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Decreasing numbers of tourists to the Czech Republic point at a weakening competitive position of Czech destinations during the most recent years. For many communities, tourism may be a short-lived economic dream when understanding of tourists´ perceptions and travel motives is lacking. The two objectives pursued in this study are 1) an identification of the positions of competing destinations and 2) an a-posteriori segmentation with psychographic variables. Market segmentation becomes the crucial factor in the strategic design process of target marketing. Like many other markets, tourism markets do not respond homogeneously to marketing activities. Subdividing visitors into useful groups may provide a basis for competitive advantage. Our study establishes taxonomy of visitors to Southern Moravia. The study tries to overcome well-known insufficiencies of single segmentation approaches by exploiting the advantage of the multivariate nature of combined push factors, pull factors, and other factors of more restrictive nature (i.e. time and money). The segmentation task employs multivariate data analysis techniques such as factor analysis, cluster analysis and multi-dimensional scaling. Recent research on the European Vacation Style Typology is incorporated.

In the framework of Slovakia entering into the European Union, there was done a PHARE-ACE survey in years 1999-2000. The name of this survey was "Micro-economic analysis of farming households restructuring in pre-accession period to the EU". The survey was finished in 2002. This survey was done in two regions of Slovakia, characterized by different natural conditions, production and economic conditions. This project was aiming not only at private farmers but also at other legal entities producing agricultural products. The monitored group consisted of 412 private farmers, farming in average 43.2 ha of agricultural land. Most of them are farming on 0-2 ha of agricultural land (20.8%) and on 25-100 ha of agricultural land (20.1%).

As, Cd, Pb and Zn accumulation in the aboveground biomass of seven clones of Salix spp. and changes in element uptake by plants after element addition to soil were studied in a pot experiment. Unpolluted Chernozem (Suchdol) as a control and soils with addition of As (100 mg/kg), Cd (40 mg/kg) and either Pb (2000 mg/kg) (Suchdol-Pb) or Zn (2000 mg/kg) (Suchdol-Zn) were used for the experiment. Significant differences were found in the accumulation of elements between willow clones and also between different element additions to the soil. Although As and Cd uptake slightly increased in Suchdol-Zn soil compared to Suchdol-Pb soil, the element removal from soil was significantly higher in Suchdol-Pb soil due to a significant reduction of aboveground biomass yield in Suchdol-Zn soil caused by Zn phytotoxicity. The yield reduction decreased the uptake of plant-available elements by biomass, thus higher plant-available portions of As and Cd were found in Suchdol-Zn soil. Element removal from soil was more dependent on element contents in willow tissues in Suchdol-Pb soil than in Suchdol-Zn soil, where willow plants exhibited physiological symptoms of phytotoxicity.

The effects of different tillage systems and dose reduction on the efficacy of triasulfuron & chlortoluron mixture in the post-emergence control of annual broad-leaved weeds in winter wheat and spring barley were studied on lessive pseudogley soil in north-eastern Croatiaduring 1997-2000. Total dry biomass production in untreated plots was significantly influenced by tillage and it was lowest in continuous mouldboard ploughing (99 kg/ha), medium and similar in mouldboard ploughing/disk harrowing alternating every second year and in chisel ploughing (218 kg/ha) whereas the biomass was highest in continuous disk harrowing (422 kg/ha). Thereby the proportion of annual broad-leaved weed biomass was 70, 63, and 28%, respectively. Chenopodium album L., Ambrosia artemisiifolia L., Ch. polyspermum L. and Polygonum aviculare L. are the most abundant annual weed species in all tillage treatments. One half and one quarter of the recommended rate decreased the control efficacy of total weed biomass by 12 and 19%, respectively in wheat and by 6 and 15%, respectively in barley compared to the highest dose but they still provided a very good biomass control of main annual weeds (94-96 percentage units). The efficacy of reduced herbicide doses in the control of annual broad-leaved weeds did not vary significantly between tillage treatments and growing seasons. Significant interaction with continuous disk harrowing tillage and one-quarter herbicide dose was detected in the last year of wheat trial when perennial weeds increased their biomass proportion 8 times compared to four years before.

