Management of Apple Scab and Powdery Mildew Using Bicarbonate Salts and Other Alternative Organic Products with Fungicide Effect in Apple Cultivars

The control of apple scab and powdery mildew is a challenge for organic fruit growing. Bicarbonate salts are already consecrate in reducing the attack of scab and powdery mildew in organic apple culture. In the current study the influence of some products accepted in organic apple production to control scab and powdery mildew (potasium bicarbonate, lime sulphur, wettable sulphur, potassium silicate, cooper ammonium-phosphate, potassium bicarbonate + potassium silicate, potassium bicarbonate + wettable sulphur) in comparison with untreated control, were used.  The biological material was represented by three scab resistant cultivars (‘Luna’, ‘Topaz’ and ‘Sirius’) and three scab susceptible cultivars (‘Elstar’, ‘Pinova’ and ‘Golden Delicious’). The experiments were carried out during 2014-2016 at Steluța LTD, Cluj-Napoca, N.W. Romania, as a bifactorial experiment arranged in randomized blocks. The trees were planted in 2011 at a density of 3,175 trees/ha. Depending of the year, a number of 18-22 treatments were made annually after each rain. It can be concluded that the combination of potassium bicarbonate + wettable sulphur significantly reduced the attack degree of scab and powdery mildew on leaves and fruits and increased the yield of the scab-susceptible and scab resistant cultivars. Good results were obtained in the case of treatment with potassium bicarbonate with potassium silicate, potassium bicarbonate and cooper ammonium phosphate. The treatments with the products used in the experiments did not register symptoms of phytotoxicity on leaves or fruits, except lime sulphur and wettable sulphur and cooper ammonium phosphates

Comparative Studies of the Phytoextraction Capacity of Five Aquatic Plants in Heavy Metal Contaminated Water

The uptake capacity of the aquatic plants (Salvinia natans Kunth., Eichhornia crassipes Mart., Lemna minor L., Elodea canadensisMichx., Pistia stratiotes L.) was analyzed in phytoextraction of Cu2+, Zn2+, and Cd2+. It was attend to study the plants capacity comparatively using mono and multimetallic systems. In particular, the chlorophyll, protein and carotenoids contents were studied during heavy metals uptake, in order to observe the stress effect on plants. The results obtained for the monometallic system showed that Salvinia natans Kunth. accumulated the highest quantity of Cu2+ (4.72 mg/g), Zn2+ (2.23 mg/g) and Cd2+ (1.90 mg/g). The leaves of Lemna minor L. accumulated the highest concentration of Cu2+ (10.80 mg/g) and Cd2+ (2.78 mg/g) in multimetallic system. The water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes L.) translocated the highest quantity of Zn2+ in its roots (4.80 mg/g). The chlorophyll andthe carotenoids levels decreased under the stress of heavy metals in both systems, while protein content increased under the influence of Cu2+ and Cd2+, but decreased for Zn2+. The studied hydrophytes proved to be useful in the uptake of heavy metals in monometallic system and much more effective in the multimetallic system and showed great potential for further applications in the industrial and commercial wastewater treatments

Children–plant interaction using therapeutic horticulture intervention in a Romanian school

Nature, childhood, and ecopsychology can to be connected in the landscape of a schoolyard. The landscape architecture of the natural environments serves as a wide-open green space for outdoor activities, creating imaginative and inventive urban environmental layouts and connecting natural elements. School-based green experience, either indoor or outdoor, can be a physical and mental activity for children. In the case of individuals, it makes` easy to access a natural, green environment and to be actively involved in a natural setting, developing either social and/or cognitive functions and improving concentration and creativity. Therapeutic horticulture activity, such as planting indoor plants, can be a good experience for developing team work, the proprioceptive (kinase) receptors, affectivity, socialization, permanent care, and responsibility. The potential benefits of ornamental plants for children involved in public education include spending time in outdoor spaces, fresh air and sunshine, experiencing a sense of control, and being exposed to sensory stimulations. Physical and psychological education based on therapeutic horticulture activities in Romanian schools, such as planting and green care, can provide important opportunities for children to develop their attachment to nature, offering sustainable education solutions to an active part of the natural environment

From tradition to landscape architecture – Planting design concept using perennials and bulbs

“Tradition and Modernity”, two aspects the University of Agriculture Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca lives by. The current paper presents a case study analysis of a landscape architecture design, combining tradition with modernity. Through the use of traditional Transylvanian patterns, this concept design is based on the use of different plant species and flowering periods. It measures 500 sq. m and is situated on the campus of the UASVM. Today, there is an increasing interest for bulbs and Lavandula species in landscaping. This is the reason why Lavandula is popular in the design concept presented below. Designed with the use of Romanian traditional patterns and specific colours, two types of ornamental plants are combined: perennials and bulbous plants. This proposal attempts to provide a way of approaching the Romanian landscape, specific to the region it belongs to

THE CONCEIVING OF A POST-INDUSTRIAL THEMATIC LANDSCAPE: "FREE TIME FACTORY" IN TURDA

The post-industrial landscape in Romania has left many "wounds", most of which have not been cured, but others have benefited from a new chance through reconversion. In industrial cities, such as the city of Turda in Cluj County, some former industrial parks have received a new approach by investing to integrate them into the urban landscape. This is the case of the former Beer Factory in Turda, retrofitted after the 90's to the Ratiu Foundation for Democracy. A team of landscaping and horticulture students from the U.A.S.V.M. Cluj-Napoca took over the site and proposed several landscaping options and in the period between July 2015 - June 2018 they actually implemented a small urban square, giving the city a green space materialized in a harmonious ensemble, designed on the basis of a theme that was subordinated to the memory of the profile of the former beer factory in Turda. At present, the arranged square faces a new challenge: relocation to a new emplacement

The Importance of Mycorrhizal Fungi in the Development and Secondary Metabolite Production of <i>Echinacea purpurea</i> and Relatives (Asteraceae): Current Research Status and Perspectives

The cultivation of Echinacea purpurea for commerce and obtaining high-quality plant material on a large scale remain a challenge for growers. Another challenge for the following decades is to create sustainable agriculture that meets society’s needs, has no environmental impact, and reduces the use of fertilizers and pesticides. The aims of this overview were: (1) to present the importance of the chemical compounds reported in E. purpurea; (1) to synthesize results about cultivation of the E. purpurea with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and associated microorganisms; (2) to exemplify similar research with plants from the Asteraceae family, due to the limited number of published Echinacea studies; (3) to collect recent findings about how the inoculation with AMF affects gene expressions in the host plants; (4) to propose perspective research directions in the cultivation of E. purpurea, in order to increase biomass and economic importance of secondary metabolite production in plants. The AMF inocula used in the Echinacea experiments was mainly Rhizophagus irregularis. The studies found in the selected period (2012–2022), reported the effects of 21 AMFs used as single inocula or as a mixture on growth and secondary metabolites of 17 plant taxa from the Asteraceae family. Secondary metabolite production and growth of the economic plants were affected by mutualistic, symbiotic or parasitic microorganisms via upregulation of the genes involved in hormonal synthesis, glandular hair formation, and in the mevalonate (MVA), methyl erythritol phosphate (MEP) and phenylpropanoid pathways. However, these studies have mostly been carried out under controlled conditions, in greenhouses or in vitro in sterile environments. Since the effect of AMF depends on the variety of field conditions, more research on the application of different AMF (single and in various combinations with bacteria) to plants growing in the field would be necessary. For the identification of the most effective synergistic combinations of AMF and related bacterial populations, transcriptomic and metabolomic investigations might also be useful