Banca de Resurse Genetice Vegetale pentru Legumicultură, Floricultură, Plante Aromatice și Medicinale Buzău (BRGV Buzău) proudly presents 10 new certified plant varieties.

The varieties developed at BRGV Buzău are certified, patented, and registered in the Official Catalogue of Cultivated Plants of Romania (https://istis.ro/catalog-oficial/) and in the European Catalogue (Plant variety catalogues, databases & information systems). These provide growers and consumers with the opportunity to use high-quality, locally adapted genetic resources, as a result of extensive research in genetics and plant breeding.

The new varieties are designed to ensure high yields and quality, suitable for both fresh consumption and processing. They emphasize adaptability to local pedoclimatic conditions and resistance to pathogens, resulting from rigorous research and the use of predominantly endemic genetic resources.

The Importance of certifying a new variety

Certifying a new variety represents the official recognition of its biological and economic value, following rigorous performance and stability tests. This process assures farmers and consumers of the quality and authenticity of the variety, guaranteeing its described properties. Certification is essential for protecting plant heritage and ensuring the diversity of agricultural crops, thereby contributing to food security and biodiversity conservation.

Value for Romanian plant heritage

The certification of new varieties by BRGV Buzău enriches the Romanian plant heritage, offering farmers access to valuable genetic resources adapted to the local pedoclimatic specifics. These varieties contribute to increasing agricultural productivity and the sustainable development of the Romanian agricultural sector.

Main characteristics of the certified varieties

1. Allium sativum – Garlic DANUBIUS

   • High production potential and excellent storage capacity.

   • Derived from a clone identified in the Buzău area, retaining the traditional Romanian taste and aroma.

   • Second maturity group.

2. Basella alba – Climbing Spinach LUDOVIC

   • The first acclimatized and certified variety in Romania.

   • Hermaphroditic plant, with a long consumption period, cultivable throughout the warm period, in protected spaces and fields.

3. Benincasa hispida – Wax Gourd RECORD

   • The first acclimatized and improved winter melon in Romania.

   • Monoecious unisexual plant, cultivable in fields and protected spaces.

4. Brassica juncea subsp. integrifolia var. crispifolia – Spicy Lettuce BLANDIANA

   • The first certified Brassica juncea variety in Romania.

   • Large, crinkled leaves with a spicy mustard-like flavor.

5. Momordica charantia – Bitter Melon AMIRAL

   • Annual herbaceous plant with a vine-like appearance, vegetates and fruits well under Romanian conditions.

   • Cultivable in fields and protected spaces.

6. Perilla frutescens var. crispa f. purpurea – Wild Sesame CARMINA

   • The first biological creation of acclimatized wild sesame in Romania.

   • Red-purple and bicolored leaves, with multiple uses in food and medicine.

7. Pisum sativum – Garden Pea PONTICA

   • Early variety with extra-fine seeds and green pods, intended for fresh consumption.

   • High productivity and extended consumption period.

8. Vicia faba – Broad Bean BASARAB

   • Large beans, with determined growth and beige-brown seeds.

   • Adapted to Romanian conditions, with high production potential and genetic resistance to pathogens.

9. Rumex acetosa – Sorrel LORD

   • Obtained from endemic genetic resources at the base of the Penteleu massif.

   • Plant reaching 150 cm in height, producing vegetative mass throughout the summer.

10. Solanum lycopersicum – Field Tomato VALAHIA

    • Determinate growth variety, intended for fresh consumption and processing.

    • Red, firm fruits, resistant to cracking, with good storage capacity.

BRGV Buzău continues its mission to develop and conserve plant genetic resources, contributing to the diversity and quality of agricultural crops in Romania. The newly certified varieties will be available to farmers and growers starting in 2025, offering viable solutions for sustainable and high-performing agriculture. Additionally, BRGV Buzău is in the process of certifying another 32 new creations, promising to further enrich the national plant heritage.

Scientific name: Allium sativum
Common name: Garlic
Variety name: Garlic DANUBIUS

Garlic DANUBIUS is a new variety developed at BRGV Buzău, characterized by high production potential and excellent storage capacity. The genetic resource for this variety originates from a clone identified within a local population in the Buzău area, preserving the taste and aroma typical of traditional Romanian garlic. This variety falls into the second maturity group.

