The suitability of apricot for dried fruit production by the combined technology

The apricot is considered as one of the most delicious temperate fruit, a highly appreciated stone fruit and a valuable raw material for processing. The Republic of Serbia is one of the leading apricot producers in Southeast Europe, but the assortment is limited by a small number of cultivars harvested, mostly in the ripening season of “Magyar kajszi”. In order to introduce the most suitable cultivars in the production, having high yield and high quality for consumption and various forms of processing, introduced and domestic cultivars have been intensively studied. In Serbia, apricots are mostly marketed fresh and processed for jams and spirits, but demand for high-quality dried fruits is increasing. To preserve the nutritional and sensory quality of fresh apricots, choosing the best drying technique is significant, and the most preferred technique is the reduction of moisture through convective drying. The aim of the paper was to compare the potential of the apricot cultivars “Magyar kajszi”, “Novosadska rodna”, “NS-4” and “NS-6” for dried fruit production by two-phase technology – combined osmotic and convective drying, as well as the profitability of apricot drying on small family farms. Cultivars “NS-4” and “Novosadska rodna” were found to be suitable for combined drying technology. The highest score in the sensory evaluation of the dried apricots was given to “NS-4”, and then to “Novosadska rodna”. The results indicate that the combined osmotic and convective drying of apricot rather than selling fresh fruits can be a profitable and important added value tool for small family farms

Resistance of Colorado potato beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) to neonicotinoids, pyrethroids and nereistoxins in Serbia

iColorado potato beetle (CPB, Leptinotarsa decemlineata Say) resistance is one of the limiting factors in potato production in some regions of Serbia. Imidacloprid is first introduced neonicotinoid insecticide in use for effective CPB control. Introduction of such insecticides with novel mode of action and physicochemical properties, demands investigations on resistance risks and management tactics. Primary candidates for cross resistance are insecticides acting on same target sites (such as bensultap, with CPB resistance reported), although other cross resistance patterns between apparently unrelated insecticides are not uncommon. Results of the investigations presented in this paper refers to the resistance of CPB adults to 3 insecticides - imidacloprid, bensultap and cypermethrin, most commonly used by farmers in recent years. First generation adults from nine field populations in first and four representative populations in second year of investigation were tested by topical application. Resistance ratios for bensultap ranged from 1.0 to 645.3 (LD50 from 0.04 – 25.81 μg/insect). Cypermethrin resistance ratios ranged from 1.0 to 60.0 (LD50 from 0.02 – 2.05 μg/insect). Imidacloprid resistance ratio was from 1.0 to 82.9 (LD50 from 0.0039 – 0.0323 ng/insect). Based on our results there was no correlation between resistance levels for bensultap and imidacloprid. Although LD50 values for imidacloprid were very low, significant resistance ratios obtained in these investigations, together with threads of cross-resistance and importance of conserving field efficacy of neonicotinoids, strongly recommands systematic resistance monitoring as important resistance management tool