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Bísaro pig, a local endangered swine breed, has gained popularity in the recent years. A complete pedigree was used to evaluate the population structure and investigate the current breed's genetic variability in two reference populations (AlivePop and AliveBpop). Since the breed's foundation, the number of registered animals, producers, and farrowing records has increased. The mean progeny size for sires was 116.17 ± 210.81, and 3.24% of the breeding boars originated 26.54% of all registered births showing a marked unbalanced use of certain sires. The mean calculated equivalent generations was 4.54, and 98.1% of all the animals had known parents, indicating a good degree of pedigree completion and depth. Approximately half of the individuals were inbred, with average inbreeding values of 10.41, 9.02, and 8.58% for the whole and reference populations, respectively. Considering both reference populations, a low effective founder/ancestor ratio was obtained (1.12), showing a well-balanced founder/ancestor contribution, and subsequent genetic transfer. However, the effective founder/founder ratio was particularly low (0.06 and 0.12) compared with other native breeds. The founder genome/effective founder ratios were 0.37 and 0.41 for AlivePop and AliveBpop. Contrarily to the whole population, the random genetic drift weighted significantly more than the drift due to unequal founder contribution in the reference populations. The effective population size based on the increase in coancestry ranged from 62.39 and 54.66, and 16.74 and 24.84 based on the increase of individual inbreeding, for the whole and reference populations. The genetic conservation index steadily grew over the years with a mean value of 6.53 for the whole pedigree. Genetic variability losses and diffuse structuring might have occurred in the Bísaro population. Notwithstanding, the recent genetic variability indicators seem positive, yet supported by an open herdbook policy. These characteristics must be taken into account to define future mating policies and selection programs.

Field studies using wheat straw mulching effects on soil water storage and maize development were conducted in China. The studies contained four treatments during three years (2014-2016): CK (no straw and no nitrogen); N (no straw mulching with 172 kg N/ha); HS + N (half straw mulching at the rate of 2500 kg/ha with 172 kg N/ha), and FS + N (full straw mulching at the rate of 5000 kg/ha with 172 kg N/ha). The FS + N treatment significantly increased soil water storage in a drought period during crop growth stages and promoted plant growth along with increased evapotranspiration. The FS + N treatment increased the soil water storage (26.5, 19.9 and 11.1 mm), grain yield (28.7, 6.93 and 2.4%), and water use efficiency (26.6, 6.64 and 2.40%) compared to CK, N and HS + N, respectively. In conclusion, compared to N, HS + N or FS + N increased the biomass (11 and 19%) and water use efficiency (4 and 5%), respectively, and are considered beneficial in Guanzhong, China. Mulching levels were superior to N and compensated the wheat nitrogen requirements. Thus, further studies with minimum fertilizer nitrogen for an environmentally friendly and effective approach are recommended in semiarid regions of China.

Garden roses do not grow well under hot and humid conditions. The objective of this study was to investigate the physiological responses of 'Marie Curie' and 'Lapjau' to high temperatures and relative humidity. The study included temperatures of 25/18°C (day/night) and 35/28°C (day/night), and relative humidity of 70% and 100%. 'Marie Curie' was more tolerant to heat stress than 'Lapjau' based on relative electrolyte leakage (REL), malondialdehyde (MDA), and activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD). The heat tolerance of cultivars also was confirmed by the levels of chlorophyll content and the net photosynthesis rate. Both cultivars were more stressed under more water vapour deficit than saturated vapour at 35/28°C (day/night), while at 25/18°C (day/night) the cultivars were more stressed under saturated humidity condition than at 70% relative humidity. In conclusion, combined hot and saturated humidity does not necessarily result in increased stress over separated heat or humidity elevations to the garden roses. Rose growers can use this information in regions where hot and humid conditions concur.

Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lib.) de Bary is the causal agent of white mould, stem, and fruit rot diseases on a wide variety of crop plants including cabbage (Brassica oleracea L.) in field and storage. Control of this pathogen by using commercial disease management methods is extremely difficult. Therefore, this study was performed to develop an alternative and effective control method for the diseases by using biocontrol bacteria - Bacillus subtilis (strains TV-6F, TV-17C, TV-12H, BA-140 and EK-7), Bacillus megaterium (strains TV-103B), and Bacillus pumilus (strains RK-103) on Petri plate assays and on red cabbage in pot assays. On Petri plates, all of the tested bacterial strains showed the zone of inhibition against the pathogen fungus ranging 15.00-26.50 mm. Their percentage inhibition rates and lesion length ranged 42.64-79.41% and 0.02-4.50 cm in pot assays, respectively. Consequently, our results indicated that especially B. subtilis strains TV-17C, TV-12H, and TV-6F can be used as bio control agent of S. sclerotiorum in red cabbage production.

