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The honey bee is one of the insects that is significantly endangered by the application of pesticides in the cultivation of crops. Not only is acute toxicity dangerous, but the importance of chronic poisoning by low doses of pesticides in hives is growing. The behavior of bees can be affected not only by insecticide residues but also by herbicide and fungicide residues. In 2016-2018, samples of bee bread were analysed for pesticide content at 25 different localities from intensive agricultural production areas of the Czech Republic. Substances were extracted by QuEChERS and determined by liquid chromatography, together with mass spectrometric detection. We detected up to 18 pesticides in one sample. In total, during 2016-2018, we identified 53 active substances. Fifteen substances (31%) were herbicidal, 23 substances (47%) of fungicidal nature and 6 substances (12%) of insecticidal nature. The coefficient of variation showed large differences in the frequency of revealed pesticides between years. For substances sprayed outside period attractive for pollinators (mainly herbicides and some fungicides), the usual methodology cannot reliably determine the degree of contamination, and thus the actual contamination with these substances may be even higher than demonstrated in this study.

The standardisation of protocols and discussion of therapeutic procedures in the rehabilitation of turtles affected by oil spills are necessary to optimise the recovery time and increase the chances of survival of these animals. This study aimed at reporting the processes adopted for the stabilisation, decontamination, rehabilitation and release of an oiled olive ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea), rescued alive on September 23, 2019, at Santa Rita Beach, Extremoz municipality, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. Its entire body was covered by oil. At first, the animal was mechanically dry cleaned using a gauze soaked in mineral oil in the keratinised regions (carapace and plastron) and a gauze soaked in vegetable oil was used on the oral, nasal, ocular, and cloacal mucous membranes. The second stage of the oil removal consisted of washing the animal with heated pressurised water (39 °C) and a neutral detergent using a soft foam sponge. The animal received treatment with antitoxins, antibiotics, analgesics, gastrointestinal protectors, and fluid therapy. After 7 days of treatment, the blood count showed that all the parameters were within the normal range. The oil cleaning process and the therapeutic protocol used in the rehabilitation of the olive ridley sea turtle were efficient.

The study determined the effects of the speed of loading and the loading orientation on some selected mechanical properties of the TME 419 cassava tuber variety at different ages of the tuber which are essential in the design and construction of the processing and handling equipment of a cassava peeler. The properties considered include the bioyield and rupture points, compressive and rupture strengths, toughness and firmness, and moduli of stiffness and toughness, which were carried out in the transverse and longitudinal loading direction using an Instron Universal Testing Machine (UTM). As the loading rate increased from 5.00 to10.00 mm.min^-1 and the age of the tuber varies from 1.00 to 2.00 years, the bioyield and rupture points, compressive and rupture strengths, toughness, firmness, moduli of stiffness and toughness in the transverse and longitudinal direction varies from 1 619.61 to 3 636.19 N and 136.08 to 384.52 N, 0.48066 to 1.07913 N.mm^-2 and 0.26604 to 0.75173 N.mm^-2, 766 to 1055 N.mm^-1 and 1 262 to 2 965 N.mm^-1, 303.98 to 553.68 mm.min^-1 and 28.08 to 53.71 mm.min^-1 2.30 to 4.19 N.mm^-2 and 5.376 to 8.94N.mm^-2 respectively. Generally, the values of the properties examined are higher in the longitudinal loading orientation than in the transverse and for a year and half old tuber which will be useful in designing an efficient cassava peeling system.

The impacts of deforestation on edaphic mesostigmatid mites were investigated in oak forests of Lordegan, southwestern Iran, from April to October. A total of twenty-one species belonging to eighteen genera and ten families were collected and identified. The Shannon-Wiener, Simpson, Jaccard's and Margalef biodiversity indices were used for data analyses. Among the collected species, Antennoseius bacatus with 29% and Sessilunchus hungaricus with 16% relative abundance were the most abundant and dominant species in human-disturbed and natural forests, respectively. The estimated values were higher in natural oak forest than in disturbed and cultivated habitat. Significant differences were observed in soil nitrogen content and soil organic carbon between the two habitats, but not in pH values. Significant effects of sampling time and habitat were found on all four indices, but the effect of their interactions on these indices was not significant. It can be concluded that the changes in soil quality that resulted from deforestation may have a major role in reducing the soil mite density and related diversity indices in disturbed forests.

