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Greetings
As the International Director of the International Undergraduate Research Symposium I would like to
welcome all of you to the 12th anniversary of the International Undergraduate Research Symposium
held here in beautiful Wilmington College in Wilmington Ohio U.S.A. I am pleased to see all of you
here and am certain that you will have a fruitful and enjoyable experience. Gordana MomWe has put
together an excellent program for the symposium and I am certain that we will learn a lot and enjoy
our time during the symposium. We are all looking forward to the great activities which have been
planned.
It is very important that everyone involved in IURS-12 make a special effort to talk with and get to
know all the participants. I encourage you to exchange e-mail addresses, Face Book, twitter accounts
along with any other suitable social media. This is a time to develop networks and forge friendships
that will support you in your chosen career.
I congratulate each of you for having the imitative to undertake undergraduate research and to
report your findings at IURS-12. Attendance and participation in IURS-10 is one of the important
things you can put on your resume, evidence that you are highly motivated to succeed.
On behalf of the all IURS Directors, I offer you my best wishes for a rewarding symposium.
Sincerely,
Alfred R. Conklin, Jr. Ph.D. International Director International Undergraduate Research Symposium
Message from the International Director of the
International Undergraduate Research Symposium
Alfred R. Conklin, Jr. Ph.D.
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Contact person Prof. dr Gordana Šurlan Momirović
[email protected] cell phone +381643170511
Schedule for IURS-12
June 03 to 07, 2019
Date
2019
Time Event Notes
June
02
Afternoon
1.10
Arrival to “Nikola Tesla”
Airport Belgrade, Serbia
4: to 7:00 Check in Mark Hotel
Belgrade, address:
Resavska 29.
Mark Hotel Belgrade, Rest
7:00 to 8:00 Local dinner All eat the same meal in restaurant
provided by ourselves
8:00 to 9:00 Introductions
9:00 Bed
June
03
Morning
8:30 to 9:00 Breakfast At Mark Hotel Belgrade, address:
Resavska 29, Belgrade, Serbia
9:00 to 9:30 Bus to Faculty of Agriculture Bus #706 or #84
10:00 to 10:30 Opening Welcome Congress hall/I floor, Faculty of
Agriculture, Zemun
10:00 – 10:10 Dean Prof. Dr. Dušan Živković
10:10 – 10:20 International Director IURS Prof. Dr.
Alfred Conklin
10:20-10:30 International Vice-Director IURS
Prof. Dr. Gordana Šurlan-Momirović
10:30-11:00 Ice Break Mrs. Petra Conklin
11:00 to 12:30 Walking Tour of Faculty of
Agriculture University of
Belgrade
Prof. Dr Irena Radinović
12:30 to 1:30 Lunch Provided by ourselves at Student
Canteen Restaurant ground floor
1:45 to 3:30 Afternoon Oral Session
by Advisors
Room 204/II floor Faculty of
Agriculture, Zemun
1:45 to 2:00 Accessible Science Alfred R. Conklin, Jr
2:15 to 2:30 Antioxidant properties of
Cordyceps sinensis in vitro
Lada Živković
4
2:30 to 2:45 Bacterial diseases of plants
and their control
Aleksa Obradović
2:45 to 3:00 Serbian agriculture in
climate change – Farmers’
assessment
Slaven Prodanović
3:00 to 3:15 Questions
3:30 to 5:00 Sightseeing Zemun
Walking Tour
Zemun Downtown
5:00 to 6:00 Set up posters Room 204, Faculty of Agriculture
7: 00 to 8:00 Dinner at restaurant Provided by ourselves in Belgrade
8:00 to 10:00 At Mark Hotel Belgrade Resavska 29, Belgrade
June
04
8:00 to 9:00 Breakfast At Mark Hotel Belgrade, address:
Resavska 29, Belgrade.
9:45 to 10:00 Set up Posters Room 204/II floor Faculty of
Agriculture, Zemun
10:15 to 1:15 Morning Poster Session Lecture Room 204, Faculty of
Agriculture, Zemun .
1:15 to 2:15 Lunch Provided by ourselves at Student
Canteen Restaurant ground floor
2:30 to 5:30 Posters available Lecture Room 204, Faculty of
Agriculture, Zemun .
2:30 to 4:30
Afternoon Oral Sessions
by Advisors
Lecture Room 204, Faculty of
Agriculture, Zemun .
2:30 to 2:45 The Role of Big Data in
the Future of STEM
[Science, Technology,
Engineering &
Mathematics
Chris Botanga
2:45 to 3:00 Organic agriculture in
terms of sustainable
development of Serbia
Snežana Oljača
3:00 to 3:15 Sustainable use of insects
as food and feeds
Alice Nakhumicha Muriithi
3:15 to 3:45 A few words about Serbian
agriculture
Djordje Moravčević
3:45 to 4:00 Qusetions
Return to Belgrade /Tour
of City/Shopping
With Gordana ..
8:00 Dinner At Restaurant “Three Hats”, Bohemian quarter Skadarlija,
Serbian Music, Belgrade
10:30 Recap/Plan
5
June
05
Excursion to
8:00 to 9:00 Breakfast At Mark Hotel Belgrade
9:15 to 11:00 Radmilovc Experimental
Faculty Farm and Center for
Fishery &Applied
Hydrobiology
Transportation by bus
1:30 t 2:30 Company for producing
vegetables “Superior”,
Velika Plana
Director Dr. Ivo Djinović
2:30 to 3:30 Lunch Provided by Dr. Djinović
3.30 to 7:30 Visit Oplenac Church The tomb of Serbian Kings
7:30 to 8:30 Dinner In restaurant
8:30 to 9:00 Return to Belgrade
June 6 Excursion to National
Park Djerdap
7:30 to 8:30 Breakfast Mark Hotel Belgrade
8:45 Bus at Mark Hotel Transportation by bus
10:11:30 Archeological Park
Viminacium
Kostolac tickets 600 rsd
1:00-2:00 Golubac Gornji Grad
Golubac Upper Town
All-day excursion to Djerdap
National Park, Golubac Fortress( 150
and 450 rsd tickets)
2:00 to 2:30 Lunch provided by
ourselves
Zlatan ribica (Golden Fish)
Golubac provided by ourselves
3:00-4:00 The Lepenski Vir Museum Tickets 200 rsd
Return to Belgrade Mark Hotel Belgrade
8:00 pm Dinner at restaurant Provided by ourself
June
07
Excursion through
Belgrade
8:00 to 9:00 Breakfast Mark Hotel Belgrade
10:00 to 11:00 Visit the Nikola Tesla
Museum
Krunska 51, Belgrade
ticket price about 350 rsd
11:00 to 13.30 Sightseeing Tour Belgrade Pioneer Park
1:30 to 2:30 Lunch “Alo alo” restaurant
4:30 Return to Hotel Cultural exchange – dances from
around the world, 6:00 to 10:00
5:00 Closing Ceremony Fill out post-symposium
questionnaire
6:00
Students will have
opportunity to explore city
and get dinner
own
JUNE
08
Breakfast Mark Hotel Belgrade
Airport Nikola Tesla
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Oral presentation abstracts
1. The significance of the Africa Centre of Excellence for Sustainable
Use of Insects as Food and Feed
Alice Nakhumicha Muriithi*, School of Agricultural and Food Sciences
Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology
Bondo, Kenya
Corresponding author: [email protected]
Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology (JOOUST) was
competitively selected as an Africa Centre of Excellence in 2016 for World Bank
funding ACEII in sustainable use of insects as food and feeds (INSEFOODS).
