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The paper focuses on identification of the current key movement forces in wine-production industry in the Czech Republic, and its goal is to analyse these key influences, and to identify the most important ones (long term industry growth-rate, technological changes, regulation influences and changes of government policy, and changes of societal priorities and life style). Based on the identified key factors influencing future development and changes in this industry, recommendations for firms are formulated.

Tilletia controversa and Tilletia caries were specifically detected in wheat plants by PCR using primers TILf (5´-CAC AAG ACT ACG GAG GGG TG-3´) and TILr (5´-CTC CAA GCA ACC TTC TCT TTC-3´). DNAs from uninfected wheat, rye, barley and triticale were not amplified. Natural infection of control plants by other species of fungi as Alternaria spp., Erysiphe graminis and Fusarium spp. proved the specificity of the test because even in this case no unspecific products were formed. This method can be very useful both for seed producers and for state officers checking the seed quality.

Using Moericke's yellow dishes we studied the Hymenoptera (Aculeata) fauna (with the exception of Formicoidea) in spruce (Picea abies) stands of the colder region of Northern Bohemia. We collected 103 species and the most important species in this spectrum were Vespula vulgaris (56.4%), Vespula rufa (4.7%), Dolichovespula norvegica (3.1%), Dolichovespula saxonica (4%), Nysson spinosus (1.8%), Andrena lappona (1.9%), Cleptes semiauratus (5.9%), Halictus sp. (6.7%) and Trypoxylon minus (2.2%). Comparisons made in 1990-1994 and 1995-1999 indicated a recession of species of the genus Halictus, of Andrena nitida (Apidae), Pemphredon lugubris, Trypoxylon clavicerum and T. minus (Sphecidae), and an increased abundance of Cleptes semiauratus (Cleptidae), Nysson spinosus (Sphecidae), Vespula vulgaris and V. rufa (Vespidae). Compared to closed stands, open spruce stands had a greater species diversity and lower number of captured specimens.

Except of 2001 and 2002, the agriculture has produced losses of SKK 38.8 billion over the entire process of transformation. The losses in agriculture were caused by major disparities between the price of supplies to agriculture and prices of agricultural products, plus the restrictive subsidy and loan policy adopted in the early years of the economic reform. The economic situation has improved over the last two years. This was caused by the increase in subsidies, as well as by the continuing restructuring process (sales and liquidation of dubious assets, optimised production), reduction in numbers of loss-making enterprises, by growth and increase in efficiency of production and due to a substantial increase in earnings of many partnerships. However, even despite the positive trends current financial position of most agricultural enterprises does not meet the requirements for development in agriculture, with the rate of TFA (tangible fixed assets) depreciation achieving 50% (of that, depreciation of machinery stands at 70%). The earnings are moderate even in profit making enterprises, with 75% of those enterprises making only up to SKK 1.5 million in earnings.

The paper includes partial results of the research oriented on the habits and behaviour of consumers in the wine market in the Czech Republic. Based on direct questioning of 1 000 respondents from the whole Czech Republic, we found that 11.3% of respondents drink wine several times a week, 29.8% of respondents at least once a week, and 23.2% drink wine several times a month. Only 2.7% of respondents do not drink wine at all. 30.3% of respondents drink wine more often than before, especially because of the fact, that they like wine more, it is of a better quality, and the offer is bigger. 34.1% of respondents buy wine several times a month especially in supermarkets or hyper- markets (45.2%) and in special vine-stores (23.8%). 52.5% of respondents prefer quality varietal wine. Rank of the top ten wines most often bought by the selected sample of respondents is: Frankovka, Cabernet Sauvignon, Müller Thurgau, Veltlínské zelené, Rulandské bílé, Svatovavřinecké, Modrý Portugal, Chardonnay, Ryzlink vlašský, Bohemia sekt.

