Impact of selected Bacillus strains inoculation on barley biomass yield

Ječam (Hordeum vulgare L.) zauzima četvrto mesto među najznačajnijim žitaricama u svetu, sa dugom istorijom gajenja i ključnom ulogom u globalnoj poljoprivrednoj proizvodnji. Njegov značaj potiče iz visoke prilagodljivosti različitim klimatskim uslovima, nutritivne vrednosti i široke primene – od stočne hrane i osnovne sirovine za pivarsku industriju do upotrebe u proizvodnji prehrambenih proizvoda za ljudsku ishranu. U kontekstu porasta svetske populacije i izazova koje nameću klimatske promene, neophodno je razvijati održive i efikasne strategije za unapređenje prinosa i kvaliteta ječma. U tom smislu, sve veća pažnja usmerava se na primenu mikroorganizama kao ekološki prihvatljive alternative sintetičkim đubrivima i pesticidima. Posebno su perspektivne bakterije iz roda Bacillus, od kojih se pojedine vrste svrstavaju u rizobakterije koje podstiču rast biljaka (PGPR). Ove bakterije poznate su po sposobnosti da poboljšaju usvajanje hranljivih materija (npr. putem fiksacije azota i rastvaranja fosfata), sintetišu fitohormone rasta i štite biljke od patogena. Stoga je cilj ovog istraživanja bio da se proceni uticaj dva soja roda Bacillus na prinos ječma (Hordeum vulgare L.) u polukontrolisanim uslovima, u eksperimentu u saksijama. Odabrani sojevi su prethodno okarakterisani kao bakterije sa osobinama koje pospešuju rast biljaka, kao što su produkcija indol-3-sirćetne kiseline, siderofora i sposobnost solubilizacije fosfata. Seme ječma inokulisano je sojevima Bacillus thuringiensis BHC 2.4 i Bacillus velezensis BHC 3.1, dok je tretman bez inokulacije služio kao kontrola. Eksperiment je sproveden u stakleniku Instituta za zemljište od maja do avgusta 2025. godine. Biljke su gajene u saksijama prečnika 15 cm, raspoređenim po principu potpuno slučajnog rasporeda, sa tri ponavljanja po tretmanu. Na kraju ogleda nadzemna biljna masa je pokošena, osušena i izmerena (g). Oba bakterijska tretmana značajno su povećala prinos biljne mase u poređenju sa kontrolom. Detektovano je povećanje prinosa suve biljne mase za do 29,93% kod biljaka inokulisanih sojem B. thuringiensis BHC 2.4 i do 48,91% kod biljaka tretiranih sojem B. velezensis BHC 3.1. Dobijeni rezultati ukazuju da ispitivani sojevi roda Bacillus poseduju visok potencijal kao bioinokulanti koji podstiču rast ječma, doprinoseći održivoj poljoprivrednoj proizvodnji i smanjenju zavisnosti od hemijskih đubriva. Buduća istraživanja treba da obuhvate potvrdu efikasnosti ovih sojeva u poljskim uslovima.Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) ranks as the world's fourth most important cereal crop, boasting a long history of cultivation and a pivotal role in agricultural production across the globe. Its significance stems from its adaptability to diverse climatic conditions, high nutritional value, and versatile utility—ranging from livestock feed and a primary brewing raw material to human food products. In the context of a growing global population and the challenges posed by climate change, it is imperative to develop sustainable and efficient strategies to enhance barley yield and quality. To this end, there is a growing focus on utilizing microorganisms as an ecologically friendly alternative to synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. Strains of bacteria from the genus Bacillus are particularly promising; as some of them are classified as Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR). These bacteria are renowned for their ability to improve nutrient uptake (e.g., through nitrogen fixation, phosphate solubilization), synthesize plant growth hormones, and protect crops against pathogens. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the effect of two Bacillus strains on the growth performance of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) under semi-controlled conditions, in a pot experiment. Bacillus strains were selected based on their previously confirmed PGP traits, such as the production of indole-3-acetic acid, siderophore and phosphate solubilization ability. Barley seeds were inoculated with Bacillus thuringiensis BHC 2.4 and Bacillus velezensis BHC 3.1, while a noninoculated treatment served as the control. The experiment was conducted in the greenhouse of the Institute of Soil Science from May to August 2025. Plants were grown in pots (15 cm in diameter) arranged in a completely randomized design with three replications per treatment. At the end of the experiment, aboveground biomass was harvested, dried and measured (g). Both bacterial treatments significantly enhanced plant biomass compared to the control. The dry biomass yield increased by up to 29.93% in plants inoculated with B. thuringiensis BHC 2.4 and by up to 48.91% in those treated with B. velezensis BHC 3.1. These results suggest that the tested Bacillus strains have a strong potential as plant growth-promoting inoculants for barley cultivation, contributing to sustainable crop production and reduced dependence on chemical fertilizers. Future research should include confirmation of efficiency of the selected strains under field conditions