The subject of this study was to investigate lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and yeasts microbiota of traditional sourdough (n = 36) and to indicate characteristics of enriched sourdough that is produced from combinations of isolates. A total of 60 LAB and 40 yeasts were identified from sourdough by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionisation-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) analysis. The dominant LAB microflora was Lactobacillus brevis (43.33%), Pediococcus acidilactici (21.67%) and Lactobacillus plantarum (18.33%). The dominant yeasts microflora was Saccharomyces cerevisiae (27.5%), Pichia kudriavzevii (25.0%) and Kluyveromyces marxianus (12.5%). The sourdough prepared with the combination of L. brevis, Leuconostoc mesenteroides, P. acidilactici and S. cerevisiae, K. marxianus showed the best physicochemical and microbiological properties while that with L. plantarum, L. brevis and P. kudriavzevii, Wickerhamomyces anumalus was the poorest. LAB and yeasts in the sourdoughs were ranged from 6.58 log CFU g^-1 to 9.12 log CFU g^-1 and from 6.12 log CFU g^-1 to 7.88 log CFU g^-1, respectively. Various chemical parameters such as pH, total titratable acidity (TTA), ethanol, and sourdough volume were differ depending on the type of microbial species. TTA was more pronounced in the sourdoughs produced with homofermentative LAB. Yeasts and LAB were dominated during continuous enriching of sourdough, supporting an important role during fermentation.

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

A 6-year-old, spayed, female, domestic shorthair cat presented with a 4-month history of chronic intermittent vomiting and anorexia. The haematologic results indicated moderate anaemia and a circulating mast cell population. The abdominal radiography revealed a markedly enlarged spleen. The cytological analysis of the spleen showed a uniform population of mast cells, and a diagnosis of systemic mastocytosis (splenic mast cell tumour with mastocytaemia) was made. This diagnosis was subsequently confirmed by the histopathological examination of the spleen. The immunohistochemistry for KIT showed KIT pattern II (focal cytoplasmic expression). A splenectomy and chemotherapy with vinblastine and prednisolone resulted in remission of the anaemia and other clinical signs. This case report highlights the importance of cytological evaluations of peripheral blood smears and/or aspirates of enlarged spleens for diagnosing splenic mast cell tumours and for quickly initiating the appropriate treatment.

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

Open-cast coal mining presents a big global issue because of the large areas the mines occupy, which get entirely changed. Their ecosystems lose most of their functions, and a huge amount of fertile soil gets utterly destroyed. Reclamation is a process of returning the functions of the soil after the excavation is finished, most commonly achieved by establishing vegetation, which can sometimes be very difficult. This happens due to the physical, chemical and biological changes that occur on these sites, which are described in this paper. Also, some directions for mitigating these problems are given. Once the vegetation is successfully introduced, natural cycles that were compromised by the mining are established once again, and the process of soil formation begins. Some trends and problems related to pedogenesis research on reclaimed mine sites are presented and discussed, along with presumptions of how the process of soil formation evolves on afforested clayey Technosols of central Europe. The potential future research which would confirm these presumptions is discussed, with the emphasis on the need of research performed on older reclamation sites, as well as sites with similar ecological conditions and different tree species cover.

Atrazine is still widely used in China. Atrazine residue (1.86-1 100 mg/kg) in the soil has exceeded the allowable limit (1.0 mg/kg), affecting soil structure and soil aggregate composition. To understand the long-term application of atrazine on soil aggregates and the binding agent, four treatments were established in cornfield planted since 1998, including without atrazine applied (AT₀), atrazine applied (28% atrazine, 1 200-1 350 mL/ha/year) once a year from 2012 to 2018 (AT₆, 167 mg/kg), from 2008 to 2018 (AT₁₀, 127.64 mg/kg) as well as from 2002 to 2018 (AT₁₆, 102 mg/kg) with three replications. Along with the increase of atrazine application time, the mass fraction of soil aggregates > 5 mm and 2-5 mm decreased significantly while the mass fraction of soil aggregates 0.5-2 mm and < 0.5 mm increased gradually, and the change of aggregate binding agents contents were the same as that of aggregates. The contents of soil organic carbon (SOC) and glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP) in the aggregates > 5 mm and 2-5 mm were significantly negatively correlated with the years of atrazine application. Our results show that although atrazine residue in the soil does not increase with the increased yearly application, its concentration is still markedly higher than the permitted limit value and seriously affected the content of SOC and GRSP of aggregates > 2 mm, which can lead to a decrease of soil aggregate stability and soil quality.

