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Predictive Modelling of Maize Yield Under Different Crop Density Using a Machine Learning Approach
No full textIn the face of increasing climate variability, understanding the dynamics of plant-to-plant interactions within crops is becoming increasingly important. This study aimed to examine plant responses to varying intensities of inter-plant competition, induced bz different planting densities, to enhance the accuracy of future yield prediction models. Six hybrids were grown at three planting densities (S1, S4, S7). Grain yield and yield components were estimated at four developmental points during grain filling (V1 to V4). These regression models and machine learning (ML) were applied to predict maize production under variable weather conditions. The factor year was the main source of variability, with less favourable conditions in the second year (G2) reducing yield by approximately 1–2%. Lower planting density (S1) improved individual plant development and yield components, while maximum density (S7) resulted in higher grain yield despite reduced individual performance. Hybrid H5 showed strong tolerance to high density, producing the highest yield under S7 conditions. Machine learning models accurately predicted key seed quality traits—moisture, oil, and protein—with performance metrics exceeding 80% accuracy. Specifically, R2 values reached 0.82 for moisture content and 0.77 for oil concentration, indicating strong predictive capability. These findings support careful selection of hybrids and optimal planting density strategies in future cropping systems to increase yield and maintain seed quality in different environments
Hemijski sastav pirolizata dobijenih ko-pirolizom ostataka kukuruznih stabljika i plastičnog otpada kao osnova za proizvodnju ekološki održivih goriva
No full textIn this study pyrolysis and co-pyrolysis experiments involving lignocellulosic corn stalks (CS) sam-ples and selected plastic waste fractions (high density polyethylene (HDPE) and polystyrene (PS)) were conducted at various mixing ratios. The main objective was to evaluate how the composition of the feedstock affects the yield and composition of the resulting pyrolysis products, by developing a sustainable method for the management of both biomass and plastic waste through the production of valuable oils and chemicals. This study contributes to a transitional approach for plastic waste management, given the anticipated reduction in the usage of plastic materials in the future. The co-pyrolysis mixtures demonstrated synergistic effects between the feedstocks, with plastic waste serving as hydrogen donors and enhancing the yield of CS pyrolysis products. Moreover, the products from plastic waste exhibited a significant predominance over those from CS, constituting ca. 66.6 and 85.6 % in the 1:1 CS/HDPE and CS/PS mixtures, respectively. This is particularly beneficial considering the elevated oxygen content in the CS products, which can contribute to heightened acidity and corrosion in the resulting synthetic bio-oil. This study reveals valuable insights into the formation of synthetic bio-oils by designing the chemical composition and optimising the pyrolysis yield
Selection Footprints Reflecting Population Stratification of Local Sheep Breeds in the Danube Region
No full textThis study investigated genetic diversity, population structure, and selection footprints across 16 local sheep breeds from the Danube region using high-density SNP data. The diversity status was derived from the overall heterozygosity and genomic-based inbreeding coefficients (FHOM and FIS). Population stratification was assessed using principal component analysis, phylogenetic networks, and admixture estimation. Selection footprints were identified based on the genome-wide Wright's fixation index (FST) distribution. Moderate observed and expected heterozygosity levels were found, with the highest values in the Improved Valachian breed (Ho = 0.44±0.10, He = 0.44±0.08) and the lowest in the East Friesian (Ho = 0.37±0.16) breed. Inbreeding coefficients aligned with heterozygosity patterns, indicating an increase in inbreeding in geographically or historically separated breeds and reduced inbreeding in recently developed composite breeds, particularly the Improved Valachian and Slovak Dairy sheep. All approaches testing population structure confirmed breed stratification corresponding to geographic and phylogenetic backgrounds, while admixture analysis revealed the highest proportion of genetic admixture in the composite breeds. A genome-wide