Soil pesticide contamination induced by modern agriculture has become a serious global issue. Its uncontrolled and inefficient application is among the main reasons for their enrichment in plants and animals subsequently transferred to humans and providing a public health risk. Biochar as a renewable and economical carbonaceous material provides a natural solution for immobilizing pesticides and improving soil health. The biochar impact in agricultural contaminated soil is governed by various factors such as the physico-chemical properties of biochar, pyrolysis, soil conditions, and the application method, which can lead to significant gaps in the removal or mitigation of toxic substances. The current study summarizes the negative effects of pesticide use and the advantages of biochar according to other remediation techniques, succeeded by the mechanism and controlling factors on minimizing pesticide leaching and bioavailability in soil. In addition, the role of biochar on fundamental processes of adsorption, desorption, biodegradation, and leaching is discussed. Ultimately, the major future research regulation and key strategies that are fundamental for pesticide-contaminated soil remediation are proposed.

In light of the growing plastic waste problem worldwide, including in agriculture, this study focuses on the usefulness of both conventional, non-degradable plastics and environmentally friendly bioplastics in the agricultural sector. Although conventional plastic products are still essential in modern, even ecological agriculture, the increasing contamination by these materials, especially in a fragmented form, highlights the urgent need to search for alternative, easily biodegradable materials that could replace the non-degradable ones. According to the literature, polymers are widely used in agriculture for the preparation of agrochemicals (mostly fertilizers) with prolonged release. They also play a role as functional polymers against pests, serve as very useful super absorbents of water to improve crop health under drought conditions, and are commonly used as mulching films, membranes, mats, non-woven fabrics, protective nets, seed coatings, agrochemical packaging, or greenhouse coverings. This widespread application leads to the uncontrolled contamination of soil with disintegrated polymeric materials. Therefore, this study highlights the possible applications of bio-based materials as alternatives to conventional polyolefins or other environmentally persistent polymers. Bio-based polymers align with the strategy of innovative agricultural advancements, leading to more productive farming by reducing plastic contamination and adverse ecotoxicological impacts on aquatic and terrestrial organisms. On the other hand, advanced polymer membranes act as catching agents for agrochemicals, protecting against environmental intoxication. The global versatility of polymer applications in agriculture will not permit the elimination of already existing technologies involving polymers in the near future. However, in line with ecological trends in modern agriculture, more “green” polymers should be employed in this sector. Moreover, we highlight that more comprehensive legislative work on these aspects should be undertaken at the European Union level to guarantee environmental and climate protection. From the EU legislation point of view, the implementation of a unified, legally binding system on applications of bio-based, biodegradable, and compostable plastics should be a priority to be addressed. In this respect, the EU already demonstrates an initial action plan. Unfortunately, these are still projected directions for future EU policy, which require in-depth analysis.

The study in this paper presents a new material that was produced as a thin film by the Pulsed Laser Deposition technique (PLD) using a 532 nm wavelength and 150 mJ/pulse laser beam on the hemp stalk as target. The analyses performed by spectroscopic techniques (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy—FTIR, Laser—Induced Fluorescence Spectroscopy—LIF, Scanning Electron Microscopy coupled with Energy Dispersive X-ray—SEM-EDX, Atomic Force Microscopy—AFM and optical microscope) evidenced that a biocomposite consisting of lignin, cellulose, hemicellulose, waxes, sugars and phenolyc acids p-coumaric and ferulic, similar to the hemp stalk target was obtained. Nanostructures and aggregated nanostructures of 100 nm to 1.5 μm size were evidenced. Good mechanical strength and its adherence to the substrate were also noticed. It was noticed that the content in calcium and magnesium increased compared to that of the target from 1.5% to 2.2% and from 0.2% to 1.2%, respectively. The COMSOL numerical simulation provided information on the thermal conditions that explain phenomena and processes during laser ablation such as C-C pyrolisis and enhanced deposition of calcium in the lignin polymer matrix. The good gas and water sorption properties due to the free OH groups and to the microporous structure of the new biocomposite components recommends it for studies for functional applications in medicine for drug delivery devices, filters in dialysis and for gas and liquid sensors. Functional applications in solar cells windows are also possible due to the conjugated structures of the contained polymers.

