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The post-eradication incidence of bovine tuberculosis in seven Central European Countries (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia) was studied between 1990 and 1999. The majority of cattle to the age of 24 months were screened by tuberculin skin test on annual basis. Tuberculous lesions observed during meat inspection at abattoirs were further laboratory examined by direct microscopy, cultivation and histology for the presence of mycobacteria. Data describing the incidence of the disease in animals for the whole period were obtained from all countries except Bosnia and Herzegovina, where data were obtained after the year 1995. Between the years 1990 and 1999, bovine tuberculosis was diagnosed in a total of 1 084 cattle herds. Nine hundred and seventy five (89.9%) outbreaks of the disease were reported in small herds (10 cows) and 109 (10.1%) outbreaks in large cattle herds (>10 cows). The last outbreak of bovine tuberculosis in cattle was diagnosed in Slovakia, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1993, 1993, 1995, 1999 and 1999, respectively. Bovine tuberculosis was diagnosed under proper quarantine in Slovenia in 37 fattening bulls imported from two European countries before animals were introduced to the targeting farms.

Due to the transformation of the agricultural subjects realized after 1990, the new ownership relations occurred in the sectors of agriculture and food processing. The entrepreneurs started to build their activities on the base of market economy principles. The farmers started founding of specialized or universal-trading organizations aimed to sale of the agricultural production. The legal forms of the companies were cooperatives or companies incorporated. In practice, the subjects proved the reasonability of their existence not only on the side of agricultural production sale, but also on the side of purchasing inputs necessary for the agricultural production process. One of the best trading organizations is Agropork-družstvo in Brno, which is specialized in purchasing and sale of pigs, cows and recently poultry as well.

An analysis is made of the root system morphogenesis and architecture in several tens of European mountain ash trees aged up to 60 years at seven different sites. Although the root system variability is considerable, certain dependences can be derived. European mountain ash forms an anchoring root system. Limiting factors of the root system morphogenesis are the groundwater table (roots do not penetrate into soil horizons affected by underground water), prevailing direction of wind (elliptic root system develops in the wind direction), and the slope (in the uphill direction the roots are shorter, exhibit the more or less horizontal growth and reach into deeper soil horizons than roots growing in the downhill direction). An unambiguous correlation was found between the rooting depth of anchor roots and the number and reach of lateral roots (the longer the anchors, the fewer the lateral roots and the smaller their reach). The shorter the anchor roots, the more intensive the branching of not only the anchors themselves but also of superficial roots.

It is well established that race-specific resistance selects for the specifically matching genes effecting virulence in the pathogen. As well, the use of different R-genes in time makes virulence complexity, VC (the number of virulences per pathogen genotype), to increase. Moreover, it becomes obvious here that the wind-dispersed cereal rusts and mildews are obligate nomads and highly mobile. As a consequence of these points and as a result of modelling, VC was expected to increase in the direction of predominant winds, e.g. from west to east across Europe, and it did by approximately one or more virulences per 1000 km. Starting from the barley mildew pathogen, comprehensive evidence is also available from leaf rust on wheat covering some 5000 km from Western Europe into Siberia. The impact of our findings for population genetics across Europe and Asia is supposed to be considerable and worth further elucidating, e.g., within the 6^th EU Framework Programme.

The development of rural areas is solved by the regional policy from a great part. Since every country implicating and applying this support system is identified by its geographical and political specifics, many problems rise also in the Czech Republic and they complicate the implementation of the regional policy principles in the final result. The possibility of improving this situation is given through identification of the relevant problems and the realization suggested actions. The problem areas in rural municipalities development requiring solution are as follows: poor transport services, non-existing cooperation inside the transport and mutual losses compensation, poor technical equipment of municipalities, securing a constant support of rural development, establishing functioning ties to the community center areas in the micro- regions, establishment of foundations, decomposition of rural development aims, public administration. Respecting of the proposed solution areas in municipalities would help to decrease regional disparities in rural areas.

