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A new probiotic, bacteriocin-producing strain of Enterococcus faecium EF9296 (isolate of our laboratory) was used in grass ensiling as an inoculant. The antimicrobial effect as well as the nutritive quality of silage was evaluated along with the aerobic stability test. Grass was ensiled with EF9296 strain (10⁹ colony-forming units per gram of fresh material) and the silage without EF9296 was also prepared. The silages were processed in 1-litre plastic bottles. The samples were collected at days 0-1 (start of experiment), 7, 14 and 105 of ensiling to check the microbial status and chemical parameters of silage. At the end of ensiling period (day 105) the silages were subjected to an aerobic stability test for 7 days. The EF9296 strain survived and colonized the silage in sufficient counts (10⁹-10¹⁰ cfu/g). The total counts of enterococci and lactic acid bacteria were increased. In the silage inoculated with EF9296 strain, a reduction in E. coli, enterobacteriae, staphylococci and Bacillus-like bacteria was noted mainly at day 7 and 14 of ensiling. Moreover, the counts of Listeria and moulds were reduced during the aerobic stability test. The silage inoculation resulted in a more rapid drop of pH, higher level of lactic acid and in a decrease in the concentration of acetic and butyric acid. The effect of E. faecium EF9296 on the value of pH was prolonged until the end of the experiment (including the aerobic stability test, below 4.3). During the whole ensiling period an increase in DM content in the experimental silage was detected. The E. faecium EF9296 strain represents a promising silage additive to produce silage of good quality and/or to prevent silage contamination.

In the present study and research work, land suitability evaluation (qualitative classification) was made for the Bilverdy research station of the Islamic Azad University in East Azarbaijan for wheat, barley, alfalfa, maize and safflower. The Simple Limitation Method (SLM), the Limitation Method regarding Number and Intensity (LMNI) and the Parametric Methods (PM) such as the square-root and the Storie methods were used. The landscape, climate and soil and characteristics that influence suitability of the land for particular crops have been combined according to the adopted methodology. Economic factors were excluded and moderate level of management was assumed. The results of different methods show that the most important limiting factors are climate, pH, organic matter (OM), gravel, salinity and sodicity, taken either alone or in combination. For safflower, the cation exchange capacity (CEC) can be added to these factors. Evaluation by the SLM and LMNI methods result in similar suitability classes, which confirms previous findings by other researchers for the same crops. However, in many cases the use of parametric methods, especially the square-root method, turned to be more realistic in distinguishing separate suitability classes. This study not only compares different methods and their results but also evaluates the suitability of the study area for particular crops. According to the square-root method, the area can be recommended as marginally suitable for cultivation of wheat, barley, alfalfa and safflower and is expected to yield about 40-65% of optimal production.

Maintenance of garlic (Allium sativum L.) genetic resources has had a long tradition in the Czech Republic. The collection was founded in 1951 and its current holder is the Crop Research Institute, Department of Vegetables and Special Crops in Olomouc. The collection consists of 613 genotypes. The oldest genotype was acquired in 1954. The collection has been evaluated according to the Descriptor list for Allium spp. (IPGRI 2001). 17 characters of the Descriptor list were supplemented with 5 additional characters. The photos of all garlic genotypes were taken. The genotypes were divided into the three main morphological groups according to the ability to produce the scape: the first group with the scape (bolting) - 300 genotypes, the second part without the scape (non-bolting garlic) 205 genotypes and the third part presents semi-bolting garlic - 108 genotypes. The last morphological type has bulbils in the different parts of the pseudostem.

: A 3-year-old Doberman Pinscher was referred to the Clinic for Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, Veterinary Faculty of Ljubljana for cardiologic examination due to lethargy, inappetence and lateral abdominal wall oedema. The dog had been treated at the primary veterinary practice for tooth granuloma two days before the presentation. During the course of the disease a presumptive diagnosis necrotizing fasciitis was ascertained and Serratia marcescens organism was isolated from the ventral body wall tissue, from the wound in the oral cavity and other organs in the body. Systemic signs developed concomitantly with the progression of the local disease. Due to grave prognosis the dog was euthanised. This is the first report of a necrotizing fasciitis in a dog caused by S. marcescens and also the first one suspected to occur after the dental procedure.

