Virtual water in agricultural production

Virtual water refers both to water consumed during the process of production and water remaining as the constituent of the product. Apart from its quantity, easily calculated, it can also be determined in qualitative terms, through the water footprint, which describes the amount of water used by any biological entity. It can be presented as three-portion system, comprised of blue, green and gray water. The attempts to solve agricultural problems in the countries suffering from water shortage, the importance of green water has been emphasized, pointing to adequate water management. Virtual water concept enabled understanding of the international water trading ways, as it remains within the products traded. Adjusting export oriented food production any country can save significant amounts of domestic water, thus implementing its water sustainability that is important for all the countries. Since large quantities of good quality water for agricultural irrigation are the utmost requirement, it is often a limiting factor, implying that new methodology of water-food transformation should be developed

Methods of detection and typing of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolated from animals

In this work there was evaluated the method of detection of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) by using two molecular and three phenotypic tests in investigation procedure of 70 strains of S.aureus isolated from animals. Recent findings of the new mecA homologue, mecALGA251, minimise the significance of mecA gene presence detection as a confirmation method of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus identification. For this reason, along with multiplex PCR set of primers(165rDNK, nuc, mecA) for detection mecA gene, there was also used multiplex PCR set of primers (spa, mecA, pvl, mecALGA251) for differentiation mecALGA251 from mecA, with simultaneous detection of luk-PV and spa gene fragments. In all 70 investigated isolates there was detected the presence of specific 16 SrDNK fragment and nuc gene which encodes a thermostable S. aureus nuclease, while in 5 out of 70 S. aureus isolates, there was proven mecA gene presence using two multiplex PCR tests. In the investigated strains there was determined neither mecC (mecALGA251)gene presence, nor Panton Valentine Leukocidin encoding gene. By application cefoxitin disk-diffusion, latex-agglutination and two multiplex PCR tests, the identical results in identification 5 methicillin resistant out of 70 investigated S. aureus strains were obtained. In our investigation there was determined a complete correlation between the results of phenotypic and genotypic identification of methicillin resistant S. aureus. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. TR 31079

Meat quality: Impact of various pre-slaughter conditions

Poor animal welfare is a growing issue of concern all over the world. During pre-slaughter phases, some activities, if poorly performed, lead to stress reactions in animals. Animals responses to a great extent depend on species, breed, sex and age of animal. Food and water deprivation, exposure to unfavourable environmental conditions, improper handling and social mixing are just some indicators of compromised animal well-being. All these detrimental activities lead to the development of carcass and meat quality defects. Among them, important defects are untimely death of animals, body weight loss, carcass damage, and the two major meat quality defects, i.e. pale, soft, exudative (PSE) and dark, firm, dry (DFD) meats. Consumer dissatisfaction results, and with economic and financial losses, producers are placed in a disadvantageous position

Trihineloza u Srbiji i mogućnost unapređenja kontrolnih mera

Background. Trichinellosis is zoonotic disease caused by parasites of the genus Trichinella, which have a cosmopolitan distribution. In the Balkan region, including Serbia, trichinellosis is endemic. Although trichinellosis shows a decreasing incidence in Serbia, this disease remains a serious problem for human health and animal husbandry. Scope and Approach. To prevent and control Trichinella spp. infections in domestic and sylvatic animals, risk analysis for these zoonotic parasites should be conducted. In Serbia, a limited number of Trichinella have been identified to the species level so far. An institutional, multi-sectoral surveillance system, supported by an adequate legal framework for the detection, surveillance, prevention, control and reporting of this infection in animals and humans, harmonized with the EU legislation, is a priority. Key Findings and Conclusions. One of the main goals of the Serbian veterinary and public health services should be progressive improvement of animal rearing practices, food safety, and hunters' and consumers' education through the "One-health" approach.Uvod. Trihineloza je zoonotska bolest uzrokovana parazitima roda Trichinella koji imaju kosmopolitsku rasprostranjenost. U regionu Balkana, uključujući Srbiju, trihineloza je endemska. Iako trihineloza pokazuje trend smanjenja učestalosti u Srbiji, ova bolest ostaje ozbiljan problem za zdravlje ljudi i stočarstvo. Cilj i pristup. Za sprečavanje i kontrolu infekcije domaćih i silvatičnih životinja trihinelama, treba sprovesti analizu rizika za ove zoonotske parazite. U Srbiji je do sada identifikovan ograničeni broj trihinela na nivou vrste. U tom smislu, priorit je institucionalni, multisektorski sistem nadzora, podržan odgovarajućim pravnim okvirom za otkrivanje, nadzor, prevenciju, kontrolu i izveštavanje o ovoj infekciji kod životinja i ljudi, usklađen sa zakonodavstvom EU. Ključni nalazi i zaključak. Jedan od glavnih ciljeva veterinarske i zdravstvene službe trebalo bi biti progresivno unapređenje prakse uzgoja životinja, bezbednost hrane i obrazovanja lovaca i potrošača kroz pristup "One-Health"

Food hygiene - flexibility in traditional and small meat establishments

Republic of Serbia has a large capacity for the production of meat and meat products. Large majority of establishments are low capacity with local significance. In Serbia there is common appreciation of traditional meat products and almost every region in the Republic is known for some of the traditional products. This paper emphasizes need of defining possible flexibility rules and/or derogations to the national regulations and guidelines for traditional meat products and small-scale producers for the compliance with food safety rules

