Watermelon is a popularly consumed vegetable well known for its health and nutritional value. It is rich in vitamins, especially vitamin C, and other bioactive compounds with high antioxidant properties. The quality and productivity of the watermelon can be enhanced by using the right cultivars and production techniques.The objective of this study was to determine the selected quantity and quality parameters between the most popular watermelon cultivars (Farao F1, Constellation F1, Red Star F1, and Bonanza F1) in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The research was conducted during the growing season of 2021 in the region of Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The examined parameters were: fruit number and weight, rind thickness, total soluble solids (TSS), and vitamin C content in marketable fruits. All examined parameters showed significant differences between cultivars. Farao F1 exhibited the highest fruit weight (12.43 ± 0.91 kg fruit-1), TSS content (11.70 ± 0.91 Brix), and vitamin C content (6.47 ± 0.75 mg/100 g). On the other hand, Bonanza F1, a mini cultivar, exhibited the lowest fruit weight (2.26 ± 0.52 fruit-1), rind thickness (0.55 ± 0.19 cm), and TSS content (8.55 ± 1.44 mg/100 g).

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, greenhouses and polytunnels are often exposed to excessive snowfall during the winter period. In order to prevent the side-effect of retaining large amounts of snow (greenhouses, polytunnels), it is necessary to implement preventinve measures. The objective of this study is aimed at determining the rate of snow melting through the application of different concentrations of urea (5%, 10%, 15%, 20% and 30%), at different temperatures. The results of the study show that the highest rate of snow melting, within one hour and at temperature ranging from 0 to 50 C, is recorded in the application of 10% and 30% urea concentrations, and the lowest at at a concentration of 20%. Urea concentrations of 15% and 30% show the best effect on snow melting rate within day, at the stated positive air temperatures, while the concentration of 20% had the least effect. At temperatures ranging from 0 to - 50 C, the highest snow melting rate was recorded in the urea concentration of 10% within both one hour and one day, and the lowest at a 15% concentration. In the conducted studies, all urea concentrations showed statistically significantly better results at positive temperatures compared to negative ones, by 2 to 3 times on average.

The effects of different water stress (control, low, moderate and severe) on some morphological and physiological characteristics of spinach plants were evaluated. The results showed that water stress strongly affects spinach plant growth and metabolism. The increasing water stress decreased the leaf area, petiole length and biomass accumulation, resulting in dramatically lower spinach yields. Photosynthetic pigment contents increased in response to low and moderate level water stress; however, under severe stress conditions their content started to decrease. The increase in water stress also resulted in a higher proline accumulation as well as total phenolic and flavonoid contents. These results lead to the conclusion that spinach plants could produce protective macromolecules and antioxidants in large quantities even under severe drought conditions, suggesting that spinach can be considered a drought-tolerant plant species from a survival point of view.

The tractor is a key driving unit in modern agricultural production. This study explores the possibilities and capabilities of farmers in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) compared to other CEFTA members in purchasing an adequate, quality, and suitable new tractor. The research analyzes the process of trade liberalization in Southeast Europe, including the Agreement on Amendment and Accession to CEFTA. The study covers an analysis of ten global tractor brands across 110 different models that are available in CEFTA countries market. The average tractor prices and prices per kW of power were calculated by brand, and a brendization (according to the Analytical Hierarchy Process method (AHP)) into three groups: A, B, and C was performed. The research results showed that New Holland brand tractors are the most expensive, while Foton brand tractors are the cheapest. In terms of price per kW, Ferrari brand tractors are the most expensive, while ArmaTrac brand tractors are the cheapest. Differences in the purchasing power of farmers in BiH compared to CEFTA members were also analyzed, with a focus on differences in average salary in countries across three years (2018, 2019, and 2020). The purchasing power of farmers was determined by calculating the purchasing power coefficient (PPC), which showed that farmers from Serbia and farmers from Montenegro have the highest purchasing power for all examined tractor brands, while Moldova is the weakest by this indicator, and theoretically, farmers do not have the ability to purchase tractors of any examined brand. Farmers from BiH do not have the purchasing power to buy Kubota and Ferrari brand tractors but have the purchasing power to purchase Foton, ArmaTrac, and Case brand tractors.

