Production In Serbia Research Articles

Economic Feasibility of Chemical Weed Control in Soybean Production in Serbia

The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy and phytotoxicity of herbicides in combinations and to determine their economic feasibility in the soybean crop. The trials were placed at two locations, Pobeda and Budisava (Serbia), during 2016 and 2018, organized in a randomized block design with four replicates of all herbicide combinations (metribuzin + S-metolachlor; imazamox + oxasulfuron + typhenesulfuron-methyl; metribuzin + S-metolachlor + imazamox + oxasulfuron + typhenesulfuron-methyl; and bentazon + imazamox + typhenesulfuron-methyl). At the first location, 16 weed species were determined, while in the second location, 14 were determined. The highest reduction in the number of weeds was achieved at the first location, using a combination of herbicides metribuzin + S-metolachlor + imazamox + oxasulfuron + typhenesulfuron-methyl with a total efficacy that ranged from 96.98% to 97.40%. Only on the second location bentazone + imazamox + tifensulfuron-methyl showed passable phytotoxicity on soybean, during both years. Based on the established economic justification, in the combinations of metribuzin + S-metolachlor + imazamox + oxasulfuron + typhenesulfuron-methyl, yield was increased for 2350 kg/ha or 1.91 times more, according to the untreated variant at first location. The economic injury level at the most effective combination of herbicides was 52.70 weeds/m2.

Lovni usevi - principi i mogućnosti primene u zasadima korenastog povrća

Vegetable production is one of the most intensive parts of agricultural production in Serbia. There are several different classifications of vegetable species, but the most common is based on the edible part of the plant. This classification emphasizes root vegetables as a special and very important category. During the entire vegetation period, root vegetables are exposed to numerous pests, which reduce the value and quality of the final product. In addition to insects, which represent the most numerous group of animals, vegetables are also damaged by mites, nematodes, snails, rodents and some species of birds. One of the ecologically acceptable methods in the protection of vegetables is trap cropping, whereby certain plant species, the so-called trap plants are used to attract pests, in order to reduce the damage of the main crop. In modern agricultural production, trap crops are used as a common tool in Integrated Pest Management. Rising interest of agricultural producers for trap cropping is primarily attributed to the public concern about the potential negative effects of pesticides to human and environmental health, as well as to the increasing problem of pest resistance to insecticides. Since root vegetables intended for the market are primarily in fresh condition, an important segment of production is the effective protection of vegetable crops, which implies production of healthy and safe food. In that sense, the consideration of trap crops application in protection of root vegetables is more than justified, because trap cropping represents an environmentally friendly method and an effective alternative to conventional protection of vegetables from economically important pests.

Berza maline u Srbiji - ispitivanje stavova proizvođača

This paper analyzes the possibility of developing a commodity exchange in which raspberries produced in Serbia would be traded. Establishing a raspberry commodity exchange would provide for the determination of price for this fruit in the market, which would probably increase producers' satisfaction. For this purpose, the regulatory conditions for the development of commodity exchanges in Serbia and the volume of raspberry production in Serbia were analyzed. In order to assess the quality of refrigeration services and the perceived value of sales through a stock exchange, this paper also comprises an empirical research that has been conducted. Moreover, the connection of these variables with satisfaction and loyalty of raspberry producers to services of the owners of refrigeration facilities was analyzed, as well. Hence, the paper indirectly analyzes the readiness of raspberry producers to start trading in the commodity exchange. Statistical data processing and analysis were performed by using the statistical packages Microsoft Excel and SPSS. Higher perceived values of sales through a commodity exchange than the values of assessment of the quality of refrigeration services, as well as the negative influence of this perceived value on satisfaction with refrigeration services, indicate the willingness of raspberry producers to switch to selling in commodity exchanges.

Spoljnotrgovinska razmena poljoprivrednih proizvoda između Republike Srbije i Republike Kazahstan - decenija od potpisivanja sporazuma o slobodnoj trgovini

Modern international economic relations, among other things, are characterized by establishing bilateral and multilateral cooperation between countries in order to liberalize trade relations. The implementation of reached free trade agreements affects economic trends in the signatory countries, the intensification of their foreign trade as wll as the increase in the attractiveness of countries as investment destinations. From 2000 onwards, Serbia has signed several free trade agreements with European countries and the United States. Ten years ago, a free trade agreement was signed with the Republic of Kazakhstan in order to encourage the development of mutual trade and economic relations, accelerate economic development, improve living and working conditions, increase employment and establish fair competition between economic entities from Serbia and Kazakhstan. The subject of the mentioned trade relations are also agri-food products, whose production in Serbia is supported by an excellent raw material base, and has always been a part of national tradition and culture. The research subject of this paper is foreign trade of agricultural products between Serbia and Kazakhstan with regard to free trade agrrements. The research aim is to determine the differences in the movement of exports and imports between the mentioned countries in the period before and after the signing of the free trade agreement.

