Mima Todorova - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Mima Todorova
Agronomy
Recently, there has been a growing interest in protein-rich foods and functional foods, as well a... more Recently, there has been a growing interest in protein-rich foods and functional foods, as well as plants characterized by high levels of drought resistance. Vigna unguiculata L. Walp. from the Fabaceae family, also known as cowpea, was chosen as the subject of the present study. The antioxidant potentials of 15 genotypes cultivated in Bulgaria, Southern Europe, were determined. The research focused on the green mass used as feed and on the seeds used as an “ancient” traditional crop. The total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), radical scavenging capacity, determined via the DPPH method, and crude protein content were measured. The seed coat extracts showed higher contents of phenolics (291.0 ± 4.6 mgGAE/g) and flavonoids (83.5 ± 1.1 mgCE/g) and a stronger radical scavenging capacity (50.4 ± 0.7 µmolTE/g) than those obtained from the leaves (22.0 ± 0.5 mgGAE/g, 13.7 ± 0.5 mgCE/g, and 19.7 ± 0.6 µmolTE/g, respectively). The protein content in the seeds ranged fro...
Natural and Life Sciences Communications
The effect of agricultural management on non-polar compounds, phenolic acids, flavonoids and anti... more The effect of agricultural management on non-polar compounds, phenolic acids, flavonoids and antioxidant properties in apple fruit of Florina variety was studied. Antioxidant activity was evaluated using four assays (DPPH, ABTS, FRAP and CUPRAC), based on different mechanisms. The current research demonstrated that organically grown apple fruits yielded significantly higher levels of total phenolics, unsaturated fatty acids and antioxidant activity than apples from the conventional conditions. Seven representatives of phenolic acids (gallic, p-coumaric, chlorogenic, vanillic, caffeic, syringic and salicylic) and four flavonoids (quercetin, rutin, catechin and epicatechin) were found in fruits. Chlorogenic, vanillic, salicylic, caffeic acids and catechin were dominated in apples grown in organic orchards. Epicatechin, gallic and syringic acids were in the highest content in conventionally grown sward apples. The highest correlation (r2>0.99) was found between total polyphenols and...
2022 8th International Conference on Energy Efficiency and Agricultural Engineering (EE&AE)
Lichens adapt to the extremely adverse ecological conditions from the warm and wet areas along Eq... more Lichens adapt to the extremely adverse ecological conditions from the warm and wet areas along Equator to the cold land in polar region, occupying the natural substrates of rock, soil, trees, in the different habitats of plains, mountains and deserts. The aim of this study was to compare the climatic conditions and substrates in Bulgarian mountains whether they are suitable conditions for Usnea аntarctica growth and develop. It is done a comparison to its closest relative lichens in the Bulgarian flora.
Evaluation of soil fertility is now becoming a routine task for soil management and crop producti... more Evaluation of soil fertility is now becoming a routine task for soil management and crop production. Determination of soil parameters such as organic carbon content, nitrogen, available phosphorus and potassium as well as pH is important for the assessment of soil fertility. Soil analyses of such properties by chemical methods are sufficiently accurate, but most of them require special techniques, equipment and qualified staff, which makes the estimation of soil quality expensive and time consuming. This is the main reason for reducing the number of analyzed soil samples in Bulgaria. Therefore standard methods for soil analysis are not sufficiently flexible for sustainable agriculture and monitoring of soil quality. New and cost-effective soil analysis is needed for the rapid assessment of soil fertility. Near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) could provide a possible alternative, because of its many advantages such as еcological, economical and rapid method. It was also found that the m...
Bulgarian endemic Tulipa urumoffii Hayek. is protected under the Biodiversity Act , included in t... more Bulgarian endemic Tulipa urumoffii Hayek. is protected under the Biodiversity Act , included in the Red Book of Bulgaria, vol. 1. Plants and mushrooms in category "vulnerable". The aim of the study is to develop a technology for growing plant bulbs in a laboratory, which is consistent with the environmental requirements of Tulipa urumoffii, and to complete the populations in the areas Buchvata, Kuru Dere and Karandilska polyana with the newly grown species. Vast amount of literature was studied to realize the objective and biennial field research of the populations in the Sinite kamani Natural Park was done. The developed technology is successful and fully complies with the environmental conditions of the natural habitat of the species in the park. By its applying, the plants has been successfully propagated in the scientific laboratories of the Faculty of Agriculture at Trakia University for replenishment of populations. The technology can be used for filling other natura...
