This study was conducted in order to understand the effects of land use and soil types on microbial activity and community structure. Soil samples were collected from four different soil types (Solonetz, Solonchak, Chernozem and Gleysol) being used under different land use practices (arable,...

Scaphoideus titanus Ball is a major pest of grapevine in Europe, being the main vector of Flavescence dorée phytoplasma (FDp). The North American grapevine leafhopper was identified in neighboring countries, however, the FDp vector was not recorded and there is no available data on its presence in Kosovo. In 2021, initial investigations were conducted and field surveys were carried out in the region of Rahovec in order to evaluate the presence of S. titanus in Kosovarian vineyards. The survey was established in seventeen vineyards in different locations and grapevine varieties. In the middle of June, in each vineyard chosen for investigation were settled yellow sticky traps for surveying and sampling of leafhoppers. All plantations were subjected to fungicide treatment and no insecticide treatment was applied for S. titanus. The captures on the yellow sticky traps indicated that the North American grapevine leafhopper was present in Kosovo. Its population was different in investigated vineyards. Of the seventeen vineyards monitored, in twelve of them was captured the FDp vector, two sticky traps were damaged, and in three vineyards was not captured any specimen of Scaphoideus titanus. An average, of two up to forty-nine specimens of S. titanus per trap were collected over the surveyed period from the beginning of June until the end of September 2021. These results show only the distribution of S. titanus in the surveyed area. Furthermore, the presence of the North American grapevine leafhopper in Kosovo is an alert for urgent phytosanitary control of the quarantine phytoplasma Flavescence dorée (FD).

Due to the soil formation factors and different geographic areas of Dukagjini Plain, particularly in Rahovec municipality, the variation of soil organic carbon is high. Soil organic carbon (SOC) has a crucial role in the determination of the physical, chemical and biological behaviour of the soil. The most common land use types of this area are vineyards, table grapes, horticulture such as peppers and cabbage, and arable lands such as maize, winter wheat, alfalfa, and meadows. Considering the lack of soil information data in Kosovo, it is necessary to have soil information about this territory. The main objectives of the present study are, therefore: i) to investigate and determine the concentration of the soil organic matter (SOM), SOC, nitrogen (N) and soil pH-H2O, using laboratory analysis, and ii) to show the spatial distribution of SOC, SOM, N and pH using the Kriging and inverse weighting interpolation methods. Spatial variability of soil chemical parameters such as SOM, SOC, N, and pH are important to be interpolated to view the changeable soil properties by kriging and inverse distance weighting method and to generate the continuous sample for site-specific management. Disturbed soil samples were collected from the top soil 0-30 cm and 30-60 cm depth, to determine selected soil chemical parameters, during June-July 2019. A large number of soil samples were collected, 2087 in the first horizon and 2065 in the second. The average of SOC of the first horizon was 0.91%, which variates from 0.07 to 4.06%, while in the second horizon was 0.0 to 2.84%, the average content of N in the first horizon was 0.09%, which variate from 0.01 to 0.60%, while in the second horizon was 0.0 to 0.39%, meanwhile, the average of soil pH-H2O in the first horizon was 7.67, which variates from 4.25 to 9.35, while in the second horizon was 7.79, which variate from 3.25 to 9.30.

This study investigates the long-term effects of pine (Pinus nigra) afforestation on soil characteristics in comparison to adjacent pastureland in central Kosovo. Soil samples (n = 24) were collected from two land-use types, pine plantations and grassland, over three topographic positions (lower, medium, upper) and two depths (0-10 cm and 10-20 cm). Standard laboratory techniques were used to determine soil organic matter (SOM), organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), pH (H 2 O and CaCl 2), available phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and bulk density (BD). The data were analysed using principal component analysis (PCA) and correlation matrices. The top soils (0-10 cm) beneath pine had higher soil organic matter (mean 2.45%) compared to the pasture lane (1.59%). The SOC and TN levels increased by 43% and 36%, respectively. Soil pH was lower under pine (mean pH_H 2 O = 6.3) than under pasture land (pH_H 2 O = 6.81), particularly on middle and lower slopes. Exchangeable calcium and magnesium declined by up to 20% under pine plantations, and bulk density also decreased (for example, 1.15 g•cm-3 under pine land compared to 1.29 g•cm-3 under pasture land), signifying reduced compaction. Phosphorus concentrations were slightly higher under pasture at a depth of 0-10 cm (mean 12.4 mg•100 g-1), but under pine, they increased at a depth of 10-20 cm on top slopes. PCA showed differentiation based on land use, with the initial two components representing 70.1% of the overall variance.

Scaphoideus titanus is a monophagous grapevine leafhopper and the primary vector of Flavescence dorée phytoplasma (FDp), a major quarantine pathogen threatening European viticulture. Following its recent detection in Kosovo, detailed information on the population dynamics and spatial...