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A 2-year-old, castrated, male Russian blue cat presented with acute dyspnoea, cyanosis, and lethargy. A thoracic radiography revealed a large cranial mediastinal mass; the computed tomography revealed caudal lobe atelectasis of the right lung with pericardial and pleural effusions. The cytodiagnostic tests revealed high-grade CD4⁺ CD8⁺ T-cell mediastinal lymphoma as clinical stage Vb; l-asparaginase-cyclophosphamide-doxorubicin-vincristine-prednisolone (l-CHOP)-based chemotherapy was initiated, following which the mass shrunk rapidly; 1 week after the initiation of chemotherapy, the appetite-related and respiratory symptoms improved dramatically, and the pleural and pericardial effusion resolved. The patient remains in complete remission three years after the initiation of the l-CHOP chemotherapy. Therefore, the accurate diagnosis and instantaneous initiation of chemotherapy may resolve life-threatening pleural and pericardial effusions in cats with high-grade aberrant T-cell mediastinal lymphoma.

The ameliorative effects and its mitigation mechanisms of selenium (Se) on cadmium (Cd) toxicity in cucumber seedlings were studied through hydroponic experiments. Cd and other mineral nutrient concentrations, antioxidant enzyme activities, and antioxidant contents in cucumber were studied. The results revealed that exogenous Se significantly decreased the Cd concentrations in all tissues, especially in the leaves. Moreover, exogenous Se (Cd + Se) could increase Zn, Na, leaf Cu, stem/root Fe, stem/root Ca, and stem/root Mg concentrations; and reduce leaf Mg concentration, compared with Cd alone treatment. Additionally, the application of Se ameliorated the toxicity of Cd by harmonising the activities of antioxidase, such as Cd + Se treatment reduced Cd-induced increase of superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, leaf/stem ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activities, which resulted in the significant decrease of the content of hydrogen peroxide, and malondialdialdehyde; increased root APX, and glutathione reductase activities. In addition, the content of nonenzymatic antioxidants such as root-reduced glutathione and oxidised glutathione was significantly increased by adding Se under Cd stress. Also, exogenous Se enhanced the total antioxidant capacity in terms of cupric-reducing antioxidant capacity and decreased total phenols, flavonoids, and leaf/root proline contents under Cd stress. In general, 3 μmol/L Se was conducive to plant growth and improved the cucumber's ability to alleviate Cd stress.

This study aims to explore the effect of phosphorus (P) application on the economic yield, quality, P accumulation, and P utilisation efficiency of purple-fleshed sweetpotato and to provide a basis for the P efficient utilisation and high crop yield. Field experiments were conducted in 2018-2019, and five P application rates (0, 10.9, 21.8, 32.7, and 43.6 kg P/ha, expressed as P0, P1, P2, P3, and P4, respectively) were set. The results showed that P application significantly increased the yield and commodity potato yield of purple-fleshed sweetpotato, and that of P3 treatment was the highest, followed by P2 treatment. P application also increased the starch content in the storage root and increased the reducing sugar and soluble sugar (except for P2 treatment). P fertiliser supply significantly increased P accumulation and dry matter production of purple-fleshed sweetpotato during the growth period of 90 to 120 days. When the P application rate was over 21.8 kg/ha, the fertiliser investment rate, apparent P utilisation efficiency and P agronomic efficiency decreased with the increase of the application rate. Considering all the indexes, the supply of 21.8 kg/ha P fertiliser can meet the demand for high economic yield and P efficient utilisation in purple-fleshed type sweetpotato under the condition of this experiment.