Competitiveness can be analysed at various levels of the economy: at the product level, the enterprise level, the sector level, or the level of the entire economy. Several measures exist for each of these levels. This paper focuses on those used for the analysis of enterprises, particularly agricultural enterprises farming in Slovakia. Our research has been done on a selected sample of agricultural enterprises farming in Slovakia. Using "Recourse Cost Ratio" (RCR coefficient) has allowed investigating the differences in competitiveness between co-operatives and business companies, between the enterprises farming in better and worse soil and natural conditions as well as among various size groups of 111 agricultural enterprises. The research has proved that the optimal values of RCR coefficient revealed, that the common feature of all the competitive enterprises was their type of production oriented on solely plant production, possibly plant and meat production (there was no case of competitive enterprise with solely meat production). As for the different legal forms, we found out that more competitive were business companies than co-operatives. Considering different soil and natural conditions, there were better results observed in the group of enterprises farming in better soil and natural conditions.

The present investigation was conducted to know the impact of bio-inoculants in low input field conditions on the magnitude and direction of gene effects and mean performance of some morphological and productivity traits in three wheat cultivars WH 147 (medium mineral input), WH 533 (drought tolerant), Raj 3077 (drought tolerant) and six generations namely P₁, P₂, F₁, F₂, BC₁ and BC₂ of three crosses i.e. WH 147 × WH 533, WH 533 × Raj 3077 and WH 147 × Raj 3077. The experiment was conducted in randomised block design with three replications and three treatments i.e. control (C, without inoculation), inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi (AMF, Glomus fasciculatum), and AMF + Azotobacter chroococcum (Azc). Mineral fertilizer (80 kg N/ha + 40 kg P/ha + 18 kg ZnSO₄/ha) was applied in all the three treatments. The application of bio-inoculants, AMF and AMF + Azc had a positive effect on plant height, peduncle length, grain yield, biological yield and harvest index in various populations of all the crosses. However, in some of the generations the impact of bio-inoculants was insignificant. The joint scaling test revealed that additive-dominance gene effects were mainly operative in governing expression of peduncle length, tillers per plant, plant height, grains/spike, grain yield and all traits except days to flowering and harvest index in crosses WH 147 × WH 533 and WH 533 × Raj 3077. The application of bioinoculants influenced gene effects for days to flowering, days to maturity, flag leaf area, spike length, grains/spike, 1000 grain weight and harvest index where complex genetic interactions were changed to simple additive-dominance gene effects in the cross WH 147 × Raj 3077. Likewise, additive-dominance gene effects were altered and digenic interactions exhibited for days to maturity, flag leaf area in WH 147 × WH 533 and days to flowering, plant height, flag leaf area in WH 533 × Raj 3077. Flag leaf area and plant height were governed by additive gene effects while for days to maturity and 1000-grain weight both additive and dominance gene effect were important. Duplicate epistasis was important in all the three crosses for days to flowering and harvest index and in the cross WH 147 × Raj 3077 for grain weight grains per spike and flag leaf area.

Social functions of forests were evaluated at Židlochovice Forest Enterprise by applying the method of Vyskot et al. (1996-2002). Real potentials of social forest functions were determined for all stand groups included in a forest management plan (FMP). The results of evaluation were processed in a database and projected in GIS. Tables and charts were used for the evaluation of results. We can claim on the basis of the results that the forest stands of the examined area are characterized by a very high potential to fulfil a bio-production social function. On the contrary, they have a low potential to fulfil social functions of ecological stabilization and edaphic soil conservation and hydric-hydrological function. The results of evaluation of the real potentials of social forest functions at Židlochovice Forest Enterprise are represented by the forest stands of management group No. 19 of forest management plan area Židlochovice.

