Environmental protection, global food security, and nutritional quality are critical issues for worldwide sustainable development. Plums (Prunus domestica L.), well-known for their rich nutritional content and distinct phytochemical profile, have received increased attention due to their potential health benefits. The present study evaluates the ecological and conventional management systems of quality parameters in three plum varieties—Tuleu Gras, Record, and Centenar—and establishes suitable practices to improve fruit quality and yields. The fruit morphometric features (color, firmness, soluble solid content, titratable acidity, and total sugar) were analyzed during their raw fruit state, while different fruit-sample extracts were assessed for phytochemical compounds and heavy metal concentrations, specifically, zinc, copper, nickel, and cadmium. The results show a wide variability in the examined characteristics among management practices that differentially accumulated throughout the ripening phase and significantly influenced the nutritional value of the plum fruit. The application of an ecological management practice yielded small plum fruits (38 g) and maintained a more consistent and vigorous fruit color compared with the conventional system (83 g). Moreover, ecological plums have higher antioxidant activities, total polyphenols, and flavonoids (21.70–25.54 µM Trolox/g of dw, 3.89–7.76 mg GAE/ g of dw, and 1.45–3.65 mg CE/g of dw, respectively). Among the content of metals in the plum fruit, copper exhibited the highest concentrations (0.83–1.21 mg/kg), while cadmium was detected at the lowest levels (0.006–0.009 mg/kg). The potential health implications of heavy metals, by calculating their estimated daily intake (EDI), target hazard quotient (THQ), and hazard index (HI), for both adults and children were also analyzed. The EDI values of accumulated elements in the plum fruits followed the order of Cu > Zn > Ni > Cd with no concern for human health (THQ and HI < 1). According to this study’s findings, fruit quality parameters are significantly higher in ecological plums, providing a compelling argument for adopting sustainable agricultural practices. These results highlight the importance of selecting sustainable agricultural practices, not only to safeguard the environment but also to ensure high-quality products suitable for human consumption.

Soil health is essential for sustainable agriculture, influencing ecosystem health and orchard productivity of plum orchards. Global challenges such as climate change and soil contamination threaten to affect fertility and food security, requiring sustainable practices. The study assessed the effect of different orchard management practices on soil quality and nutrient distribution in Prunus domestica L. orchard located on the Moldavian Plateau in northeastern Romania under temperate humid subtropical climate conditions. Two systems were analyzed: conventional (herbicide-based) and conservative (cover crop-based). Soil samples (0–20 cm and 20–40 cm) were analyzed for soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (N_t), available phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). Results showed that conservative management improved soil health by increasing SOC nutrient cycling, mainly through organic matter inputs. Compared to 2022, the effectiveness of phosphorus in the conservative management system significantly increased (by 6%) in 2023, while potassium content decreased (by 30%), suggesting potential nutrient competition or insufficient replenishment under organic practices. SOC levels remained stable, supporting long-term carbon inputs. Conventional management maintained phosphorus and potassium but showed lower SOC levels and higher risks of soil fertility depletion. Strong correlations between SOC and nutrient indicators emphasize the critical role of organic inputs in nutrient mobilization. The findings indicate that cover crops are essential for sustainable soil management by enhancing carbon sequestration and nutrient cycling, thereby supporting the long-term sustainability of agricultural systems.

Excessive tillage and chemical fertilization are the primary attributes of conventional farming and the main causes of soil degradation. This research focused on the comparative study of two tillage systems: conventional (CT) and no-tillage (NT), as well as on the effect of chemical fertilizers and different Bacillus megaterium var. phosphaticum inoculum rates (75, 100 and 125%) on soil properties. This short-term experiment was conducted under field conditions in Northeastern Romania from 2023 to 2024. Soil dehydrogenase, catalase, acid, and alkaline phosphatase activities, pH, organic carbon content (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus, and available phosphorus (TP and AP) were determined. Bacillus treatments generally inhibited soil enzyme activity by 0.35 to 57%, depending on the enzyme type. Under NT, activity increased by up to 59% for dehydrogenase, 43% for acid phosphatase, and 70% for alkaline phosphatase compared to the CT system. An opposite trend was found for catalase, along with a negative correlation with the other enzymes. There were positive differences in TP concentration at 125% Ecofertil + N in both CT (0.0577 ppm) and NT (0.0578 ppm) in 2023 compared to the control (0.0346–0.0374 ppm). In the same year, after the first inoculation, AP increased significantly with bacterial treatments in CT, from 32.34% (T0) to 47.94% (T4), and at crop harvest in NT in 2024, from 34.18% (T0) to 91.06% (T3). The results suggest that enzymatic activities and soil chemical properties were more influenced by soil management than the interaction between inoculated bacteria and chemical fertilizers.