The paper deals with the use of European beech in the reconstruction of substitute species stands and in the regeneration of existing spruce stands in the air-polluted region of the north-eastern Krušné hory Mts. (air-pollution damage zones A, B, forest altitudinal vegetation zones 6 and 7, acidophilic sites). Twenty stand situations were analyzed during the study. The study objective was to compare the growth of European beech plantations in the Krušné hory Mts. with the growth of plantations of the same age in similar sites in the unpolluted region of the Bohemian-Moravian Upland (air-pollution damage zones C, D, forest altitudinal vegetation zone 6, acidophilic site). Each plant was assessed for eight growth and visually classified parameters and traits. Results of the survey showed that in the existing air-pollution and climatic situation, it is possible to switch to normal (shelterwood) beech management of higher elevations in the north-eastern Krušné hory Mts. The stands of substitute species and the current stands of Norway spruce may effectively eliminate injuries caused by late frost.

The paper evaluates the development of the tree numbers, secondary stand and species composition on eight partial control plots in Klepačov where the conversion of even aged forest managed under the system involving coupes to selection forest has been implemented within the framework of a long-term project. The plots capture various stages of conversion. Plots A, D, and H still possess structures nearing the forest of age classes. The assessment was made of the measurements taken in 1974, 1994, and 2004. Tree numbers on the partial control plots in the diameter degrees 10-70+ decreased in the first inventory period as compared with both the model situation and the initial situation in 1974 due to increased felling volumes in that period. The felling and the subsequent opening of stands resulted in a rapidly developing regeneration, which manifested itself by the increase in the number of trees in diameter degrees 2 and 6 above the values given by the model curve for these diameter degrees. In the second inventory period, tree numbers in these diameter degrees were lower by 11% as compared with the model situation and slightly lower as compared with the initial situation. Moreover, the results of the survey show that the forest stands under the selection system of management are massively invaded by broadleaved species, namely the beech and that danger exists that broadleaves will dominate in the future. This is generally considered undesirable because the quality of broadleaved stems in the stands under the selection system is low.

The common currency Euro is considered one of the biggest achievements of the European political and economic integration. However, it is necessary to stress that Euro was always first and foremost a political feat. Economists by and large pointed out that the EU - even in its 1992 reincarnation - is not an optimum common currency area (OCA). But politicians and some economists hoped that the existence of Euro itself may accelerate the processes toward the OCA. However, this did not happen and the divergence processes inside the Eurozone accelerated after 1999. Today, the Eurozone stands near the crossroad - where some countries may be increasingly tempted to leave.

The agricultural production in less favoured areas (LFA) should, first of all, fulfil the non-production goals, as is the nature and environment protection and job opportunities generation. These goals could be achieved within the conditions of sustainable agricultural production systems. This paper is aimed on the analysis of how the companies operating in marginal conditions realize commercial principles and targets specified for the LFA conditions. The obtained knowledge indicates that the managers of majority of the companies do not respect the recommendations and persist in the intensive production in spite of the unfavourable conditions.

For the first time in the Czech Republic, bacteria identified as Pseudomonas marginalis, Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum and Pseudomonas putida were isolated from tubers of Zantedeschia spp. with symptoms of tuber soft rot. The symptoms occurred on mother tubers as well as on new daughter tubers of different calla lily hybrids with yellow spathe, calla lily cv. Mango with bright orange spathe and Zantedeschia rehmanii with pink spathe. The percentage of diseased plants of the total plants in the plot was around 10%. When inoculated into potato tuber slices, strains of P. marginalis and P. c. subsp. carotovorum produced soft rot. Pectolytic activity of P. marginalis strains was less intensive than that of the P. c. subsp. carotovorum strain. The results confirm that bacterial soft rot of Zantedeschia spp. may have several causes.

By reference to the Eternal Rye trial in Halle, Germany, as an example, it is demonstrated that long-term trials provide indispensable information for contemporary and future land use research. These trials serve as tools for the examination of cultivation measures or the effects of climate on nutrient dynamics and mobilization, microbial biodiversity, mineral composition or soil formation processes. They are therefore essential for the evaluation of land-use strategies or climatic change and, because of that, can provide more accuracy in related political considerations.

Emmer and spelt are two hulled wheats that were widely grown in Spain until the latter 1960s. Twenty-nine emmer and twenty-six spelt lines obtained from Spanish accessions of these hulled wheats were analysed for quality traits and endosperm storage protein composition. The results showed a wide range of variability in these traits. Likewise, a certain association between some alleles of these proteins and the SDS-sedimentation volume has been detected.

