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Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae and Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae are causative agents of the porcine respiratory disease complex. However, information on the prevalence of these pathogens in wild boars is scarce. This study aimed to investigate the presence of antibodies to Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae and Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae in wild boars in Serbia. In this study 253 serum samples from wild boars were tested for antibodies to Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae and Actinobacillus pleuropneumonia using the ELISA assay. The overall seroprevalence rates of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae and Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae were 4.2% and 56.9%, respectively. Antibodies to both pathogens were detected in 20 sera samples (7.9%). The prevalence of wild boars that were seropositive for Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae differed with age and ranged from 10.7% to 33.3%, and for Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, it ranged from 51.8% to 83.3%. Wild boars are hard to control and are considered a high-risk infection source for outdoor and backyard pigs and eventually for commercial indoor farms as well. Thus, the result of this first serosurvey in Serbia should raise awareness of the importance of wild boars as potential reservoirs of bacterial pathogens such as Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae and Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae. Our data revealed the circulation of both pathogens in wild boars in Serbia, drawing attention to the potential health risk they present for domestic swine health.

The impact of rhizosphere aeration on the composition of xylem sap in cucumber grown in soil was studied to determine its effects on (i) water and nutrient uptake, (ii) xylem transport, and (iii) amino acid synthesis in the roots. Plants grown under three different aeration conditions were subjected to progressive gas stress throughout the whole growth period. The shoot and root growth, xylem nitrate (NO₃^–) concentration, potassium (K⁺) concentration, xylem sap flow rate, and amino acid concentrations were higher in the Z1 treatment plants than in the control (CK) plants, and the former also showed a lower CO₂ (0.25–0.84%) and a higher O₂ (18.22–20.02%). However, the Z3 treatment plants exhibited decreased xylem loading of amino acids, NO₃^– concentrations, and K+ concentrations and a lower flow rate of xylem sap, which restricted shoot and root growth due to poor aeration caused by a higher CO₂ (0.75–3.68%) and a lower O₂ (11.51–18.6%). Furthermore, the xylem pH in these plants was lower by approximately 0.17 units, and the conductivity was decreased by approximately 0.31 mS/cm. Based on the observed results, the CO₂ and O₂ in the soil can potentially regulate root and shoot growth and the xylem sap composition in cucumber. Therefore, rhizosphere aeration is important for the vigorous growth of plants.

Temperature is a key parameter that influences the uptake and subsequent utilization of nitrogen by plants. Both suboptimal and supraoptimal temperatures can impair nutrient uptake. The close relatives of bread wheat provide a possible source for breeders to increase stress tolerance. The effect of the increasing temperature (5, 10, 15, 20 and 30 °C) on nitrate uptake and metabolism in five modern spring cultivars of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and two cultivars of emmer wheat (Triticum dicoccon Schrank), was monitored. Wheat plants were grown under controlled conditions in hydroponics. The parameters of Michaelis-Menten kinetics, maximum uptake rate (V_max), the Michaelis constant (K_m) and selected characteristics of nitrate metabolism, the activity of nitrate reductase (NR) and contents of nitrate in leaves were observed. The effect of temperature was significant for all studied traits except K_m, while the cultivar factor was significant for V_max, K_m, NR and root/shoot ratio (R/S). Emmer wheat cultivar Rudico had significantly higher V_max at 5, 15, 20 and 30 °C than all bread wheat cultivars, on average 7.07, in comparison with 4.09–4.43 μmol NO₃^–/g FW/h in bread wheat cultivars. Emmer wheat Rudico and Tapiruz had significantly higher K_m (on average, 41.59 and 47.22 μM NO₃^–) than bread wheat cultivars (27.59–33.44 μM NO₃^–). Differences in the studied kinetic parameters of nitrate uptake offer the possibility of using T. dicoccon genotypes in breeding for better nitrogen use efficiency.

