GHEORGHE CRISTIAN POPESCU | University of Pitesti (original) (raw)

Papers by GHEORGHE CRISTIAN POPESCU

Current Trends in Natural Sciences, Nov 1, 2014

Current Trends in Natural Sciences, 2018

The current European Union Common Agricultural Policy 2014 – 2020 places particular emphasis on t... more The current European Union Common Agricultural Policy 2014 – 2020 places particular emphasis on the implementation of environmentally friendly agricultural technologies and the preservation of spontaneous and agricultural biodiversity. In order to promote more sustainable agricultural production, the actual Common Agricultural Policy conceived three main ecological commitments applied by farmers managing 10 or more hectares of arable land. These greening measures are crop diversification, maintaining permanent grassland and declared "ecological focus areas". The main objective of this paper is to evaluate the implementation of agricultural practices beneficial for the climate and the environment in a medium-size Romanian agricultural holding. The case study was carried out in a private medium – size farm with the main activity represented by cereals crops from Olt county located in southern Romania. In order to be more environmental – friendly and to access the European fu...

Vegetable growing as an important branch of horticulture ensure agricultural food products with r... more Vegetable growing as an important branch of horticulture ensure agricultural food products with relatively low content in calories, nutrient rich and contain fibre in order to promote health and well-being. The aim of this paper is to provide for the scientists, researchers, and farmers a detailed picture for Romanian vegetables sector in order to increase the performance of vegetables holdings. In order to improve vegetable yield and quality, and the competiveness of vegetables farms, investments in farms and attraction of funds represent important measures for management of vegetable production. Romania has a strong tradition of family farms. In Romania is an important potential for the production of vegetables in the field, and organic vegetables production, due mainly to the high natural fertility of soils, traditions for vegetables growing, and the diversity of the climate. In the field of agriculture, new institutions have been set up and many financial instruments have been i...

The first legislative concerns for the protection and exploitation of forests are occurring since... more The first legislative concerns for the protection and exploitation of forests are occurring since the eighteenth century. Forest of the country has always been a priority for environmental policy. The institutional framework for forestry organization in Romania is represented mainly by the Ministry of Environment and National Administration of Forests – Romsilva. First Romanian Forest Code was adopted on 19 June 1881. In present, the main law governing the forest is

Along with specialty items used for the development and implementation of sustainable development... more Along with specialty items used for the development and implementation of sustainable development, protection and conservation of the environment, legal protection component of soil resources play an essential role. Legal and institutional framework provides a much protection of soil resources. Soil is the thin layer of organic and inorganic materials that covers the Earth's rocky surface. A soil pollutant is any factor which deteriorates the quality, texture and mineral content of the soil or which disturbs the biological balance of the organisms in the soil. Pollution in soil has adverse effect on plant growth. Violations of laws on the legal protection of soil attract imposition of legal liability of three forms: administrative, civil and criminal. System of penalties for soil protection is provided by a series of laws, government decisions, government emergency ordinances and ministerial orders.

The cultivated grapevine ( Vitis vinifera L.) is a fruit crop of enormous economic importance wit... more The cultivated grapevine ( Vitis vinifera L.) is a fruit crop of enormous economic importance with over eight million hectares planted in vineyards worldwide. Table grap es and wines represent a considerable share of the economy in many grape and wine-producing countries. During the dormant, due to low temperatures and how to prepar e grape for entrance in winter time, wood annual increases and buds may be adversely affected. The way how the vin s passed by dormant period can affect the buds and wood viabili ty and rooting ability of vine cuttings. In this st udy were tested on different culture substrates vine cuttings belongin g to a noble variety and a hybrid vines: Merlot and Isabella. Noble grapes are a term used to describe the international varie ty of grapes that are most recognizable for the top quality wine they produce. In this paper was determinate total d ry matter of vine cuttings, humidity of biological material, vine cuttings rooting capacity and viability status bud...