Skeletal muscle growth is determined by the number of prenatally formed fibres and by the degree of their postnatal hypertrophy; i.e. prenatal development may influence the postnatal growth. Suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) was used to identify genes more expressed in fetal hind limb muscles of Piétrain pigs (44 days of gestation) compared to the adult biceps femoris. Six potential functional candidate genes (CNN3, DCN, FBN2, POSTN, SPARC and YWHAQ) were selected to verify the SSH results using real-time RT-PCR. Expression levels of the studied genes were significantly higher (P< 0.05) in the fetal muscle compared to the adult muscle. FBN2 and POSTN exhibited the highest mRNA levels (mean relative ratios were 182.7 and 121.6, respectively). The studied genes may play an important role in muscle biology and may be candidates for muscling traits.

The purpose of the pilot project Senotín (1993-2000) was to prove the methods of revitalization of sub-mountain headwater area (0.38 km²) in the Novobystřická Vysočina Highland (610-725 m a. s. l.) in the Czech Republic. This area was tile-drained and ploughed in 1985. Seven underground clay shields newly constructed in 1995 stopped the function of the tile drainage. Four balks prevented the surface and subsurface runoff. These adaptations improved water retention capacity of the whole catchment, which is demonstrated using an example of runoff formation in the revitalized area. A typical storm rain (total 15 mm, duration 5.6 h, max. intensity 4 mm/20 min) and the consequent runoff was analysed, including the role of the soil in the runoff retardation and water retention. The runoff started in two hours since the rain beginning. The retention reached 98% of the rain total. The runoff lasted for 85 h. The concave-upward shape of the falling hydrograph limb indicates that the maximum retention capacity of the studied catchment is high.

Gerbera has gained popularity in the past few years in many countries of the world and it is in great demand in the floral industry as cut flower as well as potted plant due to its beauty, colour, long vase life, and ability to rehydrate after long transportation. The most commercial cultivars are propagated through vegetative means by multiplication through divisions of clumps; however, the multiplication by this method is too slow to be commercially viable. To commercialize this crop and to meet the growing demand for planting material, tissue and organ culture techniques are being used as alternative methods for propagation in many countries. Most of the work has been carried on plant regeneration by adventitious organogenesis from capitulum, shoot tip, leaf, petiole and other parts of the plant. Attention should be paid to improve the technology to achieve 100% success in all species/cultivars to meet growing demands of the growers globally. From the literature, it is evident that gerberas are highly amenable to in vitro studies, as various explants were found to favourably respond to different culture media with different types and concentrations of growth regulators.

Ethiopia is one among the nations that possesses the largest number of livestock population in the African continent estimated to be 33 million cattle, 24 million sheep and 18 million goats. In contrast to the huge livestock resource, the livestock productivity is however, found to be very low. The major biological and socio-economical factors attributing to the low productivity includes: the low genetic potential and performance, poor nutrition (in quality and quantity terms), the prevailing of different diseases, traditional way of husbandry systems and inadequate skilled manpower, among others. Ethiopia is one of the African countries where tuberculosis is wide spread in both humans and cattle and the endemic nature of tuberculosis in humans and cattle has long been documented. The disease is considered as one of the major livestock diseases that results in high morbidity and mortality, although the current status on the actual prevalence rate of bovine tuberculosis (BTB) at a national level is yet unknown. Detection of BTB in Ethiopia is carried out most commonly on the basis of tuberculin skin testing, abattoir meat inspection and very rarely on bacteriological techniques. Recently undertaken studies indicated the prevalence rate of BTB with a range of 3.4% (in small holder production system) to 50% (in intensive dairy productions) and a range of 3.5% to 5.2% in slaughterhouses in various places of the country. BTB in cattle remains to be a great concern due to the susceptibility of humans to the disease. The infections mainly take place by drinking raw milk and occur in the extra-pulmonary form, in the cervical lymphadenitis form in particular. The aim of this paper is to review the status of BTB in Ethiopia in relation with the existing animal husbandry systems and abattoir meat inspection surveillances. Control measures, economic impacts and the zoonotic aspect of the disease are also briefly addressed.

