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Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica L.) is a perennial plant species that is often perceived as a weed, but in recent years it has attracted interest for its medicinal and nutritional properties. Wild nettle is primarily a variable plant material of unexplored composition, so recent research aims to the importance of its cultivation. Optimal yield and nutritional quality of the final product are influenced by a number of abiotic, biotic and anthropogenic factors, which are difficult to control due to fluctuating environmental conditions during field cultivation. Modern greenhouse hydroponic cultivation techniques, such as floating hydroponics, can eliminate the problems of field cultivation and allow earlier harvesting, higher yields and better quality of plant material. Optimal conditions for plant growth are achieved by proper management of the abiotic factors of air and nutrient solution during cultivation. Since different plant species differ considerably in their uptake of certain nutrients, it is necessary to determine the optimum composition of nutrient solution for each species depending on the cropping season and the purpose of the final product. The aim of this study was to determine the specialized metabolites and antioxidant properties of fresh nettle leaves depending on the content of two different nutrient solutions (EC 1.8 mS cm -1 and EC 3.0 mS cm -1) in floating hydroponics. The nutrient solution with the lower amount of nutrients resulted in higher levels of total phenolics (238.4 mg GAE 100 g-1) and lower levels of vitamin C (80.3 mg 100 g -1) and antioxidant capacity (2413.8 μmol TE L -1).

The aim of this research was to determine the effect of sowing density on the morphological traits and yield of hydroponically grown spinach. During a harvest conducted 32 days after sowing, morphological characteristics were analysed and spinach yield was determined. No significant effect of sowing density on spinach rosette height was found, while statistical differences between the tested treatments were determined for other morphological traits and yield. The highest weight of spinach rosettes (6.5 g) was obtained at the lowest sowing density, while the highest yield (2 kg m-2) was obtained at the highest sowing density.

The hydroponic ebb and flow system is a modern technique most commonly used for growing leafy vegetables. It involves periodic flooding and draining of the nutrient solution, which allows controlled drought stress. Abiotic stress can positively affect the accumulation of plant polyphenols with high antioxidant activity. Stinging nettle is a perennial wild plant that can be consumed as a green leafy vegetable due to its nutritional value. The aim of this research was to determine the content of total phenolics (TP), flavonoids (TF), non-flavonoids (TNF) and antioxidant capacity of stinging nettle leaves grown in ebb and flow system under different irrigation intervals. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse during the spring growing season. Plants were treated with a nutrient solution for one hour and then exposed to three different drought intervals of 24, 48, and 96 hours. During the irrigation interval of 48 hours, plants accumulated the highest amounts of TP (400.21 mg GAE/100 g), about 23% more than when plants received no nutrient solution for 24 hours, and even about 30% more than when the plants were not irrigated for 96 hours. Also, the values of antioxidant capacity were highest during the 48-hour irrigation interval. The obtained results suggest that stinging nettle accumulates the most phenolic compounds during the 48 hour stress caused by the absence of nutrient solution.

The aim of this research was to determine the effect of nanoparticle-coated glass (Germanium (Ge), Titanium nitride, Ge + Silicon) as greenhouse cover on the morphology and yield of lamb's lettuce. The tested glasses differ in terms of total light transmittance and transmittance of wavelengths 450 and 650 nm. The transmittance of the nanoparticle-coated glasses ranged from 44.4 to 79.1% of the light transmittance of standard horticultural glass. Transmittance for 450 and 650 nm wavelengths ranged from 3.1 to 63.2% and from 39.9 to 77.1%, respectively. The air temperature and humidity sensor and a PAR sensor connected to the data logger were installed in the greenhouses. During harvest, conducted 30 days after planting, total biomass, number of leaves, mass of rosettes and mass of roots were determined. The highest values of all parameters were determined for lamb's lettuce grown under standard horticultural glass (plant biomass 2.65 g, rosette mass 2.53 g, root mass 0.12 g, 11.5 leaves, yield 1.265 kg m- 2). In greenhouses covered with tested anoparticle-coated glass, the highest values of monitored traits were obtained under glass coated with Germanium. Although a significantly lower yield was achieved under the tested nanoparticle- coated glasses, the use of glass with suitable structure has an advantage, especially in the warmer part of the year due to reduced light transmittance, as there is a lower temperature gradient compared to standard glass

The ebb and flow system is a hydroponic technique for growing plants that allows rational water use and management of water stress to obtain plant material rich in bioactive compounds. The risk with this technique is the lower yield and the deterioration of the morphological characteristics of the cultivated plants that can occur. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of 2 intervals of irrigation intervals on the agronomic traits of stinging nettle in 2 harvest periods. The combination of 48 hours of water stress and the 2nd harvest period gave the highest yield (1.21 kg m-2), while the combination of 72 hours of water stress and the 1st harvest period resulted with the lowest nettle yield (0.65 kg m-2).