Grapevine is one of the most important horticultura l perennial crops grown in many countries fro... more Grapevine is one of the most important horticultura l perennial crops grown in many countries from worl dwide. In this paper, we review the global benefits of arbuscular mycorrhiza application for grapevine production and the impact of viticultural practices for these natural microorgan isms t o establish symbiotic associations with vine roots . This review aims to provide a brief overview of the status of a nd to outline the most important application and ef fects of AMF in viticulture in order to increase the sustainability of vineyards. Viticulture has to adapt to new chal lenges of pest and chemicals fertilizers management, climate change, g lobal urbanization, land erosions, increasing droug hts, world population growth and others factors that can affec t the sustainability of viticultural production sys tems. One of ecofriendly approaches is to use the application of ar buscular mycorrhiza fungi (AMF). Response of grapevine to AMF application demonstrated a lot of benefits for...

Grapevine is a perennial crop whose growth and productivity can be affected by many pedoclimatic ... more Grapevine is a perennial crop whose growth and productivity can be affected by many pedoclimatic and agrotechnological factors. Currently, land terracing is a common field organization for new vineyard plantations, reducing slope on the cultivated land, and for the introduction of new areas for agricultural production. One of these pedoclimatic factors is the position of vines on vineyard slope. The aim of this paper was to assess the effect of the grapevine position on the field slope on growth expressed by pruning weight and on cold hardiness of bud and cane grapevine. The research used relatively simple methods and it was conducted in a commercial hillside vineyard from Samburesti viticultural region in Romania. The grapevines used for this study were represented by three red grape varieties: Vitis vinifera L. cv. Cabernet Sauvignon, Vitis vinifera L. cv. Merlot, and Vitis vinifera L. cv. Feteasca Neagra. Annual growth of grapevine and cane maturation in the previous growing seas...

The Journal of Animal and Plant Sciences, 2020

Lisianthus [Eustoma grandiflorum (Raf.) Shinn] is an important ornamental plant with high potenti... more Lisianthus [Eustoma grandiflorum (Raf.) Shinn] is an important ornamental plant with high potential for Romanian cut flower market. The plant material tested and evaluated in this research included three cultivars of Eustoma grandiflorum. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the effect of photoperiod and plant growth regulator concentrations in growing medium on physiology and rooting of micropropagated Lisianthus. The shoot tip explants from Eustoma grandiflorum were cultured on half strength macro and micro salts of Murashige and Skoog basal medium supplemented with different concentrations of indole-3 butyric acid (IBA), indolyl-3-acetic acid (IAA), and naphthalene acetic acid (NAA). The plantlets were treated with four concentrations of each growth regulator in 16-hour and 12-hour photoperiod conditions. The main physiological parameters and characteristics of rooting during in vitro phase were analyzed in order to assess the proper photoperiod and growing media. The experiment was carried out in a randomized complete block design with three replications per treatment. For each treatment we used five vessels. The statistical analysis was performed using the analysis of variance-Duncan test and t-test for independent samples with SPSS 16.0 software. The percentage of shoots in all cultivars that produced roots increased with higher IBA concentrations, ranging from 0.2 mg l-1 to 0.6 mg l-1 for both levels of photoperiod. The longest roots formed on the in vitro plantlets in the rooting phase were recorded on the growing media supplemented with 0.3 mg l-1 NAA. The increase of NAA concentration from 0.1 mg l-1 to 0.3 mg l-1 positively influenced the growth of the roots for all the varieties in both types of photoperiods. Our outcomes emphasized that there were no statistical differences in photosynthetic pigments between the plantlets treated with 12hour or 16-hour photoperiod (p>0.05). According to these results, the testing of different photoperiods led to the conclusion that the operation of the growth chamber in 12-hour of light had stronger effects in specific conditions, also allowing a 4-hour light energy saving, which reduces energy costs by about 25% in the in vitro rooting phase. The results indicated an optimization of lisianthus in vitro micropropagation and demonstrated the efficiency of 12-hour photoperiod. Therefore, the present study introduces a useful and an effective protocol for in vitro propagation of lisianthus.