Harvester technologies represent the second most common logging system in the Czech Republic. The high productivity of this technology is very necessary to cover its acquisition and operational costs. A human factor - a machine operator is the most important factor that surely influences the machine productivity. That is why the aim of this study is as follows: to analyze the mutual dependence of machine operator's education and working experience and harvester and forwarder productivity. The analysis proves that the operator's education and even more his working experience are very important. The time of harvesting work stages was measured when the harvester was operated by an operator with two-year working experience and by an operator with no experience. The average time difference between the harvester operators was 64.9 seconds in one work stage. The statistical significance of different operation times was confirmed during technically demanding segments in the working stage (the boom out the felling head and tree processing). Operators with the same working experience in forestry mechanization - about 13 years but with different education carried out the haulage work stage. In this case, the statistical significance between calculated differences was not proved. This fact proves that the operator's working experience is more important than his education.

The paper characterizes the natural conditions and current state of floodplain forests in the area of Litovelské Pomoraví and proposes the protective management of the area in accordance with the European Natura 2000 system. The paper describes the geographical location and the natural conditions of the area of interest (climate, geology, geomorphology, hydrology and flood regime, soils, and vegetation). Six groups of geobiocene types were identified, classified and described in detail. Assessment of the ecological stability of the forest stand was carried out using biogeographical differentiation of the landscape and the outline of the forest ecosystem management is drawn based on the differentiation of the protected landscape area into zones with various levels of protection.

To determine the countryside, different criteria can be used from the simplest one - the population density - to more complex ones like the economic indicators or the combination of factors characterizing the particular types of municipalities or regions. Generally, it is possible to divide these indicators into subjective and objective ones and further to categorize them according to other properties. The objective of this article is to collect as much information as possible about the methods of defining the borders of rural areas used in the Czech Republic and to set these criteria into a system. We would like to evaluate the applicability of these criteria and to state the advantages and disadvantages of their use. The article also compares statistical data related to the selected features characterizing countryside.

The aims of this study are to determine the cooperation of milk producers and to analyze the milk marketing structure in Menemen-Izmir, West Turkey. According to the results of this study, 70% of the producers are the shareholders of the cooperatives, 49.2% of the producers are members of the National Chamber of Agriculture. In this study, 47.20% of total milk production in the farms is marketing to street sellers, 36.11% is marketing to small scale milk processing plants, 10.1% is marketing directly to consumer and 6.6% is marketing to dairy factories. Also, feed prices in the market are 5% higher than the prices of cooperatives. The main problems related to organization and marketing together are the lack of knowledge in production, low milk prices and the high cost of production.

The article is focused on the importance of using the variant calculation methods in the management of companies' performance under the conditions of multifunctional agriculture. It mentions the difference between the calculations formed for the needs of valuating the production in the financial statements and the managerial calculations. Attention is paid to overhead costs in agriculture, their development is depicted with tables and graphs. The development of overhead costs during the time period of 1997-2006 is presented in crop production and outputs of wheat and rapeseed, in livestock production in Slovakia and in the outputs of cattle (6-24 months) and pigs (1-12 months). The fastidiousness of market environment of the globalized economies requires a gradual transformation from the classical calculation system into the managerial calculation system, which provides a multidimensional insight into the product as well as the market. The sequence of establishing the variant calculation methods is also introduced together with the reasons of under-valuating calculations in the managerial practice.

Transgenic plums, Prunus domestica L. clone C5, were inoculated by bud grafting with Plum pox virus (PPV-Rec, recombinant strain originated from plum), PPV-Rec + Apple chlorotic leafspot virus (ACLSV), PPV-Rec + Prune dwarf virus (PDV), and PPV-Rec + ACLSV + PDV. Non-inoculated transgenic plums served as controls. Plants were grown in an open field for 5 years. They were evaluated by visible symptoms, by DAS-ELISA and RT-PCR. Mild PPV symptoms, diffuse spots or rings appeared two years after inoculation in some leaves of plants artificially inoculated with PPV-Rec, PPV-Rec + ACLSV, PPV-Rec + PDV, and PPV-Rec + ACLSV + PDV. Severe PPV symptoms appeared in leaves of shoots growing from infected buds used for inoculation. During the following three years, further weakening of PPV symptoms was observed in transgenic plants. In 2007, very mild PPV symptoms were found in only a few leaves, and over 60%, resp. 70% of the C5 trees showed no PPV symptoms. The presence of PPV was confirmed by ELISA, ISEM and RT-PCR. No difference in PPV symptoms was observed between PPV-Rec and combinations PPV-Rec + ACLSV, PPV-Rec + PDV, PPV-Rec + ACLSV + PDV. No symptoms of ACLSV appeared in combinations of ACLSV with PPV-Rec and PPV-Rec + PDV during 2004-2007, but the presence of ACLSV in leaves of transgenic plants clone C5 was proved by ELISA and RT-PCR. Neither synergistic nor antagonistic effects of ACLSV on PPV-Rec were observed. No symptoms of PDV appeared in combinations of viruses with PDV during 2004-2007. PDV was not detected by ELISA, and the presence of PDV was uncertain by RT-PCR in most of inoculated trees in 2006 and 2007. The results of RT-PCR will be further confirmed by sequence analysis and discussed. These results suggest a possible antagonistic interaction between PPV-Rec and PDV in plum clone C5.