Greenhouse vegetable production offers many advantages over traditional open-field cultivation methods. These benefits include regulating and controlling growing conditions, leading to higher crop yields, year-round production, and increased resource allocation efficiency. Many studies demonstrate that heating systems improve production in greenhouses, leading to increased yields and improved economic profitability. However, similar research is lacking in Bosnia and Herzegovina, particularly in regions with a continental climate. Therefore, the main goal of this study was to evaluate the economic efficiency of vegetable production (lettuce, spring onion, tomato, and spinach)  in a greenhouse equipped with an additional heating system compared to one without such a system. The experiment was conducted in two 100 m2 greenhouses using identical cultivation technology. The results showed that the temperature in the two separate greenhouses was statistically significantly different in winter; however, the observed yields did not show a statistically significant difference. Unexpectedly, the economic results were contrary to expectations, with lower returns in the greenhouse with heating. The main reason is the higher costs associated with deprecation (1,238 BAM) and the geothermal pump's electricity consumption (700 BAM). In conclusion,  through this research, it was found that the tested vegetable production using a geothermal heat pump is not economically justified. It is recommended to consider the use of such equipment under different conditions, such as larger greenhouse areas with improved insulation (double-layered plastic). Furthermore, it is recommended that similar experiments be conducted at this location to confirm or challenge the results obtained in this study.

In this work, the influence of different concentrations of indole-butyric acid on the development of roots, one-year-old and two-year-old hardwood cuttings (Sambucus nigra L.) was investigated. Both types of cuttings were treated with three different concentrations of indole-butyl acid in liquid form (500 ppm, 800 ppm, and 1000 ppm), including the control variant of one-year-old and two-year-old hardwood cuttings (without the application of hormones). The parameters examined at the end of the experiment were: the percentage of rooting of the cuttings depending on the hormone treatment, the length of the adventitious roots depending on the hormone treatment, and the fresh mass of the roots, also depending on the hormone treatment. The use of indole-butyl acid in a concentration of 800 ppm proved to be the best because it had the greatest effect on increasing the value of all tested parameters of the cuttings. 

Varietal correct, healthy and quality planting material is the basis of successful fruit production. Mistakes that are made in the choice of planting material when planting are, unfortunately, very common, they are noticed late and cannot be corrected. During grafting, there is a change in the epibiot under the influence of the hypobiote, which is numerous and diverse.This paper presents the results of the influence of two apple cultivars (Idared and Jonagold) on the growth dynamics (through six measurements during the growing season), seedling height, rootstock and stem diameter. The direction of the significant difference is not the same in all measurements, sometimes the average is higher for the Idared variety and sometimes for the Jonagold variety. Based on that, we cannot conclude that the apple variety has a statistically significant effect on seedling height and steam diameter. But during the influence of the variety on the diameter of the steam, it can be concluded that the apple variety has a statistically significant effect on the diameter of the rootstock.When it comes to the impact of branching, the research results show that it is significant for all research parameters.

The study of the effect of various types of pruning on fruiting of Muscat Bleu grape variety in the conditions of Herzegovina lasted for three years. Three pruning variants (28, 32 and 40 buds/vine) were applied in four repetitions. The yield of grapes per vine and the number of clusters per vine was the highest in 2011 year (10.30 kg and 45.98). The yield of grapes per vine (7.59 kg) was the smallest in 2012, and the number of grapes per vine in 2013 (25.93). The total number of productive canes per vine was the highest in 2012 (26.62), and the lowest in 2013 year (total number of productive canes per vine 22.65, number of productive canes per vine 22.47). Pruning variant III had the highest levels of these parameters in all three experimental years, and variant I the lowest.

Talking about a cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) widespread means that it should be immediately emphasized how widespread it is in our country (Bosnia and Herzegovina), both in food and production. Based on that, there is an urgent need for quality and disease-resistant varieties/hybrids produced by technology which reduces the possibility of disease emergence. Greenhouse production of grafted cucumber in Bosnia and Herzegovina in recent years is experiencing significant expansion.Grafted plants of the cucumber hybrid ‘Charta’ were comparatively analyzed with the non-grafted, in order to record the main morphological and productive differences between them.The examined parameters were the number of lateral roots, number of roots hairs, root mass, leaf length and yields.The results of this study show that grafted cucumber in relation to non-grafted achieves a higher yield (161.64±20.82 kg/50m2), while morphological characteristics were mostly similar. Significant differences were observed only in the number of lateral roots (18.00±2.65).