INSEFOODS is one of the 24 in Eastern and Southern Africa. The insect value chain
provides opportunities for entrepreneurship and wealth creation for women and
youths. Sustainable production of insects minimizes harvesting from the wild which
interferes with biodiversity and establishment of the repository conserves and serves
as a reference point for natural heritage for insects in the region. Thus INSEFOODS is
expected to achieve long term food and nutritional security by using insects as a cost
effective, reliable and sustainable source of protein and other nutrients for food and
feeds. INSEFOODS is promoting new research frontiers in insect science as a solution
to food security and promoting collaborations, linkage and community outreach
through formation of multidisciplinary teams of researchers that will enhance
knowledge generation and sharing.
Keywords: Research excellence, entomophagy, food security, feeds, ACE II
2. The Role of Big Data in the Future of STEM [Science, Technology,
Engineering & Mathematics]
Chris Botanga*
Department of Biological Sciences and CSER, Chicago State University, 9501 S. King Drive,
Chicago, USA.
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Corresponding author: [email protected]
The Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) field is one that offers the
most promise in providing solutions to some of the most pressing and challenging needs of
the world today. The STEM future promises to be one that would determine what we need
even before we have a chance to know that we need it. Healthcare, education and the military
are some of the areas likely to lead in STEM innovations. Take for instance, Artificial
Intelligence (AI) offers the most promise in disease diagnoses and treatment/management or
in the military, executing projects that are too dangerous for humans. While machines driven
and guided by AI are likely to do better than humans in many areas, AI is not a threat but
rather offers an opportunity to enable us to be more efficient, productive and provide the best
opportunity for the best outcomes. The sequencing of the human genome took 13 years with a
whopping cost of $2.7 billion. Today, this may cost as little as $15,000 and could be
completed in one week, thanks to recent advances. STEM future also presents one in which
there will be greater ethical issues. This presentation will discuss the role of big data and
expound on the core knowledge and skills inherent for success in STEM, while offering
insights into curricular evolution, scientific, and political perspective. Funding Support:
Supported in part by the USDA-NIFA Award No. 2016-70003-24775 and the US Dept. of
Education Award #P382A150041
3. Accessible Science
Alfred R. Conklin, Jr.*
International Director: The International Undergraduate Research Symposium
Corresponding author: [email protected]
Science has several things that make it different from other human experiences: The Scientific
Method, Repeatability, Universality, and Controls. If any one of these is missing, then it is not
Science. In some cases, the Scientific Methods must be expanded, but in all cases, it has the
same requirements. Sometimes and in some cases, instrumentation is needed but not always.
In all cases, it must be repeatable by anyone, anywhere, under any circumstances.
4. Antioxidant properties of Cordyceps sinensis in vitro
Lada Zivković*1,Vladan Bajic2, Suncica Borozan3, Biljana Potparevic1
1 Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Belgrade, Serbia
2 The Laboratory for Radiobiology and Molecular Genetics, Institute for Nuclear Research
“Vinca”, University of Belgrade, Serbia
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3 Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Belgrade, Serbia
Corresponding author: [email protected]
Cordyceps sinensis (CS) is a well-known, traditional, Chinese medicinal mushroom,
valued for its beneficial properties for human health. The ability of Cordyceps sinensis
mushroom in its dried and powdered form was evaluated for its antioxidant effects.
Analysis of antioxidant properties of Cordyceps sinesis revealed strong OH
scavenging properties and moderate reducing power, while its DPPH scavenging
ability was weak. In regard to our findings, we can conclude that our preliminary
results demonstrated strong scavenging ability of Cordyceps sinensis. Our results
indicated that CS can be used as an applicative agent that counteracts the effects of
oxidative stress in vitro. Mechanisms underlying its properties should be further
evaluated in in vivo studies.
5. Bacterial diseases of plants and their control
Aleksa Obradović*
University of Belgrade, Faculty of Agriculture, Belgrade, Serbia
*Corresponding author: [email protected]
Soon after Robert Koch’s (1843–1910) discovery in 1876, that anthrax, a disease of
animals, including humans, was caused by a bacterium Bacillus anthracis, T. J. Burrill in
Illinois showed that the fire blight disease of pear and apple was also of bacterial etiology
(1878). In the early 1890s, Erwin Smith pioneered research in phytobacteriology and showed
that several other plant diseases were caused by bacteria. Following these early discoveries, it
turned out that all plant types, like cereals, vegetables, fruits, grasses, shrubs, trees and even
medicinal plants are prone to bacterial infections. During the host-pathogen interaction, some
plant pathogenic bacteria produce toxins or inject special proteins that lead to the host cell
death or they produce enzymes that break down key structural components of plant cells and
their walls. An example is soft-rotting bacteria producing enzymes that degrade the pectin
layer responsible for holding plant cells together. Still others colonize the water-conducting
xylem tissue causing wilting of plants. Agrobacterium species even have the ability to
genetically modify their hosts and bring about the formation of cancer-like overgrowths called
crown gall. However, major bacterial diseases of plants include leaf spots, blights and
discoloration, rots, wilts, dwarfing and stunted growth, galls, cankers, fruit deformation,
retarded ripening, etc. Bacterial diseases in plants are difficult to control. Usually, emphasis is
on the control of sources of infection or inoculum reservoirs, and on preventing the spread of
bacteria rather than on curing the plant. In order to provide acceptable efficacy and
sustainability, a combination of control measures is often required to keep particular disease
under control.