The major insect pests on rice in Tanzania are listed and described. They are from five orders (Coleoptera, Diptera, Hemiptera, Lepidoptera and Orthoptera) and are discussed as stem borers, stem and root feeders, and leaf and panicle feeders. This review puts together the hitherto fragmented information available on the distribution, host range, biology/life-cycle and ecology, and the management measures of the insect pests of rice. Areas for future research are also mentioned.

In the period 1996-1999 field trial was performed in Obory near Kwidzyn on heavy textured Fluvisols. The experiment was aimed to determine yield, chemical composition, heat value of wood of six genotypes of willow coppice in relation to cutting frequency and on determining the costs and profitability of willow production on arable land for purposes of energy generation. Yield of wood dry matter in one-year cutting cycle amounted to 14.09 t/ha/year 1 and significantly increased to 16.05 and 21.55 t/ha/year when harvesting was performed in two and three years cycle, respectively. The highest yield was found for Salix viminalis 082 form cut in three years cycle and it amounted to 26.44 t/ha/year 1. Stems of Salix sp. cut every three years showed the lowest water content (46.05%), high heat value 19.56 MJ/kg dry matter and the highest content of cellulose (55.94%), lignins (13.79%) and hemicelluloses (13.96%). High yielding potential of Salix sp. and high content of cellulose and lignin in wood make this crop very prosperous as a feedstock for bioenergy production. The highest profit from the willow plantation was obtained in case of harvest every three years at 578.76 EUR/ha/year.

Research into the globalisation processes leads to establishing the set of concepts with the relative heuristic, methodological, and theoretical effectiveness as well as consequent practical effectiveness. Yet, a simple analysis shows this set of concepts as dependent on certain political programmes and projects. Scientific research is not a prirori limited by any other language - except its own, i.e. scientific language. To accept the language of non-scientific discourse means (mostly) to accept the non-scientific logic, too. Scientific establishment of region, community or similar social unit is a matter of logic different from the logic of political programmes or projects. Scientific research seeks logic of a subject (region, e.g.) from outside as well as from inside. That is why ideas and principles of social constructivism would have to play an important role among the scientific research tools. These principles and ideas are not a part of simple language and logic of political programmes and projects. Substitution of scientific language and scientific logic by political ones could lead to a fatal error. A region is the result of social construction, yet the scientific construct of a region is only one dimension of this complex process. This process can be called a social and cultural cartography process and could be based on parallel or complementary research methodologies - on standard methodology (working by means of standard descriptive and analytical quantitative research tools) and on social constructivism methodology (social and cultural cartography). Such complementary research is capable of overcoming relatively naive language and logic of political programmes and projects as well as limited heuristic possibilities of a standard scientific approach.

The paper is focused on the evaluation of the development of financial situation of agricultural co-operatives in the CzechRepublic in 1997-2000 operating in both productive and marginal regions. The comparison of financial situation in these two groups of agricultural firms comes from the classification of firms according to productive regions. Presented results cover firms from the sample of agricultural firms observed in the RIAE Praha. Development tendencies of agricultural co-operatives in these two regions are analysed by means of chosen debt, liquidity, activity and profitability indicators. Non-financial indicators enlarging the above mentioned characteristics of firms' financial situation are suggested and analysed in the last part of this paper.

Achievements and prospects of wheat breeding for disease resistance in the world and in the Czech Republic are reviewed. Attention is paid to rusts, powdery mildew, leaf blotch, glume blotch, tan spot, fusarium head blight, common and dwarf bunt, eyespot, barley yellow dwarf virus on wheat and wheat dwarf virus. Genes for resistance to rusts and powdery mildew in the cultivars registered in the Czech Republic are listed. Promising resistance genes and sources of resistance to the above mentioned diseases are reviewed. Prospects of resistance breeding including application of methods of molecular genetics and development of synthetic hexaploids are outlined.

