Increasing research innovation in Mediterranean agriculture and forestry
by modernizing the infrastructure and improving the excellence of the
research group
As part of Science Festival 2025, the Institute for Adriatic Crops and Karst Reclamation welcomed a group of young visitors on May 8, all eager to learn more about science and agriculture.
During their visit, the students had the opportunity to explore the Institute’s ongoing research and activities, including innovative projects such as INOMED-2I, PRIMA Safe-H2O-Farm, BeerBy-4-OliveFly, WINE AROMAS, WI.GRA.GENE, Tolvin and other exciting initiatives that bridge science and real-world application. 💧🌱
They also attended engaging presentations and learned a great deal about olive cultivation, grapevine research, olive oil, and wine production.
Special thanks to our passionate researchers who shared their knowledge and enthusiasm: 🔬🍇🫒🍷🌿 Mate Čarija, Ana Boban, Natalija Bulaš, Luka Čotić, and Katarina Lukšić.
Maja Ozretić Zoković, MSc in Agricultural Engineering – is the newest member of our INOMED-2I team and has joined the research group “Testing and Development of New Technologies in the Production and Processing of Agricultural Products.”
Maja holds a Master’s degree in Agricultural Engineering and has been a research associate at the Institute for Adriatic Crops since 2012. Since 2015, she is the Quality Manager of the Enological Laboratory, and in 2022, she enrolled in a doctoral program where she is researching the impact of water stress on metabolites in grapevine and wild grapevine leaves.
📅 On March 20, 2025, the Institute for Adriatic Crops and Karst Reclamation hosted students of Visual Communications Design from the Arts Academy in Split. 🎨👩🎓👨🎓
During their visit, the students were introduced to the Institute’s research activities in the fields of agriculture and food technology, with a particular focus on the various multidisciplinary approaches used in ongoing projects that combine science, innovation, and the tradition of Mediterranean agriculture – including our INOMED-2I project.
🫒 Team member Maja Jukić Špika placed a special emphasis on extra virgin olive oil through an interactive workshop. Students had the opportunity to learn how to recognize high-quality olive oil, understand the basic evaluation criteria, and discover more about the compounds that affect the nutritional value and stability of olive oil, such as phenolic compounds and tocopherols.
🔬 Through a combination of theory and practice, the students gained insight into the scientific methods used to investigate the characteristics and quality of olive oil.
We thank the students and their mentors for their visit and inspiring questions – we look forward to future meetings and collaborations! 🤝
Our research team INOMED-2I participated in Noćnjak 2025 – the leading event dedicated to olive growing and olive oil production, held this year on the island of Rab and organized by the Cooperative Alliance of Dalmatia. 🫒
We presented the latest research findings, innovative approaches, and technologies in olive oil processing and analysis. Scientists from our project actively took part in the scientific-professional symposium, which our team member, Dr. Mirella Žanetić, moderated.
🫒 Mirella Žanetić gave a presentation titled: “Chemical and Sensory Characterization of Olive Oils from the Island of Hvar”, in which she presented a project conducted in collaboration with the Split-Dalmatia County (SDŽ): 📝 “Increasing the Competitiveness of Virgin Olive Oils from the Island of Hvar – Defining Quality Traits as a Basis for the Specification Needed to Obtain the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO)”.
Over the course of a two-year study, oils from the most common Hvar olive varieties were analyzed. The results form the foundation for drafting a product specification and initiating the process of protecting the name “Hvar Olive Oil” with PDO status.
🫒 Maja Jukić Špika gave a presentation titled: 🔬 “Antioxidants in Virgin Olive Oil: The First Line of Defense Against Oxidation” – as part of the Safe-H2O-Farm project.