Mladi izdanci smatraju se funkcionalnom hranom zbog visokog sadržaja minerala i bioaktivnih spojeva, a sadrže manje nitrata u odnosu na biljke u kasnijoj fenološkoj fazi. Cilj istraživanja bio je utvrditi utjecaj 3 podloge (komercijalni supstrat, mješavina komercijalnog supstrata i perlita, juta) na količinu suhe tvari i mikroelemenata u mladim izdancima brokule, poriluka i cikle. Najveća prosječna količina suhe tvari (7, 82 % ST) i mikroelemenata u svježoj tvari (st) mladih izdanaka utvrđena je pri uzgoju na juti. Primjena jute rezultirala je najvećom količinom suhe tvari (9, 77 % ST) i cinka (0, 72 mg Zn 100 g-1 st) u izdancima poriluka te najvećom količinom željeza (2, 12 mg Fe 100 g-1 st) u izdancima cikle.

Dvodomna kopriva (Urtica dioica L.) je u novije vrijeme nepravedno zapostavljena biljna vrsta, posebice kao prehrambena namirnica. Zbog dokazanih nutritivnih i ljekovitih svojstva, svrstava se u kategoriju funkcionalnih namirnica. U fazi intenzivnog porasta ima velike potrebe za dušičnim gnojivima što može umanjiti kvalitetu finalnog proizvoda, pa se istražuju preprati dozvoljeni i u ekološkom uzgoju. Biostimulatori su proizvodi prirodnog porijekla koji imaju efikasnu primjenu kod biljaka u stresnim uvjetima ublažavajući nepovoljne čimbenike tijekom uzgoja. U ovome radu istražene su potencijalne koristi od primjene biostimulatora na morfološke pokazatelje i osnovni kemijski sastav koprive. Monofaktorijalni poljski pokus postavljen je na dvogodišnjem usjevu koprive po metodi slučajnog bloknog rasporeda u tri repeticije. Nasad je tretiran s četiri različita biostimulatora (Humistar, Phylgreen, Aminovital, Delphan Plus) u usporedbi s kontrolnom varijantom. Biostimulatori nisu imali opravdani utjecaj na morfološke pokazatelje niti na ukupni prinos, no imali su različit utjecaj na razinu minerala i specijaliziranih metabolita u biljci, pri čemu se mogu se izdvojiti proizvodi na bazi aminokiselina (Delphan Plus) i huminskih kiselina (Humistar).

Nettle is a highly valued medicinal plant that is still largely neglected, both in terms of nutrition and use for pharmacological purposes. Tinctures, i.e., alcoholic extracts, are becoming increasingly popular nettle products, mainly because they allow better availability of phytochemicals and their stability over a longer period of time. The production of alcoholic extracts is a chemically demanding process that is still usually carried out using conventional techniques, which have numerous drawbacks. The use of green technologies such as ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE), which is characterized by high efficiency of phytochemical extraction, shorter treatment time, and a much lower environmental footprint, is a suitable and sustainable solution. Therefore, the aim of this study is to determine the influence of the extraction method, conventional and ultrasound (by varying two ultrasound equipment systems), time and ethanol concentration on the extraction of specialized metabolites from nettle powder. Ultrasonic extraction using a probe system significantly contributed to increase the ascorbic acid yield, polyphenolic compounds, and antioxidant capacity of nettle extracts compared to conventional extraction. In addition, when a probe system was used during UAE, significantly less time was required for isolation of individual specialized metabolites compared to ultrasonic extraction in the bath. Ethanol concentration (50 and 80% v/v) also proved to be an important factor in the efficiency of extraction of specialized metabolites, with 80% ethanol being more effective for the isolation of ascorbic acid and pigment compounds (chlorophyll and carotenoids), while 50% v/v for the extraction of polyphenolic compounds. It can be concluded that extraction with the ultrasonic probe system is much more efficient in obtaining higher yields of specialized metabolites from nettle powder in a shorter time (average process duration 5–10 min) both compared to UAE in the bath and classical extraction. However, optimization of the key factors of time, solvent type, and ultrasonic power is necessary to maintain the nutritional quality of the nettle extract in order to obtain a final product with a high specialized metabolites content, antioxidant capacity, and functional value. The future application of alcoholic nettle extracts is based on the fact that these products have significant potential as functional foods and pharmacological preparations for the treatment of a number of but also to strengthen the immune system, mainly due to the rich nutritional composition and high content of various specialized metabolites. The prepared extracts can be safely taken orally by diluting the tinctures with water immediately before ingestion.

