A Framework for Understanding Crop–Weed Competition in Agroecosystems

Competition is a fundamental ecological interaction among plants, arising when speciesutilise the same limited resources such as light, water, nutrients, and space. Resource limitations reduce the growth and survival of less competitive species, altering ecosystemstructure. In agroecosystems, weed–crop competition is a major challenge, reducing yieldand quality. Weeds often exhibit greater adaptability and resource efficiency, enablingthem to outcompete crops. Competition intensity is influenced by population density,morphology, phenology and survival strategies. Understanding plant competitive interactions is crucial for ecologists and agronomists to develop sustainable weed managementand resource optimization strategies. Climate change further alters competitive dynamics,favoring resilient and plastic species. Mechanisms like allelopathy, aboveground and belowground competition and adaptive growth responses shape community structure.Strategies to reduce weed pressure include breeding competitive crops and integratingcultural practices such as optimal sowing density, narrow row spacing, and cover cropping. Future research should address plant responses to multiple simultaneous stressors,the ecological role of allelochemicals under varying conditions, and the genetic mechanisms of competitive adaptability. A comprehensive understanding of these interactionsis essential for designing resilient, high-performing agroecosystems in changing environmental conditions

Artificial lighting as an effective method for increasing lettuce seedling development

Due to the short duration of sunlight and low light intensity during the winter, the lettuce photosynthesis is limited, resulting in slow growth and reduced quality. This study aimed to investigate the effects of lightemmiting diodes (LEDs) on the growth and quality of three lettuce cultivar seedlings. Results of our research indicate that applied light treatments significantly influenced the growth and development of all three lettuce cultivar seedlings. The highest shoot and root weight was achieved in the Jukebox cultivar grown under blue LEDs, while the highest total chlorophyll and carotenoid content was achieved in the Viola cultivar grown under white and blue LEDs, respectively

Istraživanje o uticaju gustine sadnje na prinos i morfološke osobine bamije u plasteničkoj proizvodnji

This dataset contains experimental data from a study on the effects of different planting densities (20, 25, 30, 35, and 40 cm) on the yield and morphological traits of okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L., cv. Nana), grown under controlled conditions in a greenhouse. The experiment was conducted in 2024 and 2025 at the Institute of Vegetable Growing, Smederevska Palanka, Serbia, using a completely randomized block design with three replications. The dataset includes: (1) plant height, number of internodes, number of lateral branches, and stem diameter, (2) number of pods per plant, and the length and diameter of three medium-sized pods. Data are structured in CSV format and organized by treatment and replication. The dataset is suitable for statistical analysis, variety comparison, agronomic planning, and yield modelling in protected cultivation. It is available upon request and licensed under ARR (All Rights Reserved).Ови истраживачки подаци добијени су у оквиру истраживања утицаја различитих густина садње (20, 25, 30, 35 и 40 cm) на принос и морфолошке особине биљака bamije (Abelmoschus esculentus L.) сорте Nana, гајене у контролисаним условима (пластеник). Експеримент је спроведен 2024. и 2025. године у Институту за повртарство у Смедеревској Паланци, у систему потпуно случајних блокова са три понављања. Подаци обухватају: (1) висину биљака, број интернодија, број бочних изданака и пречник стабла, (2) број махуна по биљци, дужину и пречник три средње махуне. Подаци су представљени у структурираном CSV формату, организовани по третманима и понављањима. Могу бити коришћени за статистичке анализе, упоређивање сорти, агротехничко планирање и моделирање приноса у заштићеном простору. Подаци су доступни уз дозволу аутора и лиценциран под ARR (сва права задржана)

Influence of mineral nutrients on the number of leaves and root weight of sugar beet

Šećerna repa je važna industrijsku i prehrambenu sirovina. Rezerve ulja semena šećerne repe igraju važnu ulogu u uspešnom klijanju i razvoju rasada. Proizvodne površine su ograničene a kod proizvodnje šećerne repe važno je poštovati pravila plodoreda pa se postizanje povećanja prinosa korena vrši raznim agrotehničkim merama među kojima važnu ulogu ima i primena hraniva. Na oglednim poljima PSS Instituta Tamiš tokom tri godine, izvedena su ispitivanja sa tri sorte šećerne repe. Ispitivan je uticaj različitih količina NPK hraniva na broj listova i težinu korena. Najveća brojnost listova kao i najveća težina korena zabeležena je kod sorte Otis. Promena rastućih količina NPK hraniva u malom procentu je uticala na brojnost listova kod sorti ali je značajno uticala na prosečnu težinu korenva, povećanje je u nekim slučajevima iznosilo skoro 50%.Sugar beet is an important industrial and food raw material. Sugar beet seed oil reserves play an important role in successful germination and seedling development. Production areas are limited, and in the production of sugar beet, it is important to follow the rules of crop rotation, so achieving this increase is done by various agrotechnical measures, among which the application of nutrients plays an important role. On the experimental fields of PSS Institute Tamiš, tests were carried out on three varieties of sugar beet during three years. The influence of different amounts of NPK nutrients on the number of leaves and the weight of the roots was examined. In these experiments, the highest number of leaves as well as the highest weight of the roots was recorded in the variety Otis. The change in the growing amounts of NPK nutrients affected the number of leaves in the varieties by a small percentage but significantly affected the average weight of the roots, the increase in some cases was almost 50

