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This report describes new possibilities for intravital and post mortem diagnosis of avian mycobacteriosis in horses using the quantitative real time PCR (qPCR) method. Using this method, Mycobacterium avium subsp. hominissuis was diagnosed in two sibling Fjord horses. In the first horse, M. a. hominissuis was detected by qPCR in numbers of 2.89 × 10⁵ and 1.47 × 10⁴ cells per 1 g of intestinal content and mesenteric lymph nodes, respectively; in the second horse, faeces and mesenteric lymph node samples showed numbers of 6.31 × 10⁵ and 3.36 × 10⁶ cells per 1 g of tissue, respectively. Another aim of this study was to comprehensively describe clinical and pathological findings in both animals.

This paper documents the development of soil conditions in the set of 32 permanent research plots in the Krkonoše (Giant) Mts. These plots represent an altitudinal gradient covering the ecosystems of beech, mixed beech-spruce and spruce stands. In all plots, representing the site conditions of the highest areas of the mountain range, standard soil pits were prepared and the soil sampling was performed in autumn of years 1980, 1993, 1998, 2003 and 2009. The results reflect extreme site conditions, soil acidification, large scale surface liming and in minor extent also different tree species composition of the stands. The general type of the soil-genesis is represented by the podzolisation, overlapping the other soil-genetic factors, including the tree species composition. Nevertheless, this development is mostly expressed in the spruce stands. The beech dominance and/or co-dominance are reflected especially by more efficient N-cycling, higher pH, S and V values and fluctuation and lower extractable Al3+ content. More efficient cycling in beech ecosystems is insignificantly documented for plant available phosphorus, calcium and magnesium contents; on the contrary higher dynamics for iron ions was registered in the spruce stands. The long-term soil dynamics with a hysteresis (evident on the base of ordination analysis) can be divided into some periods - processes of acidification (typical in the 1980's samples), liming (main effect in 1993 and 1998) and regeneration (2003, 2009). Other features, important for the soil development, are probably related to the vegetation change, but this relation is not statistically significant.

The seed production area (SPA) is an improved plantation managed for production of quality seeds for a large-scale plantation programme. The soil nutrient is one of several factors affecting seed production among SPAs. The status of soil nutrients and their effect on seed production are poorly understood. Hence, the present study was undertaken in 20 seed production areas located in different seed zones of Karnataka, South India. Results showed that there was a greater variation among SPAs in various soil properties like soil pH, organic carbon, available NPK (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium). Some of the studied parameters recorded significant variations among three different depths: 0-20 (top), 20-40 (middle) and 40-60 cm (bottom). For instance, organic carbon and available potassium showed significant variations at different depths, where the highest content was recorded in the top layer, followed by middle and bottom layers. Considering associations between soil properties and tree growth, organic carbon was positively associated with dbh (diameter at breast height; r = 0.500), stem roundness (r = 0.351) and stem volume (r = 0.250). Similarly, available nitrogen positively influenced the stem volume (r = 0.250). Though the fruit yield varied among SPAs, none of the studied soil parameters showed a significant influence on fruit yield indicating that some other factors like genetic ones, phenology, rainfall overlapping with peak flowering might control it. Data on site quality showed that all existing SPAs studied were growing in poor site conditions, however, this could be one of the factors affecting overall seed yield among SPAs. Hence, it is recommended to undertake a few important silvicultural interventions like application of fertilizer/organic manure, soil working, spraying of floral hormone and others to improve the existing seed production level.

The addition of plant proteins into meat products is nowadays a commonly used practice especially for the technological and economical reasons. Their properties have been known and used in meat products production for a long time. In the past, wheat protein or flour had been used most frequently, however, in these days they are being replaced by soya protein which has much more favourable properties in its use. Considering the possible misuse of raw materials of plant origin for the adulteration of meat products, the existence of highly sensitive and accurate procedures for their detection is needed including the determination of their content. Soya protein can be detected using various methods. In our work, an immunohistochemical method was used with image analysis for the quantification of soya protein. Model meat products with the addition of known amounts of soya protein in various forms were made for this experiment.