Caraway fruits contain 1-6% of essential oils consisting of about 30 compounds, from which carvone and limonene account form the main portion, about 95%. To evaluate the quality of various caraway cultivars, the amounts of essential oils and the carvone/limonene ratio were measured. The most common method of essential oil evaluation is steam distillation in accordance with Standard ČSN 58 0110, but an alternative method - supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) - was also investigated in this paper. Ground caraway fruits were extracted under different SFE conditions (pressure, temperature, use of modifiers). Released compounds (carvone and limonene) were quantified by GC.

Approach to the problems of sugar-beet tubers surface damage dependence on harvesting technology. Investigation of sugar-beet tubers damage when falling on wood and iron surfaces and in the next case tuber damage caused by their fall on the tuber heap. Research of damage rate dependence on the fall height. Evaluation of damage rate was carried by the I.I.R.B. method (method used by all sugar-beet growing countries of Western Europe). The results refer that no considerable differences in damage rate after the fall on the wood or iron bottoms have been ascertained. The height of 1.5 m can be considered in all cases as the limit value of the tubers fall, when share of heavily damaged tubers reached acceptable values of 10-15%, but that the share increases significantly at higher falling height. The lifting bodies construction requires also a knowledge of dependence between root depth and force for tuber release from soil in relation to the tuber weight. Medium force needed for tubers lifting ranges from 17 to 27 kp, maximum value 50 kp was found out for tubers of weight above 3 kg.

Methods were elaborated that would specify factors affecting the accuracy of the output of LANDSAT satellite images used to evaluate the dynamics of changes in the health condition of birch stands. In the period of investigations, in 1994-2000, the foliage of birch stands was very thin as a consequence of the large-scale absence of flushing in 1997. The output of this method is also specification of the degree of foliage of birch trees based on the altitude, stand age and forest site types in the air-polluted area of the Krušné hory Mts. (Northern Bohemia). These methods can be applied to other broadleaved stands.

The paper concentrates on analytical findings of the RIAE in the sphere of problems associated with the readiness of Czech agriculture for the EU accession. An analysis of the present situation of Czech agriculture is followed by an assessment of potential impacts of the EU conditions on the economic position of the main agricultural commodities. The predictions are conceived by variants, because the future parameters of the CAP are still under negotiations. The conclusions are oriented on the summary assessment of the readiness of Czech agriculture for the EU accession.

The genetic diversity and the relationships among rapeseed germplasm, including a collection of 20 Chinese, 25 Czech, 2 German, 2 French, and 1 English cultivars and breeding materials were evaluated using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers. A total of 79 different polymorphic amplification products were obtained using10 selected decamer primers. RAPDs revealed a significant level of polymorphism among the accessions. The diversity index (DI) ranged from 1.390 to 3.491, showing a sufficient potential of selected primers to differentiate among studied genotypes. Three different metrics were used to assess genetic diversity. The best fit between a priori knowledge about germplasm origin and a posteriori grouping was found using Hamman metrics. Cluster analysis based on Hamman pairwise distance comparison divided the studied accessions into three main clusters. The first group included only accessions fromChina, the second group only that fromEurope with the exception of Zhongshuang No. 2, a Chinese winter rape possessing European cultivars in the pedigree. The third group included accessions both fromChina andEurope. The results indicate the occurrence of a considerable genetic variation between Chinese and European accessions.

Non-symbiotic nitrogen fixation (potential nitrogenase activity - PNA) of soil samples originating from different plots of long-term field experiments (selected variants: Nil, NPK [mineral fertilisation: 64.6-100 kg N/ha/year], FYM [farmyard manure], and FYM + NPK from three blocks III, IV and B with different crop rotation) was determined in laboratory experiments. The symbiotic nitrogen fixation (total nitrogenase activity - TNA) of the same soil samples was evaluated in hydroponic experiments with pea (2001, 2002) and lucerne (2001) in which the soil samples were used as a natural inoculum. The high values of PNA were found in the variants fertilised with FYM in all three blocks and all experiments. Simultaneously, the variants fertilised with mineral NPK reached low values of PNA. The farmyard manuring enhanced the number of free-living bacteria Azotobacter spp. that were identified in all soil samples. In the hydroponic experiments with pea, the highest nonsignificant values of TNA were found in variants B 284 (FYM + NPK) and III 254 (FYM + NPK) in 2001, and B 214 (FYM) and III 214 (FYM) in 2002. Plants inoculated with soil from these variants formed also high amounts of nodules (significant differences in block IV in 2001) and plant biomass. In the experiments with lucerne, the nonsignificantly highest TNA values were found in variant III 154 (NPK). Variants from block III (214, 254) and IV (114 and 154) showed the nonsignificantly lowest TNA values. The rhizobia that effectuate symbiosis with pea were more active in the soil samples in 2001 than those forming nodules on lucerne.

