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Pollinators preferences for different plant communities in agroecosystems
No full textInsect diversity has been declining over the past few decades, and among insects, pollinators are one of the most vulnerable groups. Several factors contribute to the decline of pollinators in agroecosystems, with habitat loss and monoculture being particularly influential. To improve the status of pollinators, it is essential to sow plants that provide essential pollen and nectar for their survival. By creating diverse floral resources, we can support pollinator populations and promote healthier ecosystems. To investigate which plant communities and plant species have the highest positive impact on pollinators, a multiannual trial was set at the Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops in Novi Sad, as part of the CROPDIVA project. The pollinator survey trial was performed from 2022 to 2024, and consisted of five treatments, in a complete randomized block design, and five replicates. The size of the plots was 4 x 4 m with a 0.8 m bare ground buffer between each plot. The five treatments consisted of three designed annual treatments and two underutilised crop treatments. One treatment aimed specifically at pollinators, two multifunctional treatments (with plant species for pollinators and soil health); and two treatments of buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) and hull-less barley (Hordeum vulgare L. var. nudum) in a ratio of 10/90% and 25/75%, respectively. Plots were divided into four quadrants and pollinator presence was recorded by observing flower visits in two quadrants at one-minute intervals per quadrant. Pollinator counts were performed on a weekly basis and lasted during the whole flowering period. Pollinator were recorded as groups: bees, hoverflies and butterflies, while bees were separated into honey bees (Apis mellifera), bumblebees (Bombus sp.) and solitary bees. The results of the trial showed that honeybees and hoverflies were the most abundant pollinators, with 39.9% and 37.7% of all pollinators observed being from these two groups respectively. Solitary bees and bumblebees made up 10.1% and 8.7% of observations respectively. Butterflies were the least abundant group, accounting for 2.8% of visits. Phacelia tanacetifolia received the most pollinator visits, representing 66.5% of all observations. F. esculentum (15%), Sinapis alba (6,3% and coriander, Coriandrum sativum (4,5%) were the next most visited, however the majority of the visitations to coriander were in 2023.[https://www.agrobiodiversityalongthevaluechain.eu/
Ethnobotanical and Agronomic Insights into Traditional Maize-Bean Intercropping Systems Across Montenegro
No full textMaize-bean intercropping is a long-standing agricultural practice in Montenegro, contributing to food security, biodiversity, and cultural heritage. This study examines traditional farming methods, seed selection, and the agronomic practices of local maize and bean landraces. Through field surveys and interviews with farmers across multiple regions, we document intercropping strategies, seed-saving practices, and the role of vernacular crop naming in preserving traditional knowledge. Local knowledge suggests that landraces may exhibit distinct characteristics adapted to local conditions, with most farmers cultivating these crops for household consumption and occasional market sales. While traditional seed-saving and exchange networks support genetic diversity, modernization and reduced farmer-to-farmer exchanges threaten their continuity. Integrating traditional knowledge with sustainable agricultural strategies can enhance resilience, maintain genetic diversity, and ensure the viability of intercropping systems in the face of agricultural changes
Fagopyrum esculentum Moench. Production and Its Importance for Health
No full textBuckwheat belongs to the genus Fagopyrum (Polygonaceae), it is native to Asia (China). It is a promising pseudo cereal, that is a a symbol of healthy life because of its rich nutritional and pharmacological properties. Seed has 9.1% protein, 70.98% BEM, 3.7% cellulose, 1.73%, oil 1.72%, mineral salts, 12.8% water, and vitamins group B - B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (pantothenic acid), vitamin E (tocopherol) and ferments. It has a balanced amino acid content, is rich in lysine and arginine. Buckwheat plants and groats are rich in flavonoids: rutin, orientin, vitexin, quercetin, isovitexin, and isoorientin. Due to its favorable chemical composition, and the absence of gluten, buckwheat is suitable for the diet of people suffering from Celiac disease and diabetes. Buckwheat food products affect the reduction of sugar and fat concentration in the blood, which contributes to the regulation of cholesterol levels