The effects of three tillage systems: no-tillage (NT), reduced tillage (RT) and conventional tillage (CT), and three levels of fertilization (0, 258 and 516 kg/ha NPK (58:18:24)), on the maize yield during ten years (1999-2008) were analyzed on the chernozem soil type in Zemun Polje, Serbia. Statistical analyses showed significant effects of all three factors i.e., year, soil tillage and amount of fertilizers, and their interactions on the maize yield. The ten-year averages showed that the highest yields were observed with CT (10.61 t/ha), while the averages with RT and NT were lower (8.99 t/ha and 6.85 t/ha, respectively). The results of the influence of the amount of the applied fertilizers on maize yield showed that the lowest yield was in the zero level of fertilization 7.71 t/ha, while the yield was raised when the 258 kg/ha and 516 kg/ha NPK were applied (9.18 t/ha and 9.56 t/ha, respectively). Analyzing the influence of the soil tillage systems on maize production with respect to the amounts of applied fertilizers, this research revealed the benefits of CT under the presented agroecological conditions, irrespective of the level of applied fertilizer.

The root system of six-year-old winter jujube (Zizyphus jujuba Mill. cv. Zhanhua) trees were manually pruned at 3, 5 or 7 times trunk diameter distance along both inter-row sides, to study the effects of root pruning on physico-chemical characteristics and biological properties of winter jujube rhizosphere soil. The results showed that the root pruning of 3 and 5 times trunk diameter distance increased the available nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium^[concentrations and pH values in the rhizosphere soil and decreased organic matter concentrations, the contents of amino acids, organic acids and total sugars in the root exudates, the populations of bacteria, actinomyces and fungi, and inhibited the activities of catalase, invertase and urease enzymes in contrast to the control in early stage when root pruning was applied. The determined indexes presented a reverse trend as those in early stage after new roots appeared. Compared to the control, the trees by root pruning had higher pesticides residues of the rhizosphere soil in the whole experiment. No differences were noticed between 7 times trunk diameter distance and the control. It is proposed that root pruning had greater impacts on physico-chemical characteristics and biological properties of the rhizosphere soil depending on root pruning intensity.

Leaf rust caused by Puccinia triticina is the most important disease among the three rusts of wheat in Bangladesh. The disease occurs in all wheat growing areas of the country with varying degrees of severity. Stem rust caused by P. graminis f.sp. tritici was last observed during the mid 1980s, while yellow rust caused by P. striiformis f.sp. tritici occurs occasionally in the north-western region, where a relatively cooler climate prevails during the winter months. None of the rusts has yet reached an epidemic level, but damaging epidemics may occur in future, particularly if a virulent race develops or is introduced. The genes conferring rust resistance in the breeding lines and wheat varieties released in Bangladesh were investigated at CIMMYT-Mexico and DWR-India. The resistance genes Lr1, Lr3, Lr10, Lr13, Lr23 and Lr26, Sr2, Sr5, Sr7b, Sr8b, Sr9b, Sr11 and Sr31; and Yr2KS and Yr9 were found. An adult plant slow rusting resistance gene Lr34 was also identified in some of the breeding lines and varieties based on the presence of clear leaf tip necrosis under field conditions. Considering the possible risk of migration of the devastating Ug99 race of stem rust into the Indo-Pak subcontinent, the Bangladeshi wheat lines and cultivars are being regularly sent to KARI in Kenya for testing their resistance against this race. The resistant lines have been included in multi-location yield trials and multiplied for future use in order to mitigate the threat of Ug99. The resistant lines have also been included in crossing schemes to develop genetic diversity of rust resistance.

