Florin Nenciu

Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) seed and the press cake obtained after oil extraction are gaining importance as sources of plant protein, dietary fiber and polyunsaturated lipids, while the cake remains a largely underused by-product. Their use in food is, however, limited by variable composition, low protein solubility, modest sensory acceptance and regulatory uncertainty. Whole seed of commercial cultivars generally contained 17–29% protein and 21–36% oil; lysine remained the limiting amino acid, while linoleic and α-linolenic acids accounted for most of the fatty acids. Dehulling, pressing conditions, and residual oil generally affected functionality more than the cultivar, although not for all endpoints. Ultrasound-assisted and salt-based extraction gave the most consistent laboratory-scale gains in protein recovery and solubility, whereas fermentation and enzymatic hydrolysis increased in vitro bioactivity but have not been validated at food scale. In cereal, dairy-type, and meat products, hemp ingredients increased protein and fiber contents, while color, bitterness, and lipid oxidation limited acceptable wheat flour replacement to about 5–15% in most formulations studied. Compliance with the EU maximum levels for Δ⁹-THC equivalents required determining both THC and THCA in each lot. This review evaluated how composition, processing and safety requirements determine the quality of hemp seed and press cake ingredients.

Hemp seeds (Cannabis sativa L.) are nutrient-dense, plant-based food ingredients. However, cultivar-related variability in its compositional profile remains insufficiently characterized for Romanian varieties. This study evaluated six Romanian monoecious hemp seed varieties (Dacia Secuieni, Secuieni Jubileu, Ratza, Zenit, Succesiv, and Olivia), for their potential food applications. Dacia Secuieni, Secuieni Jubileu, Ratza, and Olivia showed the highest crude protein content (24.79–25.57%). Secuieni Jubileu contained the highest crude fat (30.96%) and α-tocopherol (31.14 mg/kg), with the lowest total phenolic content (0.74 mg GAE/g) and carotenoids. Dacia Secuieni had the highest phosphorus (1.32%), manganese (138.91 mg/kg), total tocopherol (227.44 mg/kg), and α-linolenic acid concentration (19.76% of total FA), with an adequate omega-6/omega-3 ratio (2.78). Ratza was characterized by the highest crude fiber content (38.85%), oleic acid (16.47%), and canthaxanthin content (1.10 mg/kg), and it exhibited the highest omega-6/omega-3 ratio (3.64%). Zenit contained the highest iron (105.21 mg/kg) and γ-linolenic acid concentration (4.307%), was second for crude fiber (37.97%), and displayed the strongest hydrosoluble antioxidant activity, total phenolic content (1.50 mg GAE/g), and ABTS radical-scavenging activity (14.97 mmol TE/kg dw). Succesiv had the lowest crude protein (23.96%) and fat (25.62%) content, but it had the highest lutein content (79.46 mg/kg), DPPH radical-scavenging activity (12.89 mmol TE/kg dw), and metal-chelating activity (3.15 mg/g EDTA), while it was second in terms of linoleic acid proportion (56.11%) and γ-linolenic acid concentration (4.116%). Olivia exhibited the highest zinc content (90.35 mg/kg), linoleic acid proportion (56.16%), and total antioxidant capacity (49.70 mmol AAE/kg dw). These results indicate that Romanian hemp seed varieties are valuable sources of protein, essential fatty acids, minerals, and antioxidant compounds. The observed variability supports cultivar-specific selection for the development of hemp-based functional food ingredients.

