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An analysis is made of the root system morphogenesis and architecture in several tens of European mountain ash trees aged up to 60 years at seven different sites. Although the root system variability is considerable, certain dependences can be derived. European mountain ash forms an anchoring root system. Limiting factors of the root system morphogenesis are the groundwater table (roots do not penetrate into soil horizons affected by underground water), prevailing direction of wind (elliptic root system develops in the wind direction), and the slope (in the uphill direction the roots are shorter, exhibit the more or less horizontal growth and reach into deeper soil horizons than roots growing in the downhill direction). An unambiguous correlation was found between the rooting depth of anchor roots and the number and reach of lateral roots (the longer the anchors, the fewer the lateral roots and the smaller their reach). The shorter the anchor roots, the more intensive the branching of not only the anchors themselves but also of superficial roots.

Following measurements of dead wood (20 to 40 years) at various developmental stages of the life cycle of selected virgin forests of the 1^st to 7^th altitudinal zone the relation of its course was derived. The dynamics and course of dead wood in the life cycle of virgin forests were best represented by a polynomial of the third degree. An analysis confirmed that virgin forests consisting of stable tree species with approximately the same physical age (Boky) showed small differences between maximal increase and decrease in necromass during the whole development cycle. Virgin forests at sites rich in nutrients consisting of several tree species with various physical age had high values of necromass during their whole development cycle. Spruce stands at the upper forest boundary also had a relatively high ratio of necromass at the advanced optimum stage.

The paper is a contribution to research on thinnings in mixed (spruce-fir-beech) stands situated in the fifth forest altitudinal zone in the central part of Slovakia. Three plots were tended by free crown thinning while one plot was left without any planned silvicultural treatment (as a control). Dynamic changes in tree species composition, stand structure and quantitative production were evaluated for a period of 30 years. A special attention was paid to development of crop trees that are the main bearers of stand quality and quantity. The changes were compared with respect to differences between plots with long-term silvicultural treatments and control plot (without treatments).

Floodplain forest response to changed soil moisture regime and nutrient availability due to river regulation was studied using remote sensing (ETM) data. Images of May and October 2001 were used to prepare NDVI, SAVI, 5/4-ratio images and ETM band 7. Comparisons of the LAI, NDVI, 5/4-ratios and ETM band 7 mean values were done to find out the differences between the flooded and non-flooded sites. Unsupervised clustering of images was done using single transformed channels, i.e. NDVI, SAVI, 5/4-ratio and ETM band 7 to find seasonal variations in the values of these indices. The results were found to be in agreement with ground research.

This research deals with a comparative study of two different N-saturated forests: 1. beech forest and 2. spruce forest at the same locality of \solling, Central Germany. The present results show that ¹⁵N natural occurrence in the rainfall (both above and below canopy) at Solling site is similar (δ¹⁵N = -15‰ to +19‰) to other sites of the world (such as NITREX sites, USA etc.). Furthermore, ¹⁵N values in the soil water ranged from -4.32 (± 2.09) to +5‰ (± 1.47), which also corresponds to NITREX sites and other sites of Europe and USA. In both forests, δ¹⁵N enrichment of both NH₄-N and NO₃-N showed a decreasing trend of their values from bulk precipitation to the upper soil layer, but increasing in the deeper soil layer again. An increase in the ¹⁵N enrichment of soil water from upper soil depth to lower soil depth was observed in our study and it is assumed to be due to the strong net nitrification taking place in the upper layer (organic surface layer) of soil. The soils at both sites showed characteristic low (negative) δ¹⁵N values in the upper organic layers, strongly increasing to positive δ¹⁵N values in the mineral soil. In the lower depths of mineral soil horizons of both stands, an increase in δ¹⁵N values was found to culminate at +3 to +5‰. In contrast to the mineral soil horizon, in the organic soil horizon (0 to 6 cm depth) of both sites there was almost a similar or slight decrease in δ¹⁵N values with depth. This is attributed to the high nitrification rate in the organic soil horizon, resulting in excessive seepage water NO₃-output at both sites (especially at the spruce site).