The cropping of six sweet cherry cultivars that originated in the Research and Breeding Institute of Pomology at Holovousy, and a standard one, 'Burlat', were evaluated on three rootstocks in the period of 2007-2017. Trees planted in a spacing of 1.5 m × 5.0 m were trained as tall spindle axes utilising their natural tendency to develop a central leader. On the standard rootstock, P-TU-2, 'Tim' was the most productive with a mean total harvest of 47.6 kg per tree. 'Sandra' yielded the most on the PHLC rootstock with 56.2 kg per tree and 'Helga' yielded the most on Gisela 5 with a mean total harvest of 55.9 kg per tree. The mean impact of the rootstock on the tree vigour, measured upon the trunk cross section area, ranged from 148.4 cm2 on the standard rootstock P-TU-2 to 114.1 cm2 on the PHLC and 125.2 cm2 on Gisela 5 . On the standard rootstock P-TU-2, the most vigorous one according to this criterion was 'Jacinta' (178.0 cm2) whereas 'Justyna' (109.7 cm2) was the least vigorous. On the PHLC, the most vigorous was 'Sandra' (147.2 cm2) and the least was 'Amid' (94.0 cm2). The other tree characteristics were mainly dependant on the cultivar and minimally, or not at all, influenced by the rootstock vigour.

Production development for asparagus has become an important research subject due to its low shelf life. In order to determine the content of flavonoids in asparagus tips and shoots, LC-MS-based method was performed for a targeted analysis of flavonoids in asparagus, and 34 peaks attributed to the targeted flavonoids were characterised. Twelve peaks corresponding to rutin, isoquercitrin, quercetin, naringin, taxifolin, vitexin, genistin, daidzein, luteolin, chrysin, and kaempferide were identified and quantified from the asparagus tips and shoots by the LC-MS-based detection with monitoring of parent/daughter ions. The results showed that rutin (> 99%) was the main flavonoid present in the asparagus tips and shoots. Although the tips and shoots contained almost similar compounds, the content of the major compounds, especially rutin, was significantly different. Therefore, the method established through this study could be used for quantitative analysis of flavonoids, especially rutins, in asparagus. The result will provide a theoretical basis for food development in asparagus.

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether milk consumption (MC) could be used as a simple farmer-friendly indicator for providing advanced treatment to limited fed diarrhoeic neonatal calves. Complementarily, it was evaluated whether the standard indications for veterinary care (severe dehydration and/or acidosis-septicaemia) are associated with different patterns in MC. The MC and health records of 103 calves with diarrhoeathat were fed a milk replacer at the volume of 10% of their body weight were used in the study. The MC reduction rate (MCRR) was calculated after each feeding (MC_t) during the diarrhoea course, based on the MC prior to the diarrhoea onset for each calf (MC₀) using the formula MCRR = 100 × (MC₀ - MC_t)/MC₀. The calves were assigned into the ST group (n = 58) if they only received the standard treatment (oral rehydration solutions between milk feedings) until recovery, and into the advanced treatment (VT) group (n = 45) if they needed advanced treatment (i.v. fluids ± antibiotics) directly or after the standard treatment. The calves in the VT group that only had dehydration, were further assigned into the DH subgroup (n = 22) and those with signs of acidosis-septicaemia with or without dehydration were assigned into the ASD subgroup (n = 23). The MC was practically stable in the ST group throughout the diarrhoea course. In the VT group, the MC was significantly reduced during the last 36 hours prior to the advanced treatment administration. This reduction was significantly higher in the ASD subgroup than the DH subgroup. The MCRR on the last meal prior to treatment administration was proven to be a very reliable indicator for the detection of diarrhoeic calves needing advanced treatment (cut-off: ≥ 24.5%; sensitivity: 95.6%; specificity: 98.7%) and of those with acidosis-septicaemia (cut-off: ≥ 29.6%; sensitivity: 91.7%; specificity: 99.1%). The results of the study show thatfarmers employing this feeding regimen should seek veterinary assistance when the milk consumption of calves is reduced by ≥ 24.5%.