scan revealed 24 candidate regions under selection pressure across 15 autosomes, encompassing 48 protein-coding genes, including those related to reproduction (TNP1, AMHR2) and immune response (SLC11A1, IL9, JAK3). Functional enrichment analysis identified overrepresented GO terms related to protein binding, spermatogenesis, hypoxia response, and KEGG pathways such as TGF-beta and VEGF signalling. This study provides insights into breed-specific selection pressures driven by diverse breeding goals and environmental adaptation in sheep breeds in the Danube region. The study also highlights the importance of genomic tools for preserving genetic diversity and supporting sustainable breeding strategies in local populations
Sensitivity of Leafy Vegetables to Simulated Mesotrione Residues in the Soil
No full textMesotrione is a triketone herbicide widely used for weed control in maize (Zea mays L.). In a bioassay conducted under controlled conditions, the simulated residual effects of mesotrione on leafy vegetables, including chard, lettuce, spinach, and endive were evaluated. The herbicide was applied at nine concentrations (0–240 µg a.i./kg soil), with the highest corresponding to the recommended field application rate. Nonlinear regression analysis was used to describe the relationship between morphological (shoot fresh weight) and physiological (pigment content) parameters as a function of herbicide dose. Shoot fresh weight was a more sensitive parameter than pigment content with mean EC50 ± SE values of 23.9 ± 3.5 (chard), 34.3 ± 7.7 (lettuce), 13.2 ± 2.4 (spinach), and 990.3 ± 3921.5 (endive) µg a.i./kg soil, indicating that spinach is the most sensitive and endive the most tolerant species. A mesotrione residue level equivalent to EC20 for shoot fresh weight corresponds to approximately 2, 4, 6, and 29% of the recommended application rate of mesotrione at which spinach, chard, lettuce, and endive (respectively) can be safely sown. Therefore, spinach, chard, and lettuce are not suitable substitutes for maize when the latter fails and should not be sown after silage maize. In such cases, only endive appears to be a viable alternative without the risk of crop injury
Genomic diversity characteristics of sheep populations in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Serbia and Montenegro
No full textMonitoring the genetic diversity in livestock is a critical component for sustainable management of small
and endangered breeds. In this paper we follow up the two most often used metrics of genetic diversity, the average inbreeding coefficients (F) and the effective population (Ne) size in 16 sheep breeds from four countries. The analysis was based on single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers, with about 35 to 49 thousand SNPs and 19 to 98 individuals after quality control. The runs of homozygosity (ROH) method with the cgaTOH software was used to estimate FROH, for three different time points in the past (3, 6 and 12 generations before present). Three methods were
implemented to estimate Ne, using the NeEstimator v2, GONE and CurrentNe software for different time spans
in the past. The average FROH ranged between 0.001 and 0.035 for 3 generations, 0.003 and 0.059 for 6 generations, 0.005 and 0.074 for 12 generations in the past. The wide range of inbreeding coefficients might be a consequence of different population sizes and breed management strategies in the respective countries. The results for Ne ranged from 7 to 352 for NeEstimator, 25 to 303 for GONE, and 15 to 542 for CurrentNe. Overall, the software showed comparable results for 10 out of 16 breeds, and significantly different results for at least one software for at least one of the methods for 6 out of 16 breeds. These differences show a degree of uncertainty in Ne estimations for certain breeds. Overall, we suggest the continued monitoring of sheep breeds, ideally by routine genotyping in all populations. This monitoring is especially important for small breeds with a greater decline in genetic diversit
Agro-morfološka karakterizacija i procena genetičke uniformnosti inbred linija kukuruza