This paper presents mathematical modeling of the relation between basic chemical elements and soi... more This paper presents mathematical modeling of the relation between basic chemical elements and soil properties. An overview of the basic chemical elements and properties of the soil is presented. An approach is proposed to conduct an experimental study of the impact of basic chemical elements and soil properties. Statistical methods are used for data processing. Mathematical models for relation between basic chemical elements and soil quality indicators are developed. Mathematical models for indirect determining the content of basic chemical elements by measuring the main soil indicators are analyzed.
Organic production and markets are expanding rapidly. A field study was carried to compare effect... more Organic production and markets are expanding rapidly. A field study was carried to compare effects of different agriculture soil system on productivity of Rosa damascena Mill. and Rosa damascena x Rosa gallica. The experiment was conducted on six private arable areas with oil bearing rose in Rose valley, Southern Bulgaria. The selected study area size was 5000 m2 from each private territory. The flowers of R. damascena were picked up in the morning (6:008:00 a.m.), in 3, 4 and 5 phases. The productivity was determined as essential oil content in the blossoms. Soil samples were also collected from every study area from surface horizon 0-30 cm. The samples were analyzed for several soil parameters as, organic matter content, pH values, available nitogen, phosphorus and potassium content. Statistical analysis was done with Unscrambler (Camo, Norway) software packages. The agricultural system of the oil bearing rose (Rosa damascena Mill.) grown has an effect on the essential oil content...
anadolu journal of agricultural sciences, 2010
Soil NPK testing has been widely used for fertilizer recommendation of annual crops. Soil analyse... more Soil NPK testing has been widely used for fertilizer recommendation of annual crops. Soil analyses of available K content by chemical methods are sufficiently accurate, but they are expensive, time consuming and labour intensive. Recently, fertilization recommendation to the farmers is based on reduced number of soil samples due to high price of analyses. For this reason a rapid and cost-effective soil analysis is needed for soil quality assessment. Near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) could provide a possible alternative. The objective of this study was to investigate the possibilities of NIRS for prediction of available potassium content in different soil units. A total 191 samples from four soil type- Chernozems, Vertisols, Luvisols and Fluvisols were analyzed for available K by conventional chemical method. NIR spectra of all samples were obtained by using an InfraAlayzer 450 spectrophotometer within the range 1445-2348 nm and portable FQA-NIRGun scanning spectrophotometer in short...
Betonica bulgarica Degen & Nejceff is a Bulgarian endemic species protected under the Biological ... more Betonica bulgarica Degen & Nejceff is a Bulgarian endemic species protected under the Biological Diversity Act and included in the Red Data Book of the Republic of Bulgaria, vol.1. Plants and fungi. Harvested seeds of the plants were collected by using insulators to assist the natural reproduction of the populations. The seeds germination and growth of B. bulgarica were studied in three soils: soil from natural habitat; in California red worms Lombricompost (CRWL) and in soil mixture of 2/3 soil + 1/3 CRWL in laboratory conditions. Leaf characteristics - length, width, petiole length, number of leaves and leaf area were studied. It was found that B. bulgarica was characterized by a prolonged period of germination and low rate of germination - 35.0 %. Best plant growth was seen in a soil mixture of 2/3 soil + 1/3 CRWL. The soil strongly influenced leaf length, leaf width and leaf area - 46.1 to 58.6 % of the total variation
IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, 2021
Introduction. The condition of the vegetation cover can be traced from Space. Aim of the research... more Introduction. The condition of the vegetation cover can be traced from Space. Aim of the research. To assess the condition of the vegetation cover in Bulgaria during the last twenty years – its distribution over the country, its change in connection with the typical climatic changes, its seasonal change. Material and methods. The vegetation index NDVI according to NASA data was used to analyze the condition of the vegetation cover in Bulgaria for the years 2000-2020. The methods used were: seasonal data decomposition, t-test, GIS methods for spatial representation of data, Fourier analysis. Conclusions. 1. During the summer months the vegetation in the eastern parts of the territory of Bulgaria is noticeably weaker than in the western parts. The influencing factors-drought and frequent fires are probably related to global warming. 2. For the territory of Bulgaria there is a seasonal rotation of the horizontal gradient of the vegetation index in a counterclockwise direction-from east...