Tuna meat (Thunnus atlanticus – blackfin tuna) and purslane flour (Portulaca oleracea L.), which contain high protein and polyunsaturated fatty acids but are low fat and cholesterol, are used to substitute beef and tapioca flour to produce quality meatballs. This study aims to determine the effect of substituting beef and tapioca flour with tuna meat and purslane flour on meatballs' chemical, physical, and sensory quality. The beef was substituted with 40% tuna meat, and tapioca flour was substituted with 0, 10, and 20% purslane flour. The data obtained were analysed using a complete randomised design, with three treatments and five replications, respectively, and further tested with the Duncan test. The results showed that increasing the level of purslane flour can increase (P < 0.01) the chemical quality (water, protein, fat, ash, and omega-3) but decrease (P < 0.01) the cholesterol of the meatballs. Physical quality (water holding capacity and sensory quality (colour) of meatballs were increased (P < 0.01), but taste and acceptability were decreased (P < 0.01). It can be concluded that substituting beef and tapioca flour with tuna meat and purslane flour can increase the chemical and physical quality.

The rice drying process in a rotary dryer gives the benefit of producing uniformly dried rice in a short drying time. This work investigated a rotary dryer's efficiency and heat consumption at various temperatures (40, 50, and 60 °C) and capacities (10, 20, 30, and 40 kg). When loaded with 10 to 30 kg of rough rice and operated at 60 °C, the dryer produced dry rice with 14% w.b. moisture content for less than 3 hours. The energy efficiency and consumption were evaluated based on the experiment and theoretical analysis. According to the observation, a high temperature significantly shortened drying time. Thus, the total energy and fuel consumption decreased even at the higher capacity. The lowest carbon dioxide emission was achieved at the highest temperature and capacity.

Evaluation of genetic resources of eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) from different geographical areas using molecular markers (RAPD) is of great importance in the breeding process. A total of 90 polymorphic amplified products were obtained from 10 decametric RAPD primers, used to analyse the genetic diversity of 20 genotypes of eggplant (16 local and 4 genotypes of foreign origin). The highest polymorphism was determined using the OPAF-16 primer (70.83%). The number of detected bands ranged from 13 (OPF-04) to 24 (OPAF-16), while the average number of bands per primer was 17.2. The lengths of the amplified fragments ranged from 400 to 9 000 bp. The value of the Jaccard’s genetic distance coefficient ranged from 0.095 to 0.35, and the dendrogram constructed using the UPGMA method showed that 16 local and 4 foreign genotypes were grouped into nine groups (clusters). Populations K1, K8/1, K19, K22, K25 and K38 represent genotypes that separated from the others and formed single clusters. The lowest value of the calculated genetic distance was 0.095 between domestic genotypes K13 and K12, which also showed morphological similarity in terms of shape and colour. On the other hand, the highest value of genetic distance was calculated between foreign genotypes K19 and K25 (0.35), K19 and K34 (0.34) and K19 and K38 (0.34). Genetically distinct genotypes identified using RAPD markers could be potential starting genetic material for crossing with other genotypes to obtain new and improved eggplant varieties.

The compressibility features (bulk density, tapped bulk density, porosity, coefficient of compressibility and Hauser ratio) of Canarium schweinfurthii engl. nutshell powder as it affects flowability during densification process were investigated. Three different moisture contents (10.13, 15.07 and 20.11% wet basis; w.b.) and particle sizes of 0.659 7, 1.26 and 2.05 mm were considered at pressure range of 2 to 10 MPa. The compressibility relationship with the factors were modelled and the optimum flow conditions were also determined. The obtained results showed that particle size and moisture content had incremental influence on the compression features studied except moisture content on bulk density. The compressibility of the nut shell powder increased from 17.44 to 28.18% and decreased from 29.41%to 18.79% as moisture content and particle size increased respectively. Medium particle size had the least Hausner ratio (1.16) and the best flow behaviour than other sizes for all the studied moisture contents. The linear model developed and its features had significant relationship with compressibility. The optimum values of pressure, moisture content and particle size required to achieve 17.45% compressibility for good flow are 4.88 MPa, 10.91% and 0.863 8 mm respectively.

