Joint research with the National Institute of Horticultural Research, Poland

Presentation results at the University of Lodz, Poland

On December 8-14,2024, Prof. Valentina Pidlisnyuk, NPD, UJEP and Dr. Tatyana Stefanovska, Co-Director, NULES visited Poland with NATO SPS MYP G6094 mission. They attended the National Institute of Horticultural Research (InHort) in Skierniewice with a number of planned meetings and research. Consequently, they met with Prof. Magdalena Szczech, Head of the Department of Microbiology and Rhizosphere, and Associate professor Beata Kowalska from the same department. The results from the third-year monitoring of the soil health state at Miscanthus plantation in Chomutov were overviewed. The changing of the soil health at this plantation is measuring by indication of the nematode’s communities (part of NULES) and soil microbial communities (part of InHort). At another meeting Prof. Valentina Pidlisnyuk, Dr. Tatyana Stefanovska and prof. Magdalena Szczech worked on the joint manuscript “Enhancing soil health using by-products as organic amendments in third-year Miscanthus × giganteus cultivation: nematodes and microbial interactions on degraded soil”. Prof. Magdalena Szczech provided a tour at the new building of the InHort and introduced the newly equipped laboratories used for research of the crops’ rhizosphere, soil chemical and physical parameters, and microbial communities’ varieties in soil under the different crops.

Dr. Stefanovska and Prof. Pidlisniuk visited the Nematology Lab at InHort and had a meeting with Prof. Andrzej Skwiercz and Dr. David Kozaski to discuss the identification process of the soil nematodes communities under Miscanthus plantation. Dr. Stefanovska and prof. Skwiercz conducted the morphometric identification of nematodes extracted from the soil taken at the research field in Vorzel, Kyiv region, Ukraine. Since 2023, this field has been used to test the application of biochar as a part of the Advanced Phytotechnology. Prof. Pidlisnyuk, Dr. Stefanovska, and Prof. Skwiercz discussed and approved the time-table for the continuation of this research in 2025 vegetation season.

On the invitation of Dr. Anna Wyrwicka-Drewniak, Department of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, University of Lodz prof. Pidlisnyuk and Dr. Stefanovska visited Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection at the University of Lodz. Prof. Pidisnyuk made a presentation of NATO G6094 results with emphasis on utilization of varied biochars and influencing of other organic amendments to the crop’s development and biomass production. The presentation was attended by prof. Elzbieta Kuznial-Gebarowsko, Dr. Anna Wylwicka-Drewniak, PhD students Lidia Blazacek and Dawid Zegota, all – University of Lodz, Prof. Skwiercz, InHort. Dr. Anna Wyrwicka-Drewniak introduced the research on phytotechnology of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and selection of the appropriated plants as phytoagent. She presented lab research on using the energy plant: basket willow in the process. The options for the joint research on utilization of organic amendments in the phytotechnology of energy crops were discussed.