Main plant characteristics:

• Leaves: The plant has 5 to 9 green-bluish leaves on the stem.

• Leaf Length: Varies between 34 and 40.2 cm, with an average width of 9.7-14.6 mm.

• Leaf Density: Sparse, with an erect to semi-erect growth habit. Leaves are narrow lanceolate with a concave cross-section and a strong layer of pruinose (wax), providing natural protection against major pathogens.

• Neck: Heights range from 2.14 to 3.93 cm with an average diameter of 4-7.8 mm in the green harvesting stage. As the plant matures, the stem thins and bends, indicating the optimal harvest time for the bulb.

Bulb characteristics:

• Weight: Average weight ranges between 30-50 g, consisting of 8-12 cloves covered with 3-4 tightly closed tunics at the neck, ensuring excellent storage capacity.

• Outer Tunics: White, parchment-like, glossy, playing a crucial role in protecting the cloves.

• Cloves: Large, varying between 4-8 g, covered with thick, white to slightly brown tunics that seal the clove well.

• Flesh: White-yellowish, crunchy, with a sweet-sour taste and intense characteristic aroma.

• Propagation: Exclusively vegetative, through cloves (bulbs resulting from the splitting of the bulb).

Resistance and Cultivation technology:

• Genetic Resistance: High resistance to major pathogens, inherited from the rustic nature of the local population it originates from.

• Cultivation Schemes: Adaptable to various cultivation schemes, from dense household rows to intensive systems with mechanized establishment and maintenance.

• Best Results: Achieved using a band planting scheme, with 15-20 cm between rows and 30-40 cm between bands, at 5-8 cm between plants in the row, resulting in a density of 600,000-700,000 plants/ha.

• Mechanized Maintenance: This technological scheme allows for mechanized maintenance of the crop, facilitating access for the active parts of the cultivator between rows.

Production potential:

• Yield: Depending on the applied cultivation technology, yields can vary between 12-22 tons/ha.

Usage:

• Purpose: Cultivated for its bulbs, false stem, and green leaves, which can be consumed fresh or used for seasoning various dishes and preserves.

• Industrialization: Can be processed through dehydration, lyophilization, or transformed into paste and powder.

• Aroma: Used for its strong flavor, enhancing almost any dish. Cloves can be consumed both fresh and cooked in various dishes.

Scientific name: Basella alba
Common name: Green Climbing Spinach, Malabar Spinach
Variety name: Green Climbing Spinach LUDOVIC

Basella spp., known as climbing spinach, was first acclimatized in Romania by specialists at BRGV Buzău, resulting in the first registered biological creation from the variety Basella rubra (red climbing spinach), followed by Basella alba (green climbing spinach). Unlike common spinach, which is a dioecious plant, this species is hermaphroditic and has a longer consumption period, being cultivable throughout the warm season.

The plant is perennial in its native region, but in Romania, it behaves as an annual. It can be cultivated both in protected environments and in the field using trellising systems.

Main Characteristics of the plant:

• Behavior: Climbing spinach behaves like a vine, with a fibrous root system and a very fragile, striated stem that can reach up to 10 meters in height if space allows. It has between 100 and 140 secondary shoots, depending on the plant’s branching. The thickness of the main stem at the base is 1.94 cm, with 6 main shoots having a base thickness of 0.4-0.8 cm. The diameter of the secondary shoots is 4.6 mm.

• Leaves: The leaves are fleshy and semi-succulent, heart-shaped (cordiform), with a pleasant aroma and mucilaginous texture, much larger than those of common spinach. The leaf petiole has a diameter of 0.44 cm and an average length of 1.8 cm. The leaf length is 8.6 cm, and the width is 9 cm. The leaf thickness is 0.19 cm, and the weight is 7.5 g. The average distance between leaves on the plant is 5.5 cm.

• Fruits: The fruits are fleshy and juicy, oval-shaped berries with 4 lobes, green-pinkish when immature and black-indigo when mature. The fruit diameter is 0.92 cm, with a height of 0.53 cm. The seeds, developed from the superior ovary, are round and black, with a diameter of 0.38 cm.