Dendroclimatological research presented in this paper concerns Douglas fir (P. menziesii) at 17 sites located in the area of the Sudetes Mountains, the Polish part of the Carpathians and Roztocze. The methods of principal components analysis, response function and coefficients of convergence allowed the researchers to determine that the factor which integrated chronologies and determined the annual rhythm of changes in radial increment of the trees under research was the thermal conditions of winter preceding the vegetation season. Thermal conditions and summer rainfall had a slightly smaller impact on the tree increment. The influence of thermal and pluvial conditions on the process of xylem cell formation changed as longitude changes occurred. The pressure of winter temperatures and summer rainfall increased with an increase in the degree of climate continentality. On the other hand, the role of summer temperatures decreased. Despite these differences, the rhythm of annual changes in tree-ring width of Douglas fir from the Sudetes, Carpathians and Roztocze is highly similar. Southern Poland can be considered as dendrochronologically homogeneous for this species. We can distinguish two areas that are dendroclimatologically homogeneous.

Plum pox virus (PPV) is widely distributed in plums and myrobalans in western, central and easternBohemia, in north-western, central and north-easternMoravia of theCzechRepublic. In southernBohemia and partly also in southernMoravia there is only a low and sporadic incidence. Naturally growing plums and myrobalans, and plums growing along roads were found to be the main sources and reservoirs of PPV infection. This high incidence in naturally growing plum and myrobalan trees makes it impossible to grow plum cultivars that are susceptible to PPV; only resistant cultivars can be grown in this country. In blackthorns the occurrence of PPV is limited to the regions with high and long-term presence of the virus. Therefore, we can conclude that blackthorn is not the primary, but a secondary source of PPV. On the other hand, sweet and sour cherries at localities of central and westernBohemia, and of southernMoravia are PPV-free. Till now the presence of strain PPV-C was not proved in theCzechRepublic. Strain PPV-M was proved only in two plum and one damson trees. It was also found in one apricot and one peach orchard planted with imported nursery material. Strain PPV-M appears to have been introduced recently and is absent from or has a very low incidence in spontaneous PPV hosts, while the widespread and long-term dissemination of strain PPV-D may indicate that it originated in the Czech Republic.

Control of SVBV relies completely on the use of virus-free planting material, that can be tested either by biological indexing or by molecular methods. A NASBA-based amplification was developed for the detection of SVBV. NASBA is a method based on the primer-dependent, specific amplification of RNA by concurrent activity of a special enzyme mix (AMV-reverse transcriptase, RNaseH, T7 RNA polymerase) at a single temperature (41°C). Specific and sensitive detection of the amplified sequence can be performed in the same tube using molecular beacons. Sensitivity of SVBV-NASBA was 102 molecules of in vitro RNA detected per reaction. Results of the NASBA-based detection of SVBV in indicator strawberry plants were well comparable to the results of PCR.

Root and stem rot caused by soil-borne agent Fusarium avenaceum is a major disease of wild Hypericum perforatum accessions in the field collection of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (MAP) of the Institute of Botany in Lithuania. These wild accessions of H. perforatum are growing as an initial material for breeding. In 1998-2001 the monitoring of epidemiological situation of field collection of H. perforatum showed differences among accessions considering the resistance to root rot. High intensity of root rot was observed in the third-fourth years of cultivation. The most damaged plants (> 50%) were among the accessions 219, 379, 381, and cv. Zolotodolinskaja. Fungi of the Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Penicillium, Rhizoctonia, and Verticillium genera were associated with H. perforatum roots together with the rot agent Fusarium avenaceum. Seven accessions from Lithuania and cv. Zolotodolinskaja of H. perforatum were tested for the resistance to root rot under greenhouse conditions. Two accessions (219, 381) were highly susceptible to the disease, another two (218, 383) were less susceptible, others were free of the symptoms of root rot. Accessions and single plants, survived after artificial infection, have been selected for further investigations.

