Darija Lemic

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Verified

Darija verified their affiliation via an institutional email.

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• PhD
• Professor (Associate) at University of Zagreb

The environmental risk assessment of plant protection products for soil organisms is mainly based on the results of laboratory and extended laboratory studies while the link from the laboratory to realistic field conditions over several seasons is not well established. The current environmental risk assessment is applied to a single active ingredie...

Aphids are significant pests of winter wheat, causing damage by feeding on plant sap and reducing crop yield and quality. This study evaluates the potential of hyperspectral remote sensing (350–2500 nm) and machine learning (ML) models for classifying healthy and aphid-infested wheat canopies. Field-based hyperspectral measurements were conducted a...

This study investigates the effectiveness of ozone technology in extending the shelf life of soft fruits, focussing on blueberries, raspberries and strawberries. We evaluate the effects of ozone application on reducing post-harvest fungal rots and extending storage time, considering variations in ozone concentration and exposure time. Fruit coming...

The olive fruit fly, Bactrocera oleae (Rossi), is the most important widespread pest in olive-growing areas worldwide, causing significant yield losses and deterioration of olive oil quality. This study hypothesized that olive cultivars differ in their susceptibility to B.oleae and that the cultivar in which the pest develops may affect population...

Increasing global trade in agricultural and horticultural products coupled with climate change are amongst the main drivers of the global spread of non-native insect species. This trend has substantial impacts on agroecosystems and economies in general. The aim of this study was to screen non-native insect species for their risk of invasiveness in...

Klimatske promjene donose brojne izazove u poljoprivrednu proizvodnju, a jedan je od najvažnijih utjecaja promjena dinamike štetnih organizama. Porast globalnih temperatura, promjene u obrascima oborina, toplinski valovi i drugi ekstremni vremenski događaji rezultiraju širenjem geografskog područja štetnika, većim preživljavanjem tijekom zimskih mj...

The Mediterranean fruit fly (medfly), Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann 1824; Diptera, Tephritidae), is considered one of the most important pests, infesting more than 300 species of fresh fruit and vegetables worldwide. The medfly is an important invasive species, which has spread from the eastern part of sub-Saharan Africa to all of the world’s conti...

The hindwing geometry, aspect ratio, and numerical modeling of susceptible, Bt-Corn- and rotation-resistant western corn rootworm (WCR) wings was investigated. All variants had similar hindwing geometries and aspect ratio (AR: 6–7). These AR values correspond to wings suited to lower altitude flights of a shorter distance. These AR values are chara...

The brown marmorated stink bug Halyomorpha halys (Stål, 1855), native to East Asia, is an extremely polyphagous pest that infests more than 300 plant species from 49 families. In Europe and North America, this pest causes enormous damage to the production of economically important crops (tree fruit, vegetables, field crops, and ornamental plants)....

Citrus fruits, particularly mandarins, are highly valued globally for their nutritional benefits and versatile culinary uses. However, the challenge of post-harvest decay, primarily due to blue mold (Penicillium italicum) infections, results in significant food losses and necessitates effective preservation strategies. Traditional methods often rel...

This study focused on evaluating the effectiveness of seed treatments and different sugar beet varieties in controlling flea beetles (Chaetocnema tibialis) and sugar beet weevils (Asproparthenis punctiventris) in Croatia. The field trials were conducted in Vukovar-Sirmia County and targeted the developmental stages of sugar beet from BBCH 12 to BBC...

Global climate changes undermine the effectiveness of ‘set and forget’ phytosanitary regulations. Uncertainties in future greenhouse gas emission profiles render it impossible to accurately forecast future climate, thus limiting the ability to make long-term biosecurity policy decisions. Agile adaptive biosecurity frameworks are necessary to addres...

Suzbijanje štetnika u poljoprivrednim kulturama oduvijek je izazovan problem. Razvijene su mnoge mjere za suzbijanje štetnika, koje se mogu podijeliti na agrotehničke, mehaničke, fizikalne, biološke i kemijske. Međutim, kemijske mjere, posebno korištenje insekticida, često prevladavaju. Mnogi insekticidi izgubili su dozvolu za upotrebu, a oni koji...

Featured Application Use of Geometric morphometrics tools to understand invasiveness patterns of invasive species. Simple Summary The box tree moth is an invasive species that originated in Asia. Its presence causes damage by defoliating plants, to the point of causing their death. The presence of silk barriers and threads, covering plants during...

