Anthracnose: A new strawberry disease in Serbia and its control by fungicides

Anthracnose is a destructive disease of strawberry fruits in warm and continental climate. During 2004, in the vicinity of Valjevo, there were severe losses in two strawberry plantations due to fruit anthracnose. Two fungal isolates, GG-6A and GG-JUP were recovered from strawberry stolons and fruits showing severe anthracnose symptoms. Based on morphological and pathological characteristics, and PCR analyses with specific primers of reference species, isolate GG-6A was identified as Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, and GG-JUP isolate as C. acutatum. This is the first identification of C. acutatum in strawberry in Serbia. In order to control strawberry anthracnose, five fungicides and their combinations were applied four times during the flowering. The best fruit protection was achieved by fungicides Metiram + piraclostrobin (Cabrio top), Captan FL and Fludioksinil + ciprodinil (Swich). Less effective were Benomil (Benlate) and Krezoksim-metil (Stroby). Pathogen is transmitted by planting material, so phytosanitary measures are extremely important in preventing the disease

Exploitation of minors for pornographic purposes : the sociodemographic and criminal profile of the perpetrator

The paper presents research in the form of a survey aimed at examining the sociodemographic and criminal profile of the perpetrator of the crime of displaying, acquiring and possession of pornographic material and exploitation of a juvenile for pornography under Article 185 of the Criminal Code of Serbia, with particular reference to the imposed criminal sanctions. The survey was conducted at the beginning of 2018 and included 62 convicted male persons aged 18 to 70, prosecuted under jurisdiction of the Special Prosecutor’s Office for Combating High-Tech Crime in the period from 2012 to 2016. The results of the research show that the perpetrators of the said criminal offense are exclusively male individuals of an average age of 36.6 years, whose structure in terms of the working status is extremely diverse, starting from workers of various occupations, students to pensioners. In terms of other socio-demographic characteristics, the results of the survey show that the largest percentage of the convicted offenders have completed secondary school, that the number of the employed and unemployed is the same, that they are not married, gravitate towards urban areas, and have not been convicted before. In terms of the modus operandi, the results of the survey show that two methods of execution are dominant: the first implies the use of P2P technology on the Internet and the use of certain closed networks, which allow searching, downloading and sharing of photos and audio-visual data whereas the other involves creating a false profile on the Facebook social network

Meat quality characteristics of DurocxYorkshire, DurocxYorkshirexwild boar and wild boar

Chemical composition, pH value, fatty acids profile, cholesterol content, color and sensory analysis of pork meat from Duroc x Yorkshire (D x Y), Duroc x Yorkshire x wild boar (D x Y x WB) crossbreeds and wild boars (WB) was investigated. Samples for all tests were taken from m. longissimus dorsi. Chemical composition and pH value were tested by ISO methods. Fatty acid and cholesterol determination was performed by gas chromatography technique with external standard method. Color was determined instrumentally using the thristimulus colourimeter. The overall sensoric quality (appearance, texture and smell) of samples of raw meat was evaluated. In evaluation of results the scoring system was used. In chemical composition (moisture, fat, protein, ash) and pH values statistically significant difference was noted (p<0,05) between each of the examined groups. Also, among all the examined groups statistically significant difference (p<0,05) was found for fatty acids and cholesterol content. Measurment of the color of meat from all three groups showed that the L*, a * b *, Chroma and Hue angle were also statistically significantly different (p<0,01)

