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Scientists and food producers are studying the potential of utilizing different by-products as highly nutritious food components to meet consumers' growing demand for healthier and natural goods. Beetroot belongs to the Amaranthaceae family and is highly rich in antioxidants, specifically phenolics and betalains with excellent health properties. The peel of red beetroot, which is generally discarded, has a high concentration of bioactive phytochemicals (betalains, dietary fibers). These compounds are well-known for their strong antioxidant effects, improving cardiovascular health, reducing oxidative stress, and enhancing immunological function. Incorporating red beetroot peel (RBP) powder into whey-fruit-based beverages is a promising method to improve nutritional content and sensory attractiveness. This study investigated the influence of adding RBP to whey-fruit-based beverages, specifically examining its effects on physicochemical and phytochemical characteristics, antioxidant capacity, color, microbiological, and rheological attributes, and consumer preference. The RBP extract exhibited high amounts of total polyphenols (1239.35 ± 0.51 mg GAE/100 g dw) and antioxidant activity (90.02 ± 0.22%). The findings indicated that RBP had a notable impact on the antioxidant capacity (16.38 ± 0.37 μmol TE/g dw for BRBP1, 26.69 ± 0.10 μmol TE/g dw for BRBP3, 36.75 ± 0.31 μmol TE/g dw for BRBP6) of the beverages and enhanced their color without negatively impacting their sensory characteristics. The dynamic oscillatory rheological measurements revealed that beverage supplementation with increasing amounts of RBP obtained stronger networks with solid-like viscoelastic behavior. Using RBP powder as a natural food ingredient in whey-fruit-based beverages enhances their nutritional value and promotes sustainable food processing by making use of by-products from the food industry into innovative food options. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental 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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heavy metals are pollutants that pose a risk to living systems due to their high toxicity and ability to accumulate and contaminate. This study proposes an alternative approach to the static adsorption of Ni(II) from aqueous media using Sarkanda grass lignin crystals, the non-cellulosic aromatic component of biomass, as an adsorbent substrate. To determine the best experimental conditions, we conducted tests on several parameters, including the initial and adsorbent solution pH, the concentration of Ni(II) in the aqueous solution, the amount of adsorbent used, and the contact time at the interface. The lignin's adsorption capacity was evaluated using the Freundlich and Langmuir models to establish equilibrium conditions. The Lagergren I and Ho–McKay II kinetic models were used to determine the adsorption mechanism based on surface analyses and biological parameters such as the number of germinated seeds, energy, and germination capacity in wheat caryopses (variety Glosa) incorporated in the contaminated lignin and in the filtrates resulting from phase separation. The results suggest that Sarkanda grass lignin is effective in adsorbing Ni(II) from aqueous media, particularly in terms of adsorbent/adsorbate dosage and interfacial contact time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Researchers 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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sludge is a by-product, resulting from wastewater treatment. This study research provides the sludge analysis from the Pitești Wastewater Treatment Plant and the possibility of using this sludge in agriculture in its initial state, resulting from the treatment plant or even after any remediation required or appropriate treatment so that it can be used. For these analyses, we used the services of two laboratories, namely: Iași Research Institute for Agriculture and Environment - ICAM, from the "Ion Ionescu de la Brad" Iași University of Life Sciences and WESSLING - testing and consulting laboratory for continuous improvement of quality, safety, environmental protection, and health - the Hungarian laboratory. The research focused on the presence of heavy metals, antibiotics, and hormones in the sludge and the determination of microplastics in it. The microplastics in the sludge were determined by treating them with 5% HCl sonicated at 250C and then centrifuging and analyzing the supernatant. The research results show that the sludge obtained from the Pitești Wastewater Treatment Plant cannot be used as fertilizer in agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consumer demand for functional yogurts has been rising recently, particularly for those made by adding plant-based ingredients or their bioactive components. Grape, Vitis vinifera L., is abundant in antioxidant-rich phenolic compounds and dietary fiber. Although grape pomace is an agro-industrial by-product and its handling can lead to socioeconomic and environmental issues, it can be possible to valorise by extracting its bioactive components. The goal of this study was