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The paper is based on a special sampling survey of farms that was conducted under EU PHARE ACE research project P97-8158-R "Micro-economic Analysis of Farm Restructuring in Central and Eastern Europe" in 2000 in one of the NUTS 2 regions of the CR - in the South-East region. The region involves two administrative regions - Vysočina and South Moravian NUTS 3 and consists of subregions with different natural and market conditions (of hilly, lowland and suburban type) representing the conditions of agricultural production in the Czech Republic as a whole. The main results of the survey focused on farms of three different categories are presented: farms as legal entities (separately agricultural production cooperatives, joint stock companies and limited liability companies), officially registered individual farms of different size (formally licensed to business activities) and unregistered individual farms including small farming units - households with self-sustaining agricultural production.

The objective of the trial in the test station was to evaluate productive performance with respect to sire-line No. 101, 102, 103 in C-position for LWs × (LW×L) genotype in pigs. The productive performance as to growth capacity, feeding intake and quantitative traits of slaughter value was examinated for 136 hybrid pigs divided in three groups of offsprings of LWs boar No.101, 102,103. The feeding of all pigs were ad-libitum. On the base of obtained results, one could say that inside the LWs-breed, considerable differences exist between lines, importantly affecting the overall economics of fattening.

By progression of the expanding use of the International Accounting Standards, fair value is being pushed ahead instead of standard historical costs. The extension of the International Accounting Standards for financial instruments and long-term assets leads to the publishing of real net income of the enterprise. The necessity to express the fair values of assets for accountancy places specialists of this profession in a new position of professionals having a common language with investors. This trend started deepening when the International Valuation Standards Committee began to co-operate with the International Accounting Standards Committee more closely. This caused the harmonization of basic terms used for valuation of property.

The influence of an interrupted K fertilisation on different K fractions of the soil, yield formation and K uptake by different crops was investigated in a long-term field experiment on Luvisol derived from loess. Irrespective of the previous K fertilisation, the interruption of K fertilisation resulted in a sharp decline of CAL extractable K. K concentration in the saturation extract as well as HCl extractable K were reduced while K fixation capacity increased within 10 years after omitting K. Omitting K fertilisation decreased yields of sugar beet and potatoes while cereals were not affected, although K uptake of all crops reacted to the differentiated K supply to a different extent.

Agriculture, like all sectors of the economy, needs credit for its development. Experience in OECD countries demonstrates that in a competitive financial environment, profitable agriculture can obtain the credit it needs. Due to the difficulties faced by farmers in transition economies in obtaining access to credit, the OECD has periodically called upon member and transition experts to reflect upon the issues at stake and to share relevant lessons and best practices in the field of agricultural finance and credit infrastructure. This paper reviews the key messages from past work on this subject, including some observations from the Czech experience. These messages pertain to: the essential framework conditions for access to credit; the role of government policy-making, and possible channels for financing the agriculture and rural sectors. The paper then briefly suggests some linkages and implications that may be drawn between the EU enlargement and these three themes.

In all partial aspects, subsidies can be effectively realised only if the adequate system of information is set up and used both on the level of subsidy suppliers (government) and on the level of subsidy recipients (agricultural organisations). It is essential to control and evaluate the usefulness of providing the support. The GPS technologies are ones of many options how to contribute to this effort. The proceeding rapid progress and upgrade of these technologies, miniaturisation of the apparatus along with the decreasing price and increasing technological efficiency, accuracy and reliability are together granting significant preconditions for their practical utilisation in agriculture. GPS is practically being used in agriculture in the system of precise agriculture and our experts belong among the world-wide recognized specialists in this direction. The GPS utilisation is additionally offered at the allocation of LFAs as well as at marking the places suitable for agro-environmental measures. In combination with the IACS system and its databases and registers, it is functionally and operatively useful at the land control of fulfilling the conditions of support programmes.

