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The use of modern agricultural ploughs, along with conservation techniques and alternative seeding systems, remains at the forefront of achieving better agricultural yields and therefore the success of any tillage operation. In this context, it becomes a priority to find a new, original solution regarding the constructive-functional modification of the agricultural plough with the maintenance of performance, and above all, at the same time, with the significant reduction of fuel consumption and implicitly CO2 emissions. Knowing the technological challenges, a group of researchers from the enterprise IRUM S.A. in effective collaboration with the research organization INMA Bucharest and UTCN have created an innovative vibrating system intended for ploughs in operation and manufacturing within an innovative technological project financed by the Operational Competitiveness Program (POC). This paper presents the research carried out on the development of the innovative vibratory system for agricultural ploughs within the design, optimization and virtual testing activities using specialized CAD-CAE programs to analyze the robustness and performance of the prototype. Research results have contributed to reducing design validation time and manufacturing costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objectives of the research consist in assessing the intensity of the processes that determine the physiological growth of raspberry plants of the Delniwa variety and the Opal variety, which influence the fruiting process and the production of fruits per plant. In the framework of the experiment, the growth and fruiting of the two raspberry varieties under the influence of climatic factors from the experimental location of the raspberry culture established in 2023 within the INMA Bucharest was monitored. Thus, observations were made on the development of the main phenophases of the vegetative organs (foliar) from which the leaves and shoots developed and the fruiting organs (generative / floriferous) from which the flowers developed, hence the harvest. For both varieties, five representative plants of each variety were chosen for monitoring, from which the following parameters were measured every month of the crop's evolution: the number of shoots, the length and diameter of the stem, the sizes of the fruits and receptacles, as well as the accumulated amounts of fruits specific to each variety analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil compaction is one of the major problems facing agriculture today because it increases soil strength and decreases fertility. Modifications to soil decompaction equipment, active bodies and management systems have been shown to provide opportunities to significantly reduce the incidence of compaction. The topic addressed in this paper represents a method of computer-aided design (CAD) combined with computer-aided engineering (CAE) used in the analysis of the choice of the optimal constructive variant to reduce the forward resistance forces of a chisel-type active body intended for soil work equipment without turning the furrow, in order to eliminate hardpan as well as deep compaction. Based on the resulting data, mass/drag coefficient ratios were determined for three analysed configurations. The comparison of these indicators led to the choice of the optimal constructive variant in the sense of the most performing, in order to reduce production costs with maximum efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the experimental results of an innovative atmospheric humidity collection system for irrigating crops. A humidity and temperature transducer located outside reads the temperature and relative humidity of the atmospheric air. Another transducer located on the indoor unit reads the temperature and humidity of the air leaving the humidification chamber. The controller monitors the temperatures and humidities transmitted by the transducers and when the optimal conditions are met for water to condense on the surface of the external collector, it commands the heating and humidification of the air to start. The system operates until the conditions for humidity condensation are no longer satisfied. The meteorological parameters provided by the local weather station related to the conditions under which water condenses was obtained and led to the adjustment of the automatic algorithm. During the experiments, the following parameters were determined: the flow rate of air pushed by the in-line duct fan, the temperature and humidity of the air jets at the exit from the hot air duct and the volume of water obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents the results obtained in the SMART farm by using an advanced method of managing soil conservation works. These works involve, first of all, the collection and storage of data on the spot regarding the following parameters in which the plants will grow: disease climate (air temperature, dew point), growth climate (air temperature, solar radiation, deficiency vapours pressure, relative air humidity, precipitation, wind speed, maximum wind speed, daily evaporation) and soil monitoring (soil moisture, precipitation, soil salinity, soil temperature). Data collection is done through intelligent sensors from a wireless weather station and the reception of this information in real-time on a computer/smartphone by the farmer. Therefore, the farmer will be able to make instant decisions on soil conservation work, thusly saving time and workforce for additional on farm inspections.