In the framework of PVS eradication from breeding materials of Czech potato cultivars, the systematic research was devoted to: susceptibility of cultivars, occurrence of PVS in imported and domestic materials, and to maintenance of virus-free basic grades potatoes on breeding stations. In the field-exposure trials was proved high level of susceptibility of most cultivars to PVS and by contraries, gradualy increased proportion of maintained virus-free cultivars of foreign, as well as domestic origin. Nevertheless severe infestation still persist in some of them. The contemporary situation with maintenance of virus-free basic material in CR was demonstrated.

The main goal of this work was to calibrate and evaluate the CERES-Barley and CERES-Wheat crop models. The experimental fields used for the model evaluation are situated in three different production regions (maize, sugar beet and potato main growing regions, respectively) with altitudes of 179, 204 and 560 meters above the sea level. Grain yield and date of anthesis together with maturity dates served as reference for the model evaluation. Two evaluation approaches were tested in this study. The first one uses historical data series and it is based on long-term field experiments with capability to reflect interannual weather variability. The second approach uses results of one-year multiple treatment experiment. The model evaluation is then based on a set of treatments differing e.g. in sowing date or an amount of used nitrogen fertilizer. Grain yields simulated by both models are acceptable when compared with experimental results: the coefficient of determination for historical series varied from 0.69 to 0.86 for evaluation of CERES-Barley at the three examined sites and reached values of 0.60 and 0.86 for the CERES-Wheat model at two experimental sites. The lower coefficient of determination of the wheat model was recorded at the locality with the highest altitude and coldest winter conditions. There, also the worst reliability of simulated phenological development was noted. At the second locality where the CERES-Wheat model was tested and at all three localities where CERES-Barley was applied, the simulated duration of vegetation period and anthesis dates were relatively accurate and yielded strong statistical correlation. The one-year multiple treatment experiment proved to be useful to determine the models sensitivity to differences in crop management. The combination of both approaches seems to be the best solution for evaluation of similar crop models if the detail long term experimental data are not available.

Seven cultivars of common buckwheat were tested in field trials under two levels of nitrogen fertilisation on two experimental sites during 1998-2000. The aim of the experiments was to evaluate the influence of cultivar, nutrition and year on main technological quality parameters (thousand achenes weight, volume weight, proportion of fractions on sieves 4.5 and 4 mm, proportion of husks and yield of groats). The differences were observed between buckwheat cultivars in all observed parameters of technological value. Nitrogen fertilisation before sowing (50 kg.ha^-1) did not influence any parameter. On the contrary, buckwheat technological value was influenced by sequence weather (particularly rainfalls) during flowering and achenes formation periods (July). The influence of year was manifested especially on development of endosperm and husks of achenes. Better growing conditions on experimental site Uhříněves caused lower values of volume weight, lower proportion of pericarp (husks) and considerably higher proportion of fraction over 4.5 mm.

Field trials were conducted at two sites Troubsko near Brno and Prague-Ruzyně in 1996-1999 with three varieties of safflower (Gila, CW-74, Sironaria). Three rates of nitrogen fertilization were used: N0 = no fertilization, N₁ = 40 kg/ha, N₂ = 80 kg/ha. Sowing rates were 50 and 70 germinable seeds per m2. The average values of oil content were highest in seeds of CW-74 variety (27.2%). Gila had on average the lowest oil content (24.5%). Linoleic acid was dominant in all three safflower varieties. Variation in content of linoleic acid in different years was not so high as in oil content. The highest average content of linoleic acid was found in Gila variety (81.2%), the lowest in Sironaria (77.4%). At Ruzyně average seed yield on dry basis was 2.7 t/ha and average straw yield was 7.56 t/ha. At Troubsko seed yield was 2.56 t/ha and straw yield was 3.69 t/ha (by 50% lower than at Ruzyně). The effect of year of growing and site on seed yields and on other parameters was highly significant. N fertilization increased safflower seed yield at Troubsko site only, where the dose of 40 kg/ha N increased the yield by 0.08 t/ha on average of years and the dose of 80 kg/ha N increased the seed yield by 0.2 t/ha in comparison with no nitrogen fertilization treatments. Increased N rates and especially higher plant density resulted in an increase in straw yields. Neither were thousand seed weight nor number of flower heads influenced significantly by different N rates or the above-mentioned differences in plant density.

