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Lime application combined with complementary sustainable management practices increases crop yields, but liming is only modestly applied in Serbia. This study investigated the influence of liming (1000 kg/ha) combined with the common application of mineral fertilizers on maize yield and the chemical properties of pseudogley soil. The experiment was conducted near Kraljevo, Western Serbia, on the maize hybrid ZP 606 sown in a two-year monoculture. The experiment had three treatments: fertilizer, fertilizer + lime, and a control treatment. The soil is acid, poor in humus, and contains an increased content of mobile aluminum. There was a significant increase in yield under the fertilizer and lime + fertilizer treatments, compared to the control. The yield of maize in the limed treatment was 4.4–9% higher than in the fertilizer treatment. The positive effects of liming on soil are related to an increase in pH, base saturation, and available phosphorus, and a decrease in available aluminum. In the fertilizer treatment, there was a small decrease in pH and base saturation, whereas the amount of aluminum remained high, indicating that the further application of fertilizers without lime can increase aluminum content and foster its toxicity. The long-term sustainability of maize production in Serbia should include liming as a regular management practice on pseudogley soil, with the utilization of smaller doses of lime because of the potential CO2 effects. To improve soil health, food, and environmental security, and to incorporate new crops, developing a framework promoting liming as a sustainable management practice is of high importance.

The future capacity of soils to support life on Earth is becoming questionable and in such a situation an important attention is given to soil science and land use–soil policy. This paper presents the historical overview, conducted activities and roles of the Yugoslav and Serbian Soil Science Society (SSSS) from its begining to recent days, as well as future plans. The material tackles the development of soil science in Serbia: foundation of the Soil Society, international cooperation, publication of the journal ''Soil and Plant'' and other publishing activities, structural organization of the Society, organization of congresses and symposia, and impact of the Society to overall well being by development of various programmes. It also highlights the coordination, consulting, and supporting role of the Society in preparation of the soil map of Yugoslavia. The role of SSSS today is aimed at the general scientific, cultural and educational development and benefit of the Republic of Serbia. The Society has its bodies, eight (nine) commissions, eleven subcommissions and four working groups. In the coming period, the Society will continue its organizational, publishing, educational, and cooperation activities, but also strive to include soils and soil science among national priorities. The permanent legacy of the Society is the inclusion of soil at the core of policies that support environmental protection and sustainable development in line with new challenges.

Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) is the most applied model for soil erosion assessment. It takes into consideration five soil erosion factors: rainfall erosivity, topographic factor, vegetation cover, applied conservation practices, and soil erodibility. Soil erodibilty factor (K-factor) is a measure of inheritant reistance of soils to erosion. In the formulation of USLE model, K-factor was determined experimentally. Experimental determinations are costly and time- consuming, so the authors have encouraged scientists to utilise USLE nomograph or derived equations. This paper aims to compare USLE nomograph and soil erodibility equation which was derived from nomograph by the same authors. A total number of 108 soil samples have been collected on agricultural land of Western Serbia. For the determination of K-values, particle size distribution and soil organic matter content were determined in the laboratory, whereas soil permeability and soil structure were assessed according to the nomograph. The results have been compared using basic statistics. The average K-values obtained by nomograph and derived equation are 0.034±0.010 and 0.029±0.012, which is 14.7% difference. Coefficient of determination (R2) amounts to 0.5802, which indicates deviation of 23.9%, although there is statistically significant correlation between two methods. Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) is 0.008, which is 23–27% difference. The RMSE is not low, whereas index of agreement amounts to 0.93, which represent good agreement, and also there is significant correlation. These results are ambiguous. We think that 15% of absolute error is a threshold value for good correlation, which occur on only 56% of samples. K-factor is an important part of various soil erosion models and it is of high importance to determine it in the best manner. Therefore, the obtained results indicate the gaps in the determination of K-factor and could contribute to further improvment of soil erodibilty determination and con

UVOD i CILjEVI: U okviru klasifikacije zemljišta u genetskim klasifikacionim sistemima se nekada javljaju dileme kome tipu zemljišta pripadaju neke zemljišne jedinice, jer ne postoje direktno utvrđeni kvantitativni pokazatelji koji razgraničavaju pojedine zemljišne jedinice ili pojedine pedogenetske procese, i utvrđuju hijerarhiju među njima za potrebe klasifikacije. U okviru šire studije, u podnožju krečnjačkog masiva planine Vukan, na potesu Veliko polje, otvoreno je 42 zemljišna profila. Karbonatna skeletna zemljišta na jedrim krečnjacima sa izraženim humusno-akumulativnim horizontom su identifikovana na oko 40% područja, odnosno na 15 otvorenih profila. MATERIJAL i METOD: Istraživanja su obuhvatala otvaranje profila zemljišta do 90 cm dubine, odnosno do dubine matične stene, detaljan opis zemljišta na terenu, kao i uzimanje uzoraka zemljišta u narušenom i nenarušenom stanju za laboratorisjke analize, kao i klasifikaciju zemljišta prema domaćem i međunarodnom sistemu (WRB) klasifikacije. REZULTATI i ZAKLjUČCI: Zemljišta su klasifikovana kao koluvijalni kalkomelanosoli. Koluvijalni kalkomelanosoli su identifikovani na nadmorskoj visini od svega 185–210 m, što je neuobičajeno za ovaj tip zemljišta. Iz istog razloga i njegove ostale fizičko-hemijske osobine odstupaju od do sada opisanih koluvijalnih kalkomelanosola. Teren pod kalkomelanosolima se koristi kao ekstenzivni pašnjak, dominantan nagib terena je 2–5%, a skeletnost površine iznosi 10–80% u zavisnosti od profila. Građa većine ispitivanih profila je A – R. Boja humusnoakumulativnog horizonta je veoma tamna braon i veoma tamna braon siva, nešto svetlija od tipičnih crnica. Koluvijalni kalkomelanosoli se odlikuju dubinom 40–70 cm, a sadržaj skeleta se povećava sa dubinom. Veličina skeleta je 2–200 mm, a oblik je nepravilan – uglast. Struktura zemljišta je umereno izražena, dominantna veličina zrnastih agregata je 1–5 mm. Veoma visok sadržaj kalcijum-karbonata u supstratu, 90–99% u 12 profila ukazuje na jedre kr