Botrytis cinerea is a major fungal pathogen of grapevine responsible for gray mold, causing significant economic losses worldwide. Under specific environmental conditions, controlled development of Botrytis cinerea may lead to “noble rot,” a quality-enhancing attribute of premium wines; however, the same fungus can rapidly develop into destructive gray mold, causing significant grape losses. Consequently, the challenge is not necessarily the complete eradication of the pathogen, but the regulation of its development to prevent uncontrolled disease progression while preserving grape quality. The present study investigated the potential of using essential oils extracted from selected aromatic plants using ultrasound-assisted hydrodistillation (UAHD) as eco-friendly biocontrol agents against Botrytis cinerea. The extraction process was optimized by evaluating the effects of biomass particle size, ultrasonic power, and distillation time on essential oil yield. Antifungal activity was assessed through in vitro poisoned food and disk diffusion assays and validated in vivo on artificially inoculated grape berries by evaluating disease incidence, disease severity, treatment efficacy, and weight loss. Ultrasound pretreatment increased essential oil yield by up to 29.58% compared with conventional hydrodistillation, with optimal conditions achieved using 1 cm biomass, 150 W ultrasonic power, and 85 min distillation. Oregano, thyme, sage, and lemon balm essential oils achieved 100% inhibition of Botrytis cinerea mycelial growth at the tested concentrations, whereas lavender essential oil showed 95.03% inhibition at 0.125% and complete inhibition at 0.25%. In vivo, essential oil formulations markedly reduced gray mold development, with the 2.0% formulation providing the highest treatment efficacy and the lowest disease severity. These findings show that UAHD-derived essential oils represent promising sustainable alternatives for the management of Botrytis cinerea in viticulture. However, these findings represent preliminary evidence obtained under controlled in vitro conditions, necessitating further validation in real-world applications.

The transition from conventional laboratory-based soil analysis to real-time, data-driven evaluation has become essential for advancing precision agriculture and ensuring sustainable resource management. This review provides a comprehensive and structured synthesis of emerging technologies for soil evaluation, focusing on the integration of spectrometric sensing, Internet of Things (IoT) systems, and machine learning approaches. A systematic analysis of peer-reviewed studies published between 2012 and 2026 was conducted to assess the performance of these technologies in terms of accuracy, robustness, and scalability under variable environmental conditions. Spectrometry techniques, including visible–near-infrared and mid-infrared sensing, enable rapid and non-destructive estimation of soil chemical properties, while IoT-based sensor networks facilitate continuous in situ monitoring of key parameters such as moisture, pH, and nutrient content. Machine learning models further enhance soil assessment by enabling predictive analytics, data fusion, and high-resolution mapping. Despite their significant potential, challenges related to data quality, model transferability, sensor calibration, and implementation costs remain critical barriers to large-scale adoption. The review highlights the need for standardized evaluation frameworks, improved multimodal data integration, and increased focus on model interpretability and real-world applicability. Overall, the synergistic use of these technologies supports more efficient input management, reduces environmental impact, and contributes to the development of resilient and sustainable agricultural systems.

Labor shortages and the need for increased productivity have accelerated the development of robotic harvesting systems for greenhouse crops; however, reliable operation under fruit occlusion and clustered arrangements remains a major challenge, particularly due to the limited integration between perception and motion planning modules. The paper presents the design and experimental validation of an autonomous robotic system for greenhouse tomato harvesting. The proposed platform integrates a rail-guided mobile base, a six-degrees-of-freedom robotic manipulator, and an adaptive end effector with a hybrid vision framework that combines convolutional neural networks and watershed-based segmentation to enable robust fruit detection and localization under occluded conditions. The proposed approach enables improved separation of overlapping fruits and provides accurate spatial localization through stereo vision combined with IMU-assisted camera-to-robot coordinate transformation. An occlusion-aware trajectory planning strategy was developed to generate collision-free manipulation paths in the presence of leaves and stems, enhancing harvesting safety and reliability. The system was trained and evaluated using a dataset of real greenhouse images supplemented with synthetic data augmentation. Experimental trials conducted under practical greenhouse conditions demonstrated a fruit detection precision of 96.9%, recall of 93.5%, and mean Intersection-over-Union of 79.2%. The robotic platform achieved an overall harvesting success rate of 78.5%, reaching 85% for unobstructed fruits, with an average cycle time of 15 s per fruit in direct harvesting scenarios. The rail-guided mobility significantly improved positioning stability and repeatability during manipulation compared with fully mobile platforms. The results confirm that integrating hybrid perception with occlusion-aware motion planning can substantially improve the functionality of robotic harvesting systems in protected cultivation environments. The proposed solution contributes to the advancement of automation technologies for greenhouse vegetable production and supports the transition toward more sustainable and labor-efficient agricultural practices.