6. Organic agriculture in terms of sustainable development of Serbia
Snežana Oljača*, Dušan Kovačević, Željko Dolijanović
University of Belgrade, Faculty of Agriculture
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*Corresponding author: [email protected]
Achieving sustainability gives an answer on question what is a sustainable
agroecosystem? Sustainability has been the background context of nearly every topic
addressed so far. This paper proposes a framework for setting the parameters for
sustainability, outlines indicators that can tell us if we are moving in the necessary directions,
and sets criteria for the research needed to fashion a more sustainable path in agriculture. The
concept of sustainable development and the complex analysis of the state of the environment
require from agriculture to produce enough food in a manner that does not endanger the
environment. Due to the significant percentage of the population living in rural areas, because
of the high percentage of gross domestic product, as well as the growing adverse impact that
agriculture has on the environment, our country needs a strategy of sustainable development
in agriculture. One of the goals of the sustainable agriculture is to create farming systems that
mitigate or eliminate environmental harms associated with industrial agriculture. That aim can
be realized only in flexible cultural practices in real agroecological conditions (different
regional characteristics, soil types, adapted cultivars for low-input or organic production). The
transformation from conventional to organic production requires changes and adaptation of
many cultural practices. Organic farming is one of the most interesting current trends in
agriculture entirely based on ecological principles and the absence of agricultural chemicals
use (pesticides, fertilizers, antibiotics, hormones, GMOs). The Republic of Serbia has
significant natural resources and favorable conditions for agricultural production, which can
meet the basic requirements for the establishment of organic farming, due to less
contamination of soil and water, and to less use of pesticides and other chemicals.
Key words: organic agriculture, sustainable development, environmental protection
7. Serbian agriculture in climate change–Farmers’ assessment
Slaven Prodanovic*
University of Belgrade Faculty of Agriculture,Belgrade, Serbia
*Corresponding author: [email protected]
Climate change has become our global reality. According to European Environment Agency
(EEA, 2017), Serbia is one of the most vulnerable countries in Europe in terms of climate
change. Negative impacts of climate change on crop yields have been already noticed in
agriculture. We conducted a survey in which we asked farmers to assess the impacts and
damages from climate change. The surveyed farmers believe that the most important effects
of climate change are periods of extreme high temperature, droughts, late spring frost, and
hail. Climate change seems to be reducing yields, facilitating the appearance of new diseases
and pests, and causing a lower tolerance to existing diseases and pests.
8. A few words about Serbian agriculture
Đorđe Moravčević1, Aleksandar Simić1*, Katarina Zarubica2, Maja Sudimac3
1 Faculty of Agriculture, University of Belgrade, Republic of Serbia
2 Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management, Belgrade, Republic of Serbia 3 PSSS “Institute Tamiš”, Pancevo, Republic of Serbia
10
Corresponding author: [email protected]
The Republic of Serbia has approx. 7.5 million inhabitants. It is located in South Eastern
Europe. Capital of Serbia is Belgrade. Agricultural land in Serbia covers approx. 5.1 million
hectares (some 66% of total land) of which about 3.6 million ha are arable land. The climate
of Serbia is moderately continental, with localized variations and a gradual change between
the seasons. Average annual precipitation ranges from 600 to 800mm in the plains and
between 800 and 1,200mm in the mountains. Land and climate conditions are favorable for
difference type of agricultural production. The crops that we mostly plant are cereals,
industrial crops, vegetables, orchards, vineyards, nursery-gardens.
Poster Presentation Abstracts
1. Infrared transmission and reflection of titan aerosol analogues under
vacuum
Ashley L. Walker1,2 *, Sarah Hörst2, Bryné Hadnott2, Chao He2, Marcella Yant2
1Chicago State University, Department of Chemistry, Physics, and Engineering Studies
9501 s. King Dr, Chicago, IL, 60628. 2The Johns Hopkins University, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences
3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218.
Corresponding author: [email protected]
Saturn’s moon, Titan, is the only body in the solar system with a thick nitrogen
atmosphere that may be similar to that of the Early Earth. Photochemistry in Titan’s
atmosphere, composed of mainly nitrogen and methane, produces incredibly complex organic
materials. The purpose of this work is to understand the composition of these organic
materials through the use of laboratory atmosphere simulation experiments. The Planetary
HAZE Research Chamber (PHAZER) at Johns Hopkins University operated by the Hörst Lab
group has been used to simulate a variety of solar system and exoplanet atmospheres
including that of Titan. In this chamber, nitrogen and methane gases flow past cold plasma in
order to create aerosols called “tholins”; experiments such as these have been used to improve
our understanding of the chemistry in Titan’s atmosphere for decades. The particles generated
in these experiments are deposited as thin films and then analyzed using Fourier transform
infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). FTIR provides information regarding the chemical composition
and optical properties of the particles and can be compared to remote sensing observations of
Titan’s atmosphere. We review and compare our spectral data to tholins from previous
experiments to provide a better understanding on the habitability of Titan.
2. Genetic and morphological variation of two sympatric akodon species
in Eastern Paraguay interior Atlantic forest remnants.
Aide Balcazar *, Damian Gonzalez, Gabriel Hernandez, Noé U. de la Sancha
11
Department of Biology, Chicago State University, Chicago, IL 60628 USA (AA, DG, GH,
NS); Integrative Research Center, The Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL 60605
USA (NS).
Corresponding author:[email protected]
A. paranaensis and Akodon montensis are two abundant sympatric species in forest remnants
in the Interior Atlantic Forest of eastern Paraguay. The original description of A. paranaensis
did not include comparison with A. montensis. These two species are very difficult to identify
in the field, based on external features. Using cyte-b gene we were able to implement a DNA
barcoding approach to identify between Akodon species. We implemented geometric
morphometrics on skulls and mandibles in order to compare interspecific morphological
differences. We implemented principal component analysis (PCA) to identify the portion of
the skull with the most variation. Discriminant function analysis (DFA), followed by
permutation test was implemented to test shape differences between species. Based on
preliminary results of multispecies PCA we found most of the variation in the rostrum. DFA
showed considerable differences between species and permutation test showed significant
differences between species (skull α ≤ 0.0001 and mandible α ≤ 0.0001). Our DFA showed
most of the variation in the anterior portion of the rostrum, the zygomatic arches, and molars.