The aim of the study was to assess the effect of the partial or complete dietary replacement of crude protein (CP) from soybean meal (SBM) with CP from the meal of whole (trial 1) or dehulled (trial 2) white lupine (WL) seeds on the blood plasma biochemical indicators in broilers. Chickens of the control (C) group were fed diets containing the SBM as the main protein source in the feed. It results from the findings that the complete and also partial replacement of CP from the SBM by CP from the meal of whole WL seeds in diets led to a decrease in the plasma cholesterol and triacylglycerides (TAG) levels (P < 0.001). Concerning the dietary administration of dehulled WL seeds, only the complete replacement of CP resulted in a decrease in the plasma glucose and TAG levels in 35-day-old broilers (P < 0.05). In addition, when including the dehulled WL seeds into the diet, an increase in the plasma aspartate aminotransferase activity was found in both the E1 and E2 groups (P < 0.01). Based on the results found, it can be stated that the use of meal from whole WL seeds seems to be a promising protein feed component which has beneficial effects on the health of broilers.

Tumour of the oral cavity is a rare condition in young animals. The most frequent are odontomas - locally invasive tumours with no metastatic potential. The article describes a case report of 4-month-old male puppy diagnosed with mandibular odontoma with cystic appearance. Authors present clinical features, histopathological examination of odontoma and the surgical management using deep curettage and hydroxyapatite granules deposition. Odontomas can form bone cyst-like structure padded with membrane forming denticles. A deep curettage is acceptable method of treatment but should be supplied with hydroxyapatite deposition if the cyst is present.

Spring barley varieties Tolar and Marthe were grown under the standard conditions and stress conditions with a combined effect of high temperature and drought in three experiments conducted in the greenhouse of phytotron type. The results showed that growing under the stress conditions led to reduced yield, grain quality and malt quality. This effect was observed both in the individual years and on average for the entire study period. Average yield of grain declined by ca 53% and retention above 2.5 mm screen decreased by ca 28% (P = 0.001). Further, average content of proteins rose by 3.7% while starch content decreased by 5.1% (P = 0.01). In malt samples, average extract and friability were reduced by 5.8% and 15%, respectively, and average protein content increased by 3.8% (P = 0.01). The growing conditions were a dominant factor in the conducted experiments.

The aim of the paper is to identify the factors influencing consumers when beer consumption and when choosing restaurants for beer consumption in the Czech Republic (CR). A partial goal was to compare preferences and factors influencing beer consumers from the Vysočina Region and the South-Moravian Region. The survey included a questionnaire survey, which 408 respondents took part in. The results showed that the most influential factors in the selection of beer for consumers are taste, a high-quality brand, and Czech production. Surprisingly, price was not found to be an influential factor in beer selection but is rather neutral. Factors that influence consumers most when choosing a restaurant for beer consumption were also identified. Consumers are most influenced by the quality of the beer on offer and the environment in which it is consumed.

The aim of the current research was to analyze the linear type traits of Hungarian Simmental dual-purpose cows scored in the first lactation using principal component analysis and cluster analysis. Data collected by the Association of Hungarian Simmental Breeders were studied during the work. The filtered database contained the results of 8 868 cows, born after 1997. From the evaluation of main conformation traits, the highest correlations (r = 0.35, P < 0.05) were found between mammary system and feet and legs traits. Within linear type traits, the highest correlation was observed between rump length and rump width (r = 0.81, P < 0.05). Using the principal component analysis, main conformation traits were combined into groups. There were three factors having 84.5 as total variance ratio after varimax rotation. Cluster analysis verified the results of the principal component analysis as most of the trait groups were similar. The strongest relationship was observed between feet and legs and mammary system (main conformation traits) and between rump length and rump width (linear type traits).