I International Symposium on Medicinal, Aromatic and Nutraceutical Plants from Mountainous Areas (MAP-Mountain 2011), 2012

Arnica montana is a vulnerable species that is included in the Red List of higher plants in Roman... more Arnica montana is a vulnerable species that is included in the Red List of higher plants in Romania. It is a long-lived perennial species, whose distribution is restricted to Europe. The plant's inflorescence has valuable anti-inflammatory and cicatrizing properties due to the presence of sesquiterpene lactones of the helenalin type. These lactones also have a cardiotonic and cardiotoxic action. For these reasons, Arnica montana has been excessively collected and has now become rare in Romania. In order to restore populations of Arnica montana in southern Carpathian, studies were undertaken to establish a biotechnology in vitro plant breeding program, which yielded a significant number of plants. The purpose of this paper was to study the process of photosynthesis in Arnica montana in vitro culture. Photosynthetic rate were correlated with the content of assimilating pigments. The average intensity of photosynthesis in the multiplication phase was 0.472 μmol CO 2 m-2 s-1. This poor photosynthetic activity of plantlets cultivated in vitro is considered one of the major limiting factors for the improvement of micropropagation efficiency in Arnica montana.

Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution

Production Engineering Archives, 2019

Common Agricultural Policy represents the main instrument of the European Union for the developme... more Common Agricultural Policy represents the main instrument of the European Union for the development of agriculture and rural areas. European funds are vital for the productivity and competitiveness of agricultural holdings, as well as for the transfer of agricultural knowledge and innovation. Supporting small and young farms is essential for the vitality of rural areas and for the renewal of generations of farmers. The aim of this work is to transfer agricultural knowledge in order to improve the productivity of agricultural holdings, especially among young farmers and small farms. We implemented training program through European funds related to Measure 1. “Actions for knowledge transfer and information actions” from Rural Development Programme of Romania. The characteristic of 100 participants and their responses were analyzed. Most of the participants were young people up to 40 years old (59%). The vast majority of the participants were from the rural area and only 17% were from ...

Food Security

Like most economic sectors, agriculture has been significantly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.... more Like most economic sectors, agriculture has been significantly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. This study was designed to understand the impact of the initial stages of the pandemic on the agricultural sector in Romania. A web-based research study of farmers was conducted using an online questionnaire. Participants (n = 148) were self-selected, by answering the questionnaire online. The results highlighted that the pandemic was having an impact on agricultural costs, labor, farm management and food security. Among the farmers who were asked to describe the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on delays with agricultural work, only 35.1% indicated that they had not registered delays. When farmers were asked if they anticipated a future increase in costs in agriculture as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, 45.9% of respondents felt that costs would increase. Fifty-seven percent of participants reported that they would continue to apply measures to reduce the impacts of the pandemic. Our findings and analysis indicated that agricultural systems were vulnerable and that the agricultural sector must be closely monitored and supported to maintain food security in times of crisis. For food security and better resilience of agri-food systems in Romania, the study identified needs for more automation and mechanization in farms, digital solutions for the public and private sector and continuous dialogue between farmers and authorities. We suggest the pandemic can be an opportunity for the reevaluation of agricultural production systems in Romania and beyond, and for the development of more innovative strategies, sustainable practices and digital solutions in agriculture.

Sustainability, 2022

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are essential soil microorganisms for terrestrial ecosystems a... more Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are essential soil microorganisms for terrestrial ecosystems and form beneficial symbioses with the root systems of most agricultural plants. The purpose of this paper was to examine the effect of the community of six AMF on the growth, physiological response, and flowering performance in organic potted lavender culture. The mixture of AMF containing Rhizophagus irregularis, Claroideoglomus claroideum, Funneliformis mosseae, Funneliformis geosporum, Claroideoglomus etunicatum, and Glomus microaggregatum was added in a pot with peat, volcanic rock, and coconut bark. We analyzed the fresh shoot biomass, root biomass, total plant biomass, leaf area, flowering performance, photosynthesis rate, and photosynthetic pigment content. Pearson’s correlation coefficient was performed to get a better understanding of the relationships between the studied variables. The total plant biomass was more pronounced in plants with AMF-S20g (212.01 g plant−1) and AMF-S3...

Gisela 5 rootstock is most important in terms of re ducing the vigor of growth. The varieties gra... more Gisela 5 rootstock is most important in terms of re ducing the vigor of growth. The varieties grafted o n Gisela 5 had good horticultural results in terms of yield, adapt bility and dwarf growth. This study was aimed to e valuate the growth and physiological behavior of the most popular swee t ch rry cultivars in Europe grafted of Gisela 5 ro otstock in one of the most important fruit growing area from Romania. The rootstock – scion combinations namely Skeena, Kordia and Ferrovia were grafted on Gisela 5 dwarf rootstocks. Gisela 5 influenced significantly the trunk cross section area among all the tested cultivars (p<0.05). Ferrovia c ultivar was the most vigorous in terms of trunk cro ss sectional area and total annual growth length. Total annual growth was lower for Kordia (1225.61 cm). The ratio betwe en Chl a and Chl b seems to be constant in all grafted plants. T he photosynthesis rate [μ mol (CO 2) m -2 s] varied from 24.12 μ mol (CO2) m -2 s in the Kordia grafted sweet che...