Contamination of agricultural soils with heavy metals, such as zinc (Zn), copper (Cu) and lead (Pb), is a major problem for food safety and environmental sustainability. The present study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of phytoremediation induced with Brassica juncea (Indian mustard) and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) in reducing the content of heavy metals in contaminated soils. The experiment was carried out in a greenhouse, using soil polluted with Zn, Cu and Pb, to which different treatments were applied, using: the biological method (Indian mustard only), the chemical method (EDTA in three concentrations: 0.5–1.0–2.0 mmol·kg⁻¹) and the mixed method (Indian mustard and EDTA in three concentrations: 0.5–1.0–2.0 mmol·kg⁻¹). The determinations included the analysis of the residual metal content by atomic absorption spectroscopy, as well as the evaluation of the physiological parameters of the plants (biomass, chlorophyll content in leaves, humidity, height). The results of unifactorial and bifactorial ANOVA revealed highly significant differences (p < 0.001) between the treatments and the types of metals, confirming the synergistic interaction between the chelation and phytoextraction processes. The combined treatments Indian mustard and EDTA in concentrations of 1.0 mmol·kg⁻¹ and 2.0 mmol·kg⁻¹, ensured the highest decontamination efficiency, with reductions of 51.5% for Zn, 36.3% for Pb and 27.5% for Cu. In conclusion, the mixed method represents a viable, ecological and reproducible strategy for the remediation of soils contaminated with heavy metals.

The increasing demand for sustainable aquafeeds necessitates the development of alternative protein sources that support both economic efficiency and ecological responsibility. This study evaluates the potential of using hempseed meal (a nutrient-dense agro-industrial by-product) as a functional ingredient in carp aquaculture diets. The paper presents a proof-of-concept evaluation demonstrating the potential of hempseed meal as a circular bio-ingredient that aligns with the principles of sustainable aquaculture, rather than providing a comprehensive assessment of its long-term physiological effects on fish. A 90-day feeding trial was conducted under controlled pond conditions to assess the effects of graded hempseeds meal inclusion levels on growth performance, feed utilization, and environmental sustainability indicators for three Cyprinus carpio varieties. Four isonitrogenous and isoenergetic diets were formulated: a control diet (R1) based on conventional plant protein sources such as soybean and pea meal, and three experimental diets containing 5%, 10%, and 20% hempseed meal (R2–R4). Growth indices including absolute weight gain (WG), average daily gain (ADG), specific growth rate (SGR), and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were determined, and data was analyzed via two-way ANOVA with Tukey HSD post hoc testing. Results indicated that 10% hempseed meal inclusion produced optimal growth responses, improving specific growth rate by 12.6% and reduced feed conversion ratio by 10.8% compared to the control. The most pronounced effects were observed for Frăsinet carp variety (SGR 1.23%·day⁻¹; FCR 1.39). Environmental assessments demonstrated that substituting conventional protein sources (soybean and pea meal) with hempseed meal at 20% inclusion valorized 200 kg of hemp press cake per ton of feed, reduced conventional protein use by 33.3%, diverted up to 80% of waste from disposal. These findings validate hempseed meal as a sustainable, cost-effective, and nutritionally viable alternative to conventional protein sources in freshwater aquaculture, advancing circular bioeconomy strategies and supporting low-carbon fish production systems.

