Plasma-activated water (PAW) is a novel and promising technique in the agricultural field that has the potential to improve vegetable growth and yield. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of plasma-activated water seeds treatment and growth conditions on pepper plant growth parameters and fruit quality. A factorial design of three factors (C = cultivar, GC = growth condition, and PAW = plasma activated water treatment seeds) was established, with two variants for each one: Cultivar 1 (C1) and Cultivar 2 (C2); greenhouse (G) and open field (F); PAW seeds treatment (PAW) and seeds without treatment with PAW (C). Four replicates with fifty seeds were taken for each variety. Growth and fruit quality parameters were measured in the three month period during 2021 and 2022, respectively. The significant influence of cultivar, growing condition, and PAW on fruit quality and pepper plant growth parameters were determined. The lowest values of measured parameters were obtained in the open field without PAW treatment. Pepper growth in a greenhouse from PAW-treated seeds had a higher canopy height (17.85%), weight (10.57%), number of leaves (10.5%), nodes (18.94%), and buds (37.83%). Moreover, dry matter content was higher (33.73%) as well as fruit quality: fruit weight (50.19%), diameter (24.3%), length (20.88%), and pericarp weight (49.49%). Results indicate that PAW treatment of peppers seeds can lead to production and yield improvement under different climates and growing conditions.

The metals such as Fe, Cu, Zn and Mn are the essential elements that have an important role in the human immune system. The aim of this research was to determine the concentration of nutritive values of macroelements (N, P, and K) and microelements (Fe and Zn) in a mushroom substrate and in a champignon mushroom fruiting body. A trial was conducted in the mushroom production company Romanjek LLC in Slavonski Brod, Croatia. It was conducted in four vegetation cycles on two different substrates, the one originating from Eastern Europe and the other originating from Northern Europe. At the end of the trial, the basic chemical properties of substrates and mushrooms were recorded. A comparison of investigated substrate measurements demonstrates that the highest content of elements N, P, and K was determined in the substrate 2 originating from Northern Europe, while the concentration of microelements Fe and Zn was higher in substrate 1, originating, from Eastern Europe. There was a statistically significant difference in a macroelement content in the mushrooms grown on the substrates of different origin, as well as in the transfer of Zn and Fe from a substrate to mushrooms. There was a higher accumulation of the transferred Zn in comparison to Fe in the mushrooms regardless of the origin of the substrate.

Kalcij i magnezij pripadaju skupini zemnoalkalijskih metala značajno zastupljenih u zemljinoj litosferi, odnosno skupini umjereno pokretnih makrohraniva koji imaju važnu ulogu u ishrani bilja. Svrha ovoga istraživanja jest usporedba količine ekstrahiranoga kalcija i magnezija otopinom amonijeva acetata (AA) i otopinom Mehlich 3 (Mehlich 3) iz tala istočne Hrvatske. Ukupno 200 uzoraka oraničnih horizonata (0 - 30 cm) najzastupljenijih tipova tala prikupljeni su u pet županija istočne Hrvatske 2012. godine. Nakon određivanja pH vrijednosti i sadržaja ukupnih karbonata u tlu grupirani su uzorci tla (uzorci s manje od 3,5 i više od 3,5% CaCO3). Utvrđeno je da metoda Mehlich 3 ekstrahira više kalcija i magnezija od metode AA, a razlike u količini ekstrahiranih kationa izraženije su kod karbonatnijih tala (>3,5% CaCO3), posebno za kalcij. U tlima s manjim sadržajem CaCO3 utvrđena je statistički vrlo značajna korelaciju (P≤0,01) između metoda AA i Mehlich 3 u količini ekstrahiranoga kalcija i magnezija. Statistički je vrlo značajna korelacija (P≤0,01) utvrđena i između količina Mg AA i Mg Mehlich 3 u tlima sa sadržajem CaCO3 većim od 3,5%, što obje metode čini pogodnima za određivanje magnezija neovisno o sadržaju CaCO3 u tlu.

The aim of this work was to determine if PAW (Plasma Activated Water) seed treatment and growing conditions could have positive effects on lettuce seedlings and growth. The paper presents the results of a pot experiment on lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) cultivation in greenhouse and field conditions after seed treatment with PAW. The experiment was conducted in two consecutive seasons in 2021 and 2022 and the following growth parameters were measured: head mass, rosette height, rosette width, number of leaves, root mass and root length. As a result of the study, it was found that lettuces grown in the greenhouse from PAW treated seeds had higher results in the first measurement for both cultivars (mass 32.26%, diameter 19.01%, number of leaves 13.49% and height 24.01%), while there were no statistically significant effects on the root system. The lowest results were obtained in untreated and field-grown plants. In addition, plant dry matter was measured and it was found that plants grown from PAW treated seeds had a higher percentage of dry matter (11.51% in 2021, and 11.58% in 2022). It was also found that cultivation in greenhouse resulted in a better quality of plants than the cultivation in the open field.

The main aim of this study was to assess genetic diversity within the natural populations of field pea rhizobia on different field sites in Northwestern Croatia and to evaluate their symbiotic efficiency. Identification of related bacterial strains was carried out using RAPD and rep-PCR methods and on the basis of differences in the nodulation nodD gene region by PCR-RFLP method. Indigenous strains have been shown to differ significantly from each other as well as from the reference strains Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. viciae used in these study. Based on the nodulation genes, it was found that most isolates have the same or very similar nodulation nodD region except the isolates K22 and K23. A greenhouse studie was performed for evaluation of symbiotic efficiency of strains. The highest nodule dry weight was determined by inoculation with strains K23, K22, K17 and K20, indicating their high infectivity and nodulation ability. Significantly higher green mass and dry matter yield in abouveground plant parts were determined by inoculation with two indigenous strains K26 and K16 that showed potentially high symbiotic efficiency compared to other tested strains.