U preciznoj se poljoprivredi, uz korištenje modernih tehnologija, nastoji poljoprivrednim proizvođačima pružiti što više potrebnih informacija u realnu vremenu, na temelju kojih bi mogli pravodobno donijeti odluke u vezi s njegom i zaštitom poljoprivrednih kultura. Za tu su namjenu razvijene metode daljinskog istraživanja uz korištenje GPS-a , GIS-...

Deep neural networks (DNNs) have recently been applied in many areas of agriculture, including pest monitoring. The codling moth is the most damaging apple pest, and the currently available methods for its monitoring are outdated and time-consuming. Therefore, the aim of this study was to develop an automatic monitoring system for codling moth base...

Climate change has a significant impact on winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivation due to the occurrence of various environmental stress parameters. It destabilizes wheat production mainly through abiotic stresses (heat waves, drought, floods, frost, salinity, and nutrient deficiency) and improved conditions for pest and disease development...

The Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata, Wiedemann) is an invasive and quarantine pest, infesting more than 360 different plant species in tropical, subtropical, and Mediterranean climates. It originated in warm regions of Africa and has been causing significant damage in Croatia since the 1950s. Initially, the Mediterranean fruit fly was f...

Fireflies (Coleoptera: Lampyridae) are among the most charismatic of all insects. With more than 2000 species in 100 genera, the worldwide diversity of lampyrids is impressive and includes both diurnal and nocturnal species. Fireflies, like numerous other insects, have experienced a worldwide decline in their distribution and abundance. Currently,...

Integrirani pristup zaštiti mrkve od dva značajna štetnika-mrkvine muhe i mrkvine cistolike nematode ABSTRACT Carrots are among the top ten vegetable crops in the world, with an annual world production of about 428 million tonnes grown on about 11.5 million hectares. The investment per unit area is not high and with good cultivation techniques yiel...

Due to the intensive use of agrochemicals (mainly fertilizers and plant protection products), agricultural crop production contributes significantly to environmental pollution. Therefore, one of the main environmental challenges of today's agriculture is to minimize or eliminate the use of agrochemicals. This is possible in organic farming. Protect...

The brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys Stål, is an invasive Pentatomidae species that causes damageto economically important agricultural crops. It originated in East Asia but has successfully spread to many Europeancountries. It has been present in Croatia since 2017, and its first mass emergence was detected in a soybean field in2019....

The pear leaf blister moth is a significant pest in apple orchards. It causes damage to apple leaves by forming circular mines. Its control depends on monitoring two events: the flight of the first generation and the development of mines up to 2 mm in size. Therefore, the aim of this study was to develop two models using artificial neural networks...

Electronic decision-support tools are becoming an essential component of government strategies to tackle non-native species invasions. This study describes the development and application of a multilingual electronic decision-support tool for screening terrestrial animals under current and future climate conditions: the Terrestrial Animal Species I...

The Colorado potato beetle (CPB, Leptinotarsa decemlineata Say) is one of the most successful invasive species worldwide. It has been present in Croatia since 1947, where it has caused significant damage to potato plants and developed resistance to several insecticides. Our study is the first attempt to investigate the population structure of CPBs...

Neonicotinoids are pesticides widely used for pest control in agriculture with undesirable effects on pollinators. However, other beneficial insects are exposed to insecticides that are not lethal to them but may accumulate and affect their vital characteristics. The objective of this study was to determine neonicotinoid residues in two types of be...

The environmental risk assessment of plant protection products for soil organisms is mainly based on the results of laboratory and extended laboratory studies while the link from the laboratory to realistic field conditions over several seasons is not well established. The current environmental risk assessment is applied to a single active ingredie...

Box tree moth (Cydalima perspectalis, Walker) is an invasive species present in Croatia since 2012 where causes great damage to plants of the genus Buxus. The pest spreads rapidly, has high reproductive potential and good adaptability. Its known natural dispersal velocity is up to10 km per year. Understanding flight characteristics of insect pests...

A total of seven species of fireflies (Lampyris germariensis, Lampyris noctiluca, Lampyris zenkeri, Lamprohiza splendidula, Phosphaenus hemipterus, Luciola italica and Luciola lusitanica) have been recorded in the museum collections of Coleoptera in Croatia. All these species are in the inventoried collections of Novak and Koča, which are kept in t...

