INDOOR FLOWERS: AIR PURIFYING PLANTS

Indoor flowers are an unavoidable element in modern interior design. In addition to enriching the living and working space in terms of decoration, flowers also have a beneficial effect on people: it improves mood and increases productivity at work. The benefits of growing flowers in the interior are numerous and of particular importance for human health is the fact that they improve air quality and reduce the concentrations of many pollutants. Pollutants in the interior can be divided into non-biological and biological according to the source. In most cases, external pollution is mentioned as the main source of increased concentrations of non-biological indoor air pollutants. The assumption is that the mechanism of air purification implies the absorption of volatile compounds by plant leaves, which are then transported to the roots, and where they are then decomposed by microorganisms. On the other hand, it is supposed that certain compounds characterized as air pollutants are degraded and used in plant metabolism. Research shows that the ability to remove organic volatile compounds from the air into the interior is different and depends on the type of flower species. Indoor flowers that have been shown to be effective in air purifying are from the following families: Moracae, Araceae, Arecaceae, Araliaceae, Orchidaceae, etc. The choice of flowers to alleviate indoor air pollution depends not only on their ability to clean the air, but also on their needs for care, light and finally of personal taste

Fenotipske razlike u osnovnim karakteristikama kolekcije genotipova crnog luka iz Srbije

The onion is a widely distributed vegetable crop, which takes an important place in the vegetable production in Serbia. The traditional planting method is the one from sets. Old cultivars and populations and, in recent years, foreign cultivars are grown. The large variety of genotypes, including both domestic populations and cultivars, comprises the significant gene pool of this region. The onion collection of the Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops in Novi Sad is based on the populations and cultivars from the territory of the former Yugoslavia. This paper reviews 30 onion genotypes on the basic IPGRI descriptors (ANNEX I). Variability of the reviewed characteristics was determined by PC analysis. High variability values have been established for bulb skin color, bulb flesh color, bulb hearting and bulb skin thickness. The genotypes varied in bulb skin color as well as in bulb flesh color from white to dark violet. These two characteristics had the largest impact on clustering, with a single genotype being heterogeneous exactly for these two characteristics.Crni luk je široko rasprostranjena povrtarska vrsta, čija proizvodnja zauzima značajno mesto u setvenoj strukturi povrća u Srbiji. Tradicionalni način ove proizvodnje je iz arpadžika, gde su zastupljene stare sorte, populacije i sve prisutniji strani sortiment. Bogatstvo genotipova crnog luka, kako gajenih domaćih populacija tako i sorata, predstavlja značajan gen fond sa ovog područja. U Institutu za ratarstvo i povrtarstvo u Novom Sadu, osnovu kolekcije čine domaće populacije i sorte koje se gaje u širem region, sa prostora bivše Jugoslavije. U radu su prikazane osnovne osobine 30 genotipova crnog luka prema deskriptoru IPGRI (ANNEX I.). Varijabilnost ispitivanih osobina je utvrđena PC analizom, gde je ustanovljena visoka varijabilnost za boju lukovice, boju sočnih listova lukovice, broj gnezda i debljinu listova lukovice. Genotipovi su imali boju lukovice od bele do tamno ljubičaste, a takođe i boja sočnih listova. Ove dve osobine su imale najveći uticaj na grupisanje genotipova, tako su formirane dve grupe, uz izdvajanje jednog genotipa koji je heterogen upravo za ove osobine

Production and chemical characteristics of the populations of spring garlic (Allium Sativum L.) from the serbian genetic collection

A great number of spring garlic populations are present in Serbia. It is a very heterogeneous biological material. To date, it has been little studied. Therefore, the aim was to study its production and chemical characteristics. Eighteen populations of spring garlic were examined. Most of the production of this garlic in Serbia is based on them. They were examined in Zminjak, which is located in the central Macva (Serbia). The method of field experiments was used. The research lasted for three years. The results comprise two groups of parameters. The first group contains the results which show the most important productive characteristics (weight of bulb, number of cloves per bulb, bulb yield). The second group consists of the parameters for chemical characteristics of the investigated populations (dry matter, etheric oil, and alliin). In this case, the populations demonstrated a significant influence, and their stability was also very conspicuous. Most of the investigated populations of spring garlic can serve as a good resultant material for obtaining new cultivars. The populations can be classified as follows: SG-18, SG-25, SG-28, SG-16, SG-29 (yield), SG-21, SG-26 (technological quality) and SG-29, SG-18, SG-16 (foodstuff and pharmaceutical quality). They can remain as populations, but it would be significantly better to create new cultivars by using them