Journal of Animal and Plant Sciences, 2015

Grafting is widely used in horticulture to improve fruit crop production. The selection of rootst... more Grafting is widely used in horticulture to improve fruit crop production. The selection of rootstocks in the grafting process depends on soil conditions, local climatic and environmental resources. The objective of this research was to assess the growth and physiological behavior of different national sweet cherry varieties. The cherry cultivars i.e. Radu, Maria, Bucium, and Daria were grafted on IP-C7 dwarf rootstocks. It is demonstrated that the IP-C7 Romanian rootstock is compatible with Romanian sweet cherry varieties and can be used successfully for the establishment of intensive cherry plantations. The evaluation of the rootstock scion interactions showed graft compatibility between the studied sweet cherry cultivars and dwarfing rootstocks. Plant vigor, number of buds and photosynthetic capacity were influenced by the interaction between rootstock and scion. The lowest trunk cross sectional area (TCSA) determined by IP-C7 was recorded in Radu cultivars. The Maria sweet cherry...

Strawberry is one of the first horticultural specie s introduced in the plant tissue culture tech... more Strawberry is one of the first horticultural specie s introduced in the plant tissue culture technology . Nowadays microprogation technology is one of the most import ant techniques to produce plants with high quality and resistance to biotic and abiotic stress factors. The research es were carried out in the Biotechnology and Physio logy laboratory of University of Pitesti, with the following cultivars of strawberry: Premial, Elsanta and Senga Sengana. The purpose of this study was to examine the reaction of strawberr y in vitro cultures on different kinetin concentrat ion. Terminal buds were dissected and cultured on Lee and Fossard medi um (1977). The explants were incubated in a growth chamber under 16/8 h light/dark cycle at 22 – 24 C. LF medium supplemented with kinetin (1.25 mg l ) was found best for culture survival for all strawberry cultivars. Perc entage survival of explants increased with increase in kinetin concentration from 0.5 mg l -1 to 1.25 mg l -1 for all strawber...

Bragantia, 2018

Foliar sprays with humic acid derived from vermicompost at a concentration of 50 ml•L-1 induced a... more Foliar sprays with humic acid derived from vermicompost at a concentration of 50 ml•L-1 induced a significant increase in the total leaf area, yield and total soluble solids. For several measurements performed in plants we found no significant difference between grapevines treated with HA T2 and those with HA T3. The experimental results in the present study confirm that foliar application with humic acid may improve growth, yield, and berry quality attributes of grapevine.

This research was realized in the framework of the National Research Institute for Horticulture B... more This research was realized in the framework of the National Research Institute for Horticulture Biotechnologies, Stefanesti Arges, Romania. The quality of wine is very important for the customers. By this study I tried to improve the quality of wine using the tangential micro filtration. Microfiltration is a good method to have a good quality of wine. For clarify and stabilization of wine micro filtration is a good way in this sense.

Current Trends in Natural Sciences, Nov 1, 2014

Current Trends in Natural Sciences, 2018

The current European Union Common Agricultural Policy 2014 – 2020 places particular emphasis on t... more The current European Union Common Agricultural Policy 2014 – 2020 places particular emphasis on the implementation of environmentally friendly agricultural technologies and the preservation of spontaneous and agricultural biodiversity. In order to promote more sustainable agricultural production, the actual Common Agricultural Policy conceived three main ecological commitments applied by farmers managing 10 or more hectares of arable land. These greening measures are crop diversification, maintaining permanent grassland and declared "ecological focus areas". The main objective of this paper is to evaluate the implementation of agricultural practices beneficial for the climate and the environment in a medium-size Romanian agricultural holding. The case study was carried out in a private medium – size farm with the main activity represented by cereals crops from Olt county located in southern Romania. In order to be more environmental – friendly and to access the European fu...