Innovative agricultural practices are increasingly focused on conserving resources, reducing negative environmental impacts, and producing food with high nutritional quality and high content of health-promoting phytonutrients. Proper selection of cultivating factors, especially balanced nutrition, can significantly increase nutritional value and result in foods with significant biological and functional properties. The innovative techniques for cultivation of plant species, such as floating hydroponic systems, can also ensure a uniform chemical composition and high specialized metabolites (SM) content through nutrient solution management. Although it has been neglected in human diet, stinging nettle has a rich chemical composition (vitamins, minerals, pigments, phenols and other SM) and can be consumed as a green leafy vegetable. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of different corrections (B1, B2 and B3) of the nutrient solution (NS) during three harvest periods on the SM content and antioxidant capacity of nettle leaves. The B1 and B2 treatments were initially filled with NS prepared independently of the water’s chemical composition and B3 was filled with NS adjusted according to the chemical analysis of the water. After each harvest, the corrections of NS were made as follows: B1 was filled with water, B2 with NS, and B3 with nutrients according to the chemical analysis of NS. Of the nutritional and functional properties, total phenolics (TP), ascorbic acid (AsA), pigment content and antioxidant capacity were analyzed. The highest TP (377.04 mg GAE/100 g), total flavonoid (279.54 mg CTH/100 g), AsA (112.37 mg/100 g) and pigment content, as well as the highest antioxidant capacity (3546.91 µmol TE/L) were recorded in the third harvest, B2 treatment. The results show a significant positive influence of multiple harvesting and NS treatment on the SM content of nettle, confirming this type of hydroponic cultivation as an innovative technique for the production of novel food with high nutritional value.

Hidroponski uzgoj koprive u zaštićenom prostoru omogućuje dostupnost biljnog materijala kroz duži period godine uz veće prinose te bolju kvalitetu herbe u odnosu na uzgoj na otvorenom. Cilj istraživanja bio je odrediti komponente prinosa te prinos svježe herbe koprive uzgajane tehnikom plutajući hidropon u dvije hranive otopine različitog sastava kroz dva roka košnje. Bolji utjecaj na promatrana morfološka svojstva imala je otopina s manjom količinom hraniva (Jensen, EC = 1, 7 mS cm-1) u odnosu na otopinu s većom količinom hraniva (Cooper, EC = 3, 0 mS cm-1). Kombinacije pojedine otopine i 2. roka košnje ostvarila je značajno veći prinos koprive u odnosu na 1. rok košnje (2, 3 kg m-2 i 1, 8 kg m-2).

Demands for healthy, nutrient-rich foods that are minimally processed are on the rise and consumers are paying more attention to the origin of the foods and their functional properties. New agricultural practices are based on providing safe raw materials with uniform chemical composition. This is important for the stinging nettle, which is mostly collected from the wild where it tends to accumulate excessive amounts of nitrates and heavy metals. Previous studies have shown that nettle contains a significant amount of phenols, vitamins, pigments, minerals, proteins, fats, fatty acids, sterols, volatile compounds, tannins, etc. Moreover, numerous pharmacological studies have demonstrated the antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, antidiabetic, antiulcerogenic, hepatoprotective, hypoglycemic, and other properties of nettle. Thanks to its high content of bioactive compounds and proven nutritional and health effects, nettle can be considered an important functional foodstuff so there is a justified reason for placing nettle on the market as a new packaged food product. In accordance with sustainable production and circular economy, it is recommended to use modern food processing (minimal, non-thermal technologies), packaging methods (modified and controlled atmosphere), and materials (such as biodegradable). Appropriate packaging methods and materials can ensure the safety and longer shelf- life of products and help to preserve compounds responsible for biological effects. The aim of this study was to summarize the data from previous research on the nutritional, functional, and pharmacological properties and to discuss the further potential of using, processing, and packaging nettle leaves as a green leafy vegetable in order to popularize this new food product.