Proper discrimination between these species is valuable for understanding the ecological role
of these species in these forest remnants. Improved understanding of these species is valuable
for long term mark recapture studies, which are currently unreliable in these forests. Given
their abundances, identifying these species will also allow for improved biodiversity metrics
for conservation and management efforts.
3. Using mitochondrial cytochrome b gene (cyt-b) as a barcoding tool to
improve biodiversity patterns in tropical rainforest of Ivory Coast
Bailey Holifield *, Aide Alvarado, Noe de la Sancha
Department of Biology, Chicago State University, Chicago, IL 60628 USA (DG,GH,NS); The
Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL 60605 USA.
Corresponding author:[email protected]
The Guinean Forest of West Africa is one of the most diverse forest systems in that continent.
Many of the species found there are still poorly understood. Our study aims to improve the
understanding of individual species taxonomy and biodiversity patterns in Ivory Coast. We
were able to sequence ~ 800 base pairs of cytochrome b gene for 57 specimens and this was
coupled with various taxa extracted from GenBank to be used for DNA barcoding. We
developed phylogenetic hypothesis based on Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian approaches.
Our efforts resulted in the identification of most our specimens and provided inference about
the relationship of Ivorian populations to neighboring regions. Finally, we found evidence
that we might have also found a species not yet described by science. These efforts are
helping to improve our understanding of this unique forest system.
4. Enumeration and characterization of bacteria found on single
user and multiple user computers at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga
University of Science and Technology
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Murithi Winnie Kathambi*1, Onyango Benson1
1School of Biological and Physical Sciences, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science
and Technology, P. O. Box 210, 40601, Bondo, Kenya.
*Corresponding asuthor: [email protected]
ABSTRACT
Computers have become essential accessories in human life. Many users from different places
interacts with computers aggravating the possibility of cross contamination from handlers to
computer surfaces making them reservoirs for pathogenic microorganisms. Despite benefits of
technology these surfaces portents risks to infections transmission. This study aimed to
isolate, enumerate and characterize bacterial contaminants on single and multiple user
computers. Purposive sampling of microbial swabs was conducted using sterile swabs from
surfaces of 6 laptops and 6 desktops within Jaramogi University library. The surfaces of each
of computers were sampled before and after treatment with 70% isopropyl alcohol. The swabs
were incubated on nutrient agar for 24 hours at 37oC. Microbial enumeration was done using
plate count technique and morphological characterization done after sub-culturing pure
isolates on nutrient agar and Eosin Methylene Blue. Data on colony count was subjected to
Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) using GENSTAT Version 17 software and where significant,
means were separated using LSD(p<0.05). The results showed multiple user computers had the
highest number of bacteria colonies (517) whereas single user had 217 colonies. Some of the
bacteria isolated from samples included Staphylococcus sp., Bacillus sp., Escherichia coli,
Streptococcus sp., Pseudomonas sp., and Micrococcus sp., indicating that computers harbor
many pathogenic microbes as they provide a conducive environment for growth. Treatment
by 70% isopropyl alcohol reduced 99% bacterial population confirming its high level of
efficacy. Hand hygiene, sanitation and regular disinfection of computer surfaces is
recommended to minimize cross contamination.
Key words: Multiple-user, single user, computer keyboards, microbial contamination.
5. Antimicrobial activity of Moringa oleifera extract against Ralstonia
solanacearum causing bacterial wilt in tomato plants
Ncubiri Erickson L. Munene*1, Mweresa Collins1, Benson Onyango1
1School of Biological and Physical Sciences, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science
and Technology,
P. O. Box 210, 40601, Bondo, Kenya.
*Corresponding Author email: [email protected]
ABSTRACT
Ralstonia solanacearum the causative pathogen for bacterial wilt disease is a major limiting
factor to tomato production. The pathogen is widespread due to its persistence, lethality,
broad host and geographical range. Chemical methods used to control bacterial wilt are
expensive, portend environmental risks due to persistence and technically challenging to
implement among small holder farmers. Alternative economically and environmentally
friendly techniques for control of R. solanacearum which are necessary. The study
investigated the antimicrobial activity of Moringa oleifera leaf, seed and stem extracts against
13
R. solanacearum causing bacterial wilt in tomato plants. Sampling of infected tomato plants
was done and bacterial streaming test conducted in sterile water. Serial dilution on nutrient
agar was used to isolate the pathogen. Dilutions of the ooze were made and inoculated on
nutrient agar for 24 hours at 37oC. Identification of bacterial isolates was done using colony
morphology, gram staining and catalase reaction test. Water extracts of seed, leaf and stem of
M. oleifera were tested by disc diffusion method. Numerical data was subjected to Analysis of
Variance (ANOVA) single factor to establish significance deference in extract performance.
The results showed that seed extract having the highest significant (p<0.05) inhibition zone of
8.87 mm, while the stem extract had the least inhibition zone of 7.12 mm. The leaf extracts
had an inhibition zone of 8.25mm. It is therefore recommended that M. oleifera extracts be
used for the biological control of R. solanacearum in the soil.
Key words: Moringa oleifera, Ralstonia solanacearum, biological control, tomato
6. Smart indoor air pollution control application
1*Irene Monica Ayako, 1*Lemi Lee Koome, 1*David Ngamau Maina; 1 *Kenaz Odhiambo; 2*Jackson Kisingu Ndolo
Supervisor: 1Solomon Ogara, PhD 1Department of Computer Security and Forensics, School of Informatics and Innovative
Systems 2 Department of Construction Management, School of Engineering and Technology
Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology
Corresponding author: [email protected]
14
Abstract
The future of our children matters! Around 3 billion people cook and heat their homes
using open fires and simple stoves burning biomass (wood, animal dung and crop waste)
and coal. Among these people over 4 million people die prematurely from illness
attributed to the household air pollution. The goal of this project is to develop a Smart
Indoor Air Quality Control Application for eliminating indoor air pollution and
bacteria using 90% recycled waste, and a touch of artificial intelligence technology for
data collection and analysis. This technology applies simple chemistry principles to
remove unwanted substances such as dust, particulate matter, pollens, smoke, oxide of
nitrogen, carbon monoxide and bacteria. The technology uses natural materials such as,
activated carbon obtained from bamboo plant for air purification. The materials used to
develop this application include: 1) Recycled materials such as plastics, polystyrene,
polyvinyl chloride (Styrofoam), polyethylene terephthalate (PETE), and metals such as
Aluminium and steel; 2) Ultra Violet (UV) light bulbs, Air sensors, Artificial Intelligence
hardware, display boards and program, Bamboo activated Carbon, Mini Freezer, Fans
and Motors, buzzers and alarm signals, sizeable but powerful solar panels, AC- DC
power convertor, power backup and Outside casing design model. This solution offers
better health conditions for people with asthma, pregnant women, young children, the
elderly people and other vulnerable members of our society. This application has the
potential to improve quality of life through provision of clean and sufficient pollutant
and bacteria-free air.
