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Emerging economies often establish commodity futures markets to discover price signals, manage price risks and improve market integration, but establishing a futures market may not be feasible for agricultural perishables. In this study, we evaluated the function of the world’s first fresh fruit futures contract for apples. Combining partial cointegration with state-space modelling, we derived time-varying price discovery metrics for the apple futures market. Our findings revealed a limited and time-varying dominance of price discovery by the futures market, while a substantial share of price discovery occurred in the spot market. Moreover, poor convergence of disaggregated spot prices to the futures price suggests that commercial traders in the apple supply chain tended to focus more on the spot market than on the futures market. Thus, emerging economies should be cautious about the new establishment of futures markets for agricultural perishables. Future research using more specific data on the spot market may provide a better insight on the limited function of the futures market.

Teak has been planted extensively by smallholders in Central America within reforestation programmes and has become one of the most valuable timbers. The five-year growth and mortality of teak cultivated in a plantation in central Nicaragua, representing sites at the low limit of teak ecological valence, were evaluated. From 2006 to 2010, 72 pure teak stands were established, with 48.93 ha in total. For afforestation, planting stock from five provenances was used and planted at 1 m × 1 m spacing to stimulate the height growth and reduce broad crowns formed by self-pruning. In the pure teak stands, 144 permanent sample plots of 0.01 ha in size were established in 2011. From 2011 until 2015, the tree height and stem girth of all individuals in the studied sample plots were measured, and mortality based on the stand density was assessed. Significant differences between the provenances were observed. The highest growth was noted in the Local provenance originated from the studied area, whereas the Semilla provenance from Costa Rica, characterised by the lowest growth ability, was characterized by lower radial increment and mean tree height with high mortality.

Silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) is still counted among drought-tolerant tree species. However, its ability to cope with the recent extremely dry period has not yet been sufficiently studied. The objective of research was to analyse differences in the climate-growth response between silver fir, Norway spruce (Picea abies L. Karst.) and European larch (Larix decidua Mill.) growing in areas with large-scale disintegration of spruce stands. In 2019–2021, the increment cores were sampled at 16 sites along the altitudinal gradient of 340–775 m a.s.l. in different regions of the Czech Republic affected by bark beetle outbreak. The radial growth pattern of fir was compared with that of spruce or larch growing under the same site conditions. In fir, the missing rings were frequently recorded during the period of peak SO₂ pollution load in 1966–1985, but they were rarely identified in recent years. In spruce and larch, missing rings were less common and occurred mainly in the recent dry period after 2015. Fir was less sensitive to summer drought compared to larch and especially to spruce, which showed high sensitivity to summer drought regardless of the altitude. The significant positive response of fir to summer precipitation was recorded at sites up to 450 m a.s.l., however, its sensitivity to drought has increased in the last two decades. Hence, when considering the wider use of fir, it is necessary to respect its ecological requirements as much as possible in order to preserve its vitality and production potential in changing climatic conditions.

The CBF (C-repeat binding factors) genes play important roles in response to abiotic stress and environmental changes. In the present study, a total of 18 CBF genes were identified from a grapevine. Their domains, phylogenetics, and collinearity were analysed. The results revealed, that 18 VviCBF genes were distributed on 10 chromosomes unevenly in the grape genome. Promoter data analysis showed that the CBF gene has many cis-acting elements related to plant growth and development, light response, hormone, and abiotic stress response. We found that six VviCBF genes including, VviCBF5, VviCBF13, VviCBF14, VviCBF15, VviCBF16, and VviCBF18 differentially expressed during fruit developmental stages. Furthermore, four VviCBF genes including, VviCBF1, VviCBF3, VviCBF6, and VviCBF11 were expressed at the early stage of bud dormancy, whereas, nine VviCBF genes were expressed at the bud dormancy-breaking stage. Additionally, various VviCBFs genes respond to different abiotic and biotic stress. These findings will lay a foundation for further study of the CBF genes in bud dormancy, downy mildew, and abiotic and biotic stresses.

Abies hidalgensis is an endemic species from the state of Hidalgo, Mexico, that has been registered only in nine fragmented relict populations that have a total of 1 000 individuals among them. Intensive forest management takes place in five of the populations under specific programs focused on Pinus spp. Still, it is necessary to know the impact of these activities on the genetic diversity of the threatened species, if restoration and conservation strategies are to be proposed. The aim of this work was to estimate the effect of forest management on the genetic structure of A. hidalgensis using seven nuclear molecular markers developed for A. guatemalensis (Ab07, Ab08, Ab09, Ab12, Ab15, Ab20, Ab23). The species was sampled growing under two different conditions; (i) areas under forest management and (ii) conserved areas. Two indexes of genetic diversity were evaluated, observed and expected heterozygosity. The genetic structure was determined by an analysis of molecular variance and a Bayesian assignment model. A bottleneck analysis was also carried out. The populations were found to have a common genetic base (differen­tiation coefficient F_ST = 0.056, number of mi­grants per generation Nm = 43), which suggests recent fragmentation of the distribution, which in turn increases the bottleneck effect in managed areas (Wilcoxon probability Wp = 0.007 and 0.016). This explains the apparently high heterozygous level (H_e = 0.69) and low inbreeding. Our results are important as they may be used to design strategies for management and conservation of A. hidalgensis.

