Worldwide pesticides are used by farmers for growing more food on less land by protecting crops from pests, diseases and weeds as well as raising productivity per hectare. Also, pesticides enable farmers to produce safe, quality foods at affordable prices. Therefore, the market for agricultural pesticides is anticipated to rise by $ 26.23 billion between 2021 and 2025. Pesticide residues can be discovered in a wide range of common foods and drinks, such as prepared meals, water, wine, fruit juices, snacks, and animal feeds. Furthermore, it should be noticed that chemical pesticides have been linked to a variety of detrimental health consequences, including impacts on the skin, gastrointestinal system, nervous system, respiratory system, reproductive system, and endocrine system. The current review was carried out using an objective mixture of primary and secondary information, including inputs from key participants in pesticides industry. Also, it aims at highlighting the urgent need for a new concept in agriculture involving a drastic reduction in the use of chemical pesticides, driving the market to bio-based pesticides.

Jerusalem artichoke grows underground tubers that store fructans, primarily inulin, which are considered as prebiotics and functional dietary fibre with positive physiological benefits on human health. The aim of this study was to assess the yield and nutritional quality of Jerusalem artichoke tubers according to different cropping systems on dry sandy soils from Southern Romania. The experiments were carried out during 2018-2020 at the Research and Development Station for Plant Culture on Sands Dăbuleni, using a randomized complete block design with three replications. The experimental combined factors applied were fertilization with plants density (5×2). After the tubers were harvested, their quality was evaluated using standard methods. The results suggest that Jerusalem artichoke crop has minimal requirements for fertilization and tolerates very well high plants density without affecting significantly the yield and the nutritional features analysed, respectively the contents in total dry matter, soluble dry matter, inulin, soluble carbo-hydrates and C vitamin. A significant positive correlation was determined between the soluble dry matter and soluble carbohydrates content.  The assessed biochemical compounds displayed high values in both fertilized and unfertilized conditions and in both densities, showing that Jerusalem artichoke is a perennial crop with multifunctional high growing potential in marginal terrains usually improper for the conventional crops.