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Biomass as a Renewable Energy Source
No full textRenewable energy sources (RES) refer to energy sources that are found in nature and are fully or
partially replenished. The most significant renewable sources are solar energy, wind energy,
hydropower, geothermal energy, and bioenergy (biomass). Biomass is the energy source with the
longest history of use. Given that there are numerous different types of biomasses that can be
used as biofuels, the aim of this paper was to highlight the main aspects of using biomass as a
renewable energy source. The energy stored in biomass is the result of natural chemical
processes, which means that during its exploitation, there are no interruptions typically associated
with other RES, such as solar or wind energy. By plowing biomass instead of removing or
burning it, combined with the use of organic and mineral fertilizers, there is a significant increase
in the content and availability of nutrients, an increase in the humus content in the soil, and,
therefore, an improvement in its overall fertility and crop yield. One of the main advantages of
biomass over other renewable fuels is its ability to be stored, preserved, and specifically used to
meet current energy needs. Furthermore, the broader social and economic benefits of using
biomass are reflected in the creation of new jobs and the promotion of rural area development,
which are involved in the cultivation, collection, and distribution of biomass as fuel
Selection of social channels of communication on the example of an agricultural company
No full textThe paper selected the most efficient social communication
channel in an agricultural enterprise. On this occasion,
an innovative expert decision-making method was used,
namely its fuzzy variant SiWeC and RAWEC. Ten criteria
and six alternatives were set, and the results show that
the criteria “Number of users”, “User characteristics” and
“Feedback speed” have the greatest importance, while
the most important (most favorable) social channel of
communication is “facebook.”The successful application
of the method used was confirmed, as well as the importance
of certain factors in the form of analyzed criteria, the
number of which should be increased in future research,
and the method itself should be further developed
Kvalitet ploda novih sorti jagode u Crnoj Gori
No full textInterest for new strawberry cultivars in the world is increasing due to high demands
for nutritionally valuable fruits with good agronomic properties. The aim of this
study was to evaluate the fruit quality of three new promising strawberry cultivars -
‘Asia’, ‘Joly’, and ‘Premy’ and to determine their potential for providing high-quality
fruits for the market. Among the analyzed parameters physical and biochemical
properties of the fruit were measured, followed by a sensory analysis of the fruit
attractiveness, taste and aroma. The cultivar ‘Joly’ had the biggest fruits, with the
highest fruit weight, length and diameter. The smallest fruits were present in the
cultivar ‘Premy’. The highest soluble solids and titratable acidity were present in
the cultivar ‘Premy’, while these parameters were the lowest in the cultivar ‘Joly’.
The cultivar ‘Premy’ also had the highest antioxidant capacity, measured by both
assays (ABTS and DPPH). The cultivar ‘Joly’ was superior in comparison to other
cultivars regarding the content of phenols and flavonoids, which are important nutritional components of the fruit. Regarding the fruit attractiveness, all the studied
cultivars were rated as attractive, but regarding the taste and aroma the cultivar
‘Joly’ showed the best results and had the highest overall rating. Each of the three
analyzed cultivars showed different potential, depending on consumers’ preferences towards taste and nutritional value of strawberry fruits.Interesovanje za nove sorte jagode u svetu raste zbog velikih zahteva za nutritivno
vrednim plodovima sa dobrim agronomskim svojstvima. Cilj ovog istraživanja bio je
da se proceni kvalitet ploda tri nove perspektivne sorte jagode - „Asia“, „Joly“ i „Premy“ i utvrdi njihov potencijal za obezbeđivanje visokokvalitetnih plodova na tržištu.
