Management

Dr Milena S. Simić was born on 1970 in Jagodina. She graduated from the Faculty of Agriculture in Belgrade in 1994, got her MSc title in 1999 and PhD title in 2004 with the subject The seasonal dynamics of the weed community, competitivenes and productivity of maize within the Integrated Weed Management System. She received scholarship of the Serbian Ministry of Science, Technology and Development during her postgraduate studies. From 1 January 1997, she was employed as a Researcher at the Weed Laboratory and from 1 February 2006, she was the Head of the Agro-Ecology and Cropping Practices Group within the Maize Selection Department. Since 27 June 2022, she has been the Deputy Director of the Institute. 
The scientific and research work of dr Milena Simić is focused on agricultural engineering and agro-ecology, with special focus on the improvement of crop growing technology in sustainable and organic systems, as well as the problems of weed control. Dr Milena Simić published 456 scientific papers, out of which 1 prominent national monograph, 6 chapters in monographs of international importance, 2 chapters in national monographs, 51 papers in SCI list magazines, 13 guest-lectures at international conferences, 93 papers in national magazines, 11 guest-lectures and 102 presentations at national conferences. She is the co-author of 9 maize hybrids and a number of manuals on maize agricultural engineering. 
Dr Milena Simić attended 6-month post-doctoral education in Czheck Republic (Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources) and two study trips (USA and Spain) and participated in a large number of congresses and symposia. 
She led projects (2) of technological development of the Serbian Ministry of Science and Technology (2008 to 2019) and was a co-mentor for 4 doctoral dissertations. She was the national representative for the COST action FA0905 (2012-2014), leader of a bilateral project with the Republic of Croatia (2008-2010) and a participant in a bilateral project with the Republic of Germany (2023-2025). She is the task leader of two HORIZON EUROPE projects - Credit vibes, 2023-2025 and GOOD-Agroecology for weeds, 2023-2026. 
She has been a member of the European Weed Research Society (EWRS) since 1997, the chairperson of the working group Sustainable use of herbicides (since 2023) and a EWRS Board member (since March 2024). She is a member of the Serbian Weed Science Society, Serbian Plant Protection Association and the Serbian Soil Science Society. 
In 2015, Dr Simić was elected a corresponding member of the Serbian Academy of Engineering Sciences and in 2022, she was elected a full member and vice-president of the Serbian Academy of Engineering Sciences

Born in 1968 in Jagodina, Serbia, where she also finished elementary and high school. She received her Bachelors in 1992 and Masters in 1995 at the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Belgrade, Serbia. As a scholar of the Ministry of Science and Technology of the Republic of Serbia, she was engaged by the Maize Research Institute "Zemun Polje" in Belgrade, Serbia from August 1994. She then started working at the Institute full-time from April 1996. In April 1997, she completed a study visit at CIMMYT (International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center), Mexico City, Mexico. In 2000, she defended her PhD dissertation at the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Novi Sad, Serbia, entitled "Identification of drought tolerance in maize progeny with exotic germplasm". From June 2001 to December 2002, she did postdoctoral training at the Max Planck Institute in Cologne, Germany, at the Department of Plant Breeding and Yield Physiology where she studied the regulation of gene expression in maize kernels under drought stress conditions using the microarray technique.

From October 2004 to September 2013, she was the director of Research and Development at the Maize Research Institute "Zemun Polje," Belgrade, Serbia. In August 2007, she was appointed the Head of the gene bank and Manager of the European Maize Database (EMDB). In January 2019, she was appointed the Chair of the Maize Working Group within the European Cooperative Program for Plant Genetic Resources (ECPGR). She has been the director of Research and Development at the Maize Research Institute "Zemun Polje" since June 2022.

