Land In Poland Research Articles

Assessing monthly dynamics of agricultural soil erosion risk in Poland

Soil erosion in agricultural landscapes poses a significant threat to soil health and productivity. This study investigates the dynamics of soil erosion across agricultural lands in Poland at monthly scale using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) model. The study utilizes the Global Rainfall Erosivity Dataset (GLOREDA), which provides the most up-to-date and highest resolution rainfall erosivity (R) values, derived from 10-min resolution rainfall records. Additionally, satellite imagery spanning 2003 to 2023 was leveraged to estimate the cover-management (C) factor, capturing the spatial and temporal dynamics of vegetation cover and agricultural practices. Results reveal significant spatio-temporal variations in soil erosion rates, with peak erosion occurring during the summer months following crop harvesting, despite not aligning precisely with peak rainfall erosivity. The lowest erosion rates are observed during the winter seasons, attributed to minimal rainfall erosivity. The findings highlight the critical role of agricultural practices, particularly the timing of crop harvesting and temporary exposure of bare soil, in driving soil erosion dynamics in Poland's agricultural landscapes. Specifically, the average annual soil loss for agricultural areas in Poland was determined to be 0.27 t ha−1 yr−1, with peak monthly soil erosion rates reaching up to 0.08 t ha−1 yr−1 in August. Total monthly soil loss from agricultural lands in Poland was estimated to be approximately 4.87 Mt. annually, with 68 % of the total annual soil loss occurring during the summer months. This study contributes valuable insights into understanding and managing soil erosion risks in agricultural systems, aiding in the development of targeted soil conservation strategies and sustainable land management practices.

REGIONAL CHANGES IN CATTLE AND COW POPULATION IN POLAND FROM 2010 TO 2023

The aim of the research was to assess regional changes in cattle (excluding cows) and cow population. Surveys were carried out at the provincial level in 2010-2023, and at the county level on the basis of 2010 and 2020 agricultural census data. The surveys show that the processes of spatial concentration of cattle population in Poland are occurring faster in the case of cows, and they are also more advanced 62 and 93 counties with the highest cattle population and counties with the highest cattle density without cows and cows, using 20% and 30% of agricultural land in Poland. However, there was no correlation of the level of cattle stocking without cows and cows in 2010 in individual counties with changes in stocking rates by 2020. It was found that in the case of both studied groups of animals, the stocking is located mainly in the belt from Podlaskie to Wielkopolskie provinces. The fastest depopulation process occurs in southeastern Poland.

REGIONAL CHANGES IN THE PIG POPULATION IN POLAND IN 2010-2022

The aim of the study was to assess regional changes in pig and sow population in 2010-2022. The analysis was carried out at the voivodship level for the entire period under study, while changes in pig and sow population in poviats were based on agricultural census data for 2010 and 2020. The analysis showed a progressive regional concentration of pig and sow stock in Poland, as indicated by an increase in the share of the 62 and 93 poviats with the highest stock and the poviats with the highest density of pigs and sows using 20% and 30% of agricultural land in Poland by about 9 percentage points. However, there was no correlation of the level of pig and sow stocking in 2010 in individual poviats with changes in stocking rates by 2020. A large increase in stocking rates associated with the construction of industrial piggeries was recorded in a dozen poviats located mainly in the western and northern voivodships, where the largest number of State Agricultural Farms were located.

Der Ansatz von herrenlosen Grundstücken im polnischen Recht – Wirklichkeit oder Fiktion?

Assumption of ownerless lands in polish law. Reality or fiction? Many legal systems belonging to the so called civil law tradition are familiar with ownerless lands. This family includes polish law as well, however it is usually assumed that a land in Poland is constantly owned by someone. The explanations of that theory are neither comprehensive nor convincing. The author prepared an article based on his diploma thesis, which offers a deepened argumentation about the previously mentioned topic. The conclusion is that in fact there are no ownerless lands in Poland, but the justification of that legislative decision is profoundly different than just brief statements that were delivered by current polish legal literature. The special emphasis has been put on the meaning of Art. 46 of the polish Civil code. Any functional interpretation has just a subsidiary meaning but is not meaningless at all.