In this study, Shewanella oneidensis MR-1, an iron (Fe)-reducing bacterium, was inoculated to a red soil, which was then incubated. Soil samples were taken regularly to analyse the variation of iron oxides and phosphorus (P) fractions. The results showed that the MR-1 inoculation increased the content of the free iron oxides, but decreased the activity of the iron oxides in the soil, and had no significant influence on the amorphous iron oxides. The MR-1 inoculation increased the resin-P and residual-P, decreased the NaHCO₃-extracted inorganic P (NaHCO₃-P_i) and NaOH-extracted inorganic P (NaOH-P_i), but did not significantly influence the diluted HCl-extracted inorganic P (D.HCl-P_i) and concentrated HCl-extracted inorganic P (C.HCl-P_i). The presence of MR-1 influenced the correlation between the free iron oxides and NaOH-P_i. In the CK where deactivated MR-1 was applied, there was a significant positive correlation between the free iron oxides and the NaOH-P_i; in the treatment with the live MR-1 inoculation, there was no correlation between them. In addition, there was a significant positive correlation between the free iron oxides and the C.HCl-P_i, and there was a significant negative correlation between the NaHCO₃-P_i, resin-P, and residual-P. Therefore, the MR-1 inoculation improved the P availability by decreasing the activity of the iron oxides and consequently improved the P use efficiency in the red soil.

Pinus pseudostrobus Lindl. is a species endemic to Mexico and is widely used in reforestation programmes, as it is highly adapted to poor, shallow, limestone soils and has high commercial importance. However, it is necessary to preserve this genetic material since it is in trouble due to high rates of deforestation, land use change, and forest fires, so it is necessary to have effective strategies to obtain good quality seedlings. Due to the properties of LED (light emitting diode) lamps used for illumination in the production of in vitro plants, the effects of two different lighting systems (LED and fluorescent) on an in vitro culture were analysed for the morphological characteristics of the growth and photosynthetic pigment content in P. pseudostrobus seedlings. The length and root size of the seedlings were affected by the type of illumination, where a red LED light was the most effective at 30 days of evaluation. However, a blue LED light was equally effective as a red LED light at 60 days of seedling development. On the other hand, the fluorescent light was better in terms of the number of needles in the first stage, but we found the blue LED light to be better in the second stage. For the photosynthetic pigment content, the highest values were found with the blue LED light. The results showed that the LED lighting system favours the growth, development, and photosynthetic pigment content of the species under study.

The cypress jewel beetle Lamprodila (Palmar) festiva is a wood-boring pest posing a major threat to the phytosanitary conditions of several coniferous trees. Its unprecedented European expansion has triggered serious plant protection concerns in several new habitats. Parts of Chamaecyparis lawsoniana injured by L. festiva were collected and analysed by computed tomography in order to study the dimensions of the cavities caused by L. festiva larvae as well as the larval positions. It is concluded that computer tomography representing a non-invasive approach is a promising tool for the visual depiction of the position and the physical parameters of the cavities formed. According to our experimental data, the penetration into the cypress caused by larvae and, inherently, its depth depends on the diameter of the branch. Additionally, the developing larvae appeared to keep distance from each other, which also depended on the diameter of the attacked branch. Our approach provides new data to the biological traits of the species. The main benefit that our imaging method furnishes is the exact, stress-free measurement method of the hidden developing stages. Its additional advantage is the indirect pest identification, which is based on the predetermined pest-specific damage characters.

A continuous long-term field experiment (2008-2018) was conducted in Xinjiang, north-western China, to assess the impact of farmyard manure (FYM) and inorganic fertilisers on the sustainable biomass yield of sweet sorghum cultivar (Xingaoliang No. 3) and soil chemical properties. Seven treatments, associated with nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), FYM, and their different combination, were compared with the control plot (CK). As a result, the treatments NP, PK, NK, NPK and NPKM significantly increased the average biomass yields by 30-48% over CK. The 12 t/ha FYM per year with NPK (NPKM) increased both the yield and total soluble solids (T_SS) by 48% and 7.9%, respectively, while the 18 t/ha/year application rate of FYM had an adverse effect on yield. Stem T_SS, soil available N and K for all treatments decreased while soil organic carbon, soil total salt and the available P for FYM applied treatments increased over the years. The soil pH stabilised at 7.8-8.2 at the end. In conclusion, the 12 t/ha/year of FYM is the most efficient rate for a single application or incorporation with inorganic fertilisers. A more reasonable application rate of N and K fertiliser to increase the yield and irrigation rate to reduce soil salt needs for further investigation.

