Worldwide pesticides are used by farmers for growing more food on less land by protecting crops from pests, diseases and weeds as well as raising productivity per hectare. Also, pesticides enable farmers to produce safe, quality foods at affordable prices. Therefore, the market for agricultural pesticides is anticipated to rise by $ 26.23 billion between 2021 and 2025. Pesticide residues can be discovered in a wide range of common foods and drinks, such as prepared meals, water, wine, fruit juices, snacks, and animal feeds. Furthermore, it should be noticed that chemical pesticides have been linked to a variety of detrimental health consequences, including impacts on the skin, gastrointestinal system, nervous system, respiratory system, reproductive system, and endocrine system. The current review was carried out using an objective mixture of primary and secondary information, including inputs from key participants in pesticides industry. Also, it aims at highlighting the urgent need for a new concept in agriculture involving a drastic reduction in the use of chemical pesticides, driving the market to bio-based pesticides.

The study of the relationship between the crop plant and the technological measures is very important for establishing the best management to increase the yield, to preserve water in the soil and to reduce weed pressure. This article emphasizes the influence of tillage systems: conventional tillage (CT), minimum tillage (MT) and no-tillage (NT) on soil moisture, weed control and maize yield over three years (2020-2022) on a chernozem soil type at NARDI Fundulea, Romania. Determinations of soil moisture contributed to the climatic characterization of the agricultural year and supplied yearly reference data. In 2022, very low soil moisture values were recorded, being differentiated by the tillage system, leading to a minimum value of only 15.0% (517.5 m3 ha-1 ) for the CT system with spring plowing, a maximum of 19.4% (640.2 m3 ha-1 ) in the NT system and intermediate values in the MT system with 15.8% (564.9 m 3 ha-1 ) for chisel variant. The structure of the weeds present in the maize crop was 36% monocotyledonous and 64% dicotyledonous. The best weeds management does not involve their eradication, but keeping them under economic threshold using technological measures, such as soil tillage systems. Statistical analyzes showed significant effects of all soil tillage on maize yield and of their interactions with other technological measures. The three-year average results showed that the highest yields were recorded with MT (4.51 t ha-1 ), while the averages for CT and NT were lower (4.81 t ha-1 and, respectively, 3.38 t ha-1 ). The application of technological measures in accordance with the climate forecast led to an increase in the chances that maize crop will go well through the vegetation period and give high and stable yields.

In Romania, the field weed species Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop. is native. In the last decade, the creeping thistle has become increasingly difficult to control due to agricultural systems based on monoculture and minimal or no tillage. The invasive nature of the species and its resistance to current herbicides make it increasingly difficult to control, especially in organic farms. Therefore, there is currently great interest in controlling the species with the help of biological agents. This review is based on extensive documentation on the use of fungal biological agents in the control of the creeping thistle. The studies reviewed show that there is interest in biological control, particularly in organic farming. Ten fungal biological agents with the potential to initiate infections in the creeping thistle are currently being investigated. The fungi tested are Puccinia punctiformis, Phomopsis cirsii, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Alternaria cirsinoxia, Phoma destructiva, Phoma exiqua, Stagonospora cirsii, Septoria cirsii, Phyllosticta cirsii and Fusarium sp. Of these, only Puccinia punctiformis, Phomopsis cirsii and Septoria cirsii have high and very high specificity for creeping thistle. The fungus Puccinia punctiformis stands out by the highest specificity and can be successfully used in the biological control of Cirsium arvense. However, the mass production of spores is tricky because there are no methods to cultivate this biotrophic fungus. Studies published between 2013 and 2024 show the high potential of Puccinia punctiformis to initiate infections that destroy or reduce the density of the creeping thistle in agricultural crops.

The wheat grains can be infected in the favourable years by fungi that are producing the disease named black point. The conditions from the climatic year 2019 in western Romania have favoured this disease, a great rateof the grains being infected. Thus, the quality of the cereals in the year 2019 was highly decreased due to the fungal infections from the genus Fusariumconnected with Alternaria. The mentioned fungi are very dangerous for the health because they are producing mycotoxins. The purpose of this research was to identify the fungi associated with black pointin four wheat varieties cultivated in near Timișoara and the setting of the frequency of the diseased grains. The analysed varieties were Exotic, Rubisco,Glosa și Lovrin 6x. The identification of the fungi implied in the black point disease was realised by laboratory analyses that were consisted in the placing of the previously sterilised wheat grains on the culture medium of agar. The samples prepared in this way were incubated at a temperature of 24 oC for 18 days. There were collected data by visual and microscopy observations at two intervals of time. Identification of the fungal growth on the grains affected by black point was done at the microscope. There were evidenced fungi from the genera Alternaria and Fusarium.The higher black point frequencies were registered in the varieties Glosa (13.51%) and Exotic (10%). In the variety Lovrin 6x, the frequency of the black point diseased grains was 9.03%. The lowest black point frequency was registered in the variety Rubisco (6.10%). The great fungal contamination rate was comprised between 88.23% inthe variety Rubisco and 100% in the variety Lovrin 6x. The wheat grains were contaminated in a high rate with the fungus Fusarium graminearumin the climatic conditions of the year 2019 that was favourable for the infection.