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Potassium (K) is a crucial mineral nutrient that plays a significant role in various physiological and metabolic processes in plants. Disruptions in potassium supply can severely impair vegetative development, making efficient potassium fertilization strategies essential for maintaining plant health and productivity. As the most abundant inorganic cation in plant cells, potassium is vital for proper physiological functioning, primarily existing as a free ion (K?). It is indispensable for several physiological func...

Soil organic matter (SOM) plays a crucial role in maintaining soil fertility and ecosystem stability by influencing nutrient cycling and water retention capacity. Climate change, manifested through rising temperatures, extreme precipitation variability, and increased frequency of extreme weather events, directly affects the dynamics of SOM decomposition and accumulation. This paper examines the mechanisms by which these climatic changes impact SOM stability, emphasizing their effects on agricultural and natural so...

Urban soil contamination with heavy metals is a growing environmental concern due to its adverse effects on human health, ecosystem stability, and soil productivity. The primary sources of this pollution include industrial activities, vehicular emissions, atmospheric deposition, mining operations, and improper waste disposal. As heavy metals such as lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), arsenic (As), and chromium (Cr) accumulate in the soil, their persistence and low mobility make them difficult to degrade or rem...

This study aims to evaluate the effects of foliar fertilization (FF) on the yield and quality of sunflower seeds. Foliar fertilization (FF) applied to sunflower crops can have significant impacts on seed yield and quality, influencing their chemical composition and nutritional values. Unlike soil fertilization, which delivers nutrients through the root system, foliar fertilization supplies nutrients directly to the leaves, ensuring a rapid and efficient absorption of essential elements during critical growth stage...

This study investigates the effects of foliar fertilization (FF) on the yield and quality of corn grains, utilizing Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to optimize foliar treatment applications. The PCA approach enabled the identification of the most effective FF formulation for enhancing grain production and quality. The experiments were conducted in 2022 and 2023 at the university's experimental field, evaluating seven treatment variants, each with distinct chemical compositions labelled from V1 to V7, along with...

Sunflower and maize are two crops of particular importance, especially in the current context of the food crisis, cultivated on large areas worldwide, used both for animal and human nutrition. This study proposed to test the effectiveness of several types of foliar fertilizers with urea, for the two previously mentioned crops, in the pedo-climatic conditions of West of Romania, and the type of soil chosen for experimentation was Cambic Chernozem. The chemical compounds used for fertilizing crops were different ure...

Achieving profitable crop production milestones hinges on the establishment of a robust soil fertility program. Such programs demand foresight and meticulous planning. To ensure the profitability and efficiency of wheat cultivation, it is imperative to provide the right amount of essential plant nutrients precisely when and where the crop requires them. The application rates of fertilizers hold little significance if these vital nutrients are not distributed at the appropriate locations and times. Wheat, in partic...

Waste and by-products from the food industry put pressure on the environment. FAO defined food losses as losses along the food chain between producer and market, while safe and nutritious food is thrown away as waste. About a third of the food produced is wasted. A significant amount of food is disposed of as waste, especially in developed countries, and this also means the disposal of resources used to produce food. Food waste is not only an economic problem, but also an environmental and moral problem. Food dive...

A good soil fertility program requires vision and planning. Achieving cost-effective and efficient wheat production involves providing sufficient amounts of plant nutrients when and where the crop needs them. Wheat is a particularly demanding crop for fertilization, which reacts positively to the application of fertilizers. Cereal consumes moderate amounts of nutrients due to the fact that its roots explore a smaller volume of soil. The influence of foliar fertilizers for different crops is diverse and depends on ...