AgroLife Scientific Journal - Volume 5, Number 2, 2016 ISSN 2285-5718; ISSN CD-ROM 2285-5726; ISSN ONLINE 2286-0126; ISSN-L 2285-5718 there are 6-8 species and 12 sub-species soil protection, the progressive improvement of (Ahmad and Kamal, 2002; Aras et al., 2007; the environment, the regularization of water THE USAGE OF SEA BUCKTHORN (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) Deepu et al., 2007; Suryakumar and Gupta, debits and the avoidance of some imbalances FOR IMPROVING ROMANIA’S DEGRADED LANDS 2011). Sea buckthorn has a mighty and well- and ecological hazards. In the same time, the developed tap root system, 80% of its feeding forest fruit capitalization action will be 1 2 1 1 Cristinel CONSTANDACHE , Adrian PETICILĂ , Lucian DINCĂ , Diana VASILE roots are in the topsoil (0.2 to 0.8 m) helping to promoted as an instrument for the economical prevent erosion (Lu, 1992). A symbiotic amelioration of villages. 1 National Institute of Forest Research and Development - “Marin Drăcea”, mycorrhizal fungus, which is identified as The realized investigations had as main 128 Eroilor Blvd, Voluntari, Code 077190, Tel./Fax: 021/3503245, 021/3503238, Frankia (Actinomycetes), has been found on objectives: [email protected];[email protected];[email protected] seabuckthorn roots. Between the fungus and - identifying the categories of degraded fields 2 University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Bucharest, 59 Marasti Blvd, sea buckthorn is a symbiosis that leads to a root that are suitable for the culture of sea buckthorn District 1, Code 011464, Bucuresti, Tel./Fax: 021/3183636, [email protected] nodule formation that can fix a great quantity together with the used silvo-ameliorative of atmospheric nitrogen. The capacity of sea technologies; Corresponding author email: [email protected] buckthorn roots to fix nitrogen is estimated to - emphasizing the ameliorative effects and the be twice that of soybean (an 8 to 10-year old sea buckthorn culture’s efficiency in regard Abstract sea buckthorn forest can fix 180 kg of with site conditions. An important percentage of Romania’s agricultural area is represented by degraded agricultural lands that can no nitrogen/ha/year) (Lu, 1992; Rajchal, 2009). Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) is longer be used for agriculture but can be ecologically and economically improved. One such method, respectively the The sea-buckthorn has been used for centuries one of the shrub species recommended for the use of shrubs, is supported by research conducted in Valea-Sării and Bârseşti experimental perimeters from Vidra in Europe and Asia and the latin name afforestation of fields that are highly degraded Experimental Forest District, Vrancea County. Hippophae, meaning shining horse arrived and unproductive. Its fruits are requested in Sustained by the concept of agroforestry, this method is used for the improvement of the degraded lands. In comparison from ancient Greece, due to their leaves that pharmaceutical and alimentary purposes to with the ecological exigencies of forest species, there is a great diversity of degraded lands that are suitable for the culture of some species of shrubs. The most affected and unproductive lands (eroded land or landslide) can be improved were added to horse fodder, the result being name just a few. and enhanced by using sea buckthorn plantations (Hippophae rhamnoides L.). weight gain and shiny hair (Rongsen, 1992). The objectives of this article were to identify the categories of degraded fields that are suitable for the culture of sea In recent years, the importance and the MATERIALS AND METHODS buckthorn together with the used forestry amelioration technologies and to emphasize the ameliorative effects and the scientific interest in sea buckthorn have sea buckthorn culture’s efficiency in regard with site conditions. increased in Europe, not only for soil The investigations took place in areas destined The research has shown that mixtures of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and European black pine (Pinus nigra Arn. ssp. nigra) with sea buckthorn or pine plantations on consolidated lands with sea buckthorn, led to significant increases protection, as well as for their fruits rich in to a permanent research regarding the degraded growth of pines compared to pure cultures of pine, as a result of enrichment in soil nitrogen due to the symbiosis with flavonoids, carotenoids, and vitamins, field’s afforestation technologies, namely in the mycorrhizal fungus (Frankia). The investigations realized on parcels created especially for the study of leakages potassium being the most abundant element of Valea-Sării and Bârseşti experimental and installed on pine and sea buckthorn cultures (Bârseşti perimeter) have proved that the precipitation water leakages all