Impact of Microplastics on Forest Soil Properties in Pollution Hotspots in Alluvial Plains of Large Rivers (Morava, Sava, and Danube) of Serbia

first_pagesettingsOrder Article Reprints Open AccessArticle Impact of Microplastics on Forest Soil Properties in Pollution Hotspots in Alluvial Plains of Large Rivers (Morava, Sava, and Danube) of Serbia by Tara Grujić 1ORCID,Elmira Saljnikov 2ORCID,Dragosav Mutavdžić 2,Marina Jovković 1,Slobodan Stefanović 3ORCID,Vladimir Miladinović 4ORCID,Slobodan Krnjajić 2ORCID,Snežana Belanović Simić 5ORCID andŽaklina Marjanović 2,*ORCID 1 Institute of Soil Science, Teodora Drajzera 7, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia 2 Institute of Multidisciplinary Research, University of Belgrade, Kneza Višeslava 1, 11030 Belgrade, Serbia 3 Faculty for Applied Ecology “Futura”, Metropolitan University, Požeška 53a, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia 4 Institute for Vegetable Crops Smederevska Palanka, Karađorđeva 71, 11420 Smederevska Palanka, Serbia 5 Faculty of Forestry, University of Belgrade, Kneza Višeslava 1, 11030 Belgrade, Serbia * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. Forests 2025, 16(2), 363; https://doi.org/10.3390/f16020363 Submission received: 3 January 2025 / Revised: 30 January 2025 / Accepted: 6 February 2025 / Published: 17 February 2025 (This article belongs to the Special Issue Influence of Environmental Changes on Forest Soil Quality and Health) Downloadkeyboard_arrow_down Browse Figures Versions Notes Abstract Plastic pollution has become a major environmental problem, while the products of its degradation, microplastics (MPs), appear everywhere on Earth. Data on MPs in agricultural soils have appeared lately, but a significant knowledge gap exists regarding forest soils. In Serbia, municipal waste is often dumped in forests, creating environmental problems that have not been documented. To explore the impact of waste dumping and MPs on forest fluvisols, we evaluated MPs from topsoils of three waste dumps and adequate visibly plastic non-contaminated forest sites located in alluviums of the largest rivers in Serbia. For assessing the influence of environmental factors on soil MPs, samples were taken in three forest vegetational seasons, in two years. The impact of MPs on soil structure, chemistry, and microbial respiration (MR) was examined. Undisturbed soil columns from uncontaminated sites with added known MP particles were used to estimate the dynamic of MP transfer through the topsoil. Large aggregate formation, soil coarse sand content, specific mass, porosity, and available P, but not MR were affected by contamination. Seasonal and annual environmental changes significantly influenced the behavior of MPs in forest luvisols. MPs effectively penetrated the deeper layers of soil columns within 3 months, with strong accumulation in the 0–10 cm layer.This article belongs to the Special Issue Influence of Environmental Changes on Forest Soil Quality and HealthSupplementary data on this link: [https://rivec.institut-palanka.rs/handle/123456789/1057

