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Worldwide pesticides are used by farmers for growing more food on less land by protecting crops from pests, diseases and weeds as well as raising productivity per hectare. Also, pesticides enable farmers to produce safe, quality foods at affordable prices. Therefore, the market for agricultural pesticides is anticipated to rise by $ 26.23 billion between 2021 and 2025. Pesticide residues can be discovered in a wide range of common foods and drinks, such as prepared meals, water, wine, fruit juices, snacks, and animal feeds. Furthermore, it should be noticed that chemical pesticides have been linked to a variety of detrimental health consequences, including impacts on the skin, gastrointestinal system, nervous system, respiratory system, reproductive system, and endocrine system. The current review was carried out using an objective mixture of primary and secondary information, including inputs from key participants in pesticides industry. Also, it aims at highlighting the urgent need for a new concept in agriculture involving a drastic reduction in the use of chemical pesticides, driving the market to bio-based pesticides.

Varieties of dioecious hemp (Cannabis sativa L) created at ARDS Lovrin, Lovrin-110, Silvana, Armanca and Teodora, is characterized by the production of strains exceeding 10 t/ha, a fiber content of 25-30 % and can be extended in culture both in our country and in the European Union and not only, due to a low THC content below 0.2%. Dioecious hemp varieties exhibit a high ecological plasicity, when applying appropriate technology they achieve high yields. The researches carried out in the field of cultivation of dioecious hemp in Romania, for stems and seeds, have shown that it can be used in various industries (textile, cellulose, food, etc.) from where to result in high quality products. Following the study undertaken in the period 2021-2022, at ARDS Lovrin, it can be concluded that the variety Armanca has the highest yield of stems per hectare, with an increase of 2373.5 kg/ha, 29.1% more than the yield obtained by the control variety Silvana.

Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.), first mentioned in China, is widely grown around the world, being a plant with a wide utility. It is a sustainable industrial crop with a high yield, the products obtained from hemp being biodegradable, recyclable and reusable. The aim of the paper is to evaluate the production of stems in some varieties of dioic hemp in the climatic conditions specific to the Banat plain. In the research field of the hemp breeding laboratory (Cannabis sativa L.), from Agricultural Research and Development Station Lovrin, Timiş county, an experiment with 10 varieties of dioic hemp of different origins was placed, and has been cultivated for the production of the experimental years 2016 - 2018. The experiment was organized according to the method of randomized blocks, with a distance between rows of 12.5 cm ensuring 45 seeds per square meter. From the analysis of the production results for ten varieties of hemp for stems, it can be concluded that the production of stems was different both from one year to another and between varieties. In 2016, the maximum production of stems was 16055 kg.ha-1 registered by the Silvana variety, and six hemp varieties (Armanca, Fibramulta, Carmagniola, Hungary, Felina, Kuban) fall into the production class of 15000 - 16000 kg.ha-1. In 2017, the highest production was 12635 kg.ha-1 obtained by the Kuban variety along with four other varieties of hemp for stems (Lovrin 110, Silvana, Felina, Tyumen -85) in the range of values between 12000 - 13000 kg.ha-1. In 2018, the maximum production value was registered for the Fibramulta 151 variety of 15083 kg.ha-1, which far exceeded the production of the varieties included in the range of 11000 - 12000 kg.ha-1 (Armanca, Carmagniola, Hungary 139, Felina, Tiumen -85). The most stable productions were recorded for the Lovrin 110 variety in all experimental years. For the other varieties, the yields varied according to the experimental year.