Vegetable growing as an important branch of horticulture ensure agricultural food products with r... more Vegetable growing as an important branch of horticulture ensure agricultural food products with relatively low content in calories, nutrient rich and contain fibre in order to promote health and well-being. The aim of this paper is to provide for the scientists, researchers, and farmers a detailed picture for Romanian vegetables sector in order to increase the performance of vegetables holdings. In order to improve vegetable yield and quality, and the competiveness of vegetables farms, investments in farms and attraction of funds represent important measures for management of vegetable production. Romania has a strong tradition of family farms. In Romania is an important potential for the production of vegetables in the field, and organic vegetables production, due mainly to the high natural fertility of soils, traditions for vegetables growing, and the diversity of the climate. In the field of agriculture, new institutions have been set up and many financial instruments have been i...

The first legislative concerns for the protection and exploitation of forests are occurring since... more The first legislative concerns for the protection and exploitation of forests are occurring since the eighteenth century. Forest of the country has always been a priority for environmental policy. The institutional framework for forestry organization in Romania is represented mainly by the Ministry of Environment and National Administration of Forests – Romsilva. First Romanian Forest Code was adopted on 19 June 1881. In present, the main law governing the forest is

Along with specialty items used for the development and implementation of sustainable development... more Along with specialty items used for the development and implementation of sustainable development, protection and conservation of the environment, legal protection component of soil resources play an essential role. Legal and institutional framework provides a much protection of soil resources. Soil is the thin layer of organic and inorganic materials that covers the Earth's rocky surface. A soil pollutant is any factor which deteriorates the quality, texture and mineral content of the soil or which disturbs the biological balance of the organisms in the soil. Pollution in soil has adverse effect on plant growth. Violations of laws on the legal protection of soil attract imposition of legal liability of three forms: administrative, civil and criminal. System of penalties for soil protection is provided by a series of laws, government decisions, government emergency ordinances and ministerial orders.

The cultivated grapevine ( Vitis vinifera L.) is a fruit crop of enormous economic importance wit... more The cultivated grapevine ( Vitis vinifera L.) is a fruit crop of enormous economic importance with over eight million hectares planted in vineyards worldwide. Table grap es and wines represent a considerable share of the economy in many grape and wine-producing countries. During the dormant, due to low temperatures and how to prepar e grape for entrance in winter time, wood annual increases and buds may be adversely affected. The way how the vin s passed by dormant period can affect the buds and wood viabili ty and rooting ability of vine cuttings. In this st udy were tested on different culture substrates vine cuttings belongin g to a noble variety and a hybrid vines: Merlot and Isabella. Noble grapes are a term used to describe the international varie ty of grapes that are most recognizable for the top quality wine they produce. In this paper was determinate total d ry matter of vine cuttings, humidity of biological material, vine cuttings rooting capacity and viability status bud...

Grapevine is one of the most important horticultura l perennial crops grown in many countries fro... more Grapevine is one of the most important horticultura l perennial crops grown in many countries from worl dwide. In this paper, we review the global benefits of arbuscular mycorrhiza application for grapevine production and the impact of viticultural practices for these natural microorgan isms t o establish symbiotic associations with vine roots . This review aims to provide a brief overview of the status of a nd to outline the most important application and ef fects of AMF in viticulture in order to increase the sustainability of vineyards. Viticulture has to adapt to new chal lenges of pest and chemicals fertilizers management, climate change, g lobal urbanization, land erosions, increasing droug hts, world population growth and others factors that can affec t the sustainability of viticultural production sys tems. One of ecofriendly approaches is to use the application of ar buscular mycorrhiza fungi (AMF). Response of grapevine to AMF application demonstrated a lot of benefits for...

Grapevine is a perennial crop whose growth and productivity can be affected by many pedoclimatic ... more Grapevine is a perennial crop whose growth and productivity can be affected by many pedoclimatic and agrotechnological factors. Currently, land terracing is a common field organization for new vineyard plantations, reducing slope on the cultivated land, and for the introduction of new areas for agricultural production. One of these pedoclimatic factors is the position of vines on vineyard slope. The aim of this paper was to assess the effect of the grapevine position on the field slope on growth expressed by pruning weight and on cold hardiness of bud and cane grapevine. The research used relatively simple methods and it was conducted in a commercial hillside vineyard from Samburesti viticultural region in Romania. The grapevines used for this study were represented by three red grape varieties: Vitis vinifera L. cv. Cabernet Sauvignon, Vitis vinifera L. cv. Merlot, and Vitis vinifera L. cv. Feteasca Neagra. Annual growth of grapevine and cane maturation in the previous growing seas...