This study aimed to obtain buckwheat bread by adding whole buckwheat to the white bread formulation in groat and flour form. The addition was made in different proportions (0, 10, 20, and 30%) according to the principle of substitution. Buckwheat addition, as groat, increased the bread's hardness to a great extent. Moisture analysis results indicated that the buckwheat additive can increase the water-holding capacity and may extend the shelf life, especially in flour form. The samples' antioxidant activities and phenolic content significantly increased when the addition was made as flour. All buckwheat-added samples had lower volume values than control samples. Buckwheat addition caused an increase in volatile components such as phenylethanol and benzylalcohol. As a result of sensory analysis, using buckwheat as flour and groat positively affected breadmaking. Considering the samples' nutritional and sensory properties, the combination in which 20% buckwheat flour is added to the white bread formulation is the most appropriate use.

This study tested the impact of priming peanut seeds from the VD01-2 cultivar with either 6 mg/L of abscisic acid or 20 mg/L of sodium nitroprusside to prevent damage from drought stress. Throughout the development of peanuts under drought-stress conditions, various morphological, physiological, and biochemical changes were analyzed. According to the study, it was determined that priming with SNP had a more significant effect than priming with ABA. The use of sodium nitroprusside priming resulted in an improvement in both the yield and quality of peanuts when grown under drought conditions. Furthermore, the findings indicate that the use of sodium nitroprusside priming showed an increase in chlorophyll content, gas exchange capacity, and antioxidant activities while reducing lipid peroxidation.

The present study aims to evaluate the prevalence and antimicrobial sensitivity of Staphylococcus aureus associated with bovine mastitis to selected antibiotics and plant extracts. In the current study, 140 milk samples were collected from cows and buffaloes. Among the 140 samples, 93 samples were positive for sub-clinical mastitis based on the California Mastitis Test (CMT). Out of the total positive samples, 45 were confirmed for S. aureus on a Mannitol salt agar media. The antimicrobial susceptibility test revealed that 44.82% of the isolates were resistant to cefoxitin (oxacillin) confirming methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) with a higher percentage (51.61%) in the buffalo than in the cow samples. Furthermore, the PCR assay confirmed the presence of the mecA gene in all the MRSA isolates. Among the seven tested antibiotics, sulfamethoxazole + trimethoprim showed high efficacy (71.1%) against methicillin-susceptible S. aureus isolates (MSSA). Oxytetracycline and sulfamethoxazole + trimethoprim showed 20% efficacy against MRSA followed by enrofloxacin (10%). On the other hand, the tested samples from Pistacia chinensis revealed that the ethyl acetate extract of bark showed a maximum zone of inhibition of 21.3 mm against MSSA and MRSA isolates at 3 000 µg/disc. Moreover, the methanol extract of Cotoneaster microphyllus formed a 12.3 mm and 9.1 mm zone of inhibition against the MSSA and MRSA isolates, respectively.

During the survey of open tomato fields in Vojvodina (Serbia), characteristic anthracnose disease symptoms, including black, circular, sunken, and watery lesions, were observed in about 20% of fruits in September 2018. Subsequent pathogen isolations formed white aerial mycelia and numerous spherical, black conidiomata on the Potato Dextrose Agar. Ten representative isolates produced hyaline, smooth-walled, cylindrical, and aseptate conidia. The presence of initially brownish necrotic lesions on the tomato, which later expanded into large rotted areas, ultimately leading to complete fruit rot, confirmed the pathogenicity of the tested isolates. Molecular identification was performed using Bayesian analysis of concatenated ITS, TUB2, CHS-1, and ACT loci. Based on the combination of the morphological and molecular features, the fungus Colletotrichum nigrum was identified as the causal pathogen. As this is the first report on this fungal pathogen on tomatoes in Serbia, it highlights the importance of early and accurate detection for effective disease prevention, thus reducing crop damage and market losses.

This study evaluated the nutrients, flavour and antioxidant capacity in the embryo, colloid and fruiting body of Dictyophora rubrovalvata. The embryo had the highest protein [2.91 ± 0.39 g·(100 g)^–1] and polysaccharides (17.44 ± 1.49 mg·g^–1), the fruiting body had the highest total phenol content (0.87 ± 0.17 mg·g^–1), the colloid was rich in minerals [1.57 ± 0.16 g·(100 g)^–1]. The antioxidant capacity of the embryo was higher than that of the other parts, in terms of different solvents, the antioxidant capacity of D. rubrovalvata extracted with ethanol was higher than that of water. 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), and reducing capacity were positively correlated with polysaccharides, proteins and polyphenols. The free amino acid content ranged from 7.44 to 11.52 mg·g^–1, the distribution was fruiting body > embryo > colloid, of which glutamic acid content was the highest, and the flavour characteristics were mainly umami and sweetness. The nucleotide content of fruiting body and embryo was higher than in the colloid. In addition, the compositions of volatile flavour compounds were identified by headspace solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS), mainly alcohols, aldehydes and ketones, their distributions varied greatly among the three samples. These results indicated that different parts of D. rubrovalvata have different nutritional characteristics, the fruiting body has a high content of volatile and non-volatile components, the embryo and the colloid have good functional activity, laying a foundation for the functional development and comprehensive utilisation of D. rubrovalvata.