Variation of spike harvest index in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Spike harvest index (SHI) can be an indicator of partitioning assimilation into seeds vegetative biomass and wheat productivity. The aim of this study is estimation of spike harvest index variation in wheat varieties grown under different environmental conditions. Twenty genetically divergent winter wheat cultivars were included in two years which characterized different weather conditions. On the field experiment in randomized block design in three replications, the seeds of varieties were sown at the distance of 0.10 m in rows of 1.0 m length with the distance of 0.2 m. For analysis of spike harvest index determined in proportion of seed mass spike-1/mass of spike, 60 plants in full maturity stage (20 plants per replication) were used. The results showed differences of spike harvest index among varieties and between years of experiment. In the first year the variety Pobeda had the highest value of spike harvest index (80.93%) and the Evropa 90 had the lowest SHI (75.67%), while in second year of experiment, the variety Zadruga had the highest value of spike harvest index (85.00%) and the Sumadinka had the lowest SHI (75.50%). Differences of SHI in wheat varieties are due to response of genotypes to environmental factors as well as interaction of genotype/environment

Chlorophyll content in the leaves of sweet corn grown with cover crops

Razlika u sadržaju hlorofila predstavlja jedan od najizrazitijih simptoma stresa, posebno u periodu nakon primene herbicida u gajenom usevu. Pokrovni usevi imaju uticaja na smanjenje zakorovljenosti, čime se redukuje primena herbicida što uslovljava veči sadržaj hlorofila u listovima gajenih biljaka. Na sadržaj hlorofila u listovima utiču i starost i položaj listova, mineralna ishrana, temperatura, relativna vlaga, genotip i drugo. Sa razvojem održivih sistema pokrovni usevi su prepoznati kao faktori obezbeđivanja azota glavnom usevu, a samim tim i usevi koji povoljno utiču na sadržaj hlorofila u listovima. Tokom 2014/2015. i 2015/2016. godine (faktor A) je sproveden ogled, postavljen po split-plot dizajnu na eksperimentalnom polju Instituta za kukuruz "Zemun Polje". Kao glavni usev gajen je hibrid kukuruza šećerca ZPSC 421su (FAO 400). U ogledu je uključena kontrolna varijanta, a kao pokrovni usevi (faktor B) gajeni su: obična grahorica, ozimi ovas, ozimi krmni kelj, ozimi krmni grašak i smeše ozimi krmni grašak + ozimi ovas i obična grahorica+ozimi ovas, uz primenu mikrobiološkog đubriva, (faktor C). Cilj rada je ispitivanje sadržaja hlorofila u listovima kukuruza šećerca, gajenog sa pokrovim usevima. Sadržaj hlorofila je meren pomoću SPAD uređaja (Infraneo, Chopin Technologies, Francuska) na tri biljke u svakom ponavljanju, sa tri mesta na listovima klipa. Statistički vrlo značaj uticaj je ispoljila interakcija faktora godina x pokrovni usev, kao i pojedinačno delovanje faktora pokrovni usev. Najbolji efekat je postignut kod ozimog krmnog graška u drugoj godini bez primene mikrobiološkog đubriva (45.16 Spad units) i sa njegovom primenom (40.29 Spad units) u odnosu na kontrolnu varijantu.The difference in the content of chlorophyll is one of the most pronounced symptoms of stress, especially in the period after the application of herbicides in the cultivated crop. Cover crops have an effect on the reduction of weeds, which reduces the use of herbicides, which leads to a higher content of chlorophyll in the leaves of cultivated plants. The chlorophyll content in the leaves is influenced by the age and position of the leaves, mineral nutrition, temperature, relative humidity, genotype and others. With the development of sustainable systems, cover crops are recognized as factors in providing nitrogen to the main crop, and therefore crops that favorably affect the chlorophyll content in the leaves. During 2014/2015. and 2015/2016. year (factor A), an experiment was conducted, set up according to a split-plot design on the experimental field of the Maize Institute "Zemun Polje". It is grown as the main crop sweet corn hybrid ZPSC 421su (FAO 400). The control variant was included in the trial, and as cover crops (factor B) the following were grown: common vetch, winter oats, winter fodder kale, winter fodder peas and mixtures of winter fodder peas + winter oats and common vetch + winter oats, with the application of microbiological fertilizer (factor C). The aim of the work is to examine the chlorophyll content in the leaves of sweet corn grown with cover crops. Chlorophyll content was measured using a SPAD device (Infraneo, Chopin Technologies, France) on three plants per replication, from three sites on cob leaves. The interaction of the factor year x cover crop, as well as the individual effect of the factor cover crop, had a statistically significant impact. The best effect was achieved with winter fodder peas in the second year without the application of microbiological fertilizer (45.16 Spad units) and with its application (40.29 Spad units) compared to the control variant

