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Dredged sediment contaminated with heavy metals can be remediated through phytoremediation. The main challenge in phytoremediation is the limited availability of heavy metals for plant uptake, particularly in multi-contaminated soil or sediment. This study aimed to assess the effect of the nitrogen fertilizers ammonium nitrate (AN), ammonium sulfate (AS), and urea (UR)), organic acids (oxalic (OA) and malic (MA) acids), and their combined addition to sediment on enhancing the bioavailability and phytoremediation efficiency of heavy metals. The sediment dredged from Begej Canal (Serbia) had high levels of Cr, Cd, Cu, and Pb and was used in pot experiments to cultivate energy crop rapeseed Brassica napus), which is known for its tolerance to heavy metals. The highest accumulation and translocation of Cu, Cd, and Pb were observed in the treatment with AN at a dose of 150 mg N/kg (AN150), in which shoot biomass was also the highest. The application of OA and MA increased heavy metal uptake but resulted in the lowest biomass production. A combination of MA with N fertilizers showed high uptake and accumulation of Cr and Cu.

Knowledge of long-term phosphorus behavior is essential to improve soil structure, nutrient supply potential, and the sustainability of cropping systems. A 45-year long-term experimental trial was used to observe organic phosphorus fractionation and its effects on soil aggregation and nutrient distribution at three depths (0–20, 20–40, and 40–60 cm) in Vojvodina Province, Serbia, under maize monoculture and maize/barley rotation. Five fertilizing systems were studied, including Control, NPK, NPK + maize remains, NPK + manure, and NPK + manure in rotation. Soil aggregates were fractionated into four size categories (>2000, 2000–250, 250–53, and <53 µm) using a wet sieving method. The samples were analyzed for main indicators, including different forms of phosphorus, total and available (PT and PA), as well as its organic forms (Labile Po, Biomass Po, Mod. Labile Po, Fulvic acid Po, Humic acid Po, and Resistant Po), and other fertility parameters. Significant differences in total and available phosphorus as well as all observed organic phosphorus fractions were evident between treatments with and without organic amendments, particularly in the 0–20 and 20–40 cm soil layers. Moderately labile P forms were dominant across all treatments, while labile forms constituted a smaller proportion. The most notable differences between treatments were observed in the labile and moderately labile forms, as well as in the resistant form of organic phosphorus. Manure application led to increased nutrient content in macroaggregates (>250 µm) compared to microaggregates. Microaggregates (<250 µm) were predominant across all depths, while stable structural aggregates did not show a significant increase after manure application. PCA highlighted significant correlations between soil characteristics, including total and available P, total organic carbon, clay content, and enzyme activity, across different aggregate sizes and organic P fractions. Overall, long-term mineral fertilization co

The presence of microplastic particles in agroecosystems has profound implications for soil quality, crop yield, and soil biota. Earthworms are widely recognized as valuable soil bioindicators due to their abundance, fast reproduction, and easy manipulation. The aim of this study was to observe Eisenia fetida avoidance behavior and changes in biomass and mortality rate in soil samples spiked with polyethylene microplastic particles. Three types of soil sampled from the agricultural fields (“Banat 1”, “Banat 2”, and “Bačka”) were tested, as well as three microplastic concentrations (0.1, 0.2, and 0.3%). The calculated avoidance percentages ranged from 18.67% for “Banat 1” and 23.70% for “Banat 2” to 27.40% in the case of “Bačka” soil samples. Generally, E. fetida specimens avoided the sections with plastic in all bioassays: 38.42% of the earthworms were in the chamber section that contained microplastics, as opposed to 61.58% in the control section. The changes in the earthworms’ post-test biomasses were directly proportional to the number of surviving earthworms, with the highest loss in “Bačka” soil samples with 0.3% MPs (−53.05%). The highest mortality rate (46%) was noted in “Bačka” soil samples spiked with the highest concentration of microplastic particles.