This four years experimentation work was aimed at research on using various waste organic materials and especially timber bark in cultivation substrates as a substitute of peat. Sixty-four special isolated cultivation beds were established for this purpose, each of 4.8 m³ volume, in which 11 variants of substrates consisting of different proportions of different components in several replications were tested. Standard substrates Horticultural substrate B and RKS I. were used as controls. Another variant was used as a control for growing tests of plants in containers. All tested substrates were enriched with hydroabsorbent TerraCottem. In some variants reserve fertilisers with slow release of nutrients (Silvamix Forte) were applied. For cultivation testing of studied substrates four ornamental tree species (Alnus glutinosa, Fraxinus excelsior, Salix alba, Salix matsudana) were chosen. The best evaluated variants were the ones containing 50 and 75% of bark in combination with sand. The worst was the variant composed of chips and sawdust. Thanks to the use of hydroabsorbents, even the variant containing 100% of sand appeared to be very good. The tested trees had different reactions to the different types of substrates depending on their species requirements. The limiting growth factor for Alnus was the content of water in the substrate. Similarly, the content of available nutrients in the substrate was essential for Fraxinus. The hardwood cuttings of Salix not only rooted into the substrate in a few weeks, but also formed aboveground parts of the required sizes. Obtained data on growth parameters differed according to the diversity of requirements of the different studied species.

Verticillium wilt is of increasing significance in European agriculture, especially in tree hosts such as olive and stone fruits, and in shade tree nurseries. In the period 1997-1998 eight European research groups participated in an EU-funded Concerted Action on this disease. Main results were the publication of "A Compendium on Verticillium wilts in tree species" (HIEMSTRA & HARRIS 1998) and an RTD-proposal submitted for financing to the 5th EU Framework Programme. This proposal was approved by the European Commission and the research started in March 2000. Ten research groups participate in a project that aims to provide essential elements for an efficient and environmentally sound management of Verticillium wilt in trees. The research concentrates on tree key areas: (1) pathogen variability, (2) host resistance, and (3) detection and risk assessment. In addition the project aims at harmonising methods, exchange of experience and continuation of the successful co-operation developed during the previous Concerted Action. The specific achievements of the project include information on genetic variation within the pathogen and on distribution and virulence of its subspecific groups; standardised methods to select for host resistance; resistant selections of olive and maple; molecular methods to detect the pathogen in soil and plants; and improved risk assessment procedures. Details on aims, methods and participating groups will be presented.

The main goal of this work was to calibrate and evaluate the CERES-Barley and CERES-Wheat crop models. The experimental fields used for the model evaluation are situated in three different production regions (maize, sugar beet and potato main growing regions, respectively) with altitudes of 179, 204 and 560 meters above the sea level. Grain yield and date of anthesis together with maturity dates served as reference for the model evaluation. Two evaluation approaches were tested in this study. The first one uses historical data series and it is based on long-term field experiments with capability to reflect interannual weather variability. The second approach uses results of one-year multiple treatment experiment. The model evaluation is then based on a set of treatments differing e.g. in sowing date or an amount of used nitrogen fertilizer. Grain yields simulated by both models are acceptable when compared with experimental results: the coefficient of determination for historical series varied from 0.69 to 0.86 for evaluation of CERES-Barley at the three examined sites and reached values of 0.60 and 0.86 for the CERES-Wheat model at two experimental sites. The lower coefficient of determination of the wheat model was recorded at the locality with the highest altitude and coldest winter conditions. There, also the worst reliability of simulated phenological development was noted. At the second locality where the CERES-Wheat model was tested and at all three localities where CERES-Barley was applied, the simulated duration of vegetation period and anthesis dates were relatively accurate and yielded strong statistical correlation. The one-year multiple treatment experiment proved to be useful to determine the models sensitivity to differences in crop management. The combination of both approaches seems to be the best solution for evaluation of similar crop models if the detail long term experimental data are not available.

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.