Protecting ecosystem services of urban agriculture against land-use change using market-based instruments. A Polish perspective

Urban agriculture is the collective name for a wide variety of farming activities that occur within a city’s boundaries or direct sphere of influence. A shared feature of urban agriculture types is that they are spatially limited,. Farming is generally not the primary function in the urban ecosystem; however, its spatial role should not be underestimated. Urban green spaces connected with urban agriculture are widely accepted as a nature-based solution for effectively addressing societal challenges related to urbanization. Competition for land between agricultural and urban land use is addressed mostly by regulatory command-and-control planning approaches. However, there is growing interest in the use of market-based instruments. Agricultural subsidies and legal protection against agricultural land conversion are primarily oriented towards rural areas, so the research regarding market-based instruments for agricultural land uses in cities is undeveloped. In Polish cities, urban agricultural areas comprise about 43.5 % of total urban area, and 7.8 % of individual farms in Poland are urban farms. The specific attitude towards ownership of land in Poland (a strong private-property ideology) influences (restricts) the implementation of market-based instruments. The article aims to present the potential for market-based instruments for urban agriculture and to identify barriers to the implementation of such solutions. The paper analyzes theoretical frameworks and practices for protecting agricultural land use through market-based instruments in Poland. We focus on two types of market-based instruments for ecosystem services of urban agriculture. The first encompasses the existing tools in Polish law and policy. We identified the following market-based instruments protecting urban agriculture: (1) charges and annual fees for excluding land from agricultural production, aimed at preventing agricultural land conversion in cities; and (2) land leasing charge of allotment gardens. We assess those instruments, their strengths and weaknesses and their effectiveness in protecting agricultural land use in cities. The second type are market-based instruments supporting urban agriculture cities that have potential for future implementation, We consider voluntary land readjustment and development agreement (currently very limited) to be the most promising and implementable. In this regard, we formulate de lege ferenda conclusions and recommendations.

Prerequisites for the formation of the concept of the rule of law in civil proceedings: historical and legal context

The article considers the historical preconditions for the formation and development of the concept of the rule of law in civil proceedings. It is determined that the implementation of civil procedural activities is due to the special importance of the right to a fair trial as an eternal value of any legal and democratic state. However, civil litigation as a system of consideration and resolution of legal disputes in its continuous development has gone from the oldest procedures of protection of law, repeated attempts to regulate certain rules of litigation to large-scale codifications of legislation, which determined at different stages and in different countries process and its main elements. Thus, reforms in the field of civil justice have always been associated with the search for and approval of new fundamental ideas, paradigms for the administration of justice in cases.
 This study considered the formation of forms of consideration and resolution of civil cases during the Kyiv Rus, during the stay of Ukrainian lands in Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the Hetmanate, the period of Russian autocracy and legislation in the Left Bank Ukraine, the influence of Austrian law in Western Ukraine. Soviet period, as well as the current stage of development of justice in civil are also discovered. Normative legal acts are analysed, in particular, Rus Pravda, Statutes of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Decisive Points, "Rights of the Little Russian People", "Summary of Trials or Litigation", "On Forms of Court", Statute of Civil Procedure of 1864 , Austrian Civil Procedure Code of 1895; CPC of the USSR in 1924, CPC of the USSR in 1929 and 1963.
 Specific attention is paid to the Concept of Improving the Judiciary to Establish a Fair Court in Ukraine in Accordance with European Standards in 2006 and the Strategy for the Development of the Justice and Constitutional Judiciary for 2021-2023, which sets priorities for improving the judiciary, as well as the implementation of urgent measures to ensure positive changes in the functioning of relevant legal institutions.
 The list of measures that need to be taken to eliminate defects and thus increase the efficiency of civil proceedings is identified. In particular, the real guarantee of the rule of law, and ultimately, the fairness of the trial and resolution of civil cases.

AN ASSESSMENT OF THE SET-ASIDE AND FALLOW LAND SCALE IN POLAND

Changes in land management methods constantly occur, caused by natural, economic, social and demographic conditions. This paper aims to determine changes in set-asides and fallow land in Poland, in the years 1990-2020, and determine the spatial diversity of this phenomenon. The study was based on available statistical data for the studied period. The study shows that, before 2004, the share of fallow land was much more significant. After Poland acceded to the European Union, land left without cultivation decreased considerably with a simultaneous increase in the area of land used for agriculture. The results show that the share and number of hectares of fallow area decreased. The provinces of Kujawsko-Pomorskie, Opole and Wielkopolskie were characterized by the lowest percentage of fallow land in the agricultural area of the province. In contrast, the provinces of Podkarpackie, Lubuskie, Świętokrzyskie, Małopolskie, Śląskie and Warmińsko-Mazurskie had the highest percentage of fallow land.