As a country representative of Serbia from 2008-2016., she was a member of the Board of EUCARPIA (European Association for Research on Plant Breeding) and acts as the Chairperson of the EUCARPIA Maize and Sorghum Section since 2022. She is the coordinator of activities within the EVA (European Evaluation Network)  project and the Head of the team from Maize Research Institute "Zemun Polje". She was the president of the Section for Breeding of Organisms (2016-2022) within the Serbian Genetics Society, and currently holds the following functions: Board member of the Serbian Genetics Society, member of the Serbian Association of Plant Breeders and Seed Producers of Serbia, member of the EUCARPIA Maize and Sorghum and Genetic Resources Sections.

She has published research studies in the field of genetic diversity, drought stress tolerance and maize grain quality as an author or co-author in over 300 papers  in international and national journals, international and national conferences, three chapters in international books and three chapters in national monographs, as well as one prominent monograph of national importance. She is also the co-author of seven relised maize hybrids of standard grain quality and one sweet corn hybrid.

Dr. Milan D. Stevanović rođen je 07.04.1982. u Sremskoj Mitrovici, gde je završio osnovnu školu i gimnaziju prirodno-matematičkog smera. Diplomirao je na Poljoprivrednom fakultetu u Beogradu, 2007. godine i doktorirao 2013. godine sa temom „Uticaj tipa citoplazmatične muške sterinosti i restorer gena na prinos zrna i agronomske osobine inbred linija kukuruza“. U zvanje naučni savetnik izabran je 22.04.2024. godine. Poziciju šefa grupe za tehničku podršku i mehanizovane operacije obavljao je do aprila 2023. godine. Trenutno radi na poziciji direktora Sektora za semenarstvo u Institutu za kukuruz „Zemun Polje˝.

Dr Milan Stevanović je objavio kao autor ili koautor u 136 naučnih radova i saopštenja, među kojima su tehnička rešenja i hibridi. Objavio je četiri rada u vrhunskim međunarodnim časopisima, jedan rad u istaknutom međunarodnom časopisu, trinaest radova u međunarodnim časopisima, dva rada u vodećim časopisima nacionalnog značaja, šest radova u časopisu nacionalnog značaja. Autor je jednog realizovanog hibrida na međunarodnom tržištu, tri realizovana hibrida na domaćem tržištu i dvadeset tri priznatih hibrida u zemlji.

Član je Društva genetičara Srbije i Društva selekcionera i semenara Srbije i Evropskog kooperativnog programa za biljne genetičke resurse (ECPGR).

Branka Kresović was born in 1958 in Zemun.

She graduated in 1980 from the Faculty of Agriculture of the University of Belgrade – Department for Agriculture Mechanisation, followed by her engagement as an associate at the Agricultural Mechanical Engineering of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Belgrade.

 From March 1984, she was engaged as a researcher at the Agriculture Mechanisation Institute in Zemun Polje. Her core activities implied the use of tractors and agricultural machines. In the said period, she started MSc studies at the Faculty of Agriculture of the University of Belgrade and in 1990, at the Department for Agriculture Mechanisation, she defended her MSc thesis titled ‘Study of the Parameters of the Tractor-machine Aggregate for the Mountainous Area’.

In 1991, Dr Kresović started research in the segment of maize production from the aspect of agricultural engineering, irrigation and application of machinery, with special focus on irrigation segment at the Maize Research Institute Zemun Polje, Department for Maize Growing and Use. She god a doctorate in 2003 with the subject ‘Effect of Irrigation and Tillage Systems on Maize Production’.

In the course of her long research work, she acquired a number of scientific titles, starting from the Research Associate in 2003 (reappointed in 2009), Senior Research Associate in 2013 and Principal Research Fellow in 2019.

She published over 200 scientific papers in international and national scientific journal or presented at conferences with the same rank. Her entire research work has the unique objective of research aimed at elements making successful production in the soil-plant-machine chain. The results are applicable in practice as reliable and economic solutions, important for preserving the soil resource. She produced two monographs with national importance in the segment of organic production (in 2015 and 2017) and two textbooks for secondary agricultural schools (in 1989 and 1995).

In addition to science and research work at the Maize Research Institute Zemun Polje, she gained managing experience. In the period 2004-2009, dr Kresović was the Head of the Department for Maize Growing and Use within the R&D Sector. In parallel, from 2005 to 2009, she was the Assistant Director. From August 2013 to June 2014, she was the Acting Director and then the Director of the Institute until June 2022. Since then, she has been the Assistant Director of the Maize Research Institute Zemun Polje.