Coastal wetlands play a vital role in the migration and transformation of heavy metal pollutants in watersheds. There were 30 surface sediment samples that were analysed to investigate the distribution and ecological risks of heavy metals in the coastal wetlands around the Bohai Sea. Our results showed that the average concentrations of Pb, Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, and Cd in these wetlands were 17.92 ± 5.81, 50.29 ± 20.50, 31.53 ± 9.71, 25.37 ± 4.29, 80.13 ± 15.11, and 0.92 ± 0.54 mg/kg, respectively. Relative to other wetlands, Pb (25.43 ± 2.68 mg/kg) and Cd (1.67 ± 0.06 mg/kg) contents were higher in the Liaohe Delta wetland (LHDW). Cu (28.44 ± 3.71 mg/kg), Cr (83.11 ± 5.80 mg/kg), and Ni (45.91 ± 3.02 mg/kg) contents were higher in the Yellow River Delta wetland (YRDW). The Zn (120.86 ± 7.41 mg/kg) content was higher in the Qilihai wetland. Heavy metal concentrations in coastal wetland sediments are shown to be positively correlated with organic matter content. Our results showed that the concentration of heavy metals decreases with increasing sediment particle size. In this study, Cd showed the highest pollution index and, therefore, more attention should be paid to the potential ecological risks of Cd in coastal wetlands around the Bohai Sea, especially in the LHDW and YRDW.

Entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) represent the future of pest control, as they have the capacity to induce serious infections in insects, trigger epizootics, and effectively manage insect populations. The study aimed to identify and test indigenous EPF isolates against Tribolium confusum using soil samples from Northwestern and central Saudi Arabia. Galleria mellonella larvae were used as insect bait to collect EPF from soil samples from date palm groves, fruit groves, and maise fields. Only 27.3% of soil samples tested positive for palm grove-originating EPFs. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) identified the cultured fungi as Metarhizium anisopliae and Beauveria bassiana. Tribolium confusum pathogenicity was assessed using nine local fungal isolates. Different fungus isolates were tested for their pathogenicity on larval and adult T. confusum. The results showed that M. anisopliae MaSA-2, MaSA-3, and MaSA-4 had infection rates of 85%, 85%, and 75%, respectively, in last-instar T. confusum larvae and 5%, 10%, and 20% in adults within seven days. On the other hand, B. bassiana BbSA-4 showed a 100% infection rate in T. confusum larvae, while BbSA-5, BbSA-6, BbSA-7, BbSA-8, and BbSA-9 had infection rates of 70%, 80%, 80%, 75%, and 95%, respectively. In terms of adult mortality rates, B. bassiana BbSA-4, BbSA-5, BbSA-6, BbSA-7, BbSA-8, and BbSA-9 had rates of 25%, 35%, 35%, 20%, 20%, and 40%, respectively. The research findings show that indigenous B. bassiana and M. anisopliae fungus isolates successfully eliminated T. confusum larvae, although their effectiveness against adults was limited.