Forty two peach-nectarine (Prunus persica [L.] Batsch.) varieties (i.e Spring Time, Precocissima Morettini, Southhaven, Halehaven, Blazing Gold, Cardinal, Gialla Precoce Morettini, Dixired, Fertilia Morettini, Golden Jubilee, Coronet, Red Haven, Red Globe, Cotonia Massima, Morettini 5/14, Peach of Station, Alexander, Early Elberta, Elberta of Middle Season, Beauty of Georgia, J.H. Hale, Late Elberta, Gold Drest, Morettini No. 1, Jerseyland, Desert Gold, Red Cup, Spring Crest, Loring, June Gold, Merril Gem Free, Early Red, Red Skin, Merril Fortyminer, Roubidoux, Fantasia, Sunhaven, Flavour Top, Merril Franciscan, Blake, Fairtime, Fayette) were studied for 12-18 years in three experimental orchards of Peripheral Agricultural Research Station of Rhodes (PARSR). Their degree of adaptation to the soil and climatic conditions of PARSR was evaluated in terms of yield per tree, time of bloom, time of fruit ripening, fruit quality etc. These results have been compared with related experimental data recorded at the Pomology Institute (PI) at Naoussa. The results indicate that: many peach-nectarine varieties with quite high chilling requirements (Loring, Blake) gave satisfactory yield in PARSR, where the mean average of temperatures below 7°C over one decade was found to be 147 hours (range 52-226). Some peach-nectarine varieties in experimental orchards of PARSR ripened more than ten days earlier (Desert Gold, Early Red, Peach of Station, Loring, Merril Gem Free), of others at about the same time (Coronet, Cotonia Massima, Red Skin, Fertilia Morettini, Red Globe) and at others on a later date (Merril Fortyminer, Early Elberta, J.H. Hale, Cardinal, Southhaven) than they would ripen in northern Greece (PI). Similar differences were also found for the time of blooming.

Height and diameter growth and volume production of 22 different clones of poplars were evaluated in Sliepkovce populetum at the age of 12 years. The populetum is situated on medium-heavy and medium humic uninundated alluvia of the Laborec river; typologically, the group of forest types is Ulmeto-Fraxinetum populeum. The results of evaluation documented that among the poplars under study the clones Gigant, OP-229 and BL achieved the best growth and maximum volume production while their mean height amounted to 22.9-23.8 m, mean diameter to 31.9-33.2 cm and average annual volume increment was 25.1-28.3 m³ per 1 ha. The growth of P. Rochester 20/66 poplar was considerably much slower: its mean height amounted to 17.3 m, mean diameter to 18.7 cm and average annual volume increment was 6.3 m³ per 1 ha. It will be necessary to carry out further studies to obtain more detailed values for these clones.

The paper addresses the behaviour of Czech farmers in the frames (structures) created by the agricultural policy in Czechia during the period of the Czech agriculture revitalization. The theoretical background of the paper is formed by the duality of actor and structures. The text considers the ideas embedded in the rules of agricultural policy in investigated period as they are confronted with actual behaviour of the Czech farmers. The main assumption is that the circumstances of agricultural policy should primarily increase the competitiveness of the Czech agriculture. Because this issue is a new one, the qualitative approach to deal with these problems was exploited. In-depth (less standardized) interviews with representatives of six farms were conducted. These farms are typical by various strategies of action. The results focus on information about the level of systematic knowledge of agricultural policy, about the specific reactions to particular areas of this policy (incl. farmers evaluation of particular measures related to Czech integration into EU) and about experiences related to the SAPARD program implementation.

Age and diameter classes or growth stages as criteria for the implementation of thinning

A monitoring system for Cameraria ohridella males based on a synthetic sex pheromone was tested in the Czech Republic, Germany, France and Greece. From the obtained data on the insect phenology we concluded that in Central Europe C. ohridella typically has three generations per year. The pheromone monitoring can be used to detect the pest when it appears in uninfested areas and is also suitable to determine population densities.

The differentiation between anthropogenic and geogenic loads of the soils by potentially risky elements was observed. The collection of soil horizon samples from 21 localities with different anthropogenic loads (imission fall-outs, floods, historical mining) and geogenic loads (lithogenic, chalcogenic) was composed. The soil characteristics (pH, C_ox), total content of 13 potentially risky elements, content of potentially risky elements in the extract of 2M HNO₃, 1M NH₄NO₃ (mobile forms) and 0.025M EDTA (potentially mobilizable forms) were detected. The solubility as the ratio of total content and the content of risky elements in the other extracts was calculated. The differences between the solubility for each risky element and for each type of the load were determined. It was concluded that the highest solubility was determined in the fluvisols contaminated by the floods and in the soils contaminated by imission fall-outs. Significantly lower solubility of potentially risky elements was determined in the soils with geogenic loads. The efficiency of the used extracts for the differentiation of the soil load was assessed (2M HNO₃, 0.025M EDTA). The types of geogenic loads were characterised in the extent of used soil collection. Geochemically anomalous parent materials and soil types developed on these parent materials were described.