The present research aimed to improve the extraction efficiency of polyphenolic compounds from nettle and sage, using an improved hybrid ultrasound—percolation extraction method. A factorial experimental design was employed to systematically evaluate the influence of key extraction parameters: pressure (5, 6, and 7 bar), extraction time (60, 90, and 120 min), and ultrasound power (80, 100, and 120 W) on the total polyphenol content (TPC) of the resulting extracts. The obtained extracts were comprehensively analyzed in terms of total polyphenol concentration, micro- and macronutrient content, and antioxidant activity. Based on the results, optimal extraction conditions were determined and subsequently used to formulate a biostimulant solution derived from nettle and sage. To validate the agronomic efficacy of the formulated biostimulant, greenhouse trials were conducted on tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and pepper (Capsicum annuum) plants. The impact of the treatment was assessed by monitoring vegetative growth (total dry mass), chlorophyll content, and crop productivity. The central hypothesis is that systematic variation of the hybrid ultrasound-assisted percolation process parameters will reveal a range capable of significantly improving the polyphenol yield and antioxidant activity of nettle and sage extracts. We further used these improved extracts to increase certain health indicators and overall productivity in tomato and pepper plants. At the end of the growing period, the treated plants showed an increase in dry mass of 22% for tomatoes and 20% for peppers relative to controls samples. Furthermore, productivity showed a substantial increase, rising by 38.6% for tomatoes and 53% for peppers. Chlorophyll content also increased by up to 20% in tomatoes and up to 22% in peppers, showing better plant health.

The central purpose of this study is to develop and validate an advanced numerical model capable of simulating the vibrational behavior of the operator’s seat in a tractor-type agricultural vehicle designed for operation in protected horticultural environments, such as vegetable greenhouses. The three-dimensional (3D) model of the seat was created using SolidWorks 2023, while its dynamic response was investigated through Finite Element Analysis (FEA) in Altair SimSolid, enabling a detailed evaluation of the natural vibration modes within the 0–80 Hz frequency range. Within this interval, eight significant natural frequencies were identified and correlated with the real structural behavior of the seat assembly. For experimental validation, direct time-domain measurements were performed at a constant speed of 5 km/h on an uneven, grass-covered dirt track within the research infrastructure of INMA Bucharest, using the TE-0 self-propelled electric tractor prototype. At the operator’s seat level, vibration data were collected considering the average anthropometric characteristics of a homogeneous group of subjects representative of typical tractor operators. The sample of participating operators, consisting exclusively of males aged between 27 and 50 years, was selected to ensure representative anthropometric characteristics and ergonomic consistency for typical agricultural tractor operators. Triaxial accelerometer sensors (NexGen Ergonomics, Pointe-Claire, Canada, and Biometrics Ltd., Gwent, UK) were strategically positioned on the seat cushion and backrest to record accelerations along the X, Y, and Z spatial axes. The recorded acceleration data were processed and converted into the frequency domain using Fast Fourier Transform (FFT), allowing the assessment of vibration transmissibility and resonance amplification between the floor and seat. The combined numerical–experimental approach provided high-fidelity validation of the seat’s dynamic model, confirming the structural modes most responsible for vibration transmission in the 4–8 Hz range—a critical sensitivity band for human comfort and health as established in previous studies on whole-body vibration exposure. Beyond validating the model, this integrated methodology offers a predictive framework for assessing different seat suspension configurations under controlled conditions, reducing experimental costs and enabling optimization of ergonomic design before physical prototyping. The correlation between FEA-based modal results and field measurements allows a deeper understanding of vibration propagation mechanisms within the operator–seat system, supporting efforts to mitigate whole-body vibration exposure and improve long-term operator safety in horticultural mechanization.

Compacted and degraded soils pose increasing challenges to agricultural practices, necessitating innovative approaches to soil tillage. This paper evaluates the performance of a vibratory-enhanced moldboard plowing system, designed to improve energy efficiency and tillage quality under compacted and moisture-deficient conditions, typical of low-moisture soils. Field experiments were conducted across four distinct Romanian regions with varying soil types and climatic conditions, all characterized by significant compaction and limited soil moisture. The vibratory system, mounted directly on each plow body, employed sinusoidal oscillations generated by a DC moto-vibrator, to reduce soil adhesion and traction force requirements, thereby lowering fuel consumption. Key parameters including fuel consumption, working speed, soil fragmentation, weed incorporation, and traction force were measured and compared with the conventional plowing method. The results showed enhanced soil fragmentation and more effective residue incorporation, along with notable reductions in traction effort and fuel use at optimal oscillation settings. These findings highlight the potential of vibratory tillage to be used as a soil preparation method for compaction-prone areas, improving the soil structure while increasing operational energy efficiency.