The equipment for burying in the ground the drip irrigation lines was designed and built at INMA Bucharest, within a complex research project carried out in partnership with other institutes, universities and research stations in Romania. The equipment is intended for drip irrigation technology for field crops. Subsurface crop irrigation technology is a variant of the classic drip irrigation technology, in which the drip lines are buried below the soil surface, providing water directly to the root zone of the plants. The depth of burial and the distance between the drip lines depends on the type of soil and the structure of the roots of the crop. The activities prior to the experimental research consisted in determining the characteristics of the test field (soil compactness, soil moisture, geographical coordinates of location). Experimental research of the equipment aimed at determining the energy indices (working speed, traction force, traction power, working capacity and fuel consumption).

According to the existing statistical data at the country level, over 65% of the wastewater (rural from agricultural livestock farms) is discharged without purification, 61% are insufficiently purified and only 10-15% are properly purified. The pollution effect of wastewater not purified or insufficiently purified on surface waters, is mainly manifested by the content of suspended matter, of organic matter, in nutritional salts, ammonium and in pathogenic microorganisms. It is well-known that the nutritional salts of nitrogen and phosphorus cause the eutrophication of surface waters, with the effect of consuming the dissolved oxygen needed to sustain the aquatic life. Ammonia is particularly toxic to aquatic life. Unsaturated or insufficiently purified wastewater pollutes groundwater, among others with nitrates, ammonium and bacteriologically. From the presented results, the purification of waste water is an essential requirement of the development of human civilization. Being a necessity with special social and ecological implications, the unitary regulation and the general provision of the necessary infrastructure is a priority, in this sense an article will be presented in an experimental treatment station that performs the collection of waste water from an agrozootechnical farm. The purification of water within this experimental model of treatment plant will be done autonomously from an energy point of view (electricity supply is carried out through a hybrid system based on photovoltaic panels and wind turbine), and the recovery. The use of purified water is done in a greenhouse, using a mixed irrigation system (dripping / spray irrigation).

Considerating that the energy resources can be found in limited quantities and are not renewable, the most efficient and technically sustainable for heating the soil in early spring or late autumn in a greenhouse for vegetables is to use the solar energy. A heated greenhouse for vegetables is useful because the vegetation process can start more early or can continue later for can obtain several crops throughout the year. The paper presents theoretical researches accomplished for development an system of ecological heating in a greenhouse covered with a tough polyethylene wrap with triple layer. The heating system contains solar panels with heat-pipe vacuum tubes and an installation for heating the interior of the solarium using hot water hot air heaters, which adds more heat.

One of the known problems with monocultures is that the diversity, abundance, and activity of natural enemies of pests is drastically reduced due to the removal of vegetation that provides critical food resources and overstocking sites necessary for the longevity, reproduction, and survival of many predators and parasites. Economically, in viticulture, the burdens include the need to supply crops with costly external factors of production, such as insecticides, as vineyards lacking functional biodiversity lack the capacity to sponsor their own pest regulation. In this article, innovative methods of combating weeds in the ecological system will be presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extraction of oil from oilseed material by mechanical pressing is carried out in special machines called mechanical presses. The press's primary component sections are the transmission, press bearings, feed area, press chamber, screw, and barrel output. The screw plays a crucial role in a press's operation. A rotating helical body (screw) inside a cylinder-shaped enclosed space produces the pressing force (pressing chamber) in mechanical presses. In this article, we have designed the screw of an oil press to obtain oil from grape seeds. To make the 3D model, we used SolidWorks software, after which we also simulated the model under stress conditions. In the first phase, the behavior of the 3D model will besimulated for the screw with which a small press is equipped, a model most often used in farms for obtaining oil. Later we also simulated a screw model with a larger pitch to observe the differences in behavior between them. In this paper, we show whether the different pitch of the screw press models influences their degree of erosion and fatigue. [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 this paper, sowing rate optimization of grassland drills consisted in finding an optimum combination between the seed flow of the seed metering device and the drill working speed, in order to achieve the sowing rates required by agro-technique for herbs seeds. It was developed a mathematical model that describes the seed flow variation depending on the working speed of the grassland drill and the active length of the groove cylinders. The experimental research was conducted using a grassland drill with eight metering devices and an automated installation, which simulates the working speed of the drill, collects and weighs seeds from each individual metering device. By using MathCad 14.0, it have been drawn the variation diagram of seed flow depending on active length of the groove and working speed. The comparative study of the variation diagrams based on experimental data and the variation diagrams obtained from mathematical modelling highlighted that the downward trend of the seed flow was observed in 66,67% of the results. Based on the mathematical model presented in this paper, it might be developed an algorithm enabling for fast obtain the optimal combination between the adjustment parameters, in order to apply a desired sowing rate.

