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Quality Parameters of Plum Orchard Subjected to Conventional and Ecological Management Systems in Temperate Production Area
Full text linkEnvironmental protection, global food security, and nutritional quality are critical issues for worldwide sustainable development. Plums (Prunus domestica L.), well-known for their rich nutritional content and distinct phytochemical profile, have received increased attention due to their potential health benefits. The present study evaluates the ecological and conventional management systems of quality parameters in three plum varieties—Tuleu Gras, Record, and Centenar—and establishes suitable practices to improve fruit quality and yields. The fruit morphometric features (color, firmness, soluble solid content, titratable acidity, and total sugar) were analyzed during their raw fruit state, while different fruit-sample extracts were assessed for phytochemical compounds and heavy metal concentrations, specifically, zinc, copper, nickel, and cadmium. The results show a wide variability in the examined characteristics among management practices that differentially accumulated throughout the ripening phase and significantly influenced the nutritional value of the plum fruit. The application of an ecological management practice yielded small plum fruits (38 g) and maintained a more consistent and vigorous fruit color compared with the conventional system (83 g). Moreover, ecological plums have higher antioxidant activities, total polyphenols, and flavonoids (21.70–25.54 µM Trolox/g of dw, 3.89–7.76 mg GAE/ g of dw, and 1.45–3.65 mg CE/g of dw, respectively). Among the content of metals in the plum fruit, copper exhibited the highest concentrations (0.83–1.21 mg/kg), while cadmium was detected at the lowest levels (0.006–0.009 mg/kg). The potential health implications of heavy metals, by calculating their estimated daily intake (EDI), target hazard quotient (THQ), and hazard index (HI), for both adults and children were also analyzed. The EDI values of accumulated elements in the plum fruits followed the order of Cu > Zn > Ni > Cd with no concern for human health (THQ and HI < 1). According to this study’s findings, fruit quality parameters are significantly higher in ecological plums, providing a compelling argument for adopting sustainable agricultural practices. These results highlight the importance of selecting sustainable agricultural practices, not only to safeguard the environment but also to ensure high-quality products suitable for human consumption
Morphological and physiological responses of maize to varying nitrogen sources and stress levels in hydroponic systems: a comparative study
Full text linkA hydroponic experiment was conducted at the Precision and Automated Agriculture Laboratory, Department of Agronomy and Agricultural Extension, University of Rajshahi, from April to August 2023. The objective was to investigate the morphological and physiological responses of maize to varying nitrogen sources and stress levels in hydroponic systems. The experiment comprised three nitrogen treatments: CN (100% chemical nitrogen as 2 mM NH4NO3), ON (100% organic nitrogen as 4 mM glycine), and LN (low nitrogen as 10% of 2 mM NH4NO3 chemical nitrogen solution). The popular maize variety NH7720 (marketed by Syngenta Bangladesh Limited) was used. The experiments followed a completely randomised design with three replications. The CN treatment consistently outperformed the ON and LN treatments in various growth-related parameters, including plant height (72.73 cm), leaf area (295.54 cm²), shoot dry weight (0.65 g/plant), total chlorophyll content (3.11 mg/g), and shoot (11.06%) and root (10.82%) protein content, indicating that adequate nitrogen treatment stimulated strong growth and development in maize plants. Conversely, the LN treatment exhibited a superior shoot-to-root ratio (85.43%), proline accumulation (188.01 µg/g), number of root tips (21.25), root length (31.65 cm), root network area (619.10 cm²), root diameter (5.63 mm), root volume (13944.71 mm³), and root surface area (3705.51 mm²). These results suggest that under nitrogen-deficient conditions, maize plants allocate resources to root development and stress tolerance mechanisms. The organic nitrogen (ON) treatment showed intermediate results, being statistically similar to both the CN and LN treatments across a range of characteristics, suggesting that organic nitrogen or glycine might be less effective than chemical nitrogen or ammonium nitrate in promoting optimal maize growth
Foliar zinc and soil applied molybdenum optimize yield and dry matter partitioning of lentil
Full text linkA field experiment on the
effect of zinc and molybdenum application
on the yield of lentil was carried out at The
University of Agriculture Peshawar during
the Rabi season of 2021. The experiment
was carried out in a randomised complete
block design with three replications. Four
