RESEARCH ON BIOLOGY, PRODUCTIVITY AND YIELD QUALITY OF TRIGONELLA FOENUM-GRAECUM L. SPECIES (FENUGREEK) IN THE CENTRAL PART OF THE SOUTH ROMANIAN PLAIN

The main objective of the research was to study the biology, ecology and productivity of Trigonella foenum-graecum L. species, in order to know the adaptability of the species to the natural conditions of the reddish preluvosoil area in the central part of South Romanian Plain and in organic farming system. In these experiments, a program of observations and measurements was developed, concerning: morphological and biological peculiarities of species, productivity elements and seeds yields, yield chemical composition and quality. The experiment was carried out in Moara Domneasca Experimental Field, during 2007-2009. Research carried out revealed that fenugreek cultivated in South Romania reaches harvesting maturity in the third decade of July, after 95 days of vegetation and the accumulation of 922.24 GDD (St>10°C). When harvested, fenugreek plants were characterized by following productivity elements: 20.1 pods/plant, 11.4 seeds/pod, 3.9 g seeds/plant and TGW values of 16.7 g. Fenugreek seeds had as chemical composition, in average: 21.3% proteins, 4.65% fats, 63.83% glucides and 5.69% ash. On the reddish preluvosoil from Moara Domneasca, a soil with average fertility and without irrigation, in years with various weather conditions, fenugreek achieved good yields of over 1013 kg/ha in a dry experimental year (2007), and over 1250 kg