This paper presents the interaction system within the mechanical soil processing process, consisting of two large elements, the metal of the tool and the soil. Due to the two main forces acting on the chisel knives—friction and impact with the sandy soil—the wear of these chisel knives was determined. To determine the wear, a stand was used which allowed testing chisel-type knives in laboratory conditions by changing their functional parameters: working depth, angle of the knives to work the soil, working speed, humidity and granulation of the test environment. The present paper presents an application of the Archard-type wear law to the contact between a chisel-type knife and sandy soil (wet and dry sand). The theoretical model regarding the Archard wear coefficient considered three forms of surface damage (shake down, ratcheting and micro-cutting). The sand was considered spherical and rigid and the surface of the knife was flat. The experimental model considered real steel knives with different surface hardness and operation under controlled conditions of sand granulation, humidity, attack angle, depth of penetration and speed of sliding. The theoretical and experimental results highlight the wear behavior of chisel knives (Archard coefficient) in wet and dry sand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The importance of soil mechanization technologies in vineyards results from the following advantages: protection and sustainable use of the soil, reduction of the impact of pesticides on the environment, and provision of renewable energy sources. In this paper, it is present an innovative mechanization technology for the maintenance of vineyards that includes carried out in optimal conditions respecting the requirements imposed by agrotechnics: the work of loosening the soil, breaking the crust, and destroying the weeds by turn and between the vines (which until now could not be mechanized) to keep the soil loose, permeable to air and water, without crust, destroying the weeds, and burying fertilizers and herbicides; application of spray treatments with the reduction of specific consumption of pesticides, fuel, labor and especially the reduction of environmental pollution; and recovering biomass, a by-product from wine--growing holdings resulting from land cuttings (during the vegetative dormancy period) to capitalize on renewable energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable agriculture involves, first of all, the development of innovative mechanization technologies for tillage, the establishment and maintenance of agricultural crops that satisfy quantitatively and qualitatively the current needs of people without compromising the requirements or options of future generations and without causing irreversible damage to the environment. Ensuring a healthy and harmonious environment, as the quality of soil, water, air, vegetation and food depends on many factors, but the quality of the land and implicitly of the soil are decisive due to the excessive loosening of the soil, the removal of plant debris from the surface, excessive mineral fertilization, decreased content and degradation of soil organic matter. The paper presents research and perspectives on innovative technologies for mechanization of soil works without overturning the furrow and the establishment of crops by developing technical equipment for sustainable land use systems, which minimize soil degradation, prevent reducing biodiversity, restoring productive capacity and vital processes of degraded soils in order to increase the quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-conventional water resources have emerged as means to meet or supplement irrigation demand for reforestation and agriculture in water scarce regions. Irrigation by condensation is an inexhaustible resource of water for irrigation, the combination of high relative humidity, the air temperature and the low temperature of water circulating through a closed loop system. Irrigation by condensation are designed primarily to arid and semi-arid areas, where groundwater is deep and fresh water sources are rare. Air humidity is a potential source of freshwater that is accessible everywhere and can be used for crop irrigation. This paper presents a review of atmospheric water harvesting used for the purpose of valorization for crop irrigation. The aim of this study is to present methods of collecting air humidity for the purpose of valorization for crop irrigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the process by which, with the help of 3D printing technology, the prototype of the microbial bioinoculants dispenser was made with Markforged Onyx One 3D printer using Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF), which uses a continuous filament of thermoplastic material fed through a heated printer extruder head and deposited to form layers. The material used is Onyx Carbon Fibre Filament, which is a universal, time-resistant, non-toxic and non-combustible thermoplastic material. The prototype of the part was used as a conceptual model for visualization, dimensional analysis and for performing functional tests. The microbial bioinoculants dispenser is part of a combined equipment for biological soil treatment, which can apply microbial bioinoculants (liquid formulations) on the furrow or bury in the soil to a depth of 5... 