Traditional Lifestyle as a Model

for Sustainable Development

GRUNDTVIG PARTNERSHIP

ROMANIAN TRADITIONAL SEEDS



The information used in this presentation was taken from the
Catalogue of Traditional Seeds
carried out
by
ECO RURALIS
which is an organization founded in 2009 in Cluj-Napoca,
Transilvania region from Romania.
Eco Ruralis is made up of farmers who practice organic and
traditional farming in all the historical regions of Romania. Eco Ruralis
defend the rights of farmers to practice agriculture based on
environmental principles. This means the right to use, duplicate, and
distribute traditional seeds, the right not to be contaminated with
genetically modified organisms maintaining food sovereignty in Romania
and respect for consumers health.

ROMANIAN
TRADITIONAL
SEEDS
TRADITIONAL TOMATOES
Species: Lycopersicon
lycopersicon (syn.
L.esculentum), L.
pimpinellifolium
Family: SOLANACEAE
TRADITIONAL TOMATOES
Species: Lycopersicon lycopersicon (syn. L.esculentum), L.
pimpinellifolium

Family: SOLANACEAE

POLLINATION AND ISOLATION
Some older varieties of tomatoes, less improved, especially
small tomatoes are likely to be cross-pollinated with other
tomatoes. Tomato seed growers separate tomato varieties at
a distance of at least 30 m.
Traditional tomatoes Scarisoara 6
Origin: Scarisoara, Buzau county
Shape, taste and cooler of fruit:
Variety type: cherry
Fruit diameter: 1, 5 cm
Thin crust, fine, sweet taste, red colour
Type of growth: Undetermined, which
means that the plant can grow in height
throughout the duration of vegetation.
Production: About 15 fruit on a bunch,
about 170 fruit/kg, 500 ml juice/kg
Other useful information:
- It has to be weeded during the growth
- Resistance to drought
- Do not use chemicals

Traditional tomatoes Salaj 373
Origin: Salaj county
Shape, taste and colour of fruit:
-Fruits have a flattened shape
-Large dimensions
-Red colour
-Very juicy and pleasant to taste.
Type of growth: Undetermined, which
means that the plant can grow in height
throughout the duration of vegetation
Production: Very productive
Other useful information:
- It has to be weeded during the growth
-Resistance to drought
-Fruit ripen in multistages
- Do not use chemicals

TRADITIONAL CUCUMBERS
Species: Cucumis sativus

Family: CUCURBITACEAE
Cultivation:
During growth, remove any plant that does not seem healthy,
deformed leaves with yellow spots are a sign of cucumber
mosaic virus that can be transmitted through seeds.
Pollination and Isolation:


Cucumbers have separate female and male flowers and both are
on the same plant. At the traditional garden varieties,
pollination must occur to produce fruit. To keep the seeds, you
have to let some male flowers beside female flowers and allow
insects to pollinate female flowers.
Traditional cucumbers Rau Alb 33
Origin: Rau Alb village, Hunedoara county
Shape, taste and colour of fruit:
When they are ripe the colour is dark
green
Production: Very productive
Other useful information:
- The advantage of this variety is its early
and very good production. The plants
produce up to October if there is not
autumn white frost
- Do not use chemicals

Traditional cucumbers Bihor 32
Origin: Bihor county
Production: Medium
Other useful information:
-It has to be weeded during the growth
-It is an early variety. Fruits quickly reach
physiological maturity (late July). It
proved to be quite sensitive to the hand
compared to other local varieties of
cucumbers.
- Do not use chemicals

TRADITIONAL PUMPKINS
Species: Cucurbita pepo, C. maxima, C.moschata

Family: CUCURBITACEAE
Cultivation:


The seeds are sown directly 2-3 weeks after the last frost, when the
ground is not frozen / cold at a depth of 2.5 cm.

There are mounds of earth at 90 cm distance from each other, and 1, 2-
1, 8 m between rows. You can plant 5-6 seeds in each mound. Inside
you can prepare hotbeds - 3 weeks before the plants are moved in the
field or garden. The period when seeds germinate is 7-10 days. After
the plants appear, they need thinning until they remain 1 or 2 in each
mound. Pumpkins are harvested when they are very ripe.
Traditional pumpkin Big Blue
Origin: Ionesti village, Valcea county

Shape, taste and colour of fruit:
-The fruit has a very large flattened shape
-After adapting to climate, it can reach 1
meter circumference
-The outer bark is pale blue, the interior is
lit orange
- The taste is very sweet

Type of growth : Undetermined, which
means that the plant can grow
throughout the duration of vegetation.

Other useful information:
-Pumpkin typical for pie or baking as it is,
without adding sugar
- Do not use chemicals

Traditional pumpkin Gherla 20-A
Origin: Gherla, Cluj county

Shape, taste and colour of fruit:
The fruit is large and the colour is whitish-
green

Type of growth : Undetermined, which
means that the plant can grow
throughout the duration of vegetation.

Other useful information:
-Pumpkin typical for pie or baking as it is
-Plants and fruit quickly reach maturity
- Do not use chemicals

TRADITIONAL SQUASH (ZUCCHINI)
Species: Cucurbita maxima

Family: CUCURBITACEAE

Cultivation:
Plant seeds directly in the garden or make seedling pots as early as
possible, because fruits need a few months to grow and get mature in
order to produce ripe seeds. As soon as conditions allow, put the
plants outside, leaving sufficient distance between them. To keep the
seeds, grow at least 6 plants, so as to enable pollination and
sanitizing. For keeping the seeds there must be at least six plants to
keep a variety. Yet, although squash intertwined with other varieties,
they will not suffer too much because of inbreeding. Once the plants
start to grow, remove the leaves or the plants that do not look
healthy.