Growing conditions:

• The plant prefers sunny soils, humid climates, and altitudes up to 500 m. At low temperatures, the plant’s vigor is reduced, and production is very poor. Flowering is induced by short days. The species prefers sandy, loamy, and organic-rich soils with a pH between 5.5 and 8.

Establishing the crop:

• The crop can be established by seedlings or direct sowing. The species does not tolerate low temperatures as well as common spinach but successfully tolerates high temperatures. Its intolerance to frost necessitates field establishment by direct sowing after April 15 in warmer areas and after May 1 in cooler areas.

Harvesting and Care:

• The leaves and young shoots can be harvested throughout the plant’s growing season, in a staggered manner, from spring until frost. Staggered harvesting of the leaves from the base upwards is recommended to stimulate the plant to produce new shoots. Maintenance involves keeping the crop weed-free through mechanical and manual hoeing, ensuring optimal water supply, and guiding the plant on the support system.

Production potential:

• The production potential is significantly higher compared to common spinach, exceeding its yield by up to ten times. The plant can have over 10 harvests per production cycle. It is resistant to pathogen attacks and can be successfully cultivated organically.

Uses:

• In its native regions, the leaves are used as a vegetable, both in salads and in soups or combined with vegetables, garlic, and hot peppers. The leaves should not be overcooked as they become very soft and disintegrate, losing their texture. They can also be used to make tea by infusion.

Ornamental value:

• The plant can be successfully grown for ornamental purposes due to its vigorous appearance and the beauty of its colorful foliage. The flowers also have an attractive appearance and can decorate pergolas and hedges. A natural pink-purple dye can be extracted from the fruits, which can be used to color various cakes, sweets, candies, and other pastries. The color becomes even more vibrant with a little lemon juice.

Scientific Name: Benincasa hispida
Common Name: Wax Gourd
Variety Name: Wax Gourd RECORD

BRGV Buzău specialists have acclimatized and improved the first variety of winter melon or wax gourd, a first for Romania. The Wax Gourd RECORD is a monoecious unisexual plant with a vine-like appearance, cultivable both in fields and protected spaces, in a staked system.

Main plant characteristics:

• Stem: Initially glabrous but becoming pubescent and covered with rough hairs as the plant develops.

• Leaves: Medium green foliage, with palmate-pentalobate leaves averaging 37.2 cm in length and 26.4 cm in width. The petiole length ranges from 16-18.4 cm, with a diameter of 9.8 mm.

• Flowers: Unisexual, solitary, bright yellow, type 5. Male flowers appear before female ones, bearing a miniature fruit at the base. The male flower diameter averages 10.5 cm, while the female flower measures about 8.7 cm. Male flower peduncle length varies between 22.9-25.7 cm, and female flower peduncle length between 9.7-11.5 cm.

Fruit:

• Dimensions: The fruit can weigh over 20 kg, requiring support with raschel nets. It is ovoid with a concave base, weighing between 16.8 and 20.2 kg. Fruit length can reach approximately 50 cm, with a median diameter of about 16 cm. Pulp thickness is 3.5 cm, light greenish white in color, with an epicarp thickness of 2-3 mm and green in color.

• Maturity: The fruit reaches technological maturity in the third decade of June and physiological maturity in the last decade of September.

• Seeds: Each fruit contains 1470 seeds, weighing 54 g. A plant can support 10-15 fruits if harvested in stages. If fruits are left to reach physiological maturity on the plant, the number drops to 6-8 fruits per plant. Seeds are like those of classic pumpkins, varying in length between 10.2-13.3 mm, with an average thickness of 8.4 mm. The mass of one thousand seeds weighs 33.04 g, with seeds from a single fruit weighing an average of 126.26 g.

Consumption and Use:

• Consumption: The fruit is consumed similarly to melon. The immature fruit is sweet and, as it matures, is covered with bloom, a protective wax layer ensuring high storage capacity after harvest. Young leaves and floral primordia can be prepared and consumed in various recipes. The plant can also be used as a rootstock for cucurbits.