Many factors, most notably climate, soil, genotype and fertilising, can influence barley grain composition and its nutritive value. The aim of the research was to evaluate the impact of mineral N rate in different management systems in the static long-term experiment with three years field rotation of grain maize, wheat and barley on the chemical composition of winter barley and its nutritive value for ruminants. Crude protein content and metabolizable crude protein content were increasing with increased mineral N rates. Higher yield meant lower crude protein and metabolizable crude protein content in all mineral N rates. The average crude protein content of barley grain, presented in DLG tables (1997), which is 12.4%, was in MM and SM reached by fertilising rate 110 kg N/ha. A significant impact of mineral N fertilising on crude ash, ether extract and crude fibre content could not be confirmed, nitrogen-free extract content was decreasing with increased mineral N rates. A significant impact of the management system on the Weende analysis parameters, net energy for lactation, metabolizable energy and metabolizable crude protein could not be confirmed. At both analyses a significant impact of the season was confirmed on crude protein content and nitrogen-free extract content. Although the protein content was increasing with increased mineral N rate from 9.2-14.2% (for 35%) ME content and NEL content did not significantly differ considering mineral N rate; ME/ha and NEL/ha increasing with increased mineral N rates was the result of the yield increasing with increased mineral N rates.

The influence of accelerated ageing test (AAT), i.e. of higher temperature and humidity, on the content and composition of phenolic compounds in the grains of five cultivars of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) was studied in the years 1998 and 1999. Total polyphenols were determined spectrophotometrically by Folin-Ciocalteau's phenolic reagent and free phenolic acids by an HPLC method in control samples and after deterioration treatment (AAT) in the Ebi, Estica, Nela, Samanta and Šárka cultivars. Statistical significance of deterioration treatment, cultivar, cultivation site, and harvest year was proved. Content of total polyphenols increased during deterioration and levels of the individual free phenolic acid changed depending on their structures. Mean contents of total polyphenols varied from 600 to 960 mg/kg of dry matter. The increase caused by the AAT ranged between 0-20%, the greatest mean increase was observed in the cultivar Nela (by 19%). Sinapic acid (as high as 540 mg/kg of dry matter), 3-hydroxy-benzoic acid and 7-hydroxycoumarin were determined as the major phenolic acids and coumarins. A decrease of free phenolic acids containing methoxy groups in their molecules (sinapic and vanillic acids) and an increase of phenolic acids with free hydroxy groups (caffeic and gallic acids) was observed after deterioration treatment. Statistically significant (P ≤ 0.05) effect of AAT on the content of free phenolic acids was observed.

The effects were tested of white fleece on the contents of ascorbic acid, nitrates, and polyphenols in 1999 and 2000, and on the carotenoids content in 2000 and 2001 intubers of two early potato varieties (Adora and Impala) in field trials on two cultivation sites (Přerov n/Labem and Prague-Troja). Early irrigated potatoes were cultivated according to the uniform methodology for field trials. Two variants were compared - cultivated plants covered with white fleece (Pegas-Agro UV 17) and the controls without any covering. The tubers were harvested three times in intervals of 7-16 days. The results were statistically tested by ANOVA and Tukey's methods. Ascorbic acid content showed a tendency to higher values in the potatoes covered with white fleece as compared with the control samples (average increase by 12.3%). The effect of the fleece was significantly affected by the potato genotype and the year of cultivation (cv. Adora showed a content higher by 12.54% in comparison with the control). The tendency to reduce nitrate levels was observed in potato tubers cultivated under the fleece, especially in the second term of harvest (on average by 14.34%). The decrease between the first and the third term of harvest was apparent. The higher was the maturity of potato tubers, the lower nitrate content was found. Significant differences were found between the varieties (P = 0.0058) and the cultivation sites (P = 0.0399). The effect of white fleece on polyphenol content was not statistically significant. However, the effect of the year of cultivation on the polyphenols content was significant (P = 0.0094). The effect of white fleece on the carotenoids content was not statistically significant but a tendency to lower contents in the variant with white fleece was found (by 7.2%). The sites and the varieties affected the carotenoids contents significantly (P = 0.0028 and P = 0.0417, respectively).