Maintaining nitrogen (N) balance and inhibiting N leaching loss in the soil-crop system is crucial to maintaining yield and reducing the environmental pollution. This study investigated the effects of soil NO₃^--N content and accumulation, eggplant yield, N leaching and balance response to biochar addition, including regular fertilisation and irrigation (W + F), biochar addition with regular fertilisation and irrigation (W + F + B), and biochar addition with 20% fertilisation and irrigation reduction (0.8W + 0.8F + B) treatments. Compared with W + F, W + F + B and 0.8W + 0.8F + B increased soil NO₃^--N content in 0-40 cm and soil NO₃^--N accumulation in 0-20 cm, and raised harvest index, N surplus and balance. Simultaneously, 0.8W + 0.8F + B compared to W + F enhanced N use efficiency and N partial factor productivity, conversely, it decreased N dry matter production efficiency, N surplus and balance. Stepwise regression analysis demonstrated that the effect of NO₃^--N leaching lasted in 60 cm under biochar addition in the first year, and lasted in 20 cm without biochar application in the next year. Altogether, biochar addition with 20% fertilisation and irrigation reduction is the most suitable management strategy to decrease N surplus and leaching, and maintain eggplant N uptake in a two-year cycle system on greenhouse vegetables in Mollisols.

Plant-based natural products represent an alternative to chemical compounds for the control of mites in veterinary medicine. Here, the essential oil of Elsholtzia densa (E. densa) Benth was extracted using hydrodistillation at a rate of 1.2%. The chemical composition of the essential oil was determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. The GC-MS analysis indicated that the principal compounds in the volatile oil of the sample were 4-Pyridinol (28.16%) and thymol (26.58%). The acaricidal activity of E. densa oil against Sarcoptes scabiei (S. scabiei) was tested in vitro. Toxicity test data were analysed using a complementary log-log (CLL) model. The E. densa oil was prepared in five concentrations by dilution with liquid paraffin (1, 2, 4, 8 and 16 mg/ml) and exhibited strong toxicity against S. scabiei with LT₅₀ values of 16.637, 5.075, 2.884, 1.184 and 0.760 h, respectively. The LC₅₀ values were 7.678, 4.623, 2.543, 1.502, 1.298 and 0.981 mg/ml for S. scabiei at 1, 2, 4, 8, 16 and 24 h, respectively. Compared to the control, the essential oil showed significant effects against S. scabiei in vitro. At 16 mg/ml, E. densa oil was found to kill all mites within a 16-h period. The results indicate that E. densa oil possesses potential acaricidal activity in vitro and may be exploited as a novel drug for the effective control of S. scabiei.

The paper covers the results of the theoretical and experimental investigation of the developed sectional operating element of a flexible screw conveyer designed for transporting bulk agricultural materials. In order to determine the correlation between the design parameters of the hinged screw sections and the minimum permissible radius of curvature of a processing line, the analytical dependences have been deduced. The results of the experimental studies aimed at determining the efficiency of a screw conveyer and the level of the grain material damage depending on the change in design, kinematic and technological parameters of an operating element are presented.

Hens of the laying hybrid ISA Brown were used in the study with the objective to evaluate eggshell quality, microbial contamination of eggshells, and penetration of microorganisms into the egg content in different housing systems (enriched cage: 60 hens, 10 hens per cage, 750 cm² per hen vs free range: 60 hens, 9 hens per m²) and at different hen ages (26 vs 51 weeks) during storage time (0, 2, 7, 14, and 21 days). A significant interaction between the housing system and age was observed in egg weight and most of eggshell quality measurements. However, microbial contamination and penetration were affected mostly by the housing system and storage time. The numbers of Escherichia coli (P < 0.001, 4.51 vs 2.75 log cfu/eggshell) and Enterococcus (P < 0.001, 2.56 vs 1.11 log cfu/eggshell), and the total number of microorganisms (P < 0.001, 5.04 vs. 3.65 log cfu/eggshell) were higher in free range eggs compared to enriched cage eggs, respectively. The counts of Escherichia coli (P < 0.001, 4.23 vs 2.91 log cfu/eggshell) and Enterococcus (P < 0.001, 2.31 vs 1.27 log cfu/eggshell) decreased with storage time. A positive correlation between the total number of pores and penetration of Escherichia coli in both housing systems was observed in the albumen. It can be concluded that the housing system and age of laying hens significantly affected eggshell quality. Microbial contamination presumably affects the penetration of microorganisms. The correlation between the number of pores and penetration is assumed to be affected by the microbial species.