Characteristics of Oil from Domestic Pumpkin

Ulje semena tikve karakteriše se visokim udelom nezasićenih masnih kiselina, tokoferola, karotenoida (posebno β-karotena) i fitosterola. Dodatnu vrednost ulju daje proizvodnja tikve bez upotrebe agrohemikalija, što je slučaj sa domaćom tikvom uzgajanom kao sporedna biljna kultura u gazdinstvima pojedinih sela Zapadne i Centralne Srbije. Cilj rada bio je ispitati osnovne karakteristike ulja semena domaće tikve. Ispitana su ulja semena 19 različitih genotipova domaće tikve prikupljenih na širem području Centralne i Zapadne Srbije. Pre analize, seme je osušeno na sobnoj temperaturi. Ulje je izolovano na dva načina: hladnim presovanjem (pužna presa, OPW 650, Gorenje, Slovenija) i ekstrakcijom (Solvent extractor, Velp Scientifica 148, Italija). Nakon presovanja, ulje je ostavljeno da se istalože balastne materije na 4 °C. U bistrim uljima meren je sadržaj vlage i isparljivih materija gravimetrijskim sušenjem na 105 °C do konstantne mase, a zatim je izmeren indeks refrakcije na 23 °C pomoću Abbe-ovog refraktometra. Sadržaj sirovog ulja određen je pomoću petroletra. Rezultati su pokazali da se sadržaj ulja u semenu kretao od 2,68% do 42%, sa srednjom vrednošću od 25,73%. Boja hladno presovanih ulja značajno je varirala od žutozelene do tamnosmeđe, što ukazuje na razlike u sadržaju pigmenata. Sadržaj vlage i isparljivih materija varirao je od 0,08% do 0,2%, sa prosekom od 0,14%. Indeks refrakcije varirao je od 1,4700 do 1,4730, sa prosečnom vrednošću od 1,4712. Minimalne razlike mogu ukazati na neznatne varijacije u masnokiselinskom sastavu. Na osnovu rezultata može se zaključiti da postoje značajne razlike u sadržaju ulja semena 19 genotipova domaće tikve, dok su boja, vlaga i indeks refrakcije pokazali homogeni kvalitet svih uzoraka.Pumpkin seed oil contains a high level of unsaturated fatty acids, tocopherols, carotenoids (particularly β-carotene), and phytosterols. Cultivation of pumpkins without agrochemical use enhances the oil’s value, as exemplified by domestic pumpkins grown as secondary crops on small farms in Western and Central Serbia. The objective of this study was to investigate the characteristics of domestic pumpkin seed oil. Seed oils from 19 genotypes collected from Central and Western Serbia were analyzed. The seeds were air-dried at room temperature, and oil was extracted using two methods: cold pressing (screw press, OPW 650, Gorenje, Slovenia) and solvent extraction (Velp Scientifica 148, Italy). Moisture and volatile matter were determined by gravimetric drying at 105 °C, and the refractive index was measured at 23 °C using an Abbe refractometer. The oil content ranged from 2.68% to 42.00%, with an average of 25.73%. The color of cold-pressed oils varied from yellow-green to dark brown, reflecting differences in pigment composition. Moisture and volatile matter content ranged between 0.08% and 0.20% (average 0.14%), while the refractive index ranged from 1.4700 to 1.4730, with an average of 1.4712. The narrow range of refractive index values indicates a high degree of homogeneity among genotypes. The results indicate significant variability in oil content among genotypes, while oil color, moisture, and refractive index remained within quality standards, confirming good quality of all analyzed samples

