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The pandemic crisis has created significant challenges for small farms, leading to increased energy costs, higher prices for feed and nutrients, unreliable supplies of chemical fertilizers, and disruptions in product sales markets. These factors have collectively compromised the operational viability and economic sustainability of small-scale agricultural enterprises. To address these challenges, this paper explores the concept of a self-sufficient farming system, focusing on locally producing most of the resources needed to sustain operations and reduce dependence on external sources. A self-sufficient integrated pisciculture farming system is proposed and evaluated, promoting an autonomous circular model that prioritizes environmental sustainability. This system incorporates the integration of local livestock into fish diets, production of renewable energy sources, and efficient water and sludge management to reduce reliance on external resources. The detailed methodology used to evaluate sustainability indicators objectively demonstrates that the proposed system can be self-sustainable and autonomous; however, it requires considerable initial investments that can be recovered within at least six years. Optimizing the energy management plan can reduce daily power consumption by up to 25%. However, local conditions may challenge the efficiency of photovoltaic–hybrid energy production, requiring slight oversizing of the system. The research indicated that rearing carp with cereal-based feed mixtures produces growth results comparable to those achieved with commercially purchased feed. The indicators of resource efficiency, reliability, flexibility, productivity, environmental impact, and social impact were met as expected. The weakest indicator was the technology's potential for scalability, due to its strong dependence on various regional factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the research carried out by the authors is represented by the use of waste, such as that from agriculture, from wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) and from the fiber glass industry in order to obtain construction materials (bricks). The authors, as part of a research project, designed and tested new recipes for making bricks, starting from a series of existing waste materials in significant quantities. By using different types of waste and re-introducing them into the economic circuit, a better protection of the environment is ensured in the current context of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aquaponics combines hydroponics and recirculating aquaculture elements. Conventional hydroponics requires mineral fertilizers to provide plants with the necessary nutrients, but aquaponics systems use available fish water, rich in fish waste, as nutrients for plant growth. Another advantage of these combinations is that excess nutrients do not have to be removed by periodic exchange of freshwater enrichment, as is practiced in aquaculture systems. The system results in a symbiosis between fish, microorganisms and plants and encourages the sustainable use of water and nutrients, including their recycling. Within this synergistic interaction, the respective ecological weaknesses of aquaculture and hydroponics are turned into strengths. This combination substantially minimizes the need for nutrient input and waste removal, unlike when they are used as separate systems, so in the article we have a presentation of the evolution of aquaponic systems. [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]

After the wheat is coarsely grinded in the breakage technological phase and after a certain percentage of flour and bran has been extracted here, the crushing is continued in the reduction technological phase. The paper presents the flow of grist products at the first two technological passages from the reduction phase of an industrial milling unit. Samples taken from these two technological passages were subjected to a granulometric analysis, and with the experimental data a nonlinear correlation was performed with the Rosin-Rammler law, obtaining correlation coefficients of over 0.954. The paper also discusses the limits of the dimensions between which the particles of each fraction are sorted at the first two technological passages in the reduction phase. The analysis performed in this paper can serve in establishing the fabrics of the sifting frames from the plansifter compartments, respectively when adjusting the roller mills.

Romanian aquaculture can be economically sustainable and viable if the farm is profitable, the farm's income is secure, and the products are accepted by customers. In many cases, improving environmental sustainability can lead to optimizing economic sustainability. For example, a more efficient use of food and nutrients or reduced water and energy consumption are not only beneficial for the environment, but can also reduce costs. Growth in polyculture system, which represents the growth of several species of fish in the same space (pond, pool, basin, etc.), and diversification of supply can increase consumer confidence and thus economic sustainability. The diet must provide the fish with the nutrients necessary for growth (proteins with a plastic role) and provide the energy necessary for physiological processes. Quality food ensures good development, facilitates reproduction and prevents extremely harmful diseases in an aquaculture system. The paper presents a series of experimental recipes for pelletized feed made using an experimental model of small capacity. Nutrient pellets made for feeding fish from the Cyprinid family were analyzed in terms of gross energy value, ash content, moisture, mechanical durability over time, bulk density etc.

Biomass is abundantly present in diverse ecosystems, and is considered to be a highly valuable energy source worldwide due to its high diversity. Agricultural residues contribute substantially to the overall biomass potential. Although all agricultural residues can be used as fuel, their range is limited in practice by the possibilities of production, compaction, transport and use. The present paper presents a technology and the associated technical equipment developed and tested by INMA Bucharest for processing Miscanthus biomass that can be used for various energy purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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).