Nenad Delić was born on 8 November 1962 in Belgrade, where he also went to primary and secondary school. He graduated from the Faculty of Agriculture in Zemun – Department of Field Crops in January 1989. He was first employed at the farm PD Zaječar in Zaječar at the position of the Crop Production Officer (1989). Since January 1990, he has been employed by the Maize Research Institute Zemun Polje in Belgrade – Maize Genetics and Selection. He defended his MSc thesis titled ‘Assessment of Synthetic Maize Populations (Zea mays L.) as Donors of Preferable Alleles’ in April 1993 at the Faculty of Agriculture in Novi Sad – Genetics Department and his doctoral dissertation titled ‘Size of F2 Population and Genetic Variability for Maize Grain Yield (Zea mays L.)’ in January 1997 at the Faculty of Agriculture in Novi Sad.

In the course of his professional career, he held several positions at the Maize Research Institute Zemun Polje. He was the Head of the Maize Breeding Department (1996-1998), Head of the Department for Science and Technical Cooperation (2002-2010), Director of the R&D Sector (2013-2022), head of the development and exports affairs (2013-to date). He was also the leader and participant of external Institute projects in Greece, Kazakhstan and Zambia (1992-2009). Since 2023, he has been the Assistant Director for international cooperation.

He has been working as the lead researcher, maize breeder, within the selection program for hybrid maturity group FAO 500-800, with focusing on research related to forecasting of heterosis and problems of impact of external environment to genotype expression (1997-to date). He is the author or co-author of over 180 science papers and statements in the country and abroad, several technical solutions, over 70 maize hybrids registered nationally and internationally and a wheat variety. He is the author of the monograph Genotype by Environment Interaction in Maize Breeding (2015, 98 p. ISBN 978-86-80383-10-1; COBISS.SR - ID 220237068).

He attended specialisation in the USA, Agronomy Department Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, from 9 June 2000 to 9 June 2001, prof. Lauren McIntyre, ‘Use of Methods of Classical Quantitative Genetics as Ancillary Methods in Understanding Genetic Variation Mechanisms’. He participated in a number of scientific projects of the Serbian Ministry of Science and international scientific projects and a bilateral cooperation (People’s Republic of China, 2016). He is a member of the international genetic resources project of the ECPGR European Evaluation Network (EVA). He leads the working package WP1- ‘Generating the new research avenue called nutribreeding for the purpose of human health and animal feed’ within the international project Twinning ‘Green-editing Vibes for Fϴϴd’.

He was the Chairman of the Secretariat of the International Scientific Conference ‘International Maize Conference: Accomplishments and Perspectives’, Belgrade, 2005. He chaired the Scientific Committee of the International Scientific Conference ‘The frontiers of science and technology in crop breeding and production’, international conference dedicated to 75 anniversary of the Maize Research Institute, 8-9 June 2021, Belgrade.

He was the leader of creation, member or chairman of commissions for 4 MSc papers and 5 doctoral dissertations created at the Institute and defended at the Faculty of Agriculture of the University of Novi Sad and the Faculty of Agriculture of the University of Belgrade.

He is the member of the Serbian Genetic Society, Serbian Association of Plant Breeders and Seed Producers and the EUCARPIA (European Association for Research on Plant Breeding). He speaks, read and writes the English and Russian language.

Velimir Sretenović, Graduate in Economics – Accounting and Audit Manager was born in Belgrade in 1980. He graduated from the Faculty of Trade and Banking of the University Braća Karić in Belgrade in 2007, Department for Accounting and Audit.

In parallel with his studies, he acquired work experience as a Sales Manager in the period 2000-2001 and a Promotion Leader and Supervisor for leading local companies in the period 2002-2009, at marketing agencies and coffee manufacturing company.

