Dejan Cvikić

Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) is a widely cultivated vegetable whose growth and development are significantly modulated by light quality. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of different LED light treatments during the seedling stage on pepper subsequent development and yield after transplanting into a greenhouse. Commercial sweet pepper variety Morava was used as the plant material. At the phenological stage of first true leaf formation, the plants were placed in closed plant growth chambers under four light treatments: multispectral white light-emitting diodes (W LEDs), monochromatic blue LEDs (B LEDs), red LEDs (R LEDs), and a mixed (50:50% ratio) red and blue LEDs (RB LEDs). The seedlings were cultivated for either 20 or 27 days under a 12/12 h (light/dark) photoperiod at a controlled temperature of 23 ± 2 °C. After 20 and 27-day exposure periods, five uniform seedlings per treatment were transplanted into larger plastic pots and transferred to a greenhouse, where they were grown under natural daylight for an additional 51 and 44 days, respectively. At the full maturity stage, the number of fruits and yield per plant, chlorophyll content, and total soluble sugar content were recorded. The results show that the number of pepper fruits per plant was significantly influenced by both the light treatment and its interaction with the duration of light exposure. In contrast, the fruit weight, total soluble sugar content, and chlorophyll content depended exclusively on the duration of exposure to the light treatments. A 27-day red light treatment applied at the first true leaf stage significantly increased fruit number and weight while proving statistically equivalent to other leading treatments in optimizing sugar and chlorophyll accumulation.

The effect of long-term storage and packaging on the quality of beetroot seeds was evaluated after nine years. Seeds stored in small retail packages (S1) showed a marked decrease in total germination (83% in 2015 to 47% in 2024) and germination energy (56% to 10%), while seeds stored in bulk (S2) retained higher viability (total germination 92% to 84%; germination energy 75% to 63%). Moisture content increased in both sample types, more significantly in S1 (9.0% to 14.0%) than in S2 (10.2% to 12.7%), contributing to an accelerated decline in seed quality in retail packages. Seed weight remained relatively stable in all samples. These results indicate that long-term bulk storage under controlled conditions is more effective in maintaining the vitality and quality of beetroot seeds.

The research was performed in 2024 at two sites in Serbia, at the Institute for Vegetable Crops Smederevska Palanka and a family farm in Donja Lokošnica near Leskovac. The paper researched the differences in crude fiber content between two pepper genotypes: ‘Moravska lepotica’ and ‘Lokošnička’. The crude fiber content was determined by the Scharrer-Kürschner method. Data were analyzed by using IBM SPSS Statistics, version 26.0. A higher crude fiber content was recorded in the fruit of the genotype ‘Lokošnička’ (locality Smederevska Palanka 3.75% and Donja Lokošnica 2.89%) compared to the genotype ‘Moravska Lepotica’ (locality Smederevska Palanka 3.25% and Donja Lokošnica 0.53%). The values at the Donja Lokošnica locality are on average 51.3% lower than at the Smederevska Palanka locality. The high uniformity of the results within the groups, shown by the minimal interquartile range, additionally confirms the stability of the obtained differences.

Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.), as one of the most important vegetable species, requires continuous work on the selection of new varieties and hybrids, all with the aim of meeting the various nutritional needs of people. In recent years, the emphasis has increasingly been placed on high-quality and large fruits, with thick pericarp and high yield for industrial processing. For this reason, the goal of our research was to create a new variety of pepper with the required properties. By crossing selected parental lines, after a multi-year selection process, using the pedigree method, Slađina čarolija was created, with very large and attractive fruits, thick pericarp, pronounced red color. It is a medium-late variety, with determinate growth and a large habit. It forms from 5 to 10 fruits per plant (depending on the cultivation method), which are very large (from 150 g to over 300 g), flattened on both sides, with a thick pericarp (over 6 mm). When technologically ripe, the fruits are dark green, and when fully ripe, they are dark red. In full agricultural technology, yields of over 80 t ha -1 can be achieved in an open field. The variety is recognized by the Decision of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management of the Republic of Serbia under No. 320-04-5183/2/2023-11 from June 12, 2025.

The experiment was set up during 2016 and 2017 in the Leskovac area on an alluvial soil. For research purposes, the duration of certain phenological phases, the entire vegetation period of 6 maize hybrids, and three FAO maturity groups (400-600) were monitored. The research aims to determine the duration of each phenological phase and the entire growing season based on the number of days, the sum of the total, and the sum of the effective temperatures, and to recommend suitable hybrids for the investigated area. In terms of years and sowing dates, the difference in vegetation period between the hybrid with the longest and the hybrid with the shortest vegetation period was 38 days, the difference in SUT was 414.7?C, and the difference in SET was 240.0?C. On average over two years, the lowest sum of effective temperatures was measured at 1158.8?C for the FAO hybrid group 400, ZP 434, and the highest at 1398.9?C for the FAO hybrid group 600, NS 6030. Depending on the temperature conditions, the year in the first sowing period of the individual phases was shortened with increasing temperature. The onset of periods with lower air temperatures and the length of the phenological phases lasted longer. The method of the sum of effective temperatures proved to be the most reliable method for determining the vegetation length of the maize hybrids examined.