In the climatic conditions of the Center of Moldavia (Romania), there are eight sorghum hybrids cultivated for grains (Arsky, Foehn, Albanus, Shamal, Kalatur şi Armorik, Elan and Alimentar) in order to establish their adaptability to the conditions of the area, by taking into account the current problems of agriculture caused by climate change and the need to find a solutions to fight hunger and improve human health. This study focused on two directions, namely: identifying genotypes that achieve the highest productions and establishing food value and the benefits of sorghum grains on human health by analysing the physico chemical composition of the grains, by determining the mineral content of the grain and by determining the composition in amino acids. The grain production had ranged from 8623 kg/ha to 11181 kg/ha. This production had characterized by a protein content between 8.84 % and 12.80 %, in lipid content between 3.39 % and 4.15 %, in raw fibre content between 2.15 % and 3.95 % and the starch content was between 66.70 % and 74.66 %. The analysed mineral content of the sorghum samples has the following values (mg/100g a.s.): phosphorus - 280 - 330; potassium - 520 - 610; calcium - 2.4 - 3.9; magnesium - 260 - 290; iron - 11.6 - 18.9; zinc - 1.94 - 2.42; copper - 0.23 - 0.36; manganese - 1.60 - 1.97. Analysing the amino acid composition of sorghum samples it can be said that the samples contain all the essential amino acids, in concentrations that, some of them, exceed the recommended daily dose (FAO/WHO/UNU): leucine, isoleucine, histidine, valine. Also the analysed sorghum seeds add an important content of methionine, threonine and phenylalanine.

Environment pollution with heavy metals, can be a cause of the industrialization activities and technological processes, and has become an important issue. Soil contamination due to natural or anthropogenic causes (such as mining, smelting, warfare and military training, electronic industries, fossil fuel consumption, waste disposal, agrochemical use and irrigation) is a major environmental hazard. Various remediation techniques have been highlighted to clean or restore soils contaminated with heavy metals such physical, chemical or biological. Phytoremediation is a relatively new approach to removing contaminants from the environmental. It may be defined as the use of plants to remove, destroy or sequester hazardous substances from environmental. This paper is a review of removal of heavy metals from a contaminated soil using phytoremediation.

The global impact of climate change, with the potential to affect agriculture through changes in temperature, rainwater distribution and amount, leads to the need to develop integrated technologies that increase rain use efficiency and support soil and environmental quality, ensuring higher agricultural outputs with lower costs. Soil modeling in interrupted furrows is a very efficient rainwater harvesting system, but has not yet been scientifically assessed for the conditions in Southern Romania as the other soil working systems have been. For this purpose, a soil modeling device consisting of a frame with triangle for coupling to the tractor, wheels for adjusting and limiting the working depth, soil loosening knives, ridge ploughs and furrow compartmenting equipment was compared with the conventional technology for sunflower culture in two localities in Southern Romania: Crânguri in Giurgiu County and Mărculeşti in Calarasi County. The device for soil modeling in interrupted furrows for weeding crops provides a viable option that has positive effects on soil properties and ensures increased crop yields compared to conventional works as well as the opportunity to increase the efficiency of water recovery in agriculture by harvesting rainwater.

The overall objective of the project is to develop an eco-innovative system for pressing sweet sorghum by the generalised object method specific to the technical creation applied in this field. (Vitalie Belouasov). The representative technical solutions of the companies recognised in this field are known and it is necessary to use a creativity method to analyze the existing solutions, to assess technical and economic characteristics by methods specific to value analysis but also to find new constructive variants and choose the optimal variant that will then be developed by the design-research activity for the realisation of the technical documentation for the execution of an industrial prototype. The generalized object of the technical creation is in the form of a cylindrical morphological matrix, each sector representing a solution (sector represented by a triple assembly BiCjDk, the total number of solutions being: N=i·j·k solutions, some of which are known, others unknown. The incompatible ones must be eliminated, while the others must be analyzed, as they can lead to particularly efficient constructions after their complete solving.

The problem of sludge management in wastewater treatment plants remains a current issue. The characteristics of the sludge depend on the degree of pollution and the nature of the pollutants in the wastewater undergoing purification and on the sludge treatment methods. Before utilization or disposal, the sludge must be treated, with the aim of reducing the water content, fermentation properties and the presence of pathogens. Treated sludge can be used or disposed of, most commonly, in three ways: agricultural use, incineration or landfilling, depending on the properties of the sludge, as well as the option of the treatment plant operator. Other disposal and recovery methods exists, but they are less used. Researchers are looking for new ways to utilize this type of waste in order to minimize the negative impact both on the environment and on the operators of treatment plants. The article presents a way of handling for this waste - the use of sludge for the manufacture of construction materials. Agricultural waste can also be incorporated into building materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aerial monitoring of agricultural crops involves the creation of reliable measurements for which specialized equipment onboard UAVs are needed. This equipment consists of data acquisition systems from mono, multi or hyperspectral sensors, modularly integrated systems in the agridrone that move, position and orient them above the surface of agricultural crops in the monitored area. The components of the abiotic environment (air, water, soil) are vital for sustainable agriculture. The current trend is to make an intelligent and precision agriculture. All these operations become possible real if and only if we look at the agridrone as a unitary system, a mechatronic system formed by the meeting of several subsystems: mechanical, electronic, IT, communication, hardware and software. This involves the introduction of high-performance technologies, machines and equipment to make the agricultural process more efficient and ensure production control in ecological conditions. Thus, farmers try to get as much agricultural production as possible with the lowest costs. Drones used in agriculture as operational tools (agridrones) are UAS (Unmanned Aerial Systems) air platforms equipped for monitoring the health of crops, for spraying phytosanitary substances or carrying out logistical operations in areas difficult to access or dangerous for the human operator. The paper presents a concept of a multi-functional agridrone type 4.0-MHRT, which is in the category of high-capacity professional drones (heavy lift drones). [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]

