In Bosnia and Herzegovina, greenhouses and polytunnels are often exposed to excessive snowfall during the winter period. In order to prevent the side-effect of retaining large amounts of snow (greenhouses, polytunnels), it is necessary to implement preventinve measures. The objective of this study is aimed at determining the rate of snow melting through the application of different concentrations of urea (5%, 10%, 15%, 20% and 30%), at different temperatures. The results of the study show that the highest rate of snow melting, within one hour and at temperature ranging from 0 to 50 C, is recorded in the application of 10% and 30% urea concentrations, and the lowest at at a concentration of 20%. Urea concentrations of 15% and 30% show the best effect on snow melting rate within day, at the stated positive air temperatures, while the concentration of 20% had the least effect. At temperatures ranging from 0 to - 50 C, the highest snow melting rate was recorded in the urea concentration of 10% within both one hour and one day, and the lowest at a 15% concentration. In the conducted studies, all urea concentrations showed statistically significantly better results at positive temperatures compared to negative ones, by 2 to 3 times on average.

The effects of different water stress (control, low, moderate and severe) on some morphological and physiological characteristics of spinach plants were evaluated. The results showed that water stress strongly affects spinach plant growth and metabolism. The increasing water stress decreased the leaf area, petiole length and biomass accumulation, resulting in dramatically lower spinach yields. Photosynthetic pigment contents increased in response to low and moderate level water stress; however, under severe stress conditions their content started to decrease. The increase in water stress also resulted in a higher proline accumulation as well as total phenolic and flavonoid contents. These results lead to the conclusion that spinach plants could produce protective macromolecules and antioxidants in large quantities even under severe drought conditions, suggesting that spinach can be considered a drought-tolerant plant species from a survival point of view.

Watermelon is a popularly consumed vegetable well known for its health and nutritional value. It is rich in vitamins, especially vitamin C, and other bioactive compounds with high antioxidant properties. The quality and productivity of the watermelon can be enhanced by using the right cultivars and production techniques.The objective of this study was to determine the selected quantity and quality parameters between the most popular watermelon cultivars (Farao F1, Constellation F1, Red Star F1, and Bonanza F1) in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The research was conducted during the growing season of 2021 in the region of Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The examined parameters were: fruit number and weight, rind thickness, total soluble solids (TSS), and vitamin C content in marketable fruits. All examined parameters showed significant differences between cultivars. Farao F1 exhibited the highest fruit weight (12.43 ± 0.91 kg fruit-1), TSS content (11.70 ± 0.91 Brix), and vitamin C content (6.47 ± 0.75 mg/100 g). On the other hand, Bonanza F1, a mini cultivar, exhibited the lowest fruit weight (2.26 ± 0.52 fruit-1), rind thickness (0.55 ± 0.19 cm), and TSS content (8.55 ± 1.44 mg/100 g).

The tomato leaf miner (Tuta absoluta) is a pest that causes significant damage to tomato production in Bosnia and Herzegovina. According to previous research, the inadequate application of older generation insecticides in the control of tomato leaf miner has led to a series of harmful consequences, such as increased resistance of the pest, reduction of the natural enemies population and an increase in pesticide residues in the agricultural products and in the environment. The aim of this work was to examine the efficacy of the newer insecticides generation in controlling of tomato leaf miner in greenhouse production in southern Bosnia and Herzegovina. Testing the efficacy of insecticides was carried out on tomato plants (Matias hybrid) in greenhouses in the localities of Višići, Gabela and Klepci. The effectiveness was tested on the following variants of insecticides: Indoxacarb, Emamectin benzoate, Methoxyfenozide, Lufenuron, Chlorantraniliprole, Azadirachtin, Spinosad and the combination of Abamectin + Lufenuron. Based on the number of live larvae in the mines, according to Abbott, the efficiency values of the applied insecticide variants were calculated. The combination of insecticides based on the active substances Abamectin and Lufenuron showed the highest percentage of efficiency (53.52%). The insecticide based on the active substance Spinosad showed the lowest percentage of efficiency. Lower efficiency values of the majority tested insecticides are probably a consequence of their specific mechanism of action, physical-chemical properties and environmental conditions in which they were applied.

Talking about a cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) widespread means that it should be immediately emphasized how widespread it is in our country (Bosnia and Herzegovina), both in food and production. Based on that, there is an urgent need for quality and disease-resistant varieties/hybrids produced by technology which reduces the possibility of disease emergence. Greenhouse production of grafted cucumber in Bosnia and Herzegovina in recent years is experiencing significant expansion.Grafted plants of the cucumber hybrid ‘Charta’ were comparatively analyzed with the non-grafted, in order to record the main morphological and productive differences between them.The examined parameters were the number of lateral roots, number of roots hairs, root mass, leaf length and yields.The results of this study show that grafted cucumber in relation to non-grafted achieves a higher yield (161.64±20.82 kg/50m2), while morphological characteristics were mostly similar. Significant differences were observed only in the number of lateral roots (18.00±2.65).