Među analiziranim parametrima merena su fizička i biohemijska svojstva ploda, a
zatim je urađena senzorna analiza: atraktivnost, ukus i aroma ploda. Najveće plodove imala je sorta „Joly“, sa najvećom masom, dužinom i dijametrom ploda. Najmanji plodovi bili su prisutni kod sorte „Premy“. Najviše rastvorljivih suvih materija i
titrabilne kiselosti je imala sorta „Premy“, dok su ovi parametri bili najniži kod sorte
„Joly“. Sorta „Premy“ je takođe imala najveći antioksidativni kapacitet, izmeren sa
oba testa (ABTS i DPPH). Sorta „Joly” je bila superiornija u odnosu na druge sorte
po sadržaju fenola i flavonoida, koji su važne nutritivne komponente ploda. Što se
tiče atraktivnosti plodova, najviše su ocenjeni plodovi sorte „Joly“, a zatim plodovi
sorte „Asia“. U pogledu atraktivnosti plodova, sve proučavane sorte su ocenjene kao
atraktivne, ali što se tiče ukusa i arome sorta „Joly“ je pokazala najbolje rezultate i
imala je najvišu ukupnu senzoričku ocenu. Svaka od tri analizirane sorte pokazala
je različit potencijal, u zavisnosti od preferencija potrošača prema ukusu i nutritivnoj
vrednosti plodova jagode
Nitrogen Responsiveness of Maize Hybrids Under Dryland Conditions
No full textNitrogen (N) plays a decisive role in the growth and yield of crops. Hence, a high maize grain yield depends upon substantial N inputs. In the present study, morphological traits and yield components, grain yield, rain use efficiency (RUE), and N partial factor productivity (NPFP) were analyzed in two maize hybrids (ZP666 and NS6030) for 2 yr using four N rates (0 (N0), 60 (N60), 120 (N120), and 180 (N180) kg N ha−1). In a climatically more favorable year (2022), the studied traits and NPFP were higher, while RUE was lower. Hybrid ZP666 had higher values of morphological traits and yield component traits, except 1000-grain weight, grain yield, RUE, and NPFP, than hybrid NS6030. The highest values for morphological traits, yield components, grain yield (9383 and 9456 kg ha−1), and RUE (27.1 and 27.2 kg ha−1 mm−1) were obtained at 120 and 180 kg N ha−1. The NPFP decreased significantly with increasing N input, from 137.6 (control) to 52.5 kg grain per kg fertilizer N (180 kg N ha−1). A suitable hybrid selection and the application of a moderate N fertilizer rate of 120 kg N ha−1 could contribute to high yields and lower nitrogen losses to the environment and promote sustainable agriculture
Aktuelni problemi u zaštiti voćaka i vinove loze
No full textSavremena zaštita voćaka i vinove loze suočava se sa brojnim izazovima, uslovljenim prvenstveno klimatskim faktorima i dostupnošću sredstava za zaštitu bilja.
Globalne klimatske promene dovode do sve izraženijih vremenskih ekstrema, kao što su intenzivne padavine, česte pojave grada i visoke letnje temperature. Ove promene više utiču na voćarsku i ratarsku proizvodnju nego direktno na zaštitu bilja, ali posledično dovode do smanjenja prinosa zbog mraza i/ili nedostatka padavina. Zbog klimatskih promena, sve češće se beleži pojava tripsa na jabuci i breskvi, cikada na vinovoj lozi i povećanje broja generacija pojedinih štetočina, kao što su smotavci. Tokom proleća, padavine pogoduju pojavi primarnih zaraza prouzrokovača biljnih bolesti, stvarajući povoljne uslove za njihov razvoj.
Tokom poslednje decenije, broj dostupnih pesticida značajno se smanjio (opravdano ili neopravdano), zbog zabrana koje proizlaze iz toksikoloških, ekotoksikoloških i ekonomsko-političkih razloga. Stroži propisi za registraciju novih preparata dodatno otežavaju uvođenje novih molekula u praksu, čime proizvođači često ostaju bez adekvatnih rešenja za suzbijanje određenih bolesti i štetočina. Na primer, ukidanje organofosfornih insekticida dovelo je do jače pojave krvave vaši jabuke (Eriosoma lanigerum).
Zaštita bilja od prouzrokovača biljnih bolesti i štetočina može se realizovati kroz različite sisteme, kao što su integralna zaštita, konvencionalna zaštita i organska zaštita.
Integralna zaštita bilja obuhvata niz mera: sadnju otpornih sorti, primenu agrotehničkih i mehaničkih mera, korišćenje prirodnih neprijatelja i parazitoida, upotrebu bioloških preparata i selektivnih pesticida. Uvođenjem novih, osetljivijih sorti jabuke (Gala, Fuji, Pink Lady) narušen je jedan od osnovnih principa integralne zaštite, što se slično dešava i kod koštičavih voćnih vrsta. Pojava braon mramoraste stenice (Halyomorpha halys) povećala je potrebu za njenim intenzivnijim suzbijanjem, pri čemu su najefikasniji insekticidi iz grupe piretroida, ali oni negativno utiču na prirodne neprijatelje i biološku ravnotežu. Korišćenje prirodnih neprijatelja je ograničeno, jer se njihova brojnost značajno poveća tek nakon nastanka ekonomske štete.