One of the most serious threats facing agricultural productivity in the world is unfavourable soil conditions. Several studies have shown that almost half of the world's land-mass is affected by either natural or human-induced pollution. This, therefore, poses a threat to agricultural improvement needed to tackle the problem of a continuous increase in the world population. The emergence of soil extremophiles with plant growth-promoting trait has proven to be a reliable means to quell the threat posed by some factors limiting soil potency. Adopting these organisms as bio-inoculants will easily proffer a solution to both biotic and abiotic soil stress. As such, the natural bio-fertilisers will help to improve the quality of the soil by making it healthy enough to sustain sufficient plant growth. This review gives an overview of the multifarious importance of extremophiles on plants grown under harsh soil conditions, with the multifaceted application of omics as a means to unveil these organisms and their benefits for environmentally sustainable agricultural systems and food safety.

The effects of tillage and crop rotation on the soil carbon, the soil bulk density, the porosity and the soil water content were evaluated during the 6^th season of an on-going field trial at the University of Fort Hare Farm (UFH), South Africa. Two tillage systems; conventional tillage (CT) and no-till and crop rotations; maize (Zea mays L.)-fallow-maize (MFM), maize-fallow-soybean (Glycine max L.) (MFS); maize-wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)-maize (MWM) and maize-wheat-soybean (MWS) were evaluated. The field experiment was a 2 × 4 factorial, laid out in a randomised complete design. The crop residues were retained for the no-till plots and incorporated for the CT plots, after each cropping season. No significant effects (P > 0.05) of the tillage and crop rotation on the bulk density were observed. However, the values ranged from 1.32 to1.37 g/cm³. Significant interaction effects of the tillage and crop rotation were observed on the soil porosity (P < 0.01) and the soil water content (P < 0.05). The porosity for the MFM and the MWS, was higher under the CT whereas for the MWM and the MWS, it was higher under the no-till. However, the greatest porosity was under the MWS. Whilst the no-till significantly increased (P < 0.05) the soil water content compared to the CT; the greatest soil water content was observed when the no-till was combined with the MWM rotations. The soil organic carbon (SOC) was increased more (P < 0.05) by the no-till than the CT, and the MFM consistently had the least SOC compared with the rest of the crop rotations, at all the sampling depths (0-5, 5-10 and 10-20 cm). The soil bulk density negatively correlated with the soil porosity and the soil water content, whereas the porosity positively correlated with the soil water content. The study concluded that the crop rotations, the MWM and the MWS under the no-till coupled with the residue retention improved the soil porosity and the soil water content levels the most.

White asparagus is a highly appreciated, high-value crop with a distinguished economic relevance among vegetables. Freshly harvested asparagus is available only during a short part of the year and the demand varies. The produce is perishable and only proper handling can ensure its quality after a reasonable shelf life. In this study, we investigated a new method to reduce one of the most important reasons for quality decline: fresh matter losses. The potential benefits or disadvantages of moist asparagus packaging for unpeeled white asparagus (cv. 'Gijnlim') was tested. We used polythene sleeves or bags, lined with cellulose fleece to hold added water for moisturizing. 500 g bunches of spears were filled in the bags. Spears were partly covered by the sleeves or totally covered by the bags. All spears were stored for 3 to 11 days at the temperature of 2°C, 8°C and a combination of 2°C/22°C.The last temperatures were to simulate retail conditions. In wet bags spear fresh weight increased, losses in bags with dry fleece were low. Maintaining of fresh weight in wet bags coincided significantly with higher bending firmness, and lower shear force, which points to less fibrousness. Wet storage also reduced the incidence of dried cut surfaces but promoted the incidence of lengthwise fractures and, in combination with higher temperature, grey-brown discolouration and colour saturation. Wet packaging may be beneficial primarily under low temperature and low air humidity storage conditions.