The results of 81 different crop management practices in spring barley grown in small-plot field trials on fertile soils in central Moravia were assessed during 2014-2016 with the aim to achieve the highest gross margin (GM - calculated as the difference between revenues and direct costs). GM was most affected by protein content in the grain below 12% corresponding to malting quality. Analyses identified greater determination level of non-linear relationships between stand structure elements and the content of nitrogen substances in the grain. This indicates that the probability of obtaining high quality malting barley is increased when a high level of sinks (number of grains/m²) corresponding to availability of sources, mainly water, is formed by optimal plant density (300-400/m²) and balanced combination of both structural elements of crop stand, i.e. - number of spikes per plant (2-4) and number of grains per spike (18-26). In case that the high level of sinks will be formed predominantly by one element, the risk of higher protein content in grain increases. This constitutes the requirement of early sowing and uniform, synchronized tillering and efficient use of nitrogen fertilizers.

This study was conducted in the period 2010-2015 to assess the influence of rootstocks on the growth and fruiting of apple trees of the 'Golden Delicious Reinders' cultivar. The experiment was conducted in an experimental orchard in Dąbrowice, Poland. The experimental material consisted of the Polish rootstocks P 66, P 67, P 68 and P 16, and the following American rootstocks of the Cornell Geneva series resistant to fire blight: CG.11, CG.41, CG.013 and CG.202. The rootstocks M.9T337, M.26, P 14 and P 60 were used as the control combination. The best-yielding trees were those from the CG.11 rootstock, while those from P 14 and P 67 were the lowest-yielding. Trees from the latter rootstocks grew most vigorously and had the lowest productivity index.

A 2-year field experiment was carried out in loessal soil in a semi-humid climate to research winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) growth and nitrogen use efficiency. The result showed that subsoiling increased root penetration and promoted deep soil water absorption, which resulted in high resilience to the adverse dry climate. Soil NO₃^--N residue throughout the profile was decreased but increased in rotary tillage. Grain yield was significantly increased by 21.9% and 11.3% in 2016 and 2017, respectively, mainly due to the significantly larger spikes per hectare and grains per spike. Nitrogen use efficiency was significantly improved by 26.7% in 2016 and 13.8% in 2017. For loessal soil in semi-humid climate, breaking the plough pan was necessary, and it was useful for the increase of grain yield and nitrogen use efficiency.

Ureteral pseudodiverticulosis is rarely reported in veterinary medicine. This case study aimed to describe the radiographic, ultrasonographic and computed tomographic findings for dogs with radiologically confirmed ureteral pseudodiverticulosis. Three dogs met the inclusion criteria. Radiographic findings included multiple small, round-shaped mineral opacities located around the periphery of the ureters (3/3), and multiple contrast medium-filled outpouchings that appeared and disappeared when the contrast medium washed in and out on intravenous excretory urography (2/3). The outpouchings were approximately 1 mm in diameter. In the ultrasonographic images, the mineral foci were located adjacent to the ureter, but not within the ureteral lumen (1/3). Contrast-enhanced CT findings were similar to those of excretory urography (2/3). Ureteral pseudodiverticulosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis for old-aged and small-breed dogs with radiopaque materials along the ureteral pathways; excretory urography or contrast-enhanced CT are recommended for a more definitive imaging diagnosis.