The need for sustainable production of nutrient- rich foods is critical both for environmental protection, mainly to reduce footprint on the soil, water and air, and for human health. Therefore, agricultural practices are increasingly shifting to greenhouse cultivation, where abiotic factors can be controlled and optimized regarding to the specific needs of each plant species. Hydroponic cultivation stands out as a successful growing system that provides a controlled environment, water and nutrient consumption ensuring higher yields, better morphological characteristics and favorable mineral composition. Floating hydroponics is offered as one of the techniques whose main advantages are the elimination of potential problems caused by soil contamination, the possibility of lower water consumption and precise and balanced plant nutrition. Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica L.) is a perennial plant species characterized by the possibility of retrovegetation and multiple harvesting, which makes it interesting for agricultural production. However, it also tends to accumulate heavy metals and excessive amounts of nitrogen from the soil. Therefore, it poses a challenge in terms of questionable plant material for further use and consumption. As nettle becomes more popular among consumers, mainly due to its favorable nutrient composition, high antioxidant and essential minerals content, its cultivation is necessary to ensure consistent chemical composition and high quality. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of nutrient solution (NS) content during two harvesting periods on the morphological characteristics, dry matter and macroelements content of fresh nettle leaves. The experiment was conducted in a heated greenhouse during the fall-winter growing season of 2021/2022. Nettle was grown in basins filled with NS standardized according to Johnson's (EC 1.5 mS/cm). Management of the solution during cultivation was varied as follows: basin 1 (B1) and 2 (B2) were filled with Johnson's solution prepared independently of the water chemical composition while in basin 3 (B3) Johnson's NS was adjusted according to the water chemical analysis. After the first harvest, only water was added in B1 to replace the drop level of NS ; in B2 the initial NS was added ; in B3 the amount of nutrients was added to match the composition of the initial standard solution based on the NS analysis performed after the first harvest. Two harvests were carried out (Nov 3, 2021 and Jan 11, 2022), after each, morphological and chemical analyses were conducted and the results were statistically analyzed. The results show that both factors, NS variation and harvest period, have a significant influence on the morphological characteristics, yield and macroelement content of fresh nettle. In the first harvest, values for nettle plant height (28.53 cm), leaf length (7.57 cm), width (6.07 cm) and yield (1.26 kg/m2), as well as for N and P (5.83% N dry weight (dw) and 1.15% P dw) were generally higher regardless of the solution variant. The second harvest resulted in higher dry matter (22.12%) and K (4.16% K dw) values. The lower values of all morphological parameters and macroelements found in nettle in the basin supplemented with water prove that in case of multiple harvests, correction of NS is necessary to obtain adequate yield and nutritional value of the final product.

Nettle (Urtica dioica L.) is a perennial plant used as a medicinal herb and also as a food. Besides numerous phytochemicals, nettle is great source of macro and microelements which are important for human health. In the last 2 decades, global world population is more and more aware of problems caused by climate change which affect both the decrease in yield and the lower quality of the final product. Therefore, hydroponic production is good solution for optimal nutrient supply in order to produce nutritionally high quality nettle. In this way excessive application of nitrogen is avoided and reduced negative effect on other nutrients and quality itself. The aim of this research was to determine macromineral compostion of nettle in hydroponic production system according to different nutrient solutions in order to obtain the highest possible mineral status. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse following randomized complete block design with three replicates. Four different nutrient solutions (Johnson, Jensen, Larson, Cooper) which differ in EC value (1.72, 2.34, 2.50 and 3.42 mS/cm, respectively) were tested. Nettle was sown on 11 March 2021 in polystyrene plates filled with perlite and placed in basins filled with nutrient solutions after germination. Harvest was performed manualy on 20 May 2021. Samples were first dried, then homogenized which was followed by digestion in the microwave oven with HNO3 and HClO4. Phosphorus was determined spectrophotometrically, potassium phlamorphotometrically and calcium and magnesium by atomic absorption spectrometry. Nitrogen was determined by Kjehldal method. Results showed differences between nutirent solutions and harvest. The content of macroelements varied as follows 6.15-7.14 % N DW, 0.87-0.93 % P DW, 4.21- 4.75 % K DW, 4.95-5.40 % Ca DW, 0.72-1.13 % Mg DW.

