Greenhouse tomato production holds strong economic importance in the Western Balkan (WB) countries, driven by escalating market demands. To align with global food safety trends, systematic advancements in cultivation practices and pest management strategies are essential for the WB region. Conventional reliance on chemical pesticides as the primary pest control method has led to various adverse outcomes, impacting pest management effectiveness and reducing product quality. The impact of climate change on agricultural productivity further emphasizes the need for environmentally friendly solutions in pest protection. To address these challenges and mitigate the detrimental effects of chemical pesticides, this review explores sustainable, alternative solutions, like biological control agents (BCAs), for tomato pest control in the WB region. With biological control gaining recognition as an effective approach, yet remaining underutilized in the WB, this review provides a thorough analysis of the most effective, commercially available BCAs, critically evaluating their advantages and limitations. Widespread BCA application could support the expansion of the tomato production sector while fostering sustainable agricultural practices. Furthermore, the review explores the role of BCAs within Integrated Pest Management (IPM) frameworks in tomato production, emphasizing their alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly for countries aiming for EU integration.

Allelopathy, a biological phenomenon, is a valuable tool for weed management and minimization of synthetic pesticide use in sustainable agricultural production. The aim of the study was to evaluate the allelopathic potential of nine sunflower genotypes. Water extracts from dry sunflower leaves collected in two growth stages (butonisation and flowering) were tested in two concentrations (1 and 2.5%) on germination and growth of lettuce under laboratory conditions. The allelopathic effect of extracts was influenced by genotype, growth stage and extract concentration. The majority of extracts exhibited negative allelopathic potential with seed germination being the least affected, and root length reduced up to 85% compared to the control. A higher concentration of water extracts resulted in a greater reduction of lettuce growth parameters. On average, extracts collected in the flowering stage inhibited lettuce shoot length to a greater degree. Several genotypes showed a greater negative impact, especially on shoot length and seedlings’ fresh weight. Further investigations of selected sunflower genotypes with the highest allelopathic potential on weed species and studies on phytochemical analysis are needed.

The spongy moth, Lymantria dispar L. (Lepidoptera: Eribidae), is a serious pest of deciduous forests and causes widespread defoliation. Despite this, few studies have evaluated the wide-ranging surveillance of adult male L. dispar using different types of pheromone-baited traps. We evaluated the effect of trap type on captures of adult male L. dispar at 18 sites in Europe; two in Slovenia, two in Spain, 12 in Greece, one in Hungary, and one in Croatia. Seven different trap types, G trap and eGymer 1–6, were evaluated June–September 2022 and 2023. Generally, captures of L. dispar started in late June and lasted until mid-August. Trap type affected captures. The G trap (consisting of a dark brown plastic rectangular parallel-piped body) caught significantly more L. dispar than other trap types in many instances, particularly when the peak of the flight period occurred. Captures of L. dispar in pairs of different trap types showed a significant correlation in trap catch in most investigations, suggesting that most detected comparable fluctuations in L. dispar abundance. We recommend that the G trap be used for wide-ranging surveillance of L. dispar in Europe.

The accessible literature covered in this paper commonly highlights psyllids as a significant group of insects affecting pear trees, posing a continual challenge for commercial orchards. With the development of modern pear cultivation systems, Cacopsylla pyri Linnaeus 1758 (Hemiptera: Psyllidae) has emerged as a major pest in pear orchards across many European countries, including those in the Western Balkans. For years, the agricultural sector has primarily relied on chemical insecticides to control pear psyllas, but these methods often fail to produce satisfactory results. This is largely due to C. pyri’s rapid development of resistance to chemical treatments. Consequently, modern agriculture is increasingly shifting towards biological methods to manage C. pyri, involving the identification and conservation of its natural enemies. Although there is an abundance of research on the natural predators of C. pyri and their biocontrol applications across the globe, the Western Balkan region has conducted relatively few studies on the subject. Globally, various parasitoids, predators, and entomopathogenic fungi are often cited as effective against C. pyri. Specific species registered in the agroecological conditions of the Western Balkans include parasitic wasps such as Trechnites insidiosus Crawford, 1910 (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) and Prionomitus mitratus Dalman, 1820 (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae), as well as the predatory bug Anthocoris nemoralis Fabricius, 1794 (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae). However, most Balkan countries have yet to fully utilise the potential of beneficial entomofauna or develop strategies for their commercial application at a national level. Considering that C. pyri is a major pest in pear cultivation and its natural enemies have not been thoroughly explored in most of the Western Balkans, this paper aims to review the literature data on available natural enemies of pear psyllas and to highlight and promote their undeniable potential in biological control.

Zelena stjenica (Nezara viridula L., 1758) i smeđa mramorasta stjenica (Halyomorpha halys Stål, 1855) su dominantne vrste kukaca iz porodice štitastih stjenica (Pentatomidae) na području Republike Hrvatske dok je ambrozija (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) invazivan i agresivan korov prisutan u čitavoj državi. Cilj istraživanja bio je utvrditi učinkovitost suzbijanja odraslih stadija stjenica vodenim ekstraktom ambrozije. Istraživanje je provedeno u laboratorijskim uvjetima u rujnu 2021. godine u tri tretmana: vodeni ekstrakt ambrozije u koncentraciji 10%, azadiraktin (Ozoneem Trishul® -1%) i voda kao kontrola. Tretmani su postavljeni u četiri ponavljanja te je u pokus ukupno uključeno 240 odraslih jedinki stjenica. Svi tretmani pokazali su blagu toksičnost za ispitivane kukce. Vrsta H. halys bila je osjetljivija na tretman vodenog ekstrakta ambrozije u odnosu na vrstu N. viridula. Statistički značajne razlike mortaliteta odraslih stjenica između tretmana utvrđene su kod vrste H. halys 10 dana nakon tretiranja vodenim ekstraktom ambrozije. Budući da nije utvrđena visoka učinkovitost vodenog ekstrakta ambrozije na odraslim stadijima stjenica istraživanja je potrebno nastaviti i na ličinkama koje imaju viši stupanj osjetljivosti te uz vodene primijeniti i druge vrste biljnih ekstrakata.

This study proposed a method for detecting vegetation changes and establishing geospatial management zones based on the 10-year phenology analysis using normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) long-term trends from Landsat 8 multispectral imagery in Nature Park Kopački rit. The main components of the proposed method include phenology analysis and NDVI anomaly detection supported by unsupervised k-means classification of vegetation management zones. The reference monthly NDVI values (2013-2019) with three test years (2020-2022) strongly indicated very high heterogeneity in vegetation activity. A 100 m spatial resolution and a monthly temporal resolution were used. The results of unsupervised k-means classification in five vegetation activity classes indicated that three of these classes have considerably high negative NDVI anomalies, covering 64.1% of the study area. While the proposed method ensures the detection of vegetation changes and vegetation activity zones, a comprehensive field observation is required to determine the potential environmental and/or anthropogenic causes. However, the proposed approach significantly reduces the need for extensive fieldwork, allowing biologists to focus their efforts on areas with detected abnormal vegetation activity.