Influenza is a serious infectious disease, which is life-threatening especially in children, seniors and immunocompromised patients. In addition to vaccination, the development of new anti-influenza agents represents a crucial defence strategy to combat seasonal and pandemic influenza strains. At present most attention is paid to the development of inhibitors of influenza neuraminidase, which has been established as a key drug target for the prophylaxis and treatment of influenza infections. However, the emergence of drug-resistant influenza variants highlights the need of continuously innovative strategies for the development of new drugs with improved antiviral effects, higher safety and increased tolerability. In this review article, an analysis of publications describing anti-influenza agents indexed in the Web of Science^® database has been carried out. The most important publications are presented in tables and are characterised by several key words, abstracts and references. The presented publications have been sorted according to five basic criteria: (i) review articles, (ii) design, synthesis and evaluation of new anti-influenza drugs, (iii) major classes of anti-influenza drugs, (iv) combination therapy of influenza infections and (v) influenza drug resistance. The design of this review article allows us to offer a complex overview of known antiviral agents targeting influenza viruses, facilitates easy and rapid orientation in numerous publications written on this subject, and aids the gathering of required data.

Knowing the time of death of animals can be helpful for the forensic determination of death due to cruelty. We aimed to determine the time of death of companion animal carcasses, euthanised at an outpatient's department (Small Animal Clinic) of the University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Kosice. The reasons for euthanasia included age of animals, medical state or incurable disease which affected the quality of life. Animal carcasses (33 bodies) were divided into seven groups according to their weight, species and environmental conditions into which they were placed, which were chosen so as to imitate real conditions under which dead animals could be found. We continually measured body temperature until it dropped down to ambient temperature. The post-mortem cooling curve revealed dependencies related to the temperature drop, the weight of carcasses, the place where animals rested and the internal and external environment. Results from the cooling process and obtained time of death may be deduced from a nomogram in field practice.

In order to the assessment of humic acid application on the qualitative characteristics of rapeseed in various plant densities, a factorial split-plot test was conducted for two cultivation years in Karaj, Iran. In this experiment, plant density considered in three levels (40, 60, and 80 plants/m²), humic acid at two concentrations (non-application and application at the concentration of 0.3%) in the main plots, and six cultivars of rapeseed embracing RGS003, Zafar, Julius, Jerry, Zabol10, and Hyola4815 in the sub-plots. The interaction effect of plant density ×humic acid × cultivar on seed yield, oil yield, oleic acid, linolenic acid, linoleic acid, palmitic acid, erucic acid, canopy temperature, and seed glucosinolate content as well as the interaction effect of plant density × cultivar on the oil content and total chlorophyll content were significant at 1% level. Cv. Jerry had the maximum seed and oil yields under humic acid application condition with the density of 40 plants/m², and the maximum contents of oleic, linoleic, and palmitic fatty acids as well. Moreover, this cultivar, through containing the lower and standard content of erucic acid and glucosinolate, is recommendable under the circumstance of the present research.

The effect of a brief exposure to treatments of end-of-day (EOD) far-red (FR) light and EOD-heating on flowering and stem elongation in certain species cultivated in areas with limited sunshine from autumn to winter has been investigated. Thirteen EOD-FR treated cultivars among all 24 cultivars tested in experiment 1, showed earlier flowering than control plants. Additionally, Kanzaki No.21, F1 Winter cherry and Gypsy deep rose were earlier to flower under the all night-FR treatment than under the EOD-FR treatment. Further, 13 cultivars among all cultivars tested in experiment 1 showed greater stem length, whereas 16 cultivars of them showed greater mean internode length than controls when treated with EOD-FR. The days to flowering in 13 cultivars treated by EOD-Heating, flowering was earlier than in controls. Also, stem length and mean internode length were also promoted by the same treatment in 7 cultivars. Additionally, flowering and stem elongation of Stella rose, Arizona sun, Suzuhime and Extra carmine rose were promoted by a combination of both treatments, and productivity and quality were improved. These results suggest that the treatments tested can help the production of cut-flowers in areas with limited sunshine from autumn to winter, although the method of application of the treatments must be optimized for each species.

Aiming to reduce the sodium content in saltine crackers, the present study employed a methodology of salt coating that provided an inhomogeneous distribution of salt so that the salt perception was not altered. To this end, three cracker recipes were prepared and compared. Recipe 1 (F1) was the standard, Recipe 2 (F2) had a 33.3% reduction in salt in the dough, and Recipe 3 (F3) had no salt in the dough but instead a salty coating with the same amount of salt as F2. Physicochemical and sensory analyses revealed that F1 and F3 were not statistically different in salt perception, whereas F2 differed from the others. From these results, it was concluded that the methodology of covering crackers with a salty coating with a 42.5% salt reduction could be an alternative to achieving salt reduction.

