The 5th International Scientific and Expert Conference “Natural Resources, Green Technology and Sustainable Development/5-GREEN2024“ took place from December 3 to 5, 2024 in Zagreb at the Hotel International. As part of the conference program, Dr. Elda Vitanović presented the poster „Novel approach to olive fruit fly (Bactrocera oleae, Rossi) monitoring and/or control using volatile compounds produced by brewing by-product“ by the authors Elda Vitanović, Marijana Popović, Filipa Burul (DOK-2021-02-1355), Ana Bego, Luka Čotić (DOK-NPOO-2023-10-7422), Frank Zalom. Dr. Vitanović presented the first results of the BeerBy-4-OliveFly project funded by the Croatian Science Foundation IP-2022-10-9643 in a poster session.
From November 4 to 28, 2024, doctoral student Luka Čotić (DOK-NPOO-2023-10-7422) underwent scientific training in the techniques of laboratory breeding of the olive fruit fly and the basics of laboratory research on the effectiveness of attraction by volatile compounds. The training was conducted at the Department of Entomology and Nematology at UC Davis in the USA under the direction of Dr. Zalom. During this training, Luka also learned how to set up and maintain an olive fruit fly colony for laboratory research purposes, as well as the basics of testing olive fruit fly attraction to volatile compounds using the multi-choice and no-choice method. Scientific training program: Week 1: Instruction on the equipment and operation of the Laboratory for Entomology and Nematology, collecting infected olive fruit from UC Davis olive orchards and the USDA olive orchard at Wolfskill to establish an olive fruit fly colony and prepare the necessary equipment and materials for their rearing (controlled condition chambers, rearing cages, etc.), Week 2: Collecting pupae and larvae from infected olive fruits, transferring them to chambers with controlled conditions for hatching adult flies and caring for them, Week 3: Working with adult flies (males and females), transferring them to breeding cages, separating the males from the females and caring for them in order to maintain a colony, Week 4: Introduction to the basics of the multi-choice and no-choice method for carrying out laboratory tests on the efficacy of volatile compounds in attracting olive flies, data processing and presentation of the results.
From November 3 to 30, 2024, the scientific training of the project leader Dr. Vitanović for work on the GC-EAD device was carried out at the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology at UC Davis in the USA under the direction of Dr. Leal. As part of the same training, the project leader mastered various techniques for preparing insect antennae to analyze their stimuli for volatile compounds. Scientific training program:
Week 1: Introduction to the equipment and work in the Laboratory for Molecular and Cellular Biology, introduction to the GC-EAD device and all the equipment needed to work with it, introduction to different types of electrodes, micropipettes and their preparation and use for the study of insects with EAD,
Week 2: Introduction to and work with different techniques and methods for connecting insect antennas to obtain signals as stimuli for semiochemicals,
Week 3: Introduction to and work with different techniques and methods for connecting the antennae of adult male and female olive fruit flies to develop a protocol for recording the electroantennographic response of olive fruit flies to volatile compounds,
Week 4: Work on the determination of signals in males and females, introduction to the operation of the GC-EAD device software and introduction to data processing for reading and displaying the test results.
Dr. Leal and Dr. Vitanović also developed a new protocol for recording the electroanthenographic response of the olive fly to the volatile compounds of two types of modified waste brewer’s yeast (Saccharomyces pastorianus and Saccharomyces cerevisiae).
PhD student Luka Čotić (DOK-NPOO-2023-10-7422) also had the opportunity to participate in the training. He also learned the techniques for preparing insect antennae for analyzing their stimuli for volatile compounds.
From October 21 to 25, 2024, the scientific training of assistant Luka Čotić in using of GC-MS in the analysis of volatile compounds took place at the Department for Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Split. Luka Čotić learned about the possibilities of using GC-MS in the analysis of volatile compounds of waste brewer’s yeast from the production of lager beer (Saccharomyces pastorianus) and ale beer (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and improved his skills in preparing and analyzing the samples of waste brewer’s yeasts. The training was conducted by Prof. Valerija Dunkić, Head of the Laboratory of Botany at the Faculty of Science, University of Split, and Dr. Marija Nazlić, both collaboratores in the BeerBy-4-OliveFly project (HRZZ-IP-2022-10-9643).
The European Researchers Night 2024 (Reconnecting Science with the Blue Society – Blue-connect 2.0) took place on October 14, 2024 in Omiš. The Institute for Adriatic Crops and Karst Reclamation participated in the work of this event, and among the participants were Filipa Burul (DOK-2021-02-1355) and Luka Čotić (DOK-NPOO-2023-10-7422), associates of the BeerBy-4-OliveFly project (HRZZ-IP-2022-10-9643). The aim of this event is to get preschool, primary and secondary school children and students interested in science and projects. Filipa and Luka promoted the BeerBy-4-OliveFly project (HRZZ-IP-2022-10-9643) and the project activities that will be carried out during the project period.
