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A steward is a person who is in charge of the management of something and is given the responsibility to protect it. Farmers are called stewards of the land, because of the close connection that they have with the land. Their livelihood and way of living depends on their ability to use the land.  Therefore it isRead more

Every year this beautiful flowering herb overwhelmed us with its seductive scent, especially during the harvest. Lavender blooms at different times throughout the season. It mostly depends on the climate, the weather, and the blooming period of lavender variety. Harvesting begins from the end of the spring until summer and even later. Harvest time alsoRead more

Tuta absoluta or tomato leaf miner is a major pest of processed and fresh tomatoes, both in greenhouses and open field crops. It also occurs on eggplants, sweet peppers as well as potatoes and various other cultivated plants and weeds of Solanaceae family (Solanum nigrum, Datura spp.). This pest has spread rapidly since its introductionRead more

Farmers constantly battle with the weeds, but weeds can have a useful purpose – they can be used as a soil indicators. Simply by observing the most prevalent weeds that are growing in a specific area, they can indicate if the soil is acidic or alkaline, whether the soil is a healthy, balanced or ifRead more

Apples are more widely grown than any other fruit. Some apples are produced specifically for processing, but most of the apples, in average of 20 percent, that are grown for the fresh market are also used in processing, due to their excellent juice and possibility of superior sauce production. Apples are processed into a varietyRead more

Long vintage is coming to an end and weather conditions were kind to diligent vinegrowers, who fought successfully against the most important grapevine diseases – downey mildew, powdery mildew and phomopsis. Until the beginning of the harvest, attention has to be focused on one more disease which, if not treated in time, can destroy theRead more

Soil formation is the result of a complex network of biological, chemical, and physical processes. The role of soil microbes is of high interest since they are responsible for most biological transformations and drive the development of stable and labile pools of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and other nutrients, which facilitate the subsequent establishment ofRead more

Wheat is the most common cereal available all over the world, originated in southwestern Asia. It’s one of the most wholesome food items and it ensures a diet rich in nutrients. Since wheat is a staple grain, it has been also used for several thousand years to brew beer. There is historical evidence that wheatRead more

Every day more and more farmers decide to manage their landscape as a complete ecosystem by using integrated or organic pest management. They use insects that kill other pest insects. Out of about a million species of insects, less then 3% are considered pests by humans. Yet insects remain greatly undervalued. Instead of using chemicalRead more

Corn is one of few crops that is not found in the wild. It’s a domesticated grass bred by natives in Central America, developed from a grass called teosinte. In 16th century Columbo brought it to Europe. Today corn is grown around the world, except Antarctica and it’s one of the globe’s most widely usedRead more