The paper presents the results of evaluating the growth and health of 20 different poplars from the Aigeiros group in 30-year populetum Leles on uninundated alluvia of the Latorica River in ecological conditions of the lowland Východoslovenská nížina. The populetum is situated on medium-heavy loamy soils in the group of forest site types Ulmeto-Fraxinetum carpineum. The results of evaluation document that out of the investigated poplar clones the poplars I-214, I-476, Blanc du Poitou, Flachslanden and P. nigra (Baka 5) had the best height and diameter growth and maximum volume production. Their health status was also very good. The lowest volume production was determined in P. nigra (009/66 ČR), I-455 and Grandis, and the worst health was found out in Grandis, P. nigra (Pavlovce 1) and P. nigra (Ivachnova 1). These results will facilitate to include the poplars I-476 and Flachslanden in the assortment of regionalized poplars for the lowland area of Východoslovenská nížina.

During the years of transition to market economy, a variety of farming types has evolved in Slovakia. Corporate farming is still pursued on about 80 per cent of the total agricultural land area, but a gradual increase of individual farms can be observed. A large portion of the registered individual farms is producing both for the market and for the self-supply of households, but the importance of specialised commercial farms has been growing during the recent years. Their share in the total number of registered individual farms can be estimated as 25 per cent and they specialise as a rule on cash crop products. The average production area is 130 hectares, but income differentiation is wide-ranging within this group of farms. The lowest income strata (which represent about 50 per cent of these farms) receive eight times less income, than the highest one - represented by less than 2 per cent of cases.

The aim of this presentation is to introduce partial results of this research project aimed to the efficiency of businesses working with the organic systems. The proposal of mesures will be formed with the respect of results of analysis to support organic businesses, to increase organic land area corresponding with the progress in the EU and therefore to help to satisfy increasing demand for organic food, last but not least also to prove, that organic agriculture is truly functioning part of multifunctional agriculture.

This paper introduces partial results of the research project QC 1140 aimed at the efficiency of enterprises operating in the system of organic farming, especially considering the use of grassland linked with cattle management. Economic evaluation of cattle management in the system of organic farming is compared with conventional enterprises. Economic evaluation applies to dairy cattle and beef cattle. Proposals of the measures will be formed with respect to the results of analysys, which should contribute to the support of organic enterprises and to better satisfaction of the increasing demand for organic food.

European winter wheat landraces and obsolete cultivars (121 accessions in set I and 101 accessions in set II) with modern check cultivars were evaluated in three-year field trials. Increased spike productivity in modern cultivars could be attributed mainly to increased number of grains in spikelet and increased HI, whereas TGW has marginal effect. Old cultivars had on average by 2-3% higher crude protein content in grain than modern ones. Among selected 10 characters, relatively wide diversity (C.V. 11-20%) has been estimated in spike length and characters of spike productivity (except of grain weight with C.V. close to 9%). It was difficult to distinguish the cultivars according to the country of origin, however, earliness and lower spike productivity seems to be characteristic for South-East origin whereas cultivars from North-West Europe showed opposite characters. Correlation analyses showed close relations between earliness in heading and in maturity and negative relation between late heading and grain filling period, which was positively correlated with TGW and HI (r = 0.26 to 0.38). Number of grains in spikelets was highly correlated with spike productivity and HI (r = 0.62 to 0.69) whereas relations between these two characters and TGW were lower (r = 0.20 to 0.51). Spike productivity characters, except of TGW, are in negative correlation with crude protein content in grain (r = -0.34 to -0.50). Regression analyses confirmed that main determining character for the spike productivity is number of kernels in spikelet (about 40% of variation) while effects of TGW are about half-size. Crude protein content was positively affected by plant height (15-30% of variation) impact of grain weight per spike was lower (14-17% of variation) and negative. Potentially valuable donors of earliness and longer grain filling period were identified for further studies and/or utilization in breeding programs. As especially valuable character can be considered very high crude protein content (around 18% in cvs Berg-land, Ukrajinka, Sippbachzeller, Innichen Nr. 25001 and Barbu du Finistre). High crude protein content combined with relatively good spike productivity and/or long grain filling period or earliness was found in cvs Visperterminen 640 E, Hatvan, Szekacz 1242, Berchtesgardener Vogel, Ble du Lot and Barbu du Finistere.