A total of 429 specimens belonging to 9 species of small mammals, trapped in various areas of the CzechRepublicduring the year 2001, were examined for antibodies against leptospires. Antibodies were found in all localities under study in 50 specimens, i.e., 11.6%, belonging to 5 species. Antibodies were most often , i.e., in 42% of positives, found in Microtus arvalis. In Apodemus spp. and Clethrionomys glareolus it was in 34.0% and 14.0% of positives, respectively. In other specimens belonging to Mus musculus and Microtus subterraneus antibodies were found only on occasion. Antibodies against L. grippotyphosa serotype were only found. Titres varied from 100 to 12 800 and most reactions in positive individuals were at lower dilutions, i.e., up to the titre of 800 in 40 cases (80%). The results proved the already known fact of dominant persistence of leptospiral foci of the grippotyphosa type in the Czech Republic.

Infected animals in the wild, which can act as a reservoir and/or vector for the origin of bovine tuberculosis, are a great problem for national programmes seeking to free herds of cattle from the infection. The circulation of Mycobacterium bovis in the wild animal population might cause a slow-down in the progress of control programmes through the reinfection of herds of livestock. The Eurasian badger (Meles meles) and red deer (Cervus elaphus) living in the wild in Great Britain and Ireland, brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula), ferrets (Mustela putorius f. furo) in New Zealand and wild buffalo (Bubalus arnee) in Australia are among already known reservoirs and vectors of bovine tuberculosis. In 7 countries of Central Europe (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia) bovine tuberculosis in ca􀄴le was controlled as part of national control programmes more than 20 years ago. In the last decade M. bovis has been diagnosed extremely sporadically in cattle and other domestic animals as well as in wild animals held in captivity or living in the wild. This favour­able situation could be threatened by the mycobacteria spreading via the wild boar (Sus scrofa) which is susceptible to mycobacterial infection and very abundant in Central Europe. According to available literary data, mycobacteria were detected in 361 wild boar originating from countries other than those of Central Europe, such as Australia, Bulgaria, Germany, the Hawaiian island of Molokai, Italy and Spain. M. tuberculosis complex (33.9%) and M. bovis complex (39.8%) isolates were most frequently detected in the faeces and/or parenchymatous organs of wild boar. Of other mycobacterial species, M. intracellulare (3.8%), M. avium subsp. avium (3.8%), M. terrae (2.4%), M. fortuitum (2.2%), M. scrofulaceum (2.2%), M. gordonae (0.8%), M. simiae (0.5%), M. szulgai (0.5%), M. xenopi (0.5%), M. smegmatis (0.2%), M. vaccae (0.2%), fast-growing, further unspecified species (0.2%) and unidentified mycobacteria (8.8%) were isolated. Following the analysis of literary data and our own results, it was found that, in the area covered by the above-mentioned 7 countries of Central Europe, a total of 431 wild boar were examined for mycobacterial infections in the years 1983-2001. Tuberculous lesions in parenchymatous organs were found in 43 (10.0%) animals. M. bovis was identified in 22 (5.1%) animals, M. a. avium in 2 (0.4%), M. a. paratuberculosis in 1 (0.2%) animal and atypical mycobacteria in 27 (6.3%) animals. The wild boar may therefore represent, under certain unfavourable epizootio­logical conditions, a vector of some mycobacterial infections in not only animals, but also humans.

