The efficiency of hybridization for increasing useful variability in strawberries breeding depends mainly on the value as genitor and the genetic structure of the parents. The objective of this research was to estimate the combining ability and gene effects for yield, fruits number/plant, fruit weight, pulp firmness and sugar content of the fruits, in order to identify the best genitors and promising crosses, in 30 hybrids belonging to six parents. Combining ability was estimated using ‘Method 1, model I’ developed by Griffing. Considering the significance of general, specific combining ability and reciprocal effects, it was found that the additive and nonadditive gene action as well as the maternal effects were involved in the inheritance of the studied traits. Also, the additive gene action was more consistent than the non-additive for all traits, especially for fruit weight and plant yield. The varieties ‘A1’ and ‘Alba’ showed a higher concentration of favorable alleles for plant yield and fruits number, and they will allow the increase of plant yield when used as a male and of fruit number when used as a female genitor. The variety ‘Marmolada’ was a good general combiner for sugar content, pulp firmness and fruit weight, with a significant effect when was used as a female genitor. These parents could be used in hybridization in order to accelerate the genetic improvement of yield and quality traits in strawberry. The promising cross ‘Mira’ × ‘Onda’ expressed desirable specific combining ability effects for yield traits and can be exploited in strawberry breeding programs. This abstract was accepted to be presented at the conference entitled “ 40 Years of Horticulture Education in Cluj-Napoca ” Cluj-Napoca, September 27, 2017, being included in ‘Book of Abstracts’ of this special-anniversary event ( http://conference.shst.ro ). All accepted papers will be published in a special issue of Notulae Botanicae Horti Agrobotanici Cluj-Napoca journal.

Tomato landraces are still cultivated for local use and consumption in many regions of the world. They frequently have distinctive organoleptic traits and nutritional value. Landraces are highly heterogeneous as they were systemically selected for their performance in adverse agricultural environments The objectives of this work was to assess a set of 15 Romanian tomato landraces collected from Timis County, regarding the yield components, in order to identify some genotypes which might be used in breeding programs. According with the results of this study we can say that there is a considerable variability between landraces regarding the plant yield and its components, which can be harnessed in tomato breeding programs. Some of the landraces like Gradinari, Livezile 498, Periam 48, Sanmartinu S. 180b, with high yield potential could be selected for further research and utilization. Also, in order to a more effective capitalization of the harvest, are worthy of being taken into account the following landraces: Pordeanu 18, Crai Nou 26 and Tarnova 360 who showed a very good precocity.

The main objective of the present study is establishing the chemical composition and minimum concentration of essential oil (EO) extracted from Thymus vulgaris L., T. serpyllum L., and Satureja montana L., which induce the mycelial growth inhibition of Verticillium dahliae and Penicillium aurantiogriseum fungi. In vitro testing on CYGA (chloramphenicol-yeast-glucose-agar) medium, with additional oil at 0.25, 0.5, 1, 5, 10 and 15 mg/L concentrations and inoculated with harvested plugs from a young mycelium, pointed out a different reaction of the fungus depending on the oil types and concetrations used. The minimum concentration that ensure inhibiting of mycelial growth for V dahliae with significant differences compared to control is 0.25 mg/L for all types of EO. P aurantiogriseum proved sensitivity at 0.25 mg/L for T vulgaris, and S. montana EOs and 0.5 mg/L for T. serpyllum EO.

Numerous studies concerning the use of sludge were done on the nutritional properties of their in order to increasing production, only some studies have been done in our country in terms of ecological impact on soil microbial composition, richness or diversity. The main objective of our research was to assessment the impact of activated sludge on soil microflora and monitoring the presence of pathogenic bacteria with a high risk of contamination for human and animals in case of two cultures of forage crops Dactylis glomerata, and Medicago sativa. For this reason we initiated a field experience in spring of 2012 on Chernozem soil type from SDE Timisoara. The field experience ordered in Latin rectangle model assessed the impact of sludge applied in three doses respectively 15, 20 si 40 tones•ha-1 on. The microbial assays involved estimation of bacteria number, actinomycetes and fungi, and in the second weeks were analyzed the richness of pathogenic bacteria like total number of enterococcus bacteria, coliform bacteria and Escherichia coli. The results show that there are different answers regarding the number of edaphic microorganisms for the treatment administered. So, the larger difference compared with the control was recorded for bacteria number from soil under D. glomerata grass culture for dose of 40 t / ha sludge. In case of fungi the largest number were determined for 15 t ha sludge on soil under D. glomerata grass, and M. sativa culture also. But it was noted that increasing the quantities of sludge applied both to D. glomerata and M. sativa, determine decreases of the number of fungi in soil. After 2 weeks from sludge application did not find any presence of biological contaminants as fecal pollution indicators like Escherichia coli. A higher persistence showed enterococcus bacteria. In conclusion application of wastewater sludge causes temporary changes in the structure and composition of the soil microbial community for a period of time determined by the crop plant and weather. It seems that a drought period installed after applying the sludge has determined a fastest elimination of the pathogenic bacteria.

A greenhouse experiment was conducted with different types of composts in order to investigate the effect of composts on fruit quality characteristics of tomato (Lycopersicum esculentum L.) commercial F1 Hybrid (cv. Danubius). The tomato fruit quality was estimated by assessing some quality parameters as: dry matter, titratable acidity, ascorbic acid, antioxidants and lycopene. The experiments were carried out in a research greenhouse of Plant physiology department Faculty of horticulture and forestry from Timisoara. We used three mature composts prepared from: dry wheat straw, chicken manure, grass lawn, sawdust, green leaves and cow manure, in different ratios, composted during eight months in boxes (B) and plastic bags (S). Fruits were analysed for: dry matter content (%), antioxidant activity by Ferric Reducing Ability of Plasma FRAP (μM Trolox/g fresh matter), ascorbic acid (mg/100g fresh matter), acidity (%), lycopene (μg/g.f.w.). Dry matter presented values between 4.62% and 8.74%, with an amplitude of variation of 4.12%, due to a variability among variants of 22.36%. The titratable acidity showed a variation amplitude of 2.5 associated with a medium variability between combinations of 16.03%, with limits ranging from 3.20 and 5.70. At the combinations of different variations and substrates, the antioxidant activity showed values between 42.90 and 84.49 μM Trolox/g. Lycopene content showed an amplitude of variation of 346.91 μg/g, combined with a very high variability between combinations of 49.98%, with limits ranging from 42.35 and 389.26 μg/g. Between the most of the assessed characteristics, there are linear relationships that allow an accurate estimation of the mutual influence, according to analysis of variance and covariance. Correlation study indicates the existence of positive and statistically assured influences between fruit acidity and FRAP, respectively lycopene.