The distribution of cadmium, lead and zinc in exchangeable, organic, and 2M HNO3-extractable fractions as well as the effect of heavy metal concentrations on soil microflora was investigated. Six sampling transects were chosen in theLitavkaRiveralluvium in 1999-2001. Concentrations of all metals increased with decreasing distance from the source of contamination. The concentrations of Cd and Zn in exchangeable fraction were higher than in organically bound fraction, a reverse trend was found in Pb speciation. All measured parameters of soil microbial activity were affected by heavy metal concentrations. The decrease in CFU was most significant in the case of oligotrophic bacteria and spore-forming bacteria. Significant inhibition of C-biomass occurred in soils highly contaminated by heavy metals. The Cbiomass:Cox ratio decreased with increasing soil pollution. Generally, the values of enzymatic activities were highest in the soil above the source of contamination and they were decreased as approaching the source of contamination. Our results demonstrate that several parameters of microbial activity could be used as good indicators of increasing concentrations of Cd, Pb, and Zn in soil.

Pea (Pisum sativum L.), sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) and maize (Zea mays L.) plants were cultivated for 10 days in hydroponics at 1mM and 7mM nitrate or ammonium concentrations at regulated pH 6 and ambient CO2 level. Plant growth, content of total N and both ions in plant tissues, uptake of water and both N ions were evaluated, N uptake related to transpiration mass flow and to diffusion supply was calculated. Pea and sunflower preferred nitrate nutrition while maize plants used both N ions. The content of total N as well as of both N ions in plant tissues increased with N level with some exceptions. The uptake of both N ions related to transpiration mass flow was dependent on transpiration rate and N ion concentration. At a 1mM N concentration the uptake of N ions related to transpiration mass flow was low and reached in maize up to 16 times, in sunflower 11 times and in pea 2-3 times lower values in comparison with diffusion supply. At a 7mM N concentration N uptake in pea plants was totally supplied by transpiration mass flow, in sunflower plants the ratio of N supply related to transpiration mass flow amounted to 50% and in maize plants N supply through diffusion prevailed, amounting to 70-80%. These results explicate N starvation at low N supply that can intensify at elevated CO2 causing decreased stomatal diffusion.

The redox potential of flowers of Achillea plants was measured by means of a puncture method. Measurements were performed in 6 taxa (species and hybrids) in the stage of bud formation, full flower and flower shedding in 2000 and 2001. The content of essential oil was estimated in the period of full flower. Differences in the values of redox potential (177-213 mV) and contents of essential oil (1.5-6.1 ml/kg) measured in individual Achillea species and their hybrids were significant. The correlation between the content of essential oil and values of redox potential was closely below 95% of significance.

This article is divided into four parts; the first is concerned with the methodology of evaluation of the type of technical development and its objectives. Another part will evaluate the type of technical development in the national economy as a whole in the period 1995-1999. The main indicators are fund efficiency, productivity of labour and the technical specifications of work. The third part of the contribution will deal with an evaluation of these indicators in the selected sector of the economy, namely in the farms which are obliged to make public their income statements in the business bulletin. The last part, considered from the perspective of the type of technical development will be a farm sample, divided according to size into two groups - production and marginal area. This sample will be considered for the years 1997-2000. Finally a total evaluation of the present development of single monitored groups and an inter group comparison will be carried out.

This paper is focused on: (1) Managerial accounting analysis as a source of information provided for product costs management (mainly from the point of view of exploitation of budgeting and costing in selected companies in agriculture), (2) Possibilities of integration and information processing for product cost management, provided by managerial accounting in the framework of managerial information system of the company.

