USE OF PROTEIN HYDROLYSATES IN ORGANIC AGRICULTURE

It is known to be a real challenge to find sustainable alternatives for the use of mineral fertilizers, especially nitrogen-based ones. This is a legal requirement in organic farming. Organic sources have a low concentration of nitrogen but have the advantage that they come from a renewable source and are found along with other compounds that have positive effects on plant nutrition. Protein hydrolysates(PHs) can improve agricultural production in terms of quality and quantity by enhancing seed germination, root development and nutrient uptake and can reduce the amount of chemical fertilizers used. This paper presents data from the literature on the use of protein hydrolysates as a source of nitrogen for crop fertilization

Protein hydrolysates and amino-acids fertilizers – physicochemical characteristics

The necessities of a sustainable agriculture require the use of fertilizing solutions and methods capable to respond to the needs of agricultural crops and to the requirements of the environment protection. In this regard, extra-radicular fertilizers and liquid fertilizers with application or incorporation into the soil respond to these priorities. In the past 20 years, the range of fertilizers has greatly diversified, currently being developed the compositions containing minerals together with natural or synthetic organic substances, with application to a wide range of crops. Organic substances added are intended to stimulate the activity of photosynthesis, absorption of nutrients, to provide a balanced nutrition, to combat nutritional deficiencies and reduce the effects of different stressors. The most frequently used organic substances are protein hydrolysates of plant or animal origin, and various amino-acids. Complex matrices resulted by including into NPK structures organic substances led to the development of new types of bio-fertilizers whose agrochemical effects were tested with positive effects on the nutrition of different crops in the conditions present in Romania. Through a careful selection of raw materials and technological processes, certain formulas of bio-fertilizers can be used in organic farming, where the imposed requirements are defined by European regulations and verified by certification bodies. In my own researches the concerns are directed towards producing these fertilizers and their testing in the vegetation/green house and in field. This paper shows the physical and chemical characteristics for some of the complex matrices with organic substances used in agriculture

Pasteurised eggs - a food safety solution against Salmonella backed by sensorial analysis of dishes traditionally containing raw or undercooked eggs

This study evaluates the potential of pasteurised eggs to be used as a replacement for raw eggs in recipes where eggs remain uncooked or undercooked. Sensory tests were performed by 178 untrained panellists (143 from Portugal and 35 from Romania) using a 9-point hedonic scale. The tested recipes were tiramisu, chocolate mousse, eggnog, hollandaise sauce, and condensed milk mousse (Baba de camelo). While in Portugal the colour and texture of the chocolate mousse prepared with pasteurised and unpasteurised eggs differed significantly, no significant differences in regards to the organoleptic attributes were recorded in Romania. Nonetheless, the results revealed comparable distribution scores regarding the overall acceptability for all the recipes indicating an agreement among panellists for both raw and pasteurised eggs dishes in both countries. The regression analysis showed that the main drivers of consumers’ acceptance of dishes made with pasteurised eggs are flavour and texture. This research demonstrates that five dishes prepared with liquid pasteurised eggs are accepted by consumers as they cannot clearly be distinguished from their counterparts prepared with raw eggs. As Salmonella-contaminated eggs are the most frequent cause of salmonellosis, pasteurised eggs can be used as a safer ingredient to substitute shell eggs in raw egg-based dishes without significant reduction of the sensory quality of the dish. Since liquid pasteurised eggs are already widely used, especially by industry and restaurants, we provide reasons supporting pasteurisation of eggs in shell as a more convenient solution for consumers. Pasteurised eggs, either liquid or in shell, constitute a way to reduce the burden of foodborne diseases by diminishing the number of cases of salmonellosis associated with cooking at home. Researchers and food safety authorities can use our results as a starting point for future studies or intervention strategies.CC BY-NC-NDinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Efficiency of foliar fertilization on wheat production in conventional and conservation agriculture

The paper presents the leaves fertilization influence upon wheat yield in two experiments carried out in conventional agriculture and conservative systems. The experimental fields comprised 6 leaves fertilizers variants and a control and were laid out at SCDA Teleorman on a Haplic Phaeozem. Two treatments were applied with 1.25% leaves fertilizer on a N90P40K0 agrochemical background proceeded from a complex 20-20-0 fertilizer, in the autumn, before sowing, and 50 kg N/ha Nitrocalcar, applied in the spring. Leaves fertilization, applied in the conservative system experiment, didn’t bring forth a significant yield increase as compared to the control. Significant and distinctly significant increases of the wheat yield were obtained in the conventional agriculture system, from 5,795 kg/ha in the control up to 7,373 kg/ha in the Nutrifert S variant. The average conventional agriculture yield (6,978 kg/ha) was higher than the conservative agriculture one (5,457 kg/ha) by 27.8%

INFLUENCE OF DIFFERENT FERTILIZERS ON NPK CONTENT IN SOIL, IN CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE SYSTEM