The aim of this study was to test the quality (physicochemical and sensory odor properties) and bioactivity (antimicrobial and antioxidant activities) of the essential oils (EO) obtained from the most frequently cultivated lavender and lavandin varieties in Serbia, whose cultivation areas were previously reserved for warmer climates, outside the agroecological region of Serbia. Seven EO from true lavenders (L. angustifolia Mill. and cultivars: ‘Hidcote blue’, ‘Munstead’, ‘Primorska’), Croatian indigenous lavandin cultivar (L. × intermedia ‘Budrovka’), lavandin ‘Grosso’ and one undetermined lavender sample (Lavandula sp.) showed compliance with standard requirements for lavender EO composition (contents of linalool 23.9–30.2% and 28.9–36.9%, and of linalyl acetate 22.2–32.2% and 6.9–20.7% in true lavender and lavandin samples, respectively). All EO were characterized as pleasant, with a floral aroma as a prominent odor. Samples exhibited high antimicrobial activities (3.5–14.2 µL mL−1 MIC and MBC values) against important Gram-positive (B. cereus and L. monocytogenes) and Gram-negative bacteria (E. coli) and yeasts (C. albicans), and high antioxidant capacity (IC50 values of 0.23–0.59 µg AAE mL−1 EO). This preliminary research on the quality of lavender EOs reveals the potential of this species for the future of medicinal and aromatic plant species production and further diversification of agriculture in the area.

The overall objective of the H2020 Phy2Climate project is to build the bridge between the phytoremediation of contaminated sites with the production of clean drop-in-biofuels.

Institut za ratarstvo i povrtarstvo, institut od nacionalnog značaja za Republiku Srbiju, je deo konzorcijuma od 25 partnera iz 13 evropskih zemalja koji angažuje relevantne aktere u poljoprivredi u širenju i eksploataciji rezultata projekta i podsticanju međunarodne saradnje. Kroz angažovanje poljoprivredne zajednice, industrijskih aktera i akademske zajednice u tzv. studijama slučaja omogućena je razmena najboljih praksi, zajednički razvoj poslovnih planova, kao i podsticanje i kreiranje ideja i okruženja koje će doneti dobrobit svima. U tom kontekstu, projekat MIDAS (Upotreba marginalnih zemljišta za održivo gajenje industrijskog bilja i razvoj inovativnih bio proizvoda, Utilization of marginal lands for growing sustainable industrial crops and developing innovative bio-based products, broj 101082070), koji je finansiran iz okvirnog programa Horizont Evropa, realizuje aktivnosti za ostvarenje specifičnih ciljeva.

Halomorphic (or saline) soils, are characterized by high concentrations of soluble salts or sodium, or both. Saline soils have unfavorable agricultural properties but provide the natural habitats for a variety of highly specialized plants, animals, and other organisms. It is these special interactions that create the typical landscape of saline soils, known as “slatina”. The aim of this study is to assess and evaluate the geotouristic potential of six of the most attractive slatina sites in the Vojvodina region, Northern Serbia: Jegrička, Slano Kopovo, Rusanda, Okanj, Pečena slatina, and Pašnjaci Velike Droplje. Overall, all analyzed sites have significant tourism potential, based on both natural and tourist values. In addition to the tourism potentials, analyzed sites have high value as a natural endemic ecosystem inhabited with highly specialized plants and birds.

The genus Brassica is recognized for including species with phytoaccumulation potential and a large amount of research has been carried out in this area under a variety of conditions, from laboratory experiments to field trials, with spiked or naturally contaminated soils, using one or multi-element contaminated soil, generating various and sometimes contradictory results with limited practical applications. To date, the actual field potential of Brassica species and the feasibility of a complete phytoextraction process have not been fully evaluated. Therefore, the aim of this study was to summarize the results of the experiments that have been performed with a view to analyzing real potentials and limitations. The reduced biomass and low metal mobility in the soil have been addressed by the development of chemically or biologically assisted phytoremediation technologies, the use of soil amendments, and the application of crop management strategies. Certain issues, such as the fate of harvested biomass or the performance of species in multi-metal-contaminated soils, remain to be solved by future research. Potential improvements to current experimental settings include testing species grown to full maturity, using a greater amount of soil in experiments, conducting more trials under real field conditions, developing improved crop management systems, and optimizing solutions for harvested biomass disposal.

