Afforestation on bare lands – example of Ibar Gorge, Serbia

The afforestation of bare lands, sandstone, and skeletal terrains are one of the biggest challenges forestry scientists face. These terrains are characterized by specific ecological conditions that are generally unfavorable for the growth of woody species. These are usually shallow soils, unstable, and poor in nutrients and moisture. The characteristics of these habitats make said terrains unfavorable for the regeneration of forest vegetation. It is therefore crucial for the success of afforestation to gain detailed knowledge and understanding of environmental conditions. Only after the detailed research and study of field conditions can the selection of species for afforestation, including selection of species characteristics and technology of planting, begin. Mistakes made during previous establishments of green areas are one of the main reasons some species of vascular flora have disappeared. This alone expresses the undeniable importance of knowledge on habitat specifics, work schedule, and selection of species for afforestation. With the aim to implement the future afforestation within the planned scope, it is necessary to organize an effective nursery production of seedlings with characteristics that will suit the environmental conditions of bare lands, sandstones, and skeletal terrains whose afforestation is planned

Variability of Morphological Traits of European Beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) Seedlings in Serbia

The results of interpopulation variability of morphometric parameters of European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) seedlings originating from eight populations from the part of natural distribution area in Serbia are presented in this paper. The studied populations of Dubašnica, Jastrebac, Boranja, Fruška Gora, Mali Pek, Goč, Beljanica, and Javor have various ecological and vegetational characteristics. The results of this paper refer to root collar diameter and height of seedlings at the age of 1+0 and 2+0. Analysis of variance showed a statistically significant difference between the populations in terms of the studied morphological traits of seedlings (p<0.01; α=0.05). Geographical differentiation of the studied populations has not been determined by applying cluster analysis, but the populations are grouped randomly and they indicate the ecotypic nature of beech genetic variation. The results of this research may serve in beech breeding and the available gene pool conservation. Based on the obtained results it can be recommended that in terms of transfer and use of the beech forest reproductive material greater attention should be paid to the ecological conditions of the parent stands and habitats where afforestation has been performed

Assessment of Bald cypress (Taxodium distichum (L.) Rich.) genetic potential in seed stand near Backa Palanka

Погодност таксодијума за подизање шумских култура на низијским и плавним стаништима Србије евидентирана је још педестих година прошлог века. Почетком осамдесетих година, Стилиновић и Туцовић констатују да се у нашим условима средине таксодијум може сматрати врстом брзог раста, једном о ретких четинарских врста која може бити погодна за очетињавање низијских а нарочито плавних станишта на којима може постићи високу продуктивност. Упркос томе, ова врста, на подручју Републике Србије, практично није изашла из домена хортикултурне делатности. До сада обављена истраживања варијабилности и адаптивног потенцијала таксодијума у нашим условима односе се на стабла која расту појединачно и у мањим или већим групама углавном на зеленим површинама градова. Недостатак већих култура свакако је један од разлога што таксодијум није у довољној мери проучен и као шумска врста за поменута станишта. На националном нивоу веома је мало истраживано са овом врстом, па спроведена истраживања представљају пионирски подухват чији ће резултати допринети развоју шумарске науке и струке. Истраживања у оквиру ове докторске дисертације спроведена су у семенској састојини таксодијума код Бачке Паланке. Ово је једина састојина таксодијума у нашој земљи, основана је на станишту беле врбе, тренутне старости преко 70 година, а резултати обављеног бонитирања стабала говоре о њеној високој производној вредности. Процена генетског потенцијала таксодијума обављена је на нивоу: 1) семенске састојине, 2) тест стабала и 3) линија полусродника. Истраживања на нивоу семенске састојине обухватила су: анализу станишних услова, тотални премер састојине, континуирану оцену урода и бонитирање тест стабала. Истраживања на нивоу тест стабала обухватила су анализу: морфометријских својстава шишарица, коефицијента екстракције, апсолутне маса и техничке клијавости семена, морфометријских својстава гранчица са четинама, садржаја фотосинтетичких пигмената и генетичке карактеризације употребом RAPD маркера. Истраживања на нивоу линија полусродника обухватила су анализу: морфометријских својстава клијаваца, процената преживљавања једногодишњих садница, морфометријских својстава једногодишњих садница, морфометријских својстава двогодишњих садница у условима расадника, процената пријема садница у условима пилот објекта, процената преживљавања садница у условима пилот објекта, морфометријских својстава садница у условима пилот објекта, морфометријских својстава гранчица са четинама садница у условима пилот објекта и садржаја фотосинтетичких пигмената садница у условима пилот објекта...Convenience of Bald cypress for establishing forest cultures in lowland and floodplain habitats was recorded in Serbia in the 1950s. At the beginning of the 1980s Stilinović and Tucović noted that in our environmental conditions Bald cypress can be considered as a species of rapid growth, one of the few evergreen species that may be suitable for introduction of conifers in lowland and especially in floodplain habitats in which it can achieve high productivity. However, in the Republic of Serbia this species practically never has gone out from the domain of horticultural activity. Studies on variability and adaptive potential of Bald cypress in our environmental conditions that were published so far refers to the trees that grow individually and in smaller or larger groups mainly in green areas of cities. Lack of larger cultures certainly is one of the reasons why Bald cypress has not been studied enough as forest species for abovementioned habitats. At the national level this species has been explored just a little so the research that recently was carried out is a pioneer endeavor whose results will contribute to the development of forestry science and profession. The researches within this PhD thesis were conducted in Bald cypress seed stand near Backa Palanka. This is the only Bald cypress stand in our country established on the site of the white willow, with current age of over 70 years, and the results of performed quality assessment of trees speak of its high production value. Assessment of genetic potential of Bald cypress was performed at the level of: 1) seed stand, 2) test trees, and 3) half-sib lines. Researches at the level of seed stand included: analysis of stand conditions, complete survey of the stand, continuous evaluation of yield and estimation of test trees quality. Researches at the level of test trees included analysis of: morphometric characters of cones, coefficient of extraction, absolute mass and technical germination of seeds, morphometric characters of twigs with needles, content of photosynthetic pigments and genetic characterization using RAPD markers. Researches at the level of half-sib lines included analysis of: morphometric characters of seedlings , survival percentage of one-year-old seedlings, morphometric characters of one-year-old seedlings, morphometric characters of two-year-old seedlings in nursery conditions, percent of reception of seedlings in conditions of the pilot facility, survival percentage of seedlings in conditions of the pilot facility, morphological characters of seedlings in conditions of the pilot facility, morphometric characters of seedlings’ twigs with needles in conditions of the pilot facility and the content of photosynthetic pigments of seedlings in conditions of the pilot facility..