to develop functional yogurt by adding 1 and 2% of grape pomace (YGP1 and YGP2). The impact of fortification was assessed on the enhanced yogurts' physicochemical properties, total phenolic content, antioxidant activity, and sensory acceptance. Grape pomace powder had high total polyphenols contents (20.39 ± 0.23 mg GAE/g d.w.) and antioxidant activity (88.16 ± 0.45%). Values of polyphenols (8.88± 0.06 mg GAE/g d.w.) and antioxidant activity (89.47 ± 0.39%) significantly increased in fortified yogurts compared to control sample. Therefore, it is possible to conclude that grape pomace powder can be used to produce novel, functional yogurt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The retention of nitrite ions in solutions of different concentrations by three cornhusks-based powders was analyzed. Natural cornhusk powder (NCHP), as waste obtained from local market, the alkalized cornhusk powder (ACHP) and the biochar from the original material (CHBC) have been characterized through scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and elemental composition EDAX - TEAM analysis (Energy dispersive analysis X-ray - Texture and ele-mental analytical microscopy) and tested for the removal of nitrite ions. The influence of initial nitrite concentration and contact time was studied under slow stirring rate conditions (150 rpm). For all three adsorbents both Freundlich and Langmuir isotherm equations described the process with R2 > 0.95, denoting physical adsorption and chemisorption on the surface. The estimated retained quantities (mg·g-1) determined from isotherms were 4.4783 (NCHP), 8.3542 (ACHP) and 8.7413 (CHBC). The Ho&McKay model was better adjusted to the adsorption data with R2 > 0.985, while the Lagergren model produced regression factors between 0.61 and 0.88. Considering the biggest concentration of nitrite solution of 50 mg·L-1 and the longest contact time of 150 minutes, the equilibrium capacity qe (mg·g-1) predicted by the Ho&McKay model for the considered adsorbents were: 4.5065 (NCHP), 8.5179 (ACHP) and 8.9445 (CHBC) compared to the obtained qt (mg·g-1) of 4.4384 (NCHP), 8.0685 (ACHP) and 8.5753 (CHBC). The nitrite uptake in the experiments reached a maximum of 2.2192 mg·g-1 on NCHP, 4.0342 mg·g-1 on ACHP and 4.2877 mg·g-1 on CHBC. Considering the cost-effective treatment steps, there is the possibility of valorising an important amount of waste as adsorbent materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main purpose of the research was to test the productive and qualitative potential of 20 Romanian and foreign wheat varieties, from seven seed producers: Axereal, INCDA Fundulea, ITC Seeds, KWS, Lidea, Limagrain and RWA The studies were carried out in the 2021/2022 agricultural year, in the vegetable farm belonging to the Samis Urban SRL company, from Mihălaeni, Botoșani county, under non-irrigated conditions. The main parameters monitored were production, MMB, MH, protein content and wet gluten. After centralizing the data, we can see that the highest production was obtained with the Absalon variety and was 6189 kg/ha; The highest MH was determined in the Ursita variety, this being 86 kg/hl; the highest protein content was obtained in the Voinic variety (14.3%), which also has the highest amount of wet gluten (36.9%). From the comparative analysis of the data we find that there is no positive correlation between the analyzed parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, initial data is presented in terms of the physicochemical properties of the analyzed plot. In topographic plot 127a, the following soil quality indicators were analyzed: bulk density, soil moisture (initial and at sowing), capillary capacity, total capacity and soil pH. To determine the bulk density, undisturbed soil samples were taken, using cylinders (5 cm diameter, 5.1 cm height) with a volume of 100 cm3 and a bottom cut at an angle of 15°. Bulk density was sampled from three points on the diagonal and four depths from 0 to 40 cm. Bulk density values ranged between 1.26 g/cm3 and 1.36 g/cm3. Initial moisture was determined using soil sampling probes and aluminum vials at six depths from 0-90 cm. Moisture values ranged between 14.92% and 19.82%. After sowing the winter pea crop, soil moisture was determined in both tillage systems. In the conventional system, the resulting values ranged between 17.95% and 21.90% and in the no-tillage system the values recorded ranged between 10.52 % and 17.89 %. Capillary capacity was determined in the laboratory on samples collected from the field in metal cylinders. It expresses the amount of water the soil can hold in the capillary pores. The values recorded had values ranging between 30.90% and 37.6%. Total water capacity was determined using naturally settled soil samples. This indicates the amount of water the soil holds when all soil pores are filled with water. The resulting values ranged from 34,21 % to 40,78 %. Soil pH was determined by the potentiometric method in aqueous suspension. On the 0-20 cm depth the soil reaction is neutral and on the 20-40 cm soil layer the resulting soil reaction is slightly alkaline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the last decades, notillage