Karakteristike ilegalnih laboratorija za proizvodnju marihuane u Srbiji

Marijuana is produced in almost every country in the world, what makes it the most prevalent illegal drug in the global drug market. The number of laboratories that have been discovered in our country in recent years is one of the potential indicators of the increasing expansion of domestic marijuana production under laboratory-controlled conditions. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence and characteristics of illegal indoor marijuana production laboratories. The sample included 136 illegal marijuana cultivation laboratories discovered in Serbia (excluding Kosovo and Metohija) in the period from 01.01.2013. to 30.06. 2019. The paper presents the distribution of laboratories and their basic characteristics in terms of location, production capacity, quality of equipment, number of arrested persons and the quantity of money and weapons seized. Out of the total number of detected laboratories, 80.9% were installed in urban areas, 8.1% were equipped with highly professional equipment and it was in these "professional" laboratories that the largest quantity of illegal weapons was found. A total of 196 people, of average age of 38 (+/-10) years, were arrested in discovered labs. The authors did not engage in a detailed analysis of the quantity of drug seizure due to the lack of standardized reporting forms. The seized drug was at different stages of the production process, with seizures of whole plants of different sizes reported in some reports, the amount of raw and / or dried drug being expressed in kilograms. Because available cannabis production data is isolated, non-standardized and usually scientifically unsubstantiated, the authors find it currently impossible to estimate overall cannabis production in Serbia with precise data that would be satisfactory for practical purposes.

Attitudes of Serbian producers and consumers of table eggs on the ban on conventional batteries and the transition to enriched cages and alternative production systems

The aim of the survey was to determine how the egg production sector is complying with animal welfare legislation, which requires a ban on conventional cages and the transition to permitted systems for rearing laying hens - enriched cages and alternative systems, as well as the attitudes of egg producers and consumers on the impact of permitted systems of egg production/purchase and hen welfare. The survey included producers (50), with 1000 and more hens, where in the sample, the percentage share of producers was according to the capacity - the size of the farm, i.e. similar to the share in the total egg production in Serbia. A consumer survey (261) established their views on the impact of the welfare of layers and the rearing system when buying eggs. According to the test results, it can be stated that: when switching to permitted rearing systems, enriched cages were the choice of all surveyed producers (100%) and that in the transition period from 2014 to autumn 2020, 16.3% of respondents switched from conventional cages to enriched ones (2.04% in full and 14.29% in part). According to the results obtained, 80.49% of them are planning to switch from a conventional cage system to another rearing system, of which 60.98% said they would do so if they had the financial means, while about 19% of producers believe they will be forced to leave production. All producers expect that the transition to enriched cages will lead to a reduction in their production, and 83.33% of them believe that it will be from 20 to 40%. Surveyed producers (87.18%) expect that the transition from conventional cages will increase production costs, and 65.11% believe that this will not affect the welfare of layers. A survey of consumer attitudes found that when buying eggs, the production system was very important for 19.91% of consumers, and for 19.41% of consumers it was not important at all, while the welfare of layers was very important for 26.84% and not at all important for 10.32% of consumers. The conclusion of the research is that in Serbia the transition to permitted rearing systems is slow, that harmonization with legal regulations is a great challenge and that changes are expected in the coming period that may have far-reaching consequences for the sector of table egg production.