National soil classification system (NSCS) used in Serbia is based on the principles of genetic classification. It is utilizes the concept of genetic soil horizons. The world reference base (WRB) for soil resources is based on soil properties defined in terms of diagnostic horizons, diagnostic properties, and diagnostic materials, which to the greatest extent possible should be measurable and observable in the field. The difference between genetic vs. diagnostic horizons creates an obstacle in correlation of soil types from NSCS with reference soil groups (RSG's) of WRB for soil resources, whereas the advantage in this work is that most of the soil names of national system correlate to the revised legend of the Soil Map of the World which is an forerunner of WRB for soil resources. This work aims to compare Ranker soil type of NSCS with corresponding RSG from WRB for soil resources, namely with Leptosols, as they have been reported in Serbia and abroad, as an appropriate reference soil group. The comparison was conducted on the base of qualitative and semi–quantitative information collected from the literature and experience of the authors – theretical approach. It was conducted in two ways: a) Leptosols vs. Rankers, meaning which Leptosols of WRB for soil resources are Rankers in NSCS, and b) Rankers vs. Leptosols, meaning which Rankers of NSCS are Leptosols in WRB. The conclusion of our work is that Leptosols RSG can correspond to Rankers in NSCS, but some WRB Leptosols are also Lithosols, Technosols, soils of Subaquatic soil order, Eugleys, Humogleys, Peat Soils, Rendzinas, Kalkomelanosols, Eutric and Dystric Cambisols, whereas Gypsiric Leptosols can not be classified according to NSCS. Observing in different direction, the results show that Ranker Soils could be also part of some other RSG with Leptic principal qualifier, such as Andosols, Phaeozems, Umbrisols, Cambisols, and Regosols. This work represents a small contribution to soil science in Serbia as WRB is

Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) is the most applied model for soil erosion assessment. It takes into consideration five soil erosion factors among which soil erodibilty factor (K) is a measure of inheritant reistance of soils to erosion. In the formulation of USLE model, K–factor was determined experimentally, and then the authors created USLE nomograph to facilitate the work, and in the next step, created the equation for faster K–factor determination. This paper aims to compare K–factor obtained by USLE nomograph and USLE equation. A total number of 108 soil samples have been collected in Western Serbia. For the determination of K–values, particle size distribution and soil organic matter were analyzed in the laboratory, whereas soil permeability and soil structure were assessed according to the USLE document procedure. The results have been compared using basic statistics. The average K–values obtained by nomograph and equation differ for almost 15%. There is statistically significant correlation between the two methods, but coefficient of determination amounts to 0.5802, which indicates pretty high deviation. Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) amounts to 0.008, which is quite high, whereas index of agreement amounts to 0.93, representing good agreement. These results are ambiguous. We think that 15% of absolute error is a threshold value between single samples, which occur in only 56% of the cases. Therefore, the obtained results indicate the gaps in the determination of K–factor and could contribute to further improvment of soil erodibilty determination and consequently, soil erosion assessment.

Microbially mediated soil organic matter is an extremely sensitive pool that indicates subtle changes in the quality parameters. The calculation of different carbon pools (organic carbon—OC, labile carbon—PMC, light carbon—LFC and microbial carbon—MBC), their sequestration rate (Csr) and efficiency (Cse), as affected by 50 yrs. of mineral fertilization, was carried out. The C sequestration rates between the fertilized plots were not significantly different except for the control plot. The sensitivity index, which indicates the response of soil organic matter to changes in different carbon fractions, demonstrated a strong correlation with the amount of light-fraction organic matter (OM). The use of mineral N over 50 years resulted in increase of soil labile C, but did not result in greater C sequestration efficiency. The results give a deeper insight into the behavior of carbon pools and can serve as a reliable basis for further studies focused on neutral carbon emissions and effective C sequestration

Zemljišta obrazovana na krečnjacima zauzimaju veliku površinu u Srbiji, ali veoma malo podataka ima o njihovim osobinama. U ovom radu su prikazane fizičke i hemijske osobine posmeđenog kalkomelanosola i srednje dubokog kalkokambisola na planini Ozren. Na prevoju Vlasina odabran je lokalitet sa posmeđenim kalkomelanosolom pod prirodnom travnom vegetacijoma, a u blizini Ozrenskih livada odabran je lokalitet s kalkokambisolom pod prirodnom mešovitom šumom. Na navedenim lokalitetima iskopani su profili do matičnog supstrata iz kojih su po genetičkim horizontima uzeti uzorci u narušenom i nenarušenom stanju za laboratorijske analize. Određen je mehanički sastav, agregatni sastav i vodootpornost strukturnih agregata, gustina suvog zemljišta, ukupna poroznost, vazdušni kapacitet, vododrživa sposobnost, vodopropustljivost, pH vrednosti, sadržaj humusa, sadržaj fiziološki aktivnog fosfora (P2O5) i kalijuma (K2O), hidrolitička kiselost, kapacitet adsorpcije katjona (CEC), suma razmenljivih baznih katjona, te stepen zasićenosti razmenljivim baznim katjonima. Humusno akumulativni horizont, Amo, posmeđenog kalkomelanosola je praškasto glinaste teksture. Kambični (B)rz horizont oba zemljišta je glinovite teksture. Amo horizont kalkomelanosola odlukuje se mrvičastom strukturom (0,5–5 mm) veoma visoke vodootpornosti. Ukupna poroznost, vazdušni kapacitet i vodopropustljivost oba zemljišta je visoka. Njihova vododrživa sposobnost je visoka. Amo horizont kalkomelanosola se odlikuje visokim sadržajem humusa (>10%). Hemijska reakcija (pH u H2O) Amo horizonta je neutralna, dok je u (B)rz horizontima oba zemljišta umereno kisela. Oba zemljišta imaju visoke vrednosti CEC (>58 cmol kg–1) i veoma su zasićena baznim katjonima (>95%). Posmeđeni kalkomelanosol je srednje do visoko obezbeđen K2O, a kalkokambisol je srednje obezbeđen; dok su oba zemljišta veoma siromašna P2O5. Budući da ovo istraživanje pokazuje prilično povoljne fizičke i hemijske osobine istraženih zemljišta na ovom području zb

Scarce water resources severely limit maize (Zea mays L.) cultivation in the temperate regions of northern Serbia. A two-year field experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of irrigation and planting density on yield and water use efficiency in temperate climate under sprinkler irrigation. The experiment included five irrigation treatments (full irrigated treatment – FIT; 80% FIT, 60% FIT, 40% FIT, and rainfed) and three planting densities (PD1: 54,900 plants ha–1 ; PD2: 64,900 plants ha–1; PD3: 75,200 plants ha–1). There was increase in yield with the irrigation (1.05–80.00%) as compared to the rainfed crop. Results showed that decreasing irrigation rates resulted in a decrease in yield, crop water use efficiency (WUE), and irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE). Planting density had significant effects on yield, WUE, and IWUE which differed in both years. Increasing planting density gradually increased yield, WUE, and IWUE. For the pooled data, irrigation rate, planting density and their interaction was significant (P < 0.05). The highest two-year average yield, WUE, and IWUE were found for FIT-PD3 (14,612 kg ha–1), rainfed-PD2 (2.764 kg m–3), and 60% FITPD3 (2.356 kg m–3), respectively. The results revealed that irrigation is necessary for maize cultivation because rainfall is insufficient to meet the crop water needs. In addition, if water becomes a limiting factor, 80% FIT-PD3 with average yield loss of 15% would be the best agronomic practices for growing maize with a sprinkler irrigation system in a temperate climate of Serbia.