S obzirom na izazove integralne zaštite, najprihvatljiviji sistem je proizvodnja po principima dobre poljoprivredne prakse. Ona podrazumeva pravilnu primenu pesticida, čime se smanjuje šteta od bolesti i štetočina, a istovremeno obezbeđuje zdravstvena bezbednost plodova. Cilj je dobiti plodove bez simptoma bolesti i oštećenja, uz dozvoljene ostatke pesticida. Konvencionalni pesticidi se primenjuju tokom primarnih zaraza i prvih generacija štetočina, dok se u drugom delu vegetacije koriste biološki preparati.
Za uspešnu zaštitu voćaka i vinove loze, neophodno je odgovoriti na tri pitanja:
• kada tretirati biljke (optimalno vreme primene pesticida)
• koji preparat koristiti (adekvatan izbor pesticida)
• kako obezbediti kvalitet tretiranja (postizanje dobre pokrovnosti biljaka).
Optimalno vreme tretiranja određuje se praćenjem pojave bolesti i štetočina, prognoziranjem i pravovremenom reakcijom. Kašnjenje može dovesti do štete i potrebe za češćim tretiranjima, što povećava ostatke pesticida u plodovima. Dakle, pravovremenim tretiranjem smanjuju se štete i obezbeđuje ispravnost plodova.
Efikasnost pesticida često je limitirana razvojem rezistentnosti kod patogena i štetočina. Na primer, sprečavanje primarnih infekcija od Venturia inaequalis i Erysiphe necator ključno je za suzbijanje ovih bolesti. Ako se koriste fungicidi na koje su patogeni razvili rezistentnost, veoma teško će se postići zadovoljavajuća efikasnost u njihovom suzbijanju tokom vegetacije. Slično je i sa suzbijanjem prve generacije Cydia pomonella. Greške kod tretiranja lisnih vašiju i grinja mogu se lakše ispraviti, jer su one na površini biljaka. Informacije o rezistentnosti štetnih organizama na pesticide su često nepravovremene, a proizvođači pesticida često nerado govore o ovom problemu.
Pored rezistentnosti, problem je i neusaglašenost karenci između domaće regulative i EU, gde su karence često strožije kod nas, što zahteva njihovo buduće usklađivanje.
Kvalitet tretiranja je jedan od bitnih faktora za uspešnost zaštite višegodišnjih zasada. Odabir adekvatne mehanizacije omogućava dobru pokrovnost biljaka. U voćarstvu, naročito kod suzbijanja Venturia inaequalis, važno je da vrhovi voćaka budu dobro istretirani, jer se tu javljaju primarne zaraze koje je kasnije teško mogu kontrolisati. Preporučuje se da dve trećine radne tečnosti bude usmereno ka gornjoj polovini krošnje, a jedna trećina na donji deo. Redovno servisiranje i kalibraciju uređaja za primenu pesticida neophodno je sprovoditi svake godine
Optimizing Nitrogen Rate and Biostimulant Application to Improve Onion (Allium cepa L.) Yield and Nutrient Use Efficiency
No full textOnion (Allium cepa L.) is a widely cultivated vegetable valued for its taste, aroma, and nutritional content.
Biostimulants (BTs) are substances that stimulate plant growth and development. This study explores the impact of BTs and nitrogen (N) fertilization on the yield and nutrient use efficiency of directly seeded onions, addressing the challenges of excessive N application and promoting sustainable practices. A two-year field experiment was conducted using a split-plot design with three replications. Treatments included a control (C), a seaweed extract-based BT (T1), humic and fulvic acids (T2), and Trichoderma spp. (T3). N rates applied were 64 kg N/ha (N1), 100 kg N/ha (N2), 150 kg N/ha as the standard (NS), and 200 kg N/ha (N3). Compared to the C × NS treatment, T1 × N1 increased yield by 7.6% with a saving of 50 kg N/ha; T2 × N3 increased yield by 19.4%; and T3 × N1 increased yield by 11.7% with a saving of
86 kg N/ha.The T2 treatment reduced N uptake under excessive N rate (T2 × N3), indicating a potential protective effect against stress induced by high N levels. Treatment with T1 improved nutrient use efficiency (NUtE, PUtE, KUtE) and partial factor productivity (PFP) under reduced N conditions (T1 × N1). The study advises farmers to apply T3 under reduced N rates (N1 and N2) to improve yield and highlights that all three BTs enhance nutrient use efficiency, provid
The potential of aquafaba as a foaming agent in the production of plant-based aerated candies
No full textDietary requirements based on nutritional and ethical (veganism), as well as health (allergies) and
religious (fasting) reasons may preclude the use of foam candies made from conventional ingredients,
despite their appeal to the consumers. In this study, the possibility of using aquafaba, the residual liquor
from cooking of legumes, as a substitute for egg white and available mean for creating foamy
confectionery, was examined. For aquafaba preparation chickpeas were subjected to soaking in cold
water, boiling, cooling and draining. During whipping, the smell and color of remaining viscous liquor
weakened and faded significantly, and the resulting foam was whitish with a neutral smell and taste, and
was used as such for the production of foamy candies without the addition of colors and aromas. The