has started to be used on more and more areas, being a conservative tillage system practiced in many farms in the country. The aim of this study was to quantify the effects of the no-tillage system on the physical properties of the soil compared to the conventional system, in a plateau area with cambic chernozem soil under the current climatic conditions in the north-east of Romania, in order to implement it in agricultural practice of the studied area. The soil samples were taken in natural and undisturbed conditions for bulk density and moisture content, soil penetration resistance was determined using the Eijkelkamp penetrologger. The status of soil compaction, the various porosity categories, and the soil moisture content were all determined based on field and laboratory analysis. Measurements performed at a depth of 0-40 cm showed a lower bulk density in the conventional system, and in terms of variation in values from sowing to harvesting, there was a maximum increase of 18% in the 10-20 cm soil layer, an intermediate of 10% in the topsoil and 20-30 cm layers, and a minimum of 1% in the 30-40 cm layer. Total porosity, which reflects soil pore volume, is inversely correlated with bulk density, which means that under conventional tillage practices, soil macropore volume (>0.05 cm) was higher (47.79-60.82% v/v) than under no-tillage practices (45.90-50.79% v/v) for 0-40 cm depth at the sowing time. The results confirm that the no-tillage system conserves more water in the soil under current climatic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Romania, the surfaces of solariums are extended significant in the last period due to high quality of polythene film used to cover greenhouses and due to improving of plants growing technology such as using the best varieties, plastic mulch and drip irrigation. Our studies performed includes determination of the main morphological parameters, penetration resistance, soil sampling in the field and soil analysis (soluble salts, bulk density, size particles, pH, calcium carbonate) in the laboratory. Following the investigations, it was found that mulching with black plastic foil on the entire surface favors soil compaction and local accumulation of soluble salts especially in the marginal area of the wetting front resulting from drip irrigation. The accumulation of soluble salts was also noticed in the superficial layer of soil on the interval between rows of plants. Wetting of the soils with coarse texture on the intervals between the rows of plants took place following the evaporation, diffusion and condensation of water vapor in the space between the foil and the soil surface. Strong soil compaction and salinization allows us to recommend avoiding plastic mulch over the entire soil surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dam of Negreni reservoir, located on the Bașeu River, is an earth dam with a maximum height of 12.4 m, which provides global retention to the crest of 25.869 million m³. The Negreni reservoir is a part of the hydro-technical works set, that were built to protect against the floods the localities within the river Bașeu catchment area, in Botoșani county (Săveni, Știubeni, Petricani, Chișcăreni, Bozieni). The dam is of homogeneous type, made of clayey-dusty sands and it has several installations both for external stresses and for the response to stresses. Between the years 2008 and 2012 investment works were implemented, under the project „Safety re-inforcement of Cal Alb and Negreni reservoirs, located on Bașeu River, in Botoșani county”. The project was set out to build the following works: rehabilitation of dam body (repairs to the concrete tiles on the downstream slope), rehabilitation of the hydromechanical equipments, rehabilitation of the bottom outlet, rehabilitation of the evaccuation channel of the surface outlet, installation of a water management information and warning-alarm system, rehabilitation of the behaviour monitoring system. The special events recorded during the execution of the dam and during its operation have imposed the implementation of a systematic behavior monitoring of the hydro-technic constructions at the Negreni reservoir. This paper presents a brief history of the dam in its construction and exploitation phases, focusing on aspects regarding the behavior monitoring of Negreni reservoir during the years 1997 – 2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of Aquasorb on soil moisture and some morpho-physiological properties (average plant height and leaf chlorophyll content) was studied in maize cultures. Aquasorb is a copolymer of acrylamide and potassium acrylate, which works in absorption-desorption cycles of water and nutrients. During humid periods, it significantly increases its volume, becoming largely expanded, and during droughts it releases water and plant nutrients. In the global climate change context, agrotechnical problems such as water retention in the soil are becoming more and more frequent and, therefore, the use of a hydrogel can be a measure with beneficial implications for the agricultural sector. The experiment was carried out in vegetation vessels with a volume of 6 l, in which four variants were