The Journal of Animal and Plant Sciences, 2020

Lisianthus [Eustoma grandiflorum (Raf.) Shinn] is an important ornamental plant with high potenti... more Lisianthus [Eustoma grandiflorum (Raf.) Shinn] is an important ornamental plant with high potential for Romanian cut flower market. The plant material tested and evaluated in this research included three cultivars of Eustoma grandiflorum. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the effect of photoperiod and plant growth regulator concentrations in growing medium on physiology and rooting of micropropagated Lisianthus. The shoot tip explants from Eustoma grandiflorum were cultured on half strength macro and micro salts of Murashige and Skoog basal medium supplemented with different concentrations of indole-3 butyric acid (IBA), indolyl-3-acetic acid (IAA), and naphthalene acetic acid (NAA). The plantlets were treated with four concentrations of each growth regulator in 16-hour and 12-hour photoperiod conditions. The main physiological parameters and characteristics of rooting during in vitro phase were analyzed in order to assess the proper photoperiod and growing media. The experiment was carried out in a randomized complete block design with three replications per treatment. For each treatment we used five vessels. The statistical analysis was performed using the analysis of variance-Duncan test and t-test for independent samples with SPSS 16.0 software. The percentage of shoots in all cultivars that produced roots increased with higher IBA concentrations, ranging from 0.2 mg l-1 to 0.6 mg l-1 for both levels of photoperiod. The longest roots formed on the in vitro plantlets in the rooting phase were recorded on the growing media supplemented with 0.3 mg l-1 NAA. The increase of NAA concentration from 0.1 mg l-1 to 0.3 mg l-1 positively influenced the growth of the roots for all the varieties in both types of photoperiods. Our outcomes emphasized that there were no statistical differences in photosynthetic pigments between the plantlets treated with 12hour or 16-hour photoperiod (p>0.05). According to these results, the testing of different photoperiods led to the conclusion that the operation of the growth chamber in 12-hour of light had stronger effects in specific conditions, also allowing a 4-hour light energy saving, which reduces energy costs by about 25% in the in vitro rooting phase. The results indicated an optimization of lisianthus in vitro micropropagation and demonstrated the efficiency of 12-hour photoperiod. Therefore, the present study introduces a useful and an effective protocol for in vitro propagation of lisianthus.

I International Symposium on Medicinal, Aromatic and Nutraceutical Plants from Mountainous Areas (MAP-Mountain 2011), 2012

Arnica montana is a vulnerable species that is included in the Red List of higher plants in Roman... more Arnica montana is a vulnerable species that is included in the Red List of higher plants in Romania. It is a long-lived perennial species, whose distribution is restricted to Europe. The plant's inflorescence has valuable anti-inflammatory and cicatrizing properties due to the presence of sesquiterpene lactones of the helenalin type. These lactones also have a cardiotonic and cardiotoxic action. For these reasons, Arnica montana has been excessively collected and has now become rare in Romania. In order to restore populations of Arnica montana in southern Carpathian, studies were undertaken to establish a biotechnology in vitro plant breeding program, which yielded a significant number of plants. The purpose of this paper was to study the process of photosynthesis in Arnica montana in vitro culture. Photosynthetic rate were correlated with the content of assimilating pigments. The average intensity of photosynthesis in the multiplication phase was 0.472 μmol CO 2 m-2 s-1. This poor photosynthetic activity of plantlets cultivated in vitro is considered one of the major limiting factors for the improvement of micropropagation efficiency in Arnica montana.

Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution

Production Engineering Archives, 2019

Common Agricultural Policy represents the main instrument of the European Union for the developme... more Common Agricultural Policy represents the main instrument of the European Union for the development of agriculture and rural areas. European funds are vital for the productivity and competitiveness of agricultural holdings, as well as for the transfer of agricultural knowledge and innovation. Supporting small and young farms is essential for the vitality of rural areas and for the renewal of generations of farmers. The aim of this work is to transfer agricultural knowledge in order to improve the productivity of agricultural holdings, especially among young farmers and small farms. We implemented training program through European funds related to Measure 1. “Actions for knowledge transfer and information actions” from Rural Development Programme of Romania. The characteristic of 100 participants and their responses were analyzed. Most of the participants were young people up to 40 years old (59%). The vast majority of the participants were from the rural area and only 17% were from ...