quality parameters of foam obtained from egg white and aquafaba were examined. Samples of aerated
candies with gelatine (G), agar and egg white (AgE), as well as with agar and aquafaba (AgAq), as a
foaming agents were produced. The colour characteristics (CIE Lab), firmness (texture analyser TA.XT
Plus), and sensory evaluation (scoring method) of obtained candies, were determined. It was shown
that aquafaba had a higher foaming ability (7.48%) compared to egg white (6.82%), while its foam
stability was lower (53.3% versus 58.67%). The samples with aquafaba were darker in colour compared
to those with egg white and gelatin. Aquafaba contributed to a decrease in the firmness compared to
egg white (37.04±4.28 to 36.8±8.12 g), and especially gelatin (322.14±5.23 g). Based on the sensory
analysis, all the obtained candies belonged to the very good quality category, and those with aquafaba
received very similar ratings to the egg white samples (4.20 and 4.35, respectively). Aquafaba has
proven to be a good foaming agent in candy preparation, and a promising, plant-based and eco-friendly
alternative to animal proteins
Antibiotics and antibiotic resistant bacteria in environment: risks and consequences to public health
No full textAntibiotics are significant microbial compounds that are commonly utilized
to treat bacterial illnesses. Their use began in the early twentieth century, and there have
been numerous antibiotics created worldwide since then. Antibiotics saved millions of lives
and increased plant productivity because of their benefits in human and animal medicine
and plant agriculture. However, its broad use has had major environmental repercussions,
including buildup in agricultural ecosystems and the food chain, as well as wastewater and
sewage sludge. Antibiotics are overused in animal agriculture and the veterinary sector in
comparison to human use, and this overuse is linked to antibiotics leaching into the
environment via feces and urine, posing a high risk of antibiotic contamination in manure
and the transmission of antibiotic-resistant genes.
The accumulation of antibiotics resulted in the creation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria,
which entered the food chain. The majority of them are human pathogenic bacteria from
a variety of genera, including Escherichia, Salmonella, Shigella, Listeria, and Campylo
bacter. These bacteria have antibiotic resistance genes and can cause serious health issues
in humans. Antibiotics, such as tetracyclines, β-lactams, quinolones, macrolides, and sul
fonamide, have been found in activated sludge, raw sewage, digested sludge, and treated
effluents. Conventional wastewater treatment plants are not equipped to remove them.
According to the literature, some bacteria found in agricultural ecosystems, food chains,
and effluents may be multidrug resistant, which could have major ramifications for human
health. This report summarizes the hazards and implications of antibiotic use and the
occurrence of antibiotic-resistant microorganisms in the environment
Global patterns in freshwater microcrustacean zooplankton body-size distributions across environmental gradients
No full textBody size is a key functional trait that affects many physiological and ecological processes. In ectotherms, temperature variation strongly influences body size patterns. Consequently, climate change is likely to alter patterns of body size and thus ecosystem function, particularly in size-structured aquatic communities. However, predicting the impacts of a changing climate on aquatic
communities is challenging due to interacting pressures (e.g., predation, nutrient enrichment). Therefore, building a comprehensive database of organism body sizes and their associated environmental characteristics is a crucial step toward unraveling the complex interactions between these factors. GLEON ZooSize project was launched in 2021 to create a unique large-scale global database of individual crustacean zooplankton body size measurements and environmental factors from over 300 freshwater lakes to address the following questions: (1) How do zooplankton body size metrics vary across lake thermal regions? (2) How do local environmental factors influence the body size structure and trophic interactions within and across thermal regions? We expect that the response of the zooplankton size structure to environmental stressors will vary across geographical and ecological gradients. For example, lakes in warmer regions with more intense fish predation and nutrient enrichment will have a greater relative abundance of smallbodied
zooplankton and less variation in size structure, altering trophic interactions. Our unique dataset will contribute to a better understanding of how climate impacts global patterns of freshwater zooplankton and how body size can be used as an indicator of ecological status in the conservation and restoration of lakes worldwide