The overall objective of the H2020 Phy2Climate project is to build the bridge between the phytoremediation of contaminated sites with the production of clean drop-in biofuels. As the project aims for the production of high-quality drop-in biofuels like marine fuels (ISO 8217), gasoline (EN 228) and diesel (EN 590), a biorefinery concept is employed with the thermo-catalytic process (TCR®) at its centre. The produced biofuels will present no Land Use Change risks, thus, the phytoremediation will decontaminate lands from a vast variety of pollutants and make the restored lands available for agriculture, while improving the overall sustainability, legal framework, and economics of the process. In this way, Phy2Climate aims at significantly contributing to the Mission Innovation Challenge for sustainable biofuel production and to almost all UN Sustainable Development Goals, as well as to the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, that is part of the European Green Deal, and to the new EU Soil Strategy for 2030 adopted in 2021. On the one hand, it is unquestionable that there is a growing demand for land, which increases tensions among the different groups of users. Land is a finite resource, and the main competitors are Feed, Food & Fuel. From the available worldwide arable land, about 71% is dedicated to animal feed, about 18% to food and only about 4% to biofuels (another 7% is for material use of crops). The multiple uttered food vs fuel debate is, actually, a food vs feed debate. However, the increasing demand for biofuels and biobased products also contributes to this tension, but in a much smaller dimension. The increasing land demand for energy crops leads to direct and indirect Land Use Change (iLUC), causing deforestation, soil erosion, loss of biodiversity and vital water resources. On the other hand, there is a significant area of land which is contaminated and, therefore, unusable for any purpose. Even worse, the investigation, registration as “contaminated site

In urban areas, forest patches and parks are usually the places where people spend most of their time outdoors. Because of poor environmental protection policy and insufficient investment in industry and energy, Serbia is often ranked among the European countries with the greatest environmental pollution. In recent years, ecological protests have been organized throughout the country with the aim of raising ecological awareness and resolving environmental issues. The topic has become particularly popular since the plans for opening new mining areas in western Serbia came to the fore. This study was conducted with the aim to investigate radioactivity levels and metals content in soil and foliage of the most popular parks in Belgrade, the capital and largest city of Serbia. Based on a GIS (geographic information system) approach, the spatial distribution maps of radionuclides (226Ra, 232Th, 40K, 7Be, and 137Cs) and metals (As, Cd, Cr, Co, Cu, Na, Ni, Pb, Zn, K, Ca, Mg, and Mn) were made. Ambient dose-equivalent rate in air was also measured. The annual effective doses and excess lifetime cancer risk from radionuclides were calculated. Health effects of exposure to heavy metals in soil were estimated by noncarcinogenic and carcinogenic risk assessment.

U Srbiji je moguća proizvodnja većeg broja kako ozimih, tako i jarih energetskih biljaka. Ove vrste imaju različitu botaničku pripadnost, morfologiju i poreklo, a prema nameni mogu se klasifikovati na: uljane (uljana repica, lanik, slačice, ricinus), skrobne i šećerne (sirak, sudanska trava, kukuruz) i ligno-celulozne vrste (miskantus, konoplja). Poslednjih godina evidentno je povećanje površina u Srbiji pod energetskim usevima, ali je prinos neujednačen i u zavisnosti od godine, odnosno vremenskih uslova tokom vegetacionog perioda, što čini potrebu poznavanja tehnologije proizvodnje još značajnijom. Stanje useva i posledično prinos, su pod velikim uticajem složenih interakcija između klimatskih i zemljišnih uslova, abiotskog i biotskog stresa i tehnologije proizvodnje. Edukacijom proizvođača i daljim poboljšanjem sortimenta, tehnologije i mehanizacije, realno je očekivati povećanje površina pod uljanim vrstama za proizvodnju biogoriva u Srbiji i sigurnost proizvodnje i u uslovima klimatskih promena. U radu je dat pregled optimalnih potreba energetskih biljaka za najznačajnijim agroekološkim činiocima, kao i mera dobre poljoprivredne prakse neophodnih za produktivan rast i razvoj ovih biljaka.