Food Security

Like most economic sectors, agriculture has been significantly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.... more Like most economic sectors, agriculture has been significantly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. This study was designed to understand the impact of the initial stages of the pandemic on the agricultural sector in Romania. A web-based research study of farmers was conducted using an online questionnaire. Participants (n = 148) were self-selected, by answering the questionnaire online. The results highlighted that the pandemic was having an impact on agricultural costs, labor, farm management and food security. Among the farmers who were asked to describe the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on delays with agricultural work, only 35.1% indicated that they had not registered delays. When farmers were asked if they anticipated a future increase in costs in agriculture as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, 45.9% of respondents felt that costs would increase. Fifty-seven percent of participants reported that they would continue to apply measures to reduce the impacts of the pandemic. Our findings and analysis indicated that agricultural systems were vulnerable and that the agricultural sector must be closely monitored and supported to maintain food security in times of crisis. For food security and better resilience of agri-food systems in Romania, the study identified needs for more automation and mechanization in farms, digital solutions for the public and private sector and continuous dialogue between farmers and authorities. We suggest the pandemic can be an opportunity for the reevaluation of agricultural production systems in Romania and beyond, and for the development of more innovative strategies, sustainable practices and digital solutions in agriculture.

Sustainability, 2022

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are essential soil microorganisms for terrestrial ecosystems a... more Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are essential soil microorganisms for terrestrial ecosystems and form beneficial symbioses with the root systems of most agricultural plants. The purpose of this paper was to examine the effect of the community of six AMF on the growth, physiological response, and flowering performance in organic potted lavender culture. The mixture of AMF containing Rhizophagus irregularis, Claroideoglomus claroideum, Funneliformis mosseae, Funneliformis geosporum, Claroideoglomus etunicatum, and Glomus microaggregatum was added in a pot with peat, volcanic rock, and coconut bark. We analyzed the fresh shoot biomass, root biomass, total plant biomass, leaf area, flowering performance, photosynthesis rate, and photosynthetic pigment content. Pearson’s correlation coefficient was performed to get a better understanding of the relationships between the studied variables. The total plant biomass was more pronounced in plants with AMF-S20g (212.01 g plant−1) and AMF-S3...

Gisela 5 rootstock is most important in terms of re ducing the vigor of growth. The varieties gra... more Gisela 5 rootstock is most important in terms of re ducing the vigor of growth. The varieties grafted o n Gisela 5 had good horticultural results in terms of yield, adapt bility and dwarf growth. This study was aimed to e valuate the growth and physiological behavior of the most popular swee t ch rry cultivars in Europe grafted of Gisela 5 ro otstock in one of the most important fruit growing area from Romania. The rootstock – scion combinations namely Skeena, Kordia and Ferrovia were grafted on Gisela 5 dwarf rootstocks. Gisela 5 influenced significantly the trunk cross section area among all the tested cultivars (p<0.05). Ferrovia c ultivar was the most vigorous in terms of trunk cro ss sectional area and total annual growth length. Total annual growth was lower for Kordia (1225.61 cm). The ratio betwe en Chl a and Chl b seems to be constant in all grafted plants. T he photosynthesis rate [μ mol (CO 2) m -2 s] varied from 24.12 μ mol (CO2) m -2 s in the Kordia grafted sweet che...

Journal of Animal and Plant Sciences, 2015

Grafting is widely used in horticulture to improve fruit crop production. The selection of rootst... more Grafting is widely used in horticulture to improve fruit crop production. The selection of rootstocks in the grafting process depends on soil conditions, local climatic and environmental resources. The objective of this research was to assess the growth and physiological behavior of different national sweet cherry varieties. The cherry cultivars i.e. Radu, Maria, Bucium, and Daria were grafted on IP-C7 dwarf rootstocks. It is demonstrated that the IP-C7 Romanian rootstock is compatible with Romanian sweet cherry varieties and can be used successfully for the establishment of intensive cherry plantations. The evaluation of the rootstock scion interactions showed graft compatibility between the studied sweet cherry cultivars and dwarfing rootstocks. Plant vigor, number of buds and photosynthetic capacity were influenced by the interaction between rootstock and scion. The lowest trunk cross sectional area (TCSA) determined by IP-C7 was recorded in Radu cultivars. The Maria sweet cherry...

