Bioherbicides in organic agriculture

Given that the use of synthetic pesticides is prohibited in organic agricultural production, the biggest challenge is plant protection. The fight against weed plants in organic production is a measure that has neither simple nor standard solutions. Since herbicides are prohibited in these plantations, the use of biopesticides represents a safe, legally permitted, natural alternative. Depending on the organism they control, biopesticides are divided into bioinsecticides, biofungicides, bioherbicides, and others. This paper aims to review the relevant literature that indicates the most critical agents used as bioherbicides in organic agriculture. Living organisms such as insects, nematodes, bacteria, and fungi, as well as natural products are used in the biological control of weeds. There are many plant extracts with bioherbicidal action, which is most often attributed to the feature of allelopathy. Natural products that are used in the fight against weed plants contain essential oils (such as clove oil, eugenol, and d-limonene), soaps (pelargonic acid), acids (acetic, citric), or iron compounds (chelates). Acetic acid and vinegar are the ingredients in several herbicide products. Over 20 bioherbicides are registered or commercialized on the world market, most of which are based on fungi (genera Alternaria, Colletotrichum, Fusarium, Phomopsis, Phytophthora, Phyllosticta, Phoma destructiva, Puccinia, etc.). Corn gluten meal and mustard seed meal are used as preemergence organic herbicides, and as post-emergence and burndown organic herbicides 40% ammonium nonanoate, vinegar (5, 10, 15 and 20% acetic acid), clove oil 55% d-limonene. However, the market for these products is still small, it is mainly dominated by chemical control. There are still no registered bioherbicides in Serbia. Bioherbicides have shown great potential in controlling weeds in organic agricultural production, and represent a sustainable, cheap, and environmentally friendly suppression method

SEED HEALTH TREATMENTS IN ORGANIC SEED PRODUCTION

The basic principles for the development of organic agriculture has been prescribed by the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements-IFOAM and the European Union (Commission Regulation No 209/91), on whose standards EU regulations are founded. The field of organic production at the international level and issues of seeds and planting material are regulated by the IFOAM Basic Standards 2002, which stipulates that seed and planting material used in organic agriculture has to be produced in line with the regulations applicable to organic crops. Unlike the conventional seed production, in organic seed production, there is a higher risk of contamination with pathogens, i.e. seed-borne diseases. The aim of this study was to point out the existing methods of seed treatments in the organic production system in order to obtain healthy seeds. Seed-borne pathogens, including bacteria, fungi, viruses and viroids, are responsible for disease recurrence in subsequent cycles of seed multiplication and spread of diseases in new geographic regions. According to various authors, there are several classifications of treatments including physical treatments, application of natural compounds, such as plant extracts and oils, use of inorganic natural products and biological control (use antagonistic microorganisms). In order to overcome various pathogens different biocontrol strategies should be developed. Microorganisms can be used in diverse crop protection practices, i.e. several seed treatments can facilitate high levels of both disease control and production yield. © 2022, University of Montenegro. All rights reserved

Organic soya bean production in Serbia

In Serbia during 2021, organic crop production was performed on the area of 23,527 ha. The area of 2121.6 ha on which industrial crops were grown ranked fourth comparing to the total arable area sown with organic crops. Soya bean is one of the most important legumes, primarily because of the exceptional chemical composition of the grain (40% proteins and 20% oil). This manuscript reveals the analyses and graphic presentation of the area trends and the regional distribution of organic soya bean production in Serbia in the 2011-2021 period. The desk research was applied. Organic farming of soya bean is carried out on the area of 481 ha, right behind the leading sunflower (1,165 ha). In the region of Vojvodina, there are the largest areas on which organic growth of soya bean is performed. However, the organic soya bean production in Serbia is still insignificant, despite favourable agroecological conditions and market demands

ИСПИТИВАЊЕ МОГУЋНОСТИ ВЕГЕТАТИВНОГ НАЧИНА РАЗМНОЖАВАЊА СРЕМУША (ALLIUM URSINUM)