Tillage practices regulate soil health by influencing soil’s physico-chemical qualities and its capacity to sequester organic carbon. Maintaining soil health contributes to ecosystem stability and fluidity in the soil–plant–atmosphere relationship. This study aimed to evaluate soil porosity (SP), aeration limit (SAL), soil capillary capacity (SCC), soil total capacity (STC), soil temperature (Ts), air temperature (Ta), nutrient availability, soil organic carbon (SOC), and soil organic matter (SOM) under three different tillage systems: no-tillage (NT), minimum tillage (MT), and conventional tillage (CT), based on a short-term field experiment. This research was conducted on Cambic Chernozem soil using a randomized complete block design with three replications. The results revealed a significant effect of tillage systems on all evaluated properties. SP reached a higher value under MT (60.01%), NT (56.74%) and CT (53.58%), respectively. This observation is similar with regard to SAL, SCC, and STC. It might be due to the reduced soil disturbance characteristics of conservation systems, thereby maintaining the soil’s natural state. There is a positive regression between these two properties across all three systems, with the highest R² = 0.8308 observed under MT. The highest carbon stocks were recorded in NT (2.82%) and MT (2.91%) compared to 2.01% in CT at surface depths of 0–5 and 5–10 cm. This can be explained by the accumulation of organic residues and a reduction in their oxidation. Nutrient availability (TN, P, and K) increased at depths of 0–5 cm and 5–10 cm, with the highest values in conservation systems. Furthermore, the results demonstrate a significant relationship and positive synergy between soil depth, tillage practices, and key physical and chemical soil properties, especially carbon stock, across the two cropping seasons.

Fruit quality is crucial for nutrition and human health and requires emergent cautions in contemporary agricultural techniques. Ecological farming might not be as successful as conventional management systems; however, it may yield superior quality fruits due to reduced protection treatments. This research aimed to investigate the influence of ecological and conventional farming practices on the physicochemical properties (fruit color, weight, firmness, titratable acidity, total sugar, vitamin C), antioxidant activities, bioactive compounds (total polyphenols, anthocyanin and flavonoids), macroelements composition (N, P, K), and heavy metal concentration (Zn, Cd, Pb and Cu) of the Centenar plum variety soil system under the environmental conditions of Romania. The analysis revealed that ecological farming practice increased the total polyphenol content (3.26–4.52 mg GAE/g of dw) and antioxidant activity (19.53–21.70 µm Trolox/g of dw); however, ecological farming practice supported healthy soils and maintained or built soil organic carbon more substantially (56.68 Mg C ha⁻¹). Moreover, more consistent and vigorous fruit colors were provided by ecological farming practices where small fruits (41 g) were obtained compared to conventional farming (44 g). Among the metal content in plum fruit, Cu had the highest level (0.74–1.07 mg kg⁻¹), while Cd had the lowest (0.003–0.007 mg kg⁻¹). The potential health risk of heavy metals accumulation in orchard soils and their transfer in fruit (MTF) was also analyzed. Total carcinogenic risk (TCR) values for all metals were less than 1 (≤1), which is considered to be a safe level with no concern for human health. These results show that plum fruits under ecological farming received improved nutritional values and correspond to sustainable food production through limiting resource competition.

This study explored the link between orchard-derived cherry quality and circular food innovation through the valorization of dried cherry pomace. Sweet cherry fruits from the cultivars Van and Stella, grown under the pedoclimatic conditions of north-eastern Romania, were evaluated for physicochemical traits, phytochemical profile, antioxidant activity, and heavy metal content. In parallel, cherry pomace obtained during juice processing of cultivar Van was freeze-dried, characterized, and incorporated into dairy-based spreadable formulations at 5% and 10% addition levels in order to assess its bioactive potential. The results showed clear cultivar-dependent differences, with Van exhibiting a superior bioactive profile, including higher total polyphenols, flavonoids, anthocyanins, and antioxidant activity than Stella. Heavy metal concentrations in fruits remained below the maximum allowable limits, while health-risk indices indicated no significant non-carcinogenic risk (HI = 3.18 × 10⁻²). The dried cherry pomace powder was characterized by high dietary fiber content (49.83 g/100 g dw), substantial total polyphenols (1046.80 mg GAE/100 g dw), anthocyanins (123.27 mg C3G/100 g dw), and antioxidant activity (21.43 μM TE/g dw). Its incorporation into dairy-based spreadable products significantly improved ash, carbohydrate, fiber, phytochemical content, and antioxidant activity, with the 10% level showing the highest functional enhancement. Sensory evaluation indicated that the 5% formulation achieved the most balanced and preferred overall sensory profile. Overall, the findings support dried cherry pomace as a valuable functional ingredient and highlight a practical circular strategy for reconnecting cherry by-products with value-added food applications.