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Black currant cultivation is in continuous expansion, with importance in human nutrition and a high degree of suitability for industrial processing. The nutritional, organoleptic, and pharmaceutical qualities of its fruits represent a great source of natural antioxidants, vitamins, and phenols. We have tested the specific reaction of three black currant varieties to foliar fertilizers in order to obtain two growth models. Each variety have a specific response to fertilizers. Application of Kombimax lead to the highest increase during the vegetation period and 72 cm length of branches at the end of vegetation period. Ascovigor and Mikromix produces 3–4 cm increases in branches length compared to control. N, K2O, and CaO from fertilizer recipe act synergically for the final development of branches. The growth model based on branches length at 14 days add 0.97 cm for each existent cm. The complex model of growth add 2.44 cm for each mg of CaO existent in fertilizer recipe. Linear regressions show a growth potential of 0.97 cm/1 cm of branches at 14 days. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mulching of grasslands was suggested by many that could be a feasible solution for the low productive systems to maintain their natural productivity and floristical diversity, when succesion of woody species is a threatening factor. In this middle-term experiment, we aimed to study the effects of new alternatives in Apuseni Mountains, like mulching and mulching with mineral fertilization, on the floristic structure of the oligotrophic grasslands. The experiment has started in 2009 and we followed the effects of the treatments in the 6th year. The experiment design contains seven variants in five repetitions (randomized blocks) of mowing, mulching and mulching with different doses of fertilizers applied in different time. After six years, the treatments determined no changes in the main grassland type, but significant changes have taken place in the floristic compositions of the variants. The overall effects of the treatments are negative upon the phytodiversity in some of the variants. From this reason these has to be carefully recommended if there are conservational purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizas act in the rhizosphere of plants as regulators of the processes of absorption and transfer of nutrients. High absorption potential show the involvement in nutrients cycle, reducing nutrient losses across the entire ecosystem and enhancing host plant resistance to stress factors. High biodiversity of grassland ecosystems is susceptible to the type of fertilization and maintenance of the land, climate contributing to the accentuation of plants sensitivity. The use of substances based on zinc in order to increase the root system of the plants and at the same time the surface on which will be established mycorrhizal fungi, or mulching, as an alternative to mowing, can act as stabilizers of the effect produced by mineral or organo-mineral fertilizers. Under the same fertilization conditions zinc sulfate acts, generally, to double the intensity and the colonization degree compared to mulching, and the maximum frequency is obtained only in the case of zinc sulphate application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intensification of natural ecosystems may be beneficial for a series of plants, which are favored to become the dominant at the level of grass cover. However, no matter how low would be the inputs applied, the first effects are observed in the symbiotic organisms of existing plants in the ecosystem. Adaptation of plants and soil microorganisms to environmental conditions have made the type and dosage of fertilizer applied to become factors with limiting effect on the balanced evolution of mycorrhizal fungi. For mycorrhizal colonization of Festuca rubra plant, climatic factors play a small role, from this consideration is necessary to identify the dose and type of fertilizer to ensure the stability in time of colonization parameters. To study the effect of increasing soil nutrient resources on the mycorrhizal colonization parameters in Festuca rubra, we set up an experiment with six degrees of fertilization, in addition to unfertilized control were applied to two types of organic fertilization and three types of mineral fertilization. Balancing the colonization and reducing fluctuations in time of colonization parameters is influenced in a high degree by nitrogen, whether it comes from manure or synthetic fertilizers. At the end of growing season it is observed the superiority of combined fertilizers (manure + NPK or Eurofertil mezocalc supplemented with nitrogen), which ensure the highest values of the colonization degree. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Excessive application of chemical fertilizers and other agrochemicals can cause large imbalances in soils and agricultural ecosystems. In this context, mycorrhizae represent a viable solution to mitigate these negative effects. Arbuscular mycorrhizae are vital symbionts due to the multiple benefits they bring to both crops and the entire agroecosystem. The main purpose of this study was to observe whether differentiated fertilization has an influence on mycorrhizal colonization patterns in corn. Observed frequencies and intensities of colonization varied widely between phenophases and treatments, with 20% variation for frequency and 14% for intensity, which implies the constant development of both partners during the vegetation period. Arbuscules and vesicles were present in all development stages, but the overall mean was lower than 4% for arbuscules and 1% for vesicles in the analyzed root fragments. Intensity was highly correlated with frequency of colonization compared with arbuscules, where the coefficient was 0.54, and vesicles, with a coefficient of 0.16. Both PCA and NMDS provided good graphical solutions, with a high resolution due to explained variance and good spatial position of vectors. The use of mycorrhizal maps permits the full exploration of colonization patterns and fungal strategy, and the assessment of mycorrhizae-free areas. For the untreated variant, the strategy was oriented toward a longitudinal colonization followed by an irregular development of hyphae with multiple non-colonized areas. Treatment acts to stimulate the appearance of mycorrhizal spots, which further develop radially. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, there has been a growing interest in supplementing plant nutrition with foliar fertilizers. Foliar application of nutrients is considered a promising environmentally friendly strategy for improving the yield and nutrient efficiency of crops. Little work with foliar appliances on perennial fruits bushes, blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum L.), respectively, has been reported. This study was conducted to evaluate the growth and yield response of three blackcurrant varieties to macro and micronutrients' foliar fertilizer solutions. Principal component analysis and factors environmental fitting were performed for the global assessment of growth and increases in branches length responsible for yield production throughout the entire vegetation period and reported to the final development. The results endorsed the benefits of foliar fertilization. Each variety has a preference for a specific foliar treatment. The highest increases in branches length for Ruben variety was with Ascovigor foliar fertilizer; for Tiben with Kombimax; for Tines with Mikromix. The varieties growth dynamics due to fertilizers was best fitted to foliar Kombimax. Stable models were found to all blackcurrant varieties depending on developmental stage and foliar fertilization application. Application of foliar fertilizer is very profitable in terms of pairing each variety with optimum product, which will increase its specific yield potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]