Сремуш (Allium ursinum) у народу је врло познат као лековита, ароматична и зачинска биљна врста где као таква има велику примену у кулинарству и медицини. Потребе за овом лековитом биљном сировином претежно се задовољавају њеним сакупљањем из самониклих популација. У покушају да се испита могућност гајења сремуша вегетативним начином размножавања и са тиме испита могућност производње одговарајуће количине ове биљне сировине спроведен је вишегодишњи огледни експеримент на приватном поседу у Мачванском округу. Циљ овог истраживања био да се утврди могућности узгајања сремуша вегетативним начином размножавања. Према томе, на подручју Мачванског региона постављен је монофакторијални, вишегодишњи оглед при чему је утврђиван број изниклих биљака а уједно је вршена оцена њихове продуктивности анализом морфолошких параметара током вегетације у 2021. и 2022. години. У односу на број посађених луковица у третманима током вегетације 2021. године израсло је 92,5%, биљака док се у 2022. години захваљујући генеративном начину размножавања број изниклих биљака био знатно повећао 195%. Током 2021. године поређењем морфолошких параметара на гајеном станишту са природним стаништем добијене вредности нису се значајно разликовале. У 2022. години на гајеном станишту постигнуте су ниже вредности за масу биљке, висину надземног дела биљке и површину листа. Добијени резултати указују да се сремуш може успешно вегетативно размножавати односно, правилним узорковањем луковица као и њиховом садњом у одговарајућим амбијенталним условима могу се засновати популације чији ће се склоп повећавати из године у годину.Sremuš (Allium ursinum) is popularly known as a medicinal, aromatic and spicy plant species where as such it has great application in cooking and medicine. The needs for this medicinal plant raw material are mostly met by collecting it from wild populations. In an attempt to examine the possibility of growing sremus by vegetative method of reproduction and thus examine the possibility of producing an appropriate amount of this plant raw material, a multi-year experimental experiment was conducted on a private property in the Macvan district. The aim of this research was to determine the possibilities of growing sremus by vegetative method of reproduction. Therefore, in the area of the Macvan region, a monofactorial, multi-year experiment was set up, during which the number of sprouted plants was determined, and at the same time their productivity was assessed by analyzing morphological parameters during the vegetation in 2021 and 2022. In relation to the number of planted bulbs in treatments during the vegetation in 2021, 92.5% of plants grew, while in 2022, thanks to the generative method of propagation, the number of sprouted plants increased significantly by 195%. During 2021, by comparing the morphological parameters of the cultivated habitat with the natural habitat, the obtained values did not differ significantly. In 2022, lower values for plant weight, height of the above- ground part of the plant and leaf area were achieved on the cultivated habitat. The obtained results indicate that sremush can be successfully propagated vegetatively, that is, by proper sampling of bulbs as well as their planting in appropriate ambient conditions, populations can be established whose composition will increase from year to year

In vitro procena antioksidativne aktivnosti ekstrakta latica Paeonia lactiflora i Calendula officinalis ugrađenih u nove forme nosača na biobazi