Sustainable crop production requires an efficient usage of fossil energy. This six-year study on a silt loam soil (chernozem) analysed the energy efficiency of four tillage systems (mouldboard plough 25-30 cm, deep conservation tillage 35 cm, shallow conservation tillage 8-10 cm, no-tillage). Fuel consumption, total energy input (made up of both direct and indirect input), grain of maize yield, energy output, net-energy output, energy intensity and energy use efficiency were considered. The input rates of fertiliser, herbicides and seeds were set constant; measured values of fuel consumption were used for all tillage operations. Total fuel consumption for maize (Zea mays L.) production was 81.6, 81.5, 69.5 and 53.2 L/ha for the four tillage systems. Between 60% and 64% of the total energy input (17.0-17.4 GJ/ha) was indirect energy (seeds, fertiliser, herbicides, machinery). The share of fertiliser energy of the total energy input was 36% on average across all tillage treatments. Grain drying was the second highest energy consumer with about 22%. Grain yield and energy output were mainly determined by the year. The tillage effect on yield and energy efficiency was smaller than the growing year effect. Over all six years, maize produced in the no-tillage system reached the highest energy efficiency.

Insect pollination is one of the most important ecosystem services. Pollinator communities are rarely studied across years and crops in the same location. The aim of this study was to investigate the pollinator community structure on five different fruit crops, as well as the activity of different pollinator groups during the day and their temperature preferences. Pollinator activity was observed across two years on apple trees and blueberry, strawberry, blackcurrant and raspberry bushes. Pollinator community structure varied by plant and year. Honeybees were the most numerous pollinators on all plants except blueberry bushes (39-95% of visits). Bumblebee numbers were high on blackcurrant (up to 28%) and blueberry bushes (up to 61%). Solitary bees visited all plants except blueberries. Honeybees, solitary bees, and hoverflies were most active in the middle of the day, while bumblebees became active earlier in the morning and remained active later in the evening. Pollinators also differed greatly in their temperature preferences. This knowledge gained is necessary for less harmful pesticide application management and the development of more sustainable agriculture to maintain pollinator diversity and thus reliable pollination in extreme weather conditions.

The success of forest and agricultural plant establishment program mainly depends on the quality of reproductive material. The study intends to offer engineers and farm owners a solution for small-size seed improvement before sowing. The effect of low-intensity coherent light on the seeds of various crops is theoretically and empirically hypothesized. The seedlots of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) of Russian diploid hybrid RMS-127 were germinated in a controlled environment. The germinants were produced from six seed fractions, previously irradiated with 1.274 W.m^-2 at the 632.8 nm wavelength with 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 15 min exposure to a standard laser system, plus untreated control. Pine germinants were measured on day 15, beetroot on day 10 after germination. An increase in exposure time reduced Scots pine germination energy and capacity, while for sugar beet the results were not conclusive. On the contrary, increasing the exposure time had a positive effect on both the height and biomass growth of both Scots pine and sugar beet germinants. The 10-min exposure time resulted in maximum values for sugar beet height and biomass and Scots pine height, while the 15-min exposure time produced maximum Scots pine biomass.

Farms generally produce products with low differentiation. To reach an increase in the profit and sales, product differentiation is one of the potential strategies that could be successfully applied. This paper identifies "Intermediate Consumption/Total Output" as a simple and user-friendly indicator for farm product differentiation performance and comparison assessment in the Czech Republic, based on a two-step cluster analysis performed on 1 225 farms with different operating conditions and reproduction process characteristics in the Czech Republic. The data are sourced from Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN CZ). Four farm clusters based on product differentiation levels are identified and described from the point of view of the production process and conditions. The resulting cluster profiles, in general, indicate the production conditions and process affecting the resulting product differentiation. Nevertheless, farms deliver extraordinary product differentiation values in fields with less favourable conditions and production processes. Those have the potential to be an inspiration for farms with lower product differentiation values. The result of this paper provides hope, less favourable conditions are not a limit for formidable performance. This paper result can be practically applied by anyone aiming to easily identify, evaluate, and compare farm product differentiation levels.