Twinning project CROPINNO establishes collaboration network between Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops (IFVCNS), Novi Sad, Serbia and internationally-recognized research institutions from Spain (CSIC-IAS, Cordoba), Italy (UNIPD, Padova), and Germany (FZJ, Juelich and UROS, Rostock). Its main objective is to step up and stimulate scientific excellence and innovation capacity of IFVCNS in the field of climate-smart crop improvement and production and enhance its ability to respond and create innovative solutions for the challenges that agriculture faces - climate changes and need to feed the increasing population. The other CROPINNO objectives are strengthening of the research management and administration skills of the IFVCNS and creating the conditions for positioning of IFVCNS as a regional hub of R&I in the area of agriculture and creation of Climate Crops Centre. These objectives will be achieved through a set of training, networking and dissemination activities, including short-term scientific missions, workshops, international summer schools, national and international conferences, as well as Field days. The expected impacts of CROPPINO include improved excellence capacity, enhanced strategic networking activities, raised reputation, research profile and attractiveness of IFVCNS and the research profile of its staff, strengthened research management capacities and administrative skills of IFVCNS staff, as well as improved creativity supported by the development of new research activities and collaborations and increased mobility of qualified scientists.

Poslednjih godina se prednost daje gajenju i preradi lekovitog, aromatičnog i začinskog bilja, koje se sve više koristi u farmaceutskoj, prehrambenoj i kozmetičkoj industriji. Svedoci smo da u današnje vreme čovek teži da se vrati prirodi i prirodnim proizvodima za lečenje ili kao dodatnu terapiju u lečenju mnogih bolesti, ali i prevenciji kroz svakodnevnu upotrebu, kao dodataka ishrani. Spisak biljaka koje se koriste u tu svrhu je podložan promenama, pa samim tim i potrebe industrije za sirovinama, usled promen|jivih potreba korisnika. Iz tog razloga, mnoge divlje vrste zbog povećane potražnje počinju da se gaje, all isto tako i gajenje nekih biljaka se napušta zbog nedostatka radne snage i nedovoljne mehanizovanosti procesa proizvodnje i prerade, ali u nekim slučajevima i zbog toga što se otkrivaju biljne vrste sličnog hemijskog sastava i biološke aktivnosti koje se lakše proizvode. Pored toga, u nekim slučajevima je jeftinija proizvodnja sintetičkih pripravaka. U svakom slučaju, može se reći da lekovito, aromatično i začinsko bilje doživljava renesansu. U želji da se unapredi i proširi proizvodnja lekovitih, aromatičnih | začinskih biljjaka u Srbiji, u okviru projekta "Unapređenje preduzetništva i mogućnosti za zapošljavanje u prekograničnom regionu kroz poljoprivrednu praksu zasnovanu na inovacijama AGRINNO 2” (HUSRB/1903/42/0059), nastao je ovaj priručnik za gajenje lekovitog, aromatičnog i začinskog bilja. U daljem tekstu je opisano gajenje i prerada četrnaest lekovitih, aromatičnih i začinskih biljaka., This manual of growing medicinal, aromatic and spice plants is a result of Interreg IPA Cross-Border Cooperation between Hungary and Serbia AGRINNO 2 "Enhancing entrepreneurship and employment potential in cross-border region through innovation agricultural practices" (HUSRB/1903/42/0059). The book gives an overview of morphological traits, chemical contents, usage, growing conditions, harvest and yields of selected plants from the following families: Lamiaceae, Asteraceae, Apiaceae, Malvaceae.

Garden rose, Rosa hybrida, is primarily used for decoration and has a wide range of growing area, contrary to R. damascena that has a limited area of distribution (Turkey and Bulgaria), yet it is extensively used for commercial production of valuable and expensive rose oil. Since the content of essential oil in rose petals is low (0.03–0.04%), its production is quite limited; however, during this process, a significant amount of rose hydrosol is obtained as a secondary product. The aim of this research was to determine the chemical composition of garden rose hydrosols and to evaluate their biological properties. Obtained results show that R. hybrida hydrosol containing phenylethyl alcohol, nerol, linalool, and geraniol may be used as an alternative for R. damascena hydrosol. However, the total phenolic content was quite low (4.96 _g GAE/mL), which is related to a low level of observed antioxidant activity based on different antioxidant activity assays. Furthermore, R. hybrida hydrosol did not exhibit antimicrobial activity against several gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, as well as yeast and fungi. Anti-inflammatory activity was also low, while no antihyperglycemic activity was detected. With these results in mind, no potential is evident for the therapeutic application of rose hydrosol beyond that found in complimentary medicine such as aromatherapy.

