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To address the growing demand for sugar, sugar beet production must be increased. However, conventional chemical fertilizers, essential for root growth and yield quality, are environmentally harmful due to factors like greenhouse gas emissions and organic pollution. To address this issue, we need to consider eco-friendly organic alternatives, such as FRASS, which is the residue from mealworm larval excrement. FRASS is rich in essential nutrients (ESN), including nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). In our study, we aim to explore the potential of FRASS as an environmentally innovative fertilizer for sugar beet production, given the increasing popularity of mealworm farming. In a field experiment, we compared the efficacy of pre-sowing fertilization on two sugar beet varieties using three different models of two fertilizer concentrations (N:P:K 80:60:40 & N:P:K 40:30:20 ): pure mealworm FRASS, a combination of FRASS and mineral fertilizer, and pure mineral fertilizer (NPK). Our goal was to maintain the same level of ESN between NPK fertilizers and FRASS.

Sugar beet yields are negatively affected by the economically significant Beet yellows virus (BYV). For the past 30 years, effective control of BYV relied on neonicotinoid insecticides. However, the European Union's ban on outdoor use of these insecticides since 2018, driven by concerns over biodiversity and human health, led to widespread losses in the sugar beet industry due to BYV outbreaks. The main vectors of this virus are the green peach aphid (Myzus persicae) and the black bean aphid (Aphis fabae). Understanding the virusvector relationship is crucial for developing new control methods. To address this, our study investigates viral transmission efficiency in sugar beet plants based on aphid density, species, and morphs (winged/apterous) in laboratory, greenhouse, and field conditions.

Continuous advancements in plant breeding and the development of new hybrid varieties are occurring alongside the challenges posed by climate change. Consequently, there is an ongoing need to reassess agricultural practices. Fertilisation, particularly with nitrogen, plays an important part in plant production. Nitrogen is a critical element required in significant quantities for optimal crop growth, influencing the yield of various crops. However, it's important to acknowledge that nitrogen is a dynamic element, and substantial nitrogen reserves cannot be retained within the soil. Given the distinct requirements of sugar beet cultivation, where nitrogen not only impacts root yield but also profoundly influences root quality, it becomes important to improve fertilisation management. Therefore in our study we focused on assessing the effects of five different nitrogen fertiliser levels (40, 80, 120, 160, and 200 kg N/ha) on root yield and quality of two commercial sugar beet hybrids.

Sugar beet is the second most important source for the sugar industry, particularly important in temperate climate zones of Central, West, and East Europe. However, its production has declined recently due to various factors of which the most important are subsidy cuts and the spread of various plant diseases. In the Pannonian Plain (Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Serbia), a disease called rubbery taproot disease (RTD) has been observed for along time. The variability in RTD symptoms and the extent of damage it causes have made its detection quite challenging, often leading to misdiagnoses as other diseases. However, the identification of Candidatus Phytoplasma solani as the cause of RTD has resolved the issue of its diagnosis. The latest outbreak in Serbia has had a significant economic impact on sugar beet production, prompting an urgent response to aid the industry and growers. In our study, conducted during the 2022 and 2023 seasons, we assessed the susceptibility/tolerance of thirty registered sugar beet hybrids in Serbia, evaluating their impact on root yield and quality in naturally infected experimental fields.