We have estimated soil organic carbon and crop yield changes under distinct climate change scenarios for the Kočín farm in Slovakia. Two regional climate change scenarios, i.e. the A2 and B2 SRES emission scenarios, and a reference climate scenario have been included into the bio-physical process model EPIC to simulate the effects on the topsoil organic carbon stocks and crop yields for the period of 2010-2050. In addition, we have used the data from several fields of the Kočín farm including the soil data, crop rotational and management data as well as topographical data. The topsoil organic carbon stocks show a decreasing trend for the period of 2010-2050. Among all crop rotation systems and soil profiles, the losses over the period are 9.0%, 9.5%, and 10.7% for the reference, A2, and B2 climate scenarios, respectively. Increasing temperatures accelerate the decomposition of the soil organic carbon particularly when soils are intensively managed. The soil organic carbon changes are crop-rotation specific, which is partly due to the climate scenarios that affect the crop biomass production differently. This is shown by comparison of the crop yields. We conclude that EPIC is capable to reliably simulate effects of climate change on soil organic carbon and crop yields.

Studies of the migratory dynamics of cyathostomin infective larvae (L₃) in different seasons and with two types of irrigation were carried out over 12 months (September 2006 to September 2007) in the subtropical climate of the Baixada Fluminense region of Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil. Four faecal masses weighing 500 g each from naturally infected horses were placed in a Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon) pasture in the beginning of each season. Samples of faeces and grass were collected every 15 days until the end of each season. The highest recovery in faeces occured in Autumn (491 910 L₃/kg dried herbage) and in pasture was achieved in Winter (9 963 L₃/kg dried herbage). The lowest number of infective larvae recovered from faeces (55 100 L₃/kg dried herbage) and pastures (2 188 L₃/kg dried herbage) were achieved in Spring. The nonparametric Kruskal-Wallis test showed a significant difference in infective larvae recovery between the seasons. The collection time of the samples did not affect the larva recovery. The results suggest that in the conditions of the region studied, animals maintained in pasture are at permanent risk of infection.

This paper reviews hypertrophic osteopathy and describes one case report. Hypertrophic osteopathy is a rare pathologic disease process and is observed secondary to a mass in the thorax. In response to the presence of a mass(es), nonoedematous soft tissue swellings and a diffuse periosteal new bone formation develop in all four limbs. The result is mild to severe lameness. A twelve-year-old sexually intact female Cocker spaniel had undergone radical mastectomy on both sides in another veterinary hospital about two years before presentation in our hospital with lameness of both hind limbs. Pain and soft tissue swelling on the distal parts of extremities were determined in clinical examinations. Radiographs revealed periosteal new bone formation on all the long bones of all four limbs, pelvis and sternum; additionally, intrathoracic masses were observed. Euthanasia was performed five months later. Macroscopic examinations of the lungs revealed diffuse and exuberant masses with grizzled whitish cross-sectional colour and with necrotic and haemorrhagic foci. The radius-ulna, tibia, metacarpal and metatarsal bones of both limbs were examined and collected after the necropsy examination. Bone specimens were thicker and the outer surfaces seemed to be rough. At the histopathologic examination of the lung tissue, ovoid or round shaped and hyperchromatic nucleated diffuse anaplastic mammary gland epithelial cells were observed. According to these findings, these masses were diagnosed as the metastasis of malignant mixed tumours.

The paper examines the factors that lead farmers to participate in c the contract farming in the Peninsular Malaysia. The primary data was collected through a survey using a questionnaire on the total of two hundred and eight farmers from various states in Malaysia. The study utilizes the stratified sampling method. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. The survey identified forty-one contract farmers. Factor analysis was carried out to identify the factors that lead farmers to participate in the contract farming. Based on the analysis, five factors were identified as the reasons for contracting, namely, market stability, and access to marketing information and technology, transfer of technology to improve farming practices, access to inputs and indirect benefit. Contract farming or contract arrangements can be a valuable source of an additional income and knowledge that can be employed to enhance the productivity of the entire farming enterprise.