Lead Free Polymer Composites for Radiation Shielding

Radiation shielding is a crucial precautionary measure in decreasing the dose of exposure medical personnel experience. The physical dimensions of these shields, specifically thickness and shape, are dependent on the type of radiation, energy and specific radioactivity. Currently, the most common radiation shielding equipment is made of lead, tungsten or uranium. Although these heavy metals have favorable shielding properties against ionizing radiation, protective garments such as lead aprons are heavy to wear and can pose significant health risks. Taking this into account, the primary goal of this study is to understand the radiation shielding properties of lead-free polymer geopolymer-polyurethane based composites. The geopolymer was synthesized using an 80%-20% mixture of fly ash and a bio-polyol substrate which was subsequently homogenized using MDI44. As a result, 6 samples of the geopolymer-polyurethane based composites were fabricated of which 5 were 90%-10% compositions between the mixture and varying concentrations of BaSO4 and Bi2O3 respectively. The last sample consisted of the pure fly ash/bio-polyol mixture. XRF and ICP analysis was used to chemically characterize the fly ash. The composite structures were analyzed using XRD, while the microstructural morphology was investigated using SEM techniques. Utilizing an energy-dispersive x-ray spectrometer (EDS), elemental abundance and agglomerating behavior was analyzed for each composite variant. The X-ray attenuation measurements pointed out that the obtained composites have the potential for a design of lead-free protective clothing against X-ray shielding in medical applications

Tracking the dissemination of Erwinia amylovora in the Eurasian continent using a PCR targeted on the duplication of a single CRISPR spacer

Fire blight is the most devastating disease affecting pome fruit production globally. The pathogen is native to North America and was imported to western Europe in the 1950s, progressively spreading over the continent in the ensuing decades. Previous phylogenetic studies have revealed the extreme genetic homogeneity of the pathogen outside its center of origin, which makes epidemiological studies difficult. These are generally only possible using hypervariable regions of the genome such as those represented by CRISPRs (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats), which are, however, not practical to sequence due to their size and variability. Here, we present a simple PCR assay targeting the duplication of a single CRISPR spacer in Erwinia amylovora that was found to be an important marker to discriminate between two main European populations of the pathogen. We implemented the assay on a total of 582 isolates to follow the spread of fire blight across the continent over several decades and, wherever possible, within single countries. The results obtained point to the occurrence of two major separate introduction events for E. amylovora in Europe that occurred approximately 20 years apart, and confirmed the existence of two principal distribution areas located in Northeastern Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean Basin from which the pathogen moved on to colonize the Eurasian continent

Survey of Phytophthora infestans populations in Serbia: Mating type, metalaxyl resistance and virulence properties

A total of 37 single-lesion isolates of Phytophthora infestans were collected during 2000 from different potato growing regions in the central part of Serbia. They were paired in A1 and A2 matings to determine their mating types. Of these 37 isolates, 28 were found to belong to the A2 mating type, eight to the A1 type and one was found to be self-fertile (A1/A2). Using the in vitro mycelial radial growth method no metalaxyl resistant P. infestans isolate could be found. The rate of occurrence of intermediate isolates was not high, on the average 2.70%. All other isolates were sensitive to metalaxyl. There was no correlation between mating type and the intermediate metalaxyl resistance found

First Report of Brown Rot Caused by Monilinia fructicola on Stored Apple in Serbia