Fusarium graminearum (Fusarium Head Blight - FHB) is a dangerous pathogen of the cereals producing mycotoxins harmful for humanand animal health. The quality of the wheat grains is severely affected in the years with FHB epidemics due to the high mycotoxins levelthat can overpass maximum allowable concentrations, with implications for food safety. The purpose of the work was to investigatesome variables involved in the contamination of the wheat grains with several harmful mycotoxins (DON, ZON and T-2) in conditions ofFHB natural infection in an epidemic year. The main finding of the results highlighted that the low ears densities of wheat crop canopydeterminate high FHB attack frequency, too. Climate conditions from May 2019 were very favourable for the evolution of FHB epidemicsin western Romania. This fact was confirmed by the experimental results of FHB attack, and later by the concentrations of mycotoxins(DON) over the maximum allowable concentrations from the wheat grains at the harvesting moment. The overpass of DON concentrationwas found in 15 from the total 16 wheat varieties from the experiment. Positive significant correlations were found between DON andT-2 and between DON and fungus attack intensity. According with the results, in FHB epidemic year some of the most influential factorsin the contamination of the wheat grains with DON, ZON and T-2 in the order of their importance are: ears density, frequency of theattack on ear, number of diseased ears and attack intensity on ears

Amorpha fruticosa L. (false indigo bush) is an invasive shrub species from Fabaceae family originating from North America. Nowadays this species creates great problems because it is invading floodplains along the rivers from Europe, even the Danube River floodplain reaching to the Danube Delta. The floodplain area of the river Mure? is highly affected by this invasion, this species occupying great surfaces of grassland and arable land. The researches were developed on the lowland area alongside the river Mure? (Arad County, western Romania) in the perimeter of the locality Pecica, respectively belonging to Mures Floodplain Natural Park. The purpose of the work was to characterize different relationships between the features of the grassland vegetation with soil features in three different situations, respectively permanent grassland, grassland totally invaded with A. fruticosa, and transitional grassland partially invaded with A. fruticosa. The soil samples were collected from 0 - 25 cm depth. The researches were investigated the influence of the false indigo bush invaded grassland on the soil features as pH, nitrogen index, total nitrogen, humus content, phosphorus, potassium and carbonates. The considered grassland vegetation features related with the soil features were: floristic composition (main functional groups of plants, some biodiversity indexes and pastoral value. The obtained results showed the existence of complex relationships among the analysed vegetation and soil features.

Almonds can be infected by mycotoxigenic fungi both during the vegetation and during storage after harvesting. Most of the times the almonds are healthy, but during the improper storage they can be contaminated by fungi from the genus Aspergillus, Fusarium and Penicillium. The mentioned fungi are very dangerous for health because they are producing carcinogenic mycotoxins. The purpose of the work was to identify the fungi that are growing on the marketed almonds when they are placed on culture media after a previous sterilization. The biological material consisted in raw almonds bought from supermarket. The almonds were chosen in such manner to originate from different countries, respectively USA, Italy, Spain, South Africa and Germany, there being obtained six samples with three replicates. The almonds from all the 18 samples were placed on culture media in Petri plates and were introduced in incubator at a temperature of 25 oC for 7 days. On the almonds from the culture media were developed after seven days the following fungi: Fusarium sp., Aspergillus flavus, Penicillium sp., Aspergillus niger and Rhizopus sp. High contamination rate was noticed in the case of the fungus A. niger. There was highlighted the variant originating from USA with 93.18%. In the opposite situation is the variant of bio almonds from Spain contaminated in a 14% rate. The samples from Germany and Spain were massively contaminated, respectively between 72 and 83%. Regarding Aspergillus flavus fungus, the lowest contamination rate was registered in the variant from USA (18%) and the highest in the sample from Spain conventionally cultivated (79%). The variants of bio almonds were contaminated in different rates, respectively 30% (Italia) and 66% (Spain).

In Romania, the diversity and specificity of the pedoclimatic systems (in approximately equal proportions - plain, hill, mountain) and the historical and socio-economic particularities generated a land fund structure dominated by the share of agricultural lands (over 61%), being present in all relief units. Romania is one of the European countries with important land resources, per capita returning 0.68 ha of agricultural land and 0.43 ha of arable land. In the last 30 years, in Banat and not only, under the impact of socio-economic, political and natural factors, there have been significant changes in the structure of land use. The general trend was to increase agricultural land and built at the expense of forests and natural grasslands. This paper aimed to make an empirical analysis of land use categories in the Timiş Plain, focusing on grasslands and arable land, using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and the 2018 Corine Land Cover database. The experimental site is constituted in the form of a transect formed by five territorial administrative units (Lovrin ATU, Cenei ATU, Peciu Nou ATU, Pădureni ATU and Moşniţa Nouă ATU), representative for the geographical unit of which they are part, respectively Timiş Plain. The relief conditions, as well as the geographical position of the analyzed territory, are reflected in the land use and the agricultural activities carried out. The five ATUs analyzed have a significant agricultural potential, characterized by large areas of covered arable land, mostly fertile soils, which allow crop diversification. The area has agricultural potential, the market access being an important factor of development in terms of livestock growth, even if the grassland areas are small. Filling with fodder is made from fodder crops and arable sown grasslands (complex crops).