Breeding programs for developing new genotypes emphasize earliness, fruit quality, yield potential, resistance to economically significant diseases, tolerance to abiotic stress, and plant morphology. Hybrids offer numerous advantages over varieties, including higher yields, fruit uniformity, resistance to plant pathogens, and the manifestation of heterosis. These are the primary reasons for initiating research on hybrid combinations of hot peppers. This study aimed to develop a hybrid hot pepper capable of meeting market demands. Seven experimental pepper hybrids were created by crossing the ms line HM5 (nuclear male sterility) as the female parent with seven pure lines (LHP 1-7) as the male parents, producing seeds of hybrid combinations. In 2023, a randomized block design experiment with three replications of 40 plants each was conducted in a greenhouse at the Institute for Vegetable Crops Smederevska Palanka. Harvesting was performed at the technological maturity stage. The most important morphological fruit traits and dry matter content (DMC) were analyzed on 10 fruits (kapya type) from each hybrid combination. The results revealed that hybrid combinations had a statistically significant impact on parameters such as fruit weight, length, width, pericarp thickness and DMC. The hybrid HM5xLHP6 showed the highest fruit weight (119.70 g), HM5xLHP4 exhibited the longest fruit (18.26 cm), while HM5xLHP1 and HM5xLHP3 demonstrated the largest fruit width (6.02 cm) and pericarp thickness (5.2 mm) respectively. High DMC values were recorded for HM5xLHP7 and HM5xLHP5 (10.5% and 9.40%). The number of fruits per plant (11.40-16.80) and the number of chambers (2) were consistent across hybrids, with no statistically significant differences observed. By comparing market-available varieties with hybrids, which are still limited in number, the results of this study highlight the superiority of hybrids for cultivation in greenhouse. Hybrids demonstrated justified economic effects for both fresh consumption and industrial processing.

Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) as a commercial species is cultivated worldwide. The quality of the seed, including seed health, is an important prerequisite for obtaining a healthy and highquality crop and ensuring high fruit yields. Seed testing of two pepper genotypes from two locations (Kula and Smederevska Palanka) was performed using standard methods for assessing seed quality and health, based on germination parameters, moisture and seed health for the seed produced in the season 2022. Germination energy was 75% and 85% for Strizanka and Zupska Rana, in Smederevska Palanka, respectively, while in Kula, germination energy was statistically significantly lower and ranged from 65% in Strizanka to 55% in Zupska Rana (p0.05) in Smederevska Palanka. The moisture content was 12.5% and 9.5% for Strizanka and Zupska Rana in Kula, respectively. Seed health was tested on the basis of the presence of phytopathogenic fungi Alternaria spp. and Fusarium spp. The percentage of infection with Alternaria spp. was 1% for both Župska Rana and Strižanka in Smederevska Palanka (p>0.05), while in Kula amounted to 5% and 3%, respectively (p<0.05) and they were statistically significant (p<0.05). The infection with Fusarium spp. was 5.4% for Zupska Rana and 2.6% for Strižanka in Kula. The obtained data on seed quality parameters indicate a statistically significant difference between Smederevska Palanka and Kula. Future research will be related to soil analysis and total yield per plot at the locations of Smederevska Palanka and Kula.

Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.), as one of the most important vegetable crops, requires continuous work on the selection of new varieties and hybrids with greater genetic potential for fertility, and the introduction of new cultivation technologies, all to satisfy human needs. In the first year of research, after crossing two parental components based on sterile lines, hybrid seeds of experimental hybrids were produced. A comparative experiment was set up in the greenhouse of the Institute for Vegetable Crops Smederevska Palanka in 2023 to create new pepper hybrids, which are characterized by fruits for different purposes. Of the seven experimental hybrid combinations, one is selected (LPK027 x HM6) for its potential morphological features (fruit weight and number of fruits per plant) as the main components of yield and high content of dry matter and was reported to the Commission for the Recognition of New Varieties in 2024 under the name Katja F1.

The accumulation of heavy metals in the environment is one of the most significant environmental problems due to the potential risk to human and animal health. The aim of this study was to analyze the influence of the distance from the industrial zone on the heavy metal content in the soil and vegetative parts of wheat. A field experiment with four wheat genotypes was conducted in the area of the city of Pancevo, Serbia, at three locations at different distances from the industrial zone. By atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS), concentrations of five heavy metals (Zn, Pb, Cr, Cu, and Cd) were determined in the soil and wheat. The highest total content of Zn, Cr, Cu, and Cd in the soil (72.5, 27.3, 26.2, and 0.3 mg kg⁻¹, respectively) was found at the location closest to the industrial zone, while the highest content of Pb (28.9 mg kg⁻¹) was recorded at a location that is in the immediate vicinity of a road. Heatmap correlations and PCA analysis show a significant relationship between the content of heavy metals in the soil and the plant. Genotype Pobeda had the lowest content of Cr, Cu, and Cd in the root and the lowest content of all the analyzed heavy metals in the stem. The highest translocation factor of heavy metals was found in the genotype Apache, which had the highest content of Pb, Cr, and Cu in the stem. The highest heavy metal bioaccumulation and translocation were established for Cd content (0.86 and 1.93). The obtained results indicate a potential ecological risk in the immediate vicinity of the industrial zone, while the difference in the accumulation of heavy metals between the studied genotypes opens new aspects for breeding programs.

Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) is one of the most important vegetable species both because of the areas in which it is grown and because of its diverse uses from fresh to various products in industrial processing. Due to the increasing demand for high-quality pepper fruits for industrial processing, we have set ourselves the goal of creating a new variety of peppers with a high yield and dry matter content. After a multi-year selection process, the Moravska lepotica was created using the pedigree method of selection with a high content of dry matter and color, very large and attractive fruits. It is recognized by the Decision of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management of the Republic of Serbia, No 320-04-3330/2/2021-11 dated 22.12.2022.