Potential Areas in Poland for Forestry Plantation

Plantations have many advantages when compared to natural or semi-natural forests, such as shortening production cycles, the production of wood with specific characteristics, and near-market production concentrations. The intensive development of this form of industrial wood production is practiced all over the world. The wood industry in Poland struggles in recent years, with a large shortage of wood. The deficit of wood has been accumulated for several years and is steadily increasing. One of the possibilities to change this trend can be development of fast-growing trees plantations. The main aim of this study was to determine the potential of land in Poland, which could be used for the cultivation of fast-growing trees plantations. The analyses took into account the area and marginal agricultural land. The potential plantation land areas were determined for poplar cultivar “Hybrid 275” and European larch (Larix decidua Mill.). The results show a possibility to generate a considerable area that can be developed into plantations of fast-growing trees in Poland. According to the analyses carried out for the purpose of this study, with only 5% use of the sown area and 5% use of forest lands, as well as the boscage (wooded land and bushy land), it is possible to obtain approximately 0.6 MM ha of land for fast-growing tree plantations. In the case of planting 50% of these lands with larch and 50% with poplar, and if a 50% capacity of the plantation is assumed, it will be possible to obtain nearly 6 MM m3 of wood per year.

Do New-Generation Recycled Phosphorus Fertilizers Increase the Content of Potentially Toxic Elements in Soil and Plants?

Phosphorus (P)-rich secondary raw materials can provide a valuable base for modern mineral fertilizers, provided that the new formulations do not load the soil–plant system with potentially toxic elements. Fertilizers from sewage sludge ash (SSA) and/or animal bones, activated by phosphorus-solubilizing bacteria (Bacillus megaterium or Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans), were tested in field experiments in north-eastern Poland. The reference provided treatments with superphosphate and treatment without phosphorus fertilization. In one experiment, all P-fertilizers were applied at a P dose of 21 kg·ha−1, and in the other three experiments, three P doses were adopted: 17.6, 26.4, and 35.2 kg·ha−1. The effect of recycled fertilizers on the content of arsenic (As), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn) in the soil, in wheat grain and straw (test plant), weeds, and post-harvest residues was investigated. The application of recycled fertilizers in P amounts up to 35.2 kg·ha−1 did not change the As, Cr, Ni, Cu, or Zn contents in the soil and plant biomass. The contents of these elements in soil were below the permissible levels for arable land in Poland. Their concentrations in wheat grain and straw did not exceed the permissible or suggested limits for plant material to be used for food and feed, while in the weed and post-harvest residue biomass, they usually fell within the biological plant variability ranges.

Evaluation of Changes in Exclusion of Arable Land from Agricultural Production in Poland in the Context of Guidelines of the Strategy for Responsible Development

Purpose: The identification of changes in the exclusion of arable land from agricultural production in Poland and the demonstration of trends in the presence of the Strategy of Responsible Development (Polish acronym: SOR). Design/Methodology/Approach: An analysis, parallel to a literature review, was conducted using the local databanks of Statistics Poland (GUS) concerning the exclusion of arable land in Poland, broken down into provinces (voivodeships). The research involved the use of an index of changes with the variable base. A forecast until 2030 was also elaborated, based on the logistic function. Findings: The research results have shown that excluding arable land from agricultural production was not altered under the influence of the Strategy for Responsible Development (SOR). The research covering the period before the SOR (2010-2015) was developed and, while it was operational, did not indicate a change in tendencies. The largest share of exclusions was made for residential purposes, and the 2030 perspective envisages a further growth of this share. Practical Implications: An objective of the SOR was to limit the expansion onto undeveloped areas by giving the preference to renewed use of land and thus putting the brakes on the uncontrolled urban sprawl. However, the latter tendency accelerates rather than slows down at the expense of arable land around urban centers. Originality/Value: Because of the specific properties of land (it does not increase in size and is immovable) and because of the rise in the dynamics of exclusions of arable land from agricultural use, there is a need for constant research and elaboration of the theoretical background for rational management of agricultural real estate properties by the principles of sustainable development.