Cultivation technology:

• Technology: The appropriate cultivation technology for this variety is the classic one, specific to cucurbits, with plant spacing in rows of 35-40 cm and between rows of 70-120 cm. The variety can be successfully cultivated in an ecological system, with no significant damage from diseases or pests recorded so far.

Scientific name: Brassica juncea subsp. integrifolia var. crispifolia
Common name: Spicy Salad
Variety name: Spicy Salad BLANDIANA

Spicy Salad, Brassica juncea, was first studied in Romania by the specialists at BRGV Buzău, resulting in the first cultivated variety named Blandiana. This spicy salad variety features very crinkled and large leaves, which can be consumed similarly to common lettuce but with a distinctive spicy mustard-like flavor.

Plant Characteristics:

• Type: Annual plant.

• Form: In the early vegetative stage, it forms a rich rosette of leaves, followed by the development of a flowering stem.

• Height: In the field, the plant can reach 30-60 cm, and in protected environments up to 90 cm. The stems have a diameter of 1-2 cm.

• Leaves: A mature plant has approximately 15-30 leaves, which are wavy, curly, and crinkled (hence the name crispifolia). At consumer maturity, the leaf measures 18.8 cm in length and 13 cm in width, with an ovate shape and divided margins. Mature leaves can reach dimensions of 30-40 cm in length and 10-20 cm in width.

• Flowers: The flowers are hermaphroditic, typical of cruciferous plants, yellow in color, small, and grouped in raceme inflorescences, with heights ranging from 10-15 cm.

• Fruit: The fruit is an elongated, cylindrical silique, with lengths between 2-5 cm. Siliques are relatively thin, about 0.2-0.5 cm wide, and contain between 10-20 seeds arranged in two rows, separated by a septum.

• Seeds: The seeds are small, round or slightly oval, with a diameter of about 1-2 mm. The color of the seed’s ranges from light brown to dark brown or black.

Pollination and Soil Preferences:

• Pollination: The plant is entomophilous, with pollination carried out by insects, especially bees. Great care must be taken to respect isolated distances between varieties.

• Soil: The species prefers sandy, light, medium loamy, and well-drained soils with sun exposure. It tolerates any pH type, from alkaline to neutral and acidic.

• Root: The root is fibrous, strongly branched, like classic lettuce.

• Flowering Stem: It resembles that of cabbage and can reach heights of 80 cm to 1.5 m.

Cultivation:

• Area: The species can be successfully cultivated throughout the country, both in protected environments and in the field. In protected spaces, the growth rate and size of the rosettes increase significantly.

• Resistance: The species does not tolerate frost but supports various technological variants and can be established as a crop by direct sowing or by producing seedlings.

• Period: The crop can be established early in spring, both in protected environments and in the field. Unlike common lettuce, it forms the flowering stem more slowly and progresses through phenological stages more slowly, being much more resistant to high temperatures. The crop can also be established during warmer summer periods.

• Spacing: It is established in equidistant rows at 70 cm between rows and 30-35 cm between plants in the row. It can also be established in bands, with 50 cm between rows and 70 cm between bands, and 30-35 cm between plants in the row.

Harvesting:

• Harvesting can be done staggered by picking the leaves from the base of the rosette or completely when the rosette reaches technological maturity for consumption, before forming the flowering stem. Usually, harvesting can be done about 60 days after planting. When harvested gradually, the yield per unit area is much higher, and the plant delays forming the flowering stem. The rosette’s weight varies between 200 g and 1 kg, depending on the harvesting time. Green mass production per hectare varies depending on the applied technology and harvesting time, but generally, yields between 18-22 t/ha can be obtained.

• Seeds: The average number of seeds per gram is 1,481, with over 500 seeds per gram.

Uses:

• Both the leaves, seeds, and stems are edible. The plant has a tradition in African, Chinese, Italian, Indian, Japanese, Nepalese, and Pakistani cuisine. Oil extracted from the seeds can be used as a condiment similar to mustard but with a much spicier flavor. The leaves are used in African cuisine, and all vegetative parts of the plant are appreciated in Nepalese cuisine, especially in the mountain regions of Nepal.