The effect of fertilization with a new fertilizer on Polish market, a mixture of ammonium nitrate and ammonium sulfate (30% N, 6% S), was analysed in a three-year field experiment. The mixture commonly available on the market (26% N, 13% S) and ammonium nitrate, were used for comparison. Each fertilizer was applied in three doses: 150, 200 and 250 kg N/ha/year (simultaneously, 30, 40 and 50 kg S/ha were introduced with the mixtures). The highest mean (of the three years) grain yield (8.27 t/ha) was obtained after application of 200 kg N and 40 kg S/ha as the new fertilizer, with almost no significant effect of the type and dose of sulfur-containing fertilizers. Sulfur content in the grain was highest after the new fertilizer application; the content increased with increasing fertilizer dose. The highest mean protein (13.9-14.3%) and gluten (28.3-28.9%) content were recorded after application of 250 kg N/ha, and Zeleny sedimentation index (45.0-45.3 cm³) - after application of 250 kg N and 50 kg S/ha, regardless of the fertilizer. Sulfur intensified the acidifying effect of ammonium nitrate and increased the content of sulfates in the soil.

There are several reports in the veterinary literature on tracheal assessment; however, there is a lack of studies on the trachea in voluntarily breathing dogs. The aim of this study was to describe the natural shape of the trachea in awake dogs and to assess tracheal dimensions and the width-to-height ratio. Thoracic computed tomographic images of awake small breed dogs without any signs of respiratory malfunction (n = 19) were evaluated. Each trachea was categorised into one of four different shapes: circular, horseshoe, crescent or focal dorsal invagination. The circular shape was prominent, particularly in the thoracic inlet and intrathoracic area, while the horseshoe shape was also normally present. In this group of normal dogs, there were no crescent-shaped tracheas, but focally invaginated tracheas were observed. The mean tracheal heights at five locations, namely the caudal endplate of the fourth cervical vertebra, cranial endplate of the seventh cervical vertebra, mid-body of the first thoracic vertebra, mid-body of the third thoracic vertebra, and 1 cm cranial to the carina were 9.12, 8.96, 9.34, 9.88 and 10.16 mm, respectively. The widths at these same sites were 12.26, 10.42, 10.07, 9.82 and 10.23 mm, respectively. The width-to-height ratios of each tracheal location were 1.38, 1.20, 1.10, 1.01 and 1.03, the last two of which are consistent with the circular shape of the intrathoracic trachea. Multi-detector computed tomography under non-general anaesthesia is a non-invasive and unparalleled imaging tool for describing tracheal appearance in healthy awake dogs.

A traceability system is an effective tool to guarantee safety in horticultural products and to improve supply chain transparency. A direct data matrix (DM) code created with carbon dioxide laser (wavelength 10.6 µm) can be used as a trust mark on bananas. In this study, green bananas were marked with the above-mentioned CO₂ laser. Subsequently, the samples were held under storage conditions. Images of the codes on bananas were captured by using two different cameras; i.e. hyperspectral imaging camera and charge-couple device (CCD) camera. Image processing was used for evaluating print quality of 2D codes based on the ISO/IEC 15415 standard. The quality of the codes on bananas mainly depends on some parameters: laser power, laser energy, marking time per module and storage time. The best readability results were achieved by using laser power of 1.8 W and marking time of 0.09 s per data matrix module, whereby an 80-100% readability of DM codes after the storage was obtained.

The present study covers empirical research on the selected Agri-Biotech firms of Punjab. The sample has been chosen from the state of Punjab covering the sectors Food Processing Industry, Fertilizer and Pesticides Industry. On the basis of factor analysis, the study has also identified key factors influencing competitiveness. These are Threat of new competition; Threat of substitute products or services; Bargaining power of suppliers; Intensity of competitive rivalry; Bargaining power of customers; Rivalry among existing firms. The study also tries to evaluate the findings on the basis of the author-factor matrix. The aim is to identify the key factors influencing competiveness. It analyses the difference in competitive factors on the basis of the nature of the industry and on the basis of scale of the firms. Then finally it tries to determine the key competitive factors influencing the market share. The results indicate that the Threat of new competition and Threat of substitutes/services emerge as the important predictors. Intensity of competitive rivalry; Preparedness for Competition; and Bargaining power of suppliers also emerge as significant predictors. These variables explain 79.6% of variation in the model.