Current research work was performed to evaluate the antioxidant, antidiabetic, thrombolytic, and cytotoxic potential of Bougainvillea glabra leaf extracts with different solvents. Extraction of leaves was carried out by maceration using solvents of various polarity such as n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, n-butanol, and methanol. The highest values of total phenolic and flavonoid contents were assessed in methanolic extract, such as 58.57% and 29.41%, respectively. Antioxidant potential was measured by DPPH free radical, showing 65.16% scavenging activity in methanolic extract. Similarly, the reducing power of methanolic extract was also measured. Hemolytic activity of B. glabra leaf extracts was evaluated, and maximum percentage lysis was found as 6.86% in chloroform extract. The thrombolytic activity of B. glabra leaf extracts was evaluated against human red blood cells, and the maximum percentage of clot lysis was 59.10% in chloroform extract. Maximum antidiabetic activity (16.20%) was observed in methanolic extract. Overall, the presented results reveal that bogan bail extract is capable of being employed in nutra-pharmaceutical industry.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of crossing Mecklenburger Schecke (MS) males with the maternal commercial line of HYLA rabbits on the growth performance, mortality and body and carcass components of fattened rabbits under intensive farming conditions. The control (C) group consisted of albino crossbred rabbits of the HYLA combination AB sires × CD dams. The tested (T) group (MS sires × HYLA CD dams) consisted of rabbit crosses between the MS sires and the same dam line as in the C group. Rabbits of both groups were raised and fattened under identical nutritional and management conditions. The crossing of MS males with the maternal line of HYLA rabbits led to the acceptable growth performance of rabbits in the T group. The higher slaughter weight of rabbits in the T group as compared to rabbits in the C group (P < 0.01) as associated with the higher weight of hot carcass and higher proportions of fore and intermediate parts of carcass (P < 0.01). On the contrary, HYLA rabbits had a higher proportion of the hind part of carcass (P < 0.001); yields of hind leg meat and musculus longissimus thoracis et lumborum were not influenced by the genotype. However, since higher mortality was found in rabbits of the T group during fattening, it is not possible to recommend the MS breed as a common sire line used under conditions of intensive farming at this moment. Regarding the rabbit sex, slaughtered females showed a higher proportion of liver and a lower dressing percentage associated with the worse carcass compactness compared to males.

The aim of the study was to determine the interaction of herbicides and herbicides with biostimulants on the accumulation of dry matter and starch in potato tubers. In a three-year field experiment based on the method of randomised sub-blocks, two factors were taken into account. The first factor were potato cultivars: Bartek, Gawin, Honorata. The second factor were five methods of herbicides and biostimulants application: (1) the control object without chemical protection (CO); (2) herbicide linuron + clomazone (Harrier 295 ZC) (H); (3) herbicide linuron + clomazone (Harrier 295 ZC) and biostimulant Ecklonia maxima (Kelpak SL) - (H + K); (4) herbicide metribuzin (Sencor 70 WG) - (S); (5) herbicide metribuzin (Sencor 70 WG) and biostimulant sodium para-nitrophenol, sodium ortho-nitrophenol, sodium 5-nitroguaiacol (Asahi SL) - (S + A). The cultivars and weather conditions significantly affected the content and yields of dry matter and starch. The herbicides and biostimulants used determined the starch accumulation as well as dry matter and starch yields. Most starch in tubers (more by 3.7 g/kg) and the highest dry matter and starch yields (more by 2.87 and 1.79 t/ha, respectively), compared to the control object, were obtained after the application of the herbicide Sencor 70 WG and biostimulant Asahi SL.

We herein report the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings in a brain meningioma in a pet rat (Rattus norvegicus domestica). A 1.5-year-old pet rat was referred for depression, ataxia, tremors and bilateral nystagmus; a brain MRI was elected suspecting an intracranial neoplasia. The study was performed with a 0.25 T scanner. The MRI revealed a well-defined oval mass with a heterogeneous appearance, hyperintense in T1 and T2, and with extra-axial localisation and severe brain compression, the mass appeared strongly and diffusely contrast-enhancing. Euthanasia was elected, with the necropsy confirming the presence of a voluminous extra-axial mass. Histologically, a well-differentiated, benign meningotheliomatous meningioma was diagnosed, with the histochemical stains allowing one to exclude a granular cell tumour. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of MRI investigations on a pet rat intracranial meningioma.