Lucerne (Medicago sativa L. var. Palava), harvested at four successive dates over a 30-day period, was evaluated for chemical composition (dry matter, organic matter, crude protein, ether extract, crude fibre, nitrogen-free extract, neutral detergent fibre, acid detergent fibre, acid detergent lignin), amino acid contents and intestinal digestibility in dairy cows. Dry matter (r = 0.78), organic matter (r = 0.95), crude fibre (r = 0.91), neutral detergent fibre (r = 0.94), acid detergent fibre (r = 0.79) and acid detergent lignin (r = 0.48) presented positive linear correlation coefficients (r) with growth stage, whereas crude protein (r = -0.96), ether extract (r = -0.86) and nitrogen-free extract (r = -0.70) showed negative relationships. Total essential amino acid content decreased (r = -0.94) from 84.1 to 55.3 g/kg of dry matter with maturity, with r-values higher than -0.90 obtained between growth stage and contents of lysine, methionine, threonine and valine. With the exception of tyrosine (r = -0.68), r-values between growth stage and individual non-essential amino acids were all higher than -0.90. Total amino acid (r = -0.98) and nitrogen (r = -0.99) contents presented comparable tendencies with successive sampling times. Whereas no definite trends were detected for the amino acid composition of rumen incubated (16 hours) lucerne samples, the intestinal digestibility of total essential (r = -0.78), total non-essential (r = -0.58) and total (r = -0.69) amino acids as well as nitrogen (r = -0.99) decreased with growth. However, due to a small sample size (n = 4), most linear relationships between constituents and growth stage were insignificant. It can be concluded that, although limited in the sample size, this report presents information on the decrease in amino acid contents and intestinal amino acid digestibility as growth proceeds in lucerne (var. Palava) produced in the Czech Republic, which could be utilized in the feeding of ruminants.

Beechnuts from three Fagus sylvatica lots were dried at 20°C to 5-6% or 8-9% (fresh weight basis) moisture content and stored at -7°C or -22°C for 3.5 or 4.5 years in sealed polyethylene bags containing air and routinely used for the long-term storage of beechnuts or vacuumed (de-aerated) polyethylene bags with air removed before sealing. The germination and viability (tetrazolium test) of beechnuts were determined according to the Czech Technical Rules (1997) once a year during storage. The results were subjected to factorial ANOVA and the means were compared using the Scheffe test at P > 0.05. Compared to beechnuts dried to an 8-9% moisture content a significant decrease in both germination and viability occurred in beechnuts dried to a 5-6% moisture content regardless of how long the beechnuts were stored. However, the effects of the other treatments (type of storage bag, storage temperature) were not significant.

Land market has started to develop extremely in the Czech Republic since 2002. The annual sale and purchase of estates represented 0.2% of the total land resources between 1993-2001. The sale and the purchase have represented 2.9% of total land resources after 2002 and especially after the EU accession of the Czech Republic. These values of sale are the highest from the EU countries. On the other side, land prices decreased slightly in comparison with the prices before the EU accession. Prices of agricultural land are significantly lower than in the EU 15.

The submitted paper analyses the development of food industry in the Czech Republic in 2000-2006, its position (in 2006) and development trends of main economic indicators compared to the development of manufacturing industry. In comparison with the dynamic development of Czech manufacturing industry, key position of food industry has decreased. The monitored food sector has heterogeneous structure with regard to branches. In connection with these differences, development trends of separate branches are fluctuating but labour productivity of the food sector as a total has markedly accelerated.