The goal of the presented research was to assess the influence of continuously administered fentanyl on the intraocular pressure, pupil size and aqueous tear production in dogs. A prospective, randomised, double "blind" clinical study was performed. Twenty-five non-painful dogs, 13 breeds, a body weight of 10.0 ± 5.4 kg (mean ± SD) and age of 6.5 ± 3.3 years, 12 males and 13 females with no ocular abnormalities were randomly allocated into two groups receiving an intravenous injection of saline (SAL) 0.3 ml/kg followed by an infusion 2 ml/kg/h or an intravenous injection of fentanyl (FEN) 0.005 mg/kg (diluted in 0.3 ml/kg) followed by an infusion 0.005 mg/kg/h (diluted in 2 ml/kg/h). The intraocular pressure (IOP), pupil size (PS), pulse rate (PR), respiratory frequency (f_R) and systolic and diastolic arterial pressures (SAP, DAP) were measured before (baseline) and at 2, 5, 10, 20 and 30 minutes after the premedication. The Schirmer Tear Test I (STT-I) was measured prior to and at 30 min after the premedication. The data were analysed by Bartlett's, Anderson-Darling and Dunnett's tests, the t-test and an analysis of variance (ANOVA) (P < 0.05). Relative to the baseline, in the fentanyl group, the PS was significantly decreased at all time points, the PR was significantly decreased at T₃₀ and the f_R was significantly decreased at T₅, T₁₀, T₂₀ and T₃₀. There were no other significant changes in the IOP, STT-I, SAP and DAP relative to the baseline. Compared to the control group, in the fentanyl group, the PS was significantly smaller at T₂, T₅, T₁₀, T₂₀ and T₃₀, the PR was significantly lower at T₂, T₂₀ and T₃₀ and the f_R was significantly higher at T₂₀. Within thirty minutes of a constant rate infusion of fentanyl in the healthy non-painful dogs, the intraocular pressure and aqueous tear production were not affected. However, the fentanyl significantly decreased pupil size. This fact should be considered, when planning analgesia where miosis is undesirable.

The objective of the present study was to establish a possible connection between disease resistance and the carbohydrate content of plant tissues by examining sour cherry genotypes with different tolerance levels in homeostasis. Research on the sour cherry - Monilinia laxa interaction involved the comparison of two Hungarian cultivars ('Érdi bőtermő' and 'Csengődi') and their offsprings (8) by measuring the quantity of homeostatic carbohydrate fractions in their leaves and phloem tissues. The results demonstrated that the glucose quantity and the ratio of glucose and fructose to sucrose were correlated with the disease resistance of sour cherry cultivars and their hybrids. The glucose content was higher in susceptible genotypes and lower in tolerant genotypes. The hexose:sucrose ratios of susceptible genotypes were significantly higher than those of tolerant genotypes.

Maize (Zea mays) is an economic crop suitable for use in phytoremediation in low to moderately cadmium (Cd)-contaminated soils due to its ability to accumulate high concentration of Cd in parts of maize that are not used in human diet. The aim of this study was to test Cd content in nine female parents of the commercial maize hybrids (C1 = ♀2-48; C2 = ♀1767/99; C3 = ♀87-24; C4 = ♀135-88, C5 = ♀84-28; C6 = ♀84-44; C7 = ♀438-95; C8 = ♀30-8; C9 = ♀B-73) grown under field conditions in two soils (B1: eutric cambisol, B2: stagnosol) during three growing seasons (A1: 2006, A2: 2007, A3: 2008). The stationary trial was conducted in four replicates. The ear-leaves at flowering and grain at maturity were taken for chemical analysis. The average quantities of leaf-Cd were 0.081, 0.088 and 0.143 mg per kg of dry matter for A1, A2 and A3, 0.089 and 0.118, for B1 and B2, respectively. Grain-Cd was below the threshold (< 0.02 mg/kg). Five Cd-inefficient genotypes (C3, C5, C6, C7 and C9) had low leaf-Cd (average 0.049 mg/kg), while this content was about 6-times higher (average 0.299 mg/kg) in Cd-efficient genotype C4. The yield among the years ranged from 2.36 to 4.31 t/ha. Maize grown on B2 had about 26% lower yield than on B1. Five genotypes (C1, C2, C8 and C9) achieved yields less than 3.50 t/ha (mean 3.15 t/ha), while in two genotypes (C3 and C5) yields were above 4.00 t/ha (mean 4.14 t/ha). Very strong correlations (r) of leaf-Cd status among years (ranged from 0.52 to 0.77) confirmed high genetic effect on the capability of Cd accumulation in maize. However, correlations between Cd content and yield were low (ranged from -0.17 to 0.06). Cd-efficient C4 female parent could be used for development of maize hybrids suitable for phytoremediation, while Cd-inefficient female parents for hybrids could be suitable as forage maize crop contributing to the lower Cd input into food chain.

