Project Manager PhD Elda Vitanović made a guest appearance on Croatian radio and television’s Radio Split show “In the Middle of the Day” on Monday, July 20th. During the show, she presented the project “New methods in olive pests controlling using plant volatiles” which is co-financed by EU funds from the Regional Development Fund “Together with EU Funds” under the Operational Program “Competitiveness and Cohesion 2014 -2020” and call “Investing in Science and Innovation – The First Call”. During the conversation, she clearly pointed out the issue of protection of olives from the most economically important pests (Bactrocera oleae Rossi and Prays oleae Bern.), which appeared this year in Croatian olive growing area.
Promotion of the LoVeFly project at “Noćnjak 2020”
In organization of the Cooperative Association of Dalmatia the 22nd International Manifestation of Olive Growers and Olive Oil Producers “Noćnjak 2020” was opened on June 25, 2020 in the Hotel Kolovare in Zadar. “Noćnjak 2020” was originally scheduled to take place in Supetar in March this year, but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and was held for the first time in the summer. It lasted until June 27, 2020, and brought together a large number of domestic and foreign olive growers and olive oil producers. As part of the event, about thirty presentations prepared by about fifty scientists and experts were held. Presentations were presented through introductory session on olive growing and olive oil production, scientific conference, practicum on olive growing and olive oil production of the Ministry of Agriculture, round table of the University of Split on olives and climate change, and cooperative hour. There was also a fair of olive growing and olive oil production with about thirty exhibitors, and a practical presentation of works and machinery was held in the hotel olive orchard.
As part of the scientific-professional conference on olive growing and olive oil production, Ana Matešković mag. ing. doctoral student on the project “New methods in olive pests controlling using plant volatiles” presented the project to the public by oral presentation and presented and distributed promotional material (roll-up banner, leaflets) of the project.
Participation in workshops on Intellectual Property and the Use of Patent Information
The Technology Transfer Office of the University of Split, through the Microsoft Teams system, organized a series of workshops on the topics of intellectual property and the use of patent information:
1. The role of intellectual property protection by patent – basics of intellectual property.
2. Patent databases as a source of information – basics of searching patent databases.
Lovefly Project Manager (KK.01.1.1.04.0002) PhD Elda Vitanović and project associates PhD Maja Jukić Špika and PhD Marijana Popović participated in the mentioned workshops in order to improve their skills in the field of intellectual property and the use of patent information.
More information can be found at (in Croatian):
Olive small fruit harvest
Olive fruits of 4-6 mm in size were collected in the experimental olive orchard of the Institute for Adriatic Crops and Karst Reclamation at the beginning of June. An examination of the harvested fruits was carried out to determine the intensity of the attack of the carpophagous generation of olive moth (Prays oleae Bern). The composition of volatile substances of the fruits will be analyzed so that compounds characteristic for a specific variety and which could affect the attractiveness of the olive moth can be isolated.
Extraction of essential oils of olive flowers
Hydrodistillation of dried flowers of selected olive varieties was performed in a Clevenger apparatus (for two hours and 30 minutes) in the laboratory of the Institute for Adriatic Crops and Karst Reclamation, The essential oils obtained by the hydrodistillation process were dried with anhydrous sodium sulfate. Samples of essential oils prepared in this way are stored in glass bottles at a temperature of 4°C. These essential oils will determine the profile of volatile substances, which could be responsible for attracting the olive moth (Prays oleae Bern.).
Olive inflorescence sampling completed
Flower samples of selected olive varieties were taken in the experimental olive orchard of the Institute for Adriatic Crops and Karst Reclamation for the purpose of further laboratory analyzes. Part of the flower samples was left to dry in order to carry out the extraction of essential oils from which volatile substances will be be isolated. The second part of the samples, as fresh material, was delivered to the laboratory for analysis of volatile substances from fresh flowers. The intensity of the attack of the antophagous generation of the olive moth (Prays oleae Bern.) was determined on the same olive varieties. The olive moth, along with the olive fly (Bactrocera oleae Rossi) is the most economically significant olive pest and causes damage almost every year. This pest has three generations per year, each of which takes place on different plant organs. The first generation is called antophagous or the generation of the olive flower and feeds on its inflorescences. Butterflies flies at the time of flower fringe, and are active at dusk and dawn. Females lay eggs on calyx of closed flowers. After 10 to 12 days, the caterpillars emerge from the eggs and burrow into the still unopened flowers and feed on its contents. When they finish eating the contents of the first flower, they burrow into the second flower. They repeat this action until they reach a size that makes it impossible for them to settle in the flower and therefore continue to eat the flowers from outside. Thus, the development of caterpillars of the first moth generation takes place on flower buds and olive blossoms and lasts 30 to 35 days. During this period, one caterpillar of an olive moth can eat up to 20 flowers.