‘Abandoned’ things: Looting German property in post-war Poland

ABSTRACT In the twilight of and right after World War II millions of Germans were expelled from areas initially called the Recovered Territories, and later – the Western and Northern Lands in Poland. This article focuses on the property left behind by Germans. It investigates the experiences of the Poles who directly and actively took part in the practices of appropriation of German objects. The analysis is based on memoirs submitted to the contest for diaries by settlers in the Recovered Territories that was organised by the Western Institute in Poznań in December 1956. Through the analysis of the testimonies, this paper aims to explore the constellation of meanings attributed to taking over of German property by actors who directly participated in those practices, and the meanings according to which looting functioned in daily experience after the war. It argues that the internal resistance against loot is weaker than against ordinary theft because the objects are taken out of the context of the social relations in which they functioned.

Screening of Functional Compounds in Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Extracts from Perennial Herbaceous Crops

The bio-based economy concept requires using biomass not only for energy production but also for bioactive compound extraction, application or biotransformation. This study analyzed the possibility of obtaining bioactive compounds from biomass before its transformation into biofuel. This involved an analysis of the total content of polyphenols (TPC), flavonoids (TFC), and spectral analysis using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (QATR- FTIR) as well as analysis of the antioxidant activity of extracts from selected perennial herbaceous crops cultivated on marginal lands in Poland. The extracts were obtained by supercritical carbon dioxide extraction (scCO2) or scCO2 with water as a cosolvent (scCO2/H2O) from biomass of the following plants: Helianthus salicifolius, Silphium perfoliatum, Helianthus tuberosus, Miscanthus × giganteus, Miscanthus sacchariflorus, Miscanthus sinensis and Spartina pectinata. The biomass was harvested twice during the growing period (June and October) and once after the end of the growing period (February). For most of the analyzed extracts obtained from biomass at the growing stage using scCO2 or scCO2/H2O, a higher TPC was noted than for samples of semi-wood or straw biomass obtained after the end of the growing period. Higher contents of polyphenolic compounds were recorded in extracts obtained using scCO2/H2O. A positive correlation between TPC and antioxidant activity was noted for the analyzed substrates. Flavonoid contents varied in the analyzed samples, and higher contents were generally obtained in scCO2 extracts from biomass harvested at the beginning of the growing period. A high diversity of extract compositions was confirmed by spectral analysis. The presented data can be used at the initial stage of planning a biorefinery.

Seasonal Net Shortwave Radiation of Bare Arable Land in Poland and Israel According to Roughness and Atmospheric Irradiance

Tillage of arable fields, using for instance a smoothing harrow, may increase the magnitude of albedo of such soil surfaces depending on the location, the sun’s illumination and atmospheric components. As these soil surfaces absorb less shortwave radiation compared to plowed soils, the result is an atmospheric cooling and a positive effect on the Earth’s climate. This paper is the follow-on of a previous study aimed at quantifying the seasonal dynamics of net shortwave radiation reflected by bare air-dried arable land areas located in contrasting environments, i.e. Poland and Israel. Soil tillage includes a plow, a disk harrow, and a smoothing harrow. Previous work concentrated on the estimate of net shortwave radiation under clear-sky theoretical scenarios, whereas the present study deals with a realistic atmosphere throughout the year 2014. This latter is characterized by the observations of the Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infrared Imager (SEVIRI) instrument on board the Meteosat Second Generation (MSG). The variations of the net shortwave radiation for the selected bare arable land areas were assessed in combining observations from Landsat 8 images and digital maps of land use and soil, plus model equations that calculate the diurnal variations of the broadband blue-sky albedo with roughness inclusive. The daily amount of net shortwave radiation for air-dried bare arable land in Poland and Israel for the time their spatial coverage is the largest was found to be about 40–50% and 10% lower, respectively, in cloudy-sky conditions compared to clear-sky conditions.

Building a Spatial Information System to Support the Development of Agriculture in Poland and Ukraine

The space of rural areas is subject to constant changes in terms of structure and development. The area structure of rural areas, especially in the south and east of Poland, remains unsatisfactory. The weakness of Polish agriculture is the fragmentation of the area structure of its farms; this was due to historical, natural, economic and social factors and, to a large extent, tradition. Therefore, the current status of agricultural land in Poland requires carrying out many arrangement and agricultural operations. In Ukraine, there is also no coherent IT system that would allow for the efficient management of rural space and agriculture. In order to conduct a coherent rural development policy in the region, the self-governments in Poland and in Ukraine are facing the need to expand the existing spatial information infrastructure system. This study is a proposal to expand the spatial information system with elements related only to agricultural surveying. To this end, the concept of building the Agricultural Geodesy Module was created as an element of the region’s spatial information system. The Agricultural Land Surveying Module will be an information repository and will enable powering the region’s database. Data supplying the repository will be divided into source data, operational data, metadata and final studies, such as analyses or reports. These data will not only be used by the local government of the region, but will also be made available to external users.