Betonica bulgarica Degen & Nejceff is a Bulgarian endemic species protected under the Biological ... more Betonica bulgarica Degen & Nejceff is a Bulgarian endemic species protected under the Biological Diversity Act and included in the Red Data Book of the Republic of Bulgaria, vol.1. Plants and fungi in the category “endangered“. The aim of this research was to study seeds germination of endemic species Betonica bulgarica Deg. et Neic, as well as 1000 seeds weight of four natural habitats from the Nature Park Sinite Kamani, Bulgaria. Harvested seeds from plants in the Sinite Kamani Nature Park were collected by means of insulators to assist the natural reproduction of the populations. The seed germination was studied in petri dishes after different temperature treatments - in a laboratory at 15°C, in a thermostat at 20°C and 25°C, at a temperature of 5°C, treated with water at 35°C, and direct sowing in the soil without any treatment. It was found that B. bulgarica is characterized by a prolonged period of germination and emergence. The best results were achieved after direct sowing i...
Bassia hirsuta’nin Bulgaristan’daki populasyonlarindaki karyolojik ve morfolojik varyasyonu belir... more Bassia hirsuta’nin Bulgaristan’daki populasyonlarindaki karyolojik ve morfolojik varyasyonu belirlemek ve populasyonlarin ekolojik tercihlerini ve detayli morfolojik karakterlerini ortaya koymak amaciyla yapilmistir. Calismada kullanilan B. hirsuta’nin Bulgaristan populasyonlarindaki diploid kromozom sayisi 2n=18’dir. Ekolojik sartlara bagli olabilen populasyonlar arasi varyasyon baskin durumdadir. Vejetatif ozellikler, generatif ozelliklere gore cok daha fazla varyasyon gostermektedir. En az varyasyon gosteren ozellikler tohumla ilgili olanlardir ve onem dereceleri yuksek ozellikler olarak kullanilabilirler. Bu calismada elde edilen bulgular, B. hirsute ile ilgili olarak “Flora of the People’s Republic of Bulgaria”da verilen bilgileri tamamlayici niteliktedir ve hem orneklerin dogru bir sekilde teshis edilmeleri hem de turun ozelliklerinin daha yakindan taninmasi amaciyla kullanilabilir
ARPHA Conference Abstracts, 2019
Soil fungi are key component of soil biota having an important role in many ecological processes.... more Soil fungi are key component of soil biota having an important role in many ecological processes. As pathogens, decomposers and plant mutualists they can affect plant and soil health in agro-ecosystems significantly. The impact of crop management practices on soil fungal communities is diverse and still poorly studied. The lack of knowledge is mainly related to their hidden life mode, high phenotypic diversity, the great heterogeneity of soil microhabitats, difficulty for culturing and species identification. Collecting data with high accuracy to detect effects relevant to ecosystem management is an ongoing challenge for soil ecological studies and biomonitoring. However, the combination of DNA-based identification methods and Next Generation Sequencing technology was recognized as a powerful tool to evaluate biodiversity in environmental samples, especially soil biodiversity. In the frame of the National Research Program "Healthy Foods for a Strong Bio-Economy and Quality of L...