Phytotechnologies have showed potential for sustainable and low-cost use in remediation of contaminated lands. In order to increase effectivness of the phytoremediation process on contaminated sites assisted phytoremediation techniques are developed. One of such procedures is use of chelating agents, able to effectively mobilize metals into the soil solution and bioavailable forms, where they can consequently be uptaken by selected plant species. Various types of chelates, both synthetic and natural, can be used in this process. Chelate-assisted phytoremediation process includes interactions between soil, targeted element(s), chelate and plant in complex processes of solution and transport of elements from soil and their uptake and translocation in plants. Different researches acknowledged efficient element uptake from contaminated soils into selected plant species accompanied with use of adequate chelating agents, especially for sites with low initial mobility of contaminants. However, chelate-assistant phytoremediation is still prone to several limitation and drawbacks. Leaching of mobilized metals from chelate-treated soils is often reported, sometimes also accompanied with leaching of soil macronutrients.

Industrialization and human activities have resulted in the release of various contaminants into the aquatic ecosystem. As a result of the discharge of untreated wastewater, heavy metals are often present in the sediment. Phytoremediation is the environmentally friendly process of using plants and their associated microbes for environmental cleanup due to their intensive uptake of contaminants. To assess the phytoremediation ability of different species of energy plant, pot tests were conducted. The heavy metal contaminated sediment from Begej Canal was used. Pot experiments were performed in the open field under natural weather conditions, in pots filled with 20 kg of sediment. Plants selected for pot trials were rapeseed (Brassica napus), white mustard (Brassica alba), hemp (Cannabis sativa), and sunflower (Helianthus annuus). Pots with rapeseed were treated with commercial products for plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria, PGPR (TrifenderPro, PanoramaBio, and BioEho). Ten weeks after sowing, harvest was performed, and the below- and above-ground biomasses were measured. The contaminated sediment did not affect plant growth and obtained biomass. Among rape-seed trials, the highest biomass was obtained in the treatment with PGPR TrifenderPro. The plant samples were digested, and the content of Pb, Cr, and Cu was analyzed. Bioaccumulation (BAF) and translocation factors (TF) were calculated. In the case of Cr, the highest BAF was obtained for rapeseed with no treatment and with TrifenderPro treatment, and hemp. In the case of Cu the highest BAF was obtained for sunflower. TF was <1, which indicates that the main mechanism of metal removal is phytostabilization, not phytoextraction.

Agriculture is one of the “victims” of climate change and one of the most severely affected sectors. It has become evident that as the climate changes, crop production strategies must change as well, including primarily adaptations through breeding and crop management. In the future, it is expected that integrative approaches that combine -omics technologies by using bioinformatic tools will facilitate the identification of target genes and markers for complex traits and facilitate crop adaptation to the changing environment. Within its activities, Twinning project CROPINNO will implement at and validate different phenotyping and multi-omics tools in breeding for improved stress resilience. Sunflower is chosen as a model crop for validation of different tools and approaches since it is considered as potential model crop for adaptation to a changing environment. Activities within CROPINNO are aimed at: i) pre-screening sunflower genotypes from IFVCNS collection using for biotic and abiotic stress resilience using different phenotyping methods; ii) study of effects of drought on sunflower plants at chromatin and transcriptional level; iii) performing whole genome SNP analysis in order to develop SNP-based markers for drought stress resilience; iv) performing integrated data analysis and comparative bioinformatics for drought responses in order to unveil possible direct correlations between stress-induced genes transcriptional variation and histone modification levels and design of networks of candidate genes for sunflower drought tolerance. Models, tools and know-how developed on sunflower will be transferred and implemented in the breeding programs of other main field crops at IFVCNS and Western Balkans region.