Deportation of Ukrainians from Ethnic Areas in Poland and Contemplation of the International Community in 1944-1946

In the article, the author attempts to consider the nature of contemplation of the international community on the deportation of Ukrainians from ethnic lands in Poland during 1944-1946. The author implements this task through archival documentation, which to some extent justifies extensive quotations. Today, the subject of post-war resettlement for Ukrainians and Poles is ambiguous, both in interpretation and in the politics of memory. The deportation of Ukrainians of the borderlands is a conflict of the historical memory of both peoples: Ukrainians want to remember the history which Poles prefer to forget. We learn about the terrible conditions of social adaptation of Polish deportees in the USSR from the epistolary of deportees, which they had been sending abroad in hope that relatives would read the letters. However, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the USSR had been intercepting those letters. In this sense, a conscious part of the local intelligentsia of the region was aware of the passive position of international politicians and the public on the unjustified eviction of autochthonous Ukrainians, but sincerely sought and expected its help. The analysis of The Open Letter of Ukrainians living behind the Curzon line entitled “To the whole civilized world” written in October 1945 convincingly evidences it. Losing hope of voluntary eviction, this letter was a kind of mouthpiece of Ukrainians in the region to the international community, hoping to be heard and supported. The author concludes that the international community did not live up to the hopes and expectations of Ukrainians who found themselves in a “war after war” and gradually lost their native lands, where they were indigenous.
 The deportation of 1944-1946, the local population from Lemkovschina, became a tragic ethno-political experiment of the USSR and Poland, which Lemkos had to survive in modern times.

Assessment of Pesticide Residue Content in Polish Agricultural Soils.

Pesticides belong to a group of xenobiotics harmful to humans and wildlife, whose fate and activity depends on their susceptibility to degradation. Therefore, the monitoring of their residue level in agricultural soils is very important because it provides very valuable information on the actual level of soil contamination and environmental risk resulting from their application. The aim of this study was to evaluate contemporary concentrations of organochlorine (OCPs) and non-chlorinated pesticides (NCPs) in arable soils of Poland as an example of Central and Eastern European countries. The results were assessed in relation to Polish regulations, which are more restrictive compared to those of other European countries. The sampling area covered the territory of arable lands in Poland (216 sampling points). The distribution of sampling points aimed to reflect different geographical districts, conditions of agricultural production, and various soil properties. The collected soil samples were extracted with organic solvents in an accelerated solvent extractor (ASE 2000). The OCPs, including α-HCH, β-HCH, γ-HCH, and p,p’DDT, p,p’DDE, and p,p’DDD, were extracted with a hexane/acetone mixture (70:30 v/v) and determined by gas chromatography with an electron capture detector (GC-μECD). NCPs included atrazine, carbaryl, and carbofuran were extracted with a dichloromethane/acetone mixture (50:50 v/v), while maneb was extracted by intensive shaking the sample with acetone (1:1 v/v) and ethylenediamine-tertraacetic acid. The NCPs were identified by a dual mass- spectrometry (GC-MS/MS). The total content of individual OCPs ranged from 0.61 to 1031.64 µg kg−1, while the NCP concentrations were significantly lower, from 0.01 to 43.92 µg kg−1. DDTs were detected in all soils samples (p,p’DDD (23.60 µg kg−1) > p,p’DDT (18.23 µg kg−1) > p,p’DDE (4.06 µg kg−1), while HCHs were only in 4% of the analyzed samples (β-HCH (339.55 µg kg−1) > α-HCH (96.96 µg kg−1) > γ-HCH (3.04 µg kg−1)), but in higher values than DDTs. Among NCPs, higher concentration was observed for carbaryl (<0.01–28.07 µg kg−1) and atrazine (<0.01–15.85 µg kg−1), while the lower for carbofuran (<0.01–0.54 µg kg−1). Maneb was not detected in analyzed soils. Assessment of the level of soil pollution based on Polish regulations indicated that several percentages of the samples exceeded the criterion for OCPs, such as ∑3DDTs (14 samples; 6.5% of soils) and HCH congeners (α-HCH in one sample; 0.5% of soils), while NCP concentration, such as for atrazine, carbaryl and carbofuran were below the permissible levels or were not detected in the analyzed soils, e.g., maneb. The obtained results indicated that residues of the analyzed pesticides originate from historical agricultural deposition and potentially do not pose a direct threat to human and animal health. The behavior and persistence of pesticides in the soils depend on their properties. Significantly lower NCP concentration in the soils resulted from their lower hydrophobicity and higher susceptibility to leaching into the soil profile. OCPs are characterized by a high half-life time, which affect their significantly higher persistence in soils resulting from affinity to the soil organic phase.

