The Faculty of Agriculture in Osijek was established in 1960 as the first higher educational institution in this part of the Republic of Croatia. It is situated in East Croatia, a significant agricultural area accounts for 21% of arable land of the Republic of Croatia. Natural conditions of this area, as well as application of results obtained in the scientific-research work, are the basis of agricultural production development.

Today research activity of the Faculty is conducted through fundamental, developing and applied scientific projects. Currently, the faculty has 45 scientific projects financed by the Ministry of Science Republic of Croatia, 11 projects financed by the Ministry of Agriculture and 28 projects financed by the local government. There are also 33 projects in collaboration with industry. International activity reply on personal communication between scientist, as well as thru international projects. Some of them are: TEMPUS project, JEP, FP6, SEE-ERA NET, CARDS projects, we are also involved in 2 COST actions about plant production and several bilateral collaborations. Faculty have ten Departments:

1. Department for Agroecology
2. Department for Soil Chemistry, Biology and Physics
3. Department for Agricultural Economics
4. Department for Plant Production
5. Department for Agricultural Machinery
6. Department for Agricultural Techniques
7. Department for Hunting, Fishery and Beekeeping
8. Department for Animal Husbandry
9. Department for Livestock Breeding
10. Department for Plant Protection

Department of Animal Husbandry is involved in research of animal feed and influence on animal products and health status of animals. By manipulating the animal feed it is not only possible to influence quality but also nutritive, sensory, chemical and physical characteristics of animal products. Emphasis of the investigations is also put on stress, physical activity, diet composition, temperature, infection and diseases in productive animals. The project objective is to determine immunostimulative traits by different feed additives, as aimed to enhance production of healthier and more resistant animals able to react to stress and to preserve their homeostasis. Smaller organization unit of the Department is Chair for the nutrition and physiology.
Our on going research:

• improving growing and animal health without antibiotics
• test the immunostimulatory and antistress effects, improving specific and nonspecific immunity by feed additives in domestic and wild animals
• effect of different feed additives on animal performances and body composition
• prevention of stress and increasing antioxidative status
• design functional food.

Scientist involved in COST Action: Marcela Šperanda