Influence of the production method of different sweet corn hybrids on the productive characteristics

Sweet corn (Zea mays L. var. saccharata Sturt.) is an important vegetable crop due to its nutritional value and economic profitability. The aim of this work was to examine the influence of the production method (container and direct sowing) on the productive characteristics (ear length, grain depth and ear weight) of two supersweet sweet corn hybrids (DDST 255 and Sweet Nugget) under irrigation conditions. The experiment was conducted in 2024 on a family farm in Bogojevac, southern Serbia. Container production resulted in greater ear length, kernel depth and ear weight compared to direct seeding. The method of production had a statistically significant influence (p<0.01) on all investigated traits, while the interaction of the production method and the hybrid was significant only for ear weight. Hybrid DDST 255 showed higher values compared to Sweet Nugget. Container production significantly affected the productive characteristics of sweet corn compared to direct sowing, especially in hybrid DDST 255. The choice of production method should be adapted to the choice of hybrid to achieve satisfactory values of the most important productive characteristics of sweet corn

The Effect of the Application of Irrigation on the Productive Characteristics of Bean in Drought Conditions

Pasulj (Phaseolus vulgaris) je mahunarka značajna za ishranu zbog visokog sadržaja proteina, vlakana i zdravstvene koristi. Ništa manji značaj nema ni sa agronomskog stanovišta zbog sposobnosti azotofiksacije i kratkog vegetacionog perioda. U Srbiji, poslednjih decenija, agroekološki uslovi su se pogoršali zbog sve ekstremnijih temperatura i smanjenih padavina, što negativno utiče na prinose. Visoke temperature smanjuju životnu sposobnost polena, otežavaju oprašivanje i oplodnju, što dovodi do smanjenog broja mahuna i nerazvijenih semena. Zbog toga je navodnjavanje postalo neophodno u proizvodnji pasulja. U okviru poljskog ogleda, postavljenog na zemljištu tipa aluvijalne smonice, ispitivan je uticaj navodnjavanja na dve sorte pasulja – Galeb i Biser – na visinu biljke, broj mahuna i masu mahuna. Rezultati su pokazali da su najveće prosečne vrednosti visine biljke ostvarene kod genotipa Galeb u varijanti gde je primenjeno navodnjavanje (42,06 cm), zatim kod istog genotipa u kontroli (38,27 cm). Genotip je ispoljio statistički značajan uticaj na ovu osobinu, dok tretman i interakcija genotipa i tretmana nisu pokazali statistički značajne razlike. Kada je u pitanju broj mahuna, oba genotipa su ostvarila znatno veće vrednosti u tretmanu sa navodnjavanjem, što potvrđuje značajan uticaj tretmana. Kod genotipa Biser zabeleženo je 15,68 mahuna, a kod Galeba 15,04, dok su u tretmanu bez navodnjavanja vrednosti bile znatno niže (Biser – 2,75, Galeb – 4,56). Uticaj navodnjavanja na masu mahuna bio je statistički vrlo značajan: kod Galeba 13,67 g, a kod Bisera 10,10 g, što se značajno razlikovalo od kontrolnog tretmana (Galeb – 2,51 g, Biser – 1,21 g). Rezultati ukazuju na važnost navodnjavanja za ostvarivanje stabilnih i visokih prinosa, naročito u uslovima suše. Proizvodnja pasulja bez sistema navodnjavanja biće sve izazovnija u budućnosti, posebno uz rastuće temperature i smanjene padavine.Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) is a legume important for human nutrition due to its high content of protein, fiber, and health benefits. It is also important from an agronomic standpoint because of nitrogen fixation and a short vegetation period. In Serbia, in recent decades, ecological conditions have worsened due to increasingly extreme temperatures and reduced precipitation, which negatively affect yields. High temperatures reduce pollen viability, hinder pollination and fertilization, and lead to a reduced number of pods and undeveloped seeds. For this reason, irrigation has become essential in bean production. Within a field experiment established on alluvial soil, the influence of irrigation on two bean varieties – Galeb and Biser – on plant height, number of pods, and pod weight was examined. The results showed that the highest average plant height values were achieved in the Galeb genotype in the irrigated treatment (42.06 cm), followed by the same genotype in the control (38.27 cm). The genotype had a statistically significant effect on this trait, while treatment and the genotype × treatment interaction did not show significant differences. Regarding the number of pods, both genotypes achieved significantly higher values under irrigation treatment, confirming the importance of irrigation. The Biser genotype recorded 15.68 pods, while Galeb had 15.04, compared to much lower values without irrigation (Biser – 2.75, Galeb – 4.56). The irrigation treatment also had a highly significant effect on pod mass: 13.67 g for Galeb and 10.10 g for Biser, compared to the control (2.51 g and 1.21 g, respectively). The results indicate the importance of irrigation for achieving stable yields, especially under drought conditions. Bean production without irrigation systems will become increasingly challenging in the future, particularly with rising temperatures and reduced rainfall