Luka Čotić, MSc, is an assistant (NPOO-DOK-2023-10-7422) at the Institute for Adriatic Crops and Karst Reclamation at the Department of Applied Science. He will conduct research within the project “Novel approach to olive fruit fly (Bactrocea oleae, Rossi) monitoring and/or control using volatile compounds produced by brewing by-product – BeerBy-4-OliveFly” of the Croatian Science Foundation IP-2022-10-9643. In June 2014, he graduated from the University of Zagreb, Faculty of Agriculture. After completing his studies, Luka began his scientific career in the field of plant protection as a sales consultant for pesticides at the company Vrelko d.o.o. After many years of professional experience and acquired knowledge, Luka progressed in his career and started a new employment relationship at Agrobiotest d.o.o., where he tested the effectiveness of pesticides as an executor of field trials and acquired a lot of knowledge and skills in the field of plant protection. He also became an expert in the control of palm and chestnut pests and tested new sustainable plant protection models. Luka’s scientific research interests focused on exploring new, non-chemical methods to monitor and control important olive pests with the aim of finding new protection models while respecting the principles of modern, sustainable plant protection.
Assistant position in the field of biotechnical sciences, field of agriculture, based on the results of the competition of the Croatian Science Foundation “Development of the careers of young researchers – training of new PhDs” (DOK-2023-10), for a duration of five years, for work at the Department for Applied sciences on the research project “Novel approach to olive fruit fly (Bactrocera oleae, Rossi) monitoring and/or control using volatile compounds produced by brewing by-product – BeerBy-4-OliveFly”, HRZZ-IP-2022-10-9643, 1 executor (m/f ).
MSc Ana Bego, is employed as an assistant at the Institute of Adriatic Crops and Karst Reclamation at the Department of Applied Sciences until the return of the absent employee. She graduated from the University of Zagreb, Faculty of Agriculture, in 2014 and studied plant protection. After completing her studies, Ana actively worked in the field of plant protection, first as a volunteer, then as an expert associate. She started her work experience as an assistant in the research team of the Institute for Adriatic Crops and Karst Reclamation within the scientific research project “New methods in olive pests controlling using plant volatiles (LoVeFly)” and now continues within the project “Novel approach to olive fruit fly (Bactrocera oleae, Rossi) monitoring and/or control using volatile compounds produced by brewing by-product” of the Croatian Science Foundation IP-2022-10-9643 BeerBy-4-OliveFly. Ana is also a student of postgraduate doctoral studies in Agricultural Sciences at the University of Zagreb, Faculty of Agriculture. Ana’s scientific research interest was focused on exploring new, non-chemical methods for monitoring and controlling important olive pests with the aim of finding new protection models while respecting the principles of modern, sustainable plant protection.
The 26th International Manifestation of Olive Growers and Olive Oil Producers “Noćnjak 2024”, organized by the Cooperative Association of Dalmatia, took place in Zadar from 14 to 17 March 2024. As part of “Noćnjak 2024”, a scientific expert meeting was held, at which the project of the Croatian Science Foundation IP-2022-10-9643 “Novel approach to olive fruit fly (Bactrocera oleae, Rossi) monitoring and/or control using volatile compounds produced by brewing by-product – BeerBy-4-OlivrFly” was presented by the leader, Dr. Elda Vitanović. The project leader gave an oral presentation in which she presented general information about the project and the grant, the defined activities and objectives, the work plan and the expected results.
On Monday, January 29, 2024, a meeting of the HRZZ project IP-2022-10-9643 “Novel approach to olive fruit fly (Bactrocera oleae, Rossi) monitoring and/or control using volatile compounds produced by brewing by-product – BeerBy-4-OliveFly” was held at the Institute for Adriatic Crops and Karst Reclamation (IAC) in Split. The meeting was attended by Ph.D. Valerija Dunkić and Ph.D. Marija Nazlić from the Faculty of Science University of Split, members of the IAC project team and the project leader. The meeting started at 11 am and was chaired by the project leader, Ph.D. Elda Vitanović. At the meeting, Ph.D. Vitanović presented general information about the BeerBy-4-OliveFly project and introduced its goals, future research and expected results to the members of the project team. In particular, she referred to the activities, results, goals and procurement planned for the first year of research (December 30, 2023 – December 29, 2024). During the meeting, all the mentioned activities were clearly divided among the members of the project team in order to achieve all the goals set in the project proposal.