No full textInbred linije su veoma podložne uticaju faktora spoljašnje sredine, te je poznavanje njihove per se performanse za planirano područje gajenja izuzetno važno. Pored praćenja fenotipskih osobina, provera genetičke uniformnosti je neophodna. Samo inbred linije visokog procenta homozigotnosti mogu biti komponente komercijalnog hibrida kukuruza. U cilju procene fenotipske i genetičke uniformnosti odabran je set od 15 inbred linija kukuruza (G1–G15) Instituta za kukuruz „Zemun Polje“. Genotipovi su standardnog kvaliteta zrna, različite genetičke osnove, od srednje ranih do kasnih grupa zrenja (FAO 300–700). Od ukupnog broja linija, 11 su komponente priznatih hibrida, a četiri su se pokazale perspektivnim nakon testiranja opšte i posebne kombinacione sposobnosti. U trogodišnjem ogledu u uslovima polja, agro-morfološka karakterizacija genotipova je rađena po UPOV deskriptoru praćenjem kvalitativnih (QL), kvantitativnih (QN) i pseudokvalitativnih (PQ) osobina. Genotipovi su okarakterisani praćenjem 32 osobine, metrički ili vizuelno ocenjenih. Fenotipska uniformnost je procenjena na osnovu vizuelnih ocena primenom Off-type pristupa. Za ispitivanje genetičke uniformnosti je primenjeno Ultra Tankoslojno Izoelektrično Fokusiranje (UTLIEF) rezervnih proteina (albumina i globulina) i osam SSR markera prepisanih od strane ISTA za verifikaciju genotipova kukuruza. Za svaki genotip, isti uzorak semena je korišćen za testiranje u uslovima polja i za laboratorijsku analizu. Četvorofaktorijalna analiza varijanse (ANOVA) je pokazala da su izvori variranja (genotip, godina, gustina, rok i njihove interakcije) bili statistički značajni za najveći broj analiziranih osobina. Za faktore godina i genotip, analizom glavnih komponenata (PCA) je utvrđeno da su se osobine rast biljke, osobine metlice i karakteristike zrna pokazale najdiskriminativnijim u proceni varijabilnosti evaluiranih inbred linija kukuruza. Primenom AMMI modela, analiza varijanse predstavljena po roku setve (R1 i R2), je pokazala da su svi izvori variranja (genotip, tretman – gustina setve, godina, kao i njihova interakcija) značajno uticali na prinos zrna (p<0,01). U prvom setvenom roku na obe gustine, najbolju performansu u pogledu stabilnosti i visine prinosa koji je premašivao opšti prosek, izdvojili su se genotipovi G5 i G6 (FAO 400), kao i G8 (FAO 500). U drugom setvenom roku po istom kriterijumu izdvojila se linija G12 (FAO 600). Navedeni genotipovi se mogu smatrati pogodnim za gajenje u širem agro-ekološkom arealu. Takođe je utvrđeno da je faktor godina uticao na korelisanost i statističku značajnost fenotipskih osobina. Morfološkim markerima ustanovljeno je odstupanje od uniformnosti jedino u slučaju linija G1 i G2 (FAO 300), što je potvrđeno i biohemijskim i SSR markerima. Pored upotrebe za verifikaciju sorti kukuruza, sposobnost parova prajmera phi 102228 i umc1545 da detektuju nespecifične trake (tj. off-tipove), snažno podržava preporuku upotrebe ovih SSR markera za tačniju i vremenski efikasniju procenu genetičke uniformnosti inbred linija kukuruzaInbred lines are very susceptible to the influence of environmental factors, so knowing their per se performance for the certain growing area is extremely important. In addition to monitoring phenotypic traits, checking genetic uniformity is essential. Only inbred lines with a high percentage of homozygosity can be components of a commercial maize hybrid. A set of 15 maize inbred lines (G1–G15) developed at the Maize Research Institute "Zemun Polje" were selected in order to assess the phenotypic and genetic uniformity. Standard grain quality genotypes belongs to different heterotic and maturity groups, from mid-early to late (FAO 300–700). Of the total number of lines, 11 are components of registered hybrids, and four proved to be promising after testing general and specific combining ability. In a three-year field trial, the agro-morphological characterization of genotypes was done according to the UPOV descriptor by monitoring qualitative (QL), quantitative (QN) and pseudo-qualitative (PQ) traits. Genotypes were characterized by monitoring 32 traits, metrically or visually assessed. Phenotypic uniformity was assessed based on visual evaluations using the Off-type approach. The Ultrathin-layer Isoelectric Focusing (UTLIEF) of reserve proteins (albumin and globulin) and eight SSR markers prescribed by ISTA for verification of maize genotypes was used for genetic uniformity testing. For each genotype, the same seed sample was used for testing under field conditions and for laboratory analysis. A four-factor analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that the sources of variation (genotype, year, plant density, sowing date and their interactions) were statistically significant for the largest number of analyzed traits. For the factors of year and genotype, principal components analysis (PCA) determined that plant growth traits, tassel traits and grain characteristics proved to be the most discriminating in evaluating the variability of tested maize inbred lines. Using the AMMI model, analysis