• Ornamental: The species’ leaves can be used for their ornamental appearance, to decorate platters and various culinary preparations. Due to the spectacular coloring, crinkling, and texture of the leaves, this variety can also be successfully used as a decorative plant.

Scientific name: Momordica charantia
Common name: Bitter Melon
Variety name: Bitter Melon AMIRAL

The Bitter Melon AMIRAL variety is an annual herbaceous plant with a vine-like appearance, vegetating and fruiting well under the pedoclimatic conditions of our country, both in fields and in protected staked systems.

Plant characteristics:

• Stem: Creeping or climbing, hollow, becoming vigorous and partially lignified as the plant matures, giving it a vine-like appearance. In protected spaces, the stem can reach lengths of over 5-6 m, while in the field it reaches 1.8-2 m. The stem thickness is 1.5 cm in diameter, with 35-40 lateral shoots, each with slightly aggressive tendrils. Lateral shoots measure 80-120 cm in protected spaces and 50-70 cm in the field, with an internodal length of 8-10 cm. The plant has a diameter of 34-45 cm.

• Leaves: The foliar apparatus is well developed, with numerous leaves of various sizes, smaller than those of the common cucumber, trilobate or pentalobate, slightly toothed, and covered with fine glandular hairs. Leaves are 10.5-14 cm long and 10.6-15 cm wide, with a petiole length of 5-11.5 cm. The leaves emit a strong and pungent odor when touched, having a repellent effect against major vegetable pests.

Flowers:

• Flowers: Like those of the common cucumber but slightly smaller, with thin and slightly creased petals. Flowers are unisexual, monoecious, arranged 1-2 together at the leaf axils, gamopetalous with a pale-yellow corolla in a funnel shape. Male flowers appear before female ones and are pedunculated, with a larger corolla. The plant predominantly presents male flowers (over 70%), ensuring the pollination of female flowers.

• Pollination: The plant is allogamous (entomophilous), with pollination done by insects attracted by the pleasant scent of the flowers.

Fruit:

• Description: The fruit is a fusiform melonid, with an obtuse base and pointed tip. It has an average length of 22.5-25 cm and a diameter of 2.3 cm at the base, 5.2 cm in the middle, and 1.2 cm at the tip. The color varies from white (157B-pale yellow green RHS) at physiological maturity to yellow orange (N25B-RHS strong orange) when fully mature.

• Surface: Rough, with spike-like projections 0.7-1 cm high.

• Maturation: Mature fruits crack, releasing seeds for self-seeding. The fruit has an average weight of 447 g, with a pericarp thickness of 1.2 cm. Each fruit contains an average of 27 seeds.

Chemical composition:

• Content: Bitter melon fruit contains charantin, momordin, momordicin, B vitamins, calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, zinc, silicon, and nickel. This biochemical composition recommends it for teas, powders, pressed capsules, and tinctures, used for diabetes and as an antiviral for measles, hepatitis, and fever. It is also used for treating external and internal wounds and infections, as well as against intestinal worms and parasites.

Ornamental uses:

• Aspect: The Bitter Melon AMIRAL has a remarkable ornamental character due to its lush vine-like appearance, suitable for pergolas and shading spaces. The flowers emit a pleasant fragrance, especially in the morning.

Scientific name: Perilla frutescens var. crispa f. purpurea
Common name: Perilla, Wild Sesame
Variety name: Wild Sesame CARMINA

Specialists at BRGV Buzău developed the first biologically adapted and improved wild sesame variety in Romania. Three varieties of this species were studied: Perilla frutescens var. frutescens with green leaves, Perilla frutescens var. crispa f. purpurea with red-maroon leaves, and Perilla frutescens var. crispa f. viridis with bicolored leaves (green on the upper side and reddish-purple on the underside).

