In order to evaluate the relationship between water quality in ponds and indices of histopathological changes occurring in the vital organs of the common carp (Cyprinus carpio L., 1758), two six-month field experiments were carried out using two different water supplies: from the nearby stream and a tube well. The fish were fed supplemental feed: raw cereals, pelleted and extruded compound feed. Histopathological analysis, alteration frequencies, and semi-quantitative scoring of the changes were used to assess the health status of the fish. Ponds supplied by stream water were characterized by higher water hardness, dissolved oxygen and pH values, while those supplied by the tube well had higher electroconductivity, total ammonium and orthophosphates content. Fish survival rate and habitat suitability index were lower in ponds supplied by stream water, while the weight gain did not differ between the two water supplies. The use of stream water resulted in a higher level of histopathological changes in gills and liver. Among the water quality parameters, pH level had the strongest influence on fish. Differences in water supply produced greater influence on the level of histopathological changes than the type of feed applied. Gills were the most sensitive organ, while the kidney was the least responsive.

A three-year trial (2003-2005) was conducted under agro ecological conditions of Timočka Krajina (the experiment farm of Technological Research Center in Zaječar). Research object were six malting barley genotypes, which were top-dressed with the following amounts of nitrogen in the course of growing season: 40, 60, 80 and 100 kg ha-1. A non-fertilized variant served as a control. The obtained results indicated that the tested genotypes reacted to increased amounts of nitrogen by changing their morphological and biological characteristics as well as the technological values of grain. The effectiveness of the applied nitrogen depended significantly on the distribution of rainfall in periods of highest water uptake by malting barley

Abstract:Grains have great agronomic and economic importance and they are one of the most important plants. Triticale is modern cereal grain, hybrid of wheat and rye, which inherited the ability of the rye to survive the high frosts, but has a higher protein value than rye, while higher grain yields and increased tolerance to diseases were inherited from wheat. The way in which triticale will be used depends on the characteristics of the variety. Triticale varieties of large and uniform grains which have more proteins then starch are used as concentrated feed for poultry, ruminants and nonruminants. Varieties that form large biomass, similar to rye, can be and are grazed, or harvested for silage or hay and straw. Triticale grain has nutritional value like wheat but with slightly more lysine amino acid. Triticale as a feed grain with good essential amino acid balance, minerals and vitamins is primarily included in livestock diets especially as an energy source. Depending on the type of domestic animal and meal, triticale can be used in significant percentage. The advantage of triticale over other cereals is that it has higher yields, a faster spring growth, and a longer mowing time as a green animal feed, than for example rays or oats. Because of all these advantages, triticale is suitable for planting especially in developing countries.

Dirofilaria immitis causes a severe and life-threatening cardio-pulmonary disease in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas; also, zoonotic infections have been reported. This parasitic vector-borne disease is mostly common in domestic and wild canids and felids. Here, we present a rare finding of this roundworm in the heart of a Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra). Four mature specimens of D. immitis were found in the right ventricle of the heart. Necropsy was performed after the animal was found road-killed in Eastern Serbia, close to the Danube River. Two heartworms were females, one was male and sex for one remained unidentified. Microfilariae were present in the uterus of one of the female heartworms, indicating that otters can act as reservoirs of dirofilariasis in the wild. This is the first report of a patent infection in a free-ranging otter.