Sweet chestnut Castanea sativa Mill. is an introduced species in the Czech Republic. It is recorded roughly from 300 localities. To the end of 2002, the occurrence of chestnut was verified at about 140 macrolocalities. The most northern locality recorded so far was Choustníkovo Hradiště in the region of Hradec Králové. Chestnuts occur generally to an altitude of 500 m (80% of all examined localities), at higher altitudes they suffer from climatic extremes particularly late frosts. The occurrence of chestnut was recorded at 27 localities (ca. 20% localities under investigation) where altitudes exceed 500 m. The highest location of chestnut is locality Nejdek, Karlovy Vary District where chestnut trees thrive at an altitude of 678 m. At altitudes over 600 m, two other localities were recorded. The health condition of chestnut is relatively good. At some localities, however, crown drying occurs as a result of not quite ideal climatic conditions. Within our research, quarantine Cryphonectria parasitica (Murr.) Barr. was determined for the first time in the Czech Republic at the only examined locality.

Long-term field experiments conducted under different soil and climate conditions and their databases provide invaluable information and are indispensable means in the study of the productivity and sustainability of the soil management systems. We evaluated the results of the dry matter yields of the main products obtained with four variants of organic and mineral fertilisation in three long-term field experiments established in 1955. The experiments differed in the cultivated crops. The period of evaluation was 12 and 16 years (1985-2000), respectively. The productivity of nine-year crop rotation was lower with the fertilised variants than that with the alternative growing of spring wheat and sugar beets. The dry matter yields on the Nil variants, however, were higher in the crop rotation than in the alternate sugar beet and spring wheat growing, apparently due to the symbiotic nitrogen fixation. The dry matter yields of sugar beet and mainly of spring wheat declined in almost all variants of fertilisation in the alternate sugar beet and spring wheat growing, over the evaluated time period. In spite of the relatively high dry matter production, the declining yields indicated a lower sustainability of the alternate cropping system. Both organic and mineral fertilisation increased the production of the cultivated crops. The differences in the average dry matter yields were statistically significant. Both organic and mineral fertilisation enhanced significantly the N-uptake by the cultivated crops. The effectivity of nitrogen input was the highest with the alternate cropping of sugar beet and spring wheat indicating that it was more demanding for the external N-input and thus less sustainable than nine-year crop rotation.

In the paper are presented results of grain outer quality loss investigation during its post-harvest treatment. Objective was to determine the grain damage during its transport by bucket elevators of type "SANFON" at bucket peripheral velocity 2.0 m/s and 2.8 m/sof capacity 40 t/hand 80 t/h, respectively. The damage was investigated at counter-flow and parallel-flow bucket filling. From the measured results resulted the conclusion, that the bucket elevators tend rather to grain crushing, i.e. fraction creation than to smaller damage. On basis of partial knowledge chain elevators have no significant tendency to fraction generation, but incline considerably to the transported grain total mechanical damage at performance significantly lower than is the nominal one. In that case total mechanical damage ranged from 1.78 to 1.98%. Auger conveyers tend rather to total mechanical damage of transported grain than to the fraction creation. This is caused mainly by the friction between the transported grain and transporting "trough". Total mechanical damage is in range from 1.36 to 1.73%. Belt elevators are friendly to transported grain and therefore are evitable for grain horizontal transport in lines for reception, treatment and storage of food grain crops.

This paper analyses assets and liability structure on the selected data set from the primary agricultural production in Slovakia. Accounting is presented as a complex foundation, information system, which provides information for decision-making and company management. The source of input data are accounting records generating statements of finances. The theme of the paper is selected issues of balance sheet analysis. The results of the research show unfavorable total assets development. The index 2000/1999 has the value 96.7. There are long-term problems in liabilities volume and structure. Equity capital stagnates. Borrowed capital decrease because of the decreas in loans. Loans were 2 741 SKK/ha in 2000. Most of the companies are in primary insolvency position, when payables after maturity are twice higher than receivables after maturity.

The paper deals with the particular stages of development of the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) in the last forty years. The process and impacts of CAP reforms are analyzed for the particular production industries of agriculture. The paper also presents a detailed description of Agenda 2000 and mid-term review of the Common Agricultural Policy in 2002 that brought about many proposals for the future working of CAP after accession of Central and Eastern European countries.