Characteristics of the Wild Sesame CARMINA Variety:

• Type: Aromatic and medicinal plant

• Color: Red foliage with very strong anthocyanin coloration

• Lifespan: Annual

• Growth Habit: Erect, strongly branched, with a height ranging from 30-200 cm, depending on the cultivation environment

• Bush Diameter: 1.4 m

Root system:

• Type: Fibrous, strongly branched, and developed

• Capability: Well, explores deep soil layers and adapts to extreme environmental conditions

Stem:

• Appearance: Woody at the base, green, brown in color, with edges

• Branches: Numerous shoots that further branch out

• First Branching Height: 6-8 cm from the ground

• Base Diameter: 2.2-2.9 cm

• Number of Main Shoots: 17-18, with lengths exceeding 1 m

• Root System Diameter: 40-45 cm

• Exploration Depth: 25-30 cm

Leaves:

• Arrangement: Opposite (decussate), large at the base of the plant and decreasing in size towards the top

• Blade Length: Average 13.2 cm

• Width: 9.25 cm

• Petioles: Between 0-9 cm, absent in apical leaves

• Shape: Oval to circular, rounded-cuneate base, finely serrated margins, acuminate tip

• Tooth Depth: 3-5 mm

• Number of Leaves on Main Shoot: 150-160, totaling over 2700 harvestable leaves per plant

• Leaf Weight: Average 1.2-2.6 g

Inflorescences:

• Arrangement: Apical or axillary, racemose or paniculate

• Dimensions: 2-20 cm

• Characteristics: Hairy, with 1-1.5 cm peduncles, campanulate corolla, color ranging from white to lilac-purple

• Number of Flowers/Inflorescence: 38

• Distance Between Whorls: 5 mm

Seeds:

• Maturation Time: Approximately 6 weeks from flowering

• Yield: The plant produces over 2.5 kg of green mass per plant; the dry yield varies between 2-4 t/ha, and seed production can exceed 700 kg/ha

• Essential Oil Content: 40% of seeds

• Weight of 1000 Seeds (WTS): 4262 g, with 214 seeds per gram

Uses:

• Culinary, Medicinal, Aromatic, Honey-producing, and Condiment: The leaves, inflorescences, fruits, seeds, and microgreens are used for flavoring dishes or as garnish, especially in Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese cuisine, complementing fish and red meat dishes.

• Coloring: Purple leaves contain high amounts of anthocyanins and can be used for coloring foods and pickled vegetables.

• Medicinal Properties: Can be used in various forms (fresh, tinctures, poultices, essential oil) for treating colds, fever, migraines, anxiety, depression, asthma, respiratory diseases, allergies, intestinal problems, intoxications, antitumor, and antioxidant effects.

• Ornamental Characteristics: Luxuriant vine-like appearance, ideal for pergolas and shading areas, with flowers emitting a special fragrance, especially in the morning.

Perilla frutescens var. crispa f. purpurea (Wild Sesame CARMINA) is a versatile plant with numerous uses and benefits, adaptable to various environmental conditions and with a high production potential.

Scientific name: Pisum sativum
Common name: Garden Pea
Variety name: Garden Pea PONTICA

Early variety of garden peas with extra-fine seeds and green pods, intended for fresh consumption.

Plant characteristics:

• Root: Primary taproot can penetrate up to 40-60 cm deep, and in favorable soils, even up to 1 m. From the main root, numerous secondary roots develop and disperse at a depth of 30-40 cm. The roots, especially the young ones, have numerous nodules containing bacteria from the genus Rhizobium leguminosarum, which fixes free nitrogen from the atmosphere and prepare it in accessible forms for future crops.

• Stem: The average plant height is 82 cm. In the first stage of the vegetative period, plants maintain an erect posture, but as they develop, there is a risk of lodging. The planting distance between rows and between plants per row should be properly managed to ensure the plants support themselves by fixing tendrils to the neighboring plant, creating a bunched appearance.

• Leaves: The average leaf length is 16 cm, composed of 6 leaflets. A leaflet measures 5.2 cm in length and 2.8 cm in width on average. The average length of the tendrils is 12 cm. At the base of each leaf are two large, amplexicaul stipules of green color.

Flowers and Pollination:

• Flowers: Grouped in clusters of 2-7, large, creamy white, papilionaceous, and arranged at the leaf axils.

• Pollination: Autogamous, the pollen matures before the flowers open.

Pods and Seeds:

• Pods: At consumer maturity, the pod is green, and at physiological maturity, it becomes wrinkled, slightly keeled, and green grey in color. The average pod length is 8.2 cm, and the average width is 1.6 cm. The average pod weight is 5.92 g, and the seed weight per pod is 3.86 g. Pods are arranged in pairs of 2, rarely 3-4 per inflorescence. A plant has an average of 34 pods.

