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The paper aimed to present the evaluation of the allelopathic effect of the essential oil (EO) of hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis L.) obtained from a new Romanian variety ('Catalina' variety), on seed germination and seedling growth. As biological material, seeds from two weed species were used: green foxtail (Setaria viridis), Johnson grass (Sorghum halepense) and two vegetable species: lettuce ('May King' variety) and spinach ('Matador' variety). The main compounds identified in EO were: cis-pinocamphone (34.57%), trans-pinocamphone (13.73%), along with ß-pinene (13.32%), ß-phellandrene (9.51%) and germacrene-D (5.38%). The obtained results demonstrated that EO had an allelopathic effect, inhibiting/stimulating seed germination and subsequent seedling development. However, the concentrations that showed inhibition/stimulation effect were different depending on the seed species tested. The study demonstrated possible allelopathic effects of EO from hyssop 'Cătălina', on weed and vegetable seed germination. The obtained results can be used in the future, for the development of commercial products with bioherbicidal action, but additionally, thorough research is needed regarding the mechanism of action, EO encapsulation, testing in field conditions, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, climatic changes have induced long periods of drought during growing season that caused a high dicrease of agricultural yields of classic grain legumes crop. In this circumstances, chickpea crop is considered to be more and more involved in crop rotation in Romania as it withstands drought best and has very good nutritional value. Thus, improving crop technology becomes an important aim for near future. This study aimed at the impact of tillage and chichpea varieties on quantity and quality index under climatic environment of Moara Domneasca in 2022 where at three varieties of chickpea (Burnas, Rodin, Kuky) three types of tillering were performed (plowing at 25 cm, subsoiling at 35 cm and disc harrowing at 12 cm). Finally, it was concluded that type of tillage most influenced yields than varieties, best average yield being 1575 kg/ha when plowing at 25 cm. Also, tillage types positively impacted quantity and quality indexes of chickpea yields in a higher degree than varieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through its rural development policy, the EU aims to help rural areas cope with the many economic, social and environmental challenges that the 21st century brings. Weeds are a major scourge for farmers who cultivate organic leguminous crops in rural areas, which often have to invest in many weed control methods in order to increase crop yields. The paper presents innovative technical equipment for weed control through a process involving the blasting of young weeds with small fragments of organic material by means of air compressor and granular material distribution system that degrades in depth both the strain and the leaves of the weeds. Organic materials that can be used in weed blasting are walnut shells, granulated corn cobs, glauconite (also found in Romania) and soy flour. An additional advantage of the equipment is the potential for farmers in rural areas to use organic fertilizers, such as soy flour, as blasting material.

In order to conserve perishable food and extend the permissible storage and marketing period, one of the best methods that uses artificial frost is freezing. The action of low temperatures leads to a slowing down of the modifying processes, both nutritionally and organoleptically. The researches presented within the paper aims to determine some specific parameters for the freezing process using an experimental model of a fast freezing equipment with liquid nitrogen. Experimental researches use two species of horticultural products, namely blueberries and green bean pods. The results indicate that the values of total freezing time, average linear freezing rate and liquid nitrogen consumption for quick freezing of blueberries were higher than those recorded for green bean pods. Also, with the lowering of the set temperature inside the freezing chamber, the freezing time from 0°C to the temperature of -15°C decreases, resulting in lower freezing times, higher average linear freezing rates and liquid nitrogen consumptions with increasing tendency.