The eutrophication of groundwater through widespread diammonium phosphate (DAP) fertilization and excessive farm fertilizer is one of the major problems in European agriculture. Organomineral microgranular fertilizers that have a reduced phosphorus (P) content, alone or in combination with biostimulants, offer promising alternatives to DAP fertilization. We conducted a field experiment with maize (Zea mays) on a marshland soil site in order to compare the yield increase and the phosphorus balance of DAP and microgranular fertilizer variants. P content of the soil on the study site is 3.9 g P per 100 g soil. Treatments involved a combination of two fertilizers, namely DAP or a P-reduced microgranular slow-release organomineral fertilizer (Startec) and the biostimulants mycorrhiza, humic substances and soil bacteria, applied individually or along with two of the above biostimulants. Fertilizer variants were also tested individually without additional biostimulants. One in four plots was used as a control, treated only with biogas slurry, to identify site-specific spatial variability and to implement correction factors to process raw data using standardized methods. Startec performed as well as DAP in terms of both the yield and corn cob ratio, while the P excess was lower in plots treated with Startec (av. = 4.5 kg P2O5 ha-1) compared to DAP (av. = 43.7 kg P2O5 ha-1). The latter differences are of statistical significance. Individual biostimulants and a combination of multiple biostimulants rarely resulted in significantly higher yields, with the exception of some combinations with humic substances and mycorrhiza in individual years. The influence of the climatic conditions in each of the years was higher than the influence of the biostimulants. However, average increases in yield over three years would be economically beneficial for farmers in the case of the applied humic substances product and mycorrhiza. An adequate alternative to DAP was found in the form of a P, Eutrofikacija podzemnih voda usled široke rasprostranjenosti đubrenja diamonijum fosfatom (DAP) i prekomernih farmskih đubriva je jedan od najvećih problema u evropskoj poljoprivredi. Organomineralna mikrogranularna đubriva koja smanjuju sadržaj fosfora (P), samostalno ili u kombinaciji sa biostimulansima, nude obećavajuće alternative DAP đubrenju. Sproveden je poljski eksperiment sa kukuruzom (Zea mays) na močvarnom zemljištu kako bi se upredili povećanje prinosa i ravnoteža fosfora u varijantama sa DAP i mikroglanuralnim đubrivom. Sadržaj fosfora u zemljištu oglednog polja je 3.9 g P na 100 g zemljišta. Tretmani su uključivali kombinaciju dva đubriva, DAP ili P-redukovano mikrogranularno organomineralno đubrivo sa sporim oslobađanjem (Startec), i biosimulansa mikoriza, humične materije i zemljišne bakterije, primenjenih pojedinačno ili zajedno sa dve od gore navedenih biostmulanasa. Varijante sa đubrivom su takođe testirane pojedinačno bez dodavanja biostimulanasa. Jedna od četiri parcela je korišćena kao kontrola, i tertirana je samo sa muljem biogasa, za identifikuju prostorne varijabilnosti specifične za lokaciju i za implementaciju factora korekcije za obradu sirovih podataka korišćenjem standarizvanih metoda. Startec se pokazao dobar kao i DAP u pogledu prinosa i odnosa kukuruza i klipa, dok je višak P bio manji na parcelama tretiranim Startec-om (pros.= 4.5 kg P2O5 ha-1 ) u poređenju sa DAP (pros. = 43.7 kg P2O5 ha-1 ). Poslednje razlike su od statističkog značaja. Pojedinačni biostimulansi i kombinacija više biostimulanasa retko su davale značajno veće prinose, sa izuzetkom nekih kombinacija sa humičkim materijama i mikorizom u pojedinim godinama. Uticaji klimatskih uslova u savakoj od godina je bio veči od uticaja biostimulanasa. Međutim, prosečno povećanje prinosa tokom tri godina bilo bi ekonomski korisno za poljoprivrednike u slučaju primenjenog proizvoda od humičkih materija i mikorize. Pronađena je adekvatna alternativa za DAP u obliku mikroglanuralno

Climate change in Europe will lead to new precipitation patterns over the coming years and the annual temperature will increase significantly. These changes in climate variables and the resulting effects on agricultural productivity must be differentiated regionally. Plant production depends on sufficient rainfall in summer and, in some regions, on the amount of rainfall in winter. In Central Europe, the amount of precipitation in summer will decrease in the coming decades due to climate change, while in some regions, the amount of winter precipitation will increase significantly. Agricultural production is likely to suffer severely as a result of rising summer temperatures and low water retention capacities in the soil. The effects of reduced summer precipitation and increased air temperatures are partially offset by the expected increased CO2 concentration. Therefore, the effects that changed climatic conditions have on crop production are sometimes less drastic in terms of crop yields. The greatest impact of climate change on land use is expected from increasing evapotranspiration and lower amounts of precipitation in the production of leachate. In addition to the expected mean changes, the occurrence of extreme weather conditions is key. Periods of drought in the growing season and heavy flooding as a result of extreme rainfall are to be expected. However, these events are very difficult or even impossible to predict. In addition to the effects that climate change will have on regional crop production, global changes will have a strong impact on world markets for agricultural products. Another consequence of climate change and population growth is a higher demand for agricultural products on world markets. This will lead to dramatic local land use changes and an intensification of agriculture that will transform existing crop production systems. The intensification caused by rising land and lease prices will primarily affect the maximization of the use of fertil

Knowledge of hydro-physical properties is an essential prerequisite for assessing the suitability and quality of growing media. The method used for sample preparation is important for the measurement results. Three different sample preparation methods were compared. The methods differed in terms of the way the 250°cm3 steel cylinder was filled and the height of preloading. Measurements on loosely filled cylinders were included. The comparison was carried out on 15 growing media using the HYPROP device. HYPROP enables a complex analysis of the hydro-physical properties with high accuracy and reproducibility. The water retention curve, the unsaturated hydraulic conductivity function, the dry bulk density, the shrinkage and the rewetting properties can be measured simultaneously. The air capacity and the amount of plant-available water in pots depend on the height of the pot. In the field, it is related to the field capacity. The quality assessment was carried out both for flowerpots of different height and for field conditions with free drainage. Loosely filled samples consolidated hydraulically shortly after the start of the measurement. These geometric changes can be taken into account with the HYPROP. The sample preparation method – preloading or loose filling –yielded significantly different results for the pore volume, dry bulk density, plant available water and air capacity. The total pore volume of the loosely filled cylinders varied between 86.8 and 95.2°% by vol. (preloaded 81.3 and 87.7°% by vol.). The most critical factor was the air capacity. Loosely filled substrate samples achieved the highest air capacities, but also did not reach the critical value of 10°% by volume in shallow flowerpots, e.g. in 10 cm pots with 5.8°% by volume. The sample preparation method, measurement and quality assessment of the hydro-physical properties of growing media should be adapted to the conditions of use – whether they are used in a field with free drainage or in pots or

