This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of liming (CaCO₃ 1000 kg ha⁻¹) and application of organic fertilizers (rotted farmyard manure 40 t ha⁻¹) and six different combination of mineral fertilizers: NPK 15:15:15 800 kg ha⁻¹ + KAN (calcium ammonium nitrate) 240 kg ha⁻¹; NPK 15:15:15 400 kg ha⁻¹ + MCB (water-soluble mineral fertilizer NPK 13:11:20 + 2MgO + microelements + humic acid) 300 kg ha⁻¹ + KAN 125 kg ha⁻¹; MCB 400 kg ha⁻¹; MCB 400 kg ha⁻¹ + KMg (water-soluble mineral fertilizer Multi KMg 13:0:43 + 2MgO) 100 kg ha⁻¹; MCB 600 kg ha⁻¹ + KMg 100 kg ha⁻¹ and MCB 800 kg ha⁻¹ + KMg 100 kg ha⁻¹ on yield and other productivity parameters of potato (Kennebec variety). The aim of the research was to optimize the system of potato plant nutrition for maximum profitability in the future potato production on acid soils of mountainous region of Montenegro. The experiments were carried out during 2015 and 2016, on Dystric Cambisols. The results obtained suggested that in both years, the highest values for all studied parameters were measured on plots with combined application of liming, organic and mineral fertilizers. In addition, a significant influence on the increase in the number of tubers per plant, the average tuber weight and the total yield was also demonstrated in all individual trials of potato nutrition, and the interaction of organic manure and mineral fertilizer. Fertilizing with rotted farmyard manure had significantly increased potato productivity, with the effect more pronounced in treatments with liming. The highest number of tubers (6.2 and 7.2), average tuber weight (93.5 g and 101.0 g) and yield (27.6 t ha⁻¹ in 2015 and 34.8 t ha⁻¹ in 2016, respectively) were obtained using combinations of MCB 800 kg ha⁻¹ + KMg 100 kg ha⁻¹ on variants fertilized with rotted farmyard manure and liming. This research is a valuable source of information for potato growers and scientists from this region as the results have shown how fertilization is raising productivity in this environment and its importance in the future potato growing on acid soils in mountainous regions of Montenegro and Western Balkans.

Harvest residues are parts of cultivated plants that remain on the plot after harvest or grazing. Decomposition of plant residues by microorganisms involves two simultaneous processes: mineralization and humification of carbon compounds. Decomposition processes depend on the type of plant residues, edaphic factors and residue management factors. Edaphic factors dominate in areas exposed to adverse weather conditions, while the type of plant residues largely plays the role of a regulator in favorable environmental conditions. Decomposition of plant residues takes place in two stages; phase I is relatively fast and depends on the initial nitrogen content, and phase II is relatively slow and is determined by the decomposition of lignins and phenols. In general, water-soluble fractions are degraded first, followed by structural polysaccharides, and finally lignin. Low winter temperatures and dry soil during the summer limit microbial decomposition, while microbial decomposition is greatest during the wet warm spring and autumn seasons  

Harvest residues (HR) are one of the important aspects of sustainable management in agriculture, representing a significant portion of organic matter (OM) that can be retained or removed from agro-ecosystems. There are several ways to manage plant residues: (i) burning, (ii) incorporation in soil, (iii) leaving plant residues after harvest on the soil surface in form of mulch, (iv) undersowing crops in HR and (v) baling and removing HR from the plot. Burning is the most unreasonable action in agricultural production, which is prohibited by legal regulations in force. The burning means a complete loss of OM - N and S are irretrievably lost in the air, mineral substances remain in ash, and microorganisms in the soil surface layer are destroyed. Incorporation of HR may be complete or partial, depending on the soil cultivation method applied. This HR management method has a number of soil benefits: increases content of nutrients, OM and humus; increases microbiological activity; improves soil water, air and physical properties; improves soil structure, ultimately contributing to the increase in soil fertility and plant growth. Two practical approaches that were once common, have been neglected. Namely, undersowing and mixed cultivation where various species are simultaneously grown with or between plantings of a main crop. Removal of HR indirectly leads to a decrease of the organic matter in the soil. In essence, there is a need to determine the size of acceptors and the return rates of organic residues of different quality, and to increase the efficiency of nutrient cycling from residues through various land acceptors and crops, with minimal losses from the system.

Durum wheat landraces represent a genetic resource for the identification and isolation of new valuable genes and alleles, useful to increase the crop adaptability to climate change. Several durum wheat landraces, all denominated “Rogosija”, were extensively cultivated in the Western Balkan Peninsula until the first half of the 20th century. Within the conservation program of the Montenegro Plant Gene Bank, these landraces were collected, but without being characterized. The main goal of this study was to estimate the genetic diversity of the “Rogosija collection” consisting of 89 durum accessions, using 17 morphological descriptors and the 25K Illumina single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array. The genetic structure analysis of the Rogosija collection showed two distinguished clusters localized in two different Montenegro eco-geographic micro-areas, characterized by continental Mediterranean climate and maritime Mediterranean climate. Data suggest that these clusters could be composed of two different Balkan durum landrace collections evolved in two different eco-geographic micro-areas. Moreover, the origin of Balkan durum landraces is discussed.