Together with colleagues Natalija Bulaš, Mirella Žanetić, and Elda Vitanović, she highlighted the key factors influencing olive oil stability. Oxygen, metal ions, phenolic compounds, and tocopherols all play important roles in the oxidation process – but who ultimately comes out on top? 🏆 The presentation revealed the answer, and science confirms it: phenolic compounds and tocopherols are the strongest allies in the fight against oxidation, helping preserve the quality and nutritional value of the oil. 🫒🔥
💡 Through the projects INOMED-2I, Safe-H2O-Farm, and research activities in collaboration with Split-Dalmatia County (SDŽ), our team continues to develop strategies to optimize the stability, quality, and functional properties of virgin olive oils, providing a strong scientific foundation for origin protection and strengthening the competitiveness of local production.
On Wednesday, December 18, 2024, at 12:00 PM, we had the honor of participating in the workshop “How to Successfully Apply for Horizon Europe Projects?”, held in the Large Lecture Hall of the Institute for Adriatic Crops and Karst Reclamation. 🏛️
Dr. sc. Maja Jukić Špika, the project leader of INOMED-2I, gave a presentation titled “Research Groups of the Institute for Adriatic Crops: A Fusion of Knowledge and Innovation”, in which she introduced the INOMED-2I project. 💡
The workshop was moderated by Dr. sc. Ina Ćorković from the Institute, and the main speakers were experts from RISE (Research and Innovation Services d.o.o.) – Dr. sc. Ivana Vuka, Bruna Paučić, and Gabrijela Radić, who delivered lectures and practical exercises on the topic: “From Idea to Project Proposal: Tips and Experiences for Applying to Horizon Europe Projects.” 📝🌱
We are thrilled to have participated in this valuable workshop, and learned from others. Together, we are building a stronger research and innovation community in the Mediterranean! 🌍✨
On Friday, December 13, 2024, the library of the Institute hosted the meeting of our project “Increasing the Innovation of Research in Mediterranean Agriculture and Forestry by Modernizing Infrastructure and Enhancing the Excellence of the Research Team – INOMED-2I”. 🕚
📋 The agenda focused on key project points: ✅ Review of achieved goals and indicators from the first year of implementation ✅ Planning activities and steps for the second project year
The meeting provided an excellent opportunity for our team to reflect on past successes, address challenges, and ensure that the project continues to advance towards its set goals. 🚀
💡 Thank you to all participants for their active contributions and constructive suggestions – we are entering the new project year with optimism! 🌟
🎉 The research team of our project proudly participated in a mini reprise of the European Researchers’ Night 2024! One of the events under the initiative titled Reconnecting Science with the Blue Society – Blue-connect 2.0 took place on December 14, 2024, in Split, 👩🔬 🎄✨ in the festive spirit of “City SCIence – I Explore”!
Among participants from other scientific institutions, our team was proudly represented by Tonka Ninčević Runjić, Ana Boban, Marko Runjić, Ana Mucalo, and Mate Čarija, supported by colleagues from the Institute for Adriatic Crops and Karst Reclamation.
These dedicated collaborators of the INOMED-2I project enthusiastically presented project activities, inspiring children, students, and young science enthusiasts to discover the beauty of research work.
🔬 Our brilliant researchers once again demonstrated how scientific discoveries, as well as analyses from the accredited laboratory, can be applied in everyday life in a fun and approachable way—this time through experiments perfectly tailored to the festive atmosphere.
🌟 We are thrilled to make science accessible, exciting, and inspiring for everyone! 🚀
On Wednesday, 11th December 2024, members of our research team had the opportunity to participate in an inspiring and dynamic workshop, “Communication Skills and Public Speaking in Science,” organized by the University of Split as part of the project “Reconnecting Science with Blue Society – Blue-connect 2.0.” 🌊🎓
🌟 Led by Dr. Branka Šegvić, the workshop provided a welcoming and stimulating environment where our researchers honed their communication skills and learned how to make their public presentations even more engaging and appealing to diverse audiences. 🎭 Special attention was given to non-verbal communication, which often plays a critical role in delivering a message, even if we’re unaware of it.
🎯 At the end of the workshop, each participant had the chance to present their work briefly, followed by valuable feedback and practical tips for improvement.