A new food and feed self-sufficiency model for the Czech Republic (RESTEP) was applied for the evaluation of possible adverse climate impacts uniformly reducing crop production by 5, 10, 20, and 30%. The situation was simulated for the whole country and four different agriculturally important regions. Biomass production modeling confirmed that for the whole country, the food self-sufficiency is secured up to 20% of yield decline for most crops, but even 5% yield decline of silage maize would lead to its shortage in animal feeding. On the other hand, regional results vary significantly. Regions Jižní Morava and Střední Čechy shown oversupply of feedstuff allowing them to cover the demands of cattle and pigs up to 20% or 30% decline of yield, respectively. The opposite model represents the Vysočina (VY) region which is not able to cover the demands from own sources even at the baseline scenario. The acreage extension of maize is not possible due to erosion risk restrictions at 25% of arable land at VY. The possible solution consists of extension acreage of alfalfa and clover or finding other plants sufficient for feeding as well for biogas facilities in regions rich in biomass energy consumers.

Agronomic zinc (Zn) biofortification of crops could help to alleviate dietary Zn deficiency, which is likely to affect more than one billion people worldwide. To evaluate the efficiency of agronomic Zn biofortification of broccoli, four application treatments were tested: no Zn application (control); soil application of 5 mg/kg ZnSO₄.7 H₂O (soil); two sprays (15 mL/pot each) of 0.25% (w/v) ZnSO₄.7 H₂O (foliar); and soil + foliar combination. Soil Zn application increased Zn-DTPA (diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid) concentration by 3.7-times but did not affect plant growth or plant Zn concentration. Foliar Zn application increased stem + leaves and floret Zn concentration by 78 and 23 mg Zn/kg, respectively, with good bioavailability based on phytic acid concentration. Boiling decreased mineral concentration by 19%, but increased bioavailability by decreasing the phytic acid concentration. The entire broccoli could constitute a good nutritional source for animals and humans. An intake of 100 g boiled florets treated with the foliar treatment will cover about 36% of recommended dietary intake (RDI) of Zn, together with 30% of Ca, 94% of K, 32% of Mg, 6% of Na, 55% of P, 60% of S, 10% of Cu, 22% of Fe, 43% of Mn, and 35% of Se RDIs.

The study focused on the effects of gap size on natural regeneration of European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) and Norway spruce (Picea abies L.) and micro-environmental soil conditions in gaps of different sizes under temperate mixed forest in the Czech Republic. Six gaps comprising two for small (≥ 200 m²), medium (≥ 500 m²) and big (≥ 900 m²) each were selected. Ten circular 1 m² subsampling plots were established at 2 m intervals along individual North-South-East-West transects, including one at the gap centre. Regeneration was monitored in 2014 and repeatedly in 2019. Soil conditions were only measured in 2019. Gap size was found to be a significant parameter for European beech natural regeneration in 2014. Besides, the quick occupation of European beech in gaps at natural beech zone provoked its prolific regeneration compared to Norway spruce in 2014. However, in 2019 the recent threat of weather variabilities was responsible for the general abysmal growth performance of natural regeneration. Division of gap microsites into different within-gap positions based on prevailing light or shade conditions was helpful in assessing the significant variations of soil conditions within-gap positions and among gap sizes. Soil temperature and moisture significantly influenced the regeneration of European beech and Norway spruce, respectively.