This paper presents the results obtained from an experiment carried out in conservation agriculture system. Six types of fertilizers, i.e. N, NP, NPK and potassium humate NPK that contain various forms of nitrogen were tested. The experiments placed on cambic phaeozem at SCDA Teleorman were conducted using soybeans as crops, and fertilizers dosages of 50, 100, 150 and 200 kg N/ha. The influence of fertilizers on the nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, content in the soil after the harvest was investigated. Soil samples were collected at a depth of 0-20 cm. The laboratory tests were performed on conditioned soil samples. The experimental data was statistically processed using analysis of variance.It was observed that the use of fertilizers increased of the nitrogen content from the soil from 0.157% for the unfertilized sample to 0.189% for the sample fertilized with NPK 15:15:15 at the application dosage of 100 kg N / ha (21.8%). The phosphorus content increased from 72 ppm P2O5 in the case of the unfertilized sample to 98 ppm P2O5 for the sample fertilized with NP 20: 20: 0 (200 kg / ha dosage)

AGROCHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF A NEW RANGE OF FOLIAR FERTILIZERS

In the context of a competitive and sustainable agriculture, the development of novel fertilizers with foliar application is always a challenge for both producers and users. Worldwide, a major trend in the research, development and production of organic substances fertilizers with growth-stimulating role is noticed. Thus, these new fertilizers formulas can be used in both, conventional and organic farming (especially to protect crops from climatic stress factors and to prevent or correct nutritional deficiencies). The production of fertilizers that contain natural organic compounds embedded in NPK matrix structures has increased. As organic substances are used protein hydrolysates, amino acids and algae extracts.In this study, in order to obtain a new range of fertilizers we defined the composition of a NPK matrix with meso- and microelements (Fe, Cu, Zn, Mn, Mg, S, Co, Mo) that was subsequently embedded with protein hydrolysate of animal origin (composed of peptides, ureide and amino acids) respectively, protein hydrolysate of vegetal origin.The new developed fertilizers were characterized and tested in the National Network for Fertilizers Testing in order to be licensed for agriculture use. The experiments were carried out for two years on different crops by foliar application in comparison to a similar NPK matrix. The obtained results showed significant production yields (in comparison to the non-fertilized control) ranging from 20% to 40% (statistically insured), as well as changes in the photosynthesis and mineral nutrition processes

Data on European kitchen layouts belonging to vulnerable consumers (elderly people and young families with children or pregnant women) and risk-takers (young single men)

The data presented here capture the structure of kitchen lay- outs belonging to consumers vulnerable to foodborne dis- eases and food risk-takers. Data were collected in the frame of the SafeConsume project by multidisciplinary research teams that visited consumers during preparing a meal and had the possibility to examine their cooking routines. Dis- tances between sink and stove, sink and refrigerator, stove and refrigerator, sink and working place (countertop or ta- ble), stove and working place were analyzed to correlate food safety practices applied during cooking with kitchen arrange- ments. The results arising from analyzing the ergonomics of kitchens versus potential cross-contamination events are presented in Mihalache et al., [1]. These data contribute to a better understanding of real kitchen layouts and can be used as a starting point for future research regarding food safety-oriented arrangements instead of ergonomics-focused designs, for food safety risk assessments, as study cases for explaining specific measures that can be established to im- prove food handling and hygiene practices in homes and for sociological research pointing consumers’ behavior during cooking.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Kitchen layouts and consumers’ food hygiene practices: Ergonomics versus safety

Our paper emphasizes the importance of the kitchen layout in facilitating consumers' food hygiene practices. A significant correlation was found between the sink placement (inside or outside the kitchen) and hygienic practices during food handling based on a survey performed on consumers from ten European countries, indicating that those who had the sink in the kitchen were more likely to perform proper hygiene practices than those who have not. The self-reported practices were supported by observed practices in 64 households from five European countries. The observational study combined with the examination of kitchen layouts revealed that the kitchen work triangle with its apexes represented by the kitchen sink, cooking stove and refrigerator, which is recommended for ergonomic reasons by architects and designers, did not necessarily support food hygiene practices in kitchens. Cross-contamination events were associated with the sink – countertop distances longer than 1 m. Based on this, a new kitchen triangle with its apexes represented by the kitchen sink, working place (usually countertop) and cooking stove, with the distance between the sink and the working place less than 1 m is proposed to be used as norm in kitchen designs for combining ergonomics with safety. This triangle is proposedly named the food safety triangle and is aimed to mitigate the risks of foodborne illnesses by creating an arrangement that facilitates hygiene practices. This study is the first to highlight the importance of implementing the concept of food safety in the kitchen design based on significant correlations between kitchen equipment placement and consumers’ food safety practices.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Communicative Language Teaching: A Pedagogical Proposal based on the Content and Language Integrated Learning

Treball Final de Grau en Estudis Anglesos. Codi: EA0938. Curs acadèmic: 2017/2018Because of its international demand and recognition as a worldwide language, English has recently become part of our education system. Accordingly, the use of the English language has increased in different sectors all over the world. However, there has been a clear lack of Communicative Competence (CC) since learners are not able to use the language communicatively. This fact seems to prove that the traditional methods were not an appropriate way of teaching. Hence, this research aims to analyse the methods and approaches during the 20th century, moving from the traditional teaching methods to one of the most recent approaches: Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) approach and its methods: Task Based Language Teaching (TBLT) and Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL). Whereas in the first learning is done through a series of activities seen as steps to complete the task successfully; the second one focuses on the use of a Second/Foreign Language (L2/FL) to teach content and language. CLT is very effective for teaching communicative and functional English because it gives importance to the acquisition of the four language skills (reading, writing, listening and speaking) in a natural way. Moreover, the language is taught through real life situations since students find easier to feel identified with them