Kombinovana primena vrsta Trifolium pratense L. i Lolium perenne L. i β-diketonata u remedijaciji polutanata jalovine azbesta

Antropogene aktivnosti (eksploatacija i neracionalna upotreba zemljišta, deponovanje industrijskog, komunalnog, rudarskog i drugog otpada) dovele su do formiranja tehnogenih zemljišta nepovoljnih fizičkih i hemijskih osobina i oskudne vegetacije. Vraćanje upotrebne vrednosti zahteva rekultivaciju uz primenu različitih tehnika remedijacije. Ova studija ispituje potencijal β-diketonata (10, 30, 50, 100 i 200 mg/L) kao agensa za neutralizaciju zagađivača u azbestnoj jalovini (jalovište azbesta Kotraža, Stragari, Srbija), primenom biotestova na model vrstama crvena detelina (Trifolium pratense L.) i engleski ljulj (Lolium perenne L.). Rezultati pokazuju selektivne efekte u zavisnosti od koncentracije i vrste: najveća dužina korenka kod T. pratense na 30 mg/L, a kod L. perenne na 10 mg/L. Koncentracije 10 i 30 mg/L stimulisale su rast korenka obe vrste; stimulativan efekat za T. pratense zabeležen je i na 50 mg/L, dok je 30 mg/L dalo statistički značajan efekat kod ove vrste. Nalazi ukazuju na potencijal niskih koncentracija β-diketonata u neutralizaciji polutanata azbestne jalovine i mogućnost kombinovane primene ispitivanih vrsta u početnim koracima rekultivacije i remedijacije zagađenih ekosistema

How to Bring Science Closer to Citizens: The First Steps Towards Involving Citizens