This article is divided into four parts: the first is concerned with the state subsidy and support policy in the year 2001. The second part of the contribution mentions the subsidy development in production and marginal areas in the period 1996-2001 and its influence on the economic result of an average farm. Another part monitors the grant volume and the economic result at a selective sample of the identical firms in the time period from of the year 1997 to the year 2001 in reference to the farm position. The last part will deal with an evaluation of the grant volume where the subsidies are divided according to the subsidy titles in the year 2001 in an average agricultural firm farming in a certain altitude.

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.

In spite of the official goals of support for rural tourism promulgated by governmental bodies, rural tourism remains a marginal phenomenon. This lack of confidence in rural tourism has relatively deep roots. The basis for this is almost of an ontological nature and consists in opposition, although subconscious, against "commodified authenticity". Another source of this lack of confidence lies in the fact that rurality, the main attractive feature of tourism, has been substantially impaired as a result of trends in the 20th century. A third reason follows from the combination of rural tourism and mass recreation, as well as inadequate response by governmental bodies and authorities to the risks for regional stability, based on unmanaged mass tourism.

The paper provides some of the interim results of the Fifth Framework PRISMA project dealing with the impact ICT on government and citizen services in Europe. In the paper, the concept of one-stop government is described, the current state of the adoption of ICT both in Europe and the Czech Republic is briefly outlined and recommendations for the Czech agriculture derived from the major trends within the development of the use of ICT for better citizen services as well as for enhancing competitiveness of rural businesses.

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.

The paper analyses the economic and policy gap between the agriculture in Slovakia and the EU member states from the perspective of the future accession of this country to the Union. As it concludes, the deterioration of terms of trade during the transition period creates also problems for the accession negotiations, because this fact seems to legitimate the equitable implementation of the CAP in all member countries after the East-enlargement of the Union. The paper is arguing, on the basis of income simulation, that that the Commission proposal on reduced direct payments for the newly admitted countries would, in case of Slovakia, generate an improvement of the sectoral income only if they are topped by rural development measures.

Tree mortality was recorded in a selection orchard of maintenance breeding of cv. Bergeron LE-2 in 1993-2002. The beginning of blossoming was examined in individual trees in the same orchard in 1999-2002. Considering the effect of year, a maximum difference in the average beginning of blossoming was 10 days in the whole set of trees. The beginning of blossoming of individual trees was not identical in the same year. A difference in the onset of phenophase "beginning of blossoming" between early and late blossoming trees was 1-4 days in the particular years. The trees maintained their early or late blossoming for the whole period of evaluation. No tree died in the orchard by 1998. From 1999 to 2002 50% of early blossoming trees died and only 2.38% of late blossoming ones (average of three replications). Two thirds of early blossoming trees died during vegetation, a third died during vegetation rest. No commercially important viroses were proved to be present. It is the reason why viruses could not be a potential cause of the above-mentioned facts. The presence of phytoplasm (ESFY) was confirmed by the method NESTED PCR in one case in a randomly selected early blossoming tree. The test was negative in two randomly selected late blossoming trees from underplanting. The early beginning of blossoming did not influence productivity. Correlations between the beginning of tree blossoming and blossom abundance, or between the beginning of blossoming and productivity, were insignificant (r = 0.12 or r = -0.13). Even though the causative agent of higher mortality in early blossoming trees was not confirmed unambiguously, it is desirable to select the best individuals only from the group of late blossoming ones during maintenance breeding of cv. Bergeron. These individuals should be used as prebasic material in a certification process and as basic material after prescribed repeated testing.

The applied skidding technology strongly influences the impact of harvest on the ecosystem and success of natural regeneration. The impact of skidder SLKT 81 and high-lead system Larix 3T on forest soil and natural regeneration was compared under analogical site and stand conditions in a production beech forest in the environs of Brno, Czech Republic. The skidder was found to have greater effects on the soil surface consistency, soil properties and natural regeneration than the high-lead system operations. Although high-lead system operations are more friendly to all parts of forest ecosystem, the skidder may not cause excessive damage when applied under suitable terrain and climatic conditions.