The integration of Central and Eastern Europe into both the European and the world economy was in the last decade associated with a relatively high growth of gross domestic product and with a gradual increase in the economic level. The processes of convergence at the national level, however, were accompanied by an unbalanced spatial development. The paper analyzes, on the basis of the empirical statistical data, the impacts of the first years of the membership in the European Union on the development of regional differentiation and on development disparities between rural and urban regions. The evaluation of regional development is performed in regional units at the levels NUTS 2 and NUTS 3. Rural regions are monitored at the level of regional units NUTS 3. The examination based on the NUTS 2 units would not allow identifying of such a large number of rural areas.

Opium poppy (Papaver somniferum L.) is currently an important agricultural commodity, with the product being used in the food industry (seed) as well as in the pharmaceutical industry (morphine and other alkaloids). Intensive production of poppy leads to a specific direction of breeding with the aim to obtain highly productive cultivars of the so-called food industry or industrial type. The paper evaluates 57 genetic resources (mostly cultivars), comparing the groups of values representing the indicators of production-significant morphologic and agricultural characters (capsule size; morphine content in poppy straw; weight of dry, empty capsule) and content of morphine in the poppy straw, in relation to the ideotype of poppy, which in these indicators represents 100% of the value. On average lower values in the above indicators were achieved by cultivars with white-coloured seed, including morphine content; concrete data are specified in three cultivars with morphine content in the poppy straw above 0.40%. In blue-seed to grey-seed cultivars, except for the high-morphine cultivar Buddha (1.85% of morphine), we found only six materials with a minimum morphine content of 0.8% in the poppy straw (maximum of 0.92%). These genetic resources also achieved very good values in the morphological indicator and average value in the economic indicator. The results will be used in the selection and classification of suitable genetic resources of poppy in breeding of industrial forms.

Reactions of winter triticale cultivars mostly from central Europe to recent and old leaf rust isolates were tested in the greenhouse. In one trial 20 cultivars were tested with 8 leaf rust isolates, collected recently from official wheat and triticale trials in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. In another trial 15 cultivars were tested with 6 old leaf rust isolates, used to identify leaf rust resistance genes in wheat. The cultivars Cando, Hortenso and Tricolor, registered in the Czech Republic, were resistant to the majority of the recent isolates. The Hungarian cultivar Tatra was resistant to all the recent isolates. The old leaf rust isolates were virulent only to a few of the triticale cultivars. Randomly selected isolates from wheat and triticale were tested on triticale cultivars and on Thatcher near isogenic lines with different Lr genes. On average, leaf rust isolates from triticale were virulent to a higher number of triticale cultivars than isolates collected from wheat and vice versa.

The effect of three housing systems (conventional cages, enriched cages and litter) on egg quality parameters was evaluated in two experiments with four brown laying strains ISA Brown, Hisex Brown, Bovans Brown and Moravia BSL. During 40 weeks of lay the total number of 7200 eggs was produced and analysed for egg weight, egg component weight and eggshell quality indicators. In 60 eggs, pore density in the small-end, large-end and equatorial areas was determined. Significant interactions between genotype and housing were found out in egg weight (P ≤ 0.001), yolk and albumen weight (P ≤ 0.001) and yolk colour (P ≤ 0.001). Haugh units were the highest in eggs laid in cages and the lowest in the ISA Brown strain. Eggshell quality indicators were affected more by genotype than by housing. The interaction between genotype and housing was not significant for eggshell thickness but it was significant for eggshell weight and strength. Although eggshell thickness was lower in eggs produced in cages, eggshell strength was higher. A significant negative correlation was found out between pore density and housing system. Results of the study suggest that the ability of a strain to produce eggs of high quality in a particular housing system should be considered, even within brown strains.