Keywords: Indoor Air Quality Control Application, air pollution, artificial intelligence,
recycled waste, air purification, quality of life
7. Cover crop effects on the fate of N in popcorn
(Zea mays L. ssp. everta Sturt.) production in a semiarid region
Marijana Damjanac, Zeljko Dolijanovic, Nevenka Djurovic
University of Belgrade, Faculty of Agriculture, Belgrade, Serbia
Corresponding author: [email protected]
ABSTRACT
This research aimed to determine the effects of different cover crops and application of bio-
fertilizer on dynamic of nitrogen in the soil and yield of main crop - popcorn. We evaluated
the effect of fall–winter species (common vetch, field pea, winter oats, fodder kale) and a
mixture of vetch and field pea with oats used as cover crops, as such as dead organic mulch
and traditional variant, without coverage on biomass. N uptake by cover crops ranged from
7.49 to 79.28 kg ha-1 and from 0.35 to 42.10 kg ha-1 N, respectively, depending on cover crop
type. At harvest soil nitrate content in treatments with cover crops was 50–70% lower than in
the control, reducing spring N leaching risk. Residual mineral N significantly increased with
application of microbiological fertilizer. Consequently, popcorn yield was the highest in
fodder kale and mixture of field pea and winter oats (5.25 and 5.40 t ha-1) treatments, but the
smallest in winter oat and dead organic mulch (4.45 and 4.10 t ha-1). In terms of all
investigated traits, particularly grain yield, cover crops and microbiological fertilizer
15
expressed more efficiency in the dry year. It could be concluded that N content should be
controlled effectively by sowing main crops after planting of cover crops in sustainability
farming systems in a semiarid region.
Key words: popcorn, cover crops, N fate, microbiological fertilizer, yield
8. Potential antitumoractivities of Agaricus blazei on breast cancer cell
lines MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231
Stefana Djordjević *and Aleksandar Hristov *
University of Belgrade- Faculty of Pharmacy, Belgrade, Serbia
Corresponding authors: [email protected] and [email protected]
Mushrooms have been long valued as tasty (with specific flavor and aroma) and nutritional
food for human beings and also have been considered to be a good source of digestible
proteins. The finding of polysaccharides, complex carbohydrate polymers, most of which are
β-glucan polymers have been the main issue of attention for its medicinal properties.
Polysaccharides and antioxidants have been widely investigated as biologically active
compounds of mushrooms having cytotoxic as well as immunomodulating properties, so the
objective of our study was to clarify anti tumor actions of Agaricus blazei and its possible
therapeutic potential. Therefore, in this work, we have examined whether Agaricus blazei is
able to modulate the proliferation of breast carcinoma cell lines MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231.
In a current study the potential anti-tumor effects of Agaricus blazei on breast cancer cell lines
were successfully confirmed, supporting the previous findings that biologically active
compounds of mushrooms display the cytotoxic effects.
9. Pest Organisms Threatening Europe (POnTE - GA635646)
www.ponteproject.eu
Aleksa Obradović *, Milan Ivanović, Dušanka Jerinić-Prodanović, Anđelka Prokić, Nevena
Zlatković, Jelena Menković
University of Belgrade, Faculty of Agriculture, Institute for Phytomedicine, Belgrade, Serbia
Corresponding author: [email protected]
The POnTE project fosters and promotes a multi-actor approach and transnational research
collaborations in plant protection, agro-engineering and economics. About 120 researchers
from 13 countries (Italy, France, Spain, the United Kingdom, Austria, Finland, The
Netherlands, Norway, Costa Rica, Israel, Serbia, Belgium, Germany) and 25 participating
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institutions (research institutions, universities, international organizations, companies) joined
in research focusing on minimizing the risk of introduction/impact of emerging pests
threatening EU agriculture and forestry. The first pathosystem from the project scope is
bacterium Xylella fastidiosa, recently detected on the EU territory, and its hemipteran vectors
in olive, grapevine, citrus, stone fruits, ornamentals and landscape trees of high socio-
economic importance. The second POnTE focal point is the emergence of bacterium
Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum haplotypes in carrots and celery in the EU, raising
serious concerns about the risk that they pose to carrot, celery and solanaceous crops across
the whole EU. Fungi Hymenoscyphus fraxineus (anamorph Chalara fraxinea) and
Phytophthora spp. seriously affect broadleaf and conifer species in the EU forest ecosystems.
Therefore these are the third pathosystem studied within the project. The studies include
research experiments on the genetics and biology of the target pathogens, elucidation of the
mode of transmission and ecology of the insect-vectors, early detection and prevention,
modelling and risk assessment tools, sustainable approaches for controlling the spread and the
impact of the diseases caused by the pathogens.
10. Xylella fastidiosa - hosts and symptomatology
Ivana Petković1*, Aleksa Obradović1
University of Belgrade, Faculty of Agriculture, Institute for Phytomedicine, Belgrade, Serbia
Corresponding author: [email protected]
Modern, intensive agricultural production, whose main goal is to provide safe and healthy
products with a high percentage of nutrients, is followed by a large number of plant diseases.
They are caused by pathogens such as fungi, bacteria and viruses, as major ones. Xylella
fastidiosa is a bacterium causing various economically important diseases that can affect the
quality and quantity of yield and eventually cause death of large number of plants. The
bacterium has a wide host range, afecting more than 370 plant species, among them many
agricultural, ornamental and plants from spontaneous flora. Some of the most important plant
diseases caused by X. fastidiosa are Pierce’s disease of grapevine, Phony peach disease, olive
decline, plum, cherry and almond leaf scald, etc. It causes also symptoms on some ornamental
Mediterranean plants such as olenader, lavander, rosmarinus and Polygala murtifolia. On
forest plants, such as elm, oak, sycamore, bacteria also causes bacterial leaf scorch (BLS) type
of symptoms. Many of wild plants and weeds can carry the bacteria without symptoms. In
most cases X. fastidiosa is causing unspecific symptoms. However, sometimes the symptoms
can indicate the disease etiology or be of diagnostic importance.
Keywords: Xylella fastidiosa, bacteria, symptoms, decline, leaf scald, leaf scorch.