Population variability of wild cherry (Prunus avium L.) in Serbia according to the leaf morphology

U radu je istraživana morfološka varijabilnost listova devet prirodnih populacija divlje trešnje (Prunus avium L.) na području Srbije. Na osnovi deset mjerenih morfoloških svojstava listova i jednog izvedenog omjera utvrđena je unutarpopulacijska i međupopulacijska varijabilnost. U istraživanju su korištene deskriptivne i multivarijantne statističke metode. Rezultati istraživanja ukazuju na visoku varijabilnost istraživanih populacija, kao i na to da se populacije međusobno statistički značajno razlikuju po svim istraživanim svojstvima. Unutarpopulacijska varijabilnost veća je od međupopulacijske varijabilnosti. Prema klasterskoj analizi istraživane populacije se grupiraju na način prema kojem nisu geografski logično raspoređene. Populacije Boranja i Fruška Gora se nalaze na većoj udaljenosti od ostalih istraživanih populacija.Wild cherry (Prunus avium L.) is the most important European tree species in the family Rosaceae (Russell 2003). It is very valuable forest species that grows in mixed forests in Southern, Central and Western Europe. In the growing stock of Serbia wild cherry falls into the category of species at risk (Banković et al. 2009) to which is not paid enough attention. The researches of population structure and genetic variability at the level of genotypes and/or populations are the basis for the knowledge on the adaptive and genetic potential of wild cherry in some area.The morphological variability of leaves in nine natural populations of wild cherry (Prunus avium L.) in Serbia was studied in this paper. The research material was collected in nine natural populations of wild cherry in Serbia (Figure 1, Slika 1). The leaves from ten trees per population were collected while every tree was presented with 50 healthy and intact leaves. The leaves were collected from borderline trees or trees located in an isolated position usually from the southern exposed part of the crown, from its outer well-lit part. Leaf morphological characteristics were described by descriptive statistical indicators: arithmetic mean (x), standard deviation (SD), coefficient of variation (CV). In order to determine the intra-population and inter-population variability the univariate analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed.Results obtained by performed statistical analysis of studied morphological characteristics of wild cherry leaves showed that the most variable characteristic is the leaf surface area (LA). The analysis of variance (ANOVA) confirmed presence of statistically significant differences between values of the arithmetic means of the studied characteristics on both inter- and intra-population level. Populations varied the most in the petiole length (PL) and the smallest differences were observed in the leaf length (LL). Intra-population variability is greater than inter-population variability.Based on the conducted researches it can be concluded that in the studied wild cherry populations a high rate of variability of the studied leaf morphological characteristics was determined. The obtained results are the basis for the continuation of the research that needs to be conducted in order to provide guidelines and recommendations for the conservation and targeted use of genetic resources of this species in Serbia and beyond. For a complete knowledge on the variability of wild cherry in a part of the natural area the research should be expanded by the use of molecular markers

Smart grids concept in electrical distribution system

This paper defines key business processes in electrical distribution systems and key elements and priority components that should be (re)defined in these processes in order to enable the goals of smart grids concept to be fulfilled in the cost effective way. Activities undertaken in the Power Distribution Company of “Elektrovojvodina” (Serbia), which provide the basis for fulfilling the Smart Grids goals and thus enable full implementation of smart grids concept are presented in details

