Irrigation possibilities of the soils from the Northern agricultural region of the Republic of Moldova located in the river basin of the Prut

Currently, irrigation is considered one of the main factors for regulating and improving the soil moisture regime, but the establishment of soil irrigation systems for fruit trees in some agricultural areas of the Republic of Moldova is problematic and deficient.Researching soil cover within the river basins, evaluating the suitability of lands and soils for irrigation, highlighting the ecological problems that may occur, simultaneously with evaluating the quality of various water types suitable for irrigation represent current and important issues for all agricultural areas of the Republic of Moldova. The problem becomes even more pressing in connection with the adoption of the „Regulation on the use of groundwater for drip irrigation of agricultural land occupied by horticultural crops” (GD RM 635/2020 of 19.08.2020). Previously, the irrigated land in the Republic of Moldova included mostly typical and carbonate chernozems and some alluvial soils. The paper aims to avoid and minimize the impact of anthropogenic degradation of soils affected by intensive agriculture, under different crops, including fruit plantations and consequently not compromising long-term investments, such as establishing horticultural plantations, given that groundwater is unacceptable for irrigation, therefore the soils, depending on their suitability, can create ecological irrigation problems. Soil cover and water quality in various localities of the 2nd ecopedological district of the Republic of Moldova were investigated. The soil type of Moșeni village, administrative district Râșcani, consists of cambic chernozems in proportion of 75%. Here, over 100 ha of intensive orchards were established and the water suitable for irrigation is missing

Indicii fizico-mecanici şi utilizarea lor în evaluarea gradului de degradare antropică a solului

At present, because of various soil and land degradation processes, urgent and rapid methods are required in order to use the diagnostic and complex evaluation indices determining soil modifications at different levels – modifications of the soil’s solid and liquid phases and of its components. Research conducted on various soils and agroecosystems, including degraded and not degraded soils, revealed such indices as soil plasticity and soil adhesion as diagnostic indicators of land degradation. It was highlighted the positive role of crop rotation on the physic-mechanical characteristics of soil. Physic-mechanical degradation can be used to highlight certain complex processes having negative effects on soil fertility. The authors proposed remedial measures for the changes in soil plasticity and adhesion during soil tillage byapplying organic fertilizers and others. Rezumat. Actualmente, în legătură cu procesele diverse de degradare a solurilor şi terenurilor, se impun metode rapide, expres, care ar utiliza indici de diagnosticare şi evaluare integrală, complexă a modificărilor la nivelul solului – modificări ale fazei solide, lichide, ale componenţilor. Cercetările efectuate pe diverse soluri şi agroecosisteme, inclusiv soluri degradate şi nedegradate, a permis evidenţierea plasticităţii şi adeziunii în calitate de indici de diagnosticare a degradării solului. S-a evidenţiat rolul pozitiv al asolamentului asupra caracteristicilor fizico-mecanice ale solului. Degradarea fizico-mecanică poate fi utilizată în evidenţierea unor procese complexe cu efecte negative asupra fertilităţii solului. S-au propus măsuri de remediere a schimbărilor plasticităţii şi adeziunii la lucrarea solului cu aplicarea concomitentă a îngrăşămintelor organice şi altele

Chemical relationships in earthworm casts of two urban green spaces indicate the earthworm contribution to urban nutrient cycles

Due to the earthworms' implications in nutrient cycles through their burrowing and casting activity, earthworms are worth considering when urban biogeochemical cycles are analysed. Several chemical parameters and their relationships were analysed in earthworm casts of two urban parks, namely the pH, total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (Nt), plant available phosphorus (P), plant available potassium (K), and calcium water soluble (Ca). It was statistically significantly found that the TOC, Nt, P and K are reciprocally determined in the earthworm casts: 74.4% of the pH variability is co-determined by the N, P, K, TOC, and Ca contents; 95.9% of the Nt variability is co-determined by the pH, P, K, TOC, and Ca contents; 95.4% of the P variability is co-determined by the pH, N, K, TOC, and Ca contents; 94.5% of the K variability is co-determined by the pH, N, P, TOC, and Ca contents; 86.6% of the TOC variability is co-determined by the pH, N, P, K, and Ca contents. This study revealed the complexity of the chemical relationships inside earthworm casts, their reciprocal dependencies, and highlighted the complexity of the earthworms' contribution to biogeochemical cycles in urban areas. Our findings propose earthworms as indicators of the integrative conservation management of urban ecosystems

Research of physical-mechanical properties of soil related to earthworms abundance in agricultural and background agroecosystems at Didactic and Experimental Station "Chetrosu", Republic of Moldova

Within agroecological monitoring, an essential role is played by the biological monitoring, because surveillance of living organisms provides precious information regarding the vitality of agroecosystems and quality of environmental factors, essential for the quality of agricultural products and natural resources. The goal of earthworms’ complex research is establishment of the high efficient agrocoenoses, ecologically balanced, stable, based on the rational usage of the nutritive substances of soil, vegetable rests, water, and finally the application of environment-friendly technologies. From this point of view, earthworms can be used within the agroecological monitoring, because they can be easily extracted from their environment without affecting the population assembly. Essential for earthworms’ habitat is soil texture and soil humidity, physical-mechanical properties, organic debris, both quantitatively and qualitatively. The soil of the researched ecosystems was represented by calcic (carbonated) silt loamy chernozem. The limits of plasticity, resistance to penetration, and adherence of soil are influenced by humus content, fertilization type, and diversity of agrocoenoses. The forest strip and fallow farmland can contribute by providing with information the Database of background and agroecological (impact) monitoring. During the droughty seasons, earthworms were not found in soil, but a maximal number has been identified in forest strip (76 worms/m2 ) at 0-30 cm depth, which represents a hiding habitat during the arid periods