of variance presented by sowing date (R1 and R2), showed that all sources of variation (genotype, treatment – sowing density, year, and their interaction) significantly affected grain yield (p<0.01). In the first sowing date at both densities, the best performance in terms of stability and yield which exceeded the general average, was achieved by genotypes G5 and G6 (FAO 400), as well as G8 (FAO 500). In the second sowing date at both densities, pronounced stability and yield above the general average had a line G12 (FAO 600). The mentioned genotypes can be considered suitable for cultivation in a wider agro-ecological area. It was also found that the factor year affected the correlation and statistical significance of phenotypic traits. Morphological markers established deviation from uniformity only in the case of lines G1 and G2 (FAO 300), which was confirmed by biochemical and SSR markers. Beside theirs use for verifying varieties of maize, report on phi 102228 and umc1545 primer pairs ability to detect non-specific bands (i.e., off-types), strongly supports the recommendation of these SSR markers use for more accurate and time-efficient maize inbred lines genetic uniformity testing
Optimizing agricultural practices: the potential of nano fertilization for sustainable planth growth
No full textNanotechnology refers to the advanced manipulation of materials at the nanoscale, typically
between 1 and 100 nm, leading to improvements in their physical, chemical, biological,
mechanical, magnetic, optical, and electrical properties. It has a wide range of applications in
agriculture, including in fertilization, irrigation, pest management, packaging, post-harvest
processing, and food production. Nanotechnology's role in agriculture offers numerous
environmental benefits, particularly in the development of nano fertilizers.
Nano fertilizers are a promising innovation for promoting sustainability in global food
production. These fertilizers use nanoparticles, which have distinct physicochemical properties
at the nanoscale, to enhance agricultural productivity and environmental health. They
contribute to increased fruit yields, better quality crops, and longer shelf life by positively
affecting various traits, such as morphological, anatomical, physicochemical, physiological,
and molecular characteristics.
Nano fertilizers are created by combining essential plant nutrients with nanomaterials, coating
nutrient molecules with a thin nanomaterial layer, or forming nano-sized emulsions. These
fertilizers, along with nano biofertilizers that mix natural and synthetic components, improve
bioavailability and soil fertility more effectively than traditional fertilizers. This review paper
aims to highlight the importance of conventional fertilizers and the emerging use of nano
fertilizers in agriculture, while also explaining the different types of nano fertilizers available
Enhancing crop productivity and sustainability: the role of nano, macro and micro nutrients in modern agriculture
No full textIn modern agriculture, the optimal supply of nutrients is fundamental to achieving both high
productivity and environmental sustainability. This review comprehensively examines the roles
and interactions of nano, macro, and micro nutrients in enhancing agricultural efficiency and
promoting sustainable practices. Macro nutrients – primarily nitrogen, phosphorus, and
potassium – are essential for fundamental plant growth and yield. Meanwhile, micro nutrients
such as iron, zinc, manganese, and copper, although needed in smaller quantities, are critical
for enzymatic functions, metabolic pathways, and overall plant health. Recent advancements in
nanotechnology have introduced nano-sized nutrient formulations, which provide innovative
solutions for controlled and targeted nutrient delivery. These nano-nutrients improve nutrient
use efficiency by enhancing absorption and reducing losses through leaching or volatilization,
thus mitigating environmental pollution often caused by excessive fertilization. This review
also discusses various studies demonstrating the application of nanomaterials in soil and foliar
fertilization, highlighting their potential benefits and challenges. Importantly, the review
addresses concerns regarding the potential environmental and health risks associated with
nanoparticle use, emphasizing the necessity for careful assessment and regulation. Given the
global challenges of climate change, soil degradation, and diminishing natural resources, the
integration of nano, macro, and micro nutrients into sustainable agricultural systems is crucial.