Parametri rodnosti sorti šećerne repe u uslovima suvog ratarenja

Trail with sugar beet was set up during three years. Yield parameters were analyzed on five different origins of sugar beet varieties. Variety had a statistically significant affect on the yield sugar beet. The average yield for all tested varieties was 54.25 t ha-1. The highest average yield was achieved by varieties Chiara, 72.58 t ha-1, and Otis, 64.55 t ha-1 the variety Severina the lowest, 36.76 t ha-1. The variety Severina had the highest average crystal sugar content, 16.65%. Crystalline sugar yield, as the most important indicator of sugar beet yield, statistically significantly depended on the variety. Quality, namely technological root value largely depends of variety. Coarseness of the root was in inverse proportion to the content of sugar.Ogledi sa šećernom repom izvođeni su tokom tri godine. Analizirani su parametri rodnosti pet sorti šećerne repe različitog porekla. Sorta je imala statistički značajan uticaj na prinosa korena šećerne repe. Prosečan prinos korena za sve testirane sorte iznosio je 54,25 t ha-1. Najviši prinos imale su sorte Chiara, 72,58 tha-1 i Otis, 64,55 t ha- 1, a sorta Severina najniži, 36,76 tha-1. Sorta Severina imala je najveći sadržaj kristalnog šećera, 16,65%. Prinos kristalnog šećera, kao najvažniji pokazatelj rodnosti šećerne repe, statistički je značajno zavisio od sorte. Tehnološka vrednost korena u velikoj meri zavisila je od sorte. Krupnoća korena bila je u obrnutoj proporciji sa sadržajem kristalnog šećera

Black Oat (Avena strigosa Schreb.) Ontogenesis and Agronomic Performance in Organic Cropping System and Pannonian Environments

This study examined the influence of agroecological conditions on the ontogenesis and production yield traits of black oat (Avena strigosa Schreb.). Understanding the agronomic and phenological properties related to productive properties of black oats can enable more successful introduction into new areas of oat cultivation. Field microexperiments were performed during the three consecutive years (2017-2019) on the two localities in South Banat, in Serbia, which differed in soil type: carbonate chernozem and humogley, respectively. The results showed that all investigated traits of oat in the chernozem soil type were higher when compared with measured traits obtained from the humogley soil type. The average value of yields of aboveground biomass, yield and protein content were significantly higher in relation to the humogley, by 13%, 17% and 11%, respectively for all three seasons. Observed by years, all productivity parameters differed significantly, which confirmed that the productivity of the cultivated plants was strongly influenced by different agroecological, soil and climatic conditions in Pannonian environments. The aboveground biomass and grain yield obtained from the humogley soil type indicate that this species can be successfully grown and utilized in production as a cover or fodder crop even in less favorable soil conditions

Genotype x Environment Interaction for Wheat Yield Traits Suitable for Selection in Different Seed Priming Conditions

Different seed priming treatments are widely used in order to improve the nutritional status of wheat, as well as to improve its grain yield and yield- related traits. The present study aimed to evaluate the impact of seed priming with zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) on the yield related traits, such as, field emergence, plant height, spike length and grain yield per plant of four winter wheat genotypes (Triticum aestivum L.) during two vegetation seasons of 2018/2019 and 2019/2020. The seeds of each wheat genotypes were primed with different concentrations of ZnO NPs (0 mg L-1, 10 mg L-1, 100 mg L-1 and 1000 mg L-1) for 48 h in a dark box by continuous aeration and were sown in soil pots with 60-70% moisture content until full maturity. The additive main effects and multiplicative interaction (AMMI) models were used to study the genotype environment effects. The results indicated that the plants response to ZnO nanoparticles significantly increased all of the observed traits of the wheat, while its maximum rates reduced the traits of the wheat. The AMMI analysis revealed the very complex nature of the variation observed in the trial and showed the significant effect of the GxE interaction, in which the first main component was significant for all components

Morphological characterization of sweet sorghum genotypes across environments

Sweet sorghum being a C4 crop accumulates more sugar in its stalks, also suitable for biofuel production and has high degree of tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses. Morphological characteristics i.e., plant height, plant biomass, leaves on the stem, panicle length and yield of crude biomass of sweet sorghum genotypes were studied across different environments. Environments and genotype by environment interaction (GEI) had a significant effect on the yield of crude biomass. The smallest yield of crude biomass was achieved in 2016 (42.54 t ha(-1)), which was found significantly lower as compared to that in 2014 and 2015. The average plant height had a significant and positive correlation with the number of leaves (0.54) and number of leaves had highly a significant and positive correlation with the mass of stem (0.46) and panicle length (0.61). Biomass yield was positively and significantly correlated with precipitation (0.72) and negatively significantly correlated with temperature (-0.57). In breeding of sweet sorghum, the highest attention should be given to biomass yield as it manage the whole variation and controlled by polygenes