The promotion of sustainable food productivity through innovative technologies remains a central priority in economic development, attracting increasing attention from scholars, policymakers, and industry stakeholders. With the continuing rise in global food demand, resource-efficient solutions are essential to ensuring long-term agricultural growth and stability in food production. This study examines the impact of green finance, agricultural innovation, digital technology, trade openness, and climate change on food production in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Using the method of moments quantile regression (MMQR) and the generalised method of moments (GMM), it analyses a balanced panel dataset covering 46 SSA countries from 2001 to 2023. The findings highlight the positive influence of green finance, agricultural innovation, and digital technology in enhancing food production, particularly in lower production sectors, suggesting important bidirectional policy implications. Trade openness is found to promote agricultural growth but exhibits diminishing effects at higher levels of productivity, indicating the relevance of a unidirectional policy focus. In contrast, climate change has a negative effect on food production. The study also identifies key mediation pathways, including green finance stimulating research and development, digital technology improving agricultural credit and farmers' education, and trade openness attracting foreign direct investment. These results emphasise the importance of integrated policy frameworks that combine financial support, technological advancement, and trade openness to promote sustainable agricultural growth and strengthen food security across SSA.

Knowledge of mechanisms by which large mammals select rubbing trees (RT) is a major challenge for the effective management of forests and wildlife resources. In this study, we investigated this issue regarding the Wild boar (Sus scrofa) in the Moroccan forested site of Sidi Boughaba as a case study. We used data from four sets of variables, namely topography, forest type, landscape composition, and microhabitat, measured at 58 rub and control trees, to determine the factors associated with the occurrence of RT by means of generalized linear mixed models. Our results showed that the RT occurrence increased with a high density of red juniper trees and declined with distance to the nearest footpath. Variation partitioning analysis revealed that the pure fraction of microhabitat was the most robust in explaining this occurrence (adj. R² = 0.17, P < 0.001), followed by that of forest type (adj. R² = 0.05, P < 0.05). A scientific monitoring system must be set up to strike a balance between the availability of forest trees on the one hand and the pressure exerted by wild boars on this internationally importance site on the other. It is imperative to test the geographical generality of our results in other Mediterranean forests.

Tillage operations in dry soil conditions have increasingly been used in Iran in recent years. However, due to the recent droughts, the choice of suitable implements to reduce the clod and draught force is still under investigation. This study was aimed at determining the effect of the geometry of a bent leg tillage implement on the soil pulverisation and draught force in dry soil conditions. The treatments included three bent leg tillage depths (10, 15, and 20 cm) and three forward speeds (6, 9, and 12 km·h^–1). The effect of the bent leg tillage implement on the clod mean weight diameter (MWD) and draught force was studied using a split plot experiment with three replications. The results showed that the tillage depth and forward speed affected the MWD and the draught force. Increasing the tillage depth from 10 to 20 cm increased the MWD and draught force by 24.9 and 35.1%, respectively. Increasing the forward speed from 6 to 12 km·h^–1 decreased the MWD by 7.4% and increased the draught force by 40.0%. These findings show that the bent leg tillage technology has the potential to reduce the MWD and draught force at higher forward speeds. Therefore, a bent leg tillage implement can be suggested as a proper implement for tilling in dry land conditions.

Among the varieties of pineapples, honey pineapple is suitable to be processed as a probiotic beverage. The study aimed to evaluate the honey pineapple juice as a growth medium for Lactiplantibacillus plantarum subsp. plantarum Dad-13 probiotic strain. The pineapple juice was fermented by adding a starter culture of L. plantarum Dad-13. The fermentation time (0, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, and 24 h) was used as a variable. The number of L. plantarum Dad-13 cells increased significantly after fermentation (P < 0.05). In acidic pineapple juice L. plantarum Dad-13 can still grow more than 2 log cycles. After 16 h, the results showed the best characteristics with cell count (8.86 log CFU·mL^–1), pH (3.52), and titratable acidity (0.59%). To balance the sour taste, the 8% sucrose addition was the most preferred by the panellists (n = 67), with a 5.74 (slightly like) overall acceptance score. After 42 days, there was no significant decrease in cell viability. The number of cells on day 42 was 8.81 log CFU·mL^–1 with significant changes in pH and titratable acidity. The study showed that honey pineapple juice is a suitable growth medium for L. plantarum Dad-13.

