An experiment was carried out to determine the effect of foliar application of seaweed extract (0.2 %) on the growth, yield and quality of cherry tomato under stress and non-stress conditions. The greenhouse experiment was set up in a randomized block design with four treatments in three replications. Treatments were as follows: V1 - seedlings treated by seaweed extract and subjected to drought; V2 - seedlings treated by seaweed extract and regularly watered; V3 - non-treated seedlings subjected to drought; V4 - non-treated seedlings regularly watered. Cherry tomato seedlings treated by seaweed extract had a lower content of proline and higher leaf water potential compared to non-treated seedlings under stress conditions, indicating that application of this fertilizer contributes to better adaptation of cherry tomato seedlings to stress. Treatment with seaweed extract also positively influenced the yield and quality of cherry tomato (total soluble solids, vitamin C, lycopene) under both standard and drought stress conditions as compared to untreated plants in same conditions. Positive effects of seaweed extract on growth and quality of cherry tomato are result of its specific composition, as well as ability of cherry tomato plants to utilize bioactive substances in seaweed extracts for its growth and development.

This study was carried out to examine the impact of liquid organic fertilizer Ergonfill (LFE) on the yield and quality of cherry tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. Sakura F1) under different growth conditions. The experiment was set up in a randomized blocks design with four variants in three replications. Experiment variants were as follows: drought-stressed seedlings with and without LFE treatment, and non-stressed seedlings with and without LFE treatment. Exposure of cherry tomato seedlings to controlled water stress conditions significantly increased fruit quality parameters (total soluble solids, titratable acidity, ascorbic acid, lycopene, total phenolic and flavonoids, total antioxidant capacity), but decreased yield. LFE treatment significantly increased by the all examined parameters under normal growth conditions as compared to untreated plants, and for total phenolic and flavonoids content, total antioxidant capacity and total soluble solids this increase was statistically significant. Positive impact of the LFE application on cherry tomato quality is result of fertilizer composition, as well as ability of cherry tomato plants to use bioactive substances in fertilizer for its growth and development.

The aim of this study was to assess the ability of oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus (Jacq.) P. Kumm.) to absorb heavy metals (Fe, Zn, Cu, Co, Mn, Ni, Cr, Cd, and Pb) from different plant-based substrates and to determine the bioaccumulation factor of the aforementioned heavy metals from the substrate to the oyster mushroom basidiomes. The substrate used in this study were: maize straw, beech sawdust supplemented with wheat bran at a rate of 20%, a mixture of maize straw and spent coffee grounds in a ratio of 70:30, and a mixture of maize straw and spent coffee grounds in a ratio of 50:50. Heavy metal contents in substrate and mushroom samples were analyzed by atomic absorption spectroscopy using the Shimadzu AA-7000 device, while the bioaccumulation factors of oyster mushroom for each investigated heavy metal were calculated from the heavy metal content in mushrooms divided by that found in substrates. The study showed that oyster mushrooms have a high capacity to absorb Zn and Cd from the growing medium and bioaccumulation factor values for Zn and Cd determined in this study strongly support this observation. On the other hand, bioaccumulation factor values for Ni, Fe, and Mn were less than 0.3 and ranged from 0.04 to 0.05, from 0.09 to 0.12, and from 0.10 to 0.25, respectively. In general, the results of this study lead to the conclusion that substrate chemical composition strongly affects the heavy metal accumulation in oyster mushroom basidiomes. The results of this study also showed that oyster mushrooms can be considered a promising species for Cd and Zn bioremediation.

This paper presents the results of a two-year trial on the yield, total phenolic and flavonoid contents and total antioxidant capacity of the 'Willamette' red raspberry under organic and conventional farming. A trial was conducted in a commercial plantation of 'Willamette' raspberries located in the southwestern part of Serbia. The total phenolics and flavonoids in the raspberry fruits were determined by the Folin-Ciocalteu reagent and aluminium chloride assay, respectively. The ferric reducing antioxidant power assay was used to evaluate the total antioxidant capacity of the raspberry fruits. The results of this study showed that the raspberry yields were significantly affected by the different farming systems. The raspberry yield in conventional farming was higher than that of organic farming. Contrastingly, the raspberries from the organic farming contained higher levels of the total phenolics and flavonoids and also had a higher total antioxidant activity compared to those from the conventional farming in both 2021 and 2022. This study also showed that the total phenolic and flavonoid contents of the 'Willamette' red raspberry have a significant and positive correlation with their total antioxidant capacity, indicating that the phenolic compounds play an important role in the antioxidant activity of the raspberry.