Phytoremediation potential of metallophytes in Europe: Progress, enhancement strategies, and biomass utilisation

Phytoremediation is a plant-driven process, widely regarded as a cost-effective and environmentally friendly in situ approach for remediating contaminated soil and water by taking up contaminants including potentially toxic elements (PTEs). In the last two decades, substantial research has focused on elucidating the mechanisms of phytoremediation and enhancing its efficiency, primarily through the identification of optimal plant species and the use of various amendments. Nevertheless, real-scale application of phytoremediation remains rare, and several critical questions need to be addressed, including selection of most effective species, improved effectiveness of phytoremediation process, and managing the safe utilisation of contaminated biomass. This review specifically focuses on phytoremediation of potentially toxic metals and metalloids in major metallophyte groups (wild herbaceous species, trees, and agricultural crops) recognizing the most efficient species for the anthropogenically influenced soils in Europe. It summarises the current state of knowledge regarding the use of respective plant species, highlighting the phytoremediation efficiency, critically examining existing and novel phytoremediation enhancement strategies and biomass utilisation pathways for each particular group. Future perspectives and research needed to refine the efficiency and economic viability of the phytoremediation process in Europe lay in better recognition of underlying physiological mechanism for metal stress tolerance, particularly among the most effective species and genera, application of synergistic enhancing techniques for delineated group of metallophytes and development of sustainable and cost-effective biomass utilisation routes

Agricultural production, status and expectations

Agriculture is the oldest economic sector in history, it is began at the conclusion of the Ice Age, approximately 14,000–11,000 years ago. In the world over 70% of the population consumes wheat bread. Triticum vulgare or Triticum aestivum is a more widespread type of wheat. Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina are countries that have excellent natural potential to respond to growing needs for food production. During the observed years, the total area arable land in Serbia varied: in 1939, it amounted to 4783656 ha, in the post-war period it was on the rise (in 2010 even 5051000 ha), but today it is declining (3481567 ha in 2020). Cereals and oilseeds have great economic importance in ensuring the food security of the population in the world, in the Republic of Serbia. Bread made from wheat flour contains of 77–78% carbohydrates, 16-17% protein, 1.2–1.5% fat, mineral salts (Ca, P, Fe) and B group vitamins (B1, B2, B3). The yield of small grains is determined by a number of factors, including the number of plants (ears per unit area), the number of grains in an ear, the weight of grains in an ear, and the total weight of grains. These indicators have complex mutual interactions because as one parameter’s value grows, the value of another often drops. Yields vary depending on the from the tillage system, the doses of nutrients provided, the time and method of application, genetics, climatic factors throughout the year and their interactions. Climate change is increasingly affecting fluctuating yields and grain production of all plant species.[https://doi.ub.kg.ac.rs/doi/7thmtagricult-02p/

Eco-friendly zeolite/PMMA thin films for efficient phthalate removal from natural waters: a computational and experimental study

Phthalates (PTs), originating primarily from plastic pollution, are significant environmental and health hazards due to their persistent presence in natural waters. This study investigates the removal of phthalates from natural waters using eco-friendly natural zeolite/poly(methyl methacrylate) (NZT/PMMA) thin films. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was employed to detect phthalates in ten water samples from the Republic of Serbia, revealing the presence of phthalate contamination. Adsorption experiments using NZT/PMMA films demonstrated exceptional efficiency, achieving 94–100% removal of dibutyl phthalate, benzyl butyl phthalate, diethyl phthalate, and diisobutyl phthalate within 120 min. Material characterization via high-resolution scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and BET analysis confirmed the synergistic adsorption capabilities of NZT and PMMA. Computational studies using density functional theory provided mechanistic insights, correlating molecular electrostatic potential and surface area with adsorption efficiency. The water matrix (ionic strength and humic acid) did not hinder the adsorption of PTs on NZT/PMMA films. The application of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) provided insight into the potential adsorption mechanism of PTs on NZT/PMMA films. The anti/prooxidant activity of the materials highlights their dual potential for pollutant removal and oxidative degradation. These findings position NZT/PMMA thin films as a promising eco-friendly solution for mitigating PTs pollution, addressing an urgent global environmental challenge

Introducing transcriptomics in IFVCNS sunflower breeding program

Sunflower is one of the most important oil crops globally and the leading oil crop in Serbia. In 2024, FAO ranked Serbia among the top 10 countries with the highest sunflower seed production, highlighting the significance of sunflower breeding. Over the past six decades, the Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops (IFVCNS) has developed thousands of diverse sunflower lines and hybrids, continuously refining its breeding program. The IFVCNS breeding program follows multiple strategic directions, with a primary focus on developing high-yielding, high-quality sunflower lines and hybrids. Climate change has increasingly impacted breeding programs, prompting a faster the need for a more rapid approach to gene and trait discovery. One of the most critical abiotic stressors affecting sunflower production is drought, which significantly reduces yield and quality, particularly during germination and flowering. Among omics techniques, transcriptomics has proven invaluable in identifying key pathways and genes associated with drought tolerance. To address this challenge, two IFVCNS sunflower inbred lines—one drought-tolerant and one drought-sensitive—were subjected to drought stress, and their transcriptomes were analyzed. This research aims to uncover major drought tolerance candidate genes that could be integrated into future breeding programs to enhance sunflower resilience

PHENO-DROP project ̶ advancing drought resilience in bread wheat through genomics and phenomics innovations