The experiments were conducted to study the effects of arsenic-contaminated irrigation water, zinc and organic matter on the mobilization of arsenic in an Aeric Endoaquept in relation to rice (cv. IET 4786). The results show that the amount of extractable arsenic increased with the progress of submergence decreased with zinc application. The magnitude of such decrease varied with the Zn amount, being greater (0.70 to 1.08 mg/kg) in the treatment where zinc was applied at the rate of 20 mg/kg. With regards to organic matter application, the arsenic content in soil markedly decreased, especially with farmyard manure application. The results of the greenhouse experiment with exposure of graded doses of arsenic to rice suggest that the upper toxic limit of arsenic in soil was 10 mg/kg for rice. The results of the field experiment show that the grain yield of continuous flooding (4.84 t/ha) and intermittent flooding up to 40 days after transplanting followed by continuous flooding (4.83 t/ha) with the application of ZnSO₄ at the rate of 25 kg/ha did not vary significantly. The lowest grain yield (3.65 t/ha) was recorded in the treatment where the intermittent flooding was maintained throughout the growth period without the application of zinc. The amount of arsenic was, however, much lower in the treatment where intermittent flooding was maintained throughout the growing period combined with zinc sulphate application.

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of cage stocking density on egg yield, some egg quality traits and plumage condition in laying hens. Eighteen weeks-old 264 ISA-Brown pullets were divided into four cage density groups. The densities were 2 000, 1 000, 667 and 500 cm² per hen (by allocating 1, 2, 3 and 4 hens per cage; floor area 40 × 50 cm) with 48, 30, 24 and 21 replicate cages, totally 123 three-tier battery cages. During the experimental period from 18 to 53 weeks of age, all birds were provided illumination for 16 hours a day. The hens were fed a diet containing 11.7 MJ ME/kg and 180 g CP during the period of 18 to 40 weeks of age and 11.3 MJ ME/kg and 170 g CP during the period of 41 to 54 weeks of age. Feed and water were available for ad libitum. Egg yield, mortality, live weights at 50% egg production age and at the end of experiment, pecking related mortalities, some egg quality traits and plumage condition were recorded weekly. Hen-housed egg production, egg mass, viability, and live weights were significantly decreased by higher densities. Most of the egg quality traits were not affected by cage densities. Pecking related mortalities increased in cage densities of 667 cm² and 500 cm² per hen compared to the other densities (P < 0.05) while plumage scores were higher in all body parts of hens kept in cages of 2 000 cm² and 1 000 cm² densities compared to the higher densities. The results showed that brown laying hens should be kept in cages having 1 000-2 000 cm² densities in order to improve their welfare and performance.

The study analyses the growth of beech seedling fine roots and their development in the first five years. The research plots were established in 1997-2003 in community forests of Starý Plzenec (Western Bohemia, Czech Republic). The data are based on annual reviews of beech samplings extracted from surveyed plots. The whole root volume as well as the fine root volume is significantly (on a 95% significance level) growing during the first years after outplanting and there is not any disruption of growth immediately after outplanting.

In the locality Hnilé Blatá (the High Tatras Mts.), the structure was measured of root branches in the windthrown spruces (Picea abies [L.] Karst.). After cleaning the root plates, the number, diameter, and length of individual root branches were measured. Individual root branches were classified into twelve diameter classes - according to their diameters measured in the middle of the root branch length. We found out a high frequency of the root branches in the first three root-diameter classes; the values of the average frequency of root branches smoothly declined with their diameters increasing. We found out the lowest mean values of the root branch length in the first two root diameter classes. However, the values of total average length of root branches were the highest in the first root diameter class and these values continually decreased with increasing values of the root branch diameter. On the basis of the high values of root frequency and of total root length in the thinnest root-diameter classes, it seems that the spruce trees growing in gley soil form a similar root structure as those growing in podzolic brown soil.

This report deals with the problems of the status of rural households in the stratification system of the post-socialist Slovak society. The authors take as the basis the concept of associated classification and knowledge about the trends in the development of the social structure of Slovak society in the transformation period. The processing of empirical data from the survey research of rural households in three districts served as an example to compare the classification of households within the economic and socio-cultural lines by the means of the selected indicators. The analysis refers to the inconsistency of the stratification of rural households according to the economic and income statuses as well as education, population and socioeconomic qualities which are significantly conditioned by the regional position and situation. The representative types of rural households for the individual social strata are characterized in the conclusions. They are characterized with regard to the used criteria.