Balance of potassium (K) was observed in long-term stationary field experiments (21 years) at two sites with different soil and climatic conditions (Luvisol, Cambisol). The following crops were rotated within the trial: potatoes- winter wheat-spring barley. All three crops were grown each year. The trial comprised 6 treatments: (1) no fertilization; (2) farmyard manure; (3) half dose of farmyard manure + nitrogen (N) in mineral nitrogen fertilizers; (4) mineral nitrogen fertilizers; (5) NPK in mineral fertilizers; (6) straw of spring barley + N in mineral nitrogen fertilizers. The recovery rate of potassium from farmyard manure by crops was 24-26%, from mineral fertilizers it was 27-52%. Different fertilization intensities were manifested by significant differences in the content of exchangeable K in soil. Changes in non-exchangeable K (K_ne) were recorded only at the Luvisol site (850 mg K_ne/kg), but not at the Cambisol site (3000 mg K_ne/kg). The maximum negative balance (-2376 kg K/ha/21 years) was recorded at the mineral nitrogen fertilization treatment.

Salt acclimation is a process to enhance salt tolerance in plants. The salt acclimation induced salt tolerance was investigated in a spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) cv. Steptoe (wild type, WT) and its abscisic acid (ABA)-deficient mutant Az34. Endogenesis ABA concentration in leaf was significantly increased by salt stress in WT, while it was not affected in Az34. Under salt stress, the salt acclimated Az34 plants had 14.8% lower total soluble sugar concentration and 93.7% higher sodium (Na) concentration in leaf, compared with salt acclimated WT plants. The acclimated plants had significantly higher leaf water potential and osmotic potential than non-acclimated plants in both WT and Az34 under salt stress. The salt acclimation enhanced the net photosynthetic rate (by 22.9% and 12.3%) and the maximum quantum yield of PS II (22.7% and 22.0%) in WT and Az34 under salt stress. However, the stomatal conductance in salt acclimated Az34 plants was 28.9% lower than WT under salt stress. Besides, the guard cell pair width was significantly higher in salt acclimated Az34 plants than that in WT plants. The results indicated that the salt acclimated WT plants showed a higher salt tolerance than Az34 plants, suggesting that ABA deficiency has a negative effect on the salt acclimation induced salt tolerance in barley.

Changes in the retail prices of pasteurised milk, purchase prices, and the price relationship between retail prices for pasteurised milk and other food products are analysed for Poland during the period from 2004-2018. In addition, the paper presents factors affecting changes in milk prices in Poland and characterises the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) on the milk market. The adoption of a long period of analysis allows for the study of periods of both high and low variability. The data analysis uses various methods including the Augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) test and the Autoregressive-Moving-Average Model (ARMA). The milk market showed significant response because it was one of the few that was strongly administered by the European Union. These policies led to a significant increase in milk prices in the analysed period. The average price of pasteurised food milk increased by 63% in 2003-2015, and the purchase farm price of milk increased by 91.74%. The situation changed when the production limits were eliminated after 2015. In the initial period after quotas ended, the price of milk decreased and then increased. Similar changes were observed in other EU countries. Even short-term fluctuations associated with economic crises did not significantly affect the milk market.