After graduation, his professional career was directed to audit and accounting through engagement by a leading local audit company, accounting and financial consulting at the positions of Junior Auditor (January 2009 – November 2010), Senior Auditor (December 2010 December 2016) and Assistant Director for organisation and quality control (December 2016 October 2021).

In addition to experience in the audit segment, implying audit of financial statements, audit of business operations, audit based on recapitalisation and fulfilment of contracted obligations and audit of financial statements of budget users, his engagement at an audit company resulted in the experience in the segment of financial, accounting and tax consulting and experience in accounting activities and activities of preparation and creation of financial statements.

He acquired the certificate of authorized auditor in March 2021 and the audit licensee from the Serbian Ministry of Finance in April 2021.

He has held the position of Assistant Director for economic and financial segment at the Maize Research Institute Zemun Polje since November 2021.

Goran Todorović rođen je 04.07.1961 godine u Zemunu. Diplomirao je 1986. godine, magistarski rad odbranio je 1995. godine, a doktorsku disertaciju 1996. godine na Poljoprivrednom fakultetu u Zemunu.

Od 1987. godine zaposlen je u Institutu za kukuruz „Zemun Polje“, Zemun- Beograd, a od 2006. do 2007. godine radi u Institutu za primenu nauke u poljoprivredi iz Beograda. U Institut za proučavanje lekovitog bilja „Dr Josif Pančić“ iz Beograda prelazi 2008. gde je radio do 2012. godine. Od 01.03.2012. godine radi u Institutu za kukuruz „Zemun Polje“.

Bio je direktor Instituta za kukuruz (2002-2004), rukovodilac Odeljenja za proizvodnju osnovnog semena (2012-2013) i direktor Sektora za semenarstvo (2013-2021). Od 2022. godine je savetnik direktora za poslove semenarstva. Više mandata bio je član naučnog veća.

U septembru 2002. godine obavio je jednomesečno studijsko putovanje u SAD. Do sada je kao autor ili koautor objavio preko 200 naučnih radova i saopštenja u zemlji i inostranstvu. Autor je ili koautor 30 priznatih hibrida kukuruza u zemlji, dva priznata hibrida u inostranstvu i jednog tehničkog rešenja. Zvanje naučni savetnik stekao je 2015. godine.

Član je Društva genetičara Srbije, Društva selekcionara i semenara Srbije, kao i EUCARPIA-e (European Association for research on plant breeding).

Milomir Filipović was born on 22 May 1960 in Sanković village, Municipality of Mionica. He graduated from the Faculty of Agriculture in Zemun in 1982. He defended his MSc thesis in 1988 and obtained the PhD title in 1992 at the Faculty of Agriculture in Novi Sad.

At beginning of January 1984, he was engaged by the Maize Research Institute Zemun Polje – Department for Genetics and Maize Selection, holding the position to date. In the course of 1989/90, he attended a one-year specialisation in the USA – North Dakota State University.

From May 1993 to June 1995, he worked in Zambia on the project of breeding winter selection generation and base maize seed of continental germplasm. He also worked on the creation of inbred lines and hybrids of maize of subtropical and tropical germplasm in Zambia. These activities enabled him to familiarise with subtropical and tropical maize genetics and African agriculture. After returning to Serbia, in the period 1998-2000, he was the Head of the Maize Selection Department.

His career started with work on creating early and mid-early maize hybrids. Due to climate changes and break-up of the Soviet Union, the importance of the selection of early maize hybrids diminished. Due to the reduction of the program of selection of early maize hybrids, he engaged in the selection of mid-late and late hybrids, i.e. he was engaged in creating maize hybrids of all groups of maturity, starting from FAO 100-200 to FAO 700-800.

He is the author and co-author of over 100 scientific papers and statements in the country and abroad. He also participated, as an author or co-author, in creation of over 100 maize hybrids of various maturity groups, with yellow and white kernel, registered nationally and internationally. He acquired the title of the Research Fellow in 2014. He is a member of the Serbian Genetic Society, Serbian Association of Plant Breeders and Seed Producers and the EUCARPIA (European Association for Research on Plant Breeding).