and used as an auxiliary remedy in folk medicine. In this study, the buckwheat production in the world, were analyzed. Due to all of the above, there is a need to increase buckwheat production in world due to increased demand. According to FAO data, buckwheat was grown on 1,855,059 ha in 2020, and on 2,187,546 ha in 2023. Seed production in 2020 was 1,805,936 tons and 2,204,015 tons in 2023, and grain yield was 976 kg ha-1 (2020) and 1,007 kg ha-1 (2023). Evident is an increase area, production and yields in the period from 2020 to 2023. The analysis of production by continent shows that the largest areas were in Europe (with Russia) 933,658 ha and Asia (760,545 ha). In the light of climate change, the improvement of buckwheat production technology is of great importance in order to increase yield. Promotion of buckwheat improving productivity will be an important trade-off between food security and improving population health
The Role of Root Endophyte Pseudomonas putida A32 in the Protection of Two Pepper Genotypes from Pseudomonas syringae pv. aptata
No full textEndophytes, as an integral part of plants, form unique relationships with their hosts that go beyond classical definitions of symbiosis and influence plant development, immunity, and stress responses. The pepper endophyte strain Pseudomonas putida A32 has several plant growth-promoting properties and increases the tolerance of pepper to drought, but its biocontrol potential is unknown. In this study, we investigated the protective role of P. putida A32 against infection with the pathogenic bacterium P. syringae pv. aptata P21 in two pepper genotypes in laboratory experiments. The percentage of lesion reduction in genotype 26 treated with P. putida A32 was 46.62%. The results showed a significant reduction in hydrogen peroxide and malondialdehyde levels by 29.45 and 20.22%, respectively, in infected genotype 26. The treated but uninfected controls showed a significant increase in superoxide dismutase activity in genotype 26 by 41.26% and ascorbate peroxidase activity in genotype 19 by 40.28% in the treated infected plants. The tolerant genotype 19 was much less dependent on the bacterial treatment under stress conditions than the susceptible genotype 26. Future research will investigate the role of P. putida A32 in the induced systemic resistance of different pepper genotypes to protect against pathogens
Book of Abstracts, CROPINNO Final Conference “New Approaches in Crop Improvement for Increased Climate Resilience”, 26 June 2025, Novi Sad, Serbia
No full textThis is the Book of Abstracts from the Final Conference of the CROPINNO Project.This Book of Abstracts is also available at the CROPINNO project website [https://cropinno.org/scientific-publications/]This Book of Abstracts is also available at the Climate Crops Centre website [https://climatecrops.org/en/scientific-publications/
Biochemical markers in the assessment of abiotic stress tolerance in Cucurbita plants
No full textThe purpose of this study was to compare biochemical stress markers in leaves of Cucurbita maxima (14), C. moschata (11), and C. pepo (11) accessions grown in stressed (drought) and non-stressed conditions (optimal irrigation). The expected intra- and interspecific variability may suggest the potential of these markers as tools for pre-breeding Cucurbita plants for improved abiotic stress tolerance. The proposed biochemical markers of stress, analyzed in the leaves of open-field grown plants (at the generative phase of the development), included lipid peroxidation intensity (LP, a proposed marker of oxidative stress and membrane integrity), proline content (Pro, a proposed marker of drought stress), reduced glutathione content (GSH, a proposed marker of abiotic stress tolerance), total phenolic compounds content (TP), and activity of an antioxidant enzyme - superoxide dismutase (SOD). There was a significant variability in foliar contents of Pro (0.5-8.7 mg/g dry weight) and GSH (1.7-5.7 mg/g fresh weight), as well as LP (38.0-155.7 nmol/g f.w.), among the tested species and accessions. C. maxima accessions had a lower change in Pro content between control and stressed plants, contrary to C. moschata accessions, which also had higher LP in both control and stressed plants when compared to the other two species. SOD activity was invariable in all investigated plants (0.5-0.7 U/mg f.w.). Almost all accessions accumulated lower content of TP (10.5-22.9 mg/g d.w.) in leaves of stressed plants compared to respective controls (up to 1.8-fold lower). The results suggest that tested biochemical stress markers, except SOD, might be used to investigate abiotic stress tolerance in Cucurbita plants. Bearing in mind that the number of publications that report similar experiments in Cucurbita species grown in open field conditions are rather scarce, as well as the fact that the improved varieties require multi-year experimental data, the presented findings could provide a preliminary contribution to research focused on mitigating the effects of abiotic stress in these vegetables