INTRODUCTION and OBJECTIVES: Remote sensing is the process of detecting and monitoring the physical characteristics of an area by measuring its reflected and emitted radiation at a distance, and in a narrower sense includes the analysis and interpretation of various images of parts of the Earth's surface. The application of satellite images with modern technology and software is possible in all phases of research of various natural phenomena, and their analysis are carried out by computer-aided and visual procedures. The aim of this research is to present the basic aspects of remote sensing and modern technologies in assessing the water supply of natural grasslands, as well as the presentation of possibility for faster data collection while reducing costs, and easier understanding of the whole research area. MATERIAL and METHOD: The trial was set on March 22nd of 2022 on a natural grassland in the village of Mitrovo polje on the mountain Goč (43° 30′ 22′ N latitude, 20° 52′ 26′ E longitude, 700 m a.s.l.) in the Aleksandrovac municipality. Disturbed and undisturbed soil samples were collected to determine soil texture, soil water retention characteristics and soil chemical properties. Continuous measurement of soil moisture was performed with TDR probes in three replicates and sensors for monitoring soil temperature were installed. The satellite images (SENTINEL 2) with a resolution 10 m, in a time interval of about a week, created in relatively clear weather (cloudiness <30%), starting from March 22 to May 21st were used, while soil moisture data were collected on a daily basis. Data on precipitation and air temperature for the observed period were taken from the Agrosens portal. The supply of natural grassland with water and assessment of soil moisture are determined by the index of normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), as the most applicable vegetation index. NDVI is defined as the ratio of differences between individual values of reflective wavelengths o

Over the last two decades, Serbian agriculture has suffered increased losses and damages due to the more frequent occurrence of the extreme weather events caused by the climate change. The most significant losses are recorded in years with droughts and high summer temperature (such as 2012 and 2017). Significant losses in orchards are caused by the frost in late winter or early spring, when the flowering occurs early, due to a prolonged period of unusually high temperatures. On the other hand, damages caused by low winter temperatures are decreasing. In order to assess the risk levels brought by the climate change and extreme weather events to the agricultural plant production in different regions of the country, analyzed are frequency of the occurrence of the weather events that may have significant negative effect to the yields of the most important crops (corn, maize, sunflower, soybeans) and fruits (plum, peach, raspberry, apple, wine grape), as well as pastures and meadows. Vulnerability is assessed through the analysis of agricultural production structure in the administrative districts of Serbia. Weather events with potentially negative effect to yields and most vulnerable phenophases are defined for each crop or fruit considered in the analysis. For each plant and each potentially dangerous weather event one or more bioclimatic indices were adopted and calculated for the past, present and future. For the present (2000-2019), daily data on temperature and precipitation were used from the eOBS gridded observations dataset. Results of 8 regional climate models from the EURO-CORDEX initiative were combined into an ensemble. The ensemble was constructed upon the evaluation of their ability to simulate past climate characteristics over the country. The chosen simulations are done under the RCP8.5 IPCC greenhouse gasses emission scenario, for the periods 1986-2005, 2021-2040, 2041-2060 and 2081-2100. Results showed that projected frequencies of the events such are

Natural grasslands and pastures occupy 5.96% of the country territory. According to European Space Agency, changes in land cover from 2000–2015 indicate decrease in total grassland area of 1765 km2 (30.03%), emphasizing dominant conversion of grasslands to forests. Ongoing depopulation trend, rural to urban migrations, and decrease in livestock population are some of main factors impacting grasslands. This trend favors further naturalization of pastures striving to increase the areas under natural grasslands. Such conversion will contribute to overall change in biodiversity richness, especially in areas with saline soils and high mountain regions with increased level of endemic species. Grasslands play important role in overall sustainability, but their importance it is not properly addressed. Environmental experts should recognize drivers of grasslands degradation and propose appropriate conservation and restoration measures. The priority should be avoidance of grassland degradation that requires good assessment of their current conditions and monitoring of plant, soil, climate conditions and land use activities. Further measures are deduced to sustainable land management practices and smooth human interventions, whereas the aftermost adopted measures should be related to restoration. Grasslands should have more emphasized role in our society and LDN principles should be applied for their preservation.

Soil structure pertains to the natural organization of soil particles into various forms as a result of pedogenic processes. On one hand, it is formed in interaction of physical, chemical, mineralogical, and biological factors, whereas on the other hand it affects them. Soil structure can differ in grade of development, size and type of aggregates, and their stability to mechanical pressure and water, which is often soil-horizon or soil-type dependent. This paper aims to analyze the structure of Calcomelanosols of mountain Rtanj, Serbia, as that is the most widespread soil type in this area. Calcomelanosols are soils from the national classification system that often correspond to Rendzic Leptosols in the World Reference Base (WRB) for soil resources. Soil structure is analyzed in terms of soil dry aggregate size distribution (ASD) and soil aggregate stability to water (WAS), and related soil structure indices, as they are essential parameters in understanding the structural state of the soil. Eight soil profiles have been excavated, described and sampled in the field. Soil horizon sequence of all profiles was A – R, with humus-accumulative horizon overlying calcareous bedrock. Six profiles of Calcomelanosols correspond to Rendzic Leptosols of WRB, whereas other two profiles correspond to Leptic Rendzic Phaeozems and Leptic Chernic Rendzic Phaeozems. Basic physical and chemical soil properties were determined. Both ASD and WAS were determined by Savinov's method. The following soil structure indices were calculated: dry mean weight diameter (dMWD), wet mean weight diameter (wMWD), dry geometric mean diameter (dGMD), wet geometric mean diameter (wGMD) and structural stability index (SI). The results indicate favorable structure of the examined Calcomelanosols. The content of agronomically most valuable aggregates (0.25–10 mm) in all soil profiles exceeds 80% (90.5±3.6% on average). Among these aggregates, very fine, fine and medium size aggregates dominate. Dry MWD s