Lately, winter oilseed rape has become more and more grown by farmers in Romania, being a rewarding and versatile crop. Black leg (Leptosphaeria maculans) and stem rot (Sclerotinia sclerotiorum) continue to cause significant yield losses in Romania in winter oilseed rape, despite widespread use of fungicides. A series of three trials were conducted in Călărai County in 2021 to quantify the contribution of a mixture of Azoxystrobin 20% and Difenoconazole 12.5% at three different rates and of cultivar resistance. In the field, assessments were performed to conclude the frequency (F%) and intensity (I%) of the attack, in order to calculate the degree of attack (DA%). In the end, the effectiveness of the treatment scheme was calculated. Significant effectiveness and yield differences were recorded between cultivars and fungicides dose rates in the fields. Fungicides higher rates gave better control of diseases than lower ones and contributed to disease control and to yield responses to a greater extent than cultivar resistance. DA% of black leg infection was lower than of stem rot. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chickpea is a small plant with a slow growth rate in its young growth phase, so it gives weeds the opportunity to take over its nutritional spectrum easely. In order to evaluate the effects of the herbicide isoxaflutole 240g/l + cyprosulfamide 240g/l (safener) on weed control in chickpea fields, the experiment was located at Moara Domnească in 2023 in randomised blocks in 4 replicates. The treatments included application of the herbicide in different doses and different times of crop vegetation in pre-emergence, early post-emergence (at 8-10 cm tall) and post-emergence (at 16-18 cm tall). The determination of weeds in the untreated version was done as persentage of soil coverage when the chickpea was around 8-10 cm tall. Acording to the results, the best yields were obtained when the herbicide was applied post-emergent at the rate of 0.18 l/ha when the crop was around 8-10 cm and preemergent at the rates of 0.3 and 0.2 for which yields between 1364 and 1325 kg/ha were obtained. The most severe forms of phytotoxicity that prevented the chickpea crop were present when the herbicide was applied at a rate of 0.18 and 0.36 l/ha when the chickpea was 16-18 cm tall and at the rate of 0.36 l/ha when the chickpea was 8-10 cm tall, with EWRS scores ranging from 2 to 5. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research was conducted in 2020-2021, in 3 different locations (Constanţa, Călă;raşi and Teleorman) and aimed to evaluate the biological activity of the herbicide Thifensulfuron-methyl 75% WG with adjuvant and without in control of broadleaf weeds in winter wheat. The experiments were placed in randomized blocks, in 4 repetitions with a plot area of 100 m². The floristic composition of the winter wheat fields studied has been diversified, being present: Amaranthus retroflexus, Capsella bursa - pastoris, Centaurea cyanus, Chenopodium album, Erigeron annuus, Fumaria officinalis, Galium aparine, Lamium spp., Papaver rhoeas, Polygonum convolvulus, Sinapis arvensis, Stellaria media, Veronica spp., Viola arvensis etc. Herbicides were applied in post-emergence when weeds were in the early stages of growth and development. The herbicide Thifensulfuron-methyl 75% WG with adjuvant and without was applied at the doses of 20, 30 and 40 g/ha. The adjuvant (Trend 90 EC) was applied at 250 ml/ha. The assessments made at 10, 20 and 30 days after treatments focused the density of weeds, the percentage of soil cover, selectivity and the effectiveness compared to the untreated control. The results obtained showed that the efficacy depends on the dose applied, the type of weeds and their density on square meter. The Thifensulfuron-methyl 75% WG ensured a good efficacy in controlling of broadleaf weeds in winter wheat, the best results being obtained at the higher dose and when it was applied together with Trend 90 EC. Some weed species were insufficiently controlled at the dose of 20 g/ha: shepherd's purse, cleavers, blackbindweed, lamb's quarters etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Walnut is a species that can be grown in a temperate climate, has a fruit with a high content of essential nutrients, vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates and amino acids, necessary to maintain human health and can be consumed both fresh and after processing or maturation. In order to obtain the walnut kernel for direct consumption, the walnut must pass through a whole processing flux. After harvesting, which can be done both manually or using mechanized means, the walnut kernel must be cleaned of both the green coating and the shell. First apply the process of washing and cleaning of impurities and green peel, calibration of nuts, then enter the process of splitting walnuts, separating them, sizing walnut kernels into fractions, cleaning the core of dust and various foreign particles. The last steps can be, drying, packing or storing them depending on how we intend to preserve the nuts (with box or just the core) and market requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to its physiological, ecological and technological peculiarities of the species, apricot culture involves a whole series of challenges and requires special attention and fruit growers’ skillness. Being an early flowering plant, sensitive to various diseases and pests, root asphyxiation, spring frosts and other unfavorable factors, yields are often reduced and are a factor that is limiting the areas and farmers' interest in the expansion and development of this crop. Also, the complex of diseases and pests to which this culture is exposed may cause