Food safety - the roles and responsibilities of different sectors

Serbia is a relatively small country but with a long tradition in food production, especially meat and meat products. Serbia, as part of its open negotiation process as a candidate country with the European Union (EU), started to harmonise its legislation with the EU, and has published a set of laws and regulations relating to the hygiene of food production and food safety, the official control of production and the welfare of animals. Therefore, the food safety system in Serbia is based on principles established in the EU. There is a need for cooperation of different sectors (government, food business operators and consumers) in the management of food safety, and every sector has its role and responsibility. This paper aims to provide analytical support for the process of upgrading safety and quality in Serbias food sector and explains the roles and responsibilities of different sectors in the food chain

Uticaj genotipa i predsetvenog đubrenja na prinos baštenskog graška

During the two-year study on the influence of presowing fertilization on growth and development of garden pea (Pisum sativum L.) in three different experimental setups, five genotypes of peas were used, two of Dutch origin and three that were created at the Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops. The aim of the study was to determine the extent to which different genotypes and complex NPK fertilizer influence the yield per plant. The average yield per plant for both years was 16.86 g. The influence of genotype on grain yield per plant was statistically significant (p lt 0.01). Tamish cultivar showed significantly lower yields during both study years, in comparison with other genotypes tested, except when compared with the Danube cultivar in year 2007. There was no regularity in the influence of pre-sowing fertilization on grain yield per plant. Regression analysis of the pea genotypes, revealed a slight reduction in yield per plant as a function of increased use of complex fertilizer. Grain yield per plant was in high positive correlation (p lt 0.01) with yield components, and with the length of the stem. The number of pods was in strong correlation with grain numbers and weight of pods. Number of grains and the absolute weight were in highly statistically significant correlation with the mass of pods.U dvogodišnjem istraživanju ispitivan je uticaj predsetvenog đubrenja u tri različite varijante na rast i razviće kod baštenskog graška (Pisum sativum L.). U radu je korišćeno 5 genotipova graška, od kojih su 3 stvorena na Institutu za ratarstvo i povrtarstvo u Novom Sadu, a 2 su holandskog porekla. Cilj je bio da se ustanovi u kojoj meri različiti genotipovi i kompleksno đubrivo NPK utiče na prinos po biljci kod konzumnog graška. Prosečan prinos po biljci za obe istraživane godine iznosio je 16.86 g. Uticaj genotipa graška na prinos zrna po biljci bio je na nivou statističke značajnosti (p lt 0.01). Sorta Tamish imala je vrlo značajno manji prinos u obe istraživačke godine u poređenju sa ostalim ispitivanim genotipovima, izuzev u odnosu na sortu Danube u 2007. godini. Nije zabeležena pravilnost kod uticaja predsetvenog đubrenja graška na prinos zrna po biljci. Regresiona analiza kod ispitivanih genotipova graška pokazala je da sa povećanjem primenjenog komplesnog đubriva dolazi do neznatnog smanjenja prinosa po biljci. Prinos zrna po biljci bio je u visoko pozitivnoj korelaciji (p lt 0.01) sa komponentama prinosa, kao i sa dužinom stabljike. Broj mahuna je u jakoj korelaciji sa brojem zrna i masom mahuna. Broj zrna i apsolutna masa su u visoko statistički značajnoj korelaciji sa masom mahuna

The importance of plant genetic resources in agroecosystem

Monitoring and conservation of plant genetic resources are essential for the development of modern agricultural production. Biodiversity of plant resources in agriculture is a biological basis for ensuring quality world food, acting as the basis for creating new varieties through conventional crossing process or application of biotechnology. Since the laboratory and field experiments can not assume all the possible interactions that may occur in the ecosystem, monitoring is necessary in natural environment, bringing to light the necessity of collaborative interdisciplinary involvement and research

Sustainable agriculture and environmental protection

Human population growth caused the World Commission on Environment and Development to call attention to necesity of changes in strategies for attaining security in food production and conservation of natural resources and enviromental protection. Sustainable agriculture goals may be shortly abridged to stable market supply by biologically quality food, on employment of rural population and suppressing of poverty, as well as natural resources management and environment protection on local and global level. For the system of such sustainable and organic agriculture, ecology provides basic conditons through the development of diversified agroecological systems. Integration of plant and animal biodiversity which improves ineractions and sinergy is the advantage. It enables biological regulation of harmfull organisms, nutrition circling, biomass production and accumulation. The end result is improvement of economical and ecological agroecology system maintenance. In accomplishing these aims new initiatives in education, application of economical stimulations and development of relevant new technologies are included

Virtual water in agricultural production

Virtual water refers both to water consumed during the process of production and water remaining as the constituent of the product. Apart from its quantity, easily calculated, it can also be determined in qualitative terms, through the water footprint, which describes the amount of water used by any biological entity. It can be presented as three-portion system, comprised of blue, green and gray water. The attempts to solve agricultural problems in the countries suffering from water shortage, the importance of green water has been emphasized, pointing to adequate water management. Virtual water concept enabled understanding of the international water trading ways, as it remains within the products traded. Adjusting export oriented food production any country can save significant amounts of domestic water, thus implementing its water sustainability that is important for all the countries. Since large quantities of good quality water for agricultural irrigation are the utmost requirement, it is often a limiting factor, implying that new methodology of water-food transformation should be developed