Exposure assessment of adult consumers in Serbia, Greece and Croatia to deoxynivalenol and zearalenone through consumption of major wheat-based products

The main objective of this research was to perform an exposure assessment of mycotoxin intake through consumption of wheat-based products in Serbia, Croatia, and Greece by estimating deoxynivalenol (DON) and zearalenone (ZEA) exposure from wheat. Food consumption survey of wheat-based products has been performed during 2017 in the three countries with at least 1000 interviewees per country. Values for the concentration of DON and ZEA were extracted from available research published in this decade. Finally, a Monte Carlo analysis of 100,000 simulations was performed to estimate the intake of DON and ZEA from consumption of wheat-based products. Results revealed that the estimated daily wheat-borne intake of DON of the adult population in Croatia was 0.121 μg/kg bw/day, followed by Greece with 0.181 μg/kg bw/day and Serbia with 0.262 μg/kg bw/day. This shows that 0.25% of Croatian, 1.19% of Greek and 3.96% of Serbian adult population is exposed to higher daily dietary intakes of DON than recommended. Estimated daily wheat-borne intake of ZEA was 0.017 μg/kg bw/day in Greece, 0.026 μg/kg bw/day in Croatia and 0.050 μg/kg bw/day in Serbia. Higher intake of ZEA is associated with 0.62% of the Greek population, followed by 0.95% Croatian and 2.25% of Serbian citizens. This type of research is helpful to assess accurately the risk by DON/ZEA intake associated with the consumption of wheat-based products by consumers in these three countries. Distributions of potential mycotoxin intakes were highly right-skewed.

Sodium intake associated with meat product consumption in Serbia

Meat and meat products are an important part of the human diet in Serbia. They are important because of their desirable taste, high nutritional value, variety of the products, traditional considerations etc. Our study addresses sodium levels in some of the most commonly consumed meat products from the Serbian market (cooked sausages, dry fermented sausages, smoked meat products, canned meats and pates). Sodium content was determined using ICP-MS. The highest sodium level was established in dry fermented sausages, and the lowest content was measured in pate. No significant differences were seen in sodium levels between cooked sausages, smoked meat products and canned meats. The mean sodium level of all analysed meat products was 11.8 g/kg. According to average intake of meat products in Serbia (54.7 g/day) and the measured sodium levels, consuming these meat products could contribute up to 26.9% of sodium daily requirements. This could pose a risk to human health considering the already high sodium intake through adding salt to food and consumption of various processed foods. Generally, the results obtained suggest reducing salt levels in meat products and as well as in diet in general.

Influence of different sources of fat on lipid index of muscle and fat tissue of pigs

Of the total meat production in Serbia, pork makes up more than one half. This meat is often associated with cardiovascular diseases due to its high contents of fat and saturated fatty acids. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of various sources of fat in pig feeds on lipid indices of fat and muscle tissue of pigs from the point of view of consumer health needs. A total of 30 Yorkshire × Landrace crossbred pigs were divided into three experimental groups of 10 individuals and fed a complete finisher mixture for fattening pigs, with standard raw materials and chemical composition but with differing sources of fat. The results obtained show fat sources in pig feed significantly influenced the lipid indices, and the differences were more pronounced in fat than in muscle tissue of pigs.

The occurrence of ochratoxin A in kidneys of healthy pigs from Vojvodina province, Serbia

Ochratoxin A is a potential contaminant of feed and consequently meat and meat products. Residues of this mycotoxin in meat can pose a food safety issue. Swine production in Serbia and the northern province of Vojvodina is highly developed, since household consumers in Serbia frequently purchase pork. The occurrence of OTA in pig’s kidney taken from the slaughter line is a good indicator of the presence of this mycotoxin in meat and meat products. A total of 95 pig’s kidneys from Vojvodina, Serbia, were analyzed for ochratoxin A. The results from 19 farms (5 samples per farm from Bačka, Banat and Srem districts of Vojvodina) showed the presence of OTA in 14.74% (14/95 kidneys). The average OTA content was 1.36 μg/kg, median 0.99 μg/kg, and range from 0.10 to 3.97 μg/kg. Results from our research do not suggest any serious problems with OTA contamination in pig’s kidneys, but continuous monitoring is needed to avoid any possible future problems.

