Maize is one of the most important agricultural crops worldwide, due to its high production potential and the multiple uses of its products. In the context of the need to maintain high yields and preserve soil fertility, the use of green manures together with mineral fertilizers can represent a sustainable solution. For this purpose, during the period 2024–2025, at the Turda Agricultural Research and Development Station (Cluj, Romania), a field experiment was carried out to evaluate the effect of two cover crops used as green manures, white lupin (Lupinus albus) and phacelia (Phacelia sp.), on the Turda 344 maize hybrid. Within each agrofund (classical, after lupin, and after phacelia), five fertilization variants were tested, consisting of basic fertilization and the supplementary application of mineral fertilizers and biostimulants. The results highlighted the major influence of climatic conditions on yield and grain quality, with the experimental year having a significant effect on the main parameters analyzed. In 2024, under basic fertilization, lupin and phacelia increased grain yield by 8.0% and 1.4%, respectively, compared with the classic agrofund, while in 2025, phacelia maintained a yield advantage of 1.4%. The highest yields were obtained in 2025, when climatic conditions were more favorable, and additional fertilization with ammonium nitrate determined the highest values, reaching 9748 kg/ha in the phacelia agrofund (+6.3% compared with the basic fertilization), 9544 kg/ha in the lupine agrofund (+7.2%), and 9612 kg/ha in the classical agrofund (+6.3%). Additional nitrogen application also led to the highest values of thousand kernel weight, highlighting the essential role of nitrogen in the grain filling process. Grain quality analysis showed that variations in starch and protein content had an inverse evolution between the two experimental years, suggesting the influence of climatic conditions and nitrogen availability on grain composition.

This study explores the effects of applying agri-environmental measures and digitalization on cereal farms in Dunărea de Jos Basin, Romania. Through structured interviews with 40 wheat producers, complemented by field observations and data analysis, effects are identified in highlighting planning, data evaluation and approximation to European environmental requirements. Wheat productivity and input efficiency are investigated in partially technologically advanced farms compared to poorly technologically advanced farms. Regression is used in the relationship between average wheat production and the main agricultural inputs. The results show statistically significant correlations, supported by coefficients (R² > 0.45). In partially mechanized farms, wheat production is influenced by the use of plant protection products (R² = 0.943), demonstrating high technological consistency and improved efficiency of phytosanitary applications. In farms not using Geofolia, the application of NPK fertilizers appears as the dominant factor of productivity (R² = 0.968), indicating that chemical fertilization compensates for limited mechanization and restricted access to technological operations. Digitalization of farms contributes to the optimization of resources, reducing diesel consumption by 45% and developing overall efficiency by 34%, reducing the pressure on the environment by 30%. Technology can be responsible for increasing farm productivity and yield performance, while reducing resource intensity and environmental impact.

Grain sorghum is a cereal whose cultivation is increasingly common both in Romania and worldwide. Grain sorghum is recognized for having very good yields relative to unit area and crop establishment costs. In addition to the production of raw material represented by grains, grain sorghum offers the possibility of harvesting an important amount of biomass which can be used both for the purpose of feeding animals and for the purpose of energy production.Biomass production is closely dependent on the climatic conditions but also on the type of hybrid. Thus, the higher the phreatic intake, the higher the biomass production. This study was carried out in the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 agricultural years in the South-East of Romania, in Brăila County, an area that has faced in recent years with climatic difficulties that force the efficient utilization of the crops used. For the most efficient utilization of the grain sorghum crop, it is very important that the biomass production is superior to be used for energy purposes or as animal feed.