Apple is one of the most important economic fruit crops in the world. Despite all the strategies of integrated pest management (IPM), insecticides are still frequently used in its cultivation. In addition, pest phenology is extremely influenced by changing climatic conditions. The frequent spread of invasive species, unexpected pest outbreaks, and...

Codling moth (CM), Cydia pomonella L., is an important pest of apples worldwide. CM resistance to insecticides is a serious problem in apple production. For effective management and control, monitoring of resistant CM populations is absolutely necessary. Therefore, in this study, we investigated whether it is possible to find a reliable pattern of...

Fireflies (Coleoptera: Lampyridae), with more than 2 000 species in 100 genera worldwide, are a charismatic nocturnal species. Although popular in different cultures because of their association with warm summer evenings in childhood, fireflies are an under-researched insect. Like numerous other insects worldwide, fireflies have experienced declin...

The Western corn rootworm (WCR), Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, has been a serious quarantine pest to maize in Europe since the mid-1990s. The integrated pest management of WCR requires an accurate knowledge of the factors that contribute most to risks of crop damage, as well as knowledge of effective area-wide strategies based on agronomi...

The Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann 1824)) is considered one of the most significant tephritid fruit fly species worldwide. Its specific adaptive biology, invasive character and climate change have a very favorable effect on the establishment of its populations in new areas. Understanding the physiology and dispersal of Cerat...

World mandarin production increased up to record 33.3 million tonnes nowadays. Over the past 20 years, production and consumption have trended upward due to favourable weather conditions world-wide. Citrus fruits can be infested by many fungal pathogens that cause significant losses during storage and transportation. Green mould, caused by Penicill...

Codling moth is the most important pest in apple production worldwide. The pest has developed resistance to several chemical groups of insecticides, which makes its control much more difficult. Therefore, special attention is being paid to environmentally friendly protective measures, and research is also being conducted on innovative methods to mo...

The hypothesis of this study was that different plant hosts of the medfly Ceratitis capitata may cause variability as a prerequisite for its invasiveness. The main objective was to determine population variability based on medfly wing shape in three favorable medfly host plants (peach, fig and mandarin) from different agroecological growing areas w...

Simple Summary Invasive insects, along with climate change, are among the two most important environmental problems facing the world today. They pose a threat to many ecosystems worldwide, especially agriculture. As a result, there is a serious risk of economic losses to crops and a challenge to human food security. The aim of this review is to exa...

Pojava rezistentnosti na insekticide kod kukaca ozbiljan je i rastući problem u poljoprivrednoj proizvodnji. Razvijanjem učinkovitih programa praćenja rezistentnosti omogućava se rano otkrivanje rezistentnosti te razvoj i pravovremena implementacija antirezistentnih strategija. Polimorfizam pojedinačnog nukleotida, engl. Syngle Nucleotide Polymorph...

Fireflies (Coleoptera: Lampyridae), with more than 2000 species in 100 genera worldwide, are impressive diurnal as well as nocturnal species (1-3). Although popular in society largely because of their association with warm summer evenings in childhood, fireflies are an under-researched insect. Like numerous other insects worldwide, fireflies have ex...

The brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys (Stål, 1855)) is an extremely polyphagous invasive insect originating from East Asia. It causes damage by feeding on fruit trees and shrubs, legumes, forest trees, and ornamental shrubs and trees. The pest has successfully established in North America and Europe and causes economic damage to agricul...

Spiropidion is a new active ingredient developed by Syngenta. It belongs to the group of acetyl-CoA carboxylase inhibitors (group 23) and to the subgroup of tetronic and tetramic acid derivatives, which act as growth and development regulators of insects and mites. They inhibit acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase, an important participant in the first pa...

The Asian ladybird (Harmonia axyridis Pallas), native to Asia, is one of the 100 most invasive species in the world and has spread worldwide. This study aimed to characterize color forms of H. axyridis in Croatia and to analyze the variability of wing shape between populations and indicated forms. Geometric morphometric methods were used to analyze...

The western corn rootworm (WCR), is one of the most serious pests of maize in the United States. In this study, we aimed to find a reliable pattern of difference related to resistance type using population genetic and geometric morphometric approaches. To perform a detailed population genetic analysis of the whole genome, we used single nucleotide...

Sugar beet production remains unprotected after the ban on neonicotinoids, while pest pressure is increasing. Although the organic approach to agriculture is highly welcomed, the question remains whether it will be possible to grow sugar beet without pesticides. The aim of this study is to determine the efficacy of seed treatments with neonicotinoi...