The wheat grains can be infected in the favourable years by fungi that are producing the disease named black point. The conditions from the climatic year 2019 in western Romania have favoured this disease, a great rateof the grains being infected. Thus, the quality of the cereals in the year 2019 was highly decreased due to the fungal infections from the genus Fusariumconnected with Alternaria. The mentioned fungi are very dangerous for the health because they are producing mycotoxins. The purpose of this research was to identify the fungi associated with black pointin four wheat varieties cultivated in near Timișoara and the setting of the frequency of the diseased grains. The analysed varieties were Exotic, Rubisco,Glosa și Lovrin 6x. The identification of the fungi implied in the black point disease was realised by laboratory analyses that were consisted in the placing of the previously sterilised wheat grains on the culture medium of agar. The samples prepared in this way were incubated at a temperature of 24 oC for 18 days. There were collected data by visual and microscopy observations at two intervals of time. Identification of the fungal growth on the grains affected by black point was done at the microscope. There were evidenced fungi from the genera Alternaria and Fusarium.The higher black point frequencies were registered in the varieties Glosa (13.51%) and Exotic (10%). In the variety Lovrin 6x, the frequency of the black point diseased grains was 9.03%. The lowest black point frequency was registered in the variety Rubisco (6.10%). The great fungal contamination rate was comprised between 88.23% inthe variety Rubisco and 100% in the variety Lovrin 6x. The wheat grains were contaminated in a high rate with the fungus Fusarium graminearumin the climatic conditions of the year 2019 that was favourable for the infection.

Eurasian hemp moth (Grapholita delineana Walker) is a very dangerous pest for hemp that appears every year in the hemp crops from the territory of Station of Agricultural Research and Development Lovrin (SCDA Lovrin). The revival of the hemp cultivation in Romania is desired nowadays mainly for seed production for the oil extraction, for protein powders, cosmetic products, cannabidiol etc. Unfortunately, the textile industry isn’t interested in the processing of the hemp for fibre. Nowadays in Romania are cultivated some over 2000 hectares of hemp in some areas from the counties Timiș, Bihor, Suceava and Botoșani, there being an economic interest for this crop. In this context are coming in attention the pests of this plant species, mainly the Eurasian hemp moth. In this research were monitored four hemp varieties created at SCDA Lovrin regarding the response to the Eurasian hemp moth attack. The monitored varieties were Teodora, Silvana, Armanca and Lovrin 110. These varieties were reacted different to the attack of the moth Grapholita delineana. The average density of the larvae per plant was comprised in the interval 36.83 – 61.16. the most attacked was the variety Teodora followed by Silvana and Armanca. The variety Lovrin 110 had the best reaction to the pest attack, the registered density of larvae per plant being 26.83. The statistical analysis showed that the most significant differences were between the genders, there being visible the preference of the larvae for the female plants (p < 0.001). Thus, analysing the differences between varieties and genera these were significant only between Teodora female plants and Lovrin 110 male plants and Silvana male plants.

A field experiment was conducted during 2015-2019 years at the National Agricultural Research and Development Institute Fundulea, Romania, to investigate the effect of different nitrogen and phosphorus sources on growth, yield and quality of maize (Zea mays L.). This research is carried out in long term experiments (over 45 years) under unirrigated conditions. Fertilization, like the basic technological link, ensures a constant flow of nutrients to the crop plant, but the efficiency of applying organic fertilizers is strongly influenced by extreme variations of the climatic conditions. The results showed also that the final maize yields and yield increases were conditioned and limited by specific traits, especially using of mineral and organic fertilizing.