Od otpada do resursa – primena sintetisanih β-diketonata kao agenasa za remedijaciju i fitostabilizaciju kanalizacionog mulja

Kontaminirani kanalizacioni mulj, zbog akumulacije teških metala i nestabilnih agrohemijskih svojstava, predstavlja ozbiljan ekološki i poljoprivredni izazov. Ovaj rad prikazuje rezultate istraživanja primene β-diketonata kao selektivnih helatorskih agenasa za stabilizaciju polutanata u otpadnom mulju. Sintetisani β-diketonati, kao ligandi koji formiraju stabilne komplekse sa metalima, primenjeni su u koncentraciji od 50 mg/L u tri varijante supstrata (kanalizacioni mulj, mešavina kanalizacionog mulja sa supstratom za gajenje biljaka i kontrolni supstrat za gajenje biljaka). Analizirani su pH, sadržaj organske materije, P₂O₅ i K₂O, kao i koncentracije 11 elemenata (Cd, Pb, Zn, Cu, Cr, Ni, Fe, Mn, Mo, B i Co) u podlozi i tkivima paprike Capsicum annuum L. (koren, stablo, list i plod) metodom AAS. Upotreba β-diketonata dovela je do smanjenja koncentracije Cd u plodovima na 700 ppm), bez translokacije u nadzemne organe. Mn je uglavnom detektovan u listovima, ali u koncentracijama bez fitotoksičnosti. Istovremeno je zabeleženo smanjenje dostupnog K₂O (sa 208 na 72 mg/100 g), bez uticaja na P₂O₅. Rezultati ukazuju da su β-diketonati, zahvaljujući selektivnosti i hemijskoj stabilnosti, obećavajući agensi nove generacije agroekoloških aditiva u fitostabilizaciji i bioremedijaciji, jer smanjuju toksikološke rizike pri upotrebi otpadnih supstrata u proizvodnji hrane

