Lavender is in the research spotlight due to its increasing economic importance, while market demand is expected to continue to grow. Among the hundreds of essential-oil-bearing plants, Lavandula angustifolia Mill. remains one of the most valuable. This paper explores the lavender chain timeline from crop to products, examining the expanding knowledge on the characteristics, phytochemical profile and functional potential of lavender that could lead to new products and uses. Lavender crops can be expanded without competing for productive land, instead using marginal, contaminated or unproductive land. A novel cultivation trend proposes leveraging agri-background biodiversity, arbuscular mycorrhiza and the natural enemies of pests for healthy crops. Together with breeding efforts targeting highly performant genotypes with complex volatile profiles coupled with resistance to specific biotic (particularly Phytoplasma) and abiotic (salt, heavy metals) stressors, industry could have a steady supply of high-quality raw material. Besides the expansion of the uses of essential oil in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, food and environmental and agri-applications, novel channels have appeared for the use of the solid by-product, which is rich in polyphenols and polysaccharides; these channels have the potential to create additional streams of value. The stabilization and optimization of techno-functional delivery systems through the encapsulation of essential oil can extend shelf-life and enhance biological activity efficiency.

Iris germanica L. is an ornamental and medicinal plant used since ancient times for their rhizomes, still utilized today to obtain orris butter highly valued in perfumery. Iris germanica presents special root adaptations, which confers certain tolerance to water and salt stress, making it a good option in the context of the current climate trend. Aim of this study was to prospect the potential for biofortification of rhizomes using commercial arbuscular mycorrhizae (AM) application in field conditions for six Iris germanica cultivars. Plants presented Paris-type AM colonization. Rhizome samples collected after nine months from treatment and maturated, presented FT-IR (fourier transform infrared spectroscopy) spectra variation between experimental variants. Presence of the main metabolites in rhizome could be confirmed based on literature. Screening focused on two rhizome quality markers: carbohydrates, which influence plant development, and fatty acids, which are extractable from rhizome. Results suggest potential to enhance their accumulation in certain cultivars, such as ‘Pinafore Pink’ following AM application.

Net blotch disease caused by Pyrenophora teres is one of the most damaging fungal diseases of barley crop. This study screened comparatively the effectiveness of eleven fungicide products applied to malting barley (Hordeum vulgare L. conv. distichum Alef.) cultivar ‘Daciana’ in conditions from Transylvania. After fungicide treatment, the net blotch disease index decreased an average of 70.37-78.04% relative to untreated control. Fungicide application ensured an average of 28.66% grain yield increase, 7.51% thousand grains weight increase and 4.36% grain starch content increase relative to untreated control. Top performance was obtained by using products that contained demethylation inhibitors targeting sterol biosynthesis in combination with other active substances with a different mode of action particularly targeting mitochondrial respiration. It is a difficult task to achieve top performance on all dimensions: strict disease suppression, high quantity and quality grain yields. Preventing the occurrence of pathogen resistance to fungicide and minimizing negative effect on crop as well as remanence in the plant, are the main challenges for fungicide use and should receive further attention.

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