Belarusian national democratic and polonophilic organizations in interwar Poland

The author of the article identifies three trends of the Belarusian national movement in the Western Belarusian lands in Poland during the interwar period: the radical left-wing, the national-democratic, and the polonophilic. The activities of the Belarusian radical left-wing in Western Belarus have been studied in detail in the Soviet historiography. There are still many gaps in the activities of Belarusian national-democratic and polonophilic political structures. Belarusian national democratic organizations in interwar Poland (The Belarusian Christian democracy, The Belarusian Peasant Union, V. Hadleuski’s group “The Belarusian front”, The Orthodox Belarusian democratic association, etc.) used in their activities legal forms of fight for the national rights of Belarusians, sought to unite Belarusian lands and to create an independent Belarusian state following the example of European republics. The polonophiles in the Belarusian movement (The Regional Union, The Temporary Belarusian Rada, The Belarusian Radical People’s Party, the Luckievich-Astrouski group, etc.) adhered to the idea of cooperation with the institutions of the Polish authorities in order to achieve national and cultural concessions for the Belarusian people. The Polonophiles did not enjoy wide support among the population and existed due to the financial help of the Polish authorities.

Methodology of Determination of the Range of Restrictions Related to the Existence of Transmission Devices on Private Land—Case Study of Poland

Transmission devices constitute a fundamental need. Moreover, the facilities introduce numerous restrictions on land, beginning with their actual permanent physical existence, through bans on construction and planting trees, to the possibility that the land is used by transmission companies (easement). In Poland, no legal provisions or coherent and uniform rules at the national level currently exist that would determine the range of execution of the easement right. This is confirmed by research performed by the authors. The first analysis covered legal acts as well as norms and technical guidelines for particular types of transmission infrastructure. The second study analysed was a survey conducted on a group of transmission companies representing different industries. The third study (supplementing the previous ones) concerned the analysis of two case studies in the scope of the discussed issue. The objective of this article was to develop a methodology for the determination of the scope of the easement right resulting from the existence of transmission devices on private land in Poland. The developed concept showed that the range should depend in particular on the type of land use in question. The model procedure proposed by the authors was developed in reference to environmental, social, and economic aspects, in accordance with the assumptions of sustainable land management.

Changes in the Use of Agricultural Land in Poland and Czech Republic

Changes in the Use of Agricultural Land in Poland and Czech Republic

New Miscanthus hybrids cultivated at a Polish metal-contaminated site demonstrate high stomatal regulation and reduced shoot Pb and Cd concentrations

The increased bioeconomy targets for the biomass share of renewable energy production across Europe should be met using land unsuitable for food production. Miscanthus breeding programs targeted the production of plants with a diverse range of traits allowing a wider utilization of land resources for biofuel production without competing with arable crops. These traits include increasing tolerances to drought, chilling, and to metal(loid)s excess. Two novel Miscanthus hybrids, GNT41 and GNT34, were compared against Miscanthus x giganteus (Mxg) on metal-contaminated arable land in Poland. This study aimed at evaluating their yield, biomass quality and quantifying seasonal differences in photosynthetic and transpiration parameters. A secondary objective was to identify key physiological mechanisms underlying differences in metal accumulation between the investigated plants. The new hybrids produced a similar yield to Mxg (13–15 t ha−1 yr−1), had shorter shoots, higher Leaf Area Index and stem number. Based on gas exchange measurements, GNT34 exhibited isohydric (water-conserving) behavior. The stomatal response to light of the new hybrids was at least twice as fast as that of Mxg, a trait that is often associated with increased seasonal water use efficiency. This contributed to the almost 40% reduction in shoot Pb and Cd concentrations for the new hybrids as compared to Mxg. This suggested that promoting stomatal regulation in conjunction with improved water conservation may be a target for improving plants for wider use on metals contaminated land.