Poljoprivreda 2-2006 final.qxd

IN MEMORIAM
Prof. Marija Đurkić, Ph.D.
(1951 – 2006)
On 23 June 2006 our dear colleague professor Marija Đurkić , a long-time member of the Department of
Plant Protection and Agricultural Botany Section, passed away silently and forever. She left sorrow and emptiness
among many of her colleagues and students as well as warm memories of long-time cooperation and
friendship. Let this Memoriam return her and her life in our mind.
Marija Đurkić, an associate professor and scientific adviser was born on 12 November 1951 in Ernestinovo.
Elementary and high school she attended in Osijek. In 1984 she graduated from the Faculty of Agriculture in
Osijek. Her M.A. she received from the Natural –mathematics Faculty in Novi Sad in 1990 (thesis “Floristic composition
and organic production of weed species in maize agro-phyto-cenosis in Osijek area”. In 1996 she received
her Ph.D. (thesis “Effect of chemical and mechanical measures on weed flora of selfpollinated maize lines in
eastern Croatia”) from the Faculty of Agriculture in Osijek. After finishing the high school she was working as a
technician at the Department of Agricultural Engineering within the Agriculture Institute in Osijek. In the period
1973 – 1976 she was an employee of the Soil Science Department at the Faculty of Agriculture in Osijek. From
1976 to 1986 she was working as a laboratory technician of the Agricultural Botany course at the Faculty of
Agriculture in Osijek. In 1986 she was appointed assistant, 1990 research assistant, 1997 assistant professor,
2003 associate professor and 2006 scientific adviser. By the academic year 2005/2006 Marija was lecturing
Agricultural Botany and Agricultural phyto-cenology . She was also lecturing courses at the Polytechnic College
in Požega since 1998. There she ran Botanics course of the viticulture – wine production – fruit growing major.
By the latest curriculum, since academic year 2005/06 she was appointed coordinator of the module Weeds and
Agricultural phyto-cenology of the graduate study program of Plant protection major as well as lecturer of a certain
number of optional modules at undergraduate, specialist and Ph.D. study program of Crop production and
plant protection majors.
Within her twenty year research activities professor Marija Đurkić conducted researches in agricultural
engineering focused on weeds in diverse arable crops in northern-east Croatia. Forty two of her research papers
have been published. She participated in 29 symposia 12 of which were international. Marija was also a coauthor
of the chapter “General traits of seeds and fruits” of the university textbook “Seeds and fruits of arable
crops and weeds in Croatia”. Also, she was a principal researcher of the project “Ecologically acceptable model
of potato weeds control” financed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management (2004 – 2006)
as well as a researcher in certain project supported by the Ministry of Science, Education and Sports from 1986
to 2006. She was appointed leader of the research program “Ecologically acceptable plant protection in agricultural
production” proposed to the Ministry of Science, Education and Sports in 2006 for the study period 2006 -
2010. Taking into account all of her research work she contributed a lot to both agricultural science and profession.
Professor Marija Đurkić was a member of the European Weed Research Society (EWRS), Croatian Society
of Agronomists (HAD) and Croatian Plant Protection Society (HDBZ).
Painful truth is that professor Marija Đurkić is not with us any more. However, what remains and will always
exist is unforgettable memories of the person being an advocate of justice and honesty. Also, her long-time dedicated
work in transferring knowledge to many generations of students will always remind us of Marija as a diligent
and decent lecturer.
On behalf of all employees and students of the Faculty of Agriculture in Osijek I would like to express our
deep gratitude to professor Marija Đurkić for all good she has done, for friendship she gifted to us and for all nice
memories she left.
Prof. Mira Knežević, Ph.D.
Chief of the Section of Agricultural Botany
POLJOPRIVREDA 12:2006 (2)