Sustainable use of medicinal forest fruits aimed at stimulating the development of rural economy in the area of Pirot District
Authors:   Institute of Forestry, Belgrade, Serbia, Ćirković-Mitrović Tatjana T. , Marković Marija S. ,   Institute of Forestry, Belgrade, Serbia, Eremija Saša M. ,   Institute of Forestry, Belgrade, Serbia, Nikolić Biljana M. ,   Institute of Forestry, Belgrade, Serbia, Lučić Aleksandar Ž. ,   Institute of Forestry, Belgrade, Serbia, Hadrović Sabahudin H. ,   Institute of Forestry, Belgrade, Serbia, Rakonjac Ljubinko B. ,   Institute of Forestry, Belgrade, Serbia
Published: November 2023

Preservation, improvement and sustainable use of the gene pool of forest fruit trees in natural habitats is in line with the general interest of preserving Serbia’s biodiversity. A multidisciplinary approach to studying the potential of these species and the opportunities they provide is very significant. Forest fruit trees are important as progenitors of varieties and hybrids of cultivated fruit trees and as rootstocks for grafting high-yielding varieties. The economic aspect of the role of these species is reflected also in the quality of the trunks and their use in the wood industry, as well as their use in the food and pharmaceutical industries. The research was carried out in the area of Pirot District. Stara Planina Mt dominates the landscape of Pirot District and represents the richest mountain from the aspect of resources of native wild fruit species. Therefore, Pirot District has a significant potential for minimizing the poverty of rural population through sustainable use of forest fruit trees and the conquest of new markets outside of conventional agriculture, where the possibility of using these plant species can be seen. An ethnobotanical study was conducted and the data on knowledge and use of forest fruit trees were obtained by surveying 571 residents from 144 villages in all four municipalities: Pirot, Babušnica, Bela Palanka, and Dimitrovgrad. The most famous and the most used forest fruit in the Pirot District is European wild pear (Pyrus pyraster), which is mentioned by 57.8% of respondents, then European crab apple (Malus sylvestris) which was mentioned by 55.3% respondents, Cornelian cherry (Cornus mas), which was mentiioned by 38.4% respondents, 29.4% said that they use Midland hawthorn (Crataegus laevigata, Crataegus monogyna, Crataegus pentagyna), 25.7% common hazel (Corylus avellana, Corylus colurna), 10.5% service tree or sorb tree (Sorbus domestica), 3.7% wild cherry (Prunus avium) and 2.3% cherry plum (Prunus cerasifera). The use of rowan (Sorbus aucuparia) and wild service tree (Sorbus torminalis) were mentioned by only two respondents each, i.e. by 0.4% of the total number of respondents each. They are mainly used for food or medicine. Collection and processing of forest fruit can be significant direction of development for small family farms in the area of Pirot District. In this way, the use of these plant species encourages the development of the local economy while preserving the ecosystem and biodiversity and represents an important component of the life of poor population. Better conditions can be created for the development of tourism, trade and other activities, as well as significant export potential, which would contribute to the return of the population to this area. However, for the collection and marketing, the possibilities and conditions for plantation cultivation, as well as the processing and finalization of such products in the area of Pirot District, greater support from the state is necessary by means of measures of economic policies and incentives. Rational coolection and marketing of forest fruit (based on continuous monitoring of these species in nature) must be the imperative, in order to preserve them for future generations.