Pepper fruits - consumer preferences in Serbia

In Balkan cuisines, as well as in Serbia, pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) has a very diverse use. Knowledge about consumer preferences is of great importance for a breeding process as well as in market-orientated production. According to the authors’ knowledge, there is little data in the literature about consumer preferences in terms of pepper fruit shape, colour and hotness, especially in the region of southeast Europe and Serbia. An online survey to collect data regarding consumer preferences was conducted via Google forms. Four hundred and two participants (52% females and 48% males), answered the survey questions. In the questionnaire, participants were asked about basic personal data: gender, education level, and age

Navike potrošača u Srbiji pri izboru plodova paprike

Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) is one of the major vegetable species in the world. In Balkan cuisines, as well as in Serbia, pepper has a very diverse use. Knowledge about consumer preferences is of great importance for a breeding process as well as in the market-orientated production. Because of the lack of information about consumer preferences towards pepper types, in the Serbian market, the present research was conducted. Four hundred and two participants, classified into groups, according to gender, age and education, answered the survey questions. According to this research, the most preferred pepper type in Serbia is kapia, while the bell pepper is the second chosen type. Also, it was revealed that the most favourite colour of pepper fruit is red. There is a tendency for higher importance of fruit type rather than fruit colour. The highest percentage of hot pepper consumers prefers medium hot peppers. The obtained trend shows that women generally prefer less spicy pepper fruits than men.Paprika (Capsicum annuum L.) je jedna od najznačajnijih povrtarskih vrsta u svetu. U kuhinjama balkanskih zemalja, pa i Srbije, paprika ima veoma raznovrsnu upotrebu. Poznavanje navika potrošača od velikog je značaja za proces oplemenjivanja, kao i za tržišno orijentisanu proizvodnju. Zbog nedostatka informacija o navikama potrošača, ovo istraživanje imalo je za cilј da utvrdi koja svojstva plodova potrošači paprike u Srbiji najčeće odabiraju. Anketom je obuhvaćeno četiri stotine i dva učesnika koji su svrstani u grupe prema polu, godinama starosti i obrazovanju. Dobijeni rezultati istraživanja pokazali su da je u Srbiji najpopularniji tip paprike kapija, dok je babura drugi izabrani tip, a omiljena boja ploda je crvena. Ustanovljeno je da za potrošače veći značaj ima tip ploda u odnosu na boju ploda. Najveći procenat potrošača lјute paprike preferira srednje lјute plodove. U ispitivanju ljutine, trend pokazuje da žene uglavnom vole manje lјutu papriku u odnosu na muškarce

Način nasleđivanja mase lukovice crnog luka (Allium cepa L.)

One of the most important traits of onion bulb is its bulb fresh weight. Also, this trait is in a group of morphological markers that, together with RAPD, represent the parameter of the most precise identification of onion genotype. For the purpose of this study, the chosen genotypes were: Makoi bronzi, Piroska, AC 101, Jasenicki crveni, Bukino beo. Also, they were of a different geographical origin. Method of full diallel without reciprocals was applied in order to obtain F1 and F2 generation. Field trial with parents and hybrids F1 and F2 generation was set in a random block system with five replications at the Institute for Vegetable Crops, Smederevska Palanka, Serbia. Considering all crossing combinations, super-domination and domination are the modes of inheritance for bulb fresh weight. The best general combiner was the line Makoi bronzi. The highest level of SCA in F1 and F2 generation was found in hybrid combination Makoi bronzi x Piroska. Also, this hybrid combination had the highest values of heterosis.Među najbitnije proizvodne osobine lukovice crnog luka ubraja se njena masa. Zatim, ova osobina spada u grupu morfoloških markera koja zajedno sa primenom molekularnih markera (RAPD), služi kao parametar za najtačniju identifikaciju genotipova crnog luka. U cilju ispitivanja načina nasleđivanja ove osobine izvršeno je ukrštanje između pet divergentnih genotipova crnog luka, različitog geografskog porekla. Primenjen je metod punog dialela bez recipročnih ukrštanja, radi dobijanja potomstva F1 i F2 generacije. Poljski ogled sa roditeljima i hibridima F1 i F2 generacije postavljen je po slučajnom blok sistemu u pet ponavljanja u Institutu za povrtarstvo, Smederevska Palanka. Uzevši u obzir sve kombinacije ukrštanja, može se zaključiti da superdominacija i dominacija predstavljaju način nasleđivanja mase lukovice. Najbolji opšti kombinator bila je linija Makoi bronzi. Najvišu vrednost za SCA u F1 i F2 generaciji imao je hibrid nastao ukrštanjem linija Makoi bronzi x Piroška. Takođe, ova hibridna kombinacija imala je i najveće izračunate vrednosti za heterozis

The effects of different cover crops on grain yield of popcorn (Zea mays l. ssp. everta Sturt)