Journal of Near Infrared Spectroscopy, 2016
The objective of the present study was to use near infrared diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and ... more The objective of the present study was to use near infrared diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and chemometrics to distinguish three major soil types in Bulgaria – Chernozems, Luvisols and Vertisols. The diffuse reflectance spectra of 78 air-dried and sieved soil samples collected from grasslands and arable agricultural lands and classified as Chernozems, Luvisols and Vertisols were obtained in the spectral range 700–2500 nm. Second-derivative transformation of soil and clay spectra was performed in order to find soil spectral differences based on the clay minerals content. Soft independent modelling of class analogy (SIMCA) was performed to classify samples according to their classes. Results show that the samples can be distinguished according to their classes as the SIMCA models correctly classified 100% of the samples in both calibration and validation sets. According to the discrimination power parameter of the SIMCA procedure, the most important wavelengths in the classification...
Acta Botanica Croatica, 2016
Four populations of Betonica bulgarica Degen et Neič. at Sinite Kamani Natural Park were morpholo... more Four populations of Betonica bulgarica Degen et Neič. at Sinite Kamani Natural Park were morphologically tested. Intrapopulation and interpopulation variabilities were established. The rеlationship between morphological variability, number, area and ecological appurtenance of the studied populations were explored. The results demonstrated that the main source of phenotype variation is intrapopulation variability, mainly due to the age structure of populations. The most variable traits are height of stem and dimensions of leaves. The registered interpopulation variability was affected by the differences in altitude, soil type and differences in environmental conditions and soil properties. Indumentum and morphology of generative organs had taxonomic significance for distinguishing B. bulgarica from the other species in the genus, including the species that were morphologically most similar to it - Betonica officinalis L.
The distribution of Betonica bulgarica on the territory of Natural park Sinite kamani has been co... more The distribution of Betonica bulgarica on the territory of Natural park Sinite kamani has been confirmed. Four localities of the species have been registered. An assessment of the status of populations and soil fertility of the territories occupied by them has been made. The factors with adverse effect have been pointed out and recommendations for their more efficient conservation have been made.
Inland salt meadows are exclusively rare in Bulgaria. One of the most representative localities o... more Inland salt meadows are exclusively rare in Bulgaria. One of the most representative localities of this habitat in thecountry are the Inland salt meadows near the town of Radnevo. The object of this study is the inland salt meadow located north of the town of Radnevo near the village of Daskal Atanasovo between coordinates 42o19.60 and 42o19.185 N, 25o53. 890 and 25o 54.506 E.It was developedonGleycVertisols, surface water logging, slightly saline soil. The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between soil salinity and the vascular plants in the Inland salt meadows near the town of Radnevo. The survey was conducted in 2011-2012. A total of 60 soil samples were taken from a depth of 0-20 cm. In each sample taking point the vascular plants existing there were also collected. Electrical conductivitiy (EC) and pH of soils were analyzed. The relationship between soil EC values and the recorded 57 vascular plants was studied. A different saltiness level has been registered...
Determination of heavy metals content in soil by acid or microwave mineralization and spectrophot... more Determination of heavy metals content in soil by acid or microwave mineralization and spectrophotometer measurement via AAS or ICP are sufficiently accurate, but they are time consuming and labour intensive. These methods are not flexible enough for environmental research. Application of near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) as a tool for ecological assessment and monitoring of soil quality have been investigated recently. The reported results for determination of trace elements in soil by NIRS are controversial. The objective of this study was to investigate the application of NIRS as a rapid and non- expensive method for determination of heavy metals content in soil. A total of 121 soil samples from the 0-20 and 20-40 cm layer were collected from Stara Zagora, Chirpan, Kazanlak and Gurkovo regions. Total Zn, Cu, Pb, Ni and Cd content in the investigated soil samples were determined by AAS using AAnalyst 800 Atomic Absorption Spectrometer, Perkin Elmer. Near-infrared spectra of all soil samples were measured using spectrophotometer NIRQuest 512, within the range from 900 to 1700 nm. PLS regression was used for developinged models related tested parameters to the spectra. According to the statistical parameters of a regression procedure the best accuracy of determination was obtained for total Cu content with correlation coefficient R=0.92 and RPD=3.9 for the calibration set of data and r=0.77 and RPD=2.3 for the test data. Models for determination of Cd, Pb, Zn and Ni content via near-infrared spectroscopy could be classified as with good to low accuracy of determination, according to the obtained ratio SD/SEC and SD/SEP.