The associative effects (AE) between concentrate (C), peanut shell (P) and alfalfa (A) were investigated by means of an automated gas production (GP) system. The C, P and A were incubated alone or as 40 : 60 : 0, 40 : 45 : 15, 40 : 30 : 30, 40 : 15 : 45, 40 : 0 : 60 and 30 : 70 : 0, 30 : 55 : 15, 30 : 40 : 30, 30 : 25 : 45, 30 : 10 : 60, 30 : 0 : 70 mixtures where the C : roughage (R) ratios were 40 : 60 and 30 : 70. Samples (0.2000 ± 0.0010 g) of single feeds or mixtures were incubated for 96 h in individual bottles (100 ml) with 30 ml of buffered rumen fluid. GP parameters were analysed using a single exponential equation. After incubation, the residues were used to determine pH, dry matter digestibility (DMD), organic matter digestibility (OMD), volatile fatty acids (VFA) and ammonia nitrogen (NH₃-N) of the incubation fluid, and their single factor AE indices (SFAEI) and multiple-factors AE indices (MFAEI) were determined. The results showed that group of 30 peanut shell had higher SFAEI of GP_{48 h}, DMD, OMD and total volatile fatty acids (p < 0.05) and MFAEI (p < 0.05) than groups 60, 45 and 0 when C : R was 40 : 60. The group of 10 peanut shell showed higher SFAEI of GP_{48 h}, DMD and OMD (p < 0.05) than groups 70, 55 and 40 and MFAEI (p < 0.01) when C : R was 30 : 70. It is concluded that optimal SFAEI and MFAEI were obtained when the C : P : A ratios were 40 : 30 : 30 and 30 : 10 : 60.

The cultivation and breeding of new pear tree varieties have great potential, especially with the changing climate. The introduction of genetic resources and varieties from regions with a high genetic diversity can have a positive effect on the cultivation of pear trees in our region. In this experiment, a total of 23 Asian pear varieties originating from Japan and China were assessed. Based on the values obtained, the varieties were sorted, and suitable varieties for the conditions of the Czech Republic were selected. The early-maturing varieties that proved to be promising were 'Shinseiki' and 'Zao Su Li' due to their refreshing juiciness, plasticity and ease of cultivation. generally low demand. The 'Shinseiki' bears medium- to small-sized fruits (103 g on average). The size of the fruits of the evaluated cultivar 'Zao Su Li' can reach very large sizes (255 g on average). The medium-maturity varieties suitable for the conditions of the Czech Republic were 'Hosui' and 'Dangshansu Li' (ripening on the September 11-19 on average) and another interesting variety, 'Kirgizkaja zimnaja'. Other suitable medium-maturity varieties are 'Nijisseiki', 'Sha Li' and 'Pung Su'. Of the assessed late-maturing varieties, the promising ones were 'Ya Li' and 'Mut Chen', especially due to their relatively high storability under cold storage.

The aim of the study was to elaborate a universal calibration for the near infrared (NIR) spectrophotometer to determine the moisture of various kinds of vegetable seeds. The research was conducted on the seeds of 5 types of vegetables - carrot, parsley, lettuce, radish and beetroot. For the spectra correlation with moisture values, the method of partial least squares regression (PLS) was used. The resulting qualitative indicators of a calibration model (R = 0.9968, Q = 0.8904) confirmed an excellent fit of the obtained calibration to the experimental data. As a result of the study, the possibilities of creating a calibration model for NIR spectrophotometer for non-destructive moisture analysis of various kinds of vegetable seeds was confirmed.

Matching the planting density, fertilisation, and genotype is crucial to improve the maize yield. Here, two-year field trials, including 4 densities and 3 nitrogen (N) rates for 2 maize cultivars, were conducted to study the effects of planting density and N rate on maize growth, lodging, spike characters, and yield. Compared with 360 kg/ha, N application of 180 kg/ha decreased the plant, ear height, and stem circumference of WeiKe 702 (WK702), while increased the plant height and stem circumference, but decreased ear height of ZhongDan 909 (ZD909). Meanwhile, the N application of 180 kg/ha greatly reduced the lodging rates of maize under the high density. The maize yield increased and reached the maximum yield at 7.5 × 10⁴ plant/ha, and then decreased with increasing density. The N application of 180 kg/ha increased yield by 0.49, 0.73, 5.38, 7.81% from low to high planting densities, and reduced the bald tip length by 18.86%. WK702 was more sensitive to the planting density and N application, with greater variation of yield and spike traits than ZD909 under the densification. Therefore, the N application of 180 kg/ha and a density of 7.5 × 10⁴ plant/ha could improve maize growth and lodging, and therefore increase maize yield.