levels of molybdenum (0, 1, 2 and 3 kg ha−1)
and 0.5% zinc foliar spray at different
intervals of lentil crop (control, 50 days after
sowing, 100 days after sowing, 50 days after
sowing + 100 days after sowing) were tested
in the experiment. The results revealed that 3
kg ha−1 of molybdenum enhanced plant
height (55 cm), nodules plant−1 (25),
branches plant−1 (7), days to flowering (107)
and maturity (159), dry matter of leaves at
the flowering stage (64 g m−2), dry matter of
leaves at the maturity stage (113 g m−2), dry
matter of branches at the physiological
maturity stage (304 g m−2), dry matter of
pods at the maturity stage (439 g m−2), pods
plant−1 (92), seeds pod−1 (2.0), 1000-seed
weight (31 g), biological yield (3207 kg
ha−1), and seed yield (1002 kg ha−1). Zinc
foliar spray (0.5%) at 50 days after sowing +
100 days after sowing of lentil crop
improved the dry matter of leaves at the
flowering stage (62 g m−2), days to first
flowering (109), days to physiological
maturity (157), dry matter of leaves at the
physiological maturity stage (111 g m−2), dry
matter of pods at the physiological maturity
stage (435 g m−2), pods plant−1 (91), 1000
seed weight (32 g), biological yield (3236 kg
ha−1) and seed yield (1026 kg ha−1). Lastly,
scatterplots revealed a significant correlation
of grain and biological yield with their
components. It is concluded that
molybdenum application at a rate of 3 kg
ha−1 and 0.5% zinc foliar spray at 50 days
after sowing + 100 days after sowing of the
lentil crop increased seed yield and is thus
recommended for the Peshawar region
Disseminated Infection with Aspergillus fumigatus in a Scarlet Macaw Parrot (Ara macao)—A Case Report
Full text linkA 3-year-old male scarlet macaw parrot (Ara macao) was presented to the Exotic Animal Clinic at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Iași University of Life Sciences (Iași, Romania) for its postmortem examination. According to the owner, the parrot had been raised only in captivity and after 5 days of inappetence, lethargy, and mild respiratory clinical signs, the parrot died. The post mortem examination revealed various-sized granulomas and caseous plaques in the lungs, air sacs, spleen, intestinal serosa, and liver. Microscopically, the granulomas were characterized by a necrotic center and the infiltration of numerous multinucleated giant cells and epithelioid-like cells and by the presence of hyphae typical of Aspergillus spp. Moreover, in the liver tissue, a diffuse inflammation, with numerous fungal hyphae, was noted. The fungal culture and the PCR assay allowed for the isolation and identification of Aspergillus fumigatus from the lung and liver samples. The macroscopical lesions and the histopathological findings, with the fungal isolation and molecular confirmation of Aspergillus fumigatus by nested PCR, provided the basis for the diagnosis of disseminated aspergillosis. To the authors’ best knowledge, this is the first report of disseminated infection caused by Aspergillus fumigatus in a scarlet macaw parrot (Ara macao)
Application of Pomace Powder of Black Carrot as a Natural Food Ingredient in Yoghurt
Full text linkResearchers and food manufacturers are investigating the use of fruit and vegetable by-products as nutrient-dense food ingredients in response to increasing consumer requests for healthier and more natural foods. Black carrot (Daucus carota L.), a root vegetable variety of deep purple carrot, is a valuable source of nutrients with excellent health benefits and nutraceutical effects. Black carrot pomace (BCP), a by-product of industrial juice extraction, is abundant in bioactive compounds, dietary fiber, antioxidants, and pigments such as anthocyanins. Value addition and sustainability are perspectives provided by using this underutilized agricultural by-product in food applications. With an emphasis on BCP powder’s effects on phytochemical and physicochemical qualities, mineral and color characteristics, and sensory aspects, this study aims to assess the effects of adding BCP powder to yogurt formulations. The findings show that the addition of BCP powder improved the nutritional, and the color of the yogurts, providing a visually appealing product. Moreover, adding the BCP powder raised the amount of phytochemicals and the antioxidant activity in the final product’s formulation. The manufacturing of such products can not only aid in promoting sustainable food production but also offer consumers a wider range of innovative food options with improved properties
Effect of Seed Spaceflight Storage on Tomato Fruit Quality and Peel/Pulp Mineral and Antioxidant Distribution