Power saws require a relatively large amount of oil for their operation the reason being idle lubrication of the cutting chain. Oil leakages in the environment can result in soil and water contamination and are known to impact both flora and fauna. Many countries in Europe struggle to minimize the damage by imposing the use of biologically degradable oils for these purposes. The work presents an assessment of these biologically degradable oils from the viewpoint of their possible occurrence in environment and from the viewpoint of their technical characteristics which affect reliability and economy of working with power saws. Oil dispersion is evaluated especially from the viewpoint of the concentration of its occurrence on the soil surface after cutting with the power saw. Technical properties evaluated include heat-oxidation stability and pumping properties of oils at low temperatures. There are original methods of measurement developed for these purposes, which facilitate high repeatability of results. The effort aims at oils with core technical parameters at least comparable with mineral oils used so far, which would represent a lesser burden on natural environment.

The article provides an overview of software applications designed and available for Czech farmers according to two criteria: business function within which the decisions are facilitated, and type of decision-making support the application is built on. The survey shows that most of the applications have a rather narrow focus facilitating only one business function, often only part of it, and that the applications are mostly data-driven, while the vast expertise in the field of agriculture is somewhat neglected.

The main aims of this study are to describe how much the economic role of agriculture decreased, and this decrease comes mainly from some economic difficulties, for example weak income position of producers based on weak capital accumulation. So agricultural producers need financial supports to improve their production and favourable credit conditions. In 1990s during the last decade, the role of agriculture in the national economy decreased, which contributed to its decreasing share in GDP and real value of agricultural GDP. In 2001, in spite of the fact that the plant production considerably increased and the animal husbandry stagnated, the whole agricultural production volume was by 20 percent under its level of 1989. Finally by the end of 2001, the share of agriculture declined to 4 percent of GDP and together with food industry, their share was about 7 percent. The agricultural scissors increased considerably, namely from 126.5 percent in 1992 to 138.4 percent in 2001.The income conditions made a significant influence on the capacity of the agricultural sector in fields of investments and accumulation. The main problem was the decline of real value of investments. For example the real value of investments in 2001 had not implemented half of investments realised in 1989. This situation showed the low level of technological and technical development in the agricultural sector during a longer period, than a decade. It was important to increase different kinds of supports for agricultural producers, for example: export subsidies, interests of credits, supports for establishing new farmland structure. The share of supports for agricultural production and food industry was 12-14 percent of the two sectors' GDP in 1990s. The development of the main factors of agricultural incomes was determined by index calculations based on the data of the APEH (Hungarian Tax and Financial Supervising Office) and EAA (Economic Accounts for Agriculture). The supports are needed, which are as follows: based on the APEH data, the profit before tax of 23 billion HUF in 1997 decreased to the loss-level of 8 billion HUF by the end of 1990s. The main aim for agricultural producers was to increase their capital accumulation to implement improvement of production in order to be competitive on the world and domestic markets. There is a difficulty that at the end of 1990s, only about 30 percent of the supports was directly provided for agricultural producers. In Hungary, without taxes and other different deprivals, the current value of production supports was over the level of incomes obtained in agricultural sector, but according to the calculation methods of the OECD, the value of PSE (PSE= Producer Support Estimate) index was at a very low level and it had a decreasing tendency, which could not ensure enough income for agricultural producers in Hungary. So the development of agricultural production cannot be realised additionally to the unfavourable background conditions for the sector. Comparing the support structure experienced in the OECD with that in Hungary, it can be declared, that within the PSE (Producer Support Estimate) during 1997-2000, the MPS (Market Price Support) declined, similarly it was in Hungary. In the OECD, the 8-9 percent share of payments based on input use has remained at s