The study aimed to quantify annual mortality and recruitment rates on permanent research plots in the Badínsky prales old-growth forest. The data measured in four stands originate from six censuses, which together cover a 48-year period. The mean annual mortality rate reached 4.2% (DBH > 2 cm) or 2.3% (DBH > 8 cm). The mortality peaked in the first part of the observation period, probably indicating an intermediate disturbance activity, and the subsequent declining trend led to minimum annual mortality during the last 20 years. We found substantially higher fir mortality in comparison with beech, primarily during the first decades of the measurement period. Among three size categories, the stems with DBH 2–8 cm showed the highest mortality rate. We detected the minimum fir recruitment rate throughout the observation period; on the other hand, the beech recruitment rate was relatively high responding to the open canopy. Standing and lying deadwood volumes indicated similar trends like mortality did, and high values of fir standing deadwood observed during the first decades can signify that a relatively high proportion of mortality was related to the fir decline caused by air pollution.

The paper aims to identify the changes and intensity of the factors influencing consumers’ purchasing decision-making process in the food market. The research offers a unique comparison of the situation between the years 2007 and 2022 and reveals the emerging factors affecting consumer decisions. The authors conducted a representative questionnaire survey (N = 686) to determine the influence of individual factors. The data were processed using factor analysis, which allowed for the reduction of the number of factors (20) to four determinants covering 61% of the total variability in the dataset. The determinants of consumer purchasing decisions include traditional promotional elements, product parameters, newly formed factors based on sustainability and health awareness trends, and price discounts. Consumer behaviour appears to be influenced by a wide range of short- and long-term factors, and it is necessary to look at it comprehensively over a longer time horizon, taking current trends into account.

One of the efforts to produce functional foods is using ingredients containing health-beneficial bioactive compounds. Another way to produce functional foods is fermentation generating bioactive compounds or fortification with the bioactive compound extract. An ingredient historically believed to have benefits on health is moringa (Moringa oleifera) leaf powder. Moringa leaf powder is a valuable source of functional ingredients, including protein, vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients such as carotenoids, tocopherols, polyphenols, flavonoids, alkaloids, and tannins. However, moringa is a plant that is distributed in various tropical countries in the world. Its quality depends on geographical differences, cultivars, environmental conditions, seasons, genotypes, and varieties. This article reviews the bioactive compounds of moringa leaf powder and the characteristics of moringa leaf powder extract. The effect of moringa leaf powder fortification on food product characteristics is also discussed. Moringa leaf powder possesses many pharmacological properties, such as anticancer, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, cardioprotective, and antioxidant ones. The bioactivity of leaf extract is extracting solvent dependent. Therefore, fortification results in nutritional improvement and increasing health benefits of food products. However, the adverse effect is found in sensory. Thus properties, thus the moringa leaf powder fortification level usually is less than 10%. Changes in the functional properties of foods due to moringa leaf powder fortification have been studied to a limited extent. A low level of fortification might not affect the properties of food products. Therefore, moringa leaf powder is potentially used as a functional food ingredient. Some studies reported the toxicological effects of moringa leaf powder and the use of this ingredient, should be below the harmful doses.

Centaurea cyanus is an annual weed mostly infesting winter cereals and rape. The aim of the study was to provide insights into the association between the seed germination characteristics and the herbicide sensitivity in C. cyanus in the presence of the genetic background control. Four populations of this species resistant to acetolactate synthase (ALS) inhibitors were tested. A germination study was conducted in a growth cabinet. Plants were sprayed at the 2- to 3-leaf stage with a field dose of florasulam (5 g/ha). There were four herbicide treatments dates, which included plants that germinated up to the seventh day, between eight and 12, 13 and 15, 16 and 20 days of the germination study. The germination dynamics of the four tested populations of C. cyanus resistant to florasulam was diversified. Three of them reached their maximum germination on the fourth day after sowing, however, the germination of the fourth population was spread over time with the highest number of germinated seeds found seven and twelve days after sowing. The germination time of the plants belonging to the resistant C. cyanus populations differentiated their reaction to florasulam. The conducted study indicated that the germination biology of ALS inhibitor-resistant populations of C. cyanus is diverse, which makes it difficult to introduce universal management strategies of this species into agricultural practice. Integration of control methods is recommended, including delaying the crop sowing date.