Traditional squash Gherla 26
Origin: Gherla, Cluj county

Shape, taste and colour of fruit:
-Cylindrical fruit of light green colour

Type of growth : Undetermined, which
means that the plant can grow
throughout the duration of vegetation.

Production: Good production from
summer to autumn

Other useful information:
-The fruits ripen in stages, in several
periods.
- Do not use chemicals

TRADITIONAL SUNFLOWER
Species: Helianthus annuus

Family: COMPOSITAE

Cultivation:


Sunflower is a very little pretentious plant. It can be grown on
different soil types, directly in the field, from April to early May. It
also consumes many nutrients from the soil. To develop properly,
sunflower needs good exposure, therefore it will be planted at a
distance of 45 cm between rows and 20 cm between seeds, at a
depth of 3-4 cm.
Traditional sunflower Satu-Mare 67-A
Origin: Satu-Mare county

Shape, taste and colour of fruit:
-Plants have great force with an
average height of 220 cm
-The seeds are grey-brown with white
stripes
-They have a normal shape and the
average length is 13 mm.

Production: The number of capitula
(popularly called and pommel or hats)
per the plant is 1 -7, and the average
diameter is 21 cm. Capitula have an
average total weight 318 g, out of
which 117 g is seed.

Other useful information:
- Do not use chemicals

Traditional sunflower Suceava 66
Origin: Suceava county

Shape, taste and colour of fruit:
-Plants have a greater force with a
medium height of 170 cm
-The seeds are grey-brown
-They have a normal shape and the
average length is 12 mm.

Production: The number of capitula
(popularly called and pommel or hats)
per the plant is 1 -4, and the average
diameter is 21 cm. Capitula have an
average total weight 638 g, out of
which 250 g is seed.

Other useful information:
- Do not use chemicals

TRADITIONAL MAIZE (CORN)
Species: Zea mays

Family: GRAMINAE

Seed and planting: Plant it when the outside temperature is
stabilized between 8-1 0 degrees Celsius, at a depth of 5-8 cm. Keep
at least 70 cm between rows. It is good to put together 2 seeds, in
rows, keeping enough distance.

Cultivation: During the growing session maize needs: 3-4 mechanical
hoeing between rows and 2-3 manual hoeing on the row. The depth
the land is worked on shall be of maximum 12 cm. The critical phase
in maize care is during the first 2-3 weeks after it springs and the
hoeing is hand made when weeds appear, keeping the maize field
clean. For pest control, crop rotation is the most important measure
that can be taken.


Traditional maize Groii ibleului 71
Origin: Groii ibleului village,
Maramure county

Shape, taste and colour of fruit:
-Maize with 8 rows of grain
-The colour of the grains is yellow

Production: very productive

Other useful information:
-A mountain maize, very resistant
to drought and cold
-Excellent for polenta
- Do not use chemicals

TRADITIONAL PEPPER
Species: Capsicum

Family: SOLANACEAE


Cultivation: Peppers are mostly a culture which is intertwined within the
species, so it is preferable to cultivate more plants for seeds from each variety.
Pepper flowers self pollinate. Unwanted crossings may occur when you grow
more than one variety. To prevent this, you can keep different varieties distant
from each other. Isolation distances recommended for varies between 30 and 200 m

Keeping the seeds: Take the seeds out from the inside of the pepper and
leave them in a warm place until they are completely dry and airy. There is no
need for any other cleansing.


Traditional pepper Drmboca 75
Origin: Drmboca village, Buzau
county


Useful information:
- Do not use chemicals

Huge traditional pepper Drmboca 76
Origin: Drmboca village, Buzau
county

Shape, taste and colour of fruit:
-Very big fruit


Useful information:
- Do not use chemicals

TRADITIONAL DILL
Species: Anethum Graveolens

Family: APINACEAE

Dill can be sown directly into the garden in early spring or late autumn. After the
first year of culture, if plants are left to get mature, seeds will shake and will
spring again next year. Dill, like most herbs, is resistant to diseases and pests.








Traditional dill Rau Alb 77
Origin: Rau Alb village, Hunedoara
county



Useful information:
- Do not use chemicals

TRADITIONAL LETTUCE
Species: Lactuca sativa

Family: COMPOSITAE

Lettuce is sown directly in the field, at a distance of 20 cm between rows and 13-18
cm on the row. The seeding depth is 1-2 cm up to 3cm, depending on the soil
moisture. It can be sown in 2-3 stages from March to September. To prevent
diseases and pests, cultivate plants in clean soil, leave space for ventilation of
plants and irrigate in furrows. In order not to pollinate with other varieties of
lettuce, isolate them at distances 200-300 m









Traditional lettuce Groii ibleului 80
Origin: Groii ibleului village,
Maramure county



Useful information:
- Adapted to mountainous areas,
resistance to cold.
- Do not use chemicals

TRADITIONAL SAFFLOWER
Species: Carthamus tinctorius


Safflower is an herb used as a natural remedy. The oil obtained from the seeds is
ideal for salads. The dried flowers can be used as a substitute for saffron, for
culinary flavoring and colouring.












Traditional safflower Dmbroca 75
Origin: Dmbroca village, Buzau
county



Useful information:

- Do not use chemicals

CULTURAL ASSOCIATION FOR CHILDREN AND
YOUTH
MILLENIUM ART
GIURGIU, ROMANIA

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.
This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot
be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained
therein.