A full liberalisation of the sugar market is hardly acceptable for Slovakia, because it would significantly affect not only the economic performance and employment across different sectors, but also their production structures, particularly in the farming-intensive regions. We nonetheless believe that the reform is necessary as the sugar sector remains the last unreformed CAP sector in the EU, which puts it in a better position vis-ŕ-vis other producers and farms. On the other hand, the justified claims of producers for the compensation of losses, similarly as the claims laid during the 1992 CAP reform, would disrupt the EAGGF budgetary framework through 2013, because only the claims of Slovak sugar beet producers would amount to some € 200 million during 2010-2015. We believe that the solution and consensus lies in the combination of reforms based on the scenarios of fixed quotas and falling prices, and/or the application of the "Midway situation" after 2011. The alternative setting of quotas, based the administratively assessed production efficiency levels for the individual EU countries, would also be unacceptable for Slovakia. In the recent past, the volume of investments in the Slovak sugar industry has been considerable and the most viable sugar refineries have already emerged from the selection process. The situation in the sugar beet sector is similar and the results of the "Fall in Prices" scenario until 2011 are largely similar to the situation before the accession to the EU.

The objective of the paper was to determine an appropriate concentration of available sulphur in soil for the initial growth of plants. Based on previous researches two methods of soil extraction were used to acquire information on the soil reserve: water extraction (H₂O 1:5, w/v) and extraction in 0.5M ammonium acetate with addition of NH₄F (KVK-UF soil test). Spring barley was used as a test crop to determine the soil reserve of sulphur and its response to sulphur addition to the soil. A collection of 48 samples of topsoil from agriculturally important localities in the CR was made up for this purpose and the parameters of the nutrient status of the soil were remarkably different. A set of soils was used to establish short-time vegetation experiments in a plant growth chamber according to the scheme: A) control - without sulphur application and B) response variant with application of 30 mg S/kg of soil in the form of (NH)₄SO₄; nitrogen in variant A was adjusted by application of NH₄Cl. Index of nutrient efficiency (IE = Y/N where Y = yield and N = nutrient concentration in the plant) and boundary lines of the point field were used to evaluate the efficiency of barley nutrition with sulphur. The efficient soil reserve of sulphur for the soil test H₂O (1:5) when the ICP analytical technique was used was indicated in the range of 8-11 mg S/kg; 6-10 mg S/kg for sulphate detection on a SKALAR analyser. The efficient utilisation of sulphur by barley plants for the KVK-UF soil test was in the range of 7-12 mg S/kg. The conversion of the KVK-UF S-test to the index of soil reserve of sulphur by adding up a variable portion of the CEC value to the value of sulphur determined by the soil test (0.0167CEC + 9.1667) improved the closeness of the relationship between soil and plant.

The occurrence of powdery mildew after heavy spontaneous infections was evaluated on 2,500 apple seedlings of 54 progenies that were derived from crosses made in 1993 and 1994. At the same time, the response to mildew was also assessed on 47 cultivars or selections that were used as parents for the crosses. Scores of the strongest infestation were used for final ranking of every seedling or parent. The highest proportions (33 and 28%) of seedlings with complete resistance to mildew were attained in 2 progenies involving parents transmitting monogenic resistance to the pathogen. A few seedlings with this resistance were also found in other 7 progenies. Seedlings with partial resistance to mildew were distributed in the highest proportions (about 30%) among 7 progenies. In 6 out of these progenies, always one parent was derived from partially resistant selections that were selected in the first generation from the cross Spätblühender Taffetapfel × Court Pendu Plat. A very close relationship was found between mid-scores of parents and mean response to powdery mildew infection in progenies. Seedlings on average were significantly more infested than their parents. Progenies determined to have a columnar growth habit were somewhat less infested than progenies possessing a standard growth pattern only. This study revealed considerable improvement of some donors transmitting partial resistance to powdery mildew.

This paper deals with large-scale mountain forest decline in the Šumava National Park. The changes in biotic and abiotic properties of forest sites follow the tree layer disintegration. Changed microclimatic conditions such as intensity of irradiance, moisture and temperature of the top holorganic layers together with altered development of ground vegetation could strongly affect the values of microbiological respiration activity and the rates of nitrogen mineralization and nitrification. Soil substrates, built of organic mater, located on stony locations, are endangered by introskeletal erosion. This paper compares these features in pairs of research plots, consisting of dead or cut forest and of living stand. According to the results of this study, higher rates of organic matter decomposition, transformed dynamics of nitrogen and other nutrients and possible nutrient leaching from soil solutions were demonstrated in the forest floor under declined spruce stands. The extent and seriousness of these adverse processes for forest soils are strongly site dependent.