Građanska naučna istraživanja predstavljaju savremen pristup nauci koji uključuje širu javnost u prikupljanje podataka, analizu i predlaganje novih inicijativa u okviru različitih istraživačkih tema. Ovaj model saradnje između stručnjaka i građana omogućava demokratizaciju nauke i doprinosi boljem razumevanju lokalnih problema i potencijalnih rešenja. U ovom istraživanju, koje je sprovedeno u saradnji sa građanima volonterima, cilj je bio podizanje svesti o značaju očuvanja biodiverziteta i semena starih sorti. Učestvovali su građani različitih starosnih grupa, obrazovnih i profesionalnih profila, kao i interesovanja. Učesnicima su podeljeni upitnici sa sledećim pitanjima: • Da li su ranije čuli za građanska naučna istraživanja? • Da li bi želeli da učestvuju u ovakvim aktivnostima? • Da li su ranije bili volonteri? • Da li bi bili zainteresovani da postanu volonteri? Rezultati pokazuju da je veoma mali broj ispitanika prethodno čuo za građanska naučna istraživanja, dok je interesovanje za eventualno uključivanje u ove aktivnosti bilo znatno izraženije. Ipak, volonterske aktivnosti generalno nisu popularne među ispitanim građanima, a nijedan ispitanik nije izrazio konkretnu spremnost za aktivno učešće. Analiza odgovora prema kategorijama starosti, obrazovanja i zanimanja nije pokazala statistički značajne razlike, što ukazuje da niska informisanost i učešće nisu vezani za određenu demografsku grupu. Iako građanska naučna istraživanja mogu pružiti širu sliku problema i uključiti zajednicu u procese donošenja odluka, ovaj pristup još uvek nije dovoljno prepoznat. Niska informisanost može biti jedan od ključnih razloga za slabo interesovanje i pasivan odnos građana. Popularizacijom koncepta građanske nauke – naročito među mlađim generacijama – može se značajno doprineti podizanju svesti o važnosti očuvanja prirodnih resursa, kao i o ulozi svakog pojedinca u rešavanju lokalnih i globalnih problema. Uključivanje zajednice u naučna istraživanja ne samo da osnažuje društvenu odgovornost, već i obogaćuje samu nauku novim perspektivama i iskustvima.Citizen science research represents a modern approach to science that involves the general public in data collection, analysis and proposing new initiatives within various research topics. This model of cooperation between experts and citizens enables the democratisation of science and contributes to a better understanding of local problems and potential solutions. In this research, which was conducted in cooperation with volunteer citizens, the goal was to raise awareness of the importance of preserving biodiversity and seed of old varieties. This research involved citizens of different age groups and educational and professional profiles, as well as various interests. Participants were given Q&A questionnaires with the following questions: • Have they heard of citizen science research before? • Would they like to participate in such activities? • Were they volunteers before? • Would you be interested in becoming a volunteer? The results indicated that a very small number of respondents had previously heard about citizen scientific research, while the interest in possible involvement in these activities were significantly more pronounced. However, volunteer activities are generally not popular among the surveyed citizens, and no respondent expressed a specific readiness for active participation. Analysis of responses according to age, education and occupation categories did not show statistically significant differences, which indicates that low information and participation are not related to a certain demographic group. Although citizen science research can provide a broader picture of the problem and involve the community in decision-making processes, this approach is still not recognised. Low information can be one of the key reasons for the weak interest and passive attitude of citizens. Popularising the concept of citizen science – especially among younger generations – can significantly contribute to raising awareness of the importance of preserving natural resources, as well as the role of each individual in solving local and global problems. Community involvement in scientific research not only strengthens social responsibility but also enriches science itself with new perspectives and experiences

Selektivnost i efikasnost piridata u kombinaciji sa drugim herbicidima u semenskom usevu mrkve (Daucus carota L. ssp. sativus)

Setva semenskog useva mrkve (Daucus carota L. ssp. sativus) sorte Nantes SP-80 obavljena je 2. oktobra 2024. godine na imanju Instituta za povrtarstvo Smederevska Palanka. Međuredni razmak setve bio je 50 cm, a usev je nakon setve tretiran pendimetalinom u količini 1137.5 g a.s. ha-1. Ogled je postavljen kao potpuno slučajan plan sa 3 ponavljanja, a uključivao je netretiranu kontrolu i 3 tretmana, sa dimenzijama eksperimentalne parcele 2×6 metara. Aplikacija herbicida je obavljena 24. marta 2025. u najtoplijem delu dana, primenom Lechler IDK12002 rasprskivača uz utrošak zaštitine tečnosti od 200 L ha-1, kada minimalne temperature nisu padale ispod 5℃, čime bi se obezbedila željena efikasnost herbicida a istovremeno izbeglo oštećenje useva herbicidom usled niskih temperatura. U ogledu su ispitivane efikasnost i selektivnost sledećih tretmana: piridat 900 g a.s. ha-1 + klopiralid 100 g a.s. ha-1; piridat 900 g a.s. ha-1 + flumioksazin 30,6 g a.s. ha-1; piridat 900 g a.s. ha-1 + klomazon 96 g a.s. ha-1. Vizuelna ocena efikasnosti i fitotoksičnosti, brojnost korova po kvadratnom metru kao i uzorkovanje sveže nadzemne mase korova i useva urađeni su 21 dan nakon aplikacije herbicida, po EPPO metodi PP 1/99(3). Od korova, u ogledu su bile prisutne vrste Galium aparine L. i Senecio vulgaris L., a uzorci su sušeni 72 sata na temperaturi od 70℃. Podaci su analizirani pomoću IBM SPSS Statistics software, version 26.0 primenom Tukey testa (α=0.05). Prvi tretman je ispoljio fitotoksičnost u suzbijanju vrste Galium aparine L. (svega 15%) i najmanji procenat redukcije suve mase od 29,85%, kao i fitotoksičnost u suzbijanju vrste Senecio vulgaris L. (od 5%) dok je procenat redukcije suve mase iznosio 22,58%. Tretman 2 je ispoljio najbolju efikasnost u suzbijanju vrste Galium aparine L. od 95% i procenat redukcije suve mase od 72,50%, dok je efikasnost u suzbijanju vrste Senecio vulgaris L. bila ispod nivoa (20%) a procenat redukcije suve mase 37,37%. Tretman 3 je ispoljio efikasnost u suzbijanju vrste Galium aparine L. od 60% i procenat redukcije suve mase od 55,97%, dok je efikasnost u suzbijanju vrste Senecio vulgaris L. bila takođe 60% a procenat redukcije suve mase 74,11%. Svi tretmani su prouzrokovali fitotoksičnost na usev mrkve. Fitotoksičnost u tretmanu 1 ocenjena je sa 15% dok je procenat redukcije suve mase iznosio 24,24%. U tretmanu 2 fitotoksičnost je iznosila 5%, procenat redukcije suve mase 61,76%, a u tretmanu 3 fitotoksičnost je ocenjena sa 25% dok je procenat redukcije suve mase useva iznosio 49,68%. Razlike u vizuelnoj oceni fitotoksičnosti i procentu redukcije suve mase u tretmanu 2 rezultat su specifičnosti simptoma herbicida flumioksazin koji prouzrokuje oštećenja lisne mase u vidu prženja, ali vegetativna tačka rasta useva ne biva oštećena te on nastavlja dalji rast i razvoj. U suzbijanju obeju prisutnih vrsta korova, najbolje parametre efikasnosti ispoljio je tretman 3, pri čemu je tretman 2 ispoljio bolju efikasnost u suzbijanju vrste Galium aparine L, ali lošiju u suzbijanju vrste Senecio vulgaris L, dok tretman 1 nije ispoljio efikasnost u suzbijanju korova