The objectives of our study were to describe the variation of quarter milk flow parameters and to determine the factors that affect these parameters the most. Additionally, repeatabilities (r₂) of the quarter milk flow traits (duration of milk flow, time to reach peak flow, peak flow rate, and duration of milk flow in single phases - increase, plateau, decline and blind phase) were calculated. Repeatability of total milk yield and milk yield in single phases was calculated, too. The data from 39 Holstein cows, in their first to third lactation and free of clinical mastitis, were used for statistical analysis. A total of 1 656 curves of quarter milk flows were recorded during six consecutive days. At the last evening and morning milking samples of milk from each quarter were collected for determination of somatic cell count (SCC). Peak flow rate, quarter position, time of milking (morning and evening) and SCC significantly affected most of the measured traits. The highest r2 were for total milk yield and yield of plateau phase 0.53 and 0.50, resp. The lowest r2 were calculated for the duration of increase phase, and milk yield of the increase and blind phase 0.26, 0.12 and 0.21, resp. Peak flow rate, SCC, time of milking and front-rear position influenced the values of r2 of traits to various extent.

In 2001, raptor and owl eggs were collected for the purpose of detection of contamination by poly­chlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) at 15 sites in the southeastern area of the Czech Republic. In total 31 unhatched eggs of 4 raptor species and 3 owl species were examined. PCB determination was carried out by high-resolution gas chromatography. PCB content was expressed in μg per 1 kg of lipid weight for the major PCB congeners 28, 52, 101, 118, 138, 153 and 180, serving as indicators. In all examined eggs the indicator PCB congeners were found. The ranges of total values of indicator PCB congeners found in different raptor and owl species were as follows: kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) 37.0 and 44.3 (n = 2), black kite (Milvus migrans) 28.3-40.5 (n = 3), imperial eagle (Aquila heliaca) 66.4 (n = 1), marsh harrier (Circus aeruginosus) 45.1 (n = 1), barn owl (Tyto alba) 20.6-46.1 (n = 17), long-eared owl (Asio otus) 32.0-41.9 (n = 6) and tawny owl (Strix aluco) 47.5 (n = 1) μg/kg of lipid weight. PCB congener 153 was the one most frequently found.

The article summarizes findings drawn form the research carried on within the European project "Best e-European Practices" with a focus on digital SMEs only. Case studies are used to describe good practices. Cases studies are coded structurally using a set of indicators for each success factor and thus provide for learning of the potential users. Synthesis and generalization has been done on factors explaining motivations for introducing e-practices, the results firms seek to achieve and the benefits from the adoption of digital technologies.

Czech agricultural sector undertook many great changes in the last 12 years. These changes have resulted in the creation of business structure, which, however, is still not finished due to external (market) and internal (enterprise) conditions. The main goal within these changes was to create functional efficient and competitive agricultural sector, which is to survive in ever changing global world, in particular with respect to the intention to join the unified Europe. One of the questions, which is currently discussed very often, is to what extent the current business agricultural structure is efficient in input allocation, eventually which structural changes have to be undertaken to create such effective sector. The main objective of this contribution is therefore to present findings, which were obtained within the research project processing.

Using the research technique of document study, the paper analyses printed mass media with national coverage (from the national daily newspapers to specialised journals) during the period of the beginning 2002 - October 2003. The task of the paper is to outline the experiences with the SAPARD Programme as they are recorded in mass media and found among stakeholders (i.e. farmers and the representatives of rural municipalities or rural businesses). The text prolongs the previous investigation among Czech SAPARD shareholders and compares the findings. The SAPARD Programme showed that they are the rural stakeholders who are well prepared to act in the institutionalised frames of the EU structural policy. As a necessary condition of stakeholders for the success in getting the EU funds, there are the visions, enthusiasm and appropriate objects for the the intended project. The issues which have to be developed (and therefore they are the challenge for the future) are achieving better co-ordination of activities, quality and good system of information, dissemination of gathered experiences and simplification of administration.

The paper reviews experiences from the accession process of Poland and the Czech Republic, two countries with different accession conditions regarding the agri-food sector. The paper has two main aims. First is to discuss the scope of action in the EU and in the acceding countries from a game theoretical view. The second aim is to identify the reasons for successfully providing beneficial accession criteria. Investigating two selected agricultural sectors does this: milk and beef production. Our overall argument is that the actions, which nations and interest groups have undertaken with regard to the EU accession and future policy direction are, at least partially, a function of different external restrictions and internal national patterns; i.e., the relevance and structure of agriculture and the bargaining power of interest groups.