Združivanje usjeva (konsocijacija) podrazumijeva istovremeni uzgoj dviju ili više kultura na istoj površini, a ima niz prednosti u odnosu na monokulturni uzgoj. Cilj istraživanja bio je utvrditi utjecaj združivanja salate i luka na tržni prinos, suhu tvar te količinu makroelemenata istraživanih kultura. Salata uzgajana u monokulturi ostvarila je veći tržni prinos u odnosu na konsocijaciju s lukom, što je bilo i očekivano uslijed ograničenog vegetacijskog prostora. Isti način uzgoja za salatu 'Trocadero' bio je bolji za količinu dušika, fosfora i kalcija u suhoj tvari, dok je konsocijacija obje sorte salate s lukom rezultirala opravdano višim vrijednostima suhe tvari. Združivanje luka sa salatom nije rezultiralo statistički značajnim razlikama u količini kalija u luku. Iako je uzgoj u monokulturi rezultirao višim vrijednostima većine promatranih svojstava u obje vrste, uzgoj u konsocijaciji može se preporučiti u ekološkoj proizvodnji radi efikasnijeg iskorištenja proizvodne površine, posebice u sve popularnijim gradskim vrtovima.

Climate changes (global warming, drought) exacerbates food production problems and poses a global challenge to modern agriculture. One of the main objectives of the strategy of European Union is to achieve a carbon-neutral circular economy, which includes, among other things, a series of strategic plans in agriculture, such as the increased use of sustainable agricultural practices. Indeed, outdoor vegetable production is increasingly exposed to many risks, making it necessary to introduce modern farming methods and change the current crop production strategy. Hydroponic crop production offers itself as a suitable solution to overcome the above-mentioned problems, mainly because of its advantages, which range from good management of natural resources to rational water use, avoiding nutrient losses from the rhizosphere, etc. More efficient use of water and nutrients will result in higher yield and the nutrient quality of the raw material can be controlled. It is important to emphasize that the above technique promotes balanced and rational fertilization and water use, with the aim of minimizing nitrate uptake, and is therefore suitable for ecologically sensitive areas. Similarly, there is a growing need for new food sources rich in valuable bioactive compounds important for human health. Nettle, a species often considered a weed, is rich in phytochemicals that make it valuable from a pharmacological and nutritional perspective. It grows wild in nature, but in hydroponic cultivation (avoiding water and/or temperature stress) it is possible to obtain a final product with a uniform chemical composition and a high and regular yield.

U ekološkoj poljoprivredi ograničena je upotreba mineralnih gnojiva, što može biti otežavajući čimbenik u povrćarskoj proizvodnji. Cilj rada bio je ispitati utjecaj ekološki prihvatljivih pripravaka na tržni prinos i količinu makroelemenata (dušik, fosfor, kalij, kalcij i magnezij) u svježoj tvari salate (Lactuca sativa L.) sorte 'Quattro stagioni'. Testirana su dva tradicionalna pripravka (gavez i kopriva) te jedan komercijalni pripravak ('EkoBooster2') u odnosu na netretiranu varijantu (kontrola). Na temelju jednogodišnjeg istraživanja utvrđeno je da su svi primijenjeni pripravci imali pozitivan učinak na tržni prinos u odnosu na kontrolu, pri čemu je relativno najveći prinos ostvaren primjenom pripravka od koprive (1, 64 kg/m2). Opravdano najviše suhe tvari (5, 26 %) te fosfora i kalija u svježoj tvari (31, 0 i 406, 1 mg/100 g) imala je salata tretirana pripravkom od koprive, a najviše dušika (181, 6 mg/100 g) i magnezija (26, 63 mg/100 g) utvrđeno je u kontroli. Istraživani tradicionalni pripravci pokazali su se kao dobra alternativa gnojivima koja nemaju dozvolu za primjenu ekološkom sustavu proizvodnje.