This paper deals with the recent sissoo (Dalbergia sissoo Roxb.) decline in the plain land (locally called as terai) of Nepal. This study has made an attempt to find the possible causal factor of this decline. The study has made some initiative in this aspect and has made a comparative study of 30 different sissoo forest (both natural and plantation) stands. The symptoms of the sissoo decline were found to be varied. But in most of cases, the top dying of crown was found to be the most prevalent. The top dying starts from the top of the tree and progressively proceeds downwards to the stem. The leaves become yellow. Until now, it has been assumed that only the plantation forests have been affected but this study observed the sissoo decline also in natural forest sites. We analysed various components of physical soil characteristics and we did not find any correlation between the physical soil factors and the sissoo decline. We concluded from this study that the soil is not the sole responsible factor involved in the sissoo decline Furthermore, this paper discusses various aspects of the sissoo decline and possible causal factors concerned. Finally, future management strategies regarding the sissoo management are suggested.

Automatic steering devices for farm machinery and tractors have the task to relieve the driver from the physical and mental stress of monotonous steering work. Simultaneously, they are intended to help exploit machines and tractors closer to their full performance and improve the quality of work. However, it is not possible to rule out malfunctions or breakdowns of sensors, gaps in guidance lines, obstacles in the field such as ditches or pylons, temporary hazards like the sudden appearance of animals in front of a moving machine or a temporary lack of concentration of the operator. Most of these problems may be prevented by a safety system for automatically steered agricultural machinery developed at the Department of Agricultural Engineering of the Martin-Luther-University in Halle. The function of the components of the safety system and preliminary results obtained in field experiments are introduced and discussed.

The author deals with the influence of cost taxes on the development of agriculture, mainly those taxes, which have an important impact from the point of view of forming an entrepreneurial environment in agriculture. Among the cost taxes, the impact of land tax, building tax, road tax and income tax is most important. The analysis also deals with the contribution to the insurance funds related to employees. This contribution can also be considered as a taxation. The article also gives a prediction of the expected development of the consequences of the accepted tax law changes.

Leaf samples from 12 peach cultivars (Prunus persica [L.] Batsch.) (Early Crest, May Crest, Flavor Crest,Sun Crest, Fayette, Katherina, Loadel, Andross, Everts, May Grand, Firebrite and Fairlane) grafted on four peach root-stocks were analyzed for their nutrient content. The analysis of variance for leaf nutrient concentrations indicated very significant effects and interactions among cultivars and rootstocks. The rootstock effect on the absorption of nutrient elements was higher for Ca, K, P, Mg, N, and lower for Cu, Zn, Fe, Mn, and B. Generally cultivars grafted on GF 677 had higher N, K, Fe, Cu and lower Zn, Mn, and B, while leaves from cultivars grafted on wild seedlings were found to contain higher Mg and lower P, K, Fe concentrations. Leaf B and Ca were higher for cultivars grafted on Sant Julien GF 655/2, while cultivars on Damas GF 1869 had higher P, Zn, Mn and lower N, B, Ca, Cu concentrations. Leaf N was lower for Fayette on all four rootstocks and significantly different from all other cultivars. Leaf P was lower for Everts and higher for Katherina. Lower concentrations were observed in Early Crest for Fe and Zn, in Andross for Mn, and in Loadel for B, while Flavor Crest had higher concentrations of all these elements. Leaf Zn was the highest for Sun Crest on wild seedling and the lowest for Early Crest on the same rootstock. Similarly leaf N was the highest for Katherina on Damas and the lowest for Fayetteon the same rootstock. Also leaf Mg was the highest for Fayette on Damas and the lowest for Fairlane on Damas. Peach tree mortality was the highest for Damas 1869 and lowest for Sant Julien. Also tree mortality was highest for Early Crest and Sun Crest and lowest for May Grand, Firebrite, and Katherina. The observed trends in the leaf nutrient composition, as regards the cultivars, rootstocks and their interactions, emphasize the importance of these factors on a new peach orchard establishment and macro-microelement fertilization.