Oil content and yield of NS soybean varieties at four locations in 2024
No full textLokacijski ogledi se izvode radi rejonizacije sorti soje i radi daljeg testiranja novopriznatih sorti soje koje su uvedene u proizvodnju i starijih sorti soje, kako bi se izdvojile sorte koje imaju minimalna variranja u različitim godinama. Cilj ovoga rada je sagledavanje prinosa, sadržaja proteina i ulja, kao i prinosa proteina i ulja po jedinici površine NS sorti soje na četiri lokacije u 2024. godini. Sorta soje NS Atlas ostvarila je najviši prinos zrna (2.744,5 kgha-1), sorta NS Kaća najviši sadržaj proteina (43,15%), a sorta NS Apolo imala je najviši sadržaj ulja (19,63%), dok je najviši prinos proteina i ulja po jedinici površine ostvaren sa sortom soje NS Atlas (1.133,78 kgha-1 i 430,05 kgha-1).Field trials are carried out for the rezoning of soybean varieties and for further testing of newly recognized varieties, soybean varieties that have been introduced into production and older soybean varieties, in order to single out varieties that have minimal variations in different years. The aim of this work is to analyze yield, protein and oil content, as well as protein and oil yield per unit area of NS soybean varieties at four locations in 2024. The NS Atlas soybean variety had the highest grain yield (2,744.5 kgha-1), the NS Kaća variety had the highest protein content (43.15%), and the NS Apolo variety had the highest oil content (19.63%), while the highest protein and oil yield per unit area was achieved with the NS Atlas soybean variety (1,133.78 kgha-1 and 430.05 kgha-1)
Seasonal Variation in Volatile Profiles of Lemon Catnip (Nepeta cataria var. citriodora) Essential Oil and Hydrolate
No full textLemon catnip (Nepeta cataria var. citriodora) is an underutilized aromatic and medicinal plant known for its high essential oil yield and distinctive lemon-like scent, and is widely used in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, food, and biopesticide industries. Unlike typical catnip, it lacks nepetalactones and is rich in terpene alcohols, such as nerol and geraniol, making it a promising substitute for lemon balm. Despite its diverse applications, little attention has been paid to the valorization of byproducts from essential oil distillation, such as hydrolates and their secondary recovery oils. This study aimed to thoroughly analyze the volatile compound profiles of the essential oil from Lemon catnip and the recovery oil derived from its hydrolate over three consecutive growing seasons, with particular emphasis on how temperature and precipitation influence the major volatile constituents. The essential oil was obtained via semi-industrial steam distillation, producing hydrolate as a byproduct, which was then further processed using a Likens–Nickerson apparatus to extract the recovery oil, also known as secondary oil. Both essential and recovery oils were predominantly composed of terpene alcohols, with nerol (47.5–52.3% in essential oils; 43.5–54.3% in recovery oils) and geraniol (25.2–27.9% in essential oils; 29.4–32.6% in recovery oils) as the primary components. While sesquiterpene hydrocarbons were mostly confined to the essential oil, the recovery oil was distinguished by a higher presence of monooxygenated and more hydrophilic terpenes. Over the three-year period, elevated temperatures led to increased levels of geraniol, geranial, neral, and citronellal in both oils, whereas cooler conditions favored the accumulation of nerol and linalool, especially in the recovery oils. Higher precipitation was associated with elevated concentrations of nerol and linalool but decreased levels of geraniol, geranial, and neral, possibly due to dilution or degradation processes
STSM Quantification of phenotypic differences in root and shoot traits by use of high-throughput phenotyping platforms held in April 2024 and February 2025 in FZJ report
No full textThis dataset contains the report from STSM Quantification of phenotypic differences in root and shoot traits by use of high-throughput phenotyping platforms held on 2-26 April 2024 and 20 January-28 February 2025 in FZJ for two IFVCNS researchers within CROPINNO project. It highlights the work done, main achievements and planned follow-up activities
Decoding plant genomes: Technologies, insights, and strategies
No full textThis is a training material from webinar series Why are omics important for plant breeding held online on Tuesdays in April 2025 by UNIPD within CROPINNO project. The material gives an overview of omics, sequencing technologies, applications in plant breeding, and a case study