Bread wheat is a vital rainfed crop in both Italy and Serbia, where climate change has led to an increased frequency of droughts and extreme weather events, presenting serious threats to yield and yield stability. Traditional breeding approaches have achieved limited success in improving drought tolerance due to the complex, low-heritability nature of this trait and strong genotype-by-environment interactions. The project “New PHENO-ideotypes for DROught resilience in hexaPloid wheat – PHENO-DROP”, supported by the Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation of the Republic of Serbia, under the Call for Joint Research and Innovation Projects 2024–2026 between Italy and Serbia, aims to address these challenges. The main focus of this bilateral project is to strengthen scientific excellence and innovation capacities through the exchange of practical and theoretical knowledge between research institutions in Italy and Serbia to improve hexaploid wheat breeding for drought conditions. PHENO-DROP integrates high-throughput phenomics, genomics, and bioinformatics to explore and validate drought-resilient pheno-ideotypes in a diverse panel of hexaploid wheat germplasm, including both landraces and modern bread wheat varieties. The project focuses on key traits related to Water Use Efficiency (WUE), such as root architecture, stomatal characteristics, osmotic adjustment, and canopy-level indices. It will assess genetic variability within wheat landraces to identify phenotypic traits, key genes, and regulatory mechanisms underlying water scarcity tolerance. Additionally, it will evaluate yield stability and identify associated phenotypic traits in a panel of modern Serbian and Italian wheat varieties across diverse environments. These outcomes will foster innovation in breeding approaches and support sustainable wheat production in drought-prone regions of the pan-Adriatic zone

Potential for Enhancing Seed Yield and Quality of Spring Oat and Hull-Less Barley Through Intercropping with Pea Under the Pannonian Climate

The limited understanding of the factors that influence intercrop component performance continues to constrain the widespread adoption of intercropping systems. This study examined the relationships between dry yield, yield components, thousand kernel weight (TKW), hectoliter weight (HLW), and crude protein content in spring oat and hull-less barley using principal component analysis with mix data (PCA mix), general linear modeling (GLM), and regression analysis. Results showed that the total intercropping yield of spring oat and pea can match that of oat pure stands. Year, cropping system, and their interaction had significant effects on total dry yield (p 57.8%) than in oat (R2 < 13.9%), indicating higher protein yield trade-offs in barley. The dry yield–TKW relationship was negative in barley, reaching an R2 of 52% in 2023, but it was positive in oat (R2 = 26.6% in 2023; 28% in 2024), confirming crop-specific physiological responses under the same agro-ecological conditions

Second report from workshops, Training Schools and STSMs

Second report from workshops, Training Schools and STSMs is a deliverable of the CROPINNO project, funded as a HORIZON Coordination and Support Action type by the European Commission under its Horizon Europe (HE) Programme. It is produced in the scope of Tasks 1.1. Scientific workshops, 1.2. Training Schools and T1.3. Short-Term Scientific Missions within Work Package 1: Strengthening scientific capacity. This document summarizes the activities completed within those three Tasks till the end of the duration of the project (M16-M36). The Report describes scientific workshops; training schools and short-term scientific missions organized within the second reporting period and in accordance with D6.1 Mobility Plan. The Report includes the following: Reports from workshops; Report from Training Schools (TS); Report from Short-Term Scientific Missions (STSM). The First report from workshops, Training Schools and STSMs was drafted by IFVCNS, which is the leader of the respective tasks, with input from all partners

Bimodal distribution of potentially toxic elements in urban soils: the impact of particle size

The aim of the study was to ascertain the distribution of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) across different soil particle sizes, particularly on Fluvisol soil type in Novi Sad, Serbia, characterised by a significant proportion of sand as coarser particles. PTEs, such as As, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, and Pb were analysed in urban soil near major roads. Bulk samples of urban soil were collected and subsequently subdivided into seven different particle size fractions using the wet sieving technique. Based on PTE concentrations and PTE mass loadings, the research confirmed a bimodal binding of PTEs according to soil particle sizes. The highest contribution was observed in the finest fractions ( 500 μm), while medium-sized particles (50–500 μm) displayed the lowest contribution. Due to the predominant presence of sand in urban soils, it is important to include coarser fractions in risk assessments

Exploring the genetic diversity and population structure of Serbian and selected European bread wheat cultivars through iPBS-retrotransposon markers

Bread wheat is a globally vital crop, sustaining millions and contributing to food security. The present study investigated the molecular characterization of 60 bread wheat accessions, using 12 interprimer binding site (iPBS) retrotransposon markers, which yielded a total of 260 distinct bands. Out of the 260 bands, 42 were monomorphic while the remaining 218 (83.84%) were polymorphic, with polymorphism information content values ranging from 0.38 to 0.45. Genetic diversity indices, including Shannon’s information index (I = 0.01–0.53), effective number of alleles (Ne = 1.00–1.63), gene diversity (He = 0.0037–0.36), and marker index (MI = 0.31– 0.51), revealed moderate variability across the accessions. Analysis of molecular variance indicated 99% genetic variation within populations, underscoring the genetic richness of the germplasm. Principal coordinate analysis, neighbor-joining tree, and model-based STRUCTURE clustering divided the accession into two distinct groups. The average genetic distance was 0.23, with a minimum of 0.063 between Mohikana and NS Lenija and a maximum of 0.56 between LG Airbus and BC Bernarda accessions. Given their high genetic divergence, LG Airbus and BC Bernarda are suggested as potential candidate parents for future wheat breeding programs. Our study highlights the genetic variation within Serbian wheat germplasm and could be valuable for parental selection and the strategic planning of future breeding programs

Plan for joint training course

Plan for joint training course is a deliverable of the CROPINNO project, funded as a HORIZON Coordination and Support Action by the European Commission under its Horizon Europe (HE) Programme. It is produced in the scope of Task 1.4 within Work Package 1: Strengthening scientific capacity. This document describes a plan for joint training course on innovative approaches to climate-resilient crop improvement and production organized by IFVCNS and supported by CROPINNO partners. Plan for joint training course was drafted by IFVCNS, which is the leader of T1.4, with input from all partners