Zinc distribution in the main soil fractions and zinc accumulation in potatoes, maize, wheat and barley after different soil treatments (basic sludge rate, triple sludge rate, NPK, NPK + inorganic Zn) were investigated in a field experiment conducted at five localities of the Czech Republic (Červený Újezd, Hněvčeves, Humpolec, Lukavec, Suchdol) with different soil and climatic conditions. Three soil types were investigated in the experiment: clay-loamy Chernozems, loamy Luvisols, clay-loamy Luvisols and two loamy Cambisols. Sequential analyses provided an overview of soil Zn distribution in the following fractions: exchangeable, Fe-Mn oxide, organic and residual ones. The sludge and inorganic Zn addition supported Zn mobility growth and higher Zn retention in Fe-Mn oxides in all tested soils. The influence of the above-mentioned treatments on higher Zn association with soil organic compounds was not explicitly found. Potatoes, wheat and barley accumulated more Zn after its addition into the soils by sludge and inorganic salt. By contrast, Zn content in maize decreased with higher input of Zn into the soil. The highest Zn concentrations were usually observed in plants grown on both Cambisols.

Rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) is an important alternate oilseed crop in eastern Anatolia, Turkey. No information on plant density for rapeseed is available in this region. Therefore a study was initiated to investigate the effects of spacings between rows and spacings within rows on the yield and agronomic characteristics of two genotypes of spring rapeseed (Tower and Lirawell) in Erzurum, eastern Anatolia, during 1994 and 1995. The effects of spacings between or within rows on the yield and yield components of Tower and Lirawell, two cultivars of Brassica napus L., were studied for 2 years inErzurum,Turkey. Rows were spaced at 15, 30 and45 cm. Spacings within rows were 5, 10 and15 cm. The results of this study suggested that seed yield was significantly affected by spacings between rows but not by spacings within rows, and that rape yields were higher at the narrow (15 cm) row spacing compared to the middle (30 cm) and wider (45 cm) spacings.

In this four-year study, fruits of Golden Delicious cv. randomly sampled from four different orchards on M 9 were kept at 1 or 2^oC in air storage, and in the course of storing individually assessed for weight, skin colour, skin blush, skin waxiness, flesh firmness, vitamin C content, total acid content, pH value, total sugars, dry matter and calcium content. Changes in some of these fruit quality characteristics during storage are presented and compared with their course during storage both in the cellar and ULO. The maximum storage life of the fruits in the air storage was estimated at 150 days on average. From individual fruit data, correlations between all the observed characteristics at different stages of the storage period were calculated. Fruit weight was positively correlated with dry matter, vitamin C, sugar and acid content, but negatively correlated with flesh firmness and calcium content. Fruits with more skin blush were correlated with higher vitamin C. Flesh firmness was mostly correlated with dry matter content, but negatively correlated with calcium content and pH values. Vitamin C content was positively correlated with total acids, but negatively correlated with pH values, sugar:acid ratio and calcium content. Total acids were negatively correlated with pH values and sugar:acid ratio. At the end of the storage period, the total acid content was also correlated with dry matter content. Total sugars were closely correlated with dry matter content and negatively correlated with calcium content. Calcium content was very closely negatively correlated with dry matter content, and also negatively correlated with the sugar:acid ratio.

During the shallow soil tillage after winter wheat harvest the tractor JOHN DEERE 8200 with disc tiller DOWLANDS 4500 operation was monitored. For dependence of the set field speed within plots acreage the function of type y = 0.43 Ln x + 10.76 was chosen. Average Diesel fuel consumption at first skimming on plots of total acreage 611.4 ha was 7.98 l/ha, for evaluation of Diesel fuel consumption dependence on particular plots acreage was chosen a logarithmic model of function y = -0.81 Ln x + 10.35. For the engine Diesel fuel consumption dependence on average length of working drives through the plots the logarithmic model of function y = -1.83 Ln x + 18.95 was chosen. After first skimming by disc tiller on the soil surface has remained 31.1 wt % of winter wheat post-harvest remainders, in depth of 0-50 mm was found-out of 31.0% of post-harvest remainders, 37.9 wt % of crop remainders was found-out in depth of 50-100 mm. After the second skimming by the blade tiller most of the post-harvest remainders was worked-in to the depth of 50-100 mm (54.3 wt %). After the following pre-seeding soil preparation by combinatory was recorded dislocation of most of crop remainders to depth of 0-50 mm (58.4 wt %).