Domestic animals are of great importance for humans, due to various animal products that are irreplaceable in food and clothing. Owing to the development of the digestive organs and the richness in the microflora of the rumen, some types of domestic animals (ruminants) are able to refine and transform various types of plant nutrients and food by-products into high-value animal products, such as meat, milk and wool. Sheep breeding in our country is significantly less important than cattle breeding, meaning that the sheep production is not satisfactory. Numerous factors have caused such situation, and it is clear that more serious work must be done on the development of sheep breeding, since Bosnia and Herzegovina has extremely favorable conditions for raising sheep. Successful sheep production depends mostly on good reproduction, and reproduction depends primarily on the normal and proper development of sexual organs. Numerous factors influence development of sexual organs, including genetic (species and breed of domestic animals) and paragenetic, the most important of which are handling and care, nutrition, breeding season, etc. The influence of the annual breeding season on the establishment of sexual activity in domestic animals is well-known, and this is especially pronounced in sheep. The aim of this work was to determine whether the season influences development of the sexual organs of sheep. The research was conducted on uteri of sacrificed animals taken at the slaughterhouse. The following were examined and measured: 30 uteri of prepubertal sheep (15 in the autumn-winter season and 15 in the spring-summer season) and 30 ewes (15 in the autumn-winter season and 15 in the spring-summer season). The following morphometric parameters were measured: the mass of the uterus with ligaments, the mass of the preserved uterus, the mass of the ovaries, the length of uterine horns, the length and width of the uterus, the length of the fallopian tubes.The obtained results indicate that the examined season influences the dynamics of the development of sexual organs in sheep. This is especially pronounced in ewe and hoggs.

One of the main agricultural activities in Bosnia and Herzegovina is the production of milk, both from beef and sheep. According to the available data, the number of sheep in the world has exceeded one billion (1.08 billion), and in B&H it is slightly higher than one million (1,021,000 heads). About 8.3 million tons of sheep's milk is produced in the world. The structure and function of the mammary gland is of crucial importance for milk production. The development of the mammary gland is influenced by several factors. One of the most important is the action of hormones. A crucial role for the development of the mammary gland is played by prolactin, which simultaneously affects the initiation and maintenance of lactation. Based on the set experiments, exogenous application of prolactin, its influence on the development of the udder in prepubertal females and the histological picture of the udder in untreated and treated udders were established. Treatment with prolactin was carried out by intramuscular injections in a dose of 5 IU, three times for 60 days (every 20 days). One group (36) was treated in the period of early spring (April-May), and the other (36) in the period of early autumn (September-October). Female lambs were on average 250 days old (8.5 months) at the time of treatment. Sixty days after the treatment, the animals were sacrificed and the complete udders with ligaments were taken, which were then measured. The following measurements were taken: mass of the complete udder, mass of the udder without skin and ligaments, length of the udder, width of the udder and diagonal length. The results obtained during both seasons showed that prolactin influenced the development of the mammary gland in sheep. 

Bosnia and Herzegovina's clear aspirations for accession to the European Union entail gradual alignment with measures and instruments of the EU's Common Agricultural Policy during the pre-accession period, aimed at preparing the country for integrationinto the complex institutional and legislative framework of the EU CAP. To monitor this process, an assessment of total support to producers in Bosnia and Herzegovina has been calculated using relative indicators: TTP (Total Transfers to Producers), NRP(Nominal Protection Rate), and NRA (Nominal Assistance Rate), which enable monitoring of agricultural policy and, based on that, an assessment of Bosnia and Herzegovina's standards alignment with EU CAP standards. The calculations have shown that the most significant changes are expected in the support structure, moving towards further reduction of direct support per output, strengthening area/headage payments, and harmonizing amounts per unit of measurement as the first step towards production-related payments currently in force in the EU. In addition to indicators, an assessment of income for Bosnian producers after accession to the EU has been calculated. By simulating Bosnia and Herzegovina's accession to the EU, answers have been obtained regarding the application of the EU CAP and possible implications of implementing a harmonized agricultural policy, which could be beneficial for decision- makers in future pre-accession and accession negotiations when opening agriculture chapters.