Agronomy
Recently, there has been a growing interest in protein-rich foods and functional foods, as well a... more Recently, there has been a growing interest in protein-rich foods and functional foods, as well as plants characterized by high levels of drought resistance. Vigna unguiculata L. Walp. from the Fabaceae family, also known as cowpea, was chosen as the subject of the present study. The antioxidant potentials of 15 genotypes cultivated in Bulgaria, Southern Europe, were determined. The research focused on the green mass used as feed and on the seeds used as an “ancient” traditional crop. The total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), radical scavenging capacity, determined via the DPPH method, and crude protein content were measured. The seed coat extracts showed higher contents of phenolics (291.0 ± 4.6 mgGAE/g) and flavonoids (83.5 ± 1.1 mgCE/g) and a stronger radical scavenging capacity (50.4 ± 0.7 µmolTE/g) than those obtained from the leaves (22.0 ± 0.5 mgGAE/g, 13.7 ± 0.5 mgCE/g, and 19.7 ± 0.6 µmolTE/g, respectively). The protein content in the seeds ranged fro...
Natural and Life Sciences Communications
The effect of agricultural management on non-polar compounds, phenolic acids, flavonoids and anti... more The effect of agricultural management on non-polar compounds, phenolic acids, flavonoids and antioxidant properties in apple fruit of Florina variety was studied. Antioxidant activity was evaluated using four assays (DPPH, ABTS, FRAP and CUPRAC), based on different mechanisms. The current research demonstrated that organically grown apple fruits yielded significantly higher levels of total phenolics, unsaturated fatty acids and antioxidant activity than apples from the conventional conditions. Seven representatives of phenolic acids (gallic, p-coumaric, chlorogenic, vanillic, caffeic, syringic and salicylic) and four flavonoids (quercetin, rutin, catechin and epicatechin) were found in fruits. Chlorogenic, vanillic, salicylic, caffeic acids and catechin were dominated in apples grown in organic orchards. Epicatechin, gallic and syringic acids were in the highest content in conventionally grown sward apples. The highest correlation (r2>0.99) was found between total polyphenols and...
2022 8th International Conference on Energy Efficiency and Agricultural Engineering (EE&AE)
Lichens adapt to the extremely adverse ecological conditions from the warm and wet areas along Eq... more Lichens adapt to the extremely adverse ecological conditions from the warm and wet areas along Equator to the cold land in polar region, occupying the natural substrates of rock, soil, trees, in the different habitats of plains, mountains and deserts. The aim of this study was to compare the climatic conditions and substrates in Bulgarian mountains whether they are suitable conditions for Usnea аntarctica growth and develop. It is done a comparison to its closest relative lichens in the Bulgarian flora.
Evaluation of soil fertility is now becoming a routine task for soil management and crop producti... more Evaluation of soil fertility is now becoming a routine task for soil management and crop production. Determination of soil parameters such as organic carbon content, nitrogen, available phosphorus and potassium as well as pH is important for the assessment of soil fertility. Soil analyses of such properties by chemical methods are sufficiently accurate, but most of them require special techniques, equipment and qualified staff, which makes the estimation of soil quality expensive and time consuming. This is the main reason for reducing the number of analyzed soil samples in Bulgaria. Therefore standard methods for soil analysis are not sufficiently flexible for sustainable agriculture and monitoring of soil quality. New and cost-effective soil analysis is needed for the rapid assessment of soil fertility. Near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) could provide a possible alternative, because of its many advantages such as еcological, economical and rapid method. It was also found that the m...
Bulgarian endemic Tulipa urumoffii Hayek. is protected under the Biodiversity Act , included in t... more Bulgarian endemic Tulipa urumoffii Hayek. is protected under the Biodiversity Act , included in the Red Book of Bulgaria, vol. 1. Plants and mushrooms in category "vulnerable". The aim of the study is to develop a technology for growing plant bulbs in a laboratory, which is consistent with the environmental requirements of Tulipa urumoffii, and to complete the populations in the areas Buchvata, Kuru Dere and Karandilska polyana with the newly grown species. Vast amount of literature was studied to realize the objective and biennial field research of the populations in the Sinite kamani Natural Park was done. The developed technology is successful and fully complies with the environmental conditions of the natural habitat of the species in the park. By its applying, the plants has been successfully propagated in the scientific laboratories of the Faculty of Agriculture at Trakia University for replenishment of populations. The technology can be used for filling other natura...