The hypothesis, that hypoiodemia of goats causes such a compromise of the immune system, which during subsequent Toxoplasma gondii infections results in clinically more pronounced signs of toxoplasmosis, was verifying in laboratory mouse. Hypoiodemic mice (fed by wheat and supplied by water), normoiodemic mice (fed by wheat and supplied by water containing 1.25 mg KI/l) and the majority of standard mice (fed by commercial grain mixture containing 0.83 mg I/kg) were experimentally infected with T. gondii oocysts or tachyzoites. The susceptibility to acute T. gondii infection was evaluated according to mortality rate. As a criterion of cell-mediated immune function has been chosen the spleen-lymphocyte transformation test (LTT). We observed no difference in LTT between hypoiodemic and normoiodemic mice infected with T. gondii oocysts or tachyzoites and no difference in mortality of both infected groups. Four days after the exposure to 100 tachyzoites of T. gondii (K24 strain), all experimentally infected groups of mice showed statistically significant decrease (P = 0.004) in spleen cells responsiveness to stimulation by all mitogens used - as compared to non-infected standard mice group. Reduced responsiveness of cells was probably caused by T. gondii infection itself - the relation to iodine deficiency has not been found.

The article was written on the base of research results concerning economic development of several selected Czech agricultural companies. In dependence on the altitude, the sample was divided into two sub-samples: companies of production areas and companies of marginal areas. Various economic indicators were monitored in these two sub-samples, the most important one being the economic result before tax. Other monitored indicators are closely related to this one - e.g. the required profit ratio, structure of the economic result, tax impact on the economic result. Other monitored indicators were: the structure of the revenue, productivity of labour, labour technical equipment, capital efficiency and other. Time comparison (development during several recent years; comparison between production and marginal areas) and space comparison of these two sub-samples were carried out. In its conclusion, this article evaluates the history of the hitherto development.

Inclusion of the countries in Central Europe (CECs) in the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) of the European Union raises a large number of issues, not the least in the context of the accession negotiations among the current EU member states and the newcomers. However, in the process of enlargement, negotiations will also be necessary with other countries. This is because both the EU and the accession candidates have commitments in the WTO and inclusion of the CECs in the CAP may affect the nature of these commitments, as well as the ability of the enlarged Union to honour them. The paper deals with the fundamental problems in connection with presented themes.

The cultural landscape and rural areas are considered to be a key component of the European cultural heritage. The European Landscape Convention, which the Czech Republic signed in the autumn of 2002, was also formulated in this sense. Consequently, the reform of care of monuments cannot be left entirely to official workers, but is becoming an important subject from the standpoint of maintenance of the functional and demographic stability of rural areas. It is necessary to point out that the care for monuments in Central Europe is at a crucial point, that could be described as a crisis. The reasons are as follows. 1) Time extension of care for monuments as well as the spatial extension of care for monuments. 2) Care for monuments has somewhat neglected to explain and defend its significance - consequently, a great many private owners of cultural monuments are not fully aware of the ideas, on the basis of which limitations are placed on their rights to manage their property, for the good of the cultural heritage. 3) Aesthetic conclusions are increasingly important in deciding what is and what is not a cultural monument. However, this can readily be influenced by the influx of very attractive, but worthless "popular" architecture, currently being introduced by a great many development companies. 4) Care for monuments represents the execution of a particular activity rather than a fixed formulated intellectual system of canons. 5) Even under the best economic conditions, the state as such does not have the means to provide appropriate care for the cultural heritage in state ownership (including state land in the poorer areas) and is certainly not capable of creating a motivation system within its framework for searching for new ways of using this property without abusing it. 6) In general, it can be stated that condition of democratisation within the care for monuments certainly does not attain the level of participation in environmental protection. 7) Care for monuments, especially in Central Europe, tends to continue to emphasise simple conservation of monuments and is minimally concerned with reanimation of the monument fund. This is why the care for the cultural heritage must again formulate its purpose, especially in relation to the decrease in the importance of national states, globalisation and, simultaneously, regionalisation of the world.