The presented research deals with the effect of plot size changes on the crop yield. Three plots were chosen in a company engaged in conventional agriculture, on which yields were monitored from 2019 using yield maps. In 2020, the plots (initial size > 30 ha) were divided into different parts sized < 30 ha. In 2021, these newly arisen parts of the plots were harvested. Changes in the yield of grown crops were analysed using yield maps acquired by the harvesting machines. Relative yields (%) and absolute yields (t/ha) were determined on all experimental land parts arising from the initial plots’ division. The values were then compared with yields recorded before the division of individual plots using zonal statistics. Measured relative yield values clearly show (P < 0.05) that the division of plots resulted in the increased heterogeneity of crop yields. On the initial plots as well as on the newly arisen plots, the relative yield was divided into the following categories: < 70, 70–85, 85–95, 95–105, 105–115, 115–130 and > 130%, with the value of 100% representing average yield. The analysis of measured yield data showed that the division of plots into smaller parts resulted in an uneven yield distribution because if a divided plot was heterogeneous in terms of yield levels, a cumulation of "higher yield levels (> 100%)" could have occurred in one specific newly arisen plot at the expense of another one. Moreover, new marginal parts of lands came into being during the division of larger soil complexes, and hence zones with potentially reduced yields.

The aim of the study was to compare the stock of essential nutrients and carbon in the aboveground biomass of mature stands of silver fir and Norway spruce. A comparison was carried out for 14 mixed stands of spruce and fir. The tree-level dendrometric characteristics were taken from experimental measurements or were generated using the SIBYLA growth simulator. The amount of biomass was calculated using allometric equations. Samples of stem wood, stem bark, and needles were taken and analysed for carbon, nitrogen, calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, and sulphur concentrations. Using biomass data, the concentrations of the elements were converted into the stock at the stand level. Overall, spruce fixes a greater amount of carbon. The difference is in the carbon allocation, where fir allocates more carbon in the crown and spruce in the stem. Fir needles contain a greater amount of nutrients than spruce needles. A higher supply of phosphorus, nitrogen, and especially potassium was found in the stem wood and bark of fir, the amount of which is more than twice that of spruce. The stem wood of spruce, on the other hand, fixes more calcium and magnesium. As part of the study, linear regression models predicting the stock of nutrients and carbon depending on the stand basal area were parameterised.

The aim of this study is to present the seasonal variation of organic matter (OM), total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP) in the bottom sediments of Marchica Lagoon, a post-restorated lagoon located in the Moroccan Mediterranean, and to estimate the potential role of the geochemistry and granulometry of bottom sediments in the retention of old eutrophication. The organic index of bottom sediment was found generally higher in old-eutrophic and enclosed areas. The surface sediments show variable levels of OM, TOC, TP, and TN; high in some cases (12.3%, 6.71%, 0.70%, and 0.30% respectively). These high levels were recorded in the central part of the lagoon and in areas subjected to high anthropogenic pressure, including wastewater discharges. Our results indicated that sediments are an excellent immobilizer of organic matter (C, N, and P), although, there was no correlation between sediment grain size and organic matter content. The absence of correlation might be explained by currentology and hydrodynamics, but also by the bathymetry of the lagoon. Therefore, sediments must be implicated in any lagoon restoration strategy and the site development plan.

The gliding arc cold plasma treatment of wheat seeds is an alternative to chemical seed dressing, but this treatment is not very effective. This study was focused on testing the addition of salt, water and nitrogenous compounds during plasma treatment to increase the efficiency of the plasma seed treatment. The additives were not supplied in the gaseous state, as usual, but in an aqueous solution by spraying under a plasma nozzle during the treatment. The phytosanitary effect of the plasma treatment was evaluated based on the germination of Tilletia caries spores from artificially infected seeds on water agar. The viability of the seeds, growth and yield characteristics of the plasma-treated seeds were evaluated in the laboratory, greenhouse and even in field experiments with the primary goal of reducing spore vitality. The germination of T. caries spores was mostly limited to the variant with the addition of water during plasma treatment, where spore germination reached only 32.7% of the control variant while maintaining sufficient growth properties. The experiment demonstrated the suitability of using the addition of various substances during plasma treatment in the form of aqueous solutions and increasing the effectiveness of this treatment.