Phenomenalistic data of the development of prime costs in agriculture-oriented companies inSlovakia indicate that they have considerably increased in the main production, intracompany services and the company as a whole. Therefore, the management of a company has to apply an economic approach to cost management. Recommendations to build up a control structure of the cost system in the agricultural primary production are presented and its rational connection with actual costing, which uses algorithms of unconventional calculation methods, is analysed. In the cost system control structure, costs are recommended to be divided in two levels, namely by groups of activities and classification by elements of cost and by the relationship to outputs covering agricultural products. Using a general model, the objectives analysed are implemented in the livestock production aimed at dairy cow breeding.

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.

Botrytis cinerea, the cause of grey mould, is a 1999 we conducted trials in order to analyse the efficacy of the pyrimethanil, cyprodinil and fenhexamide and to test sensitivity of B. cinerea to them in vineyard in which these ingredients had been applied intensively, but also in vineyards where they had never been used. Resistant B. cinerea strains to each ingredient were determined in both types of vineyards.

This paper deals with the changes in soil active acidity, mobile aluminium, base saturation, iron and manganese under the influence of quicklime (QL), mixture of soft lithothamnian limestone (SLL) and dolomite (D), and special natural amendments (SNA) based on zeolite tuff. Investigations were carried out on pseudogley of mesoelevations, dystric. The four-year trial was set up according to the Latin rectangle method with 18 trial treatments in four replications. While SNA based on zeolite tuff had little effect on changes of the studied parameters, traditional lime materials (LM), owing also to the fact that they were applied at several times higher rates, had a very positive effect. Soil acidity, iron and manganese were reduced under their influence, mobile aluminium, particularly under their higher rate, was fully blocked or reduced within tolerable limits, and base saturation was raised to a satisfactory level. Effects of SNA depended on the ratio of zeolite tuff and the lime component in them. It could be presupposed that their main efficiency happened in the domain of ion exchange with a positive impact on soil fertility.

The goal of this work was to verify the spice adulteration by the microscopic analysis. The samples of black powdered pepper and its meat product that did not have the expected spice and aromatic properties were controlled. The results of sensory and chemical investigation corresponded with microscopic findings. The suspected sample of spice and meat product with spice contained pronounced coloured parts that were not present in the usual structure of powdered pepper.

The studies were performed involving qualitative and quantitative cytometric analysis of peripheral blood leukocytes in healthy carps at various stages of their ontogeny, i.e., in 3- to 29-month old carps. Three populations of leukocyte line cells were distinguished, which differed in forward scatter (FSC) and side scatter (90o, SSC) of laser light. The most abundant leukocyte pool was present in the eldest (23- to 29-month old) fish. Lower numbers of the cells were observed in the youngest (3- to 9-month old) carps while the lowest levels of the cells were detected in carps of the moderate age (11- to 21-month old). The leukocyte populations, distinguished on grounds of FSC/SSC characteristics, were suggested to correspond to lymphocytes/thrombocytes (low FSC, low SSC), granulocytes (high FSC, high SSC) and monocytes (high FSC, low SSC).

EC Health & Consumer Protection Directorate-General recently published an important document based on papers and reviews discussed by members of TSE/BSE ad hoc group. In this review the Executive Summary and Tables of Contents of Part I and II are printed with permission. For full text and references see the web page mentioned in references.

Several ways are recommended how to avoid iodine deficiency in food of many countries' population. In addition to the common use of salt fortified with KI, KJO₃ can also be used in bakery products. It is also a strong oxidizer improving rheological properties of dough. In this paper the effect of KJO₃ on rheological properties of wheat dough and baked products was studied using farinograph and extensograph data and the baking test. The effect of KJO₃ was tested in combination with a commercial complex improver. Loaf volume was increased by the addition of 2 or 3 ppm of iodate to flour. The dose of iodine improving bread volume showed satisfactory correspondence to 50% of recommended daily intake that is allowed for bakery products by the Czech law.