occurring minerals in berries (Chen, 1988; perimeters from Vidra Experimental Forest is of 4 up to 10 times lower in the degraded pastures and the erosion’s quantum is of 0.05-0.5 mc/year/ha in Tong et al., 1989; Zhang et al., 1989; Souci et District, Vrancea County. comparison with over 50 mc/year/ha, in pastures and empty fields. Beside their soil improvement and field stabilization role (by reducing leakages and erosion), the sea buckthorn cultures have also important economic benefits, as their al., 2000; Sabir et al., 2005). The research were made on permanent plots fruits that are highly valued in the pharmaceutical and food industries. The concept on which our proposed method (on two experimental perimeters) in forest stands is “agro-silviculture”. As such, any type stands 38-55 years old with European black Key words: agro-forestry, degraded lands, sea buckthorn, shrubs. of slanted field can be cultivated (and pine (Pinus nigra Arn. ssp. nigra), Scots pine efficiently capitalized) through the association (Pinus sylvestris L.), or mixed stands (pine, INTRODUCTION agricultural cultures (Bălăşcuţă, 1988). If we of agricultural cultures with the silvicultural deciduous trees and sea buckthorn), performed also add the nutritive-therapeutic importance ones (fructiferous trees and shrubs). Through on degraded lands by direct afforestation or by The interest for the culture of fructiferous that these forest fruit have, the necessity of a their protective effects, these cultures substituting the sea buckthorn with European shrubs have existed for a long time in Romania, worldwide reconsideration regarding these contribute to the rebuttal or prevention of field black pine. but an important milestone was marked by the species is more than evident. degradation processes, and are also protecting These experimental plots were installed in 1981 realization of the first specialized plantations in A very strong deciduous shrub with yellow or and improving the soil. and these plots were monitored to see the the 1960’s (Haralamb, 1969). The purpose of orange berries (Rehder, 1960; Bailey and People must be trained in regard to the purpose evolution of the natural regeneration (Figure 1). these plantations was to partially compensate Bailey, 1978; Thomas and Schroeder 1996; of using ecological technologies through which These two experimental perimeters have an the deficit of forest fruits from the spontaneous Enescu, 2013) named sea-buckthorn fields are protected and restored and the area of approximately 75 ha, with 11 plots flora together with an increase of an economic, (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) is considered to be production is increased. each, both of them having cultures with pine alimentary and exchange contribution for very profitable for the establishment of In Romania, the best areas for the application and sea buckthorn or pine and deciduous trees silviculture. The pomiculture specialists productive and protective plantations (Yang et of such methods are the hill areas that have old on very degraded lands. The experimental areas realized studies regarding the culture of some al., 2005; Li and Shao, 2006). silvicultural and agricultural traditions, with were selected to be in different site conditions, fructiferous trees and shrubs and were all Genus Hippophaë L. belongs to the family fields affected by different degradation with the stands with the same ages and with the convinced that the fructiferous shrubs are more Eleagnaceae (Kalia et al., 2011) and after many processes. The prevention and rehabilitation plots having 500-1000 m2 area depending on profitable cultures in comparison with other molecular, taxonomic and phylogenetic studies, actions will lead to positive results regarding field conditions. 50 there are 6-8 species and 12 sub-species soil protection, the progressive improvement of (Ahmad and Kamal, 2002; Aras et al., 2007; the environment, the regularization of water THE USAGE OF SEA BUCKTHORN (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) Deepu et al., 2007; Suryakumar and Gupta, debits and the avoidance of some imbalances FOR IMPROVING ROMANIA’S DEGRADED LANDS 2011). Sea buckthorn has a mighty and well- and ecological hazards. In the same time, the developed tap root system, 80% of its feeding forest fruit capitalization action will be 1 2 1 1 Cristinel CONSTANDACHE , Adrian PETICILĂ , Lucian DINCĂ , Diana VASILE roots are in the topsoil (0.2 to 0.8 m) helping to promoted as an instrument for the economical prevent erosion (Lu, 1992). A symbiotic amelioration of villages. 1 National Institute of Forest Research and Development - “Marin Drăcea”, mycorrhizal fungus, which is identified as The realized investigations had as main 128 Eroilor Blvd, Voluntari, Code 077190, Tel./Fax: 021/3503245, 021/3503238, Frankia