The research was conducted in the experimental-production plum orchard during 2013. Some of the most important physical and mechanical properties of the fruit were investigated in three plum cultivars ("Čačanska Rana", "Čačanska Lepotica" i "Čačanska Najbolja") grafted on four rootstocks: one generative Myrobalan (Prunus cerasifera Ehrh.) and three vegetative ones (Pixy, St. Julien A and Ferley). St. Julien A induced the highest all three fruit dimensions in "Čačanska Najbolja", and length and thickness in "Čačanska Lepotica". Myrobalan and Fereley had the same effect in the "Čačanska Rana". St. Julien A influenced the biggest fruit firmness in "Čačanska Najbolja" and the smallest in "Čačanska Lepotica". Katedra za voćarstvo i vinogradarstvo, Agronomski fakultet u Čačku, Univerzitet u Kragujevcu, Cara Dušana 34, 32 000 Čačak, Srbija Rezime Istraživanje je obavljeno u eksperimentalno-proizvodnom zasadu šljive u toku 2013. godine. Ispititivane su najznačajnije fizičke osobine ploda tri sorte šljive ("Čačanska rana", "Čačanska lepotica" i "Čačanska najbolja") kalemljene na četiri podloge: jednoj generativnoj (Džanarika) i tri vegetativne (Pixy, St. Julien A i Ferley). St. Julien A je kod Čačanske najbolje uticala na najveće dimenzije, a kod Čačanske lepotice na najveću dužinu i debljinu ploda. Ovakav uticaj kod Čačanske rane imale su podloge Džanarika i Fereley. Kod Čačanske najbolje podloga St. Julien A je uslovila najčvršći, a kod Čačanske lepotice najmekši mezokarp ploda.

No abstract

No abstract

Proper nutrition of fruit trees depends not only on the availability of major chemical elements in the soil, but also on their inter-relationships, their existing forms in the soil and the capability of the root system to absorb nutrients. The intensity of nutrient uptake is also highly dependent on soil solution pH. In recent years, large areas of land have been increasingly underused for fruit production. This can be partly attributed to soil acidification which also leads to increased concentrations of H, Al, Fe and Mn ions in its adsorptive complex. In order to neutralize soil acidity and Al toxicity, neutralizing agents should be used to help the soil become capable of fruit production. For this purpose, the following lime materials were used: CaO, bentonite and lifos. The commonly used vegetative rootstocks of different vigor for apple M9, M26 and MM106 were planted as test plants. The impact of lime materials was evaluated with respect to the leaf assimilating surface area, vegetative growth and tree diameter of the rootstocks used. The best soil amending effect was achieved by CaO, followed in declining order by lifos and bentonite.

As a fruit crop, the pear is preferably grown and esteemed for its high utility value. Over recent decades, there have been great fluctuations in both quantity and quality of the pear fruit for a variety of reasons (obsolete growing technology, cultivar diversity, increased fire blight attacks, market instability, etc.). Given the favourable environmental conditions in Serbia and pear fruit shortage on domestic and foreign markets, producers' interest in pear production has increased in the last several years. The economic performance of a pear orchard is largely dependent on market conditions and pear marketing possibilities. Establishing a pear orchard requires a comprehensive analysis of agroeconomic conditions which govern both the choice of cultivars and orchard size. Therefore, the objective of this study was to analyse pear orchard establishment costs. Two cultivars were used i.e. 'Williams' and 'Santa Maria'. The results of the agroeconomic analysis show that the investment costs of establishing a 1 ha orchard amount to €8,975.75. Orchard management costs are €2,020.25 in the first year, €1,803.25 in the second year and €3,026.00 in the third year. Total investment costs associated with orchard establishment and management during the first three years are € 18,510.25. Management costs for a fully productive orchard are €4,657.00. The return on investment, along with profit, is achieved in the fifth year. If the intensive orchard produced a yield higher by 35% than the average yield projections, as typical of highdensity production systems, the return on investment would be achieved in the fourth year.