The economically significant Beet yellows virus (BYV) negatively affects sugar beet yields. For the past 30 years, effective control of BYV relied on neonicotinoid insecticides. However, the European Union's ban on outdoor use of these insecticides since 2018, driven by concerns over biodiversity and human health, led to widespread losses in the sugar beet industry due to BYV outbreaks. The main vectors of this virus are the green peach aphid (Myzus persicae) and the black bean aphid (Aphis fabae). Understanding the virus-vector relationship is crucial for developing new control methods. To address this, our study investigates viral transmission efficiency in sugar beet plants based on aphid density, species, and morphs (winged/apterous) in laboratory, greenhouse, and field conditions. Laboratory experiments were based on the virus transmission from an infected plant to a vector and from a vector to a healthy plant, while greenhouse experiments observed viral transmission changes when both vector species coexisted on the same infected plants simultaneously (i.e. by analogy to the same patch in the fields). Field experiments examined whether the first flying aphids that arrived in the fields after seed germination were viruliferous. In the laboratory experiment, it was shown that the best vector of BYV at low density was the winged M. persicae with a 25% of transmission probability with only three aphids present. In the greenhouse experiment, a significantly higher transmission probability was observed when both vector species were present at the same time at the same patch. Collecting this data provides valuable insights into how aphid species, density, and morphs affect the transmission of the virus, setting a solid foundation for future studies and the discovery of new pest control methods, Le virus de la jaunisse grave de la betterave (BYV) a une importance économique car il affecte négativement les rendements de la betterave sucrière. Au cours des 30 dernières années, la lutte efficace contre le BYV a reposé sur les insecticides néonicotinoïdes. Cependant, l'interdiction par l'Union européenne de l'utilisation de ces insecticides à l'extérieur depuis 2018, motivée par des préoccupations relatives à la biodiversité et à la santé humaine, a entraîné des pertes généralisées dans l'industrie de la betterave sucrière en raison des épidémies de BYV. Les principaux vecteurs de ce virus sont le puceron vert du pêcher (Myzus persicae) et le puceron noir de la fève (Aphis fabae). La compréhension de la relation virus-vecteur est cruciale pour le développement de nouvelles méthodes de contrôle. Pour répondre à cette question, notre étude examine l'efficacité de la transmission virale dans les plants de betterave sucrière en fonction de la densité des pucerons, des espèces et des morphes (ailé/aptère) en laboratoire, sous serre et sur le terrain. Les expériences en laboratoire sont basées sur la transmission du virus d'une plante infectée à une plante saine via un vecteur, tandis que les expériences en serre ont permis d‟observer les changements de transmission virale lorsque les deux espèces de vecteurs étaient présentes simultanément sur les mêmes plantes infectées (par analogie au champ, dans le même groupe de plantes). Les expériences sur le terrain ont examiné si les premiers pucerons volants arrivés dans le champ, après la germination des graines, étaient virulifères. L'expérience en laboratoire a montré que le meilleur vecteur du BYV à faible densité était le puceron ailé de l‟espèce M. persicae, avec une probabilité de transmission de 25 % en présence seulement de trois individus. Dans l'expérience en serre, une probabilité de transmission significativement plus élevée a été observée lorsque les deux espèces de vecteurs étaient présentes en même temps da

Traditionally, mold control usually involves usage of highly toxic compounds, and this practice must be replaced with more environmentally friendly solutions (green chemistry). In this paper, antifungal activity of five newly synthesized ionic liquids (IL) was tested, in vitro. All ionic liquids are based on N-decyl- N, N, N-trimethylammonium chloride which differs only by a single substituent on a quaternary N- atom. The antifungal activity of IL was tested on Fusarium, Aspergillus, Alternaria, Trichoderma and Penicillium strains using the microdilution method by determining the minimal inhibitory and minimal fungicidal concentrations. Selected genera are major problem in food industry since they are the primary pathogens of agronomically important plants, as well as mycotoxin producers. All five IL used in this study showed antifungal effect in the range of 0.002 mol/dm3 to 0.036 mol/dm3. The greatest antifungal activity was observed when strains were treated with (C2OH)C10DMACI and (C2OOEt)C10DMACI IL. Results obtained in this study showed that all examined ILs have the potential to be used as effective antifungal agents.

Drip irrigation is gaining importance in mitigating the consequences of water scarcity even in regions with abundant rainfall. The transition from surface to subsurface drip irrigation is accompanied by numerous problems. To overcome these issues, shallow subsurface drip irrigation can be potentially used as an effective drought control tool that brings additional benefits compared to conventional surface drip irrigation techniques. This research investigated the effects of different calculations of daily crop water requirements, reference evapotranspiration (ETo), and pan evaporation (Eo) on the yield and water use efficiency of pepper irrigated with a surface and shallow subsurface drip irrigation system. The experiment was conducted in field conditions in the Vojvodina region, the northern part of Serbia. The irrigation scheduling was based on the water balance approach. The calculated evapotranspiration rate was about 400 mm for the pepper growing period, regardless of the calculation method. The highest yield of pepper and evapotranspiration water use efficiency was obtained on the Eo variant with surface drip irrigation. However, irrigation water use efficiency showed no statistical significance concerning the calculation of evapotranspiration and irrigation type. The results indicated that both calculation methods and irrigation types can be used in pepper production, but priority should be given to pan-evaporation-based calculation.