AGROZOOTECHNICAL INDICATORS FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT IN MARAMURES COUNTY

Researching the Romanian contemporary rural space requires the determination of certain criteria expressed as indicators, which capture the dynamics of such space, its strong points that can be developed, as well as its weak spots that can be corrected. In Maramures County, the rural environment faces a set of significant matters that require urgent settlement in order to fulfil the desire to obtain sustainable development. To this end, using classic investigation methods (observation, comparison, interrogation, bibliographic research), several indicators of the agricultural sector were determined and analyzed, whereas the dynamics of these indicators is related to the timeframe 2008-2013. The conclusion of this work can be successfully corroborated with other studies, in order to sketch a full picture of the economic, social and cultural mosaic existing at the level of Maramures County

THE DYNAMICS OF TOURISM AS INDICATOR FOR THE RURAL DEVELOPMENT IN MARAMURES COUNTY

The rural tourism represents a major segment of the Romanian travelling sector, which has been under continuous development for the last twenty years. Identifying the development methods of this sector becomes very important and rather necessary considering the many problems this sector is faced with and that impede its progress, at its true potential. Maramures is one of the most complex regions of our country, which manages to successfully combine, using the available resources, several forms of practicable tourism: cultural tourism, religious tourism, agritourism, mountain tourism, balneal tourism etc. The incommensurable diversity and importance of the touristic resources existing in Maramures County was certified not only by the travellers visiting the region, but also by the fact that Maramures has become a place of the UNESCO world heritage, by including eight wood churches located in this county among the UNESCO world sites

Environmental Performance of a Mixed Crop–Dairy Cattle Farm in Alexandria (Romania)

Agricultural specialization has increased considerably in Europe over the last decades, leading to the separation of crop and livestock production at both farm and regional levels. Such a transformation is often associated with higher environmental burdens due to excessive reliance on exogenous inputs and manure management issues. Reconnecting crop and livestock production via mixed farming systems (MFSs) could improve circularity and resilience, leading to reduced environmental impacts. The objective of this study was to evaluate the life cycle environmental performance of a commercial mixed crop–dairy cattle farm in Romania and to compare it against the corresponding specialized systems. The evaluation covered both dairy cattle production (milk and meat) and cash crops. Overall, the results show that the coupled system improves environmental performance by reducing the over-reliance on high-impact inputs like synthetic fertilizers and exogenous feed. The carbon footprint for the milk production of the studied system (1.17 kg CO2 eq.) per kg of fat- and protein-corrected milk (FPCM) was 10% lower than the mean value of common intensive milk production systems. The eutrophication impacts (2.52 × 10−4 kg P eq and 2.67 × 10−4 kg N eq./kg of FPCM) presented values of one order of magnitude less than their specialized counterparts. However, the impacts of the studied MFS, albeit lower than those for comparable specialized systems, still remain relatively high. In particular, methane emissions from enteric fermentation (0.54 kg CO2 eq./kg FPCM) were a major contributor to the carbon footprint. This highlighted the need to address the elevated emissions from enteric fermentation with better feed management, as well as improving and reinforcing the system’s self-sufficiency

Effects of Genotype and Diet on Performance, Carcass Traits, and Blood Profiles of Slow-Growing Chicks Obtained by Crosses of Local Breed with Commercial Genotype

