Designing the Network of Ecological Corridors Among Organic Farms in South Bačka District of Vojvodina Province

In the predominant agricultural area such as Vojvodina Province the main threat to biodiversity is the fragmentation of nature habitats. Biodiversity decline started with the large scale clearing of forest and wetlands and expansion of the agricultural. Recent biodiversity deterioration is linked with the intensive management used in conventional agriculture. Protected areas, as main source of biodiversity, covers approximately 5,5% of total of 2.150.600ha land in Vojvodina Province that is considered as insufficient for species expansion. Under the artificial cropping systems cultivated and weed species suppress native vegetation and inhibit its proliferation. Sufficient number of terms are associated with eco corridors that might lead to terms misuses. They differ in relation to the ecological significance, environmental protection, landscape and spatial planning and relationship with sustainable agriculture systems. The following terms are used for the plant belts: (i) eco corridors aims to link protected ecosystems with biological corridors and allow migration of plant and animal species, (ii) protectiveinsulation belts primarily represent the spatial isolation i.e. living belt between the surface under organic and the surfaces under conventional agriculture production. The main purpose of this belt is to prevent the influence of the application of synthetic agents that are used in the environment of organic production. (iii) Buffer zones are areas that provide and maintain the function of the protected zones and have special significance for geo-systemic balance. These are areas that are raised around potential sources of contamination i.e. all those objects that endanger the environment. This model in agriculture contributes to the protection from wind erosion. Formation of the protective-insulating belt in organic production represents a legal obligation to which the organic crop must be separated or isolated from crop under conventional production. Family farms organized according to the principles of organic production represent micro-ecosystems with its own biodiversity, and are core areas for biodiversity expansion among the agriculture areas. The main objective of this study is to access the relationship between core areas, which in this case are family organic farms, and biological corridors and to allow proliferation of plant and animal species. Based on the established link the core areas and corridors propose ecological networks with a permanent connection. The idea is to emphasize developement of ecological network which will be gradually established in the future

Potential for Green Corridors Along the Danube River in Novi Sad, Serbia

Green corridors are areas or bands that play the role of separating two functionally different areas with natural elements usually different types of vegetation (trees, shrubs, flowers, and grass). Another important feature of green corridors is linking the leafy area into a unique whole. In this case, prevent fragmentation habitat corridors and represented areas in which it can develop biodiversity. If the green corridors are along the banks (lakes, rivers, seas, channels) their importance is increasing. Green corridors that follow the coastline, depending on the types of trees and shrubs may have a significant impact on water levels and groundwater levels. In social terms microclimate conditions of green belts along the water allows the development of a number of functional programs. If these corridors are within the urban structure benefits that these areas provide their citizens are manifold. The variety of content along the coast can have a positive impact on mental and physical health of users. The banks and their contents must be designed and made available to all residents because it will be the only way to enable their everyday use that leads to positive results for the health of the individual. In this sense, the selection of functions, their positioning along a green corridor and the water\u27s surface, and the distance between certain functional content must be carefully thought out. All functions within the Green corridors along the banks of the Danube and the canal Danube-Tisa-Danube (DTD) in Novi Sad must be connected with continuous pedestrian and bicycle communication - paths. Bearing in mind that the bike trail corridor Eurovelo 6 in its one part passes through the territory of Novi Sad this association is even more significant. In order to fulfil the requirement of accessibility of these paths along the coast, they must be associated with the entire system of walking and biking paths throughout the city. The city network of these paths must also be associated with a network of interurban and suburban areas in the immediate environment of Novi Sad. The theme of this paper is to explore the potential that provides the left bank of the Danube and both banks of the canal DTD in Novi Sad. Part of the research paper is to identified the existing facilities and it’s important for recreation and socialization for all residents particularly ones living along the Danube and canal DTD waterfront

Ocjenjivanje drva prema čvrstoći kao nužna osnova za projektiranje konstrukcija na području bivše Jugoslavije: dio 1.

Classification of timber for various commercial purposes is essential for its proper application in order to ensure the reliability and economic use. Visual grading of structural timber is commonly used in a number of EU countries, with different grading national standards optimized for locally available wood. Countries in the ex-YU region are traditional partners in wood trade and had the same standards for visual grading, but in most of the regions these standards are not completely compliant with EN requirements. Consequently, that leads to the fact that the most of regionally available structural timber is not assigned into strength classes, which is the starting point for the limit-state concept in design of timber structures. The aim of this paper is to emphasize the lack of strength classification of structural timber in the ex-YU region, which is a prerequisite for the design of timber structures made by civil engineers. Based on an overview of visual classification types with regional experience in grading, relevant EN standards, and differences in design concepts with possible consequences of grading approach, it can be concluded that “quality” grades and “strength” classes are not easily comparable.Klasifikacija drvne građe za različite komercijalne namjene ključna je za njezinu pravilnu upotrebu kako bi se zajamčila sigurna i ekonomična uporaba. Vizualno ocjenjivanje konstrukcijskog drva obično se provodi u mnogim zemljama EU-a uz pomoć različitih nacionalnih standarda ocjenjivanja optimiziranih za lokalno dostupno drvo. Zemlje bivše Jugoslavije tradicionalni su partneri u međusobnoj trgovini drvom i imale su zajedničke standarde za vizualno ocjenjivanje drvne građe, ali u većini njih ti standardi nisu u potpunosti usklađeni s EN zahtjevima. To posljedično rezultira činjenicom da većina regionalno dostupnoga konstrukcijskog drva nije razvrstana u klase čvrstoće, što je polazište za koncept graničnog stanja u projektiranju drvnih konstrukcija. Cilj rada jest upozoriti na nepostojanje klasifikacije čvrstoće konstrukcijskog drva na području bivše Jugoslavije, a to je preduvjet za projektiranje drvnih konstrukcija, što je posao građevinskih inženjera. Na temelju tipova vizualne klasifikacije i regionalnih iskustava u ocjenjivanju, relevantnih EN normi te razlika u konceptima projektiranja s mogućim posljedicama pristupa ocjenjivanju, zaključeno je da ocjene razreda kvalitete i klase čvrstoće u promatranim zemljama jednostavno nisu međusobno usporedive

Inheritance of warty fruit texture and fruit color in bottle gourd [Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standl.]