The greatest challenge for Romania’s food industry is to achieve technical and economic parity with the rest of Europe. Therefore, businesses require productive employees, and labor productivity depends on employee satisfaction. This study’s primary objective was to investigate employee satisfaction in the bakery industry in order to enhance economic performance. This topic is rarely researched, but it is necessary to enhance the economic performance and work processes of this industry. A combination of quantitative and qualitative research methods were used, including an online questionnaire survey of 254 employees and a focus group meeting with 17 managers from 60 companies in the Northeast and Southeast regions of Romania. Total pay (5.3 points on a 1–7-point scale), amount of work (4.9 points), and number of working hours (4.8 points) were the top motivators. The average weighted value for job satisfaction on a scale of 100 points was 27.4 points. The relationship between labor costs and employee satisfaction was strong. Low levels of satisfaction are costlier for employers than high levels of satisfaction. The originality of this study lies in its determination of how strongly employees perceive each aspect of job satisfaction and its correlation to the economic performance of companies.

Industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) is a multifunctional crop that can be processed to obtain many different products like food, feed, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, recyclable and compostable biomaterials, energy, while having a positive effect on the environment. As the world market for industrial hemp seeds and oil is on rise, research has been carried out in the climatic conditions of Central Moldova in order to obtain a new genotype of monoecious hemp in accordance with the requirements of the European market and beyond. Olivia is a new monoecious hemp variety for seed, created at Agricultural Research and Development Station Secuieni Neamț, being homologated in 2020. It was patented in 2021 and is registered in the Official European Catalog of Varieties. It was obtained by repeated hybridization (dioecious form Chi65 - female partner and monoecious form Z59 - male partner), isolation in space and repeated selection. This new variety is characterized by stems with a length of 2.6-3.2 m. The yield is of 9.5-11.0 tha-1 of stems and 1600-2000 kg ha-1of seed.

Wild-growing plant species are sustainable, cost-effective and underexploited sources for bioactive compounds with great nutraceutical potential. In this work, we analysed the fruits of several wild plant species: Sambucus nigra L., Rubia tinctorum L., Phytolacca americana L. and Sambucus ebulus L. Liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry revealed diverse concentrations of phenolic acids, with the highest values observed for rutoside (22.183 µg mL⁻¹) and isoquercitrin (11.663 µg mL⁻¹) in S. nigra L., chlorogenic acid (7.422 µg mL⁻¹) in R. tinctorum L., caftaric acid (4.942 µg mL⁻¹) in P. americana L., and quercitrin (1.380 µg mL⁻¹) and 4-O-caffeoylquinic acid (1.196 µg mL⁻¹) in S. ebulus L. The spectrophotometric analysis showed that S. nigra L. had the highest concentration of total phenols (14.21 mg GAE g⁻¹ FW) and the highest flavonoid content (8.07 mg QE g⁻¹ FW). The lowest values were recorded for R. tinctorum L. (total phenols) and P. americana L. (flavonoids). The antioxidant activity was generally high, with the lowest value of 76.08% for S. nigra L. and over 90% for all other species, peaking at 93.25% for P. americana L. The Trolox Equivalent Antioxidant Capacity (TEAC) assay showed a similar pattern. S. ebulus L. and R. tinctorum L. exhibited the highest carbohydrate content and protein solubility, respectively. P. americana L. fruits had the highest ascorbic acid concentration, 0.136 mg g⁻¹ FW. These results highlight the remarkable nutraceutical potential of certain wild fruits, identifying them as rich and cost-effective sources of bioactive compounds, particularly antioxidants, with promising perspectives for future studies on their therapeutic potential.