The Influence of foliar fertilization on different soybean genotypes

Soybean is one of the most important leguminous crops due to its high oil and protein content with a significant role in nutrition. Micronutrients for soybean growth and development are very important and foliar fertilization is used to overcome environmental stress and help soybean plants to fill their nutritive needs. The research was carried out in 2020 by the Soybean Breeding Laboratory from the Agricultural Research and Development Station in Turda, Romania. Foliar fertilization had both positive and negative effects for 1000-grain weight and yield however, quality traits do not seem to be influenced by applying supplement of microelements during the vegetation period. The research suggests that genotype is the determining factor in the efficiency of foliar fertilization. In this sense, the present experiment will continue to bring answers regarding the effects of foliar fertilizers on some soybean genotypes.

Phyllopertha horticola Linné - Pest in blueberry plantations in the Mărişel area (Cluj County)

Phyllopertha horticola Linné (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) is one of the most common phytophagous beetles in Central Europe. In 2020 the blueberry growers from the Mărişel area reported the presence of a new beetle that attacked the fruit’s flowers and leaves. The species was identified at the University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine in Cluj-Napoca as the garden chafer. In the following year, the plants attacked by the garden beetle were monitored in the blueberry plantation in the Mărişel area. For monitoring the garden chafer, three rows of land were randomly selected in each plot with intervals of 20 plants per row. Each plant was analyzed individually and the number of adult beetles reported on the plant was noted. The observations were made between June and July 2021. In the Elliot variety, the share of plants reported with adults of Phyllopertha horticola Linné was between 50% and 60%, the average being 55%. Regarding the maximum number of adults/plant, it was between 6 specimens (raw 1) and 9 adults/plant (raw 2). In the Bluecrop variety, the share of plants with adults of the monitored species was between 10% and 45%, with an average per variety of 25%.

Study of the allelopathic effects of Medicago sativa on the germination characteristics of Secale montanum

This study investigated the allelopathic effects of Medicago sativa L. on the germination characteristics of weed rye (Secale montanum L.) Guss. In order to study the allelopathic effects of different concentrations of aqueous extract (0, 10, 20 and 30%) of different M. sativa parts (root, leaves, stem and aerial parts of the plant including (stems, leaves and flowers) on initial growth of rye (S. montanum) seedlings a factorial experiment arranged in RCB design was carried out with three replications in the greenhouse of Agricultural College, Mahabad Islamic Azad University in 2017. The greenhouse data showed that the plant height, root and biomass dry weight of the weed decreased so that the declining trend had a significant effect (p≤0.05) on all traits of rye studied in the present experiment. Among the aqueous extracts of M. sativa that of the root had the greatest allelopathic potential.

E-agriculture Framework for Improving Agricultural Productivity among the Smallholder Farmers in Rural Kenya

The economy of Kenya depends mainly on agriculture where smallholder farming has a significant role as it employs 65 percent of the work force and contributes 32 percent of Kenya’s GDP. However, the agricultural industry in Kenya is currently facing difficulties in low productivity. The rural areas have the largest concentration of poverty and food insecurity. Majority of the farming activities in Kenya are on small scale and the problems of these farmers are multifaceted including sub-divisions and small farm sizes, leading to diseconomies of scale and low productivity. The goal of this research was to develop and validate an E-agriculture Framework for Improving Agricultural Productivity among the Smallholder Farmers. Descriptive research design was used. The study was carried out in South Eastern Kenya. The target population comprised 224 meteorological staff, 421 agricultural extension officers, 208 ICT personnel and 3,833 farmers. Data was collected using self-administered questionnaires, observation and interviews and analyzed using SPSS. The study found that challenges faced farmers were cost, illiteracy and ICT skills among others. Further, the study established that farmers required specific information such as soil management, pest management etc., for mainly improving their productivity. The researcher proposed an e-agriculture framework for improving agricultural productivity through promoting innovative use of ICT tools to bridge the distance between the farmers and the research communities. The proposed e-framework could be used by government policy makers and stakeholders on ICT on agricultural services in other developing countries to implement policies that speeded up the use of ICT on agricultural information.

Effect of Various Nutritional Resources on Phytochemical Traits of Some Rice Varieties Under Drought Stress Conditions

A split-plot factorial experiment with randomized complete block design with three replications was performed at Dasht-e-Naz company located in Sari city, the Mazandaran province, Iran, in 2016 and 2017. It aimed to study the phytochemical properties of rice cultivars using different nutrients (chemical, organic) under drought stress. Three levels of stress, including drought stress at the beginning of tillering stage (15 days after transplanting), active grain filling period (end of flowering and the beginning of seed filling) and lack of stress (control) were the main causes of drought stress. Irrigation was stopped for two days, and re-irrigation was performed periodically after the appearance of hairy cleavage. The type of nutrition system was considered as the sub-factors in the factorial pattern in terms of four levels of vermicomposting and Azolla compost, in the quantities of 6 and 8 tons per hectare, respectively, humic acid (4.5 litres per thousand litres of water), the conventional chemical fertilizers (NPK), and two cultivars (Shirodi and the local Tarom). The maximum paddy seed yield was obtained in the non-stress condition using humic acid in the cultivars of shirodi and local Tarom. The maximum proline content was obtained in the drought stress condition in the retransition growth stage using the conventional fertilizer in the local Tarom cultivar. Maximum free radical scavenging and phenol content was obtained in drought stress conditions applied in the mobilization phase using humic acid in local Tarom rice. The overall results of the research suggested that humic acid increases the resistance of rice cultivars against drought due to the reduction of oxidative damage compared to the other fertilizers resources and enhances the paddy seed yield by affecting the phytochemical process.