the manifestation of the enigmatic disease called apoplexy or premature demise of the apricot. The paper highlights the importance and special role of effective disease control in an apricot orchard in the southern area of Dobrogea in order to obtain a quantitatively and qualitatively increased yield. A total of 11 phytosanitary treatments were applied to control brown rot, gumspot of stone fruit, scab and powdery mildew. The assessments at 7-10 days after each treatment for Comandor and Farbaly varieties proved a good efficacy ranging from 86.67 to 100%. So that the production of apricots intended for sale was approx 12 tons per hectare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Romania, new invasive plant species have been reported in the last decade. Such an invasive plant is the species V. persica, often found in winter rapeseed crops. Its germination period coincides with those of rapeseed and cause significant yield losses, especially on soils well supplied with nitrogen. The success of this weed is ensured by the large number of seeds and by the fact that it survives over the winter season, being immune to frost, especially in the context of milder growing winters. An increasing number of farmers now grow winter rape (Brassica napus L.) in Romania, because it is an economically profitable crop. One of the basic technological links is weed control, as the rape plants are susceptible to weed infestation, especially during their early stages of vegetation. Early control of the invasive species V. persica is absolutely necessary, because this allows rapeseed to develop vigorously throughout the growing season and because the plant has a great natural capacity to control weeds that occur later. Our assessments of rapeseed crops during 2017 and 2018 in Southeast Romania have shown that this weed may form associations with other species of the Veronica genus, so that they become dominant and can totally compromise the winter rape crop. The aim of this research was to develop measures so as to eradicate and limit the spread of the invasive species V. persica in winter rape crops by integrating agrotechnical measures with products for plant protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soybean cultivation in Europe has increased his importance due to the protein demand. Therefore, the scaling of different changes in cultivation technology and cultivar choosing is concerning to extend the areas of soybean crop zone by overcoming the biotic and abiotic stress. A number of 30 soybean genotypes had been studied by scanning a batch of seeds with GrainScan software in order to assess the seed size, color variation and mottling degree of grains. Further laboratory tests for the assessment of resistance of low temperature has been performed to check the relations between color code and degree of cold resistance of soybean genotypes. The work procedure is a fast option and low cost analysis for a primary seed health assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although there are quite small areas sown with grain legumes in Romania, in recent years these crops have become more attractive to farmers also due to the fact that it leaves the soil enriched in nitrogen. Dried grain legumes crops have certain peculiar features that farmers must take into account to obtain profitable harvests. One of these features refers to the sensitivity of pea and bean crops to weed infestation, especially in the early stages of vegetation. In this context, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy and selectivity of the herbicides applied in pre and post-emergence on weed control in peas and beans. To this end, three experimental fields were conducted in Ilfov, Calarasi and Bucharest during spring and summer of 2020. Assessments were made at 14, 28 and 42 days after treatments application and they aimed at the effectiveness in controlling the mono and dicotyledonous weeds and crop safety. The results obtained have shown that the effectiveness of herbicides applied in peas and beans crops depends on weed species, their density on square meter, pedoclimatic and agrophytotechnical indicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The citrus flatid planthopper, Metcalfa pruinosa Say, 1830 (Homoptera: Flatidae) is a native planthopper originating on eastern North America. On the European continent it entered in 1979, is first mentioned in the northern part of Italy, after which it spread in most of European countries. The pest was reported in Romania by Preda and Skolka, in 2009, in the eastern part of the country, and in the next years was signaled both in the west and in the south of the country. This pest can be considered a slow expanding species, adapting easily from one area to another. Currently is encountered in parks and green areas, fruit and wine plantations, herbaceous plants and herbaceous species, almost everywhere in Romania. The current paper presents the findings of one recent survey in Didactic Farm Moara Domneasca, with emphasis on the pest host plant spectrum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapeseed crop is one of the most profitable agricultural investments, very wide opened to development in Romania. In the latest years, rapeseed has been cultivated on larger surfaces, as this plant may produce quality oil. It is also known as a biodiesel plant, more and more requested for fuel, so that the total area cultivated with rapeseed was 632 thousand ha in 2018. Of this surface, 63,389 ha were grown in Calarasi County. New agricultural technologies and new hybrids have allowed it to grow successfully under our country's climatic conditions. Beside of this, this crop has its own particularities that must