Analysis of Microelement (Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn) Content in Ash of Briquettes from Different Biomasses

Mineralna supstanca biomase predstavlja količine metala prisutne u obliku neorganskih i organskih soli, kompleksnih jedinjenja ili jona tokom vegetacionog perioda. Određivanje sadržaja pepela, odnosno mineralne supstance dobijene sagorevanjem biomase, ključni je parametar za procenu kvaliteta i klase biogoriva. Poznavanje kvalitativnog i kvantitativnog sastava minerala značajno je zbog uticaja oksida u pepelu na njegove fizičke karakteristike i temperature topljenja. U ovom radu sprovedena je kvalitativna analiza mikroelemenata (Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn) u pepelu dobijenom sagorevanjem briketa pripremljenih od duvanskih i sojinih stabljika, pšenične slame, ostataka glavica suncokreta, oklasaka kukuruza i piljevine drveta bukve, prema standardu EN 14961-2. Najniži sadržaj Mn (207 mg/kg) utvrđen je u uzorku duvanske stabljike, dok je najviši sadržaj Mn zabeležen u oklascima kukuruza (1447 mg/kg). Sadržaj Fe najniži je u piljevini bukve (2,78 mg/kg), a najviši u sojinoj slami (18,35 mg/kg). U ostatcima glavica suncokreta registrovane su najniže vrednosti Cu (44,58 mg/kg) i Zn (74,40 mg/kg), dok su piljevina bukve imala najviše vrednosti (148,7 mg/kg za Cu i 335,8 mg/kg za Zn). Analiza je pokazala da uzorci različite biomase značajno variraju u sadržaju mikroelemenata, što je od važnosti za primenu biomase u proizvodnji biogoriva i predviđanje ponašanja pepela tokom sagorevanja.The mineral substance of biomass represents the amounts of metals present in the form of inorganic and organic salts, complex compounds, or ions during the vegetation period. Determination of ash content, i.e., the mineral substance obtained by biomass combustion, is a key parameter for assessing the quality and class of biofuel. Knowledge of the qualitative and quantitative composition of minerals is important due to the influence of oxides in ash on its physical properties and melting temperatures. In this study, a qualitative analysis of microelements (Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn) was conducted in ash obtained from the combustion of briquettes prepared from tobacco and soybean stems, wheat straw, sunflower head residues, maize cobs, and beech wood sawdust was carried out, according to the EN 14961- 2 standard. The lowest Mn content (207 mg/kg) was found in the tobacco stem sample, while the highest Mn content was recorded in maize cobs (1447 mg/kg). The lowest Fe content was found in beech sawdust (2.78 mg/kg), and the highest in soybean straw (18.35 mg/kg). The lowest Cu (44.58 mg/kg) and Zn (74.40 mg/kg) contents were recorded in sunflower head residues, while beech sawdust had the highest values (148.7 mg/kg for Cu and 335.8 mg/kg for Zn). The analysis showed that different biomass samples significantly vary in microelement content, which is important for biomass application in biofuel production and predicting ash behavior during combustion