²), stem diameter (cm), and biomass yield (t/ha). Crop management systems had a significant effect on the number of branches/plant, stem diameter, and overall biomass yield of buckwheat. The highest biomass yield (1.13 t/ha dry weight) was obtained from Harpe variety intercropped with Phacelia + Sinapis, while the lowest value 0.71 t/ha was recorded in the control. Given the high biomass yields, intercropping common buckwheat with Phacelia + Sinapis mixtures is a promising option for green manure production. Although the buckwheat varieties differed in number of leaves, leaf area, and number of branches/plant, the variety used did not have a statistically significant effect on biomass yield.

The Influence of Different Cultivation Technologies on the Changes in Quantitative and Qualitative Parameters of Buckwheat

Ladislav Kováč, Božena Šoltysová — Mon, 02 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0100

Changes of the quantitative and qualitative parameters of buckwheat were observed on gleyic Fluvisols (locality Milhostov, Slovak Republic) at different tillage between 2013 and 2015. The experiment was conducted using two soil tillage treatments: conventional tillage and reduced tillage, and three conditioner application treatments: soil conditioner PRP SOL, a combination of soil conditioner PRP SOL and plant auxiliary substance PRP SOL+EBV, and control.
In buckwheat crops, basic physical properties were also monitored. The statistically significantly higher yields of buckwheat were achieved with reduced tillage. Significant differences were found in buckwheat yield between years.
The lowest yields of buckwheat were recorded in the dry and extremely hot year of 2015. In the variant with conventional tillage, better values of basic soil physical properties were recorded compared with the reduced tillage. Significantly higher yields of buckwheat were found with applications of conditioners than in the control. The application of plant auxiliary substance PRP SOL+EBV on the variant with PRP SOL did not substantially increase the yields of buckwheat. The content of nitrogen substances in the grain of buckwheat was dependent on the fertilization options. Higher content of nitrogen substances in the grain of buckwheat was found in the control than with the application of conditioners. A negative correlation was found between the yield and nitrogen substances in the grain of buckwheat (r = -0.74).

Interactive Effects of Rice Husk Biochar and Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles on Physio-biochemical Traits, and Yield of Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) under Salinity Stress

Jay Karan Sah, Md. A. Mannan, Masuma Akter, Most. Tanjina Akter — Mon, 02 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0100

Salinity stress negatively affects the physiological and biochemical processes of plants, leading to reduced yields. This study addresses the knowledge gap regarding effective strategies to mitigate salinity-induced damage and enhance productivity in buckwheat. We hypothesized that zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) and rice husk biochar could improve salinity tolerance in buckwheat by modulating its physiological and biochemical responses. To test this, common buckwheat plants were grown under irrigation with well-watered (0 mM salinity) and moderate saline water (75 mM salinity) following a completely randomized design (CRD) with three replications. Results showed that the application of 50 g/kg rice husk biochar and 200 ppm ZnO NPs, either separately or in combination, significantly enhanced the yield and improved key physiological and biochemical traits, including relative water content, photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, chlorophyll content, and antioxidant activity. The combination of ZnO NPs and rice husk biochar led to improvements in the plants’ relative water content, photosynthetic rate, chlorophyll levels, membrane stability index (MSI), proline, antioxidant activity (DPPH), and seed yield by 18.32, 15.29, 40.18, 14.54, 38.56, 6.87, and 40.78%, respectively, compared to untreated salinity plants. Moreover, this treatment reduced oxidative stress indicators such as hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and malondialdehyde (MDA) by 25.56 and 35.0%, respectively. These results show that ZnO NPs, when combined with rice husk biochar, significantly improve salinity tolerance in common buckwheat, providing a viable strategy to increase crop yields in saline environments. In view of climate change, this study emphasizes the potential of combining biochar with nanomaterials for sustainable agricultural practices.