Cilj istraživanja bio je utvrditi utjecaj predsjetvenih tretmana ispiranjem na energiju klijanja i ukupnu klijavost sjemena mrkve, peršina i kopra. Tretmani ispiranja uključivali su destiliranu vodu, otopine kalijevog permanganata (KMnO4 ) i preparata ‘Eko-rast’ u usporedbi s netretiranim sjemenom. Preparat ‘Eko-rast’ pokazao se najboljim za ispiranje inhibitora klijanja prisutnih u sjemenoj ovojnici peršina, rezultirajući opravdano najvećom ukupnom klijavošću (80, 0 %). Predsjetveni tretman ispiranjem nije opravdan kod mrkve i kopra, obzirom da je najveća ukupna klijavost utvrđena u kontrolnom tretmanu (90, 0 i 96, 7%).

Zbog sve većeg značaja koji stimulatori biljnoga rasta dobivaju u proizvodnji povrća, provedeno je istraživanje s ciljem testiranja njihovog utjecaja na morfometrijska svojstva ploda i sastavnice prinosa krastavca u hidroponskom uzgoju. U dvofaktorijalnom pokusu s biostimulatorima (‘AminoVital’, ‘Phylgreen’) i kultivarima krastavca (‘Q Smart’, ‘Touareg’, ‘Paraiso’) nije zabilježen utjecaj pojedinačnih faktora, no značajan je, ali neujednačen utjecaj njihove interakcije. Najveći prinos tržnih plodova ostvaren je u kombinaciji ‘Touareg’×’AminoVital’ i ‘Q Smart’ bez tretiranja biostimulatorom (13, 61 i 13, 55 kg/m2).

Različite vrste povrća, aromatičnog bilja i žitarica u fazi mladih izdanaka (‘microgreens’), odnosno kotiledona i djelomično ili potpuno razvijenih prvih pravih listova, dakle, u razvojnom stadiju između klijanaca i mlade biljke, novija je kategorija namirnica biljnog porijekla (Di Gioia i Santamaria, 2015 ; Pinto i sur., 2015). Mladi izdanci su sve popularniji među potrošačima zbog izražene nutritivne vrijednosti, atraktivnog izgleda te široke palete tekstura i okusa (Franks i Richardson, 2016 ; Xiao i sur., 2015 ; Ebert i sur., 2014), a među proizvođačima zbog jednostavnog i kratkog ciklusa uzgoja (Ebert, 2012). Recentna istraživanja ukazuju da mladi izdanci sadrže više fitonutrijenata i minerala te manje nitrata u odnosu na biljke u kasnijoj fenološkoj fazi, zbog čega imaju izražen pozitivan utjecaj na ljudsko zdravlje (Pinto i sur., 2015 ; Xiao i sur, 2012). Mladi se izdanci konzumiraju u svježem stanju, pa nema gubitka hranjivih tvari uobičajenih za termičku obradu, što ih čini odličnim dodatkom svakodnevnoj prehrani (Ebert i sur., 2014). Jedan od čimbenika koji utječe na prinos i nutritivnu vrijednost mladih izdanaka je podloga za uzgoj (Franks i Richardson, 2009). Uz vrtno tlo, najčešće korištene podloge za uzgoj mladih izdanaka su treset i mješavine komercijalnih supstrata s tresetom. Iako treset ima optimalna fizikalno-kemijska svojstava, zbog visoke cijene istražuju se zamjenske podloge za uzgoj, poput vlakana kokosa, pamuka, konoplje i jute, pamučnog ili vunenog filca, perlita i kamene vune (Di Gioia i sur., 2016). Cilj ovog rada bio je utvrditi prikladnost zamjenskih podloga za uzgoj mladih izdanaka cikle i brokule te njihov učinak na količinu suhe tvari, sirovih proteina i minerala.