Tick-borne infections such as granulocytic anaplasmosis number among emerging infectious diseases. Anaplasma phagocytophilum is an obligate intracellular bacterial parasite infecting the granulocytes of vertebrates. This bacterium is the aetiologic agent of HGA (human granulocytic anaplasmosis). Molecular methods allow quick and accurate detection of pathogens in ticks, humans, or animals. Monitoring of the environment for A. phagocytophilum involves both classical and nested PCR, since these simple methods are most efficient. As markers, parts of the 16S rRNA, ankA, groESL, msp2, or msp4 genes are used for analyses. Molecular methods have enabled analysis of the genomes of pathogens, differentiation between strains and thus, in association with ecological studies, they facilitate an understanding of their biology, pathogenicity and mode of diffusion in the natural environment.

Assemblages of earthworms were evaluated in spruce and beech stands in the Kienhaida Nature Reserve (Krušné hory Mts., Czech Republic) and its immediate surroundings, where site conditions were modified by the soil preparation for forest regeneration. The beech stands of the reserve showed low diversity but higher earthworm abundance than did the spruce stands, which in turn showed the lowest Lumbricidae abundance (18 individuals.m^-2). The highest abundance of earthworms (124 individuals.m^-2) was found in the soil of mounds created 30 years prior to sampling from the organic soil of the A_h horizon. The highest species diversity and low abundance were characteristic of areas between the mounds, the soil surface of which was greatly disturbed after removal of the A_h horizon to create those mounds. The degree to which the reforested clear-cuts created due to air pollution were overgrown with weeds contributed positively to the diversity and abundance of Lumbricidae.

The paper analyzes the main indicators of the economic position of companies in the field of food industry in Vojvodina. The examined nine-year period coincides with the final stage of the ownership transformation in the Republic of Serbia. Given the length of the examined period, a considerable devaluation of the national currency (60.6%) and a high inflation rate (125.7%), all values are shown in Euros. The increasing business activity in the period of interest is not accompanied by the appropriate financial effects. Food industry enterprises achieved a positive financial result for most of the years in the given period, but with modest profit rates (0.15-3.18%). Net working capital covers only 42.5% in average of the base stock, indicating an unfavourable financial structure and serious liquidity problems. An unacceptably high level of indebtness has been achieved (58.1%), which significantly reduces financial results due to the high financing expense. A further increase of export, combined with the recapitalization by the owners and a partial refinancing of credits, is the way to the companies' financial recovery.

The potential of antagonistic rhizobacteria in the management of bacterial blight of cotton caused by Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. malvacearum (Xam) was evaluated under greenhouse and field conditions. In this study, 93 bacterial isolates from the rhizosphere of cotton were screened for their efficacy in inhibiting the growth of Xam in vitro. Among them, 21 isolates were found to inhibit the in vitro growth of Xam. These isolates were identified as Pseudomonas fluorescens and Bacillus subtilis based on phenotypic characteristics, biochemical properties and using 16S-23S intergenic transcribed spacer-Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). Among the 21 isolates, the isolates P. fluorescens Pf32 and P. fluorescens Pf93 and B. subtilis B49 exhibited the maximum inhibitory activity against Xam. Talc-based powder formulations of the effective antagonistic isolates of P. fluorescens (Pf32, Pf93) and B. subtilis (B49) were developed and evaluated individually and in combination for their efficacy in the management of bacterial blight of cotton under greenhouse and field conditions. The P. fluorescens isolates Pf32 and Pf93 and Bacillus subtilis isolate B49 survived well in the talc-based formulation for more than 90 days. The application of a mixture of Pf32, Pf93 and B49 to seed, soil and foliage significantly reduced the bacterial blight incidence and increased the plant height, number of branches and number of bolls under field conditions. The plots treated with a mixture of Pf32, Pf93 and B49 recorded the maximum yield of 1915 kg/ha and 1512 kg/ha in trial I and trial II compared to 1210 kg/ha and 987 kg/ha in the untreated control, respectively.