Chilling damage significantly reduces grain yield in rice, while exploring major quantitative trait loci (QTLs) has the potential to improve rice production. Mapping of QTLs for 5 cold tolerance-related traits at the booting stage was conducted with SSR markers and inclusive composite interval mapping (ICIM) approach, based on 105 near-isogenic lines derived from a backcross between Lijiangxintuanheigu (LTH, cold-tolerant landrace) and Towada (cold-sensitive cultivar). Phenotype values were investigated under five cold-stress environments and analysed by the best linear unbiased prediction (BLUP). Twenty-one QTLs were identified on chromosomes 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 10 and 11, and the amount of variation (R²) explained by each QTL ranged from 7.71 to 29.66%, with five co-located QTL regions. Eight novel major loci (qSF-2, qSF-6a, qSF-7, qGW-6, qDGWP-4, qDSWPP-4, qDWPP-1 and qDWPP-4b) were detected in several environments and BLUP, and their alleles were contributed by LTH with R² variance from 12.24 to 29.66%. These favourable QTLs would facilitate elucidation of the genetic mechanism of cold tolerance and provide strategies for breeding high-productive rice.

Potassium (K) in sugar beet can be partly replaced by magnesium (Mg) and sodium (Na). This hypothesis was verified based on 12 field experiments conducted on four farms in Poland during the seasons 2010-2012. The effect of different K, Na and Mg ratios in fertilizers applied in the total rate of 3205 mol/ha on beet yield (BY), storage root quality and white sugar yield (WSY) was determined. The tested K:Mg:Na cation ratios were as follows: 1:0:0; 1:0.11:0.09; 1:0.16:0.54 and 1:0.33:2.19. BY and WSY were affected by the total rate of the applied cations. The optimum ratio of K:Mg:Na was different with respect to the site and the growing season. The K rate reduction from 125 to 24 kg/ha combined with the simultaneous increase in the rate of Mg and Na did not result in lower BY. However, a too narrow K:Na ratio in applied fertilizers resulted in a decrease of sucrose content in storage roots. The fertilization cost for sugar beet production could be reduced through the application of fertilizers that contain fixed amounts of Na on soils rich in available K.

In a three-year experiment, three types of soil conservation techniques were tested in the legumes cultivation systems. Our treatment types were no-till, standard tillage to the depth of 8 cm and deep tillage to 20 cm. The study evaluated winter pea (cv. Enduro), spring pea (cv. Eso), white lupine (cv. Amiga), narrow-leaved lupine (cv. Boregine) and soybean (cv. Merlin) in two autumn terms (winter pea only) and in spring term (all legume species). In no-till technology, the average yield of all legumes was 2.24 t/ha. For standard tillage (2.58 t/ha) and deep tillage (2.62 t/ha), yields were significantly higher than in no-till technology. From the monitored parameters, deep tillage appeared as the best soil treatment. Although the yield was similar to standard tillage, the soil was less stiffened, resulting in a higher content of nitrogen in the seed and a better use of the pre-crop value of the legumes. In the experiment, winter pea spring sowing term (2.93 t/ha) was better than both autumn sowings (2.68 t/ha and 2.65 t/ha).