This paper presents mathematical modeling of the relation between basic chemical elements and soi... more This paper presents mathematical modeling of the relation between basic chemical elements and soil properties. An overview of the basic chemical elements and properties of the soil is presented. An approach is proposed to conduct an experimental study of the impact of basic chemical elements and soil properties. Statistical methods are used for data processing. Mathematical models for relation between basic chemical elements and soil quality indicators are developed. Mathematical models for indirect determining the content of basic chemical elements by measuring the main soil indicators are analyzed.
Organic production and markets are expanding rapidly. A field study was carried to compare effect... more Organic production and markets are expanding rapidly. A field study was carried to compare effects of different agriculture soil system on productivity of Rosa damascena Mill. and Rosa damascena x Rosa gallica. The experiment was conducted on six private arable areas with oil bearing rose in Rose valley, Southern Bulgaria. The selected study area size was 5000 m2 from each private territory. The flowers of R. damascena were picked up in the morning (6:008:00 a.m.), in 3, 4 and 5 phases. The productivity was determined as essential oil content in the blossoms. Soil samples were also collected from every study area from surface horizon 0-30 cm. The samples were analyzed for several soil parameters as, organic matter content, pH values, available nitogen, phosphorus and potassium content. Statistical analysis was done with Unscrambler (Camo, Norway) software packages. The agricultural system of the oil bearing rose (Rosa damascena Mill.) grown has an effect on the essential oil content...
anadolu journal of agricultural sciences, 2010
Soil NPK testing has been widely used for fertilizer recommendation of annual crops. Soil analyse... more Soil NPK testing has been widely used for fertilizer recommendation of annual crops. Soil analyses of available K content by chemical methods are sufficiently accurate, but they are expensive, time consuming and labour intensive. Recently, fertilization recommendation to the farmers is based on reduced number of soil samples due to high price of analyses. For this reason a rapid and cost-effective soil analysis is needed for soil quality assessment. Near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) could provide a possible alternative. The objective of this study was to investigate the possibilities of NIRS for prediction of available potassium content in different soil units. A total 191 samples from four soil type- Chernozems, Vertisols, Luvisols and Fluvisols were analyzed for available K by conventional chemical method. NIR spectra of all samples were obtained by using an InfraAlayzer 450 spectrophotometer within the range 1445-2348 nm and portable FQA-NIRGun scanning spectrophotometer in short...
Betonica bulgarica Degen & Nejceff is a Bulgarian endemic species protected under the Biological ... more Betonica bulgarica Degen & Nejceff is a Bulgarian endemic species protected under the Biological Diversity Act and included in the Red Data Book of the Republic of Bulgaria, vol.1. Plants and fungi. Harvested seeds of the plants were collected by using insulators to assist the natural reproduction of the populations. The seeds germination and growth of B. bulgarica were studied in three soils: soil from natural habitat; in California red worms Lombricompost (CRWL) and in soil mixture of 2/3 soil + 1/3 CRWL in laboratory conditions. Leaf characteristics - length, width, petiole length, number of leaves and leaf area were studied. It was found that B. bulgarica was characterized by a prolonged period of germination and low rate of germination - 35.0 %. Best plant growth was seen in a soil mixture of 2/3 soil + 1/3 CRWL. The soil strongly influenced leaf length, leaf width and leaf area - 46.1 to 58.6 % of the total variation
IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, 2021
Introduction. The condition of the vegetation cover can be traced from Space. Aim of the research... more Introduction. The condition of the vegetation cover can be traced from Space. Aim of the research. To assess the condition of the vegetation cover in Bulgaria during the last twenty years – its distribution over the country, its change in connection with the typical climatic changes, its seasonal change. Material and methods. The vegetation index NDVI according to NASA data was used to analyze the condition of the vegetation cover in Bulgaria for the years 2000-2020. The methods used were: seasonal data decomposition, t-test, GIS methods for spatial representation of data, Fourier analysis. Conclusions. 1. During the summer months the vegetation in the eastern parts of the territory of Bulgaria is noticeably weaker than in the western parts. The influencing factors-drought and frequent fires are probably related to global warming. 2. For the territory of Bulgaria there is a seasonal rotation of the horizontal gradient of the vegetation index in a counterclockwise direction-from east...
