Published in Scientific Papers. Series "Management, Economic Engineering in Agriculture and rural development", Vol. 24 ISSUE 4
Written by Raluca-Aniela GHEORGHE-IRIMIA, Dana TĂPĂLOAGĂ, Cosmin ȘONEA, Paul-Rodian TĂPĂLOAGĂ, Silviu-Ionuț BEIA, Makki Khalaf Hussein AL DULAIMI, Alexandru USTUROI, Violeta Elena BEIA

The study analyses and forecasts organic egg production in Romania and the European Union (EU) from 2014 to 2030, emphasizing significant variations in scale, growth patterns, and market maturity. Data from EUROSTAT (2014–2022) were analyzed utilizing Excel forecasting tools, employing performance metrics including SMAPE, MASE, and RMSE to evaluate model accuracy. In this regard, the EU exhibited consistent growth, with egg production increasing to 4.7 billion by 2022 and anticipated to reach 7.25 billion by 2030. In contrast, Romania's production, although smaller in scale, experienced significant growth of over 250% during the same period and is projected to reach 85 million eggs by 2030. The findings highlight Romania's developing role in the organic sector, the variability of trends, and the potential for targeted interventions to improve its market position.

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Published in Scientific Papers. Series "Management, Economic Engineering in Agriculture and rural development", Vol. 24 ISSUE 4
Written by Mirela PÎRVU (FULGA), Nicoleta OLTENACU, Cătălin-Viorel OLTENACU, Cristiana Silvia BUZATU, Mihai GÂDEA

Due to the importance of the winter wheat crop, in ensuring the food needs of the population, and for increasing the average and total production, it is necessary to ensure a high economic efficiency of the use of energy in agriculture, by increasing the degree of mechanization in production processes, the development of irrigations, the substantial increase in the quantities of chemical fertilizers used, the creation of new varieties and hybrids that are more productive and of higher quality, increases direct and indirect energy consumption. In order for this share not to increase, given the substantial growth in agricultural production, it is necessary to apply a complex of measures that ensure, along with the increase in the economic efficiency of energy use, a minimum energy consumption per unit of product or per unit area. Conserving soil and preventing soil degradation has become imperative in our efforts to ensure food security, protect biodiversity and maintain healthy ecosystems. The purpose of establishing this experiment was to compare the results regarding the production achieved in the wheat crop, the expenses incurred, the incomes achieved and the profitability of the crop both in ecological and conventional systems. In the conventional system, the incomes were higher so, the yields were higher. The energy efficiency of the two culture systems analyzed was another aspect studied. For realize one unit of product it was consumed 0.108 kwh in conventional system while, in organic variant it was consumed 0.184 kwh, witch mean a better energetic efficiently for conventional one.

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Published in Scientific Papers. Series "Management, Economic Engineering in Agriculture and rural development", Vol. 24 ISSUE 4
Written by Ciprian BUZNA, Marinel Nicolae HORABLAGA, Andreea Lidia JURJESCU, Florin SALA

A collection of 45 sunflower genotypes (Express genotypes, N=21, T1 to T21; Clearfield genotypes, N = 24, T22 to T45) was studied based on the yield and agronomic traits of the seeds. The comparative crops were organized within ARDS Lovrin, in a non-irrigated system. In the case of the Express genotype group (EG), the mean yield value was YmEG = 2,245.56 kg ha^-1, the mean value for the hectoliter weight was HWmEG = 40.64 kg hl^-1, and the mean value for the weight of 1,000 seeds was TKWmEG = 63.71 g. Trial T8 was highlighted, which presented positive, statistically guaranteed differences for each parameter, Y = 989.73 kg ha^-1, (***), HW = 1.56 kg hl^-1 (**), respectively TKW = 7.89 g (***). In the case of the Clearfield genotype group (CG), the mean yield value was YmCG = 2,087.41 kg ha^-1, the mean value for the hectoliter weight was HWmCG = 40.10 kg hl^-1, and the mean value for the weight of 1,000 seeds was TKWmEG = 56.85 g. The T34 trial was highlighted, which presented positive differences, statistically assured (p<0.001, ***), for each parameter (Y = 545.64 kg ha^-1; HW = 2.90 kg hl^-1, and TKW = 8.75 g, respectively). The Express genotype group (EG) presented higher mean values compared to the Clearfield genotype group (CG), under statistical safety conditions for TKW (p0.001). Compared to the mean at the level of the experiment, genotypes with values above the mean were identified, under conditions of statistical safety. In the multivariate analysis, the main components (PC1, PC2) explained 81.966% of variance.

