Beneficial Insects for Biological Pest Control in Greenhouse Cannabis Production

A greenhouse cannabis cultivation took place in Agriculture university of Athens in order to quantify the efficiency of beneficial insects as a main method of pest management. Cannabis plants grown in two greenhouses and beneficial insects were released only in one greenhouse as a means to investigate the efficacy against pests by the comparison with the control greenhouse. Measurements included the visual estimation of infestation, the recording of pest species and populations, and the comparison of infestations and yields amongst greenhouses. Our results indicate that beneficial insects could control pest populations up to 100%. Even though the environmental conditions were not optimal and consecutive pest infestations were observed throughout the duration of our study, the beneficial insects successfully managed the pest populations. In conclusion, biological control with beneficial insects is a very effective method for pest management in greenhouse cannabis production.

Do Greenhouse Cover Materials Affect Cannabis Performance?

A greenhouse pot experiment was conducted in the Agricultural University of Athens in order to evaluate the effect of several greenhouse cover materials on the performance and yield of hemp. The experiment was set up in a completely randomized design (CRD) with five treatments/greenhouses (G1, G2, G3, G4/Control, and G5). Measurements included plant height, PAR (Photosynthetic Active Radiation), chlorophyll content, solar irradiance, soil and leaf temperature, and yield components (the number of buds, their weight, length, and compact index, CBD content, and CBD yield per plant). The results of the present study suggest that the different polyethylene cover films alter the environment within the greenhouse and thus, affect the agronomic characteristics and yield traits of hemp. G1 reported the best results as it increased soil temperature and PAR values by 11-16% and 50-110% respectively, compared to G4. Concurrently, the majority of the bud characteristics were significantly improved in G1. Even though further research should be conducted in order to define the most suitable films for greenhouse hemp production, our results indicate that the optical properties of the greenhouse cover materials affect its yield and should always be considered.

Research on how to Implement the Systematic Cadastre within Medias Municipality, Sibiu County

The paper aims to conduct a research, in order to analyze how to systematically register properties in the integrated system of cadastre and land book of buildings on the territory of three cadastral sectors belonging to the administrative-territorial unit Mediaș, Sibiu County. The objective of the work is represented by the accomplishment of the systematic cadastral works in the analyzed area. The instrument used to carry out the geodetic and topographic works necessary to carry out this project is the Leica TC (R) 407 total station, which is part of the TPS400 range. The verification of the support network was performed both from a planimetric point of view using the conditional measurements method and altimetrically using the trigonometrical leveling at long distance method. Two new points were included, the compensation of their coordinates was made using the indirect measurements method. In the present paper, the real estate fund cadastre was made, the evidence and the systematic inventory were made, from a quantitative, qualitative and legal point of view of the 56 buildings from the 3 cadastral sectors afferent to the studied administrative-territorial unit. Following the work, it is found that the method of registration in the Land Book through the Systematic Cadastre is an efficient solution and an alternative to the Sporadic Cadastre addressed at national level that facilitates field work, time and allows the determination of land areas in cadastral sectors. with better accuracy.

The Future of English for Specific Purposes Classes Beyond the Pandemic Context as Seen by the Students of Agricultural Sciences

While English for Specific Purposes has been dealt with by researchers all over the world, the insertion of educational technology and online environment is a relatively new concept. This article explores the main aspects of an effective online ESP learning process during the 2019-2020 academic year within the split frame generated by the pandemic context. It also aims at setting the educational frame for the future of ESP classes from the standpoint of the freshmen of Agricultural Sciences. An online questionnaire was answered, its structure being underlined by aspects such as content and skill-related tasks, accessibility, motivation, engagement, educational environment, media and assessment. The use of specialization-related materials is positively adjusted towards the online ESP classes, whereas frequency usage of skill-related tasks shows more balanced values between on-site and online ESP classes. In terms of schedule flexibility, the online medium is the more manageable of the two. If the combination of online exercises, specialized sites, online apps and platforms is clearly the norm for the online ESP classes, on-site assessment is evaluated as being more accurate. Although the students’ answers are relatively balanced, the majority agreed that the online environment is the most suitable frame for the future ESP classes.

Multivariate Model for Natural Gas use as a Residential Heating Source in Rural Area

We selected the rural region of Koppány Valley in Hungary to investigate the residents’ natural gas use practices. Natural gas can be a feasible alternative for improving the quality of life in rural areas. The study’s aims were to look at the social, economic, and environmental facets of residential gas use in order to assist regional planning decisions in our selected rural area that would encourage efficiency and energy source switchover. The variables were collected using a quota-based sampling system survey. We chose to use binomial logistic regression model to ex-amine the explanatory variables’ significance. The higher the settlement scale in our data, the more likely it is that gas will be used. Residents who do not trust their mayor have a lower chance of using gas. When compared to insulated homes, non-insulated houses are less likely to use gas. Higher education level, pensioner category, and whether the individual accepts that bio-gas has environmental benefits are not significant categories. Therefore, residential heating technology is more likely to be supply-driven, than demand-driven. We would suggest the application of subsidies for heating equipment replacement, in combination with educational campaigns, in addition to establishing a higher degree of trust in their mayors.