👥 Representing our team were: 🔹 Dr. Katarina Lukšić 🔹 PhD students Ana Boban and Natalija Bulaš
They learned that the key elements of an excellent presentation are: 🔑 Motivation to convey the message 🔑 Thorough preparation 🔑 Focus on the goal 🔑 Interaction with the audience
Congratulations to our colleagues for their effort and for enhancing their skills! We look forward to even more inspiring and impactful presentations in the future. 🚀
The scientific paper “Comparative analysis of cultivated and wild olive genotypes to salinity and drought stress” was published in the journal Frontiers in Plant Science (Q1, IF: 4.1) and funded by the INOMED-2I project (09-207/1-23), which is supported by the NextGenerationEU fund of the European Union.
The Mediterranean region is characterized by low rainfall, high solar radiation and high temperatures, which makes the vegetation in this area more sensitive to drought and climate change. Modern olive cultivation systems, characterized by dense planting in high-density orchards, irrigation and the use of soluble fertilizers, are gradually replacing traditional methods. This limits the number of varieties suitable for modern cultivation and overlooks the diversity of local cultivars, threatening the loss of genetic diversity. Research into wild olives has identified agronomically advantageous characteristics that are relatively less pronounced in their cultivated relatives. Wild olives are adaptable to different environmental conditions, can regenerate excellently after fire or frost and have a shorter juvenile period. Despite the adaptation of all plant organs to the naturally difficult conditions of the Mediterranean region, abiotic stress factors are still a limiting factor for vegetative growth and yield.
In this study conducted within project “Centre of Excellence for Biodiversity and Molecular Plant Breeding” (K.01.1.1.01.0005), we hypothesized that wild olives from the Adriatic coast have a greater resistance to drought stress and increased salinity compared to cultivars currently cultivated in olive groves.
The results of the study were achieved through the following measures:
Evaluation of the growth and development of each olive genotype by measuring morphological parameters such as shoot length, leaf area, and dry weight. Determination of ion relations in the leaf and root by evaluating the content of Na+, Cl-, K+, Ca2+ and Mg2+ ions. Analysis of water and oxidative stress by evaluating lipid peroxidation, proline concentration and the activity of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and guaiacol peroxidase (GPOX).
By utilizing the natural genetic diversity of the olive, biotechnological advances in science will be the key to developing stress-resistant cultivars that ensure productivity and sustainability in olive cultivation and meet climatic challenges.
The review article “Satellite Solutions for Precision Viticulture: Enhancing Sustainability and Efficiency in Vineyard Management” 🍇🚀, published in the journal Agronomy (Q1, IF = 3.5, Agriculture field), is funded by the INOMED-2I project (09-207/1-23), supported by the European Union fund NextGenerationEU.
In light of climate challenges, soil degradation, water contamination, biodiversity loss, and serious health threats caused by the intensive use of agrochemicals, this paper focuses on innovative satellite solutions as a sustainable and efficient approach to vineyard management. These efforts are further supported by EU regulatory initiatives, including the EU Action Plan for 2050 “A Healthy Planet for All” and the European Green Deal, and aligned with the United Nations’ international sustainability goals, aiming ultimately for a toxin-free environment. The paper provides a detailed examination of the evolutionary advancements in satellite technologies and the (pre)processing improvements in the spatial and spectral resolution of satellite images. Satellite technologies enable precise vineyard monitoring, offering insights into spatiotemporal variability, soil moisture, and the vigor and health of grapevines. Special attention is given to the integration of satellite data with on-ground data, which allows for the generation of accurate maps for targeted and variable input applications. The paper also explores the effectiveness of different vegetative indices in evaluating spatiotemporal variations in health, water content, chlorophyll levels, and the overall vitality of grapevines. Challenges in the use of satellite data in viticulture are considered, including heterogeneous pixels and the need for rigorous data validation, opening up new possibilities for more precise and efficient applications. The study helps optimize water use, monitor vine health, and reduce the use of agrochemicals, while ensuring high-quality grapes and reducing the ecological footprint of viticultural practices. The work by Mucalo et al., 2024, is available at https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/14/8/1862.