Such integration can lead to increased crop yields, improved soil fertility, and reduced
ecological footprints. Furthermore, adopting integrated nutrient management practices could
ensure a more resilient food production system. This study highlights the need for further
multidisciplinary research and the development of safe and effective technologies to ensure
long-term agricultural sustainability while mitigating potential risks
Application of Microorganisms in Environmental Protection
No full textMicroorganisms are a very significant factor that affects the bio-productivity of agroecosystems
and the production of healthy food. Also, they find significant application in the recultivation of
polluted ecosystems. The goal of the manuscript is to show the possibilities of using
microorganisms in environmental protection. In the manuscript, the method of data analysis was
applied, which were collected from scientific studies, published in scientific journals and at
scientific conferences, including scientific publications of the authors of the manuscript. The
results of numerous research indicate that microorganisms can be successfully applied instead of
mineral fertilizers, which cause pollution of the environment. "Nitragin" is a biopreparation used
to increase the symbiotic biological nitrogen fixation in plants. Azotobacterin, a biopreparation
based on the bacterial genus Azotobacter, isolated from natural ecosystems, is used for the same
purpose. The biopreparation "humivorin" contains different groups of microorganisms, which
carry out processes of decomposition of organic matter, thus enabling effective nutrition of
plants. The soil is very rich in the mentioned taxons of microorganisms. The results of the
research, published by the authors of this manuscript, indicate that the number of Azotobacter sp.
in soil type ''chernozem'' ranged from 100.4-182.7 (102g-1), and in ''gajnjaca'' from 45.7-119.2
(102g-1), while the highest determined number of aminoheterotrophs in the soil, among which
Bacillus species dominate, was 671.5x105g-1. Numerous scientific studies, including the
scientific publications of the authors of this manuscript, also indicate that microorganisms find
significant application in the purification of polluted soils and waters, as well as the precise
bioindication of all environmental components. Based on the analysis of the results of published
scientific research, it can be concluded that microorganisms can be used very successfully in the
production of healthy food, purification of polluted environments and bioindication
Taxon Papaver somniferum - Biological Properties and Possibilities of Application in Pharmacy
No full textPapaver somniferum is an annual plant, about 50 cm in height. The stem is hairless. The ground
leaves are long-stalked, the middle leaves are short-stalked, and the upper sessile leaves enclose
the stem. The flowers are large, single, white, pink or red. The fruit is a spherical capsule with
many seeds. The plant blooms from June to August. Papaver somniferum is a pharmacologically
active plant taxon, which produces alkaloids in secondary metabolism, so it is intensively used
in pharmacy. The alkaloids are concentrated in the milky fluid (opium), which is obtained by
cutting the immature pods of the plant. Opium is obtained by cutting the green pods of the opium
poppy at a certain stage (the stage of opium maturity). It is a shiny, hard, resinous mass, it is dark
red in color, bitter and pungent in taste, and has a specific narcotic smell. In addition to alkaloids,
opium contains sugars, fatty compounds and minerals, resins and water. The main alkaloids
extracted from Papaver somniferum are morphine, papaverine and codeine. Morphine has a
pronounced effect on the nervous system, acts as a strong analgesic, causes behavioral changes
and addiction. Papaverine causes smooth muscle relaxation and exerts spasmolytic action, while
codeine acts as a depressant on the respiratory center and the cough center. The seeds of the plant
species Papaver somniferum do not contain opium and are used in the food industry. The seeds
and the fatty oil obtained from the seeds are used