The article presents a variant of hydrostatic transmission in open circuit that replaces the classical mechanic transmission; for both variants are analyzed parameters such as energy efficiency, power, lost power, etc. Hydrostatic transmission has specific advantages that are deriving from positioning the generator on the ground such as: nacelle mass reduction that will reduce the price of the construction and the simplification of the energy transmitting chain. Energy transmitting and summing from multiple wind turbines is much easier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a series of experimental studies on the use of an oleic extract, produced by steam separation utilizing a prototype distillation equipment. The separation process is performed with the use of wet saturated steam under pressure, using as raw material twigs and buds of dwarf silver fir. Since the volatile extracts of aromatic plants do not bring a direct nutritional contribution to the seeds subjected to germination, the germination increase and the root growth of the plants can be obtained only from the exercise of the anti-microbial, anti-oxidant and insect-repellent effect. The use of essential oils in the protection of seeds and rhizosphere is an ecological method because it does not negatively affect the number and frequency of species of useful microorganisms. The nutritional relationship that is established between the seeds treated with volatile oils and the germination bed can be influenced by the changing proportions of microbial populations with beneficial effects on productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Establishment of walnut plantations can be a successful business in the medium and long period of time. In terms of planting technology, maintenance, harvesting and recovery of the walnut kernel, it is not needed for a considerable effort from both the financial and the labor force. Harvesting and peeling walnuts from the green cover can become one of the easiest stages in the exploitation of walnut plantations. In this context, existing walnut harvesting machines and equipment on the market can ensure and meet the farmer's requirements. Self-propelled, or towed walnut harvesters can also be used on sloping land. The existence of nut shakers makes it possible to shorten the harvesting period and increase the harvesting efficiency for large plantation areas. The harvesting period of walnuts differs from one variety to another and even from one tree to another. It can be considered that even at the level of a tree the nuts have different harvesting phases (nuts usually have a massive crown), depending on their position. Depending on the variety that has been planted, and the geographical position of the walnut culture, distinguishes three categories of walnut ripening periods - early, semi-early and late. If the harvesting and preservation of walnuts is done in strict compliance with the harvesting technologies and their preservation, can last for years without losing the taste qualities. Due to the very high demand on the market, the development of a walnut plantation business on large areas can become very attractive. Considering that young walnuts have the crown formed without the intervention of the human factor, we have new evidence that walnut plantations are easy to maintain compared to other types of plantations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent technological development aimed on increasing performances of electrochemical energy storage systems and the new advances of electric motors have created new opportunities for electrical equipment manufacturers in terms of autonomy, performance and stability over time. The development of electric vehicles reported a strong expansion lately, however, electric farm tractors operating in off-road environment are not yet considered interesting for the large equipment manufacturers, due to their high-power operation needs and the small capacity that energy storage systems may offer. One interesting research direction is assessing the opportunity of charging batteries directly in the field, using photovoltaic sources, located close to the land to be processed. In order to address to this important electric vehicle limitation, new technology is needed which will allow the batteries to be charged during the operation of the vehicle, or to recharge near the area to be tilled. Some models are equipped with replaceable battery pack, which can be easily sent on charging and replaced with a new fully charged pack. The present paper examines the ground area requirements for the installation of a photovoltaic station, designed to charge a prototype tractor model, produced by INMA Bucharest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vibrations usually aren't wanted in any technical system. This rule applies also to agricultural tractors, since their apparition could affect the normal functioning of the machine. One new type of agricultural tractors are the electrical ones, which have appeared in nowadays agriculture because of the need to protect the environment and to mitigate the technology's negative impact on the environment. Because of the electrical engine construction, this will generate less vibration during normal functioning, fact which will attenuate also the tractor's total vibration level. Because transportation is one very important work for which the electrical tractor could be used, its vibration comportment during this type of work is of particular interest for engineers. This paper presents researches done in order to assess the vibration level of an experimental model electric tractor during transportation work. The experiments were performed on the experimental plots from INMA Bucharest on a total distance of 3 km. The raw data for longitudinal, transversal and vertical directions were recorded and processed in order to obtain the RMS values for vibration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]