This article analyses the competitiveness of dairy farms in Poland in relation to selected EU countries. The competitive advantage of dairy farms was evaluated and compared based on remuneration for family labour. Two variants of the above indicator were calculated: (1) Remuneration for family labour (FL1) as the relationship between farm net income and the farmer's unpaid labour input, and (2) Remuneration for family labour (FL2) as the relationship between farm net income minus the opportunity costs of own land and capital to the farmer's unpaid labour input. The calculations were performed based on EU FADN (European Union Farm Accountancy Data Network) data for an average dairy farm in 2005, 2010 and 2016. The study revealed the highest average remuneration for family labour (FL1) in Irish and German dairy farms. The value of the second indicator (FL2) was also highest in Germany, followed by France. The analysis produced interesting results regarding dairy farms in Denmark and the Netherlands which were characterised by the highest scale of production in the evaluated period (high net value added), but very low farm incomes and remuneration for family labour. The study revealed that Polish dairy farms were characterised by average competitiveness relative.

This study was undertaken to create an Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus; ABB) ethogram during hibernation and to describe the time budget of hibernating behaviours in ABB. Seven captive adult ABB were included in the study and began hibernation between October and December. Data were collected for three consecutive years (2013-2015) during ABB hibernation (total 169 days) using closed-circuit television. During the study, we observed 21 distinct behaviours in hibernating ABB (4 least active and 17 active behaviours). Five bears started hibernation less than seven days after feeding cessation, and by the end of one week, all bears hibernated. The most commonly observed behaviour was "sleep curling inside nest", and "nest maintenance" was the second most common behaviour. Among the active behaviours, "sitting in the nest", "change stance", "drinking and eating" were mostly shown as documented during the observation times. Our results provide new insights into the hibernating behaviours of ABB.

Barnyardgrass (Echinochloa crus-galli (L.) P. Beauv.) is one of the most yield-limiting weeds in rice in Turkey. Barnyardgrass resistance to common herbicides has been reported worldwide; however, such information is largely lacking in the country. The objective of this study was to determine the resistance spectrum of different barnyardgrass populations to the most commonly-used herbicides in rice in Turkey. The susceptibility of 40 barnyardgrass populations was evaluated. The samples were collected from fields with intensive rice cultivation in Balikesir and Çanakkale provinces. Seeds were picked from barnyardgrass plants suspected to be herbicide-resistant because of their survival in the rice fields after herbicides application. A total of 38 populations were resistant to penoxsulam, and the resistance index of these populations ranged from 2 to 39. A total of 24 out of the 38 barnyardgrass populations showed a GR₅₀ (herbicide dose causing a 50% reduction in plant dry matter) value higher than the recommended penoxsulam dose (20.2 g a.i./ha) in rice. Among these 24 barnyardgrass populations, 25, 29.2 and 45.8% populations exhibited high, moderate and low level of penoxsulam resistance, respectively. From the penoxsulam-resistant populations (38), the response of 14 populations (low to high resistance to penoxsulam) to six commonly-used herbicides for barnyardgrass control in rice was evaluated. The selected 14 populations showed resistance to almost all herbicides tested, with the lowest average resistance being determined against profoxydim and the highest average resistance against molinate herbicide. Resistance levels against six commonly-used herbicides in rice ranged from 2 to 34.

Between 2014 and 2019, a total of 361 commercially available Czech beer samples (103 brands) were analysed for gluten content using a competitive enzyme immunoassay. The gluten levels in different types of beers ranged from < 10 mg L^-1 to 3 380.0 mg L^-1. The percentage of samples that can claim the gluten-free status (< 20 mg L^-1) were in categories gluten-free (99%), radler (84.6%), non-alcoholic beer (44.2%), lager beer group I (16.6%), lager beer group II (16.3%), special beer (25%) and wheat beer (0%). The important finding from this work was that 2 out of 196 beer samples with a gluten-free label contained more gluten than allowed under the guidelines established by the European Union and the Codex Alimentarius Standard. From a consumer point of view, it is also significant that in addition to gluten-free samples, 15.4% of radlers, 55.8% of non-alcoholic beers, 71.4 to 75.5% of all lagers and 66.6% of special beer samples could be labelled as very low gluten (21-100 mg L^-1).