THC Yield and Greenhouse Cover Materials: Optimizing the Profit of Medical Cannabis

Even though Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is a psychoactive substance, studies indicate that it has therapeutic properties. Moreover, the modification in Greece legislation regarding the legalization of cannabis has resulted in new business opportunities for medical-cannabis related companies. This study aimed to evaluate whether different greenhouse cover materials affect THC yield and propose a business plan for any potential medical-cannabis related company in Greece. A greenhouse experiment was conducted in order to evaluate the effect of different plastic cover films in greenhouses for the cultivation of Cannabis sativa. Furthermore, the economic viability of a potential medical-cannabis related business in Greece was evaluated based upon a financial analysis. Yields were increased in greenhouses with double plastic cover materials (compared to the control). According to the results of our comparative economic analysis the production of medical cannabis in greenhouses constructed with double layered cover materials would significantly increase profits. Finally, greenhouse medical-cannabis production is much promising in Greece. Nevertheless, the use of appropriate greenhouse cover materials should be considered as they affect THC yield and therefore, the profit of the company.

Influence of Nitrogen Fertilization on Root Growth Dynamics and Yield of Chia (Salvia hispanica L.) in Greenhouse Pots

A greenhouse pot experiment was conducted in Western Greece in order to evaluate the effect of different nitrogen rates on the development of the root system and productivity of chia (Salvia hispanica L.) plant. The experiment followed a completely randomized design (CRD), with six treatments, different rates of applied nitrogen (0, 25, 50, 75, 100 and 125 kg ha-1 equivalent to 0, 134, 268, 402, 536 and 670 mg nitrogen pot-1). The results of this study showed that root length density (RLD) and root mass density (RMD) increased with the increased rate of applied nitrogen and the highest values (1.297 cm cm-3 and 1.178 mg cm-3, respectively) were found after the application of 670 mg nitrogen pot-1 at 100 days after sowing (DAS). Plant height (106.06 cm) and leaf area per plant (883.14 cm2) were significantly affected by the highest rate of nitrogen. Additionally, dry matter and seed yield per plant were clearly affected by fertilization, with the highest values (27.57 g and 4.20 g, respectively) obtained in plants treated with 670 mg nitrogen pot-1. In conclusion, increasing the levels of applied nitrogen up to 670 mg N pot-1 improves root development and therefore the yields of chia.

Fruit Quality of Some Hot Peppers Cultivars from Vegetable Research Development Station Buzau

The aim of this study was to assess phenotypic diversity in terms of fruit quality traits and yield, and also to establish valuable genotypes for breeding purpose suitable for different direction of use. Ten cultivars of hot peppers bred at VRDS Buzau were collected and fruit quality (dry matter content, fruit firmness, the total soluble solids, titratable acidity and ascorbic acid content) was evaluated at different ripening stages. A very highly significant difference (p<0.01) was found for the studied quantitative parameters, showing a great variability among the studied accessions. During ripening, the dry matter content, the firmness, the TSS content and the titratable acidity increase for all studied cultivars and there were significant differences between them. A broad range of variation was noted in Vitamin C content in both stages of maturity. In the present research work, a great variability among the studied accessions was found. Fully ripe fruits were found considerably richer in the bioactive factor than unripe fruits. Our results have selected two important genotypes: A12A, an accession suitable for obtaining chili powder, due to the his low content in dry matter and total soluble solids and accession A135 suited for fresh consumption and for long shelf life because it has a high firmness.

Development of Decision Support System Based on the Bayes ARD Algorithm for Irrigation of Cotton

Cotton is a plant, which is mainly cultivated in regions where the irrigation is necessary as rainwater is not adequate. Researches in the recent years have showed that the irrigation water used could be declined. Improvements in the technological field has made Decision Support Systems combined with Neural Networks and data analysis, an important tool of sustainable agriculture. Cotton producers need to reduce irrigation water needs and that can be achieved by using new technologies. The development Decision Support System was conducted, having 3 different types of input. Data derived from a variety of IoT sensors, weather stations, and on-site measurements (yield and ΕΜ38) derived from 3 fields in Greece, creating a dataset of 9 different inputs. A total of 13 different algorithms were tested and evaluated in order to determine which one is the ideal for our dataset. The adoption of this technology in real data predicted the reduction of the irrigation times, ensuring that there will be no losses in the final yield.

The Impact of Modern Topo-Geodetic Technologies on Positioning Techniques

The field of constructions has evolved extraordinarily in terms of measurement techniques, requiring increasing accuracy. This has led to the creation of new specific technologies, and implicitly measuring instruments. The range of classical geodetic measuring instruments has been completed with new high precision instruments, even in the field of physics or machine building. The use of geodetic measurement methods in the field of Engineering Topographic Measurement Techniques involves, in addition to ensuring precision requirements, the choice of appropriate devices and technologies. This choice is imposed both by the previous precision calculations, starting from a maximum permissible deviation given, and by the knowledge of the execution and assembly technologies. The purpose of this paper was to study the effect and also the impact that new technologies had on the main measurement activities, and of course on measurement techniques. This review article summarizes, analyzes and discusses the current state of primary research in terms of the impact of current or developing technologies on geodetic techniques. The global corpus of primary research is growing at an unprecedented rate. It is difficult for most researchers to grasp the state of the art of a topic. A vast number of bibliographic references were taken into account, on which analyzes were performed.