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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

Until 2000, agriculture was the mainstay of employment around the world. Since then, the services sector has assumed this mantle and the gap between the two has widened. Although employment growth in agriculture has slowed, the number of workers in this sector reached over one billion, representing 1 in 3 of all workers. The agriculturalRead more

The practice of supplying crops in the field with fertilizers via the irrigation water is called fertigation. Fertigation – a modern agro-technique, provides an excellent opportunity to maximize yield and minimize environmental pollution by increasing fertilizer use efficiency, minimizing fertilizer application and increasing return on the fertilizer invested. In fertigation, timing, amounts and concentration ofRead more

Biodiversity plays an important role in the way ecosystems function and in the many services they provide, including nutrients and water cycling, soil formation and retention, resistance against invasive species, pollination of plants, regulation of climate, as well as pest and pollution control by ecosystems. Biodiversity plays a crucial role in human nutrition through its influence on world foodRead more