Sweetcorn (Zea mays var. saccharata) is a subspecies of corn that is recognized by its soft, juicy, and sweet kernels. The primary challenge in cultivating this species is its limited technological maturity, which results in a short harvest season. To meet the increasing demand for this species from consumers and extend the harvesting season, producers have recently implemented various agrotechnical measures. This study aimed to research the impact of different transplantation dates on sweet corn yield. Field research was conducted at the experimental field of the Faculty of Agriculture and Food in Sarajevo, located at Butmir, from 2024 to 2025. The study encompassed three distinct transplantation dates, spaced ten days apart. During the technological harvest, we recorded plant height, dehusked ear length, dehusked ear mass, ear length, ear mass, and yield. The research results indicate that the planting date during the two years (2024 and 2025) significantly affected the ear yield, while it did not have a statistically significant effect on other traits. More specifically, the ear yield (dehusked and husked) was the highest in the second transplantation dates (14,056 and 8,818 kg ha⁻¹) compared to the first (10,258 and 7,027 kg ha⁻¹) and the third (11,643 and 7,628 kg ha⁻¹). The year of the research also showed a significant influence on the yield components. Changes in research traits were a consequence of different weather conditions in the research years.

Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) is a highly valued and nutritionally important crop. The goal of new production technologies is to shorten the vegetation period, allowing for a higher number of harvests, while preserving the environment and improving the nutritional quality of lettuce. This study investigated the effect of geothermal heating on growth dynamics and the accumulation of bioactive compounds in lettuce. Two production systems were compared: a greenhouse with geothermal heating and one without heating. The geothermal system provided a more stable soil temperature, which significantly shortened the vegetation period by 31 days. In contrast, lower soil temperatures in the unheated greenhouse enhanced secondary metabolism, leading to higher concentrations of phenolic compounds (80.5 mg GAE/100 g), flavonoids (2.37 mg/100 g), and increased antioxidant capacity (112.7 μmol Fe²⁺/100 g). These results indicate that temperature regimes strongly influence both primary growth processes and the synthesis of bioactive compounds in lettuce. Geothermal heating ensures faster crop development but may reduce the accumulation of certain antioxidants. Future research should aim to optimize temperature management to balance yield, energy efficiency, and nutritional quality in greenhouses lettuce production.

Soybean yield potential is strongly impacted by environmental conditions. Soybean yield variability could be explained by climatic variables. Choice of tolerant varieties adapted to different limited environmental conditions could be used as adaptive strategies to sustain the development of soybean areas. Three soybean varieties with high seed and oil content (Balkan, Novosađanka and Vojvođanka) were analyzed in three localities of Vojvodina Province in Serbia: Novi Sad (45°20′00″ S; 19°51′00″), Pančevo (44°52′15″ S; 20°38′51″) and Laćarak (44°59′45″ S; 19°34′03″). The highest yield of the three examined soybean varieties was shown by Vojvođanka (3365.0 kg ha-1), whereas the statistically highest yield was in 2010 (4301.1 kg ha-1) in the investigated period (2006-2011). All three varieties gave the lowest seed yield at the Pančevo locality, due to the deficit of precipitation and lower content of humus in the soil. The oil content in the seeds was also influenced by all three examined factors. The soybean varieties Vojvođanka and Balkan had statistically higher oil content than Novosađanka. The agroecological and soil conditions of Novi Sad were the most suitable for the synthesis of oil in the seeds of all genotypes. Oil content was statistically highest in 2010 (22.31%) compared to all tested years. The analysis has shown that Vojvođanka was the most promising of all soybean’s varieties.

The present study was designed to evealuate the influence of different substrates on the yield and antioxidant properties of oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostrestus) cultivated in 'bag-logs'. The substrates used in this study were: (1) maize straw, (2) beech sawdust mixed with wheat bran, and (3 and 4) maize straw mixed with spent coffee grounds mixed in a different ratio. Total phenolics, total flavonoids and total antioxidant acitivity of oyster mushroom were determined by the Folin-Ciocalteu method, Aluminium chloride method and Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power Assay, respectively. The highest fruiting bodies yield of oyster mushroom was obtained from substrate 4 (maize straw mixed with spent coffee grounds in a ratio of 50:50), while the least was from substrate 1 (maize straw). Total phenolic contents ranged from 3.80 mg in oyster mushroom grown on substrate 4 (maize straw mixed with spent coffee grounds in a ratio of 50:50) to 4.85 mg of gallic acid equivalents g-1 dry mass in oyster mushroom form substrate 2 (beech sawdust mixed with wheat bran). Total flavonoid contents were very low in all analysed mushroom extracts. There was no significant difference between total antioxidant activities of oyster mushroom grown on different substrates. 

The aim of this study was to assess the ability of oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus (Jacq.) P. Kumm.) to absorb heavy metals (Fe, Zn, Cu, Co, Mn, Ni, Cr, Cd, and Pb) from different plant-based substrates and to determine the bioaccumulation factor of the aforementioned heavy metals from the substrate to the oyster mushroom basidiomes. The substrate used in this study were: maize straw, beech sawdust supplemented with wheat bran at a rate of 20%, a mixture of maize straw and spent coffee grounds in a ratio of 70:30, and a mixture of maize straw and spent coffee grounds in a ratio of 50:50. Heavy metal contents in substrate and mushroom samples were analyzed by atomic absorption spectroscopy using the Shimadzu AA-7000 device, while the bioaccumulation factors of oyster mushroom for each investigated heavy metal were calculated from the heavy metal content in mushrooms divided by that found in substrates. The study showed that oyster mushrooms have a high capacity to absorb Zn and Cd from the growing medium and bioaccumulation factor values for Zn and Cd determined in this study strongly support this observation. On the other hand, bioaccumulation factor values for Ni, Fe, and Mn were less than 0.3 and ranged from 0.04 to 0.05, from 0.09 to 0.12, and from 0.10 to 0.25, respectively. In general, the results of this study lead to the conclusion that substrate chemical composition strongly affects the heavy metal accumulation in oyster mushroom basidiomes. The results of this study also showed that oyster mushrooms can be considered a promising species for Cd and Zn bioremediation.