10 cm microbial bioinoculants (granular formulations) in tomato vegetable crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents one of the important objectives approached by the IND-AGRO-POL Cluster Association on providing technical advice to the fruit- growing farmers by addressing innovative methods for specific applications against fruit trees late spring frosts. The paper presents briefly and easily understandable the current state of knowledge regarding the protection against frosts of fruit tree plantations, offering practical advice for optimal planning according to the working conditions of the Romanian fruit tree farms that lead to reducing the consequences and combating the frosts by reducing the radiative cooling, destructing the thermal inversion layer from the soil, homogenizing the air temperature in the microclimatic layer and consequently, maintaining the air temperature on the soil surface above 0°C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By adding connectivity to in-vehicle networks (including multimedia devices) and external networks (e.g. wireless and Internet) the attack surface was dramatically extended. In this context, there are several types of attacks already been demonstrated on automotive/AV control networks using compromised network connection or physical manipulation. Subsequently, the success attacks violate safety requirements, being able to disrupt system operation or even to take over operational control. In order to avoid false authentication or identity theft of devices or IoT, this paper proposes a time-based authentication method. The proposed method increases the degree of cybersecurity and allows its implementation on independent, low power mobile devices. Finally, a critical conclusion regarding the proposed authentication methods is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INMA Bucharest designed, produced and tested an experimental model of technical equipment for working the soil in the row of fruit trees along with root cutting to moderate shoots growth and precision foliar fertilization, within the innovative technology of fruit plantation maintenance in the rural areas. The paper presents experimental research with the aggregate of the TD 80D New Holland tractor and the ETR technical equipment for determining the qualitative working indexes of soil working and root cutting. The results obtained generate valid solutions for the achievement of a significantly improved product within the fruit plantation maintenance technology and offer to the interested economic agents an efficient product, adapted to the specific heavy conditions in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lately, there is a decrease in arable land surface while the population grows, therefore the need to increase agricultural production per unit of surface is a must to meet food needs. Water resources are reduced and therefore it is important to promote techniques and technologies that efficiently utilize water from various sources with low energy consumption. In sapling crops, directing water along the plant line or uniform storage is achieved with continuous or interrupted (compartmentalized) furrows. The paper aims to analyse the construction and operation of several types of equipment for opening compartmentalized furrows and how they work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global climate change increases the areas subject to desertification, the greatest scourge that threatens Earth. One third of the globe is subject of aridity, affecting more than one billion people in 110 countries, including five countries in the European Union, including Romania. In this paper there are presented some modern methods of irrigation, applicable effective in areas threatened by desertification, namely: drip irrigation, with variants wetting the surface and water underground, irrigation by condensation of water vapor existing in the pores of the soil or the atmosphere and the complementary systems for irrigation by condensation, such as systems to optimize the temperature in the root zone of the plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The advantages that modular electronic devices offer nowadays are almost unlimited and, to a great extent, this diversity is based on the existence and usability of different types of sensors to some low costs. In our work, the combination of Arduino, different light digital sensors, a Bluetooth module and a mobile device, can provide valuable assistance to small entrepreneurs in vegetable and horticulture industry. The results indicate that this system of monitoring natural ambient light in a greenhouse with a sensitivity similar to other electronic devices, however without purely scientific accuracy instruments, but enough for someone without much experience. This shows that robust research prototypes today can obtain promising results with a very low cost, offering an alternative to limited budgets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper are presented as rich