11. Bacillus subtilis - potential for application in sustainable agriculture
Irena Todorović*, Jelena Jovicic-Petrovic
Univesity of Belgrade Faculty of Agriculture, Belgrade, Serbia
Corresponding author: [email protected]
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Due to the excessive use of inorganic fertilizers and plant protection chemicals, sustainability
in agricultural production has emerged as one of the most significant concerns. Sustainable
soil productivity relies on development of alternative strategies based on biological processes.
Beneficial soil microbes can be used as bioinoculants for stimulating plant growth by
synthesizing plant growth-promoters, siderophores, suppressing plant pathogens, as well as
aiding nitrogen and phosphorous uptake. Among various PGPR genus, Bacillus sp. is one of
the most extensively studied rhizobacteria that promotes plant growth and development by
production of phytohormones, 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate deaminase and
siderophore, as well as by phosphate solubilization. Some Bacillus sp. also exhibit property of
antibiosis and induction of plant systemic resistance against pathogens. In current research,
soil isolate, a member of Bacillus sp. was identified and characterized in order to estimate its
potential for application in agriculture. The isolate was identified as Bacillus subtilis by
biochemical and molecular methods. Qualitative enzymatic activity of species B. subtilis
isolate was examined by API ZYM (Biomerieux, France) according to the manufacturer’s
instructions. The enzymatic profile showed production of phosphatase enzymes (acid, as well
as alkaline phosphatase) which indicate B. subtilis involvement in mineralization of organic
phosphorus compounds. In addition to improvement of phosphorus availability to plants, B.
subtilis is characterized as ammonia producer, thus representing a beneficial microbe
improving the availability of the two most important plant nutrients. Production of
exopolysaccharides by the isolate is confirmed, and indicates its possibility to successfully
colonize different environmental niches, and adjust the ionic balance in the rhizosphere. B.
subtilis showed potential for biocontrol by inhibition of plant pathogen Rhizoctonia solani
(inhibition percentage of 38% was determined in dual culture test). The significance of
biocontrol as an indirect mechanism of plant growth promotion lies in the fact that it is not
only a safe, environmentally friendly way of controlling the pathogens, but it also enhances
the root and plant growth by stimulating the beneficial soil microorganisms. All of the B.
subtilis properties suggest that it has great potential to be used in plant production and
provides the basis for further research on its application in sustainable agriculture.
Key words: plant growth promoting bacteria, sustainable agriculture, biological control,
Bacillus subtilis
12. Antioxidant capacity of green and black tea
Katarina Topalović *
University of Belgrade, Faculty of Agriculture, Department for Food technology, Belgrade,
Serbia
Correspoding author: [email protected]
Green and black tea are products of a plant called Camellia sinensis and they are made
from its leaves. The difference is that during production, black tea is being oxydized. Both
green and black tea are rich in polyphenols and flavonoids that have antioxidant capacity.
The extraction of green and black tea has been done with boiling water. The extraction time
varied between 5 and 60 minutes. Their antioxidant capacity was tested by using different
concentractions for each extraction time. The method used was Ferric reducing antioxidant
power.
Green tea’s antioxidant capacity was increasing with the time of extraction as well as
with concentration. Furthermore, the results were following the content of flavonoids in the
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samples. On the other hand, black tea’s antioxidant capacity did not fully depend on the time
of the extraction, but it did depend on its concentration.
13. Quality of Serbian kania-type pepper fruit
Ivan Tupajić1*, Nebojša Đinović1, Đorđe Moravčević2
1 Superior d.o.o.; Republic of Serbia, Velika Plana
2 Faculty of Agriculture, University of Belgrade, Republic of Serbia Corresponding author:
Abstract
The most wanted pepper type in Balkan agro-ecological conditions is kania –type (kapia-
type). More than 500 varieties in this type are present on European market. In this research,
four pepper varieties in kania-type were tested: emina, prizrenka, slonova noga and slonovo
uvo during two years. Peppers were grown in low tunnels using standard agrotechnics. In full
physiological maturity, the quality of fruits was examined using following parameters: fruit
weight, fruit shape index, pericarp thickness, randman, number of locules and total soluble
solids-brix.
Variety slonova noga had significantly higher fruit mass (275,15 g) and this value was
statistically comparing to ather varieties. The similar trend was also noted for randman of
fruits. Thickness of pericarp was between 4,30 and 6,28 mm (prizrenka and slonova noga).
For this parameter there was no difference between varieties slonova noga and slonovo uvo.
Values for total soluble solids varied between 4,03 (slonova noga) and 5,77% (slonovo uvo).
Varieties slonovo uvo and slonova noga had the best quality of fruits amoung all tested.
Key words: pepper, fruit weight, pericarp thickness, randman, total soluble solids.
14. Rhizoctonia root rot of strawberry in Serbia
Mira Vojvodić1*, Brankica Tanović2, Milica Mihajlović2, Jovana Hrustić2, Petar Mitrović3,
Ivana Vico1 and Aleksandra Bulajić1
1University of Belgrade, Faculty of Agriculture, Nemanjina 6, Belgrade, Serbia
2Institute of Pesticides and Environmental Protection, Banatska 31b, Belgrade, Serbia 3Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops, Maksima Gorkog 30, Novi Sad, Serbia
Corresponding author: [email protected]
Strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa) Duchesne ex Rozier, Rosaceae) is one of the most
economically important berry crops worldwide with an annual world production reaching
almost 9.2 million tons. It is also a fast-growing agricultural business in Serbia. One of the
limiting factors of strawberry production worldwide is root rot, primarily caused by
Rhizoctonia spp. Genus Rhizoctonia mainly compromises multinucleate species subdivided
into at least 13 anastomosis (AG) groups (telemorph in Thanatephorus) and binucleate
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species with so far 23 recongised AGs (telemorph in Ceratobasidium). Multiple AGs could be
associated with strawberry root rot such as binucleate AG-A, AG-G, AG-I and multinucleate
AG-4HGI, AG-4HGIII and AG-6.