Grain-to-spike weight ratio in different wheat genotypes grown on humogley soil

U ovom istraživanju analizirana je varijabilnost žetvenog indeksa klasa tj. odnosa mase zrna po klasu i ukupne mase klasa kod 16 divergentnih genotipova hlebne pšenice (Triticum aestivum var. vulgare) tokom dve vegetacione sezone (2015/2016 i 2016/2017). Odnos ove dve komponente prinosa predstavlja važan indikator efikasnosti preraspodele biomase u korist zrna, zbog čega ima veliki značaj u selekciji genotipova pšenice. Ogled je postavljen po slučajnom blok sistemu u tri ponavljanja na zemljištu tipa ritska crnica u Novom Bečeju (Vojvodina, Srbija). U sezoni sa povoljnom količinom i raspodelom padavina (2015/2016), najveću vrednost odnosa mase zrna i mase klasa je ispoljio genotip Fundulea 4 (0,83), zatim NS 58-04 i Tamiš (0,81), dok je genotip Iskra imao najnižu vrednost ovog parametra (0,74). U uslovima nedovoljne količine padavina, koji su karakterisali 2016/2017 sezonu, najveću vrednost odnosa mase zrna i mase klasa imao je genotip Dunavka (0,82), dok je najmanju vrednost imao genotip Kavkaz (0,64). Prosečna vrednost odnosa mase zrna i mase klasa za sve genotipove bila je značajno veća u povoljnoj sezoni (0,78) u odnosu na vrednost u uslovima suše (0,73). Dobijeni rezultati ukazuju na postojanje značajnih genotipskih razlika, što je potvrđeno primenom hijerarhijske klaster analize, sprovedene po Wardovom metodu, uz korišćenje Euklidove distance kao mere sličnosti između genotipova. U povoljnoj sezoni, klaster sa najvećom prosečnom vrednosšću odnosa mase zrna i mase klasa (0,81) čine genotipovi Fundulea 4, Poljana, NS 58-04 i Tamiš, što ukazuje na njihovu potencijalnu prednost u optimalnim uslovima gajenja. U sušnoj sezoni, genotipovi Dukat, Pitoma, Iskra, Poljana, Mačvanka i Vali PKA-7114 su grupisani unutar istog klastera, sa prosečnom vrednošću ispitivanog parametra od 0,77, što može ukazivati na njihovu bolju prilagodljivost u stresnim uslovima sredine.In this study, the variability of harvest index of spike i.e. grain-to-spike weight ratio was analyzed in 16 divergent bread wheat genotypes (Triticum aestivum var. vulgare) during two growing seasons (2015/2016 and 2016/2017). The ratio of grain weight per spike and spike weight represents an important indicator of biomass allocation efficiency towards grain, making it a valuable trait in the selection of wheat genotypes. The experiment was conducted using a randomized block design with three replications on humogley soil type, at the Novi Bečej locality (Vojvodina, Serbia). In the season with favorable amount and distribution of precipitation (2015/2016), the highest value of grain-to-spike weight ratio was exhibited in the genotype Fundulea 4 (0.83), followed by NS 58-04 and Tamiš (0.81), while the genotype Iskra had the lowest value of this parameter (0.74). Under conditions of insufficient precipitation, which characterized the 2016/2017 season, the highest value of the ratio of grain weight to spike weight was found in the genotype Dunavka (0.82), while the lowest value was observed in the genotype Kavkaz (0.64). The average value of the grain-to-spike weight ratio for all genotypes was significantly higher in the favorable season (0.78) compared to the value under drought conditions (0.73). The obtained results indicate the existence of significant genotypic differences, which was confirmed by hierarchical cluster analysis performed using Ward’s method, with Euclidean distance as a measure of similarity between genotypes. In the favorable season, the cluster with the highest average value of the grain-to-spike weight ratio (0.81) included the genotypes Fundulea 4, Poljana, NS 58-04, and Tamiš, indicating their potential advantage under optimal growing conditions. In the drought season, the genotypes Dukat, Pitoma, Iskra, Poljana, Mačvanka, and Vali PKA-7114 were grouped within the same cluster, with an average value of the examined parameter of 0.77, which may indicate their better adaptability to stressful environmental conditions