U proizvodnji presadnica u hortikulturi prisutna je tendencija zamjene komercijalnih tresetnih supstrata drugim prikladnim materijalima. Cilj rada bio je utvrditi mogućnost djelomične zamjene supstrata sirovom ovčjom vunom u uzgoju presadnica bosiljka. U pokusu postavljenom po metodi slučajnog bloknog rasporeda s četiri ponavljanja korišteni su različiti težinski udjeli sirove vune (0, 1, 5, 10, 15, 20 %), a presadnice su analizirane 5. i 10. tjedna nakon sjetve sjemena. Najbolji rezultati u svim promatranim morfološkim pokazateljima utvrđeni su u tretmanima s udjelima vune 15 i 20 %. Najslabije razvijene bile su presadnice bez dodatka vune, dok je udio suhe tvari bio podjednak u svim tretmanima. Zaključak je da se organski supstrat u uzgoju presadnica bosiljka može oplemeniti s 15 do 20 % težinskog udjela sirove ovčje vune.

Nutritivna vrijednost plodova muškatne tikve iz domaće proizvodnje nije dovoljno istražena. Iz tog razloga provedeno je istraživanje u 2015. godini s ciljem utvrđivanja učinka biostimulatora na količinu suhe tvari, sirovih proteina i makroelemenata u plodovima muškatne tikve. Primjena biostimulatora 'Actiwave' rezultirala je najvećom količinom fosfora, kalcija i sirovih proteina. Najveća količina suhe tvari utvrđena je kod sorte 'Argenta' tretirane biostimulatorom 'Bioplex' dok je najveća količina kalija ostvarena u plodovima sorte 'Futsu' bez primjene biostimulatora. Navedeno ukazuje da su testirani biostimulatori različito utjecali na promatrana svojstva.

Muškatna tikva (Cucurbita moschata Duch. ex Poir) je posljednjih godina sve popularnija povrtna kultura zbog izražene nutritivne vrijednosti. Na količinu minerala i bioaktivnih tvari muškatne tikve mogu utjecati mnogi abiotski i biotski čimbenici te je potrebno analizirati nutritivni sastav plodova sorti muškatne tikve dostupnih na hrvatskom tržištu. U suvremenoj poljoprivredi sve je češća upotreba biostimulatora, tvari prirodnog porijekla koje povećavaju prinos i kvalitetu uzgajane kulture te štite biljke od stresa bez negativnog utjecaja na okoliš. U svrhu istraživanja učinka biostimulatora ('Actiwave', 'Bioplex' i 'Megafol') na količinu minerala i β-karotena u plodovima različitih sorti muškatne tikve ('Argenta', 'Futsu' i 'Blue boy') proveden je poljski pokus na pokušalištu Agronomskog fakulteta u Zagrebu u ljetno-jesenskom roku uzgoja 2015. godine. Najveće količine sirovih proteina (26, 72 %), fosfora (1, 24 % P), kalija (4, 68 % K), željeza (89, 29 mg Fe/kg suhe tvari), cinka (52, 42 mg Zn/kg suhe tvari), mangana (14, 28 mg Mn/kg suhe tvari) i bakra (16, 60 mg Cu/kg suhe tvari) utvrđene su u plodovima sorte 'Futsu'. Tretiranje biljaka biostimulatorima negativno je utjecalo na akumulaciju suhe tvari i sintezu β-karotena u plodovima muškatne tikve jer su statistički najveće vrijednosti ovih svojstava (7, 77 % i 2725 μg β-karotena/100 g svježe tvari) utvrđene na kontrolnim parcelama. Kombinacija 'Futsu' × 'Bioplex' rezultirala je količinom fosfora, kalija, željeza, cinka, mangana, bakra i sirovih proteina u rangu najvećih vrijednosti. Prosječne količine fosfora i kalija u svježoj tvari plodova muškatne tikve iznosile su 54, 44 mg P/100 g i 245, 59 mg K/100 g, dok je prosječna količina mikroelemenata (željezo, cink, mangan i bakar) iznosila 0, 404 mg Fe/100 g, 0, 254 mg Zn/100 g, 0, 064 mg Mn/100 g i 0, 078 mg Cu/100 g.

Cilj rada je prikazati mogućnost uzgoja rajčice na balkonu za hobističke potrebe. Detaljnije će se opisati potrebni uvjeti za uzgoj kao što su orijentacija balkona, temperatura, dimenzije lonaca, supstrat, prihrana, potrebe za vodom i svjetlom. Također, bit će preporučene sorte za taj način uzgoja.