During the three-year study of the influence of pruning on the phenological development and yield of the Alphonse Lavalle variety in the Mostar area, three pruning variants (28, 30 and 40 buds / vines) were applied in four replications. The phenological development of the variety took place within the limits of the average and in accordance with the temperature conditions. The total number of developed shoots and the number of bearing shoots was the highest in 2013 (total 21.72, birth rate 21.25), and the lowest in 2012 (total 18.67, birth rate 18.56). The highest yield of grapes per vine was recorded in 2013 (17.73 kg), and the lowest in 2011 (9.01 kg). The number of bunches per vine was the highest in 2013 (33.94), and the lowest in 2011 (26.71). Pruning variant III had the largest number of total (21.79) and native (21.64) shoots, and variant I the smallest (total 18.46, native 18.17). The highest yield of grapes per vine was recorded in variant II (14.47 kg), and the lowest in variant I (12.05 kg), while the number of bunches per vine was uniform in variants II (31.37) and III (31, 51).

Poultry production in Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of the strongest and one of the most advanced branches of agriculture from a technological point of view. Evidence suggests that egg production achieves positive financial results as well as a positive trade balance. It is also evident that strong fluctuations sometimes occur, as a result of ever-present market changes but also natural conditions. During the observed period, 2013-2019 egg production in Bosnia and Herzegovina increases by 2.99%, and the average production is 0.7 billion eggs per year. It remains to see whether this promising sector can stimulate agricultural development. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the economic viability of egg production, as well as to determine major supply and demand trends in egg production/poultry production in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Primary data for this study were collected through semi-structured interviews with representatives of a poultry company in Bosnia and Herzegovina, while secondary data were collected through official statistical agencies, reports, etc. Major production-economic indicators were used for four years (2016-2019). Results showed positive financial results during all observed years, while best performances were evident during the 2018 year and lowest performances were evident during 2017 (66.22% lower compared to 2018). The financial result is mainly influenced by changes in output prices, while companies tend to produce their animal feed which significantly reduces production costs. Also, by-products, poultry fertilizer is highly appreciated by agricultural producers and company make a significant amount of money from it. It remains to see whether egg production can continue to achieve positive results, and is it going to be recognized by policymakers as well as agricultural producers as a more important agricultural branch in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Agriculture in Bosnia and Herzegovina faces numerous challenges, including global crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war, regional issues like African swine fever, and increasingly severe impacts of climate change. On the other hand, BiH is clearly committed to EU integration, as reflected in current state and entity level strategic documents. Moreover, the country's efforts to accelerate the harmonization of its agricultural policy with the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) have been further motivated by the granting of candidate status in 2022 and negotiation status in 2024 for full EU membership. This paper provides an overview of the development of agricultural policy in BiH from 2014 to 2023 at the state and entity levels (including the Brčko District of BiH) to assess the level of harmonization with the EU CAP using the unique APMC methodology for classifying and visualizing agricultural budget transfers. The analysis covers three groups of measures: (1) market measures and direct support to producers, (2) structural measures and rural development measures, and (3) general agricultural measures. Key macroeconomic indicators such as gross value added, employment levels, and trade balance were analyzed to obtain a comprehensive picture of the current state of the agricultural sector and its significance for the economy of BiH. An important contribution of the paper is comparing Bosnia and Herzegovina's agricultural policy with those of the Western Balkan countries. The main conclusion that can be drawn from this paper is that agriculture is an important sector of Bosnia and Herzegovina's economy, with budgetary transfers to this sector showing a growing trend. However, the process of harmonization with the EU acquis is slow and requires greater decisiveness from policymakers, faster adoption of the legislative framework, and appropriate legal solutions, along with the necessary institutional strengthening to address the current challenges of the EU integration process.