Time of residual herbicide application in cabbage: efficacy, benefits and risks

The goal of this study was to evaluate herbicides for weed control in cabbage, pushed with the fact that pendimethalin is on EFSA's candidate for substitution list (CfS). The field experiment was conducted during 2024 at the experimental station of the Institute for Vegetable crops Smederevska Palanka. The study was established as a full randomized complete block design. All herbicides were applied with abattery powered backpack sprayer “Farm® KF-16C-47” which delivers a constant pressure. For this study a four nozzle boom with Lechler IDK12002 nozzles have been used to deliver 200 L of water ha-1 by 200 kPa pressure and the speed of 3.84 km h-1 (±10%). Herbicides were applied without adjuvants on three ways: 1) incorporation (PPI) a) napropamide 1800 g a.i. ha-1 and b) napropamide 900 g a.i. ha-1 + clomazone 96 g a.i. ha-1 and 2) preemergence (PRE-EM) c)pendimethalin 1650 g a.i. ha-1 and 3) postemergence (POST-EM)d)flumioxazin 40.8 g a.i. ha-1, e) dimethenamid-P 500 g a.i. ha-1 and f)metazachlor 500 g a.i. ha-1 + clomazone 96 g a.i. ha-1.Herbicides were applied without adjuvants.The most dominant weed species were:Ambrosia artemisiifolia L, Galinsoga parviflora (Cav.), Hibiscus trionum L, Polygonum lapathifolium L. and Portulaca oleracea L. Herbicide efficacy and crop injury were estimated every 7 days after treatment (DAT). The field was cultivated on 29th of April, whereby cabbage variety Ditmar was transplanted on 7th of May for POST-EM treatments and 17th of May for PPI and PRE-EM treatments whereby the herbicide application followed 10 days after and 7 days before transplanting respectively. The results varied among treatments, whereby treatments a), b) and c) provided excellent weed control 28 DAT without crop injury. Treatments d) and f) provided excellent weed control 14 DAT but not 21 DAT. Treatment e) provided poor weed control 14 DAT. Treatments which included clomazone or flumioxazin caused slight crop injury. All mentioned herbicides can be used for weed control in Ditmar cabbage variety with some minor crop injuries. A lower herbicide efficacy of POST-EM herbicides could be because of the long period between field cultivation and transplanting. Further research needs to be conducted. The research presented in this article is part of the research project number 451-03-66/2024- 03/200216 and 451-03-65/2024-03/200383 funded by the Ministry of Education and Science, Republic of Serbia

The Possibility of Residual Herbicide Application in Late Planted Bean Seed Crop

The field experiment was conducted at the experimental field of the Institute for Vegetable Crops Smederevska Palanka in Smederevska Palanka, Serbia. Beans were planted on July 1st 2024, after which herbicides were applied. The goal of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of 5 treatments and their crop selectivity. Herbicides used in this study were 1) dimethenamid-P 864 g a.i. ha-1 plus flumioxazin 40.8 g a.i. ha-1; 2) dimethenamid-P 864g a.i. ha-1 plus metobromuron 1000 g a.i. ha-1; 3) aclonifen 1800 g a.i. ha-1 plus metobromuron 1000 g a.i. ha-1; 4) clomazone 96 g a.i. ha-1 plus metobromuron 1000 g a.i. ha-1 plus dimethenamid-P 720g a.i. ha-1. Visual efficacy and crop injuries were rated on every 7 days after treatment (DAT), whereby 21 DAT weed density and biomass were measured. Weed species present in the study were Ambrosia artemisiifolia, Hibiscus trionum, Polygonum lapathifolium and Portulaca oleracea. By using Tukey test, all treatments showed statistically very significant differences compared to control. The best efficacy (100%) on all 4 weed species was reached in treatment clomazone 96 g a.i. ha-1 plus metobromuron 1000 g a.i. ha-1 plus dimethenamid-P 720 g a.i. ha-1. Treatment aclonifen 1800 g a.i. ha-1 plus metobromuron 1000 g a.i. ha-1 showed lovest efficacy in P. oleracea control. All treatments showed excellent efficacy in H. trionum control. Visual crop injuries were only observed in treatment dimethenamid-P 864 g a.i. ha-1 plus flumioxazin 40.8 g a.i. ha-1 due to application of flumioxazin. Crop injuries were visible 14 DAT, but not 21 dat. Based on this research, all treatments can be applied in Galeb bean variety which was planted in this study, but the choice should be based on the weed spectrum

The influence of artificial illumination and tillage treatments on enhancing lettuce growth and qualit

Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) indoor cultivation during the winter is mainly influenced by low light intensities. Also, its production is significantly affected by tillage techniques. Therefore, our research aimed to investigate the impact of applied light treatments during the seedling stage and applied tillage treatments after plant transplanting on the Viola lettuce genotype. Applied light and tillage treatments significantly influenced shoot weight, while the root weight and the total chlorophyll content varied depending on the light treatment. Tillage treatment did not affect shoot weight and the total chlorophyll content, but significantly influenced soluble sugar content