Store product pests often cause high qualitative and quantitative losses to seeds of agricultural plants during storage. Damages inflicted to a high category seed result in reduced germination that practically affects agricultural production. Therefore, it is important to control insect pests and mitigate losses in storages, but at the same time to preserve the germination potential of the seeds as well as their vitality and quality. Fumigation with CO2 is a biorational method used for controlling store product pests in a variety of commodities. Its insecticidal potential is well documented, however the information about the effect on seeds is lacking. In this work, we assessed the efficacy of CO2 fumigation and its effect on vitality (germination energy and germination) and quality (fatty acid composition) of sunflower and common bean seeds. CO2, (62, 93 and 96 %), was applied to sunflower seeds artificially infested with Plodia interpunctella larvae and common bean infested with Acanthoscelides obtectus adults, in gastight bags. The lowest concentration (62 %) caused total mortality (100 %) of P. interpunctella larvae after 7 days of exposure. The two highest CO2 concentrations caused relatively high mortality after two hours of exposure (81 and 86 %), while total mortality (100 %) was achieved after 24 h. The lowest concentration caused only 62.0 % mortality of A. obtectus after 24 h of exposure. In treatments with 93 and 96 % of CO2 mortality was 88 and 93 % after 24 h exposure, respectively. Fumigation with CO2, irrespective of concentrations, showed no adverse effect on seed germination of sunflower (97.0 to 99.5 % in all treatments) or common bean (91.3-95.3 %), or on the percentage of detectable fatty acids in sunflower seeds. However, varietal differences should be considered.

Osnovna delatnost Instituta za ratarstvo i povrtarstvo iz Novog Sada, instituta od nacionalnog značaja za Republiku Srbiju, je oplemenjivanje ratarskih i povrtarskih biljnih vrsta. Istraživanja u Institutu, organizovana u okviru odeljenja i laboratorija, oslanjaju se na odredbe Zakona o nauci i istraživanjima Republike Srbije 1 , Strategiju naučnog i tehnološkog razvoja Republike Srbije »Moć znanja«, Strategiju prioritetnih oblasti pametne Specijalizacije, kao i druge nacionalne, regionalne i evropske strategije. Institut za ratarstvo i povrtarstvo ima više od 80 godina dugu tradiciju prenošenja znanja i rezultata istraživanja u poljoprivrednu praksu. Dokaz tome su i preko 900 sorti i hibrida ratarskih i povrtarskih kultura koje su registrovane u Srbiji i više od 900 sorti i hibrida registrovanih u inostranstvu, a čiji je vlasnik Institut., Field and vegetable crop breeding is the main activity of the Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops from Novi Sad, National Institute of the Republic of Serbia. Research conducted within the Institute departments and laboratories relies on the provisions of the Law on Science and Research of the Republic of Serbia, the Strategy of Scientific and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia "Power of Knowledge", priorities of the Smart Specialization Strategy, and other national, regional and European strategies. Transfer of knowledge and research results into agricultural practice has been done by the Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops for more than 80 years. During that period, over 900 varieties and hybrids of field and vegetable crops developed at the Institute have been registered in Serbia and abroad.

Povrće je važan deo ljudske ishrane jer ono prvenstveno sadrži materije korisne za ljudsko zdravlje kao što su: vitamini, minerali, biljna vlakna, antioksidansi, organske kiseline i dr. U svetu je poznato oko hiljadu vrsta povrća, od kojih se gaji oko 150, a najširu upotrebu ima 30-50 vrsta, koliko je zastupljeno u ishrani u Srbiji (Gvozdanovic-Varga i sar., 2016). U Institutu za ratarstvo i povrtarstvo Novi Sad do sada je stvoreno više od 50 sorti povrća priznatih u zemlji i delom u inostranstvu. Sortiment povrća Odeljenja za povrtarske i alternativne biljne vrste čine nove sorte povrća, kao i odomaćene sorte, te se proizvodi seme 27 povrtarskih vrsta i 10 vrsta cveća. Pored rada na novim sortama povrća koje se odlikuju visokim prinosom, vodilo se računa da sorte svojim izgledom i ukusom zadovoljavaju zahteve probirljivog tržišta i da su prilagođene našim agroklimatskim uslovima (Gvozdenovic i sar., 2008). Zadatak ovog rada je da se prikažu karakteristike novopriznatih sorti povrća, koje su dobijene kao rezultat višegodišnjeg rada, u cilju zadovoljenja potreba proizvođača i potrošača za novim, atraktivnim i kvalitetnim sortama povrtarskih vrsta.