The aim of this study was to compare the tannin concentration of young common and tartary buckwheat plants. Tannins are a group of polyphenols, formed as secondary metabolites in plants. Tannins are known as antioxidants and have chemoprotective potential. They occur in many fruits and drinks, such as tea, beer, wine and juices, making them significant in human nutrition. Concentration of tannins was high in upper leaves of tartary buckwheat and in young plants of common buckwheat cv. Bosanka. There are interesting differences between tannin concentration in Bosanka young plants and tartary and Darja buckwheat young plants.

The effect of substrate pH level (4.7, 3.3 and 7.3) on the anthocyanin, quercetin compounds, catechin and phenolic acids concentrations in petals of Rosa × hybrida L. 'KORcrisett' and on the number of flowers per plant was investigated. The phenolic profiles of this plant were established for the first time by the use of HPLC/MS. Plants potted in a substrate with pH 4.7 developed significantly more flowers compared to those planted in an acidic (3.3) and alkaline (7.3) pH levels. However, the concentration of anthocyanins, quercetin compounds, catechin and phenolic acids was always lowest in the petals of 'KORcrisett' rose plants potted in pH level 4.7. Compared to the first sampling, a significant increase in the concentration of major and total anthocyanins and quercetin compounds was measured in the petals of plants potted in pH level 3.3 and 7.3, but not in the plants potted in pH level 4.7, respectfully.

A number of factors influenced the increased number of crops on Slovenian farms legal limitation of maize production to two years on the same field, introduction of integrated crop production and certain measures of the Slovene Agri-Environmental Programme. Crop rotation on hop fields that has already been analyzed on 22 hop growing and livestock farms in Spodnja Savinjska dolina in 2008 show that the maize monoculture has been supplemented by some other crops like wheat, barley, lucerne, clover-grass mixtures and high beans; compared to the conventional production in the past, the crop rotation is now longer. Phytosanitary adequacy of two- and three-year rotation could be improved with supplementary crops, that is with fodder crucifers (fodder rapeseed and rape, forage kale), green manure (white mustard, oil radish), legume crops (soya, peas, vetch, field bean, white lupin, crimson clover, Persian clover, Egyptian clover) and compound fodders like Landsberger mixture and mixtures of vetch with oat or barley. Prohibition to sow broad-leafed plants in the quarantine rotation due to hop wilting limits the selection of crops to grasses (Italian rye-grass) and fodder grains (maize, barley), but the farmers could increase the selection of grains with oats, rye, triticale, mixture of wheat and rye, millet, sorghum and Sudan grass. With the use of recommended crop rotations in two-, three- and four-year rotation, we can expect the increased influence of crop rotation on improved health condition of the new hop plantations in the future with simultaneous reduction of the use of pesticides as well.

A number of factors influenced the increased number of crops on Slovenian farms legal limitation of maize production to two years on the same field, introduction of integrated crop production and certain measures of the Slovene Agri-Environmental Programme. Crop rotation on hop fields that has already been analyzed on 22 hop growing and livestock farms in Spodnja Savinjska dolina in 2008 show that the maize monoculture has been supplemented by some other crops like wheat, barley, lucerne, clover-grass mixtures and high beans; compared to the conventional production in the past, the crop rotation is now longer. Phytosanitary adequacy of two- and three-year rotation could be improved with supplementary crops, that is with fodder crucifers (fodder rapeseed and rape, forage kale), green manure (white mustard, oil radish), legume crops (soya, peas, vetch, field bean, white lupin, crimson clover, Persian clover, Egyptian clover) and compound fodders like Landsberger mixture and mixtures of vetch with oat or barley. Prohibition to sow broad-leafed plants in the quarantine rotation due to hop wilting limits the selection of crops to grasses (Italian rye-grass) and fodder grains (maize, barley), but the farmers could increase the selection of grains with oats, rye, triticale, mixture of wheat and rye, millet, sorghum and Sudan grass. With the use of recommended crop rotations in two-, three- and four-year rotation, we can expect the increased influence of crop rotation on improved health condition of the new hop plantations in the future with simultaneous reduction of the use of pesticides as well.

In the period from June to October 2008 we collected 500 slugs from the genus Arion in the area of Ljubljana and Prekmurje (Slovenia). By means of dissection we determined the presence of parasitic nematodes in slug cadavers. Identification of the nematodes was made by a molecular technique (PCR). In these slugs we did not find the parasitic nematode Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita, however the presence of Alloionema appendiculatum in larger quantities was confirmed. The most infected was a Spanish slug, Arion lusitanicus. In Petri dishes younger slugs showed a satisfactory mortality rate already on the fourth day after the application of the nematode suspension. Unfortunately, we can not confirm with certainly that the nematode A. appendiculatum undergoes a complete life cycle in A. lusitanicus, which is otherwise typical for Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita.

In present study the quantification of total phenolics content (TPC), total antioxidant activity (TAA) and their relation in sweet and tart cherries were studied. Aqueous and pure polar solvents were used to compare the yield of present phenolic compounds in prepared extracts. The solubility of phenolics was the most effective in sweet cherry extracts with using of 50 % methanol and in tart cherry extracts with using of 50 % acetone. The yield of TPC of both tested cherry fruit extracts was higher with pure methanol in comparison to pure acetone.

