Rapeseed [Brassica napus (L.)], white mustard [Sinapis alba (L.)], and Indian mustard [Brassica juncea (L.) Czern. et Coss] belong to the family Brassicaceae. Th ese crop species synthesize substantial amounts of fat, protein, and glucosinolates (GLS). Brassica species can diff er in their concentrations of fat, protein, and GLS in response to S fertilization. Plant material for chemical analyses was harvested from a fi eld experiment conducted in northeastern Poland in 2005 to 2008. Th e examined species of oilseed crops were fertilized or not fertilized with S applied to soil at optimal rates for each species based on S uptake and forecast seed yield. On average, S fertilization increased seed yield of oilseed crops by 8%, but it did not induce signifi cant diff erences in the concentrations of fat and protein in seeds. Sulfur fertilization increased total GLS concentrations by 0.22 and 0.27 µmol g -1 dry matter (DM) in the root residues of white mustard and Indian mustard, respectively, and by 0.52 µmol g -1 DM in winter rapeseed. Total GLS concentration in winter rapeseed straw decreased by 0.18 µmol g -1 DM with S application. In white mustard straw, S fertilization increased total GLS concentration by 0.27 µmol g -1 DM. Sulfur fertilization increased total GLS concentrations in the seeds of spring rapeseed, white mustard and Indian mustard by 11.43, 41.75 and 32.05 µmol g -1 DM, respectively. Sulfur fertilization has a signifi cant eff ect on the seed yield and biomass quality of oilseed crops of the family Brassicaceae.

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The chemical composition of silage from whole crop barley {Hordeum vulgare L.) harvested at head emergence, milk or dough stage of maturity was estimated and palatability and digestibility trials on sheep were conducted. Crude protein and ADF content in DM decreased with advancing maturity from about 104 to 84 and 350 to 306 g/kg, whereas DM, ADL and N-free extractives increased at the same time from 222 to 317; 27 to 39.6, and 439 to 522 g/kg, respectively. Palatability and voluntary intake of silage produced from barley harvested at milk and dough stages of maturity were higher. The proportion of lactic acid to total acids was similar in all silages (0.85), the percent of NH 3-N in total N decreased with advancing maturity from 13.3 to 10.0. Voluntary silage DM intake increased with maturity of barley, but digestibility of crude fibre, NDF, ADF, ether extract and N-free extractives decreased.

The most common cereals for faba bean (Vicia faba L.) used in intercrops is conventional oat (Avena sativa L.) An alternative to oat may be naked oat (Avena nuda L.), whose oil content and quality is double. Here, intercropping of naked oat with two different faba bean cultivars (determinate-high tannin and indeterminate-low tannin) was compared with sole crops of each species in 2006-2008. The treatments were: sole naked oat at 500 kernels m 2 , indeterminate sole faba bean at 50 seeds m 2 , determinate sole faba bean at 70 seeds m 2 , and an additive series of 25%, 50%, and 75% of faba bean seeding rate mixed with the naked oat seeding rate. Our results demonstrated that intercropping increased the Land Equivalent Ratio by +3% to +9% over sole cropping. Raising the faba bean seeding rate in a mixture from 25% to 75% reduced oat grain yield from 630 (determinate cultivar) to 760 kg ha -1 (indeterminate cultivar) but increased faba bean grain yield from 760 kg ha -1 . Higher yield and leaf area index (LAI) and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) values show that the indeterminate cultivar of faba bean is more suitable in mixture with naked oat. The high value of competition index (CR > 1) indicates domination and aggressiveness of faba bean towards naked oat. Regardless of cultivar type, mixture of faba bean with naked oat is less productive than pure sowing.

A b s t r a c tIn Poland the cultivation of the fibrous form of flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) is dying out, but the acreage of its oilseed form, linseed, which provides seed (Semen lini) used in therapy and being a source of -linolenic acid, is expanding. Nowadays, linseed is grown in 64 countries of the world, but yield levels in these countries vary greatly. Under European conditions, seed yield of linseed shows high variation, which is evidence of little knowledge of the biology of this plant and the lack of precise cultivation solutions in agricultural technologies used. A major reason is the difficulty in obtaining optimal crop density. A sparse crop results in low above-ground biomass yield, which is translated into insufficient crop yields. The selection of highly productive domestic and foreign varieties can partially increase linseed yield; apart from some domestic varieties, the Canadian cultivar 'Flanders' and the Hungarian cultivar 'Barbara' are positive examples in this respect. There is a possibility of effective selection at early stages of linseed breeding, which bodes well for the prospect of obtaining highly productive varieties with normal or very low -linolenic acid content.