U ovom radu prikazana je ekstrakcija latica hibrida Paeonia lactiflora "Činija lepote" i Calendula officinalis L. pomoću mikrotalasnog reaktora i ultarazvuka u sistemu etanol-voda, kao i izolacija etarskog ulja latica Calendula officinalis L. hidrodestilacijom. Određen je ukupan sadržaj fenola i flavonoida u ekstraktima i ulju, i procenjena je antioksidativna aktivnost. Antioksidativna aktivnost je određena korišćenjem standardnih, antioksidativnih in vitro DPPH • i ABTS •+ testova. Najveći ukupni sadržaj fenola utvrđen je kod ekstrakata P. lactiflora i C. officinalis L. dobijenih ultrazvučnom ekstrakcijom (83,16 i 114,47 mg GA/g, redom), dok je najveći sadržaj flavonoida dobijen ekstrakcijom uz pomoć mikrotalasnog reaktora (123,48 i 65,29 mg QE/g, redom). Najveća antioksidativna aktivnost za ekstrakt hibrida Paeonia lactiflora "Činija lepote" dobijena je mikrotalasnom ekstrakcijom (79% i 83%), dok je za ekstrakt Calendula officinalis L. dobijena ultrazvučnom ekstrakcijom (45% i 49%) u DPPH • i ABTS •+ , redom. U cilju poboljšanja antioksidativne aktivnosti oba tipa ispitivanih analita (ekstrakta i etarskog ulja), pektinski biopolimerni film, (u formi nosača), u procesu enzimski potpomognute katalize, je pripremljen. Za karakterizaciju dobijenih filmova korišćena je optička mikroskopija i FTIR spektroskopija. Filmovi sa esencijalnim uljem C. officinalis L. i galnom kiselinom, pokazali su značajno povećan procenat inhibicije u DPPH • i ABTS •+ testu (91% i 95%, redom) nakon 10 minuta. Rezultati su, takođe, pokazali da se sve formulacije pektinskog biopolimernog filma, modifikovanog galnom kiselinom, mogu uspešno primenjivati kao nosač za oba tipa ingredijenata.In this study, the petals collected from peony hybrid Paeonia lactiflora "Bowl of Beauty" and Calendula officinalis L. were extracted using an ethanol-water mixture assisted with microwave and ultrasonic treatment. The isolation of Calendula officinalis L. essential oil was done by hydrodistillation as well. The total phenolic and flavonoids content in the extracts and oil were determined and their antioxidant activity was evaluated. The highest total phenolic content was found for the extracts of hybrid Paeonia lactiflora and Calendula officinalis L. obtained by ultrasound extraction (83.16 and 114.47 mg GA/g, respectively), while the flavonoid content obtained by microwave-assisted extraction was relatively high (123.48 and 65.29 mg QE/g, respectively). The highest antioxidant activity was obtained in DPPH • and ABTS •+ assay for the microwave-assisted extraction of hybrid P. lactiflora (79% and 83%) and ultrasound-assisted extraction of C. officinalis L. (45% and 49%), respectively. To improve antioxidant activity of both types of examined analytes (extracts and essential oil), the pectin biopolymer film (as a carrier) was prepared in the process of enzymatically assisted catalysis. Optical microscopy and FTIR spectroscopy were used for the characterization of obtained materials. The films, with essential oil of C. officinalis L. and gallic acid, showed significantly increased percentage inhibition in DPPH • and ABTS •+ test (91% and 95%, respectively) after 10 minutes. The results, also, showed that all formulations of pectin biopolymer film, modified with gallic acid, can be successfully applied as a carrier for both types of ingredients

Phytochemical characterization and antioxidant potential of Allium ursinum L. cultivated on different soil types-a preliminary study

Wild garlic (Allium ursinum L.) has been used as nutrition and medicine for centuries. Although this plant species is a typical spring geophyte that grows spontaneously in moist, steep, shady beech forests, but information on phytochemical and antioxidant properties under various soil types are scarce. This study aimed to assess the phytochemical composition and antioxidant potential of the leaves of A. ursinum grown on different soil types, but under identical climatic conditions of South Banat, Serbia. For the purpose of reproduction, A. ursinum bulbs were collected from two different locations in Serbia and then planted on different types of soil, namely: Arenosol, Fluvisol, Cambisol and Chernozem. Fresh leaves of sprouted plants were sampled at the beginning of spring, morphologically analysed and stoma was counted. The leaf extract was prepared and its phytochemical composition and antioxidant potential were assessed. Regardless of the origin of the reproductive material (bulbs), the leaves of A. ursinum plants cultivated in Chernozem soil had the best morphological characteristics and the largest number of stomata. Phytochemical analyses revealed the following ranges for selected bioactive compounds (expressed on fresh weight, FW): chlorophyll content (289.9-642.4 μg/g for chlorophyll a i.e. 358.2-458.6 μg/g for chlorophyll b), total carotenoid content (TCC, 91.2-263.2 μg/g), total phenolic content (TPC, 1.43-1.98 mg/g GAE), total flavonoid content (TFC, 0.36-1.28 mg/g QE), and total dihydroxycinnamic acid derivative content (HCA, 0.53-0.59 mg/g CGAE). The highest values were obtained on Chernozem (chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and TPC and HCA) and Cambisol (TCC and TFC). Chernozem appeared to be the best soil type during three applied standard antioxidant assays (CUPRAC, TAC and FRP) while DPPH radical quenching assay revealed no significant differences among all examined soil types. Based on the obtained results it could be assumed that Chernozem exhibited the most desirable physico-chemical properties for optimal development of A. ursinum (in particular its green parts) as a source of different antioxidants. Correlation analysis of phytochemical parameters has proved significant influence of total chlorophylls, phenolics, flavonoids and duhydroxycinnamic acid derivatives on antioxidant activity of A. ursinum leaves (unlike total carotenoid content) with the highest correlation between HCA and FRP assay (r2= 1.00). In addition, PCA analysis clearly determined Chernozem type of soil as the best choice for optimal leaf growth and development. © 2023,Journal of Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management. All Rights Reserved