Czech countryside and agriculture entered a new phase of development in May 2004. The transformation period after 1989 has changed the employment conditions of rural population as well as the conditions of economic subjects functioning in the rural space considerably. Its multifunctional character is now shifting from the sphere of theoretical thinking to the expected reality of the nearest years. The fact that the necessary economic prerequisites and their social impacts are closely tied together stresses the necessity of forming such tools of following and evaluating of the rural development criteria which would be able to reflect in a relevant way important indicators of the positive and negative changes in the working and living conditions of the population. The contribution issues from the experience of empirical research and reflects its future orientation, methodological approaches and possibilities.

In relation to sustainable rural development, the paper starts with the question of its conditions. One of them is social acceptance of various projects or programmes. This issue is joined with the co-ordination of human activities. The mechanism facilitating the co-ordination in contemporary societies is related to social capital. Its concept is outlined through the references to the basic literature about the topic. Using content analysis, based on the quantification of the categories created through the analysis of the literature about the topic, the social capital in selected municipalities is investigated. The main aim of the paper, however, is to show the role of this method in social capital fast identification. Although the approach necessitates further elaboration, it can be considered as the first important step in the practice of development activities. The background of the paper reflects the challenges of the World Bank concerning the elaboration and development of the new methods of measuring social capital.

The objective of the paper is to present one method that solves the problem of election of a suitable export strategy using method of multi criteria evaluation. The initial hypothesis assumes limited financial and personal resources of a company generating necessity of incremental penetration to export markets with dependence on budget and expected results. The method also assumes individual choice of a single export strategy for each market. Number of formulated export strategies equals to the number of penetrated markets. The process of formulation of a new strategy consists of two steps. In the first step, an export market is chosen and in the second step, one of the export strategies is attached to the export market. The company management according to the company orientation and the management experience creates criteria for market selection. The method is supported with software that leads the company management through the entire process of export strategy formulation. The final order of suitable export strategies for the chosen market allows management to elect the best ranked variant or discuss about the order of export strategies and justify the diversion from strict mathematic evaluation of entered data.

The work objective is to differentiate rural land of Slovakia with aspect to the possibility of effective rye growing. The differentiation is based on pedo-climatic and production economic parameters. At soil categorization, correlation relationships between the site properties (soil and climatic conditions) and crop biological and agro-technological requirements were considered. Rye requirements were included into yield databases using the software filters in the way that the given site property excluded or limited rye growing, what was reflected in predicted production. The prediction was subsequently interpolated into four suitability categories: soils not suitable for rye growing, less suitable soils, suitable soils and very suitable soils. The database was formed and each of the Bonited Soil-Ecological Units (BSEU) was added in it as well as particular category of suitability for rye growing. By mediation of the Geographic Information System on BSEU distribution in Slovakia, the map of categories of soil suitability for rye growing was also generated. In Slovakia, there is 21% of farmland very suitable for rye growing, 23% suitable, 24% less suitable and 32% non-suitable soils for rye growing according to our calculation. In the paper, these categories are characterized in details and specified from the view of geographic, soil, climatic, productivity, economic and energetic parameters.

The political goal to reduce the transformation effects of political measures to the advantage of active farmers is only partially achieved with the Combi-model. The primary recipients are farmers who will give up their farms after introducing the Combi-model. These farmers have mostly farmed leased land. They will return these lands (leased before the reform) to the former leasers and sell their premium rights to other farm owners or lease these in co-operation with the former leasers for a fee to a new lease. Farmers who want to farm over a long term cannot use the stronger negotiating position against the old lessors following the introduction of the Combi-model because they must maintain a good leaser-leasee relationship. But they do profit to a certain extent, at least at first, because the negotiating results of the farms closing with the old leasers will become public. In contrast, the negotiating position of farmers who first lease their land areas following the introduction of the Combi-model is hardly strengthened, particularly in the current lease market in Germany.