Cover crops are specific system of growing and mainly cover the surface of the soil during the winter, improve the physical and mechanical properties of the soil, water regime, increase the content of nutrients, reduce weed control and contribute to the achievement of higher yields of the main crops. The positive impact on the higher yields in the main crop is the result of lower infestation and increased competition for the main factors of growth and development and through secretion allelopathic compounds. The experiments were performed in 2014 on experimental field of the Maize Research Institute in ZemunPolje (Belgrade, Serbia). We have includedthe following types of individual winter cover crops: common vetch, oat, fodder kale and field pea; Mixtures: common vetch + oats, field pea + oats; and two controltreatments:deadorganicmulch- soilcovered with strawin autumnand winter time, andconventional (traditional) variant– bare soiluncoveredduring fall andwinter time. Sowing cover crops is carried out in the autumn, the elemental plots of 35 m-2. Mowing and soil incorporation of cover crops was carried out in late April or early May, when the crops were most abundant. Sowing popcorn (ZP 611k) was done manually in mid-May at a density of 65 000 plants ha-1. In both years, in the phase of intensive growth of the main crop, is determined total number of weed species, total number of plants per species and fresh biomass per m-2. In a year that was rich precipitation (2014), the highest grain yield obtained with legumes cover crops and the lowest in traditional variant, classical plowing in the fall and keeping bare land uncovered during the winter. We can be concluded that higher yields of popcorn by sowing cover crops in sustainable farming systems in a semi - arid regions

The effects of different cover crops on grain yield of popcorn (Zea mays l. ssp. everta Sturt)

Cover crops are specific system of growing and mainly cover the surface of the soil during the winter, improve the physical and mechanical properties of the soil, water regime, increase the content of nutrients, reduce weed control and contribute to the achievement of higher yields of the main crops. The positive impact on the higher yields in the main crop is the result of lower infestation and increased competition for the main factors of growth and development and through secretion allelopathic compounds. The experiments were performed in 2014 on experimental field of the Maize Research Institute in ZemunPolje (Belgrade, Serbia). We have includedthe following types of individual winter cover crops: common vetch, oat, fodder kale and field pea; Mixtures: common vetch + oats, field pea + oats; and two controltreatments:deadorganicmulch- soilcovered with strawin autumnand winter time, andconventional (traditional) variant– bare soiluncoveredduring fall andwinter time. Sowing cover crops is carried out in the autumn, the elemental plots of 35 m-2. Mowing and soil incorporation of cover crops was carried out in late April or early May, when the crops were most abundant. Sowing popcorn (ZP 611k) was done manually in mid-May at a density of 65 000 plants ha-1. In both years, in the phase of intensive growth of the main crop, is determined total number of weed species, total number of plants per species and fresh biomass per m-2. In a year that was rich precipitation (2014), the highest grain yield obtained with legumes cover crops and the lowest in traditional variant, classical plowing in the fall and keeping bare land uncovered during the winter. We can be concluded that higher yields of popcorn by sowing cover crops in sustainable farming systems in a semi - arid regions

Selected bioactive compounds content of cinnamon spice

Cinnamon spice is obtained by peeling the inner bark of an evergreen tree Cinnamomum zeylanicum (fam. Lauraceae), native to Sri Lanka. It is one of the earliest known spices on the Asian continent. Today, it is highly valued and widely used all around the world, as a whole (bark sticks), ground spice or essential oil. Cinnamon has a long tradition of use in cooking (as flavoring agent), aromatherapy (as fragrant agent), traditional medicine (for treatment toothache, dental problems, bad breath, diabetes, rheumatism), and is also recognized in official medicine (show antioxidant, antidiabetic, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory activities). The biological activity of cinnamon is attributed to a number of bioactive compounds, and as the most important stood out cinnamaldehyde and trans-cinnamaldehyde (Cin). In this study, dry, ground cinnamon was analysed to determine the content of: total phenolics (TPC), total flavonoids (TFC), total hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives (HCAs) and total carotenoids (TCC). Bioactive compounds were extracted by solvent extraction (SE) and ultrasound assisted extraction (USE) in 80% acetone and warm water (50 °C). The content of bioactive compounds were determined spectrophotometrically. The TPC in acetone extracts prepared by UAE was the highest (29.83 ± 0.02 mg GAE/g of DW), but did not show a significant difference in comparison to TPC achieved in acetone extract obtained by SE (29.79 ± 0.11 mg GAE/g of DW). The highest TFC (1.41 ± 0.17 mg CE/g of DW) and HCAs (14.59 ± 0.79 mg CGAE/g of DW) were observed in acetone extract prepared by SE, while the highest TCC (277.10 ± 4.82 μg/g) was acquired in acetone extract prepared by UAE. Also, the content of tested bioactive compounds of cinnamon in water extracts was higher compared to some spices described in recent studies, which places cinnamon as a good source of bioactive compounds with potential health benefits