Environmental problems related to the application of herbicides are causing a concern due to their increasing presence in soil, groundwater and surface water. Numerous methods have been developed in order to reduce herbicide mobility and protect natural water resources. The results presented in this paper show the interaction of herbicide S- metolachlor with inorganic and organically modified montmorillonite from Bogovina (Boljevac municipality, Serbia). Clay sample from Bogovina represents Ca-Na montmorillonite with a small amount of quartz, cristobalite and carbonate minerals. Organic montmorillonites were obtained after modification with different concentrations of organic complex (HDTMA and PTMA), whereas inorganic modification was performed with 1M NaCl solution. The interaction between minerals and herbicide was monitored using infrared spectroscopy. IR bands observed in the inorganic modified montmorillonite (Na-montmorillonite) are typical for smectites with a high Al content in the octahedron position. The intercalation of HDTMA+ cations into the interlayer space produces redshift of the IR bands that originate from the vibrations of the adsorbed water, as a consequence of the hydrogen bond strength reduction in HDTMA-montmorillonite. Also, the intensity of these bands decreases significantly with the increasing concentration of HDTMA+ cation. All these changes are related to the decreasing of the water content in the interlayer space by increasing the content of HDTMA. The occurrence of the stretching CH2 vibrations is generally the main difference in the spectrum of HDTMA modified montmorillonite in comparison with the spectrum of inorganically modified montmorillonite. The wavenumber, intensity and width of these bands are sensitive to conformation in hydrocarbon chains. After the organic modification of the montmorillonite with the PTMA complex, stretching vibrations of the phenyl ring occurred. Analysis of FTIR spectroscopy data showed that the hydroge

The global estimates of soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks using modeling approaches are prone to under and overestimations. The aim of this work is to present the variation of SOC stocks at the foot and toe slopes of Mt. Vukan, East-Central Serbia. Investigated area is located at the contact of Jurassic limestones and dolomites, and fluviatile-colluvial deposits. Soil survey encountered 42 soil profiles and collection of 183 soil disturbed samples, and five undisturbed samples per each horizon. Humus content was determined by Tjurin method. Five different soil mapping units, according to national classification, were discovered at 168 ha of Great Field: Colluvial Kalkomelanosols, Calcaric Chernozems, non-carbonate Chernozems, Eutric Cambisols, and Colluvial Soils. SOC stocks extracted from Soilgrids ranges between 65–72 t ha-1 for 0–30 cm depth (avg. 67.0 t ha-1). Measured data indicate much higher variations, between 50.2 and 110.6 t ha-1, with an average value of 77.8±16.3 t ha-1. Hence, around 15% difference was found between measured and estimated data. Eutric Cambisols have the lowest SOC stocks, 61.3±9.9 t ha-1, lower then estimated value. All other soil types have higher SOC stocks compared with modeled data. Non carbonate Chernozems have an average SOC stocks of 72.6±10.8 t ha-1, whereas Colluvial soil have similar values, 73.6±8.2 t ha-1. The highest SOC stocks was found in Colluvial Kalkomelanosols, 89.6±15.8 t ha-1, followed by Carbonate Chernozems, 84.3±9.3 t ha-1. These values are for 25–33% higher compared with modeled data. Variation of SOC stocks data has normal distribution for all soil types (11.0–18.0%). Our results indicate that global SOC stocks are underestimated in the area of Great Field and that SOC stock can face large variations on small area. These variations might be related to the impact of landscape and land use practices, and are relevant to soil mapping units. Another raising question raised from this study is related to the number of

The adsorption behaviour of the herbicide clomazone on inorganic and organically modified montmorillonite from the Bogovina deposit in Serbia was investigated. Montmorillonite was modified first with NaCl and then with organic complexes such as hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (HDTMA) and phenyltrimethylammonium chloride (PTMA). Changes in the surface properties and morphology of the montmorillonite before and after the modification with various concentrations of organic complexes were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Adsorption of clomazone on all examined samples was investigated using the batch adsorption method. Montmorillonite modified with HDTMA-bromide displayed greater uptake of the clomazone compared to the PTMA-montmorillonite, and both organically modified montmorillonites displayed greater uptake of the herbicide compared to the inorganic montmorillonite. Comparing the Freundlich coefficient and maximum adsorbed clomazone quantity values obtained by Langmuir model, the levels of adsorption of clomazone decreased in the following order: HDTMA-montmorillonite with 1.00 cation-exchange capacity (CEC) saturation > HDTMA-montmorillonite with 0.75 CEC saturation > PTMA-montmorillonite with 1.00 CEC saturation > PTMA-montmorillonite with 0.75 CEC saturation > HDTMA-montmorillonite with 0.50 CEC saturation > HDTMA-montmorillonite with 0.25 CEC saturation > PTMA-montmorillonite with 0.50 CEC saturation > PTMA-montmorillonite with 0.25 CEC saturation > Na-montmorillonite > raw sample. The type and content of an organic cation plays an important role in the behaviour of clomazone in a solid/liquid system. It is concluded that organically modified montmorillonite from Bogovina might be used as an effective adsorbent for clomazone.

Fruit and vine production in the territory of the Kolubara District encompasses 15,685 ha, which accounts for around 15.3% of the total plant production. When it comes to fruit plantations, plums are the most represented (70%), while peaches and strawberries account for only 0.3%. The aim of this research was to determine the seasonal water requirements of fruit trees in climate change condition, to find out wheter will be changes in irrigation requirement. In addition, the paper includes the analysis of water requirements for the future periods in order to enable producers to adapt their agronomy practices and growing systems to the forthcoming conditions. FAO methodology (FAO Irrigation and Drainage Paper No. 56), was used to estimate the evapotranspiration, effective precipitation, crop evapotranspiration and water deficit, for 8 groups of fruit plantations: (I) apples, pears, plums, quinces, walnuts and hazels – the orchard without grass cover; (II) apples, pears, plums, quinces, walnuts and hazels – grassy orchard; (III) apricots and peaches – the orchard without grass cover; (IV) apricots and peaches – grassy orchard; (V) sweet cherries and sour cherries - the orchard without grass cover; (VI) sweet cherries and sour cherries - grassy orchard; (VII) strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries and (VIII) grapevine. The fruit plantations were categorised into the above-mentioned eight groups according to the length of the vegetation period and the crop coefficient values. The observed period from 2000–2019 and two future periods (2021–2040 and 2041–2060) were analysed. The climate data for the reference 2000–2019 period were obtained from the meteorological station in Valjevo. Data for the future climate were obtained using 8 climate models for the RCP 8.5 climate scenario. The paper provides the results obtained as the median of the calculations for eight climate models. The evapotranspiration value varies from 438.6, 429.0 and 440.5 mm for fruit tr

The adsorption behaviour of the herbicide clomazone on inorganic and organically modified montmorillonite from the Bogovina deposit in Serbia was investigated. Montmorillonite was modified first with NaCl and then with organic complexes such as hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (HDTMA) and phenyltrimethylammonium chloride (PTMA). Changes in the surface properties and morphology of the montmorillonite before and after the modification with various concentrations of organic complexes were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Adsorption of clomazone on all examined samples was investigated using the batch adsorption method. Montmorillonite modified with HDTMA-bromide displayed greater uptake of the clomazone compared to the PTMA-montmorillonite, and both organically modified montmorillonites displayed greater uptake of the herbicide compared to the inorganic montmorillonite. Comparing the Freundlich coefficient and maximum adsorbed clomazone quantity values obtained by Langmuir model, the levels of adsorption of clomazone decreased in the following order: HDTMA-montmorillonite with 1.00 cation-exchange capacity (CEC) saturation gt HDTMA-montmorillonite with 0.75 CEC saturation gt PTMA-montmorillonite with 1.00 CEC saturation gt PTMA-montmorillonite with 0.75 CEC saturation gt HDTMA-montmorillonite with 0.50 CEC saturation gt HDTMA-montmorillonite with 0.25 CEC saturation gt PTMA-montmorillonite with 0.50 CEC saturation gt PTMA-montmorillonite with 0.25 CEC saturation gt Na-montmorillonite gt raw sample. The type and content of an organic cation plays an important role in the behaviour of clomazone in a solid/liquid system. It is concluded that organically modified montmorillonite from Bogovina might be used as an effective adsorbent for clomazone.

