Plant fibers are sustainable sources of materials for many industries, and can be obtained from a variety of plants. Cellulose is the main constituent of plant-based fibers, and its properties give the characteristics of the fibers obtained. Detailed characterization of cellulosic fibers is often performed after lengthy extraction procedures, while fast screening might bring the benefit of quick qualitative assessment of unprocessed stems. The aim of this research was to define some marker spectral regions that could serve for fast, preliminary qualitative characterization of unprocessed stems from some textile plants through a practical and minimally invasive method without lengthy extraction procedures. This could serve as a screening method for sorting raw materials by providing an accurate overall fingerprint of chemical composition. For this purpose, we conducted comparative Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) prospecting for quality markers in stems of flax (Linum usitatissimum L.), velvet leaf (Abutilon theophrasti Medik.), hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) and jute (Corchorus olitorius L.). Analysis confirmed the presence of major components in the stems of the studied plants. Fingerprint regions for cellulose signals were attributed to bands at 1420–1428 cm⁻¹ assigned to the crystalline region and 896–898 cm⁻¹ assigned to the amorphous region of cellulose. The optimization of characterization methods for raw materials is important and can find immediate practical applications.

Lavender is in the research spotlight due to its increasing economic importance, while market demand is expected to continue to grow. Among the hundreds of essential-oil-bearing plants, Lavandula angustifolia Mill. remains one of the most valuable. This paper explores the lavender chain timeline from crop to products, examining the expanding knowledge on the characteristics, phytochemical profile and functional potential of lavender that could lead to new products and uses. Lavender crops can be expanded without competing for productive land, instead using marginal, contaminated or unproductive land. A novel cultivation trend proposes leveraging agri-background biodiversity, arbuscular mycorrhiza and the natural enemies of pests for healthy crops. Together with breeding efforts targeting highly performant genotypes with complex volatile profiles coupled with resistance to specific biotic (particularly Phytoplasma) and abiotic (salt, heavy metals) stressors, industry could have a steady supply of high-quality raw material. Besides the expansion of the uses of essential oil in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, food and environmental and agri-applications, novel channels have appeared for the use of the solid by-product, which is rich in polyphenols and polysaccharides; these channels have the potential to create additional streams of value. The stabilization and optimization of techno-functional delivery systems through the encapsulation of essential oil can extend shelf-life and enhance biological activity efficiency.

Essential oils are a category of agro-based industrial products experiencing increasing demand. In this research, three essential oils obtained by steam distillation from lavender, sage and basil plants cultivated in temperate continental conditions of Transylvania were investigated for chemical composition, physical characteristics and biological activity (antimicrobial and cytotoxic effect on cancer cell lines). The number of identified compounds varied: 38 for lavender, 29 for sage essential oil and 41 for basil. The volatile profile was dominated by terpenes and terpenoids (>80%). Major components were beta-linalool and linalool acetate in lavender essential oil; thujones and camphor in sage essential oil; beta-linalool, thujone, camphor and eucalyptol in basil essential oil. Refractive index of the essential oils was lowest for lavender and highest for sage. Antibacterial activity was strongest for basil, moderate for lavender and weakest for sage essential oil. The most active on both colon adenocarcinoma (Caco-2) and ovary carcinoma (A2780) was sage essential oil.

(1) Background: Various studies on artemisinin and its derivatives have shown that Artemisia annua may be of therapeutic interest for different diseases, including chicken coccidiosis. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of Artemisia annua on farm-reared broiler chickens by analyzing both the anticoccidial efficacy and its effect on the intestinal microbiota of poultry. (2) Methods: The experiment was performed within three houses on a broiler chicken farm located in Romania. House 1 was the experimental group and received a diet with an addition of A. annua. Houses 2 and 4 were the control groups and received anticoccidials. The prophylactic efficacy of A. annua against coccidiosis was evaluated by recording the weight gain, feed conversion rate, number of oocysts per gram of feces, lesion score, and mortality rate. (3) Results: The chickens fed with A. annua showed a decreasing trend in the number of oocysts per gram of faeces, and their lesion score was 80% lower than in the control group. The weight gains of the chickens treated with A. annua was lower, whilst the feed conversion rate was better than in controls. (4) Conclusions: Artemisia annua showed promising results in the prophylaxis of coccidiosis. Overall, the broiler chickens that received A. annua presented promising zootechnical performances and medical data related to coccidiosis and gut microbiota.

Identifying regional variations and agronomical records can turn into a function of magnitude and timing for sustainable maize production. The crop characteristics are directly related with the temperature and precipitation from the growing season. Therefore, the main aim of this study was to highlight maize crop requirements from the most suggestive records from Romania. A literature search was performed based on keywords related to both maize crop and agrometeorological requirements. After the evaluation of the temperature requirements on maize phenology’s principal stages, some inconsistencies were identified. These are related to the leaf development stage and the development of the fruit stage, where the minimum temperature interval overlaps with the optimum. A wide variety of assessments were also made, taking into account mainly the monthly temperature and precipitation requirements. The number of principal growth stages assessed differed greatly from one source to another. The growth degree days has been incoherently expressed and calculated, and these details must be taken into account for developing further models. The results regarding phenology aim to propose the setting up of comparable records at a regional (PannEx area) and global scale. This review will help to develop new climate projections in Romania in the climate change context through the project Agroclim.

Increasing interest in medicinal plants encourages the growers to consider extending their range of cultivated species. Acclimatization and adaptation of species introduced for cultivation in new areas remain a challenge of modern agriculture. One of the first steps for optimizing the cultivation technology is determining the plant phenology in the local conditions. Therefore, the aim of this research was to provide a standardized phenology scale for Agastache sp. and to apply it in assessing the suitability for cultivation in a local environment of some valuable Agastache species: Agastache scrophulariifolia, Agastache rugosa, Agastache mexicana, Agastache foeniculum and Agastache rugosa ‘After Eight’. During the vegetation period, nine growth stages were identified: germination/emergence, leaf development, formation of side shoots, stem elongation, inflorescence emergence, flowering, fruit development, fruit maturity, senescence and beginning of resting. Observations conducted over two years revealed that the vegetation period increased from 168.8 ± 3.51 days in the first year to 199.0 ± 1.82 days in the second year. In both vegetation periods, the flowering phenophase predominated, but the abundance of precipitations shortened the flowering duration in the second year. The duration of phenophases was highly influenced by growing degree days. Phenological assessment based on a standardized scale can be a useful tool for evaluating cultivation potential and the planning of technological resources.