The effect of thinning on the structure and accumulation of litterfall and holorganic horizons (L, F, H) in young Norway spruce stands was investigated. The research was conducted on a Norway spruce thinning experiment Polom (established in 1980) in the Orlické hory Mts. (north-eastern part of the Czech Republic). In 1992, the monitoring of litterfall started on an unthinned control stand (plot 1) and on a comparative stand with very heavy thinning from below (plot 3). During the period of observation (age of the stand 27-37 years), the total weight of litterfall ranged between 1,800 and 4,800 kg/ha. The amount of litterfall was partly influenced by climatic factors (precipitation and temperature), growth processes (basal area increment) and thinning regimes in individual years. The results of the investigations showed that dry biomass accumulated under a 36 years old Norway spruce stand ranged from 9,200 to 11,300 kg/ha in horizon L, from 37,000 to 38,200 kg/ha in horizon F and from 138,300 to 146,400 kg/ha in horizon H. The quality (content of basic nutrients) of litterfall and material from holorganic horizons are discussed.

By means of Sörensen's index and Renkonen's number, the differences in species composition and abundance of the ground beetles (Carabidae) were specified in 5 forest altitudinal zones (3^rd, 5^th-8^th) and also the faunal similarity in the linking-up forest altitudinal zones. The entry of some species (Carabus coriaceus, Carabus violaceus, Pterostichus niger and Pterostichus oblongopunctatus) into higher altitudes was much more marked than is mentioned in hitherto published information. The objective of the present study was to explore the potential use of the ground beetles as an ancillary component of the geobiocoenological typological system.

Vegetable juices processed by lactic acid fermentation bring about a change in the beverage assortment for their high nutritive value, high content of vitamins and minerals. Starter cultures of the genus Lactobacillus are added into juices to achieve their desirable properties. This review describes the manufacture of lactic acid fermented vegetable juices and beneficial effects of the lactic acid bacteria (mainly antimicrobial and anticancer effects). A separate part of research is devoted to nutrition aspects of lactic acid fermentation and to the occurrence of biogenic amines in lactic acid fermented vegetables and vegetable juices.

The subject of this paper was to assess the effects of pulverised dolomitic limestone applications on prosperity of Norway spruce (Picea abies L.) plantation and on the soil in extreme ecological conditions of the Jizerské hory Mts. The characteristics such as plant mortality, annual height increment, diameter of root collar (stem base diameter), crown diameter, nutrient analyses and some data from soil analyses are evaluated in this paper. An eleven-year period of observations is summarised. According to the observations and measurements carried out until now, the effect of limestone applications (1 kg per tree) on the spruce plantation prosperity seems to be positive without any serious negative impacts on the soil.

Previous experiences with breeding of lime tree (Tilia cordata Miller) in European countries are shown in this paper. The first results were obtained from the evaluation of juvenile planting of lime tree (Tilia cordata Miller) in the Czech Republic, founded in the School Forest Enterprise Kostelec nad Černými lesy. Lime tree clones (initially cultivated in vitro) were evaluated for growth parameters and also according to the growth form of the different clones. Individual clones were also checked for mortality.

Various attacks of pathogenic fungi on the larch crown were observed in Trentino/South Tyrol, Italy, over the past few years. In 1999, severe defoliation was caused by Mycosphaerella laricina, a rarely investigated pathogen, whose action was enhanced by high temperatures and humidity in August. In July 2000, larch woods showed crown yellowing due to Meria laricis. Lower temperatures and heavy precipitation were probably the predisposing factors in this case. Hypodermella laricis was observed in 2002 as a localised attack, while Lachnellula wilkommii is commonly recorded. The impact of these diseases and the environmental factors involved in their occurrence are discussed in this paper.