Recently, outbreak of black root rot of strawberry occurred in several localities in
Serbia with the estimated disease incidence up to 30%, and we identified binucleate
Rhizoctonia spp. as the causal agent using morphological and molecular methods. Diseased
strawberry plants exhibited symptoms of root rot and deterioration, partial root necrosis and
partial or complete leaf necrosis, followed by plant death. From symptomatic plants a total of
57 isolates were recovered and all uniformly formed fast growing, white colonies and an
abundant aerial mycelium. Hyphae of all isolates were binucleate with a typical branching
pattern. All of the isolates developed moniloid cells 72 h post inoculation, while none formed
sclerotia. After AG pairing with the available tester isolates, all isolates were tentatively
identified as binucleate Rhizoctonia AG-A. Conventional identification was confirmed by
sequencing of barcoding ITS region of rDNA. Sequence analyses revealed that four
Rhizoctonia isolates originating from different localities in Serbia share the nt similarity of
97.2-99.2%, while BLAST analysis revealed the highest nt homology of 99-100% with over
70 sequences of binucleate Rhizoctonia AG-A from different parts of the world and different
host plants. Neighbor-joining phylogenetic analyses of selected Rhizoctonia AG-A, AG-G,
AG-F and AG-I sequences showed that isolates from Serbia demonstrated genetic variability
grouping into three different phylogenetic sub-clusters within cluster of AG-A isolates
originating from Italy, Israel, Japan and the USA. Pathogenicity of four Rhizoctonia isolates
was confirmed by symptom development on inoculated stolon-propagated strawberry
daughter plants (symptoms visible 30 days post inoculation, dpi) and on detached strawberry
leaf petioles (symptoms visible 7 dpi) with no differences in virulence.
As demonstrated in this research, binucleate Rhizoctonia AG-A is the causal agent of
black root rot of strawberry in Serbia, but a larger scale sampling and extensive survey will
probably enable detection of additional contributing AG in the Rhizoctonia complex. Full
understanding of etiology of strawberry root rot is a first necessary step in designing efficient
control measures
This research was financially supported by the grants III-43001, III 46008 and TR
31025, financed by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of the
Republic of Serbia.
15. Effects of raw material on the quality and flesh-to-seed ratio of
processed peppers
Dragoljub Pavlović1, Katarina Zarubica2*, Jelena Pantović3, Đorđe Moravčević4
1 Elixir Food d.o.o., Šabac, Republic of Serbia 2 Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management, Belgrade, Republic of Serbia
3 Institute for Vegetable Crops, Smederevska Palanka, Republic of Serbia 4 Faculty of Agriculture, University of Belgrade, Republic of Serbia)
Corresponding author: [email protected]
In the last few years, the areas with peppers have significantly increased in Serbia.
This is due to the higher demand for both fresh and processed peppers. Freezing is an
important part of the processing procedure, and frozen boxes of various dimensions and
colours represent a very competitive product on the European Union market. The long-fruit
pepper cultivars (Serbian kapija), grown in open fields, are predominantly used for this
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purpose. Due to the specific production “under the open sky”, the input component, i.e.
pepper fruits, are of different quality. In factories, the quality is particularly evaluated by
examining the fruit colour, flesh-to-seed ratio and dry material content.
This paper presents multiannual results from the line of processing peppers into boxes
in the factory Elixir Food in Šabac. The peppers with red fruits (less than 5% of green colour)
had flesh-to-seed ratio (% of the pericarp after cleaning) was in the range 65-70.7%, while the
dry material content was from 6 to 8%. Depending on the year, the peppers with green fruits
had the flesh-to-seed ratio from 56.9 to 65.3%, and dry matter content from 3.7 to 5%.
According to the processed years-long results, it can be concluded that the quality of
the processed peppers is significantly affected by the input raw material, i.e. the conditions in
which this raw material is produced.
Key words: pepper, processed, color fruits, dry matter content.
16. Body development of young bulls in performance test
Hasan Ismael1 *, Radica Djeović1, Vladan Bogdanović1, Dragan Stanojević1
1University of Belgrade, Faculty of Agriculture, Belgrade-Zemun, Serbia
Corresponding author: [email protected] and [email protected]
Abstract
The aim of this research was to determine the phenotypic variability and relationship, and
the effect of factors on the traits of body development, and the body weight of young bulls in
the performance test. The research was carried out on data from The Livestock Veterinary
Center Krnjaca, Republic of Serbia. In total, the number of bulls were analyzed is 71,
including 27 bulls of the Holstein breed and 44 bulls of the Simmental breed. During the
performance test in young bulls, the following traits were measured and monitored: chest
circumference, chest depth, the height of the chest, the chest width, the width of the hips,
testicular volume and length of the body, and the body weight at the end of the test at 365
days of age. Data sets of the measured traits of these bulls were followed for 5 years.
Descriptive statistical analysis was performed using the SPSS statistical software version
20, while the fixed model LSM least squares method was used to analyze the impact of the
source of variability (impact of the breed, year, and season of test) on the observed traits.
The effect of breed was highly statistically significant (p<0.01) for the height of the chest,
chest circumference, the width of the chest, the width of the hips and body weight in the
performance test, while the volume of the testis race effect did not show statistical
significance (p>0.05).
Phenotypic correlation in Simmental bulls ranged from (rp= -0.01) between the depth of
the chest and chest width to (rp= 0.79**) between the body weight and chest circumference.
In Holstein Friesian bulls showed strong phenotypic correlations between chest circumference
and body weight (rp= 0.81**) and between chest circumference and chest height (rp= 0.75),
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while the strength of a correlation for the same traits (circumference of chest and chest height)
in Simmental bulls was medium (rp= 0.41**).
The phenotypic correlation was very strong between the height of the chest and body mass
(rp = 0.79 **) in Holstein Friesian bulls, while the phenotypic correlation for the same traits in
Simmental bulls was (rp = 0.59 **). Knowing the phenotypic correlations between traits of
body development of bulls helps in implementing selection on more traits in performance test,
which is particularly important when combined cattle breeds such as Simmental breed.
Key words: bulls, performance test, body development, phenotypic correlation
17. Assessment of microbial prevalence in soil exposed to herbicide
Lumax
Milan Popović1*, Blažo Lalević1
1 University of Belgrade, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
Corresponding author: [email protected]
Herbicides are substances that are used to control unwanted plants, most often in agriculture
for the purpose of controlling weeds in cultivated crops. Herbicides are suppressing grasses
and woody weeds, algae, mosses, lichens and parasitic cauliflowers.