Alternatives and replacements for synthetic chemical-based plant protectants are required. In this study biopolymeric microspheres containing arthropod-derived apitoxin are explored as a possible novel environmentally friendly formulation for plant protection. Here we document the optimization process for microencapsulation of apitoxin into a stabl...

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of different pre-sowing operations on the abundance and composition of total soil fauna in soybean cultivation, with special attention to carabids as biological indicators of agroecosystem quality. The study was conducted in central Croatia with six different pre-sowing activities (cover crop, mulc...

Climate change and global warming are of great concern to agriculture worldwide and are among the most discussed issues in today’s society. Climate parameters such as increased temperatures, rising atmospheric CO2 levels, and changing precipitation patterns have significant impacts on agricultural production and on agricultural insect pests. Change...

Western corn rootworm (WCR), or Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, became a very serious quarantine maize pest in Europe in the mid-1990s. Between 1995 and 2010, European countries were involved in international projects to share information and plan common research for integrated pest management (IPM) implementation. Since 2011, however, comm...

Morphometrics has been used on Triatomines, a well-known phenotypically variable insect, to understand the process of morphological plasticity and infer the changes of this phenomenon. The following research was carried out in two regions of the inter-Andean valleys and two Chaco regions of Chuquisaca-Bolivia. Triatoma infestans adults were collect...

Uporaba sredstava za zaštitu bilja osigurava učinkovitu zaštitu poljoprivrednih usjeva uz kvalitetan i visok prinos. Negativni utjecaji sredstava za zaštitu bilja ponajprije se ogledaju u pojavi rezistentnosti štetnih organizama, ostatcima pesticida u okolišu te gubitku biološke raznolikosti. Potreba za uvođenjem alternativnih metoda suzbijanja šte...

Jedan je od važnijih globalnih problema u proizvodnji hrane zaštita usjeva od štetnih organizama. Za suzbijanje štetnih organizama najviše se koriste sintetske kemikalije koje su uglavnom vrlo toksične te ugrožavaju zdravlje ljudi i životinja te onečišćuju okoliš. Biopesticidi temeljeni na eteričnim uljima (EO) mogli bi zamijeniti ili nadopuniti dj...

In this study, we review the wide range of alternative control methods used to this day to control the Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata Say), the biggest potato pest globally. We further categorize and highlight the advantages and disadvantages of each method by comparing them to conventional insecticides. In a second step, we poin...

The brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys Stål, 1855) is an invasive polyphagous species that threatens fruit growing both in the United States and Europe. Many pesticide active ingredients have been studied in H. halys management, but for sustainable fruit growing, which implies the reduction of chemical harm to the environment, new safe i...

Fluctuating asymmetry (FA), in contrast with other asymmetries, is the bilateral asymmetry that represents small, random developmental differences between right and left sides. After nearly a century of using traditional morphometrics in the estimation of FA, geometric morphometrics (GM) now provides new insights into the use of FA as a tool, espec...

European sugar beet was mostly grown from seeds treated by neonicotinoids which provided efficient control of some important sugar beet pests (aphids and flea beetles). The EU commission regulation from 2018 to ultimately restrict the outdoor application of imidacloprid, thiamethoxam, and clothianidin could significantly affect European sugar beet...

Overwintering success and weather conditions are the key factors determining the abundance and intensity of the attack of the first generation of European corn borers (ECB). The tolerance of maize to the 1st generation of ECB infestation is often considered to be connected with the maize maturity time. The aims of this research were (I) to examine...

Spotted wing drosophila (Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura, 1931)) a polyphagous alien invasive species causes economic damages in cultivation of soft fruits all over the word. It is widespread in Croatia and considering that the economic damage occurred in greenhouse cultivation of soft fruit several years ago, new damage in this production can be exp...

The invasive species Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura, 1931), the spotted wing drosophila, was first recorded in Croatia in 2010. Since then, it has spread on Croatian territory but its presence has not yet been confirmed in the City of Zagreb. In this research population dynamics of D. suzukii was investigated in three orchards in Zagreb (Maksimir, J...

Colorado potato beetle, CPB (Leptinotarsa decemlineata Say), is one of the most important pests of the potato globally. Larvae and adults can cause complete defoliation of potato plant leaves and can lead to a large yield loss. The insect has been successfully suppressed by insecticides; however, over time, has developed resistance to insecticides...