• Production: The yield per hectare of green seeds can exceed 2.5-3 t/ha, and dry seeds can reach 3-4 t/ha. The variety has recorded production values of 102.6 g seeds/plant and 4.16 g seeds/pod.

Sowing:

• Technique: Sowing is done on well-prepared land, in equidistant rows, at distances between 12-15 cm or in furrows on modeled land, at a depth of 4-5 cm.

Advantages and Use:

• Consumption Characteristics: The seeds starch slowly, thus prolonging the fresh consumption period and providing tender pods for over 10 days.

The Garden Pea PONTICA variety stands out for its high productivity, adaptability, and extended consumption period, making it an excellent choice for growers who want to enjoy fresh seeds and tender pots for a longer time.

Scientific name: Vicia faba
Common name: Broad Bean
Variety name: Broad Bean BASARAB

The Broad Bean BASARAB variety is a large-seeded, determinate growth type, with beige-colored seeds and an average of four seeds per pod. This variety is adapted to the pedoclimatic conditions of Romania, derived from an old local population cultivated in the hilly area of Buzău, Pietroasele-Breaza. It is characterized by high production potential and resistance to major pathogens specific to the species.

Plant characteristics:

• Root: Well-developed root system, penetrating the soil to depths of approximately 30-40 cm, and in favorable conditions up to 1 m. The main root generates numerous secondary roots with nodules of nitrogen-fixing bacteria.

• Stem: Hollow, ridged, with heights of 0.7-1.0 m, erect and unbranched.

• Leaves: Imparipinnate compound, alternate, with the last leaflet short and pointed, covered with bloom. In some areas, young and tender leaves are also consumed.

Flowers and Pollination:

• Flowers: Large, sessile, papilionaceous, white-colored. Pollination is allogamous, entomophilous. Broad bean flowers typically open in the afternoon, some being slightly fragrant, attracting insects, especially bees. To prevent cross-pollination contamination, isolation distances between crops must be ensured.

Fruit and Seeds:

• Pods: Cylindrical or flattened, spongy inside, 4-14 cm long, containing 4-5 seeds. When young, pods are fleshy and tender, becoming woody at maturity.

• Seeds: Large, brown or black, can be flattened, elliptical, or kidney-shaped at maturity. One gram may contain 2-4 seeds, with a germination capacity of 90-95%, maintaining viability for 5-6 years.

Cultivation:

• Soil Preparation: Recommended from autumn as the crop is established early in spring, in the snowmelt. Sowing begins in the first decade of March but no later than April 10. Delaying sowing may compromise the crop due to high temperatures during flowering and fruiting.

• Sowing Technique: In rows 40-50 cm apart or in hills 50 cm apart, with distances of 40-50 cm between hills in the row.

Harvesting:

• Leaves: Harvested in the early vegetative stages when young and tender.

• Pods: Harvested when young and seeds are immature.

• Seeds: Harvested at the milk-wax stage for immature seeds and at physiological maturity for mature seeds.

Production:

• Pods: 12-16 t/ha.

• Green Beans: 5-7 t/ha.

Usage: Broad beans can be consumed boiled or fried, after removing the skin through thermal preparation and seasoned with spices, becoming a delicious snack. In Arab countries, a breakfast dish called ful medames uses broad beans as the main ingredient. In Egypt, it is the main ingredient for falafel.

Scientific name: Rumex acetosa
Common name: Sorrel
Variety name: Sorrel LORD

The LORD sorrel variety was developed using endemic genetic resources from the biodiverse pastures at the base of the Penteleu Massif, the highest peak in Buzău County. This variety features a thickened root from which a rosette of leaves and a circular flowering stem emerge. It can reach a height of 150 cm, with stems branching towards the top.

Plant characteristics:

• Leaves: Entire, alternately arranged. The basal leaves (forming a rosette) are large and elongated, 20 cm long and 13 cm wide, with a long, grooved petiole. The leaves on the flowering stem are sagittate and lack petioles. Garden sorrel has light green, medium-elliptical leaves with a rounded apex and sagittate base. The leaves are semi-erect in the rosette and have an average petiole length of 11.5 cm and a leaf blade length of 24.6 cm. The plant shows no anthocyanin coloration on the vegetative part.