Strawberry is one of the first horticultural specie s introduced in the plant tissue culture tech... more Strawberry is one of the first horticultural specie s introduced in the plant tissue culture technology . Nowadays microprogation technology is one of the most import ant techniques to produce plants with high quality and resistance to biotic and abiotic stress factors. The research es were carried out in the Biotechnology and Physio logy laboratory of University of Pitesti, with the following cultivars of strawberry: Premial, Elsanta and Senga Sengana. The purpose of this study was to examine the reaction of strawberr y in vitro cultures on different kinetin concentrat ion. Terminal buds were dissected and cultured on Lee and Fossard medi um (1977). The explants were incubated in a growth chamber under 16/8 h light/dark cycle at 22 – 24 C. LF medium supplemented with kinetin (1.25 mg l ) was found best for culture survival for all strawberry cultivars. Perc entage survival of explants increased with increase in kinetin concentration from 0.5 mg l -1 to 1.25 mg l -1 for all strawber...

Bragantia, 2018

Foliar sprays with humic acid derived from vermicompost at a concentration of 50 ml•L-1 induced a... more Foliar sprays with humic acid derived from vermicompost at a concentration of 50 ml•L-1 induced a significant increase in the total leaf area, yield and total soluble solids. For several measurements performed in plants we found no significant difference between grapevines treated with HA T2 and those with HA T3. The experimental results in the present study confirm that foliar application with humic acid may improve growth, yield, and berry quality attributes of grapevine.

This research was realized in the framework of the National Research Institute for Horticulture B... more This research was realized in the framework of the National Research Institute for Horticulture Biotechnologies, Stefanesti Arges, Romania. The quality of wine is very important for the customers. By this study I tried to improve the quality of wine using the tangential micro filtration. Microfiltration is a good method to have a good quality of wine. For clarify and stabilization of wine micro filtration is a good way in this sense.

In English: The first volume of this book entitled "Viticulture. Science and Engineering" aims to... more In English: The first volume of this book entitled "Viticulture. Science and Engineering" aims to provide broad, useful knowledge to both undergraduate and postgraduate students, doctors in agronomic sciences, and to specialists in the field who want to use vitivinicultural technologies in terms of economic efficiency and environmental protection. The grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) is a perennial, woody, and fruity crop, with a high ecological adaptability. Grapevine culture is now presented on all continents with the exception of Antarctica, occupying large areas in over 90 countries, being one of the most important perennial horticultural crops. Viticulture is a science and, at the same time, a domain of the agricultural engineering, which, by the vine and wine products obtained through vitivinicultural technologies, contribute to ensuring a substantial income and food sources. Romania's vitivinicultural heritage and natural resources, optimal for achieving high yields, both in terms of quantity and in terms of quality, have allowed the international recognition of Romanian viticulture and winemaking. Viticulture, an agricultural sector and a priority domain for both national and E.U. agricultural policies, benefits from funding strategies and programs to ensure the competitiveness of vineyards and vitivinicultural product quality. Divided into four chapters, the book deals with different themes on the importance of vitivinicultural sector, the current state of wine, the classification of vine morphology, anatomy and ecology vine, emphasizing the usefulness of information, technologies and the rational use of environmental resources in the vineyard ecosystem. The bio-productivity of winegrowing ecosystems, represented by useful biomass as food sources, can be enhanced through rational and competitive of human, social, and economic resources. Increasing vitivinicultural biomass and profit maximization requires greater anthropogenic pressure on ecosystem vineyard. Vineyard ecosystem sustainability is based on knowledge, monitoring, evaluation, analysis and correct interpretation of all the characteristics and peculiarities of the vineyard ecosystem. Climate resource assessment represents a preliminary step, necessary in order to identify the suitability of a biotope for the establishment of a modern vineyard ecosystem in order to facilitate the production of a useful quality vitivinicultural biomass.