Impact of substrate volume on the cucumber seedling quality

In the production of vegetable crops and flowers, the size of the growing space, i.e. volume of container cells or pots, has a direct impact on water and air properties of the substrate, nutrient availability, and consequently the plant growth. Reactions differ depending on the plant species. Plants belonging to the gourd family (Cucurbitaceae) have the root system which is very sensitive to mechanical injuries and which has weak regeneration abilities. Therefore, the volume of the substrate in which their seedlings will be grown is very significant in the seedling production. Finding the optimal substrate volume has an impact on the seedling quality and later on the production itself, but it is also very significant from the economic point of view. Therefore, studies were conducted at the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Belgrade with the aim to define the optimal substrate volume which would provide the seedlings of the highest quality in the shortest time possible. The cucumber seedlings (Darina F1) were grown in grow chambers at day/night intervals of 14/10h and air temperature of 25/18oC. The seedlings were grown in pots of different volumes: 100, 200, 300, 500 and 1000 cm3. The pots were filled with the substrate TKS 1 (Floragard)

Effect of different stratification durations on increased germination of Allium ursinum seeds

In this study, the optimal stratification duration of wild garlic (Allium ursinum) seeds was examined, in order to shorten the period of physiological dormancy. Collected, cleaned and dried seeds were subjected to the stratification method. Apart of the gathered seeds was placed in Petri dishes on dry filter paper, while the remaining fraction was placed in Petri dishes on wet filter paper. The previously mentioned seed placement had undergone treatments during the stratification period of 0, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20 weeks. Each treatment contained four repetitions of hundred seeds respectively. Seeds in Petri dishes on dry filter paper had a higher percentage of germination (52%) in contrast to others, placed in Petri dishes on wet filter paper (31%). During the stratification period of 12 weeks, the highest percentage of germinated seeds was attained, as well as the shortest length of the average germination time, along with the highest synchronicity

The influence of biofungicides on germination and protection of the seeds Foeniculum vulgare L.

There is no List of permitted plant protection products that can be used in medicinal and aromatic plant production. The effects of two biofungicides, from the List of permitted plant protection products used in organic production, on the seed quality and health of medicinal plant Foeniculum vulgare L. cv. 'Vojvođanski' were examined. The aim was to find products of plant permitted in organic production with beneficial effect on fennel seeds. Seed germination testing was done according to the Rule book on seed quality control, while the seed health was examined by the filter paper method. The treatment of the seed was done with solutions of biofungicides 'Extrasol F' and 'Polyversum'. The solutions of 'Extrasol F' were applied in concentrations of 0.20 ml/kg and 0.40 ml/kg, while the solutions of 'Polyversum' were applied in concentrations of 0.50 g/kg and 1 g/kg. Distilled water solely was used in the control. Seed examinations were done after 14 days. The results showed that biofungicides in the recommended concentrations of 0.20 ml/kg and 0.50 g/kg, had an effect of 73.3% and 64.7%, respectively, on germination, while in the concentrations of 0.40 ml/kg and 1 g/kg, the seed germination was lower by 5.7% and 1.7% than the control. Based on the symptoms of necrosis, dark mycelia and abundant sporulation observed on the seed surface, the fungus identified was Alternaria sp

Hydroxycinnamicacid derivatives: potential antioxidants in rare grown Allium species from Serbia

The modern lifestyle imposes the need to discover and introduce foodstuffs that have nutritional and medicinal value into the food chain. The genus Allium includes a great number of species. The most studied species are onion, garlic and leek, for which there is evidence of beneficial effects on human health. Investigation of other, rare grown species of this genus, offers the possibility of expanding the range of food to vegetable species with potentially enriched chemical composition. Bearing in mind that the antioxidant properties of food are an important parameterofits quality, this paper aimed to examine the content of hydroxycinnamic derivatives (HCAs), as natural antioxidants, in two Allium species - A. schoenoprasum (chives) and A. nutans (blue chives), grown under different foliar application of selenium - Se (0, 10, 20, 30 g per ha). The total HCAs content was determined by spectrophotometric method, measured the absorbance at 525 nm. The obtained results are expressed as mg equivalent of chlorogenic acid (CGAE) per g of fresh weight. HCAs was in range 0.18 to 0.39 mg/g CGAE for A. schoenoprasum, and from 0.18 to 0.94 mg/g CGAE for A. nutans