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Published in Scientific Papers. Series "Management, Economic Engineering in Agriculture and rural development", Vol. 24 ISSUE 4
Written by Enock Asante OSEI, Gordana KRANJAC-BERISAVLJEVIC, Thomas Apusiga ADONGO

While most commercial pineapple farms in Ghana cultivate under rainfed conditions, few supplement the rains with irrigation, which is a good agronomic practice. In this study, pineapple fruit yield and quality (brix and weight loss) were assessed in rainfed and irrigated fields in Ghana’s Coastal Savannah agroecological zone in 2022 production period at Bomarts Farms. Forty (40) matured pineapple fruits from a 50 × 50 m plot were sampled under drip and rainfed conditions each. Weight of fruits were in the range of 609 g and 1,524 g inclusively. The average least fruit weight for drip-irrigated and rainfed fields were 652 g and 609 g, respectively. The variation of fruits weight under both conditions was not significant (p-value = 0.815). Generally, the weight loss was high in fruits from irrigated (drip) fields during the storage period. The brix for drip-irrigated pineapple was lower (12.8°Bx, 15.6 0Bx and 19.8°Bx) than pineapple cultivated under rainfed conditions (13°Bx, 16°Bx, 21°Bx). Annual rainfall in the study area (840.7 mm) compared to requirement (1,000 mm) for pineapple plants poses a challenge to year-round production, and presents an opportunity for farmers to adopt good agronomic practices to sustain production in the coming years.

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Published in Scientific Papers. Series "Management, Economic Engineering in Agriculture and rural development", Vol. 24 ISSUE 4
Written by Nataliia PARKHOMENKO, Lucia VILCEKOVA, Peter STARCHON, Оleksandr MISHYN

The activation of globalization processes opens the access of agrarian business to world food markets. Taking into account the need to adapt to rapidly changing external markets, the justification of the system of strategic directions for the formation of competitiveness must meet the criteria of innovation, minimal riskiness, and maximum business efficiency, which allow increasing the competitive potential of agribusiness. The purpose of the research is to develop a methodological tool for developing a competitive positioning strategy for an agricultural enterprise in world food market. The research methods used are the process approach, expert and integral assessment methods, and the matrix method. The article analyzes the peculiarities and innovative aspects of the competitive positioning of agrarian business enterprises. As a result of the study, the characteristics of the main types of competitive positioning are determined. To obtain information about the indicators of the positioning of agricultural enterprises, a survey was conducted and the main indicators of competitive positioning in the agrarian business were identified. The matrix of competitive positioning strategies, taking into account the influence of the main indicators of competitiveness, was formed to select a competitive positioning strategy. The scientific novelty and originality of the research consists in identifying innovative aspects of competitive positioning for an agrarian business enterprise. The results of the study can be useful for the development of a strategy for positioning and marketing management of enterprises in the agricultural sector.

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Published in Scientific Papers. Series "Management, Economic Engineering in Agriculture and rural development", Vol. 24 ISSUE 4
Written by Damir NAĐ, Zorica SREDOJEVIĆ, Danilo GAZDIĆ

Walnut is recognized by consumers as a healthy food with rich nutritional characteristics, which is widely used in the food and pharmaceutical industry. The aim of the research in this paper is to analyze the trend in the production of walnut in the period 2013-2022 observing world and Serbia. In this period the calculated base and chain indexes show a positive growth trend of the demand in the world for walnuts in shell and shelled. Production in Serbia has a negative trend, although the characteristics of the soil and climate and the needs of the market lead to the conclusion that there are all the necessary conditions for the participation of the production of this fruit species to have a much larger share in the agricultural production of Serbia. With the increase in the state's role in supporting producers of this stone fruit, benefits would be multiple, from employment of the workforce and increase in exports, to environmental protection and prevention of soil erosion.

