Opravdanost uvođenja mehanizovane berbe maline u Srbiji

The collection of fruit for its specifics in many ways different from harvesting other agricultural crops. When harvesting berries where the ramified bushes (dissipating the picking), small fruits, the need to harvest done on several occasions, because the fruits do not ripen at the same time, requires a large proportion of the workforce. The fact that hand-picking raspberries participate up to 70% of total production costs, indicates the necessity mechanized harvesting process. In order to achieve the criteria to grow the crop, which imposes the global market it is necessary to achieve the level of quality and quantity of production. Therefore, intense raspberry production requires the use of modern agricultural technology in the construction and cultivation of raspberry, and it is necessary to calculate the cost and production costs to maintain competitiveness in the market. Mechanized harvesting process is necessary in order to hand over to pick the length of time of operations, reduce the number of employees, increase productivity and reduce costs by up to several times.Ubiranje voća po svojim specifičnostima u mnogome se razlikuje od ubiranja ostalih poljoprivrednih plodova. Pri ubiranju jagodastog voća gde zbog razgranatosti žbunova (razgrtanje pri branju), sitnih plodova, potrebe da se berba obavi u nekoliko navrata, pošto plodovi ne sazrevaju istovremeno, zahteva veliki udeo radne snage. Činjenica da ručna berba maline učestvuje i do 70 % ukupnih troškova proizvodnje, upućuje na nužnost mehanizovanja procesa berbe. Da bi se postigli kriterijumi u proizvodnji maline koje nameće svetsko tržište neophodno je ostvariti nivo u kvalitetu i kvantitetu proizvodnje. Zbog toga intenzivna proizvodnja maline zahteva primenu savremene agrotehnike pri podizanju i gajenju malinjaka, a neophodno je izračunati ekonomičnost i troškove proizvodnje, da bi se održala konkurentnost na tržištu. Mehanizovanje procesa berbe je neophodno kako bi se u odnosu na ručno branje skratilo vreme izvođenja operacije, smanjio broj radnika, povećala proizvodnost i smanjili troškovi čak za nekoliko puta

Multivariate Interaction Analysis of Zea mays L. Genotypes Growth Productivity in Different Environmental Conditions

Evaluating maize genotypes under different conditions is important for identifying which genotypes combine stability with high yield potential. The aim of this study was to assess stability and the effect of the genotype–environment interaction (GEI) on the grain yield traits of four maize genotypes grown in field trials; one control trial without nitrogen, and three applying different levels of nitrogen (0, 70, 140, and 210 kg ha−1, respectively). Across two growing seasons, both the phenotypic variability and GEI for yield traits over four maize genotypes (P0725, P9889, P9757 and P9074) grown in four different fertilization treatments were studied. The additive main effects and multiplicative interaction (AMMI) models were used to estimate the GEI. The results revealed that genotype and environmental effects, such as the GEI effect, significantly influenced yield, as well as revealing that maize genotypes responded differently to different conditions and fertilization measures. An analysis of the GEI using the IPCA (interaction principal components) analysis method showed the statistical significance of the first source of variation, IPCA1. As the main component, IPCA1 explained 74.6% of GEI variation in maize yield. Genotype G3, with a mean grain yield of 10.6 t ha−1, was found to be the most stable and adaptable to all environments in both seasons, while genotype G1 was found to be unstable, following its specific adaptation to the environments

Sex Differences and Cytokine Profiles among Patients Hospitalized for COVID-19 and during Their Recovery: The Predominance of Adhesion Molecules in Females and Oxidative Stress in Males

The severity and mortality of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are greater in males than in females, though the infection rate is the same in the two sexes. We investigated sex hormone differences associated with the hyperinflammatory immune response to SARS-CoV-2 on the basis of patients’ cytokine profiles and vaccination statuses. Clinical and laboratory data of 117 patients with COVID-19 were collected to examine sex differences associated with oxidative stress markers, neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), and plasma cytokine levels up to 5 months from hospital admission. The testosterone and free testosterone levels were low in male patients with COVID-19 and returned to normal values after recovery from the disease. The dihydrotestosterone (DHT) levels were transiently reduced, while the sex hormone-binding globulin levels were decreased in post-COVID-19 male patients. The levels of the inflammatory cytokines interleukin-6 (IL-6) and IL-10 appeared generally increased at diagnosis and decreased in post-COVID-19 patients. In females, the concentration of tumor necrosis factor-alpha was increased by four times at diagnosis. The levels of the coagulation markers intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and E-selectin were consistently upregulated in post-COVID-19 female patients, in contrast to those of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), P-selectin, and chemokine IL-8. DHT increased the levels of reactive oxygen species in the neutrophils of male patients, while estradiol decreased them in females. Markers for NET, such as circulating DNA and myeloperoxidase, were significantly more abundant in the patients’ plasma. Sex hormones have a potential protective role during SARS-CoV-2 infection, which is weakened by impaired testosterone synthesis in men