The objectives of this study are to determine a trend of the radial growth at breast height (b.h.) and to compare the radial growth of trees of younger and older generations in the XX century for fir (Abies alba Mill.), beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) and pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) in the Świętokrzyski National Park. In the investigated area fir, 41 to 200-300 years of age at breast height, gradually regenerated its radial growth after a very strong decline during 1971-1990, and most likely the process of vitality reduction and death of its stands of various age is slowly coming to an end. Pine showed a systematic decrease in the radial increment during 1885-1994, and there were no distinct symptoms indicating a change of this unfavourable trend. Beech showed no significant decrease in the radial increment during 1885-1994. In the Świętokrzyski National Park the differences in the radial growth between younger and older generations were noticeable only in the case of beech. The radial growth of trees of different ages was very similar in the case of fir and pine.

The contemporary Czech countryside underwent an important change during the last ten years. The political, economic and social system of agriculture and rural areas went through a basic transition. We can say that the transformation of agriculture after 1989 is one of the principal milestones of rural development, as for example the agrarian crisis in the end of the 19th century, the land reform in 1919 and the collectivisation in 1949. The processes of restitution and privatisation changed the ownership structure of land and property. The share of rural population employed in agriculture decreased. Unemployment grew, offer of work opportunities and possibilities decreased in turn. Social, civic and religious life regenerated. There are many new organizations and institutions, open borders cause positive as well as negative events. The Czech countryside comes near to European rural areas in many aspects. However, there is a considerable differentiation of approach to one's own future. Some social groups of rural population were strongly affected by the transformation, especially people with low qualification, poor health, socially handicapped, less adaptable, and incapable of retraining. On the other hand, for other social groups opened so interesting options of employment or enterprise which were not even thinkable of before 1989. The standard of living, life style and attitudes of rural inhabitants differentiate. Results of a nation-wide research, "Trends of Social Change in Agriculture and Rural Areas", predicate main changes in the economic and social spheres. Detailed knowledge of economic and social processes of the Czech countryside is necessary for co-operation within the framework of the European Union.

The objectives of this study are to determine the relationship between crown characteristics and the radial increment of beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) and to specify the characteristics of beech trees with the radial increment above the average in the Świętokrzyski National Park. The following relationships have been found: the radial increment of beech increases as the degree of the freedom of the light part of the crown from neighbouring trees increases, and the increase in the relative crown length causes a significant increase in the radial increment. Most of the best growing beech trees are characterized by the light part of the crown confined in an area of up to about 55%, and the relative crown length spanning the range of 55% (trees 61 to 80 years of age at b.h.) to 76% (trees 21 to 40 years of age at b.h).

To search for host proteins involved in systemic spreading of Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV), the virus-encoded NSm movement protein has been utilized as a bait in yeast two-hybrid interaction trap assays. J-domain chaperones from different host species and a protein denominated At-4/1 from Arabidopsis thaliana showing homologies to myosins and kinesins were identified as NSm-interacting partners. In this communication we illustrate that following TSWV infection, J-domain proteins accumulated in systemically infected leaves of A. thaliana, whereas At-4/1 was constitutively detected in leaves of A. thaliana and Nicotiana rustica.

The old debt problem resulting from the transformation of the agricultural co-operatives of the former GDR (German Democratic Republic) is described with respect to its evolution and its economic policy treatment during the process of transformation. So far, the measures for the treatment of old debts have had business economically stabilising effects. Nevertheless, debts are still growing. The farms which are affected by such old debts are strongly interested in solving this problem. This explains the intensity of the results' discussion of a scientific expert opinion on an analysis of the mode of action of the old debt regulation in agriculture. The conclusions which can be drawn from the public discussion of these results with respect to the future treatment of these old debts show, that the affected farms favour a kind of bonus rule for debt repayment. Such a regulation also seems to be acceptable for the treasury as the final bearer of the remaining debts and as a solution to minimise the taxpayers' burden.