An incubation study was carried out to investigate the influence of nitrogen rates to determine optimum C/N ratio under various moisture levels for straw decomposition and sequester carbon (C) in the soil. The aim was to observe straw carbon mineralization through measuring the amount of CO₂ evolution. A clay loam topsoil mixed with maize straw was supplied with four nitrogen rates (0.04, 0.08, 0.16, 0.32 g N/kg) using (NH₄)₂SO₄ to adjust C/N ratios at 82, 42, 20, and 10. Soil moisture was maintained at 55%, 70%, 85%, and 100% of field capacity incubated at 25°C for 53 days. The experiment was set up with 16 treatments arranged in complete randomized design. Results showed that mixing of straw with soil increased 50% cumulative CO₂-C compared to controls. Averagely, about 44% of added maize straw C was mineralized to CO₂-C. Straw addition along with nitrogen and moisture had significant relationships (P < 0.05) to cumulative CO₂-C, soil organic C and microbial biomass C. There was a highly significant relationship (R² = 0.99) between CO₂-C emission and incubation time.

Papers on mycobacteria in food, feed and water, published between 1945 and 2010 and indexed in the database Web of Science^® (Thomson Reuters) were ranked according to authors, institutions, countries and source titles. The total number of papers on mycobacteria and food and mycobacteria and water were 1486 and 1419, respectively. More than 40% of papers have been published in the last five years. In addition to publications in peer reviewed journals the archives of ProMED-mail and the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed of the European Union were also searched. It is evident that much attention is being paid to mycobacteria in food, feed and water as they likely pose a public health risk.

The article describes natural, combined and artificial regeneration on 38 permanent research plots in both Czech and Polish part of the Krkonoše Mts. The attention is paid to species composition, spatial (horizontal and vertical) and age structure of forest regeneration according to different stand and site conditions. Concerning the structure and dynamics of forest stands and their regeneration, the potential and prospects of regeneration according to particular developmental stages and stand types (beech stands; mixed stands: spruce-beech, fir-beech, spruce-fir-beech; spruce stands, stands in the ecotone of the upper forest limit and relict pine woods) were evaluated. In many aspects the plots show several similarities, nevertheless the regeneration in different site and stand conditions show clear differences in dynamics of development. The main differences are result of different ecological conditions, environmental limits and biological characteristics of dominant tree species.

Analyses of root mycorrhizal samples and monitoring of fruiting bodies of macromycetes from Norway spruce stands at mountain and foothill localities in the Krkonoše and Orlické Mts. provided several data series allowing to assess and compare (albeit somewhat preliminarily) mycorrhizal conditions and macromycete incidence related to stand ages and location conditions. The overall mycorrhizal conditions in young (10 years old) and older (80 years old) stands on formerly agricultural soils are comparable to those in 80- and 90-year-old forests growing on standard forest soils, but young spruce stands in the Orlické Mts. replanted on forest soils do not surprisingly show any favourable mycorrhizal characteristics. The research documents a marked diversity of macromycete species composition in mountain spruce stands compared to foothill spruce stands on former agricultural soils. While in the younger mountain spruce stands of the Orlické Mts. the expansion of macromycete species composition began to develop in a similar fashion to that in the Krkonoše Mts., the comparison of older (80-year-old) stands on formerly agricultural soils in the Orlické Mts. foothills and Krkonoše Mts. implies that the macromycete species composition developed quite differently but with a similar success.

The contribution presents the modelling solution of the potential scenarios impact of the Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union after 2013 in the selected sectors of the Slovak Republic national economy. The solution is accomplished using the Computable General Equilibrium model with the emphasis on the productive and less favourable agricultural areas and the theoretical rents for agricultural land. If we take into consideration both pillars of the Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union, according to the modelling calculations in Slovak conditions the most favoured is the Conservative scenario, the Reference and the Flat Rate scenario are neutral and the least favourable is the Liberalisation scenario.

