Study of the behavior of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) in mixtures of perennial grasses and legumes, used by mowing and grazing

The research was carried out in the Banat plain area, characterized by the uneven distribution of rainfall during the vegetation period. The experimental device applied included three types of simple mixtures (Lolium perenne 50% + Festuca pratensis 50%, Lolium perenne 50% + Trifolium repens 50%, Lolium perenne 50% + Lotus corniculatus 50%) and a complex mixture (Lolium perenne 30% + Festuca pratensis 30% + Trifolium repens 20% + Lotus corniculatus 20%) used both by mowing and grazing directly with sheep. The fertilization was carried out uniformly, at all experimental variants (200 kg/ha of complex fertilizers was applied at the establishment, and during the vegetation a dose of N150 was applied in fractions, before the vegetation started and after each mowing or grazing cycle). The grazing variants was carried out with young males sheep of Țurcana breed. The floral composition of temporary grassland reacts differently to the valorification methods (mowing and grazing) because the morphological and ecophysical peculiarities of the grass and legume species are different. In case of simple mixtures, Lolium perenne is very competitive in blends with Festuca pratensis with a share of 52% in mowed variants, and 73% in grazing variants. Perennial grasses and legumes used for the simple and complex mixtures were: Timis 81 (Lolium perenne), Tampa (Festuca pratensis), Danitim (Trifolium repens), Dragotim (Lotus corniculatus). In the two years of production, the complex blend recorded the highest production of dry matter, in both uses, under conditions of balanced floral ratio between the component species

Country Perspectives on Hay-Making Landscapes as Part of the European Agricultural Heritage

This paper provides an overview of traditional hay-making structures and the related agricultural landscapes in Europe. The information was collected using a standardised questionnaire that was completed by experts from different countries. What all countries had in common was that hay production with its corresponding structures was widespread. However, the scope and importance differed among the countries today. We found differences in type and extent, in degree of awareness, and in the cultural meaning of hay-making structures. The differences were connected with built structures, as well as with other tangible and intangible aspects of cultural heritage. The distribution of the broad variety of hay-making-related structures, especially semipermanent ones, has changed throughout history, as well as the hay-making techniques, as a result of agrarian specialisation, land reclamation, and consolidation. Today, in some countries, the relevance of hay-making was mainly connected to horse keeping and landscape management (like in Germany and Hungary), while in others (like Slovakia and Slovenia), it was still predominantly used for cattle and sheep

The effect of myco‐biocontrol based formulates on yield, physiology and secondary products of organically grown basil

The development of organic farming as a result of increasing consumer preference for organic food has led to the development and registration of new pest‐control products for certified organic production. In this study, the effects of three biocontrol products containing spores and mycelium of Arthrobotrys oligospora—Artis®, Beauveria bassiana—Bora®, and Coniothyrium minitans— Öko‐ni® were tested on four basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) cultivars: ‘Aromat de Buzau’, ‘Serafim’, ‘Macedon’ and ‘Cuisoare’. The application of Öko‐ni® increased basil yields by 8% relative to Control. The application of Bora® increased chlorophyll content of basil leaves by 2% and the activity of photosynthesis by 66% relative to the Control. Basil essential oil (EO) content was increased by 18% with the application of Artis® and by 34% with the application of Bora® and Öko‐ni®, respectively. The content of phenolic compounds analyzed by HPLC varied; caffeic acid concentration was higher in the plants treated with Öko‐ni®, hyperoside, isoquercitrin and rutin concentrations were higher in those treated with Artis®, while the quercitrin content was higher in Bora®‐treated plants. The two main EO constituents that were identified were linalool and methyl chavicol in ‘Aromat de Buzau’, linalool and eugenol in ‘Serafim’, neral and geranial in ‘Macedon’, also linalool and eugenol in ‘Cuisoare’. The investigated myco‐biocontrol products had positive effects on basil fresh biomass and EO content and also influenced the content of phenolic compounds