Effects of the Low-Level Western Corn Rootworm Egg Infestation on Maize Plants in the Field

Summary From the economic perspective, the western corn rootworm (WCR), Diabrotica virgifera sp. virgifera (Col., Chrysomelidae), poses the gravest threat to the field maize production in Serbia. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of WCR larvae on the morphology of maize characters during a low-level artificial egg infestation. A field experiment involving the Serbian cultivar ‘NS-640’ was carried out in Bečej, Vojvodina Serbia, in 2016. In the experimental field, a total of 96 maize plants were selected, marked and arranged in 48 pairs. Each pair consisted of an infested plant (WCR eggs injected in the root zone) and an uninfested plant (distillate water injected in the root zone). The number of leaves, height and stem diameter of the plants observed were recorded. Root damage and root weight were measured and evaluated at the end of the trail. For the purpose of statistical analysis, the non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis one-way analysis of variance and a correlation matrix were used. The statistical analysis performed indicate a highly significant difference in the number of leaves and plant height between the infested and uninfested maize plants examined in July (the third field observation). During the last field inspection, significant differences were recorded only between the stem diameters of the infested and uninfested maize plants. A negative correlation was found to exist between the root damage and root weight of the plant pairs. There were positive correlations between the stem diameter, plant height and number of leaves of the infested plants, whereas positive correlations were found between the root damage and plant height of the uninfested plants.

Exposure assessment and risk characterization of aflatoxins intake through consumption of maize products in the adult populations of Serbia, Croatia and Greece

ABSTRACTThe main objective of this research was to perform an exposure assessment of aflatoxins intake through consumption of maize products in Serbia, Croatia, and Greece. Food consumption survey of maize-based products has been performed during 2017 in the three countries with at least 1,000 interviewees per country covering their dietary habits and body weight. Values for the concentration of aflatoxins were extracted from available research published in the last ten years. Finally, a Monte Carlo analysis of 100,000 iterations was performed to estimate the intake of aflatoxins from consumption of maize-based products. Results revealed that the estimated average exposure of adults to aflatoxins, from maize consumption, in each of the three countries was between 0.44 ng kg−1 bw day−1 and 5.59 ng kg−1 bw day−1. Margin of exposure values for the mean exposure levels, in all three countries, were between 30 and 389. Estimations for hepatocellular carcinoma cases/year/105 individuals, depending on the HBsAg+ prevalence, were 0.075–0.098, 0.006–0.008 and 0.020–0.026 for Serbia, Croatia and Greece, respectively.

Rough sets-based prediction model for increasing safety of thermal power plants

ABSTRACTThis paper presents a model based on the rough sets theory for the prediction of a feed pump failure on a steam block of thermal power plant. There are many parameters that can cause pump failure, and this model enables extraction of the most significant ones. Model creation is based on the empirical data collected during the operation of thermal power plant, which is a part of the largest system for electricity production in Serbia. The model provided an insight into the parameters that have the greatest influence on the operation of the feed pump, and can be applied to other elements of the thermal power plant and affect the overall increase in the safety of thermal power plant operation. The goal of implementation of a new model is to increase system reliability by reducing the number of failures, thus increasing operational safety of thermal power plants. This is in accordance with the provision of energy security by applying measures of Directive 2005/89/EU. According to the directive, it is necessary to ensure: a reliable, safe, efficient and quality power supply.

Patogeni lista trešnje i višnje u Srbiji

In recent years, sweet and sour cherry production in Serbia has increased. Under Serbian agroecological conditions, pathogens causing leaf diseases threaten the success of sweet and sour cherry production. In the period 2012-2019, the health status of cherries was monitored in more than 30 locations. Depending on the production system, the following leaf pathogens were identified: Blumeriella jaapii, Wilsonomyces carpophilus, Mycosphaerella cerasella, Phoma prunicola, Podosphaera clandestina and Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae and morsprunorum race 1. Leaf pathogens caused premature defoliation, which adversely affected bud formation for the next growing season and increased susceptibility to freezing. Therefore, attention should be focused on correct leaf pathogen identification, and proper selection, application and rotation of fungicides.

Analiza i predviđanje proizvodnje jabuke u Republici Srbiji i Bosni i Hercegovini

The paper analyzes the parameters of apple production in the Republic of Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina in the period 2006-17. The prediction of apple production parameters for next year was carried out using the linear trend model and moving average. The following parameters were analyzed: harvested area (ha), yield (t/ha) and total production (t). On average, there were 24,760 hectares with apple trees in Serbia and 19.040 hectares in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The average apple yield was 12.7 t/ha in Serbia and 3.43 t/ha in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In the observed period, there was an average tendency of increase in yield by 3.78% per year in Serbia, whereas in Bosnia and Herzegovina, there was a noticeable negative rate, namely a tendency of yield decline by 1.17% on average per year. The average annual apple production in Serbia was 313,177 tons and in the analyzed period there was a tendency of increase in yield by 4,22%. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the average annual apple production was 65,186 tons and in the analyzed period there was a negative rate of 0.96% i.e. a decline in yield. In the next year, the Republic of Serbia should achieve apple production of 431,305 tons, while Bosnia and Herzegovina is expected to produce 60,657 tons.