Zinc (Zn) insufficiency and water deficiency are primary challenges in intensive rice production systems. This study aims to examine the influence of two irrigation regimes, flood irrigation (FI) and water-saving irrigation (WSI), on rice grain yield and mobile Zn accumulation in soil and rice grains. Experiments were conducted in An Vien rice fields in the Tien Lu district, Hung Yen province, located in the middle of the Red River delta during four rice seasons from 2015 to 2016. The results showed that the WSI regime dramatically increased the grain yield and Zn concentrations in grain of rice. Grain yield was increased by 14.76% and grain Zn concentration by 17.93% when compared with the FI regime. The decrease in the mobile Zn concentration in soil was only 5.7% in the WSI technique, compared with 73.6% for FI techniques. Therefore, it can be concluded that WSI can be effective agricultural practice to elevate grain yield and increase Zn retention in soil and bioavailability in rice grains.

This study attempted to evaluate the efficiency of zeolite and pyrophyllite ore materials in reducing the mobility of heavy metals in soil near the lignite mining dumps, and consequently in their availability for plants. Extraction of pseudo-total and available forms of heavy metals from soil samples was performed by using aqua regia and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, respectively. Concentrations of heavy metals in soil and plant samples were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The results of this study illustrate that application of zeolite and pyrophyllite could be a suitable technique to reduce heavy metals availability in soils. Zeolite treatments have been shown to be significantly effective in reducing cadmium (Cd) mobility, as well as pyrophyllite treatments in reducing lead (Pb) mobility in the studied soil, regardless of applied rates. The accumulation of heavy metals in leaves of maize grown on soil plots treated by zeolite and pyrophyllite, was found to be lower compared to the untreated plots. This finding was to be expected, considering the effects of these treatments on heavy metals mobility in the studied soil.

The Levels-of-Growing-Stock study for ponderosa pine was a collective effort among western Research Stations within the US Forest Service. The experiment was established to test sustainable productivity across a wide range of densities by periodically thinning the plots. Beyond the original purposes for wood production, contemporary applications of these long-term studies have been to determine stand density effects on (i) both overstory and understory responses to stand development of even-aged ponderosa pine, (ii) biomass accumulation and carbon sequestration, (iii) plant diversity and wildlife habitats, and (iv) forest resiliency to insects and pathogens, droughts, and wildfires. Furthermore, these installations have served as a showpiece for the public and natural laboratories for professional foresters and students. For the past half century, the study has helped guide land managers and stakeholders on public and private lands about the value of thinning in overstocked young stands of ponderosa pine across its range. We hope that it will continue to serve as a springboard for addressing future issues facing forest management.

The study was conducted to elucidate the effect of a single or combined supplementation of zinc sulphate monohydrate (ZnSO₄.H₂O) and a probiotic (Protexin^®) on the pectoral muscle, tibial bone and serum biochemistry in broilers. Day-old chicks (n = 192) were divided into: Control (basal diet), Zn30 (basal diet + ZnSO₄.H₂O 30 mg/kg feed), Zn60 (basal diet + ZnSO₄.H₂O 60 mg/kg feed), Pro (basal diet + Protexin^® 0.1 g/kg feed), Com30 (basal diet + ZnSO₄.H₂O 30 mg/kg feed + Protexin^® 0.1 g/kg feed) and Com60 (basal diet + ZnSO₄.H₂O 60 mg/kg feed + Protexin^® 0.1 g/kg feed). The birds were slaughtered on the 42^nd day and blood was collected to determine the cortisol, cholesterol and zinc concentrations. The pectoral muscle was selected for the assessment of the pH and water holding capacity (WHC) along with the histological sections. After defleshing, tibial bone measurements were also taken. Statistical analysis revealed a significant (P < 0.05) increase in the ultimate pH (pHu), WHC and muscle fascicle diameter in the Zn30, Zn60, Pro, Com30 and Com60 groups compared to the control group. Myofibre area showed a significant increase (P > 0.05) in the Com30 and Com60 groups against the control group. The medullary canal diameter of the tibia was smaller (P > 0.05) in the Zn60, Pro, Com30 and Com60 groups than in the control group. The tibiotarsal index was greater (P > 0.05) in the Zn60, Pro, Com30 and Com60 groups. The serum cholesterol was decreased (P > 0.05) in the Pro and Com30 groups when compared to the control group. It is concluded that zinc sulfate monohydrate and probiotic supplementation individually or in combination positively affected the histological characteristics of the muscle, tibial bone strength and haematobiochemical indicators.