Effect of selenium (Se) was studied in soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) cv. Olna in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Se was added to plants as foliary spraying. Quantum yield of photosystem II (PSII) and respiratory potential measured as ETS activity of mitochondria were measured two times in the growing season. Respiratory potential was higher in young plants compared to mature plants. Se induced the lowering of respiratory potential. Addition of Se had no effect on quantum yield of photosystem II.

Within the long-term field experiments at IOSDV Rakican, Slovenia, the impact of organic matter management system and mineral nitrogen fertilization on the soil organic matter content was studied in the period 1994-2008. The annual balance of Corg was calculated on the basis of the quantity of added organic fertilizers ("Bavarian method", "VDLUFA method"), while the "Swiss method" also consider the quantity of Corg in the topsoil in the calculation. The following management systems were selected: system A - no organic matter, system B - farmyard manure ploughing in, system C - straw/catch crop ploughing in. Four different mineral N rates (N0, N1, N2, N3) were evaluated. In 2008 the Corg content in topsoil (0-25 cm) was measured according to ISO 10694. Farmyard manure (FYM) fertilization significantly influenced the content of Corg, while the straw application did not result in the significant increase of Corg content. Mineral nitrogen fertilization did not impact Corg content within system A. In system B and system C positive effect of nitrogen fertilization on the Corg content was detected. However, statistically significant impact of mineral N on a higher Corg content was not determined. All three methods underestimated the actual analysed results, although, we can determine the "Swiss method" as the most precise and appropriate for this site-specific location.

The effect of substrate pH level (4.7, 3.3 and 7.3) on the anthocyanin, quercetin compounds, catechin and phenolic acids concentrations in petals of Rosa × hybrida L. 'KORcrisett' and on the number of flowers per plant was investigated. The phenolic profiles of this plant were established for the first time by the use of HPLC/MS. Plants potted in a substrate with pH 4.7 developed significantly more flowers compared to those planted in an acidic (3.3) and alkaline (7.3) pH levels. However, the concentration of anthocyanins, quercetin compounds, catechin and phenolic acids was always lowest in the petals of 'KORcrisett' rose plants potted in pH level 4.7. Compared to the first sampling, a significant increase in the concentration of major and total anthocyanins and quercetin compounds was measured in the petals of plants potted in pH level 3.3 and 7.3, but not in the plants potted in pH level 4.7, respectfully.

Laboratory experiments were carried out to evaluate the impact of diatomaceous earth (DE) samples of different origin with their insecticidal properties to control one of the most important primary pest in stored grain. We tested the efficacy of three local DE, from Serbia, Greece and Slovenia, and commercial formulation SilicoSec against the rice weevil, Sitophilus oryzae, adults in stored wheat. The experiments were carried out at three temperatures (20, 25 and 30 °C) and two relative humidity (RH) levels (55 and 75 %). Mortality of pest was counted 7, 14 and 21 days after exposure (DAT) at the following DE dose rates: 100, 300, 500 and 900 ppm. The mortality of adults normally increased with increasing dose rates and DAT. In all samples the mortality of rice weevil adults (dose rate 900 ppm, 21 DAT) was above 90 %, except at Slovenian DE (at 20 °C and 55 % RH) and Greek DE (at 25 °C and 75 % RH), when the mortality was 85.3 and 67.6 %, respectively. With 100 % mortality (14 DAT and at 900 ppm) the most effective was SilicoSec. Slovenian DE was more effective at 55 % RH than at 75 % RH (7 DAT at all temperatures).

The aim of this study was to investigate some physiological traits and yield of different maize hybrids in growth conditions of Kosovo. The field experiment was conducted in 2006 and 2007 in Kosovo, near Prishtina. The experiment was based on a randomized complete block design with 3 replications. For calculating and statistical analysis 10 plants per each plot were randomly chosen. In the study, seven commercial maize hybrids belonging to different FAO groups (FAO 300, 400 and 600), originating from two breeding institutions: Maize Dept. of Bc Institute Rugvica - Croatia (Jumbo 48 [H-1], BC418 [H-2], BC408 [H-3], BC288 [H-4], BC394 [H-5]) and from Pioneer Hi-Bred Int. (Austria) (Pregia [H-6] and Colombo [H-7]), were included. For traits ear leaf area (LA), absolute growth rate (AGR), crop growth rate (CGR) and biological dry matter (BDM) higher values were obtained in the 2nd year in comparison to the 1st year, however the harvest index (HI) of the 1st year was of a higher value than the 2nd year. Also, for all investigated traits, except for HI, statistically significant differences were obtained among the studied maize hybrids. The highest values for all traits, except for HI, expressed the H-6 and these values were statistically significant higher than those of all other hybrids, but not for BDM. Our results indicated that the H-6 was the most appropriate for cultivation in agroecological conditions in Kosovo, while the H-4 and H-5 were less appropriate in the given conditions.