Surface mining activities, despite their benefits, lead to the deterioration of local and regional environmental quality and play a role in global ecosystem pollution. This research aimed to estimate the culturable microbial population structure at five locations near the opencast coal mine “Kakanj” (Bosnia and Herzegovina) via agar plate and phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA) method and to establish its relationship to the physical and chemical properties of soil. Using the ICP-OES method, the heavy metal pollution of all examined locations (overburden, former grass yard, forest, arable soil, and greenhouse) was observed. Substantial variations among the sites regarding the most expressed indicators of heavy metal pollution were noted; Cr, Pb, Ni, and Cu content ranged from 63.17 to 524.47, 20.57 to 349.47, 139.13 to 2785.67, and 25.97 to 458.73 mg/kg, respectively. In the overburden sample, considerable low microbial activity was detected; the bacterial count was approximately 6- to 18-fold lower in comparison with the other samples. PLFA analysis showed the reduction of microbial diversity, reflected through the prevalence of normal and branched saturated fatty acids, their ratio (ranged from 0.92 to 7.13), and the absence of fungal marker 18:2ω6 fatty acid. The principal component analysis showed a strong negative impact of heavy metals Na and B on main microbial and PLFA profiles. In contrast, stock of main chemical parameters, including Ca, K, Fe, and pH, was positively correlated with the microbial community structure.

Physical properties play an important role in determining suitability of soil for agricultural, amelioration, ecological and technical purposes. They are influence on movement, storage and availability of water and nutrients for plants, ease of plant root penetration and movement of heat and air. Furthermore, they are also effect chemical and biological properties of soil. Although Fluvisols (alluvial-meadow soils) are one of the most widespread soils in Serbia, little research has been done on them. The aim of this study was therefore to evaluate the most important physical properties of long-term irrigated Fluvisols that were formed on the carbonate deposit of the White Drim River in Kosovo and Metohija (Serbia). Eight profiles, i.e. 23 undisturbed soil samples and 69 disturbed soil samples were examined. The depth of the upper part of the soil profile, which lies above the layer of sand, stones and gravel, in which the roots of the plants develop, is very uneven from profile to profile, i.e. it varies from small (approx. 30 cm) to very large (>200 cm). The investigated Fluvisols are heavy textured (>50% clay content). The results show a high variability of the physical properties in the surface layer of these soils. Most of the investigated physical properties of the eight open Fluvisol profiles, in addition to the heavy texture, are quite favorable and fairly uniform in the plow layer, while they are much less favorable, though not particularly unfavorable, under the plow layer in deeper profiles., Fizička svojstva igraju važnu ulogu u određivanju pogodnosti zemljišta za poljoprivredne, melioracione, ekološke i tehničke namene. Od njih zavisi kretanje, zadržavanje i dostupnost vode i hranljivih materija biljkama, lakoća prodiranja korena biljaka, te kretanje toplote i vazduha. Takođe, ona utiču na hemijska i biološka svojstva zemljišta. Iako su fluvisoli (aluvijalno-livadska zemljišta) jedno od najrasprostranjenijih zemljišta u Srbiji, oni su još uvek nedovoljno istraženi. Stoga je cilj ovog istraživanja bio proceniti glavna fizička svojstva stolećima navodnjavanih fluvisola formiranih na karbonatnom nanosu reke Beli Drim na Kosovu i Metohiji (Srbija). Proučavano je osam profila, tj. 23 uzorka zemljišta u poremećenom stanju i 69 uzoraka u neporemećenom stanju. Dubina gornjeg dela zemljišnog profila, koji leži iznad sloja peska, kamenja i šljunka, u kom se razvija koren biljaka, je veoma neujednačena idući od profila do profila, odnosno varira od male (oko 30 cm) pa do veoma velike (>200 cm). Istraženi fluvisoli pripadaju teškim glinušama (>50% frakcije gline). Rezultati ukazuju na visoku varijabilnost fizičkih svojstava u površinskom sloju zemljišta. Većina istraženih fizičkih svojstva osam otvorenih profila fluvisolova, i pored prilično teškog mehaničkog sastava, dosta su povoljne i uz to prilično ujednačene u orničnom horizontu, dok su znatno manje povoljne, mada ne izrazito nepovoljne, u podorničnom horizontu dubljih profila.

This study describes and classifies the soils of the foot and toe slopes of the Vukan Mountain, Central Serbia, the contact point of two distinct geomorphological units, with a focus on their spatial distribution and their main soil-forming processes. The Vukan Mountain is formed of Jurassic limestones and dolomites, whereas the foot and toe slopes are of fluviatile-colluvial origin. A total of 42 soil profiles were examined. Soil profile locations were determined with respect to elevation differences, accounting for a set of six profiles for every 5-m elevation increase between 175 and 210 m a.s.l. The area is characterized by the dominance of chernic and mollic topsoil horizons and the major part of the area is covered with Phaeozems. Five Reference Soil Groups were found in a very small area. Eleven soil profiles are Chemic Phaeozems, five are Cambic Phaeozems, and twelve are Rendzic Phaeozems. The central part of the study area is characterized by the accumulation of secondary carbonates and Chernozems were identified. The northern part of the study area is covered with Fluvisols, Calcisols, and Leptic Rendzic Phaeozems, whereas Chernic and Cambic Phaeozems and Eutric Cambisols cover the western part of the study area. The differences in the CaCO3 content in the gravels, the differences in the gravel content, and the different lateral and vertical distribution of CaCO3 are strong evidence of surface processes that occurred in the past. The presence of different geological layers and buried horizons suggests fluviatile processes. The spatial distribution of soils is related mainly to parent material occurrence, and colluvial and alluvial processes that occurred in the past. The soil map created in GIS has Reference Soil Group as central unit following Rule 1 for map legend creation, except in the case of Phaeozems, which are present as Phaeozems (Leptic) and Phaeozems (other) following Rule 5. This soil survey with approximately one soil profile per 4 ha has indi