placed: V1 (control, untreated) and V2 (treated with 20 kg ha-1 of Aquasorb) under normal climatic conditions and variants V3 (without treatment) and V4 (treated with 20 kg ha-1 of Aquasorb), which were subject to water stress. It was induced by plants (in V3 and V4) by reducing the number of waterings by half compared to variants V1 and V2, from the 4-6 leaf stage in maize. The hydrogel treatment was performed at sowing depth (8-10 cm for maize), together with the application of complex fertilizer. The results showed that, in optimal humidity conditions, plants do not make use of the positive effect of the hydrogel, but in water stress conditions, Aquasorb is used in the agricultural sector, at least for maize crops, possibly for other crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aimed to outline the influence of hydrogel (Aquasorb) on some morpho-physiological parameters of the plants (number of grains per cob pods per plant, average height and chlorophyll content in leaves) for maize and soybean crops. Aquasorb is a copolymer of acrylamide and potassium acrylate that has the ability to absorb water and to release it progressively in the plant according to their needs. The experiment was bifactorial, AxB type, being located under the pedoclimatic conditions of the Moldavian Plateau from Ezareni Farm (47°5'-47°10' N lat. 27°28'-27°33' E long.). The experimental field had a slope of 3-4 % with a clay-loamy texture of cambic chernozem soil. The soil had a medium content of N and P and good content of K, slightly acid pH and 2.5 - 3.0 % humus content. The experimented factors were the crop (maize and soybean) and hydrogel doses with three graduations (V1- control variant, not treated; V2- soil was treated with 15 kg ha-1 Aquasorb; V3 - soil was treated with 30 kg ha-1 Aquasorb). The hydrogel was incorporated with a disk harrow at 15 cm depth, during seedbed preparation, in spring. The results outlined that the plants height registered large differences on treated variants compared with the control one especially at 30 days after their sprung up, which shows that the hydrogel provide a good start in plant vegetation and implicitly many advantages in the fight against weeding. The average content of chlorophyll in leaves was increased in hydrogel treated variants; depending on the Aquasorb dose. The values varied between 1.5 to 2.9 CCI (chlorophyll content index) for maize and between 1.2-1.9 CCI for soybean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several series of tests were carried out to study the influence of a hydrogel (Aquasorb) on some soil physical properties (bulk density, total porosity, and moisture and water soil reserve) for maize and soybean crops. Aquasorb operates in absorption-desorption cycles of water and nutrients and has efficiency in soil up to five years. The experiment is a bifactorial one, AxB type, being placed in randomized multilevel blocks method, with three replications. The aimed factors of the experiment were the crop and the hydrogel dose. There were three variants: V1 (control) untreated, variant V2 - were administered doses of 15 kg ha-1 of Aquasorb and variant V3 - were applied 30 kg ha-1. The hydrogel was administered in the spring, before seedbed preparation at 15 cm depth, being incorporated with a disk harrow. The results showed that there was a direct interaction between the dose of hydrogel and the analysed parameters, the differences being statistically significant. The evaluation of the results was done according to the official methodology of pedological studies proposed by ICPA (Research Institute for Soil Science and Agrochemistry, Bucharest). For the bulk density, the values have outlined that for the control variant (V1) the soil may be framed as "weak loose" (BD between 1.19-1.31 g cm-3) and the treated variants can be considered as "poorly compacted" (BD between 1.32 to 1.45 g cm-3). The hydrogel administration improved the soil moisture, the values ranging between 0.6% and 1% for the maize crop and between 0.8 and 1% for soybean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

X-ray computed tomography is one of the modern techniques used for soil structure visualization and quantification. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of different tillage systems on soil porosity. Soil samples were collected from the field, on 0-30 cm depth, within the Experimental Farm of the Agricultural University of Iasi, North East of Romania, from a long term experiment with three tillage systems: V1 - chisel, V2 - no-till, V3 - plough at 30 cm. Aggregates were scanned using a SkyScan 1172 microCT and then the reconstructed 3D images were analyzed, in order to investigate pore volume and pore size class distribution. The results of the porosity analysis revealed significant differences between the variants taken into study. Regarding the solid surface area the tillage systems determined very different values of this parameter in soil. Pore size class distribution also showed clear differences between the variants. X-ray CT proved to be a useful tool for soil analysis, in order to have a detailed view of the pore network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]