and updated information about the importance and the planting technology of Paulownia trees in order to capitalize the hardwood, with beautiful appearance, clean, smooth, free of knots and with a high degree of machinability,used for the manufacture of sawn wood,for the construction of yachts, light aircrafts, expensive furniture and musical instruments.The paper is aimed to the farmers with larger farms and to the sylviculturists which will plant this wonderful trees representing a sustainable source of biofuels, being an energetic plant which grows and is harvested like any tree, which may become firewood, briquettes, pellets and, although burns at higher temperatures, release large amounts of energy and can contribute to solving the global energy crisis [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper is presented an advanced methodology for the analysis of stress and strain distribution (statical structural analysis using the finite element method) in the working bodies of agricultural cultivators for seedbed preparation in order to optimize them. The geometrical model of soil working body was develoepd in SolidWorks format before being taken and transferred to the program of analysis with finite elenets (ANSYS), in order to perform the necessary resistance calculations made in linear static domain. The obtained results provide valuable information on proper geometric dimensioning of the working bodies of agricultural cultivators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to provide a rich and updated information on certain aspects regarding the necessity of establishing of lavender crops, to highlight the large palette of use the products, which can be obtained from this plant and not least, the material benefits. The paper is addressed to specialists, farmers, to the family associations, highlighting the most important aspects to obtain quality products, and under favorable economic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, many countries in the world face the serious consequences of global warming, such as: floods, landslides, excessive heat during summer, drought and many others. The material consequences of climate changes on the economy, on human life and on the environment are very serious. Human activity overloads the atmosphere with carbon dioxide and other emissions that cause global warming, capture heat, slowly increase the planet's temperature and have a significant and harmful impact on our heath, on the environment and on the climate. The increase of providing renewable energy would allow replacing energy sources that have high carbon emissions and would lead to the reduction of global warming. The paper presents aspects regarding the importance of using renewable energy, as alternatives to using conventional energy sources (coal, petrol, wood, etc.). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Romania, maize is the main cultivated plant and maize crops are extremely important from an economic point of view. Research with the no-tillage system applied to maize crops were made in the Romanian Plain, Şarpe (1968, 1987, 2000, 2008, 2009), in Banat, Moţiu (2004) and in the Flood Plain of the Danube River, Şarpe (2004, 2005, 2007, 2008). The results obtained in Romania confirm the results of the research made in other countries: Philips and Young (1973), Köller (1999), Derpsch (2001). In the conventional system, under the weather conditions of the year 2011, the grain yield recorded from the maize crops amounted to 6,200 kg/ha, while in the no-tillage system a grain yield of 6,500 kg/ha was recorded - so the yields obtained in the two technological systems were practically equal. However, there were significant differences in terms of Diesel fuel consumption. For example, in the conventional system, a 78 litres/ha Diesel fuel consumption was recorded, while in the no-tillage system this amounted to only 25 litres/ha. Big differences were also recorded as regards the expenses in the conventional and no-tillage systems. In the conventional system, the expenses incurred for all the mechanical works performed from the sowing stage to the harvesting stage amounted to RON 2,350.00 per hectare, while in the no-tillage system, they amounted to only RON 610,00 per hectare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agroinoculants are alternative products for the agrochemical products, their use reduces environmental pollution and contamination of food. The equipment for microbial inoculants application is designed to the modern technology of sowing and inoculating hoeing plants and vegetables, being used to apply a targeted suspension of bacteria inoculated in the best area for rhizosphere colonization for improve plants nutrition, protection, stimulation and soil structure. This paper presents the results obtained at the tests accomplished in laboratory conditions of the equipment for microbial inoculants application INOC, which has been designed, realized and tested at INMA Bucharest. Performing the laboratory tests it have been determined following qualitative working index: pump debit, nozzles debit, substance norms, stirring system efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]