Mining activities for mineral resources over the years have resulted in major soil damage. Due the removal process of desired mineral materials, soil textures have been destroyed, various nutrient cycles have been disturbed, and microbial communities have been altered, affecting vegetation and leading to the destruction of wide areas of land in many countries. Therefore, soil restoration of abandoned mining lands became a very important part of sustainable development strategies and also prescribed by law in several countries. The main aims of this study were to develop an ecological land restoration strategy to the degraded lands due former kaolin, quartz sand, and iron mining located in Aghireșu and Căpușu Mare in Cluj County, in the Northwestern part of Transylvania from Romania and monitor soil quality changes over 40 years. To assess the effectiveness of soil reclamation of mine lands, 30 soil profiles were examined and 450 soil samples were collected from three depths (0–20 cm, 20–50 cm, and 50–80 cm) and subjected to physical and chemical analyses, and compared for their sustainable and beneficial use. All the proposed plant covers (natural grassland, pasture cover, black locust, Norway spruce, and scots pine) significantly improved the overall soil quality with the increasing years of reclamation following various patterns. Pasture cover most significantly enhanced the soil’s microbial activity, organic carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium content followed by natural grassland. The results of this study show that considerable changes in soil quality was reached by revegetation of these abandoned mine lands restoring their ecological integrity and self-sustainability.

The Someș Corridor, located in the central Transylvanian region of Romania, is a territory characterised by favourable conditions for habitation and land use with agricultural purposes, offering suitable premises for the development of the settlements and the economic activities taking place in the area. This study aims to identify the parcels of land from outside the built-up area, which can be used as arable land, this particular use being pursued due to the favourability induced by the pedological resources, the morphometrical characteristics of the Someș floodplain and, last but not least, the climatic conditions. GIS technology has been used, enabling the management of the databases representing soil, topography and climatic factors, and thus obtaining the classification of all land parcels using favourability classes for agricultural land use. In order to perform a correct favourability classification, the degree of soil pollution and groundwater pollution have been analysed, using chemical tests of water and soil profiles taken in the area of former abandoned industrial platforms, which are intended to be reintroduced in the local economic use. The highest degree of soil pollution with ammonium and sulphates has been identified in the industrial park from Dej city, on the territory of the former industrial platform of the paper factory, this pollution modifying the quality scores of arable land use, despite the fulfilment of favourable climatic and topographic conditions.

The aim of this research was to investigate the influence of an electric field and gamma radiation upon the germination of spruce seeds. In order to carry out the research, spruce seeds from different provenances have been subjected to different treatments: electric field (EF) with 10 V, 30 V, and 50 V voltages and intensity of E = 266V/m, exposure time of 15 and 35 min, and gamma (G) radiation with several treatments (1 Gy-31 min, 1.5 Gy-46 min, 2 Gy-62 min, and 6 Gy-186 min). Under the influence of EF, the best results upon seed germination (80.83%) were recorded when seeds were treated with 30 V for 15 min, for all provenances investigated. Regarding gamma radiation, the highest germination percentage (87.50%) was achieved in T5_G when seeds were subjected to 6 Gy for 186 min. It was also considered the interaction between seeds origin and the different EF and G treatments applied to the seeds to induce germination and further seedlings’ development. The results obtained after seeds were exposed to gamma radiation came out on top compared to electric field treatments, both for the germination and seedlings’ height.

The growing demand for nutritious foods has spurred investigations into alternative sources of nutrition beyond traditional options. For this reason, the present study approaches amaranth, which is a plant with high nutritional potential. Based on the unique pedoclimatic conditions of the Somes meadow in Transylvania and the known adaptability of amaranth varieties to diverse environments, we hypothesize that certain amaranth varieties of South American origin will demonstrate their potential for morphological development, grain biomass yield, and quantitative characteristics when cultivated in this specific environment. Our study aims to identify if, based on morpho-productive traits, the six amaranth varieties under investigation in a specific environment are suitable for consumption as functional food. A bifactorial trial was implemented with the following factors: amaranth species and amaranth varieties. Two species and seven varieties of amaranth were studied. Differences are reported between morpho-productive and quantitative traits of the seven amaranth varieties studied in this research. The Pearson simple correlations show that morphological traits moderately contribute to grain fresh biomass yield, while morphological traits and fresh biomass strongly contributed to grains dry biomass yield. Our study shows that while current research offers valuable perspectives on the performance and nutritional composition of amaranth varieties studied, there are recommended more studies conducted across diverse environments.

Paulownia trees represent a convergence of ecological innovation and economic opportunity. Beyond their extraordinary growth rates, adaptability to diverse climates, and capacity to produce high-value timber, Paulownia farms offer a unique solution to pressing environmental and economic challenges. However, economic sustainability is the most crucial factor for any farmer when deciding to introduce this species. Therefore, the current study aimed to evaluate the profitability of seven existing Paulownia farms in Romania. The economic analysis has been carried out by adopting the discounted cash flow method. The results showed that the cultivation of Paulownia for both timber and woodchip production as a dual production system with an annual gross margin between 27 and 55% can present a viable alternative as compared to other agricultural crops. However, profitability highly depends on the selection of plant species according to the environmental conditions and agricultural practices applied, as well as demand and market price variations.

The growing demand for nutritious foods has spurred investigations into alternative sources of nutrition beyond traditional options. For this reason, the present study approaches the amaranth, which is a plant with high potential, highlighting the morphological growth, grain biomass pro-duction, and quantitative traits of seven varieties of amaranth cultivated in the pedoclimatic con-ditions of Somes meadow in Transylvania. A bifactorial trial was implemented with factors ama-ranth species and amaranth varieties. Two amaranth species and seven varieties were studied. Differences are reported between morpho-productive and quantitative traits of the seven amaranth varieties studied in this research. The interrelationships between amaranth morphological traits quantified by using Pearson simple correlations show that morphological traits moderately con-tribute to grain fresh biomass yield, while morphological traits and fresh biomass strongly con-tributed to grains dry biomass yield. Our study shows that morpho-productive, and nutritional characteristics of the seven amaranth varieties comprised by our study recommend the plans to be used in various nutritional aims, being a valuable replacer of traditional raw materials in specific food and feed industry sectors.