Mrežasta stjenica platane Corythuca ciliata Say (Hemiptera: Tingidae) značajan je štetnik platane. Stjenice sišu na listovima čime smanjuju fiziološke funkcije, izazivaju žućenje listova, a za jakog napada uzrokuju i preranu defolijaciju platana. Također su i neugodan molestant u urbanim sredinama. Suzbijanje štetnika otežano je zbog veličine krošn...

The granary weevil, Sitophilus granarius Linnaeus 1875, is a primary pest of stored grains worldwide. Feeding damage and progeny production of S. granarius was estimated to identify the levels of resistance of the insect on different durum wheat cultivars. Insect attack on four different durum wheat cultivars was investigated over a period of 20 we...

Based on a quantitative mathematical revolution, the study of morphology has had an important emphasis by developing statistical shape analysis. This made possible the combination of multivariate statistical methods and new ways to visualize a morphological structure. Patterns of allometry (shape influence on size) in sexual and non-sexual traits w...

The vine thrips feed on vegetative and generative organs of the grapevine and cause damage in production. At the beginning of vegetation it sucks on the grapevine shoots and so they lag behind in growth. Later, it feeds on the leaves, and spotted necrosis is observed at the sucking sites. Later light yellow leaf coloration can be seen. Attack signs...

Control of tomato pests in greenhouses is connected with the difficulties that are related to resistance development, the limited number of available active ingredients, and the accumulation of unwanted and illegal residues in fruits. The increased market demand for tomatoes produced in accordance with integrated pest management principles requires...

The codling moth, Cydia pomonella L., is a serious insect pest in pome fruit production worldwide with a preference for apple. The pest is known for having developed resistance to several chemical groups of insecticides, making its control difficult. The control and management of the codling moth is often hindered by a lack of understanding about i...

Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) are a diverse and abundant part of soil fauna with the ability to maintain and restore soil quality and to increase crop yields in agroecosystems. Some ant species are sensitive to land management, which makes them good bioindicators of soil function in land use management and conservation throughout the world. In Cro...

Insect infestations within stored product facilities are a major concern to livestock and human food industries. Insect infestations in storage systems can result in economic losses of up to 20%. Furthermore, the presence of insects and their waste and remains in grain and stored foods may pose a health risk to humans and livestock. At present, pes...

The codling moth (CM) (Cydia pomonella L.) is the most important apple pest in Croatia and Europe. Owing to its economic importance, it is a highly controlled species and the intense selection pressure the species is under has likely caused it to change its phenotype in response. Intensive application of chemical-based insecticide treatments for th...

Up to 23 active ingredients from plant protection products were found as residues in earthworms 2015 & 2016 and in carabids 2016 in agricultural fields in Croatia. The re-calculation of soil concentrations at the sampling times of earthworms and carabids are suitable for the determination of the potential for bioaccumulation. Magnitude and potentia...

The western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, is the most serious pest of maize across the US Corn Belt and now Europe. The beetle has repeatedly demonstrated its ability to adapt to pest management strategies through evolution of resistance to conventional insecticides, the cultural practice of crop rotation and now to the Bac...

European corn borer (ECB) is one of the most significant maize pests in the world and also in Croatia. ECB causes yield reduction from 2 to 25%, even more in years favorable for its development. According to estimations, these losses are around 7%. About 90% of the hybrids had some resistance to whorl-leaf feeding (first-generation ECB) and 75% had...

Introduction – Drosophilids were not considered to be agricultural pests as they usually developed in overripe and fermented fruits. With the arrival of the invasive species Drosophila suzukii (Matsamura, 1931) in Europe the pest status of drosophilids changed as the species are able to develop in healthy, unwounded and soft-skinned fruits of comme...

Spiders are one of the most abundant natural enemies in apple orchards and have an important role in the biological control of harmful arthropods. Recently, coloured shade nets were introduced into management practices to improve the utilization of solar radiation by fruit trees and to exclude pest species. While the coloured netting in apple orcha...

The sugar beet weevil (SBW), Bothynoderes punctiventris Germar, 1824, is a significant pest in most of Eastern Europe. Here, the SBW is described and its seasonal activity characterized, in terms of its different developmental stages in relation to Julian days (JDs), degree-day accumulations (DDAs), and precipitation, as a key to improving monitori...

Western corn rootworm (WCR) is the worst pest of maize in the United States, and since its spread through Europe, WCR is now recognized as the most serious pest affecting maize production. After the beetle's first detection in Serbia in 1992, neighboring countries such as Croatia have established a national monitoring program. For more than two dec...