The aim of these research activities and laboratory analyzes is to find volatile substances that could be responsible for attracting the olive moth.
Drying of olive inflorencenses
Damage of olive moth on olive inflorescesce
LoVeFly team welcomes new project member!
PhD Marijana Popović is employed as postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Applied Sciences of the Institute for Adriatic Crops and Karst Reclamation within the project “New methods in olive pests controlling using plant volatiles” LoVeFly KK.01.1.1.04.0002 co-financed by the EU Regional Development Fund “Together with EU Funds” under the “Operational Program Competitiveness and Cohesion 2014-2020″. She graduated in 2008 from the Faculty of Chemistry and Technology, University of Split, majoring in Chemistry and Technology of Mediterranean Crops, and earned her bachelor’s degree in chemical technology, defending her thesis ” Glucosinolate Degradation Products of Hedge Mustard (Sisymbrium officinale (L.) Scop.)”. She received her PhD in 2016 from the Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology, University of Zagreb, defending her PhD thesis “Identification of Carbonylated Proteins at Different Stages of Colorectal Cancer” and earned her PhD in natural sciences. She started her professional experience as a research assistant at the Split Clinical Hospital at the Department of Pathology and Forensic Medicine and after that for last five years she was member of scientific teams of Faculty of Medicine, Croatian Veterinary Institute and Faculty of Chemistry and Technology in Split as postdoctoral researcher. Marijana’s scientific interest includes research of the biological effects of plant volatile compounds, chromatographic analysis, genetics, genomics and proteomics. As an author or co-author, she has published thirteen excellent scientific papers in the most prestigious journals and has participated in a large number of national and international scientific conferences, seminars and workshops. Her field of research will be to investigate the effects of plant volatile compounds on attracting the most significant pests of olive trees.
Marijana, welcome!
LoVeFly team welcomes new project member!
Ana Matešković, mag.ing.agr. was employed as an assistant at the Department for Applied Sciences of the Institute for Adriatic Crops and Karst Reclamation, within the project “New methods in olive pests controlling using plant volatiles” LoVeFly KK.01.1.1.04.0002. Project is co-financed by EU funds from the Regional Development Fund “Together to EU funds, as part of the Operational Program Competitiveness and Cohesion 2014-2020. She graduated in 2014 at the Faculty of Agriculture of the University of Zagreb, with a degree in Phytomedicine. After graduation, Ana was actively working in the field of plant protection, professionally training for one year in the public company “Parks and Horticulture” Ltd. and volunteering for three months at the Institute for Adriatic Crops and Karst Reclamation working as an expert associate in the field of plant protection. Her field of research will be to investigate the effects of plant volatile compounds on attracting the most significant olive pests.
Ana, welcome!
PE Laboratory Analysis Working Group Meeting
On Friday, March 6, 2020, a meeting of the PE Laboratory Analysis Working Group was held at the Institute for Adriatic Crops and Karst Reclamation in Split. The meeting was attended by: Prof Valerija Dunkić, PhD from the Faculty of Science, University of Split, Tonka Ninčević, mag.ing. and project manager PhD Elda Vitanović from the Institute for Adriatic Crops and Karst Reclamation. The meeting discussed the procurement of chemicals and supplies foreseen for PE Laboratory Analyzes and the start of conducting analyzes according to the planned timeframe.
Hosting on Radio Split
Project Manager PhD Elda Vitanovic made a guest appearance on Croatian radio and television’s Radio Split show “In the Middle of the Day” on Monday, March 2nd. During the long interview, one of the main topics was the presentation of the project “New methods in olive pests controlling using plant volatiles” which is co-financed by EU funds from the Regional Development Fund “Together with EU Funds” under the Operational Program “Competitiveness and Cohesion 2014 -2020” and call “Investing in Science and Innovation – The First Call” which was clearly pointed out during the interview.