be carefully taken into consideration in order to obtain high yields. To give best results, rapeseed needs to be carefully protected, just because this plant can hardly bear weeds infestation, which is one of the limiting factor of yield. In recent years, due to weather evolution, with very mild winters, many weeds species (Galium sp., Lamium sp., Matricaria sp., Thlaspi arvense, Veronica sp., etc.) have grown, even propagated, so that they became a problem more and more often. On the contrary, under normal winter conditions, even during freezing winters, this fact would have never happened. These weeds, among which some invasive species (Veronica persica) become immune to the cold and enter the spring well-developed and compete with the crops for water, air, light and nutrients. In this context, the paper reveals aspects regarding the control of the annual and perennial dicotyledonous weeds in the rapeseed crop grown in two distinct locations in Calarasi County, where post-emergence treatments with clopyralid herbicides formulated in the form of a soluble concentrate (SL) and of water soluble granules (SG) were applied in spring. Herbicides were applied at different rates and at different crop and weeds stages. The assessments concerned the effectiveness in control, the safety of the crop as well as a comparative analysis between the two formulations SL vs. SG respectively, regarding the mode of action on weeds and the level of weeds control. The research results indicated that clopyralid-based herbicides had good efficacy in controlling dicotyledonous weeds depending on the rate applied, the time of application and the degree of weed infestation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most important sources of weed infestation in agricultural crops is related to manure applied as biological fertilizer, when livestock growers don`t process it and don`t store it in order to be weeds - free. In manure there are lot of weed seeds from animal fodder, livestock bedding and also from animal excrements. On the pasture, when grazing fresh food, animals eat also the inflorescences with weed seeds. Ones of these seeds could pass through the digestive tract of animals while keeping their ability to germinate. The aim of this study was to record the weed species that can cross over the digestive tract without losing their germination, to note which weed species are more adapted to do this, which animal species are able to perform the endozoochory process and under what environmental conditions. Trials were conducted under laboratory conditions. The content of excrements taken from four animals species (cattle, goats, sheep, horses), from four distinct South – East areas in period 2019-2020, were mixed with sterilized soil and put to germinate under controlled conditions of temperature and humidity. Following the assessments, weed seeds were found to be able to cross over the digestive tract of animals maintaining their germination. The highest frequency was in cattle and the lowest was in horses. There was at Pasărea where the largest number of weeds was found and animals grazed on untillaged land (hences, fallow lands). The dominant weed species were Setaria sp., Chenopodium sp., Amaranthus retroflexus and Polygonum aviculare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Dobrogea, about 200,000 ha of sunflower (Helianthus anuus L.) are cultivated, accounting for 20% of the total area from Romania. SC FIRST GRAIN SRL-Amzacea organized in 2018 two polyfactorial experiences in the Amzacea and Fantanele fields in order to improve the technology for the sunflower culture in Dobrogea under climate change. In this paper, the behavior of 5 sunflower hybrids was observed at the attack of the main pests (pathogens: Phomopsis helianthi Munt.-Cvet. et al., Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lib.) de Bary, Alternaria helianthi (Hansf.) Tubaki & Nishihara, and the parasite Orobanche cumana Wallr.) and 5 experimental models for weeds and parasite control. The phytosanitary status and the yields obtained in both localities are presented. The two phytosanitary treatments during the vegetation period controlled the pathogens attack. The four ways of herbicide tested have differentiated the attack of weeds and especially the broomrape attack. The highest yield was obtained for Katana hybrid when Listego Plus was applied at 4-6 leaves 4555 kg/ha and 4480 kg/ha in Amzacea and Fantanele, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Powdery mildew is one of the most damaging and common diseases of the apple, being caused by the fungus Podosphaera leucotricha. In the years with favorable conditions for the disease infection, especially for the sensitive varieties, it may produce important damages in the orchards, because it can manifest throughout the growing season. This disease can affect from the beginning of the vegetation the young leaves and shoots, flowers and even fruits in a situation of severe infection. Sulphur-based products are contact fungicides that provide good protection against powdery mildew without polluting the environment. The mechanism of action is a multi - site, with low risk of occurrence of the pathogen resistance phenomenon. This paper highlights the effectiveness of the two sulphur - based on products in controlling powdery mildew in three apple orchards where no other fungicides have been applied. The products tested in the trials were: Polisulf, Sulfomat 80 PU and Kumulus DF (standard product). Data obtained demonstrated that the efficacy of Polisulf at the proposed rate of 30 l/ha and Sulfomat 80 PU at the proposed rate of 4.5 kg/ha was equivalent or close to the efficacy of the reference product Kumulus DF at 4.5 kg/ha against P. leuchotricha in apple. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maize crop (Zea mays L.) has a major place in the agricultural economy of Romania, and is infested yearly by resilient weed species that strongly compete with the crop. In recent years, it has been found that the invasive species Xanthium italicum Moretti causes increasing damages to crops, with the success of this plant provided by some biological particularities. The research carried out in the southern part of Romania during 2016-2018 demonstrated that maize is greatly influenced by competition of X. italicum which has an adverse impact on its phenology and growth, producing quantitative and qualitative losses of yield. Related to this context, the paper presents data on invasive species management: X. italicum by integrating agro-technical measures with products for plants protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problem weed species, especially perennial, aggressive, potentially invasive ones, may cause various, large-scale and irrecoverable damages by reducing crop yields quantitatively and qualitatively, generating grasslands degradation, hindering maintenance works, rising production costs, producing toxic effects for both humans and livestock, as well as hosting, favoring and transmitting diseases and pests. The grassy flora of pastures consists, besides gramineous and leguminous fodder, of other species, of which some have a low forage value or provide a high level of toxiciy. The lack of efficient grassland management has led to the degradation of these lands by changing the optimum proportion of fodder species in the structure of the vegetal composition. In this context, the research and assessments conducted in the permanent grassland of Băicoi in Prahova County targeted the monitorization of vegetal cover species, identifying the problem weeds and determining the influence of the two species on the pastoral value. Two problem weeds have been identified: the Carduus nutans of the Asteraceae family and the Eryngium campestre of the Apiaceae family. The obtained results substantiated that the presence of the two weed species greatly reduced the pastoral value of the pasture from 94% (when Lolium perene, Trifolium repens and T. pratense predominated in the vegetal community composition) to 24%, as C. nutans and E. campestre showed a high degree of aggressiveness, prevented the development of valuable fodder species and endangered the useful pasture cover for animal feeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The establishment of protective belt and the setting of crops within the microclimate created by them, also favourable to sunflower crop, represent one of the most effective measures for mitigating the effects of drought in Dobroudja region. The researches were carried out at Amzacea, Constanta County, in sunflower crops cultivated in the forest belt system. For each plot there have been drawn up weed infestation sheets that indicate the density, participation and the constancy. The data has been centralized for the determination of dominant species and problem weed species that require treatments. Data analysis showed that 16 species of weeds were identified, which, due to the favorable microclimate created mainly by reducing evapotranspiration, exceeded 190 plants per square meters. The Chenopodium vulvaria species, which had a density of 8 plants per square meters in sunflower cultivated plots without belt, became the dominant weed exceeding 20 plants per square meters and participating with C. album species almost 20% in weed infestation process. Due to the water conservation in the soil, the black nightshade (Solanum nigrum), a moisture species has doubled its density from 6% in sunflower plots without belt to 15% in plots between belts. The problem weeds identified in sunflower cultivated within the forest belts were C. vulvaria, C. album, Amaranthus spp., Polygonum spp., S. nigrum, Convolvulus arvensis and Setaria spp. Species that predominantly spread by the wind had a higher density in the plots within forest belt: Xanthium italicum, Cirsium arvense, Sonchus spp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High fertilization of soils in Romania, groundwater and intake correlated with biological reserve in the soil creates favorable conditions for growth and development both for plants and for weeds, especially Sorghum halepense. Due to the high degree of weed infestation it can reach to partially or even total crop calamity. The present work is based on studies that were carried out in maize at a farm in Afumati, Ilfov County. Sulfonylurea-based herbicide nicosulphuron was applied post-emergence at doses of 0.8, 1.0 and 1.5 l/ha, when the maize crop had minimum 2 leaves, BBCH 12. The experiments were placed in randomized blocks and observations aimed at degree of effectiveness in controlling weeds and crop selectivity. From observations made in recent years result in a change in the ratio between monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous species in favor of monocotyledonous especially for the perennial weeds. In these studies the observations were made before the treatment (0 days), 14, 28 and at 42 days after treatment. The predominant species identified were: Sorghum halepense, Echinochloa crus-galli, Setaria spp. The herbicide based on nicosulphuron had a good efficacy in controlling annual and perennial weeds in maize crops. At the dose of 0.8 l/ha monocotyledonous weeds were not fully controlled. For Sorghum halepense species the best results were obtained at the dose of 1.5 l/ha. No phytotoxicity symptoms have been shown in the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]