Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) is an annual plant that belongs to the Lamiaceae family. It is used as an aromatic and medicinal plant. Basil is grown in different regions with varying climates; the productivity and quality are influenced by both abiotic and biotic factors. This study was aimed to determine the impact of the application of different types of fertilizers on the yield and contents of some bioactive components in basil. The treatments consisted of three different types of fertilizers (mineral, organomineral, and organic) and control (without fertilization). The yield per plant and the essential oil content with fertilizer treatment were better than that in control. The highest fresh yield (450.9 g per plant) and oil content (0.94 mL 100 g-1) were recorded in basil cultivated using mineral fertilizers. Furthermore, the fresh yield (333.9 and 327.8 g per plant) and oil content (0.87 and 0.85 mL 100 g-1) were higher after the application of organic and organomineral fertilizers compared to that in the control treatment. There was no significant effect of fertilizer application on the total phenolics, total flavonoids, and antioxidant capacity. This study demonstrated a suitable practical application of organomineral fertilizers as a nutrient source in basil crop production in areas where the use of mineral and organic fertilizers is limited.

This study evaluated the phytoremediation potential of eight native plant species on heavy metal polluted soils along the Spreča river valley (the northeast region of Bosnia and Herzegovina). Plants selected for screening were: ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), common nettle (Urtica dioica L.), mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris L.), wild mint (Mentha arvensis L.), white clover (Trifolium repens L.), alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), dwarf nettle (Urtica urens L.) and yarrow (Achillea millefolium L.). All aboveground parts of selected native plants and their associated soil samples were collected and analysed for total concentration of Ni, Cr, Cd, Pb, Zn and Cu. The bioaccumulation factor for each element was also calculated. The levels of Cr (90.9–171.1 mg/kg) and Ni (80.1–390.5 mg/kg) in the studied soil plots were generally higher than limits prescribed by European standards, indicating that the soils in the Spreča river valley are polluted by Cr and Ni. Among the eight screened plant species, no hyperaccumulators for toxic heavy metals Ni, Cr, Cd and Pb were identified. However, the concentrations of toxic heavy metals in the above-ground parts of Artemisia vulgaris L. and Trifolium repens L. were significantly higher than in the other studied plants, indicating that both plant species are useful for heavy metal removal.

This study investigates levels of soil pollution and estimates the phytoremediation potential of 7 native plants growing close to the Zenica steel mill. Plant leaves or roots and associated soil samples were collected from this site and characterized in terms of the concentrations of the heavy metals Cr, Cd, Pb, Zn, Cu and Ni. Heavy metal concentrations in soil and plant samples were determined using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Bioaccumulation factors for heavy metals were also calculated. All plants studied had a low ability to remove or stabilize heavy metals in soil. This was probably associated with the poor mobility and thus poor availability of heavy metals to the plants growing in the vicinity of this steel mill.

Naturally occurring heavy metals are commonly adsorbed onto substances with a large active surface, such as clays and iron oxyhydroxides. Different heavy metals could show different adsorbing preference to clays or iron oxyhydroxides, whereas a deep clay pit sediment sample with frequent subsampling gives the results that are more reliable. This study aimed to reveal differences in behavior of heavy metals and their relationships to total and amorphous iron in the deep clay pit core sample. In this research, 110 samples of the 33.0 m deep clay pit core sample were studied. Nine heavy metals from the clay open pit mine were investigated: total Fe (Fe t ) and amorphous (e.g., limonite) or poorly crystalline (e.g., ferrihydrite) (Fe am ), Mn, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, V, and Zn. Total amounts of metals (M t ) were extracted by means of concentrated HNO 3 and HF. Amorphous amounts of iron (Fe am ) were extracted using the ammonium oxalate method. Concentrations of heavy metals were measured with an ICP-OES instrument. For statistical evaluation purposes, the following descriptive statistics tools were used: maximum, minimum, average, and median value. Behavior of heavy metals was investigated through standard deviation (SD), coefficient of variance (CV), skewness (SK), Z score (Z), PCA analysis, correlations, and correlations after Al normalization. The results of the SD and CV indicate that the clay pit sample is very heterogeneous. Heavy metals are mostly highly correlated with total and amorphous Fe. High correlation was found between the pH-related parameters, Fe t −Fe am , Fe−Mn, Fe−Ni, Fe−Co, Co−Ni, Co−Mn, and Pb−Cr (negative). Multivariate statistical analysis distinguished three subgroups: (1) Fe t , Fe am , Ni, Co, and Mn; (2) Pb, Zn, and Cr; and (3) Cu and V, suggesting a possible common source and similar behavior. Although clays are much more present in the samples, heavy metals are mostly connected to iron oxyhydroxides.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the dynamics of Mn in 'soil -raspberry' system on the area around the manganese ore deposits Radostovo in Bužim municipality. Atomic absorption spectroscopy was used to determine the concentration of Mn in soil and plant samples. Fe, Zn and Cu concentration in soil and raspberry plants was also subject of analysis, since these elements have antagonistic relationship with Mn in soils. The concentration of available Mn in soils was low, although the total Mn in the same soils exceeded the Mn toxic values noted in the scientific literature. The chemical and physical properties of the examined soils characterized by a relatively high pH value and good ability to store root-zone air certainly contributed to the decreasing release of available Mn 2+ from manganese oxides in soils as well as Mn 2+ oxidation to insoluble Mn 3+ or Mn 4+ ions, resulting in low uptake of Mn by plant roots. The results of study also showed that the absorbed Mn mostly accumulates in leaves and roots of raspberry, and much less in the stem and fruits. That rule in Mn distribution within raspberry plant is in fact identical to all food crops. Kopičenje in dinamika mangana v malinjakuIzvleček: Namen raziskave je bil ovrednotiti dinamiko Mn v sistemu tla-malinjak na območju z manganovo rudo Radostovo, v občini Bužim. Za določanje koncentracije Mn v vzorcih tal in rastlin je bila uporabljena atomska absorpcijska spektroskopija. Analizirane so bile tudi vsebnosti Fe, Zn in Cu v tleh in v malinjaku, ker imajo ti elementi antagonistično razmerje do Mn v tleh. Koncentracije razpložljivega Mn v tleh so bile majhne, čeprav so vsebnosti celokupnega Mn v istih tleh presegale njegove toksične vrednosti, navedene v znanstveni literaturi. Analizirana tla so imela relativno visok pH in dobro prezračenost, kar je gotovo prispevalo k zmanjšanju razpoložljivega Mn 2+ iz manganovih oksidov v tleh kot tudi k oksidaciji Mn 2+ v netopni Mn 3+ ali Mn 4+ , kar je povzročilo majhen privzem Mn v korenine. Rezultati te raziskave so tudi pokazali, da se večina absorbiranega Mn kopiči v listih in koreninah malinjaka in veliko manj v steblu in plodovih. To pravilo v porazdelitvi Mn v malinjaku je dejansko enako za vse kmetijske rastline. Ključne besede: razpoložljivost; hranila; Mn; rastlina; tla; privzem Acta agriculturae Slovenica, 113/2 -2019 222 S. MURTIĆ et al.