As far as honey is concerned, microwave oven heating finds its use especially for crystallised honey reliquefying. We focused on monitoring the changes in hydroxymethylfurfural content which is an indicator of heat damage done to honey, among others. Microwave honey heating was carried out in four degrees of microwave power levels over seven variously long time periods. In total, 22 analysed honey samples came directly from bee-keepers from the Czech Republic from the 2004 and 2006 harvests. Hydroxymethylfurfural content was determined by HPLC method using a liquid chromatograph Alliance 2695 with a PDA detector 2996. We obtained relatively interesting results: despite the honey having reached relatively high temperature levels (80-90°C) at the highest power levels and the longest time periods, there was no gradual significant increase in hydroxymethylfurfural content which could be expected at conventional heating. On the other hand, hydroxymethylfurfural content varied in the course of heating of the individual samples, which is a very interesting result. A significant role was played also by the botanic origin of the honeys because the course of the changes in hydroxymethylfurfural content due to microwave heating was not the same in all honeys analysed.

Little is known about the effects of air-drying and freezing on the transformation of phosphorus (P) fractions in soils. It is important that the way in which soils respond to such perturbations is better understood as there are implications for both P availability and loss to surface waters from soils. In this study, the effects of air-drying and freezing were investigated using two soils, one being a forest soil (FS) high in organic matter and the other being a sterile soil (SS) low in organic matter. Soil P was fractionated using a modified Hedley fractionation method to examine the changes of phosphorus fractions induced by air-drying and freezing. Generally, there were no significant differences of total phosphorus among the three treatments (CV% < 10%). Compared with field moist soils, freezing the soil evoked few changes on phosphorus fractions except that the resin-P increased in FS soil. On the contrary, air-drying significantly changed the distribution of phosphors fractions for both soils: increased the labile-P (especially resin-P) and organic-P (NaHCO₃-Po, NaOH-Po and Con.HCl-Po) at the expense of NaOH-Pi and occlude-P (Dil.HCl-P and Con.HCl-Pi). Resin-P significantly increased by 31% for SS soil and by 121% for FS soil upon air-drying. The effect of air-drying seemed to be more pronounced in the FS soil with high organic matter content. These results indicated that drying seem to drive the P transformation form occlude-P to labile-P and organic-P and accelerated the weathering of stable P pool. This potentially could be significant for soil P supply to plants and P losses from soils to surface waters under changing patterns of rainfall and temperature as predicted by some climate change scenarios.

Hens of the laying hybrid Shaver Starcross 288 were used in two consequential experiments. The first experiment (for 10 months) was conducted on hens at the age from 18 to 60 weeks (1^st cycle; n = 50) and moulted hens after 10 months laying from 70 to 110 weeks of age (2^nd cycle; n = 50). For the second experiment (for 8 months) in the 1^st cycle 18 weeks old hens were bought (n = 60) and hens from the first experiment after moulting were used in the 2^nd and 3^rd cycle (n = 32 and n = 28). During the experiments eggshell qualitative parameters and calcium utilisation (%) were determined. The results indicate that the percentage of eggshell decreased with the increasing number of cycles. The significant correlation of the eggshell proportion and the age of hens was higher in long, advanced cycles (P < 0.05). The shell strength in both experiments decreased slightly in relation to the age of hens and repeated laying cycles. The shell deformation had an opposite trend to the shell strength, i.e. it increased with the increasing laying. The average shell thickness showed a decrease in the repeated laying cycles, more significant in shorter cycles (P < 0.01). The specific shell gravity maintained balanced values both in cycles and by the age of hens. The shell density in all cycles in both experiments showed a decreasing tendency in relation to the age of hens. In dietary calcium utilization for the shell formation a significant decrease was recorded in the second cycles after moulting (P < 0.05).