Betonica bulgarica Degen & Nejceff is a Bulgarian endemic species protected under the Biological ... more Betonica bulgarica Degen & Nejceff is a Bulgarian endemic species protected under the Biological Diversity Act and included in the Red Data Book of the Republic of Bulgaria, vol.1. Plants and fungi in the category “endangered“. The aim of this research was to study seeds germination of endemic species Betonica bulgarica Deg. et Neic, as well as 1000 seeds weight of four natural habitats from the Nature Park Sinite Kamani, Bulgaria. Harvested seeds from plants in the Sinite Kamani Nature Park were collected by means of insulators to assist the natural reproduction of the populations. The seed germination was studied in petri dishes after different temperature treatments - in a laboratory at 15°C, in a thermostat at 20°C and 25°C, at a temperature of 5°C, treated with water at 35°C, and direct sowing in the soil without any treatment. It was found that B. bulgarica is characterized by a prolonged period of germination and emergence. The best results were achieved after direct sowing i...
Bassia hirsuta’nin Bulgaristan’daki populasyonlarindaki karyolojik ve morfolojik varyasyonu belir... more Bassia hirsuta’nin Bulgaristan’daki populasyonlarindaki karyolojik ve morfolojik varyasyonu belirlemek ve populasyonlarin ekolojik tercihlerini ve detayli morfolojik karakterlerini ortaya koymak amaciyla yapilmistir. Calismada kullanilan B. hirsuta’nin Bulgaristan populasyonlarindaki diploid kromozom sayisi 2n=18’dir. Ekolojik sartlara bagli olabilen populasyonlar arasi varyasyon baskin durumdadir. Vejetatif ozellikler, generatif ozelliklere gore cok daha fazla varyasyon gostermektedir. En az varyasyon gosteren ozellikler tohumla ilgili olanlardir ve onem dereceleri yuksek ozellikler olarak kullanilabilirler. Bu calismada elde edilen bulgular, B. hirsute ile ilgili olarak “Flora of the People’s Republic of Bulgaria”da verilen bilgileri tamamlayici niteliktedir ve hem orneklerin dogru bir sekilde teshis edilmeleri hem de turun ozelliklerinin daha yakindan taninmasi amaciyla kullanilabilir
ARPHA Conference Abstracts, 2019
Soil fungi are key component of soil biota having an important role in many ecological processes.... more Soil fungi are key component of soil biota having an important role in many ecological processes. As pathogens, decomposers and plant mutualists they can affect plant and soil health in agro-ecosystems significantly. The impact of crop management practices on soil fungal communities is diverse and still poorly studied. The lack of knowledge is mainly related to their hidden life mode, high phenotypic diversity, the great heterogeneity of soil microhabitats, difficulty for culturing and species identification. Collecting data with high accuracy to detect effects relevant to ecosystem management is an ongoing challenge for soil ecological studies and biomonitoring. However, the combination of DNA-based identification methods and Next Generation Sequencing technology was recognized as a powerful tool to evaluate biodiversity in environmental samples, especially soil biodiversity. In the frame of the National Research Program "Healthy Foods for a Strong Bio-Economy and Quality of L...