Several sets of soil samples were chosen to demonstrate the applicability of the Mehlich 3 extractant for the determination of sulphur (S) in soils. Archived samples from 139 basal soil monitoring plots (BSMS) sampled in 1995 and 2013, samples from eleven long-term field trials sampled in 1981 and 2017, 1167 soil samples from the areas vulnerable to S losses and 720 samples from the non-vulnerable areas sampled in 2010 were chosen for the experiments. Mehlich 3 clearly showed a statistically highly significant decrease in the soil S content caused by reduction of SO₂ emissions in the long-term field experiments from 33 mg/kg in 1981 to 8 mg/kg in 2017 for the median of the untreated controls. Similar results were obtained for BSMS samples, where an average decrease from 26 mg/kg in 1995 to 17 mg/kg in 2013 was found. Mehlich 3 also showed that more than 52% of samples from the areas vulnerable to S losses were in a very low content category in contrast to only 3% of soils from the other areas. Mehlich 3 clearly proved the capacity to distinguish changes in the content of soil S in all studied cases.

A straw chopper is a mechanical device used to uniformly chop fodder into small pieces to mix it together with other grass and then feed it to livestock. The objective of this research was to design and develop an animal fodder chopping machine to be utilised by dairy farmers within their purchase range. The drawing of these machine parts was undertaken in AutoCAD software and the construction was performed in a local workshop. After development of this machine, performance tests were carried out on a farm. The chopping machine tests were carried out with commonly grown fodder (namely: straw, grass, and maize) in Bangladesh. The performance evaluation of the developed machine was carried out in terms of the chopping efficiency, machine productivity, and energy consumption. The economic analysis of the straw chopping machine was assessed by indicating the cost effectiveness to the poor farmers. Analysis of the data in regard to chopping efficiency and machine productivity varied from 93 to 96% and from 192 to 600 kg×h^-1, respectively. The energy consumption during the chopping process ranged between 0.0025 and 0.01 kWh for the different types of fodder. The break-even point of the fodder chopping machine was 3 793 kg of cut straw and the payback period was within one year depending on the use.

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of a toy on the behaviour and body weight of weaned pigs after mixing. Two groups (192 pigs in total, control: without toy; treatment: with toy placed on the floor) of weaned pigs housed in pens (1.8 m × 1.4 m, 4 pigs/pen) were This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of a toy on the behaviour and body weight of weaned pigs after mixing. Two were observed with the aid of video technology for nine consecutive hours in the early (days 1 and 2) and late (days 38 and 39) period after mixing. Bodyweight of pigs at the end of the study (Mann-Whitney U-test, Z = -2.46, P = 0.01) and the average daily gain (Z = -2.75, P < 0.01) were 10% higher in the treatment group than in the control group. The presence of the toy in the pen influenced the pig behaviours. In pens enriched with toys, there was an increase in feeding behaviour and a decrease in agonistic and belly nosing behaviours. Toy supply reduced negative social behaviours and thereby improved the bodyweight of weaned pigs. The results of this study suggest that toys used as environmental enrichment are useful for enhancing pig welfare and effective for farmers.

While the benefits of using futures to manage price risk are widely recognised, only certain groups of farmers have suitable futures at their disposal. This paper discusses an innovative instrument, developed in the Belgian-Dutch pear market, that provides an alternative to futures markets by creating a market for price swaps. Thus, the instrument provides some benefits of market-traded derivatives (like futures) while remaining a relatively simple instrument, which requires fewer market transactions. The paper describes key properties of the swap contracts and the platform used to trade them. In addition, it compares the conditions required for establishing price swap markets and futures markets. Thus, our study informs the design of similar risk management instruments for commodities and contexts where futures are absent.

The double-spined bark beetle Ips duplicatus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae, Scolytinae) is an invasive forest pest having a broad range of coniferous hosts within Europe. We found this species to be also developing in the Serbian spruce Picea omorika. Ips duplicatus infested 14 (52%) of 27 P. omorika mature trees in an arboretum garden in northern Slovakia in Central Europe during the summer of 2019. Logs from the upper part of stems of P. omorika trees placed in eclectors in the laboratory, yielded a total of 179 individuals of three scolytine species, with prevalence of I. duplicatus. Our results show that I. duplicatus also colonized less likely host such as the Serbian spruce, causing threat to this ornamental tree and contributing to its mortality in urban habitats during hot and dry summer weather.