Monilinia fructicola (G. Winter) Honey is a causal agent of brown rot of stone fruits, occasionally affecting pome fruits as well. The pathogen is commonly present in North and South America, Oceania, and Asia, but listed as a quarantine organism in Europe (4). After its first discovery in France in 2001, its occurrence has been reported in Germany, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Austria, and the Slovak Republic (1). In February 2011, during a survey for fungal postharvest pathogens in cold storage conditions, apple fruits (Malus domestica Borkh.) grown and stored in the Grocka Region, Serbia, were collected. All pathogens from symptomatic fruits were isolated on potato dextrose agar (PDA). One isolate from apple fruit cv. Golden Delicious with brown rot symptoms was identified as M. fructicola based on morphological and molecular characters. Colonies cultivated on PDA at 22°C in darkness were colorless, but later became grayish, developing mass of spores in concentric rings. Colony margins were even. Conidia were one-celled, limoniform, hyaline, measured 12.19 to 17.37 (mean 13.8) × 8.62 to 11.43 μm (mean 9.9), and were produced in branched monilioid chains (3). Morphological identification was confirmed by PCR (2) using genomic DNA extracted from the mycelium of pure culture, and an amplified product of 535 bp, specific for the species M. fructicola, was obtained. Sequence of the ribosomal (internal transcribed spacer) ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 region was obtained using primers ITS1 and ITS4 and deposited in GenBank (Accession No. JN176564). Control fruits were inoculated with sterile PDA plugs. After 3 days of incubation in plastic containers with high humidity at room temperature, typical symptoms of brown rot developed on inoculated fruits, while control fruits remained symptomless. The isolate recovered from symptomatic fruits showed the same morphological and molecular features of the original isolate. To our knowledge, this is the first report of M. fructicola in Serbia. Further studies are necessary for estimation of economic importance and geographic distribution of this quarantine organism in Serbia. References: (1) R. Baker et al. European Food Safety Authority. Online publication. www.efsa.europa.eu/efsajournal . EFSA J. 9(4):2119, 2011. (2) M.-J. Côté et al. Plant Dis. 88:1219, 2004. (3) J. E. M. Mordue. CMI Descriptions of Pathogenic Fungi and Bacteria. No. 616, 1979. (4) OEPP/EPPO. EPPO A2 List of Pests Recommended for Regulation as Quarantine Pests. Online publication. Version 2010-09. Retrieved from http://www.eppo.org/QUARANTINE/listA2.htm , June 27, 2011. </jats:p

Strawberry Production in Serbia - the State and Perspectives

This paper presents the state of strawberry production in Serbia and its perspectives. The annual strawberry production ranges from 30,000 to 35,000 t. Such production is realized on 5,000 ha with average yields of 3.7-5.5 t/ha. Growing technology is mainly conventional in the open field without using mulch foils and with large planting distances. Considering that, growing technology and assortment are out of date, and extended period of planting exploitation in which most of plants are often infected with different diseases are the main reasons for low strawberry yields and fruit quality. There are low prospects for quick recovery. Convenient agro-ecological conditions in the various parts of Serbia provide possibilities for the organization of strawberry production in extended period from April in flat areas to August in hilly-mountainous areas. In that way, we will become more competitive on the European market and reduce the share of the strawberry import in Serbia

Modified Sabouraud dextrose agar for isolation and identification of dermatophytes

The most common causative agents of dermatomycoses are fungi belonging to genders Trichophyton, Microsporum and Epidermophyton. Media mainly used for isolation of dermatophytes are mycobiotic agar, dermatophyte test medium Sabouraud agar (original formula or modification by Emmons) with or without antibiotics and cycloheximide. Peptones are the most important components of the media, which enable adequate reproductivity in identification of dermatophytes. Standard medium for isolation of dermatophytes is not produced in our country. The aim of the study was to create an optimal easily accessible and economic medium which enables isolation and identification of dermatophytes according to criteria for morphological diagnosis provided by identification guides. We examined 57 strains of Trichophyton, 24 of Microsporum and 5 of Epidermophyton floccosum (E. floccosum). Each strain was seeded on Sabouraud dextrose agar (Torlak Serbia and Montenegro), Sabouraud maltose agar (Torlak), two experimental modified Sabouraud dextrose agar media marked as SA-2 and SA-3 (Torlak) Sabouraud-Chloramp- henicole agar (Biomerieux, France) Sabouraud-Chloramphenicole agar (Himedia, India), Glucose-peptone agar (Himedia, India) and Sabouraud Emmons dextrose Agar with Chloramphenicole and Cycloheximide (Biolife, Italy). Colony morphology of Trichophyton mentagrophytes (T. mentagrophytes) was uni- form on all the media, while morphology of Trichophyton rubrum (T. rubrum) and Microsporum canis (M. canis) depended more on the media type. Colonies of E. floccosum were typical and uniform on all the media, as were the control species of Trichophyton schoenleinii (T. schoenleinii) and Trichophyton soudanense (T. soudanense). Experimental modified Sabouraud dextrose agar (Torlak) marked as SA-3 demonstrated the best results in identification of dermatophytes in this study