Journal of Near Infrared Spectroscopy, 2016
The objective of the present study was to use near infrared diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and ... more The objective of the present study was to use near infrared diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and chemometrics to distinguish three major soil types in Bulgaria – Chernozems, Luvisols and Vertisols. The diffuse reflectance spectra of 78 air-dried and sieved soil samples collected from grasslands and arable agricultural lands and classified as Chernozems, Luvisols and Vertisols were obtained in the spectral range 700–2500 nm. Second-derivative transformation of soil and clay spectra was performed in order to find soil spectral differences based on the clay minerals content. Soft independent modelling of class analogy (SIMCA) was performed to classify samples according to their classes. Results show that the samples can be distinguished according to their classes as the SIMCA models correctly classified 100% of the samples in both calibration and validation sets. According to the discrimination power parameter of the SIMCA procedure, the most important wavelengths in the classification...
Acta Botanica Croatica, 2016
Four populations of Betonica bulgarica Degen et Neič. at Sinite Kamani Natural Park were morpholo... more Four populations of Betonica bulgarica Degen et Neič. at Sinite Kamani Natural Park were morphologically tested. Intrapopulation and interpopulation variabilities were established. The rеlationship between morphological variability, number, area and ecological appurtenance of the studied populations were explored. The results demonstrated that the main source of phenotype variation is intrapopulation variability, mainly due to the age structure of populations. The most variable traits are height of stem and dimensions of leaves. The registered interpopulation variability was affected by the differences in altitude, soil type and differences in environmental conditions and soil properties. Indumentum and morphology of generative organs had taxonomic significance for distinguishing B. bulgarica from the other species in the genus, including the species that were morphologically most similar to it - Betonica officinalis L.
The distribution of Betonica bulgarica on the territory of Natural park Sinite kamani has been co... more The distribution of Betonica bulgarica on the territory of Natural park Sinite kamani has been confirmed. Four localities of the species have been registered. An assessment of the status of populations and soil fertility of the territories occupied by them has been made. The factors with adverse effect have been pointed out and recommendations for their more efficient conservation have been made.
Inland salt meadows are exclusively rare in Bulgaria. One of the most representative localities o... more Inland salt meadows are exclusively rare in Bulgaria. One of the most representative localities of this habitat in thecountry are the Inland salt meadows near the town of Radnevo. The object of this study is the inland salt meadow located north of the town of Radnevo near the village of Daskal Atanasovo between coordinates 42o19.60 and 42o19.185 N, 25o53. 890 and 25o 54.506 E.It was developedonGleycVertisols, surface water logging, slightly saline soil. The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between soil salinity and the vascular plants in the Inland salt meadows near the town of Radnevo. The survey was conducted in 2011-2012. A total of 60 soil samples were taken from a depth of 0-20 cm. In each sample taking point the vascular plants existing there were also collected. Electrical conductivitiy (EC) and pH of soils were analyzed. The relationship between soil EC values and the recorded 57 vascular plants was studied. A different saltiness level has been registered...
Determination of heavy metals content in soil by acid or microwave mineralization and spectrophot... more Determination of heavy metals content in soil by acid or microwave mineralization and spectrophotometer measurement via AAS or ICP are sufficiently accurate, but they are time consuming and labour intensive. These methods are not flexible enough for environmental research. Application of near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) as a tool for ecological assessment and monitoring of soil quality have been investigated recently. The reported results for determination of trace elements in soil by NIRS are controversial. The objective of this study was to investigate the application of NIRS as a rapid and non- expensive method for determination of heavy metals content in soil. A total of 121 soil samples from the 0-20 and 20-40 cm layer were collected from Stara Zagora, Chirpan, Kazanlak and Gurkovo regions. Total Zn, Cu, Pb, Ni and Cd content in the investigated soil samples were determined by AAS using AAnalyst 800 Atomic Absorption Spectrometer, Perkin Elmer. Near-infrared spectra of all soil samples were measured using spectrophotometer NIRQuest 512, within the range from 900 to 1700 nm. PLS regression was used for developinged models related tested parameters to the spectra. According to the statistical parameters of a regression procedure the best accuracy of determination was obtained for total Cu content with correlation coefficient R=0.92 and RPD=3.9 for the calibration set of data and r=0.77 and RPD=2.3 for the test data. Models for determination of Cd, Pb, Zn and Ni content via near-infrared spectroscopy could be classified as with good to low accuracy of determination, according to the obtained ratio SD/SEC and SD/SEP.