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Published in Scientific Papers. Series "Management, Economic Engineering in Agriculture and rural development", Vol. 24 ISSUE 4
Written by Anton SOTIROV, Anita STOEVA

Present study concerns one of the basic causes for cracking of sweet cherry fruits as a result of increased rainfall, and this amount is different for different soils. The study was done for the soils at the experimental orachard of the Institute of Agriculture – Kyustendil, Bulgaria, which are Chromic Luvisolssoils with acidity pH = 4.5-6.0. This soil is rich of the clay mineral montmorrilonite. As a result of extreme rainfalls the soil in the studied experimental field, the clay mineral montmorillonite starts to separate sodium Na, The area is rich also of chloritized slates which enriched the soil of chlorite Cl as the result is - salinization of the soil, enriching of NaCl.The amounts of precipitation needed for soil salinization, which causes damages - ckracking of cherry fruits. As a result of the present study, the critical amount of precipitations, causing damages – cracking on sweet cherry fruits is estimated on about 28 l/m². With these amounts of precipitation, a deterioration in the quality of the crop can be expected and even with forecast amounts of precipitation, it can be counteracted by adding of agricultural gypsum(the mineral gypsum) to the soil, according to the cited reference. In 2024, because of the high precipitations level, the salinity of the soil was very high in NaCl and this was the cause for which the harvest of sweet cherries was lost as many cherry trees died.

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Published in Scientific Papers. Series "Management, Economic Engineering in Agriculture and rural development", Vol. 24 ISSUE 4
Written by Mariana PREDA (ALEXE), Liviu MARCUTA, Alina MARCUTA, Andrei Stefan VASILE, Mihaela STANCIU (ONEA)

The study on developing the hospitality sector through the creation and promotion of authentic tourism experiences used a mixed approach with quantitative and qualitative methods to gain a complex insight into tourist preferences. Through questionnaires and interviews, the research collected data from tourists staying in the Sf. Nicolae Alunis guesthouse in Prahova County and at the Casa Romaneasca Hotel in Vâlcea County, Romania. The questions addressed tourists' interest in authenticity, personalization and sustainability in their tourism experiences, providing a basis for better understanding how offerings can be tailored to meet their needs. The results highlighted that most tourists value authenticity in tourism experiences, preferring activities that allow them to discover local culture and interact directly with the community. Personalization was also considered important, with tourists showing interest in activity recommendations and itineraries tailored to their interests. However, the level of interest in customization and authenticity varies, which demonstrates the need for flexible options that allow each tourist to customize their experience according to their own preferences. Another key aspect is supporting sustainable practices. Although many tourists are willing to pay extra for environmentally friendly accommodations, price sensitivity remains an important factor. This involves a balance between meeting ecological requirements and maintaining price competitiveness. In conclusion, the study shows that the hospitality sector can benefit significantly from the integration of authenticity, personalization and sustainability in the offer, aspects that contribute to increasing tourist satisfaction and loyalty.

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Published in Scientific Papers. Series "Management, Economic Engineering in Agriculture and rural development", Vol. 24 ISSUE 4
Written by Alexandra Raluca JELEA, Ioan Sebastian BRUMĂ

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Published in Scientific Papers. Series "Management, Economic Engineering in Agriculture and rural development", Vol. 24 ISSUE 4
Written by Daniel-George ȘERBAN, Emanuela LUNGU, Florina Loredana ȘERBAN, Maria Magdalena TUREK RAHOVEANU

The influence of new technologies and digitalization in general on the agriculture sector is a topic of great discussion these days. Digitalization of agriculture and so-called precision farming appear to be the intended answers to a number of problems, like the need for higher output, the desire to become greener, or the declining population. The paper aims to analyze the influence of new technologies and digitization on the agricultural sector, focusing on the opportunities and challenges of precision agriculture. The study will examine how the digital transition can address the challenges of sustainable agricultural production, ecological impact, and human resource management, given the National Strategic Plans implemented by the EU through the post-2020 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The main results indicate that the digitization of agriculture has led to a significant increase in productivity (up to 20%), a reduction in the use of environmentally harmful resources (fertilizers and pesticides by 15%), but high initial costs and a lack of adequate infrastructure challenges small farmers over time that financial support and post-2020 CAP mechanisms are essential to accelerate the transition to precision agriculture.

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