Cereals have a significant position in land farming in Slovakia. Important commodities are wheat, barley and maize. In the years 1999-2000, a research showed that Slovakia's natural production was lagging behind the developed countries of the EU. Extraordinary low yields were recorded in the economic year 2000/2001 due to drought during the vegetation period. In this paper, there are analyzed the production prices, costs, cereals efficiency and profitability costs. We have also calculated the break-even point in yields, in costs and in production prices of cereals. In addition, we have done some suggestions and recommendations on how to analyze the results.

A study of diprionids associated with spruce was done at 31 sites of the eastern part of the Czech Republic in 1988-2003. In total 45 specimens belonging to Gilpinia abieticola (6 specimens), G. hercyniae (3) and G. polytoma (36) were collected using Malaise traps, emergency traps, bark-beetle pheromone baited traps or sweeping. The spruce diprionids were recorded in 30% of the studied sites only. G. polytoma was the most abundant and it is probably bivoltine with adult activity from April to August. The results of emergence trap-monitoring in Paskovský les indicate that this species is in latency.

The economic evaluation of agricultural enterprises in mountain and sub-mountain areas in South Bohemia results from a financial analysis. Financial ratios enable to identify and measure the state and development of individual economic aspects of these enterprises and their synthesis through solvency model makes financial health possible to be elicited.

The paper is examining the productivity of production factors in the EU-15 and some of the New Member States. International comparison shows that Slovakia is considerably lagging behind the EU-15 countries in the productivity of land and productivity of labour, but it is rather competitive in productivity of the fixed and variable capital. In order to get comparable data, the author adjusted figures on production of agricultural activities published in the Economic Accounts of Agriculture, and excluded the influence of different price - and support levels in the EU-15 and New Member Countries.

Twelve carbonaceous materials were investigated for adsorption of Cd, Cu and Ag from water solutions. Before the adsorption experiments the chemical and structural characterization of all materials were made. The batch adsorption experiment was used. The kinetic of the adsorption process was very fast for the first five hours but very slow for approximately the next 65 hours. Nevertheless the maximum amount of metal removed was achieved during the first stage of about five hours. Biological materials (milled wood, bark, cork) exhibited a very low affinity for adsorption of metals. The best results were obtained for materials in an intermediate degree of carbonisation with a high content of oxygen rich functional groups. Although the highly carbonised materials exhibited low ability to adsorb copper or cadmium, their capacity to bind silver was very high.

The effect of two commercially produced biopreparations on the originators of chestnut ink disease in Slovakia - soil fungi Phytophthora cambivora and Phytophthora cinnamomi was tested in laboratory conditions. Investigations of interrelations between Trichoderma harzianum (Pythium oligandrum) and isolates of Phytophthora sp. obtained from infected tissues of Castanea sativa Mill. proved more important inhibitive effects for Pythium oligandrum (biopreparation Polyversum); efficiency 25.3% (Ph. cambivora) and 26.2% (Ph. cinnamomi). Biopreparation Supresivit (Trichoderma harzianum) reached the efficiency 9.1% for Ph. cambivora isolates and 9.2% for Ph. cinnamomi isolates. Significant effect of the used bioformulas for inhibition of mycelial growth of both Phytophthora sp. and significant difference in the efficacy of two different bioformulas were confirmed statistically.

The paper reviews experiences from the accession process of Poland and the Czech Republic, two countries with different accession conditions regarding the agri-food sector. The paper has two main aims. First is to discuss the scope of action in the EU and in the acceding countries from a game theoretical view. The second aim is to identify the reasons for successfully providing beneficial accession criteria. Investigating two selected agricultural sectors does this: milk and beef production. Our overall argument is that the actions, which nations and interest groups have undertaken with regard to the EU accession and future policy direction are, at least partially, a function of different external restrictions and internal national patterns; i.e., the relevance and structure of agriculture and the bargaining power of interest groups.