A business model in agricultural production in Serbia, developing towards sustainability

Agricultural production is a Serbian main economic sector, presenting a base for the food industry. By analysing the public available data of the agriculture sector, applying a newly developed business model it is possible to assess the current situation and to realize the relation between variables, which can also be used for prediction of future trends in agricultural production and food industry. Within this paper an attempt was made to develop a novel artificial neural network model for better understanding the relation between the observed parameters and to estimate the efficiency in sustainability achievement and sector potential the well-known Cobb-Douglas production model was compared to the newly developed model. The presented models could be used to achieve the transformation towards a circular bioeconomy, by developing the national strategies for sustainable agricultural production, with the aim of better utilization of resources and reduction of wastes.

Preferences of customers and improvement of production and sales of organic products in Serbia

Promotion and sale of organic products require particular approach to introduce customers about the branding, packaging and advantages in comparison to conventional products. The aim of work is investigation which are sources of promotion of organic products use customers and effects of sources on trade improvement. In this study conducted interviews of 400 of customers through the mail. The results showed differences among customers according to: sources of their information about traits of products and market place, and their behavior and decision for use of organic product. Women more often use electronic media, professional literature, while man use magazine as a source of information. Both gender, male and female used internet equally. Customers old between 21 and 40 years more often bought in supermarkets and specialized stores, while customers of age between 41 and 60 years more often bought directly on market from producers. Customers who have more than 60 years buy on the market from producers and the supermarket. This differences depends of gender, age, education, as well as place of residence of customers.

Economic justification of honey production in Serbia

Although beekeeping in Serbia has a long tradition, the interest of farmers for this branch of agricultural production depends on the expected economic benefits. Assessing the economic justification of beekeeping is based on the analysis of the revenues from honey production, as the main and often the only beekeeping product, and the expenses generated in production. The aim of the paper is to compare revenues and expenses in the production of honey and to determine the threshold of profitability. The calculation of the revenues and the expenses was made on the basis of data obtained from the survey of beekeepers and from the available secondary sources. The analysis showed that the profitability threshold was achieved with 68 colonies, or with production volume of 1,450 kg of honey. The values of the indicators of economic efficiency, productivity and profitability indicate that beekeeping was economically justified on farms with 100 and 200 colonies.

Proizvodnja organskog krupnika (Triticum spelta L.) u Srbiji

Areas used for the production of organic plants have been permanently increasing for many years, both in the world and in Serbia. This type of agricultural production in Serbia was performed in the area of 14,357.96 ha, and the leading role belonged to cereals. Since great attention has been paid to spelt wheat in the production of organic food, the organic system of agricultural production has been distributed over ever larger areas. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to present data on the areas cultivated with this type of cereals in Serbia according to regional distribution in 2012, 2015 and 2016 provided by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management of the Republic of Serbia. Spelt wheat is cultivated on the area of 157.9 ha. The greatest areas are in Vojvodina (120.04 ha), followed by the areas in the south and Eastern Serbia (22.3 ha), Šumadija and western Serbia (14.1 ha), while the smallest production of organic spelt wheat is registered in Belgrade (only 1.5 ha). The varieties Nirvana and Ostro are the only spelt wheat varieties released in Serbia. Since spelt wheat has very good biological and agronomic traits, with the high nutritional and specific functional value of the grain, deserves more attention, particularly for growing within the organic farming system and production.

Proizvodnja grožđa i vina u Srbiji

Grape and wine production in Serbia is one of the significant branches of agricultural production. Grapes and wine produced in Serbia have for many years a reputation of good quality products. Grapes and wine are recognizable agricultural products that market well in the international market. The consequences of the transition have left their mark on the production of wine in Serbia. The old agricultural combines were sold, or simply ceased to operate, and as a result, a several of well-known winemaking brands ceased to exist. From 2000 onwards, a new trend has emerged, that is, the formation of small private wineries in Serbia. They become the backbone in wine production. We have just paid attention to them in this paper. We believe that small wineries will be the backbone of wine production. For this reason, we conducted a survey to ask the producers themselves what problems they encountered with organizing the production, the association for the sake of easier placement of wine, as well as the sale of their products.