Significant disturbances in biocenoses are registered with the systematic application of high-
toxic pesticides, since these preparations are poorly dissolved in water and soil and have a
distinct ability to concentrate and exhibit an active biological effect on warm-blooded
animals, have the ability to accumulate in the organisms of plants and animals, and their long-
term use in unlimited quantities exhibit significant effects on biocenosis. The presence of
pesticides in the food chain is a major threat, because when they are gradually accumulated in
one organism, they easily pass on through the diet to others. Lumax 537.5 SE is a selective
herbicide that suppresses all types of annual grass and broad-leaved as well as most perennial
broad leaf weeds in corn. However, LUMAX has a pronounced persistence, and one
application is usually sufficient for long-term control of almost all types of weeds. Herbicides
can be toxic not only for weeds that need to be destroyed but for crops. When they enter the
soil, they can pose a threat to soil microorganisms and plants. The chemical composition of
LUMAX leads to the inhibition of dehydrogenase to a lesser extent urease, β-glucosidase,
catalase and arylsulfatase and is a weak phosphatase inhibitor. The aim of our research is to
determine the microbiological activity of the soil after the application of herbicide (Lumax)
and to isolate tolerant bacteria.
Trial was performed in Kakanj (Bosnia and Herzegovina) in spring 2019. Sampling of soil (0-
20 cm) under corn was carried out ten days after herbicide application (3.5 l/ha). Total
number of bacteria was determined on 0.1xTSA, ammonification bacteria on nutrient agar,
fungi on Rose Bengal streptomycin agar, and actinomycetes on starch-ammonia agar.
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Herbicide-tolerant bacteria was developed using enrichment technique. In control, herbicide
was not used.
The number of bacteria, fungi and actinomycetes increased after 10 days of herbicide
application, which suggest enhancement of microbial activity caused by Lumax application. It
is evident that microorganisms are able of use herbicide as carbon and energy source.
Ten herbicide-tolerant isolates were isolated from soil sample: two from mineral salt medium
supplemented with 5 and 10 g/l, respectively, three from mediums with 20 g/l as well as from
40 g/l of herbicide. These bacterial isolates may have potential application in bioremediation
technologies of cleaning soil and water polluted by herbicide Lumax.
18. Impact of herbicide Stomp application on microbial activity of soil
Nikolina Vukelić1 *, Blažo Lalević1
1 University of Belgrade, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
Corresponding author: [email protected]
Abstract
Farmers all over the world are waging war against insects and weeds as they struggle to
produce bountiful crops to meet increasing demand. Herbicides have the potential of reducing
the amount of crop loss through competition with weeds. In spite of the benefits of herbicide
application to farmers, its usage is not without problems. Mobility of herbicides is also one of
the environmental consequences of herbicide application. Research has shown that they can
also affect the biodiversity of an ecosystem by killing non-target organisms and reduce the
microbial prevalence in soil. Stomp is the selective herbicide applied for controlling annual
grass and broad-leaved weeds in the following crops: black onion, garlic, carrot and cabbage.
It contains pendimethalin (455 g/l) as an active component. The objective of this work is to
determine microbial activity in soil after the use of herbicide Stomp and to isolate herbicide-
tolerant bacteria. Experiment was performed in Kakanj (Bosnia and Herzegovina) on soil
under onion. Sampling was conducted from the surface (0-20 cm) layer ten days after the
herbicide application (2.5 l/ha). Microbial diversity was determined by agar plate
method. Total number of bacteria was determined on 0.1xTSA, ammonification bacteria on
nutrient agar, fungi on Rose Bengal streptomycin agar, and actinomycetes on starch-ammonia
agar, whilst herbicide-tolerant bacteria were detected by enrichment method. The results
showed that herbicide application led to the enhancement of microbial activity in soil. From
composite soil sample treated by herbicide, different colony morphologies were isolated: two
isolates tolerating 5 g/l (v/v) of herbicide, two isolates tolerating 10 g/l and five isolates
tolerating 20 g/l. These bacteria represent a promising candidates for removal of herbicide and
its residua from contaminated soils.
19. The effect of cms-S cytoplasm and xenia on maize grain yield
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Nenad Bunjac* and Stevan Stojković*
University of Belgrade Faculty of Agriculture, Serbia
Corresponding author: [email protected], [email protected]
The effect of cms-S sterility on the maize grain yield was investigated. In the study, sterile
and fertile versions of two hybrids as mothers, nd five hybrids as fathers (pollinators) were
used. The field experiment was set up during three years in Serbia. It was found that the grain
yield of the studied hybrids was significantly affected by the nvironment (years). Cytoplasm
did not have a significant effect on grain yield, but its interaction with mother genotype was
significant.
20. Microbiological quality of surface waters and phytoremediation
possabilities via aquatic plant species
Nikola Dražić1*, Igor Kljujev2Vera Raičević2
1 Department of environment protection, Faculty of agriculture, University of Belgrade, Serbia
2 Department of microbiology, Faculty of agriculture, University of Belgrade, Serbia
2Department of microbiology, Faculty of agriculture, University of Belgrade, Serbia
*Corresponding author: [email protected]
Surface waters have great importance for human health and well being, especially in urban
areas where the human population have greater interaction with it. Those waters can be used
for drinking water, irrigation water or a recreational place. Microbiological quality of surface
waters is a very important parameter for ensuring human health and prevention of deceases
which have pathogen bacteria as a cause. Presence of coliform bacteria in the surface waters
is an indicator of human pathogen bacteria and other pathogenic organisms of fecal origin.
Detecting this type of microorganisms in fresh water can be alarming even in small amounts
and it can pose great risks for human helth.
The goal of this research is an investigation of the presence and identification of Escherichia
coli, as well as faecal streptococci in surface waters of two channels in suburban parts of
Belgrade, and possible remediation methods for elevation contamination using aquatic plant
species.
Microbiological quality of the surface water is estamated on the bases of presence of coliform
bacteria and human pathogen bacteria in the water using method of Quanti-tray 2000 by
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IDEXX with Colilert-18 and Enterolert-E based on water samples from two channels in one
suburban area of Belgrade . Water samples were taken from those channels in the first half of
May and microbiological analysis was done. High presence of coliform bacteria in both
sample areas as well as alarmingly high contents of human pathogen bactera, E. coli and fecal
streptococci), were detected. This indicates high levels of polution caused by human pathogen
bacteria in two cahnnels and calls for imidiate action.
Possability of phytoremediation, by using aquatic plants, was concidered. Banks of channels
that are poluted have different sizes of vegetation on both sides as well as inside the river
bead. This shows that the cahnnels and emidiate suraoundings of them are capable of
sustaining plant life. By choosing sutable plant speaces it is possible to manage and clean up
hazardous polutants in the water.
Keywords: human pathogenic bacteria, microbiological quality, phytoremediation, surface
water, aquatic plants