Full text linkThe spaceflight storage of seeds is known to cause mutations affecting both their quality and the mature plants originating from them. To study the effects of space stress, tomato seeds of two cultivars (Lotus and Autumn rhapsody) were subjected to half a year of storage at the International Space Station (ISS), and then, sown in a greenhouse to produce tomato fruits. The space-treated plants gave smaller fruits with a stable total yield not significantly different from that of the control plants. Space-treated tomatoes showed significantly higher levels of dry matter, dietary fiber, monosaccharides and citric and malic acids and lower values of oxalic acid compared to the control plants. The pulp of space-treated fruits had 1.44–1.70 times lower levels of carotenoids, while their peel contained a 1.27–1.90 times higher pigment amount compared to the control plants. No significant changes in the total antioxidant activity (AOA), photosynthetic pigments and phenolic (TP) and proline content were recorded in the fruits due to seed spaceflight storage. Contrarily, space-treated tomatoes showed decreased levels of Ca, Sr and Mo and increased Se both in the fruit pulp and peel. The concentration of Fe and especially Pb was lower in space-treated fruit pulp. Positive correlations between Se and dry matter, Ca and Sr, Ca and Co, Ca and Fe, and Cr and carotenoids, and negative correlations between Se and Mo, Se and K, and Mo and dry matter were recorded. The results indicate that seed stress caused by long-term spaceflight affects both the biochemical characteristics and mineral composition of tomato fruits and causes the peel/pulp redistribution of carotenoids as well as macro- and micro-elements, improving Se accumulation levels in the fruit peel
Study on the use of Machine Learning in the analysis of social-economic phenomena in the rural space of the north-east development region, Romania
No full textA Study on the Development of Two Ornamental Varieties of Ipomoea batatas Cultivated in Vertical Systems in the Northeastern Region of Europe
Full text linkThe Ipomoea batatas ornamental variety of the edible sweet potato is a decorative sweet potato with exquisite leaves, available in different varieties. Due to its numerous characteristics related to resistance, adaptability to environmental conditions, rapid growth, and aesthetic traits, it has attracted the interest of researchers. The purpose of this study is to investigate the growth and development behaviour of two varieties of I. batatas, namely ‘Margarita’ and ‘Blackie’, cultivated in vertical systems, to provide guidelines for their usage in green façade design. The physiological growth processes throughout the growing season were analysed by monitoring three biometric parameters (diameter, height, and leaf count), transpiration (dehydration rate), and the photosynthesis process (photosynthetic pigment content) for treated and control variants and four cardinal orientations (N, E, S, and W). Compared to the control and western orientation, which proved to be less advantageous, the northern orientation and treatment appeared to be the most suitable options for both varieties analysed. Also, the content of organic substances was more intense in the Cropmax-treated ‘Blackie’, especially on the northern façade, with the highest quantities of chlorophyll a (17.1%), chlorophyll b (9.1%), and carotenoid pigments (7.5%). In addition, the leaf dehydration rate, as well as the amount of free water loss, were reduced on the northern façade of ‘Blackie’. Therefore, ‘Blackie’ can be recommended as a variety distinguished by its improved resistance to challenging environmental conditions, particularly drought
Water quality of some fish ponds from the Republic of Moldova and Romania
No full textTThe study aims to determine the chemical composition of water in six ponds from the Republic of Moldova (Falesti and Glodeni
districts) and two ponds from eastern part of Romania (Iasi and Botosani counties) and to evaluate their water quality as one of the
vital resources for an efficiency-oriented fish production and from an environmental perspective. Instantaneous samples were
collected in April and July 2021 in Moldovan ponds and in May 2021 - in Romanian ones. It was revealed that the thermal regime
of water, regime of oxygen, content of nutrients, main ions and mineralization were favourable for the growth of European carp and
Asian cyprinids. In 38% of analysed samples water pH was equal or higher (≥9) than the maximum allowable value for summer
fish ponds. CO3
2- + HCO3
-
dominated among the anions and Na++K+ - among the cations in the water of Romanian ponds and two
ponds from the Republic of Moldova. In other four ponds the dominance of SO4
2- among anions and of Na++K+- among cations
was recorded. Increased mineralization of water in the studied Moldovan ponds (from 2.14 to 6.11 g/L, depending on the pond and
sampling time) offers the opportunity to cultivate fish species that live in saline waters, for example, the pelengas mullet (Mugil
soiuy). Even the investigated ponds are located in areas with similar altitude and climate conditions, their water quality revealed
high differences, the main factors being the type of water supply, presence or absence of water exchange and the applied
management practices