• Stem: The panicles are green and reach a height of 38.6 cm.

Flowering and pollination:

• Flowering: Sorrel blooms from May to June. Being a dioecious unisexual plant, it has two types of plants: female and male flowers, which differ in color. The inflorescence is a spike-like panicle, with male flowers being greenish and female flowers red. Male stems appear first, followed by female ones. Pollination is anemophilous, carried out by the wind.

Fruit and seeds:

• Fruit: Formed over the summer and reaching physiological maturity in the second decade of July. The fruit is an achene with a single seed, varying in color from red-brown, dark brown to black, and has a triangular shape. The seeds have very good germination capacity.

Cultivation technology:

• Adaptability: Sorrel is a perennial plant that adapts to various soil types, preferring deep, humus-rich, well-structured soils that ensure good vegetative growth. It is not demanding in terms of irrigation, but for fresh and succulent leaves, it is recommended to irrigate during dry periods or immediately after harvest. The plant can also be successfully cultivated organically.

Uses:

• Consumption: All vegetative parts of this plant can be consumed, including the seeds. The flowers can be cooked or used as a fresh garnish. The root can be dried, ground, and added to various dishes. The seeds can be eaten raw or dried, ground, and mixed with other flours to make different doughs. Being extremely perishable, the leaves do not last more than 2-3 days, which is why sorrel is considered a spring vegetable. Sorrel produces vegetative mass continuously throughout the summer until the frost arrives.

• Taste: Sorrel leaves have a sour, acidic, refreshing, and slightly astringent taste, similar to lemon, due to their high vitamin C content. They are consumed in spring salads, added to yogurts, pureed with vegetables or meat, in soups, stews, sauces, with cheese, eggs, dressings, and marinades. The leaves can be dried for off-season use.

Other uses:

• Natural dye: Sorrel roots can be used to obtain a green-brown dye or various dark shades. The stems and leaves can be used to produce a green-blue color. The solution obtained from infusing the stems is used for polishing bamboo, wicker furniture, and silverware. The sap of the stems can be used to remove stains from linen, acting as bleach. Its oxalic acid content makes it a natural insecticide.

Medicinal properties: Besides its nutritional value, this variety has notable medicinal properties, such as high vitamin C content, antioxidants, and a high content of emodin, a substance appreciated for its benefits in treating certain types of cancer.

Scientific name: Solanum lycopersicum
Common name: Field Tomatoes
Variety name: Field Tomatoes VALAHIA

Field tomatoes VALAHIA are a determinate variety intended for both fresh consumption and industrial processing.

Plant characteristics:

• Height: Average of 43 cm

• Bush Diameter: Ranges between 36-40 cm

• Number of Leaves: 34 leaves per plant

• Leaf Length: Average of 28.5 cm

• Number of Inflorescences: Approximately 9 compound inflorescences per plant, each with 3 flowers

Fruit characteristics:

• Color: Immature fruits are whitish-green, while mature fruits are bright red.

• Abscission Zone: 0.3 mm

• Size: Fruit height is 5.8 cm, and diameter is 6.7 cm.

• Firmness: The fruits are highly firm, resistant to cracking, and have good post-harvest shelf life.

• Taste: The flavor and taste are exceptional, characteristic of traditional tomatoes.

• Maturity group: 02, semi-early

• Specific traits: Fruits have a slight mucronate pistillate point, a trait expressed by the beck gene.

• Composition: Fruits have a high dry matter content of 5.8-6%, featuring 3 seed locules, and a pericarp thickness of 6 mm.

• Weight: Average fruit weight is 220 g.

Production:

• Yield: The variety has a production potential of 35-40 tons per hectare in the field, which can increase with additional technological interventions.

VALAHIA tomatoes are flavorful, slightly juicy, and suitable for both fresh consumption and industrial processing. They maintain their firmness and resistance to cracking, providing good storage capacity after harvest, making them ideal for various kitchen and industrial uses.