The objective of this study was to quantify the concentration of acrylamide in biscuits, bread, and cake obtained from industrial and local bakeries, classified based on their colour intensity as light, medium, or dark. The analysis was performed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Sugar, moisture, and asparagine analyses were also carried out simultaneously. The results demonstrated that the acrylamide content in biscuits, bread, and cakes varied according to the colour (light 109.9 ± 7.95, 214.7 ± 27.40, and 128.6 ± 7.05; medium 176.3 ± 15.16, 387.0 ± 87.71, and 804.3 ± 17.16; and dark 407.6 ± 105.13, 555.8 ± 16.20, and 1 015.0 ± 83.68 µg·kg^–1, respectively). Statistically, significant differences were observed between acrylamide content and product colour density (P < 0.05). It can be concluded that the acrylamide content increases as the product colour intensity rises due to the increased baking temperature at which the reaction between reducing sugars and asparagine takes place, resulting in the formation of acrylamide. The results suggest that selecting commercial bakery products based on colour may be beneficial for reducing the daily intake of acrylamide by consumers. Therefore, it is recommended to avoid dark-coloured bakery products.

The weevil, Myllocerus fotedari Ahmad, 1974 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is widely recognised as one of the major walnut pests. Fungal pathogens have shown great potential for the management of some pest species. In the present study, the efficacy of three entomopathogenic fungi, namely Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin, Metarhizium anisopliae sensu lato (Metchnikoff) Sorokin and Lecanicillium lecanii (Zimmerman) Zare and Gams were evaluated against the weevil, M. fotedari, under laboratory conditions. Each fungal suspension contained 1.0 × 109 spores of fungi in 1 mL. The experiment comprised of five treatments along with control (distilled water) and three replicates. An insecticide – chloropyrifos 20% emulsifiable concentrate (EC), was also used as positive control in the experiment. The experimental results revealed that the weevil, M. fotedari, showed mortality due to both virulence of entomopathogens and insecticide. The mortality caused by fungi varied from two days after treatment to eight days after treatment. However, the highest mortality of 100% was recorded for B. bassiana, followed by 85.1% for M. anisopliae after eight days of treatment. The efficacy of L. lecani was the lowest, leading to only 51.8% mortality, and was found significantly less virulent compared to the other two used entomopathogens. The present study is an attempt to use entomopathogens to control M. fotedari over conventional chemical insecticides.

The research was performed to investigate the effect of high hydrostatic pressure low temperature (HHPLT) on Listeria innocua in Ringer's solution (RS) and raw milk (RM). The physicochemical properties of RM were studied at 300 MPa and 10 °C. Compared with the control, protein and lipase activities were reduced at HHPLT in RM. The L-values (luminance) of LHPLT applied RM were significantly (P < 0.05) decreased for colour Pressure application at 300 MPa for 90 min totally inactivated L. innocua at –20 °C in both RS and RM. L. innocua showed resistance to low pressure (200 MPa) in RM. Overall, increasing the pressure with applications at –20 and –30 °C resulted in a higher (P < 0.05) inactivation of L. innocua than at 10 and 20 °C. HHPLT applications to frozen RM resulted in the retention of textural characteristics.

The effect of drip irrigation on the origin and size fraction of soil organic carbon was studied in the soils of an apple orchard (Malus domestica Borkh.) on hilly (20%) terrain in northeastern Slovenia in three slope positions (upslope, midslope and downslope), comparing irrigated with non-irrigated soils. Physical fractionation of soil organic carbon was performed on three soil layers (0–0.05, 0.05–0.15 and 0.15–0.30 m) in three size fractions: fraction A (> 0.0002 m), fraction B (0.0002‒0.00005 m) and fraction C (< 0.00005 m). Fraction A was the richest in soil organic carbon (7.7%), but fraction C was the dominant fraction in the total soil volume (86‒92%), making it the largest source of soil organic carbon (73%). The δ¹³C signature was performed to determine the existence of two different types (origins) of soil organic carbon: fresh and sedimentary. Fresh organic carbon dominates in the A fraction, while sedimentary organic carbon dominates in the C fraction and may contribute to higher structural stability, besides higher carbonates in the finest fraction. Irrigation mainly contributes to the higher stock of soil organic carbon (predominantly fresh and less sedimentary) in the coarse A fraction (21.14 t/ha in irrigated and 14.17 t/ha in non-irrigated soils).