The objective of this study was to develop a superovulatory program based on synchronization of follicular waves with GnRH which could be applied regardless of the stage of the oestrous cycle. 36 heifers were subjected to this experiment and GnRH (Cystorelin, 200 µg) was applied between Days 0 and 7 (n = 15), 8 and 12 (n = 8) or 13 and 20 (n = 13) of the oestrous cycle. Four days after GnRH treatment, all follicles ≥ 6 mm of heifers (n) were either punctured (n = 21) or left intact (n = 15). All heifers were superstimulated from Day 6 to Day 10 after GnRH treatment with 320 mg Folltropin-V. In parallel, 21 heifers were superstimulated in a conventional manner (Days 8 to 12) and were used as controls. The homogeneity of follicular inventories among Stage-groups occurred within 4 days of GnRH treatment for follicles ≥ 7 mm but only 2 days after follicular puncture for follicles 4 to 6 mm. In response to the follicular puncture, the mean number of follicles 4 to 6 mm increased in heifers of the punctured group (P < 0.01). Following the superstimulation, the follicular (P < 0.01) and ovulatory (P < 0.01) responses were higher in the punctured group than in the nonpunctured group. The in vivo production of transferable embryos in the punctured group was similar to that of the nonpunctured group but it was lower (P < 0.01) than in heifers of the control group. In conclusion, results from the present study indicate that regardless of the stage of the oestrous cycle, the homogeneity of follicular inventories following the follicular synchronization is obtained using GnRH treatment and follicular puncture. The in vivo production of embryos was severely compromised in the present study with heifers. Causes of such reduction in the in vivo production of embryos are still unknown.

One peculiar feature of the inland valleys abundant in West Africa is their site-specific hydrology, underlain mainly by the prevailing landforms and topography. Development and management of these land resources under the increasingly popular sawah (a system of bunded, puddled and levelled rice field with facilities for irrigation and drainage) technology is a promising opportunity for enhancing rice (Oryza sativa L.) production in the region. Information on the variations in selected soil physical properties as influenced by the prevailing landforms may serve as a useful guide in site selection. This is of practical importance since majority of the inland valleys are potentially unsuitable for sawah development and most farmers in the region are of low technical level. Three landforms (river levee, elevated area and depressed area) were identified within a sawah field located in an inland valley at Ahafo Ano South District of Ghana. Each of these landforms was topsoil-sampled along on identified gradient (top, mid and bottom slope positions). Parameters determined included particle size distribution, bulk density, total porosity and field moisture content. The soil is predominantly clayey. There were no variations in the particle size distribution among the slope positions in the river levee. Overall, the river levee had lower silt content than the elevated and the depressed landforms. The bulk density, total porosity, and gravimetric moisture content indicated relative improvements only in the depressed area in the order, bottom > mid > top slope. Irrespective of slope position, the three landforms differed in these parameters in the order, depressed > river levee > elevated. The sand fraction impacted negatively on the silt fraction and bulk density of the soil, both of which controlled the soil moisture status. Despite the fairly low silt content of the soil, the silt fraction strongly influenced the gravimetric moisture content (R² = 0.80). So too did the soil bulk density on the gravimetric moisture content (R² = 0.90). It is concluded that: (1) since the landforms more prominently influenced the measured parameters than the slope positions, the former should take pre-eminence over the latter in soil suitability judgment; (2) with respect to moisture retention, variations in silt fraction and bulk density of this and other clayey inland-valley soils should be used as guide in site selection for sawah development.

Data of toxicological analyses for baits carried out in the Laboratory of Toxicology of the Department of Veterinary Clinics (University of Pisa) over a 10-year period are summarized. The 508 lures have been grouped according to their preparation features. This classification has generated six classes: (1) baits prepared with discarded or out-of-date food; (2) laborious and original/particular baits; (3) baits containing more than one toxic substance; (4) baits containing non-toxic material; (5) baits prepared with non-food material and (6) in vivo baits. The most commonly detected toxic substances in baits were organophosphorus and carbamate pesticides (48%), anticoagulant rodenticides (18%), zinc phosphide (12%), strychnine (9%), metaldehyde (8%) and others (5%). This survey shows that in Italy, the deliberate misuse or abuse of toxic substances intended to kill domestic animals, is very common and still far from being eradicated. Elaboration of a complex strategy, involving authorities as well as veterinarians and citizens, is the first step to defeat this harmful practice.