Effectiveness of fungicides with different modes of action against net blotch disease of two-rowed spring barley

Net blotch disease caused by Pyrenophora teres is one of the most damaging fungal diseases of barley crop. This study screened comparatively the effectiveness of eleven fungicide products applied to malting barley (Hordeum vulgare L. conv. distichum Alef.) cultivar ‘Daciana’ in conditions from Transylvania. After fungicide treatment, the net blotch disease index decreased an average of 70.37-78.04% relative to untreated control. Fungicide application ensured an average of 28.66% grain yield increase, 7.51% thousand grains weight increase and 4.36% grain starch content increase relative to untreated control. Top performance was obtained by using products that contained demethylation inhibitors targeting sterol biosynthesis in combination with other active substances with a different mode of action particularly targeting mitochondrial respiration. It is a difficult task to achieve top performance on all dimensions: strict disease suppression, high quantity and quality grain yields. Preventing the occurrence of pathogen resistance to fungicide and minimizing negative effect on crop as well as remanence in the plant, are the main challenges for fungicide use and should receive further attention.

Improvement of the Water Management by Applying the No Tillage System for the Winter Wheat Production

The Transylvanian Plain has a particular aspect, as the hilly areas are predominant and here the soil erosion phenomena through levigation are frequently encountered. The effect of water availability on yields has been thoroughly researched, being one of the main limitative factors of the winter wheat yields. Starting from these considerations, during the agricultural years 2012-2018, a bi-factorial yield test was performed at Agricultural Research and Development Station (ARDS) Turda, for a period of seven years. The study explored the influence of the water status under the influence of two tillage systems and the climatic conditions specific for this area on winter wheat yields. In the field conditions of Turda during experimental interval, the soil tillage system had a rather small impact on the winter wheat yields. In the conventional system (CS) a reserve of accessible water is preserved better during the spring period, this being attributed to a better infiltration into the soil of winter precipitation (snow). In the conservative system (NT), the observed trend suggests that restoration of the ground water reserve is more difficult than in the CS but the loss of water in the CS is just as fast.

Phytoremediation Potential of Iris spp.

Iris plants are widely cultivated flowering ornamentals, with a long history of traditional use in Eurasia, where this genus is reaching the highest diversity. This paper aims to provide an overview on recent advances related to the phytoremediation potential of plants from the genus Iris, in order to promote the use of these species in phytoremediation programs. According to the relevant literature, eight species from genus Iris present phytoremediation potential (I. dichotoma, I. germanica, I. halophila, I. lactea, I. latifolia, I. pseudacorus, I. sibirica, I. wilsonii). The studies addressed potential of plants to mitigate toxic metals/metalloids (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn), excess of nutrients (P, N), pesticides, petroleum hydrocarbons, pharmaceuticals as well as dyes. Most studies focused on wastewater treatment and environments contaminated due to mining activities. Main hindrances in upscaling this green technology remain mitigation of toxicity stress in plants during remediation and the disposal of resulting contaminated biomass. In this sense, use of beneficial microorganisms to alleviate phytotoxicity effects and new valorization possibilities of contaminated Iris spp. biomass have been proposed recently. Designing an entire cycle that includes phytoremediation and sustainable value chains for contaminated biomass could prove feasible and should receive more attention.

Genetic Diversity of Elaeagnus angustifolia L. (Elaeagnaceae) Populations in İzmir (Turkey)

This study was performed out genetic diversity of some Elaeagnus angustifolia L. populations growing in İzmir province by using ISSR markers. In the study, PCR was performed using 15 ISSR primers. PCR products were run in agarose gel and visualized under UV light. Amplified products were scored as follows. A total of 46 bands were produced from 15 ISSR primers, of which 27 were polymorphic. The proportion of polymorphic bands was evaluated as approximately 58.7%. Genetic distances between phylogenetic trees and genotypes were calculated using the PAUP program. The phylogenetic tree consists of two large clades. The longest distance between populations was between Gümüldür-Özdere and Çeşme-Alaçatı population with a value of 0.50, while the closest distance was between Çeşme-Ayayorgi and Konak-Hatay populations with a value of 0.06. The results show that ISSR markers are useful tools for determining genetic relationships between E. angustifolia populations

Conservation of Genetic Diversity of Tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.)

Among the main problems encountered with crop plants, the most important one is represented by genetic erosion. At world level this issue has been debated within the Convention on Biodiversity adopted in UN Conference of Rio de Janeiro and The International Convention regarding Genetic Resources of Plants for Alimentation and Agriculture. In Europe, the regulations in this field are made by the European Directive 98/95 EEC. Across time tomatoes have suffered a heightened process of genetic diversity, phenomenon caused by industrialized farming which is based on the use of very uniform varieties with high productivity. The extension of green agriculture, has led to the use of landraces, because they respond best to the traditional farming systems. In Western Europe organizations of peasants had been founded and, they are involved in different activities aiming at conservation of traditional forms of agriculture and the use of old varieties. In Romania the institutions with continuous preoccupations in the field of vegetal genetic conservation, especially landraces, are the Gene Bank from Suceava and UASMV Cluj-Napoca. By using conservation methods (in situ and ex situ), the genetic erosion surely phenomenon of vegetal genetic resources, implicitly tomatoes, is reduced, the future generations will benefit from valuable genetic resources.