The effects of long-term (>20 yr) grazing on the selected physical properties of a non carbonated silty-clay Fluvisols were studied in the region of the Kolubara Valley, Northwest Serbia. Two adjacent land-use types (native deciduous forest and natural pasture soils converted from forests for more than 20 years) were chosen for the study. Disturbed and undisturbed soil samples were collected from three sites at each of the two different land-use types from the depths of 0–15, 15–30 and 30–45 cm. In relation to the soil under native forest, soil organic matter content, total porosity and air-filled porosity were significantly reduced after long-term of grazing. The bulk density (0.99–1.48 g cm–3) and the saturated hydraulic conductivity (6.9.10–2–3.2.10–4 cm s–1) were significantly lower in forest compared to the adjacent pasture (ex-forest) soil (1.49–1.55 g cm–3 and 3.4.10–4–5.5.10–4 cm s–1, respectively). In addition, forest had significantly lower dry mean weight diameter (7.0–9.2 mm) and greater wet mean weight diameter (2.0–2.6 mm) for 0–45 cm depth compared with the pasture (8.8–9.4 mm and 1.8–2.3 mm, respectively). The decrease of soil organic matter content and reduction in aggregate stability under long-term grazing rendered the soil more susceptible to compaction. In conclusion, the results of this study indicate that removal of permanent vegetation in the conversion process from forest areas to pasture land may lead to loss of soil productivity and serious soil degradation. Obviously, there is a need for greater attention to developing sustainable land use practices in management of these ecosystems to prevent further degradation of pasture soils in the region.

Activity concentration of natural radionuclides and Cs-137 were studied in leaves of the deciduous trees. In the spring and autumn season, leaves were collected in the area of normal BACKGROUND: radiation levels represented by city parks in a multi-year period (2002-2012). Measurements by means of gamma-ray spectrometry showed Ra-226 and (210)pb seasonal accumulation in leaves, while U-238 and U-235 could be detected only in autumn. Difference between seasons was not found significant for K-40 and Cs-137. The study of radionuclides transfer factors was conducted by analyzing its relationships with basic soil properties at the beginning and the end of the vegetation period.

This work presents the results of soil investigations at Great field. In this work are presented the results of soil investigationa Great Field presents foot and toe slopes of Mt. Vukan. The area of Great field is a contact zone between two geomorphologic units where colluvial material from mountain and old alluvial deposits meet. Soils of Great Field were mapped in late fifties but without detailed surveying. This study aims to analyze soils in the area of Great Field, to classify them by means of domestic and international system and to create soil geodatabase and soil map of the study area. Taking into consideration landscape as dominant pedogenic factor within the area, soils are investigated through the regular network of 42 soil profiles. Soil ecto- and endomorphological, physical, hydraulic, chemical and mineralogical characteristics were investigated. Soil physical and soil hydraulic properties analysed include particle size distribution, soil structure, bulk and particle density, maxiumum and field capacity, wilting point and hydraulic conductivity. Chemical properties analyzed include determination of soil organic matter content, CaCO3 content, total nitrogen, available phosphorus and potassium, soil reaction, cation exchange capacity and base saturation. The results of our work have demonstrated that the soil cover in the Great Field is heterogeneous and following taxonomic units are identified: Colluo-alluvial soil, Colluvic Kalkomelanosol, Calcaric Chernozem, Leached Chernozem and Eutric Cambisol. Six referent soils groups according to WRB were identified. Statistical analysis indicates significant differences between the soils at the highest and lowest elevations. Soil geodatabase created in geographic information system has been approved as a remarkable tool for spatial analysis of soil properties through the creation of thematic maps and soil map of the study area..., U ovom radu prikazani su rezultati istraživanja zemljišta Velikog polja. Veliko Polje predstavlja podnožje planine Vukan. Na potesu Velikog Polja se dešava izrazita promena u geomorfološkim osobinama terena jer dolazi do kontakta koluvijalnog materijala sa višeg terena i starih aluvijalnih nanosa reke Mlave. Zemljišta Velikog polja su kartirana krajem pedesetih godina prošlog veka, ali nisu detaljno istraživana. Cilj ovoga rada je da se ispita zemljišni pokrivač Velikog polja, te da se zemljište klasifikuju u okviru domaćeg i WRB klasifikacionog sistema, kao i da se izradi baza podataka o zemljišnim svojstvima sa pedološkom kartom područja. Uzimajući u obzir uticaj reljefa kao dominantnog pedogenetskog faktora, ceo prostor je ispitan kroz pravilnu mrežu od 42 profila. Na svim profilima su ispitivani elementi spoljašnje i unutrašnje morfologije, te osnovna fizička, vodno-fizička, hemijska i mineraloška svojstva zemljišta. Od fizičkih i vodno-fizičkih karakteristika su ispitani mehanički sastav, struktura zemljišta, zapreminska i specifična masa, maksimalni i poljski vodni kapacitet, vlažnost venuća i hidraulička provodljivost. Od hemijskih svojstava je ispitan sadržaj humusa, CaCO3, ukupnog azota i pristupačnih oblika fosfora i kalijuma, te aktivna, razmenljiva i hidrolitička kiselost, kapacitet za adsoprpciju katjona, i stepen zasićenosti bazama. Rezultati istraživanja su pokazali da je zemljišni pokrivač Velikog polja heterogen i izdvojene su sledeće sistematske kategorije zemljišta: karbonatni černozemi, izluženi černozemi, koluvijalno-aluvijalno zemljište, koluvijalni kalkomelanosoli i eutrični kambisoli. Identifikovano je i šest referentnih grupa zemljišta prema WRB sistemu klasifikacije. Statistička analiza ukazuje na značajne razlike između zemljišta najvišeg i najnižeg terena...

This study of environmental radioactivity was carried out in the soils of an urban area. Naturally occurring gamma-emitting radionuclides and man-made Cs-137 were found in the soil profiles collected from four parks in the central Belgrade city area and the soil layer was examined every 10 cm and to a depth of 50 cm. Radioisotope activity concentrations (Bq kg(-1)) in the samples of urban soil using the gamma-ray spectrometry method were in the range of 14-46 for U-238, 33-50 for Ra-226, 29-63 for Pb-210, 1.2-3.4 for U-235, 28-50 for Th-232, 424-576 for K-40 and 0.7-35.8 for Cs-137. Some of the basic physicochemical soil properties (pH, organic matter content, calcium-carbonate content, particle size distribution) were determined to investigate the impact on the vertical distribution of radionuclides. The results of this investigation showed that variations of activity concentration ratios of radionuclides that belong to the same (U-238/Ra-226) or different radioactive series (Th-232/Ra-226; U-235/U-238), including Pb-210/Cs-137 ratios could well be explained by the properties of the soil. Alkaline pH reaction, the accumulation of organic matter in the uppermost and of carbonates in the deepest layers of urban soil had an effect on U-238/Ra-226, and Pb-210/Cs-137 activity concentration ratio values, while Th-232/Ra-226 and partially U-235/U-238 ratios were associated with the particle sizes vertical distribution. A study of radionuclides in the samples of leaves of two deciduous tree species common for these parks was also conducted and Pb-210 and K-40 were found concentrated in leaves rather than other investigated radionuclides.