Bottle gourd [Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standl.] is one of the most interesting species in the plant kingdom, due to the diversity of fruit shapes, sizes and ways of use. Warty genotypes are rare compared to non warty genotypes. Considering unusual external appearance of warty fruits, we focused our research on the investigation of its inheritance patterns. By crossing different bottle gourd phenotypes, we studied the mode of inheritance and identified and verified genes responsible for the fruit skin color and warty phenotype segregation. Two parental lines, LAG 70 (with warty fruit of light green color) and LAG 71 (smooth fruit, variegated), F1, F2 and backcrosses populations along with both parents were evaluated. Genetic analysis indicated that warty fruit type is a result of monogenic inheritance, whereby the warty fruit type is dominant (Wt) trait over to the non-warty fruit type (wt). The mode of inheritance of fruit color was controlled by recessive epistasis, with a ratio of 9 variegated (A-, B-), 3 dark green colored (aaB-) and 4 light green colored (aabb) fruits in the F2 generation

Opportunities and Benefits of Green Balconies and Terraces in Urban Conditions

This study tested the hypothesis that a third dimension of urban gardening, in the form of green terraces and balconies, is of immense importance to the public well-being, mitigating climate changes and contributing to a more pleasant life in highly urbanized zones. By means of a concise questionnaire, a total of 82 respondents of different age groups (20-70 years of age) were surveyed about their opinion on green terraces, balconies, and roofs, i.e. the plants and flowers they incorporate. The fieldwork and survey responses facilitated the design of ten different spaces in various conditions. The results obtained enabled the selection of plants which could be used in given conditions, depending on wind, insolation, shade, ground levels, precipitation, etc. A total of three different terraces (out of ten) and three different balconies (out of ten) were enrolled in the study. The research results indicate that ten minutes of gardening could reduce stress levels and restore the positive energy of residents. An increase in the overall plant diversity exerts positive aesthetic and ecological effects. Inner-city areas are often sparsely vegetated, devoid of plants, and densely built-up, thus terraces and balconies have the potential to be retrofitted with suitable greenery

Ecological Analysis of the Dendroflora of Futoški Park in the City of Novi Sad

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the floristic composition, abundance, biological spectrum and ecological effects of Futoški Park trees and shrubs on the basis of bioindicators. The field research was conducted in Futoški Park, which is one of the oldest and largest parks in the City of Novi Sad, covering an area of 81,306 m2. Upon determining the floristic composition of Futoški Park and the protection zone around the Park hotel, a total of 121 genotypes were recorded, out of which 34 species and lower taxa belong to the Gymnosperm phylum (Pinophyta) and 87 species and lower taxa belong to the Angiosperm phylum (Magnoliophyta). A total of 5,228 representatives of dendroflora were found. The biological range of trees and shrubs in the study area mostly includes deciduous nanophanerophytes (34.98%) and evergreen nanophanerophytes (33.72%), whereas the remainder includes evergreen phanerophytes (16.35%) and the least prevalent deciduous phanerophytes (14.94%). The analysis of ecological indices shows that the greatest number of species meet the environmental requirements, and are successfully acclimated to the climatic and soil conditions. On the basis of the overall vitality and ornamental features of the dendroflora analyzed, it can be argued that Futoški Park is a unique ecological and environmental entity in the urban structure of the city

Effect of Plant Growth Regulators on the Propagation of African Violet (Saintpaulia ionantha H. Wendl.) from Leaf Cuttings

The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of commercial plant growth regulators (PGRs), namely Inict-1 and Incit-5, on the rooting of African violet leaf cuttings (Saintpaulia ionantha H. Wendl.). The production of African violets has grown considerably in recent years, thus it is important to study the most rapid and cost-effective means of mass production. The propagated plant material of the cultivar ‘Nagano’ was treated with Incit-1 and Incit-5. The following parameters were observed: the occurrence of the first root, the number of formed secondary roots and root lengths, the occurrence of the first leaf, and the occurrence of the first flower. The results obtained showed that the use of commercial rooting hormones, namely Incit-1 and Incit-5, exerted positive effects on the duration of rooting, the number of secondary roots formed, and the root lengths of African violets. During the research, it was observed that the rooting durations of all the plants treated with Incit-1 and Incit-5 were 5 days shorter. The results indicate that the plants treated with PGRs necessitate less time to root, less time to produce new leaves, and, consequently, less time to produce flowers

Selection of garden rose cultivars for use as a cut flower

Efficacy of preservative solutions on vase life of garden roses has not been researched before. Vast variability and morphological characteristics of this group of roses are very important, making them suitable for their use in bouquets, arrangements and vases. This research was carried out to examine the influence of five preservative solutions on vase life of garden rose cut flowers. The aim of research was to determine best preservative solution for prolonging of vase life of garden rose cut flower. The experiment included 8 rose cultivars cultivated for garden use. Each treatment consisted of 10 cut garden roses. The cut garden rose flowers with vase solution containing Al2(SO4)3+ethanol+sucrose register longer vase life and higher values in water uptake. Vase life of flowers held in tap water (control) was lowest (4.38 days). This research backs the assumption that with the use of preservative solutions, garden rose also can be used as a cut flower