Nitrogen-fixing bacteria (NFB) play a significant role in saline soil ecosystems. However, little is known about the correlation between NFB application on growth and yield components of rice plants on saline soils. Exploration and experimental methods were performed to obtain the potential of NFB from a rice field in saline soil and reinoculated in a pot experiment. The experiment was arranged as a randomised block design consisting of 8 treatments, namely inoculation application (control and seed treatments with 20 g inoculant/kg of seed) combined with soil application dosage (0, 500, 1 000 and 1 500 g/ha). The results showed that grain yield increased by 43.8–130.6% with seed treatment of 20 g inoculant/kg of seed combined with soil application 500–1 500 g inoculant/ha. Rice yield was affected by multiple variables NFB population, plant height, number of tillers, and grain straw ratio (R2 = 0.926). Path analysis findings showed that the greatest effective contribution (45.45%) yield of rice in saline soil was contributed NFB population. This finding concludes that the application of NFB inoculants as seed treatments and soil applications can serve as an effective as well as the environmentally friendly microbial-based strategy of rice cultivation on saline soil ecosystems.

Flaxseeds (Linum usitatissimum L.) (FS) and chia seeds (Salvia hispanica L.) (ChS) contain fatty acids (FA) with beneficial health effect for the human body. Some people often use them as part of boiled or baked dishes. Therefore, the aim of this study was to observe the effect of FS and ChS heat treatments at 40 °C and 150 °C for 20 min on the content of fat, FA, atherogenicity index (AI) and thrombogenicity index (TI), and total antioxidant activity (TAA) in comparison with heat treatments at 20 °C. The content of fat in FS was higher in comparison with ChS (P < 0.05). Similarly, the content of alpha-linolenic acid, oleic acid, polyunsaturated FA, and monounsaturated FA was greater (P < 0.05) in FS when compared with ChS. However, n6 : n3 ratio [n6 – omega 6 polyunsaturated FA (PUFA), with first double bound on 6^th carbon; n3 – omega 3 PUFA, with first double bound on 3^rd carbon], AI and TI were lower (P < 0.05) in FS in comparison with ChS. The TAA in FS was 37% lower (P < 0.05) compared to ChS, moreover TAA in FS decreased (P < 0.05) at 150 °C in comparison with 20 °C and 40 °C. No effect of different heat treatments was observed on the content of FA or AI and TI in FS and ChS.

The present study was conducted to explore the variability generated through recombination breeding for nine economically important traits in Indian mustard (Brassica juncea L. Czern & Coss.). Delineation of the inbred lines to different gene pools, based on genetic diversity, enables their utilisation in hybrid breeding. The unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) and a Euclidean distance matrix was used to delineate the inbred lines to clusters. The variability was studied using the range and coefficients of variation of the traits. Significant variability was observed for all studied traits except for oil content and days to maturity. 128 Indian mustard genotypes were grouped into four distinct gene pools based on genetic diversity. A set of 20 most diverse genotype combinations was produced. Promising inbred lines were identified and recommended as donors for the respective trait. The pedigree analysis of the inbred line groups revealed, that recombination breeding caused a large diversity as confirmed by the assignment of inbred lines with the same parentage to specific clusters.

Growth biostimulators activate some physiological processes that increase the efficiency of the usage of nourishing substances, stimulate the development of plants and allow reduced fertiliser consummation. Most biostimulators are capable of reacting against the effect of biotic and antibiotic stresses as they increase the crop production of the cultures and represent an opportunity of growing quality and healthy food. The article affects the results of the influence of RadiCifo L24 and Euroradix over the growth and development of grafted cuttings in vine rootings. The study was carried out through the dessert seedlees grapevine variety ‘Zornitsa’ grafted over the Berlandieri × Riparia (SO4) pad. Before rooting, paraffin is applied to 2/3 of the stratified grafted cutting’s length and is then immersed in a 2% solution of RadiCifo L24 (for 20 minutes) and Euroradix (for 5 minutes), after that the cuttings are rooted to 15-17 cm in depth (to the non-paraffined part). According to the biometrics rating (number of developed shoots, number of roots), the variant with the growth stimulator RadiCifo L24 seems to be a more effective method for the production of first-class vines of the ‘Zornitsa’ variety, thus it can be recommended for the production of vine planting material.