In temperate climatic regions, agricultural production depends on precipitation amount and its distribution during the growing season. A 3-year field study was conducted to investigate the effects of different irrigation regimes on yield parameters and water productivity of sprinkler-irrigated soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.], grown under wet, semi-dry and dry conditions in a temperate environment. Four irrigation levels were applied: full irrigation (I-100), 65% and 40% of full irrigation (I-65 and I-40) and non-irrigated control (I-0). On average, the I-0 treatment resulted in the highest harvest index (HI) and I-100 produced the lowest HI. A significant quadratic correlation between seed yield and crop water use was observed in dry and semi-dry year. The irrigation regime significantly influenced seed yield and water use. 165 treatment produced the highest seed yield (3.69 t ha(-1)) and showed the highest water productivity (WP) (0.90 kg m(-3)) and irrigation WP (1.08 kg m(-3)). The present study indicated that irrigation is necessary for soybean cultivation in semi-dry and dry years i.e., when seasonal precipitation is lower than about 300 mm. In wet years, with a favourable amount and distribution of precipitation during the growing season, yields are similar to those achieved with irrigation and high ET values of soybean are attributable to increased evaporation.

This study of environmental radioactivity was carried out in the soils of an urban area. Naturally occurring gamma-emitting radionuclides and man-made137Cs were found in the soil profiles collected from four parks in the central Belgrade city area and the soil layer was examined every 10 cm and to a depth of 50 cm. Radioisotope activity concentrations (Bq kg−1) in the samples of urban soil using the gamma-ray spectrometry method were in the range of 14–46 for238U, 33–50 for226Ra, 29–63 for210Pb, 1.2–3.4 for235U, 28–50 for232Th, 424–576 for40K and 0.7–35.8 for137Cs. Some of the basic physicochemical soil properties (pH, organic matter content, calcium-carbonate content, particle size distribution) were determined to investigate the impact on the vertical distribution of radionuclides. The results of this investigation showed that variations of activity concentration ratios of radionuclides that belong to the same (238U/226Ra) or different radioactive series (232Th/226Ra;235U/238U), including210Pb/137Cs ratios could well be explained by the properties of the soil. Alkaline pH reaction, the accumulation of organic matter in the uppermost and of carbonates in the deepest layers of urban soil had an effect on238U/226Ra, and210Pb/137Cs activity concentration ratio values, while232Th/226Ra and partially235U/238U ratios were associated with the particle sizes vertical distribution. A study of radionuclides in the samples of leaves of two deciduous tree species common for these parks was also conducted and210Pb and40K were found concentrated in leaves rather than other investigated radionuclides.

Land degradation neutrality (LDN) is an integral part of the 2030 UN Agenda for Sustainable Development. Montenegro actively works on LDN target setting process. This paper aims to present: (a) the basic principles of LDN concept, (b) global datasets provided by UNCCD, (c) SWOT analysis for the country, and (d) to discuss possible national datasets and further activities related to LDN. LDN Target indicator is measured by means of three sub-indicators: land cover, land productivity and soil organic carbon (SOC), and it could be broaden with national indicators. Country has been provided by UNCCCD with global dataset on three sub-indicators, as well as with watershed boundaries, but is encouraged to utilize their own datasets. ESA land cover data indicate the conversion of 2460 ha of forests into to croplands or shrubs. Land productivity dynamics data indicated that 74300 ha of territory have sort of negative trends in land productivity. SOC at the country level indicates average content of 125.1 t/ha. Ten potential hotspots in the country had reduction of land productivity dynamics caused by wildfires, whereas five hotspots had multiple drivers of land degradation among which fires, agricultural abandonment and urbanization are the most important. Although there is a certain inaccuracy in global datasets, the country decision is to utilize them in defining LDN baseline. The national working group defined four specific voluntary targets: (1) Avoiding, minimizing land degradation, and redirecting land use changes, (2) Increase of land productivity - reduction of soil degradation, (3), Protection of natural ecosystems from wildfires, and (4) Improvement of soil monitoring system. Accordingly, 25 associated measures are defined to achieve LDN up to 2030. They are related to enhancement of LDN baseline in Montenegro, environmental legislations, direct measures to prevent, minimize land degradation and restore degraded land, sustainable agriculture and forestry, land use

Growing interest in Serbia in adaptation of viticulture to climate change emerged from a recorded positive impact of summer increased draught on domestic wine quality. Another motivation is that viticulture has been recognized as one of the fastest developing agricultural sectors in Serbia and, to contain its growing potential, it is crucial to provide basis for its future sustainable development. Prioritization and implementation of adaptation measures in practice require reliable assessment of climate projections. For climate change impact assessment is used high resolution multi-model ensemble of nine regional climate models simulations, bias corrected, with two most probable future scenarios of GHG emissions RCP4.5 and RCP8.5, for the period 2016-2100. Analysis has been done for the near future, mid-century and end of the century periods. The periods are defined according to the IPCC 5th Assessment Report, which enables comparison of climate change impacts with a wider region, and preferably motivate future international collaboration and knowledge exchange.

The impact of climate change on potato cultivation in Montenegro was assessed. Three scenarios (A1B, A1Bs and A2) for 2001-2030, 2071-2100 and 2071-2100, respectively, were generated by a regional climate model and compared with the baseline period 1961-1990. The results indicated an increase of temperature during the summer season from 1.3 to 4.8 degrees C in the mountain region and from 1 to 3.4 degrees C in the coastal zone. The precipitation decreased between 5 and 50% depending on the scenario, region and season. The changes in temperature and precipitation influenced phenology, yield and water needs. The impact was more pronounced in the coastal areas than in the mountain regions. The growing season was shortened 13.6, 22.9 and 29.7 days for A1B, A1Bs and A2, respectively. The increase of irrigation requirement was 4.0, 19.5 and 7.3 mm for A1B, A1Bs and A2, respectively. For the baseline conditions, yield reduction under rainfed cultivation was lower than 30%. For A1B, A1Bs and A2 scenarios, yield reductions were 31.0 +/- 8.2, 36.3 +/- 11.6 and 34.1 +/- 10.9%, respectively. Possible adaptation measures include shifting of production to the mountain (colder) areas and irrigation application. Rainfed cultivation remains a viable solution when the anticipation of sowing is adopted.