Institute for Science Faculty of Agriculture, Faculty of Agriculture, Kruševac Agricultural extension

Application in Agriculture University of Belgrade University of Niš service Sombor

CURRENT STATUS AND PROSPECTS OF FRUIT TREE AND GRAPEVINE

PLANT MATERIAL IN SERBIA
SLAVICA ČOLIĆ1*, DRAGAN RAHOVIĆ1, DARKO JAKŠIĆ1, JELENA IVANOVIĆ1, GORDAN ZEC2, IVANA BAKIĆ3 , VLADIMIR SABADOŠ4
1Institute for Science Application in Agriculture, Belgrade, SERBIA, email: scolic@ipn.bg.ac.rs
2University of Belgrade, Faculty of Agriculture, Belgrade, SERBIA
3University of Niš, Faculty of Agriculture, Kruševac, SERBIA
4Agricultural Extension Office, Sombor, SERBIA

1. INTRODUCTION
In the last two decades, fruit and grape production in Serbia has increased. This increase is related to the growth of fresh and frozen fruit export and
increased consumer demand on local market. Moreover, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management of the Republic of Serbia supports
producers with subsidies for the establishment and maintenance of fruit plantations and vineyards, as well as subsidies for production of the fruit trees and
grapevine grafts. High quality planting material is the first step in establishing a profitable orchard and vineyard. It has a direct impact on yields, the quality
of the produced fruit and the incidence of pests and diseases. Setting up the plantations with high quality planting material is the key factor for faster
improvement of fruit growing, viticulture and wine production. The goal of the present article is to summarize data from the 5-year period (2017-2022) on
the diversity, categories, and production volume of the planting material, export and import volume and value. Moreover, the article gives an overview of
some possibilities for enhancing the system of producing high quality fruit tree and grapevine planting material.
2. HISTORY OF THE PRODUCTION OF FRUIT TREE AND GRAPEVINE PLANT MATERIAL IN SERBIA
According to Medigović and Đaković (2008), Cerović et al. (2015), the production of fruit planting material has a long tradition in Serbia, that began in the
late 18th and early 19th centuries, mainly by grafting varieties onto seedlings. In 1898 the first nurseries were established, and by 1910 there were over 30
nurseries throughout Serbia. From 1898 onwards, special state institutions - farmsteads for the production of fruit plants were established. In the period
between the World Wars, nursery production developed very rapidly in Serbia. Many research institutions were founded around the world and many
vegetative rootstocks and varieties were created, some of which were imported to Serbia. In the early 1960s, a new era in nursery production and the
establishment of modern plantations began. It started with a larger import of fruit trees and new varieties and rootstocks. Nurseries accepted the new
technologies, so in the period from the 1970s to the 1990s up to 50,000 fruit trees/ha were produced in modern nurseries. Micropropagation was
introduced and production of virus-free and virus-tested planting material. Scientific institutions have started production of super-elite and elite varieties
and rootstocks for nursery production (Medigović and Đaković, 2008). Large nurseries with an annual production of several hundred to over one million
plants were established. They started producing plants in containers and rooting of the cuttings by sprinkler technology.

3. STATE OF THE ART (2017-2022)

Nowadays, the annual production (domestic and import) amounts to more than 10 million fruit trees for 38 fruits and about 6 million vine grafts (average
2017-2022). More than 1,000 subjects are listed in the Register of Producers, Traders and Importers of planting material of fruit trees, vines and hops of the
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management (MPŠV, 2022). The production of fruit and vine planting material in Serbia is traditionally a family
business, and our grafters, most of which are from the Kruševac and Trstenik area, are among the best in the world. Vojvodina area (Northern Serbia) also
has the excellent conditions for the production of high quality planting material.

Figure 1. Production Figure 2. Production value of Figure 3. Production quantities of Figure 4. Production value of Figure 5. Quantity of categories of
quantities of fruit planting fruit planting material (in 000 grapevine planting material (in t) grapevine planting material (in 000 fruit and vine propagation
material (in t) USD) UDS)
Serbia exports most of its fruit planting material to the Russian Federation, the Netherlands and Italy, while imports mainly from the Netherlands and Italy.
According to Keserović (2020), Serbia imports more than 70% seedlings for modern apple and pear plantations, about 90% seedlings for cherries on Gizela 5
and 6 rootstocks, 80% for strawberries, 100% for blueberries, and about 60% seedlings for walnuts.

4. PROSPECTS OF FRUIT TREE AND GRAPEVINE PLANT MATERIAL IN SERBIA

there are significant prospects for the development of fruit tree and grapevine plant material in Serbia, including the development of new varieties, the use
of new propagation techniques, and the production of plant material that is better suited to organic and sustainable agriculture practices.

5. CONCLUSION
The fruit tree and grapevine nursery sector is going to face great challenges in the
near future to meet an increasingly high demand for certified plants, from the
genetic and health point of view, suited to very different environmental and
growing conditions. To meet this high international demand for plant material at a
sustainable cost, the nursery industry needs new infrastructure and equipment
that supports more precise management practices.
6. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This work was created as a result of research within the contract of the realization
and financing of scientific research work in 2023 between the Ministry of Science,
Technological Development and Innovation of the Republic of Serbia and the
Institute for Science Application in Agriculture, contract number: 451-03-47/2023-
01/200045
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V Balkan Symposium on Fruit Growing, Zagreb, Croatia, June 18-21, 2023