The effects of genotype and diet on growth performance, carcass traits and blood metabolites were investigated. The commercial Ross 308 (R) chickens genotype, a local Black Transylvanian Naked Neck (BTNN) breed, and their crosses were used in an 81-day study. A total of 720 one-d-old chicks were allotted into eight groups in a 4 × 2 factorial design with 4 genotypes: Rmale × Rfemale (R), BTNNmale × Rfemale (BTNN-R), BTNNmale × BTNNfemale (BTNN), Rmale × BTNNfemale (R-BTNN), and 2 diets: control and low-metabolisable energy (LME). Genotype affected performance parameters, namely body weight gain (BWG), feed intake (FI), energy intake (EI), feed conversion ratio (FCR), energy conversion ratio (ECR), and production efficiency factor (PEF), irrespective of growth phase (p < 0.05). Diet had no significant effect on overall BWG, EI, ECR and PEF, except that it increased FI and FCR. Genotype influenced the carcass and organ yields (p < 0.05), except bursa weight, while diet had no significant effect. Blood parameters (total cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose, albumin and phosphorus) were affected only by genotype (p < 0.05). In summary, results show that from the two crossbreedings obtained between R and BTNN genotypes, the BTNN-R growth performance and carcass traits were superior to R-BTNN, even though both have had a similar improved plasma response. Lowering the ME level did not significantly affect the BWG but increased FI and FCR, whereas the production index was similar regardless of the genotype. Based on the present results, we concluded that the BTNN-R crosses are the most suitable for use in alternative rearing systems for slow-growing chickens

Comparative Evaluation of the Dynamics of Animal Husbandry Air Pollutant Emissions Using an IoT Platform for Farms

One of the major challenges of animal husbandry, in addition to those related to the economic situation and the current energy crisis, is the major contribution of this sector to atmospheric pollution. Awareness of pollution sources and their permanent monitoring in order to ensure efficient management of the farm, with the aim of reducing emissions, is a mandatory issue, both at the macro level of the economic sector and at the micro level, specifically at the level of each individual farm. In this context, the acquisition of consistent environmental data from the level of each farm will constitute a beneficial action both for the decision-making system of the farm and for the elaboration or adjustment of strategies at the national level. The current paper proposes a case study of air pollutants in a cattle farm for different seasons (winter and summer) and the correlation between their variation and microclimate parameters. A further comparison is made between values estimated using the EMEP (European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme, 2019) methodology for air pollutant emission and values measured by sensors in a hybrid decision support platform for farms. Results show that interactions between microclimate and pollutant emissions exist and they can provide a model for the farm’s activities that the farmer can manage according to the results of the measurements

Determination of Acrylamide in Selected Foods from the Romanian Market

Several processed food products may contain toxic compounds considered risk factors for human health. Known for its possible carcinogenic effects, acrylamide is an organic compound periodically analyzed by the entities responsible for consumer safety. Knowing the acrylamide content of food offers the possibility of implementing corrective measures when needed, targeted at lowering its level. The aim of the paper was to screen for the presence of acrylamide in four products consumed almost daily in Romania and calculate acrylamide exposure by consuming one serving. Expressed in µg/kg coffee has the highest average acrylamide content (199), followed by potato chips (134), pretzels (120), and bread (14). Results regarding the acrylamide content in one serving showed the highest levels of acrylamide in pretzels (10.20 µg/serving), followed by potato chips (4.00 µg/serving), coffee (2.20 µg/cup), and bread (0.40 µg/slice). The calculation of the acrylamide content for one serving of the studied products will facilitate the following studies on the dietary acrylamide intake of the Romanian population, studies which, to our knowledge, have not been performed so far

Green Synthesis Methods of CoFe2O4 and Ag-CoFe2O4 Nanoparticles Using Hibiscus Extracts and Their Antimicrobial Potential

The cobalt ferrite (CoFe2O4) and silver-cobalt ferrite (Ag-CoFe2O4) nanoparticles were obtained through self-combustion and wet ferritization methods using aqueous extracts of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis flower and leaf. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and magnetic measurements were used for the characterization of the obtained oxide powders. The antimicrobial activity of the cobalt ferrite and silver-cobalt ferrite nanoparticles against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, as well as fungal strains, was investigated by qualitative and quantitative assays. The most active proved to be the Ag-CoFe2O4 nanoparticles, particularly those obtained through self-combustion using hibiscus leaf extract, which exhibited very low minimal inhibitory concentration values (0.031–0.062 mg/mL) against all tested microbial strains, suggesting their potential for the development of novel antimicrobial agents