The ileal digestibility of amino acids and fatty acids in young chickens fed control diet or experimental diets supplemented with freeze-dried pasture herbage at 20 or 40 g/kg was studied. Control diet contained wheat, maize, and soybean meal. Predominant species in the pasture herbage harvested in May were Lolium perenne, Festuca pratensis, and Trifolium pratense. Freeze-dried pasture herbage contained less protein (169 g/kg) and fat (24 g/kg) and more neutral detergent and acid detergent fibre (340 and 210 g/kg) and tannins (12.38 g/kg) than control diet. Concentrations of amino acids, except phenylalanine and threonine, were lower in pasture herbage than in control feed. In both the control feed and freeze-dried pasture herbage, unsaturated fatty acids occurred in higher proportions than saturated fatty acids. In freeze-dried pasture herbage linolenic acid was the main fatty acid. In chickens fed freeze-dried pasture herbage the ileal digestibility of amino acids and fatty acids decreased in a dose-dependent manner. Freeze-dried pasture herbage at 4% in diet had negative effect (P < 0.05) on the digestibility of amino acids and fatty acids in comparison with control diet. But there was no significant effect of 2% freeze-dried pasture herbage in diet on amino acids digestibility. This suggests that pasture herbage contains anti-nutritional factors that inhibit proteolysis and lipolysis. The effect of pasture herbage on digestibility was variable. In chickens fed diets containing 4% freeze-dried pasture herbage, apparent ileal digestibility of amino acids varied from 0.39 (cysteine) to 0.91 (methionine). Variability in the ileal digestibility of fatty acids was less pronounced (from 0.65 to 0.89).

In dairy cows, immunosuppression occurs frequently during the periparturient period and is characterised by transient neutropenia and impaired polymorphonuclear neutrophil function. As a consequence, postpartum cows are more susceptible to production-related diseases such as mastitis, retained foetal membranes and metritis. Recently, it has been shown that a double injection with recombinant bovine granulocyte colony-stimulating factor covalently bound to polyethylene glycol (PEG rbG-CSF) increased polymorphonuclear neutrophil number and the exocytosis of myeloperoxidase by stimulating polymorphonuclear neutrophil, which also played a role in innate uterine immune defence. The aim of this randomised clinical study was to investigate the effects of two periparturient PEG rbG-CSF injections (IMR; Imrestor^TM, Elanco Animal Health, Bad Homburg/Germany) on the incidence of acute puerperal metritis, number of antibiotic doses required for treatment of acute puerperal metritis as well as parameters of milking performance (i.e., milk yield, milk fat, milk protein, and somatic cell count on the first dairy herd improvement test day) in primiparous cows within a dairy herd with an elevated incidence of acute puerperal metritis. In total, 169 heavily pregnant heifers were randomly assigned to the treatment group (IMR: n = 82) who received 15 mg PEG rbG-CSF subcutaneously 10 ± 3 days before the anticipated calving date and within 24 hours after calving, or to the untreated control group (Co: n = 87). In total, data from 157 animals (IMR: n = 75, Co: n = 82) were analysed. Administration of PEG rbG-CSF reduced the incidence of acute puerperal metritis in primiparous cows significantly (IMR: 22.7%, Co: 43.9%, P = 0.003; relative reduction: 48.3%). Moreover, the number of antibiotic doses per calving required for treatment of acute puerperal metritis was significantly lower in the pegbovigastrim group (IMR: 0.32 ± 0.66, Co: 0.59 ± 0.75, P = 0.005). No significant differences regarding incidence of clinical mastitis, milk production or milk composition were observed. These results suggest that further research should be performed to identify herd- and animal-specific factors that can be predictors of the beneficial effects of pegbovigrastim in preventing uterine diseases.

The article presents the results of experimental studies of the air heating efficiency in heliocollectors with different surface forms developed in order to justify their use in equipment for active ventilation of grain and feed raw materials.

The aim of this study was to investigate the possible harmful effect of Sarcocystis parasites on bovine diaphragm meat quality. Meat samples were collected from 120 bulls aged 20-24 months. Meat quality was investigated using microbiological and physico-chemical (RP-HPLC, GC) methods 48 hours after slaughter. Sarcocystis infection was associated with increased fat content, lightness L* and drip loss, and decreased ash and protein percentages. Infection also had a significant effect on the amount of amino acids (AAs), which slowly decreased as the number of sarcocysts increased. The total amount of AAs correlated with glutamic acid content (R = 0.966, P < 0.05). Heavily infected samples contained significantly lower amounts of putrescine, histamine, spermine and spermidine (P < 0.05) and a noticeable increase in the total count of aerobic microorganisms, but no change in the numbers of E. coli and coliform bacteria in comparison with no infected samples. Sarcocysts in beef diaphragms did not cause serious changes in the technological quality of the meat, but the biological quality of infected meat was reduced.