Drought is an important agricultural problem worldwide, which seriously affects the growth and yield of crops. To explore the effects of different degrees of drought on the soluble sugar content of soybeans, this study measured the soluble sugar content of two soybean cultivars at three growth stages under four levels of drought stress. The results showed that drought stress significantly affected the soluble sugar content, and there were differences among different growth stages and cultivars. At the seedling and flowering stages, the sucrose content of both Heinong44 and Heinong65 showed an unimodal trend and reached the maximum value at moderate drought. The increase rate was the highest in the leaves at the flowering stage, which increased by 36.18% and 25.79% compared with CK, respectively. The fructose and glucose contents were the highest during severe drought, and the fructose content increased the most in the leaves at the seedling stage, which increased by 18.05% and 17.67% compared with CK, respectively. The glucose content increased the most in the petioles at the flowering stage, reaching 40.66% and 35.24%. At the pod-filling stage, the three sugar contents of both Heinong44 and Heinong65 were the lowest at severe drought, and the sucrose and fructose contents decreased the most in the petioles, which decreased by 21.66% and 23.94%, 12.58% and 13.49% compared with CK, respectively. The glucose content decreased the most in the stems, which decreased by 11.72% and 9.66%. In addition, at each growth stage and drought treatment, the ratio of the soluble sugar content of Heinong44 was higher than that of Heinong65.

Construction sector has high environmental impact throughout entire life cycle of buildings. One way to reduce the impact is to use building materials with the lowest possible environmental impact – such as wood. The use of wood-based building materials can improve the overall environmental balance of buildings. Compared to other materials, wood probably has the best environmental performance. These findings are particularly significant in the context of the environmental and legislative situation in Europe and the Czech Republic and may be one of the reasons for the increasing number of new wood-based buildings. The main reason for the research is to highlight the potential of wood as an ecological renewable material with multiple applications in all sectors of the national economy, especially in the construction industry. This paper aims to deepen the knowledge of the environmental specifications of building materials, especially wood, highlight its benefits and verify that building with natural and eco-friendly materials is less costly with lower environmental impacts. To illustrate the environmental impact of the construction industry, a case study comparing house variants was conducted to find the most suitable combinations of materials in terms of economic, environmental, and social aspects. It was found that from a sustainable development perspective, building with green materials generally means lower environmental impacts measured by e.g. global warming potential and embodied energy. This is particularly evident in the case of wood, which is not only a renewable material with advantageous thermo-technical and construction properties despite its low weight, but also stores carbon as it grows. The findings show that wood in the structure can reduce the cumulative environmental impact of the whole structure.

We identify the factors affecting the participation in land accumulation of rural households by using a multinomial logit model and assess the income effects of participation in land accumulation by using the propensity score matching (PSM) method. We use household data from a rural survey in three provinces in the Red River Delta of Vietnam in 2019. Our results show that farmland accumulation is significantly correlated with age and gender of household head, as well as agricultural productive assets, non-farm income, saving and access to credit. The participation in farmland accumulation leads to an increase in total household income, although the effect is different between land increasing and land decreasing groups. We suggest enhancing access to credit and supporting non-farm activities to accelerate the accumulation of agricultural land and consequently improve household income.

Hyperspectral imaging technology has emerged as a prominent research area for quantitatively estimating soil nutrient content owing to its non-destructive, rapid, and convenient features. Our work collected the data from soil samples using the hyperspectrometer. Then, the data were processed. The competitive adaptive reweighted sampling (CARS) algorithm reduced the original 148 bands to 13, which accounted for 8.8% of the total bands. These selected bands possess a certain level of interpretability. Based on the modelling results, it can be concluded that the prediction model constructed by the least squares support vector machine (LSSVM) exhibited the highest accuracy. The coefficient determination, root mean square error, and ratio performance deviation were 0.8295, 2.95, and 2.42, respectively. These findings can provide theoretical support for the application of hyperspectral technology in detecting the content of the AHN in soil. Moreover, they can also serve as a reference for the rapid detection of other soil components.

Diarrheagenic Escherichia coli (DEC) is a common pathogen around the world that can cause disease with symptoms of diarrhoea. We collected all clinical DEC isolates from diarrhoea samples in three sentinel hospitals for active surveillance of foodborne diseases in Huzhou, China, between 2020 and 2022. The isolates were characterised according to demographic characteristics, time distribution, distribution of suspected culprit foods, antimicrobial results of susceptibility testing, analysis of virulence genes, and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) typing. The positive detection rate was 7.28%, the highest for enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC) strains, followed by enterotoxic E. coli (ETEC) strains. The predominant virulence genes were astA/pic in EAEC (57.25%) and estIa/estIb in ETEC (17.94%) strains. The proportion of cases was relatively high in children aged 6 years old (15.27%), and the peak of incidence was between June and September. The rates of drug resistance in DEC were high in Huzhou, and the spectrum of drug resistance was wide. The highest rate of drug resistance was for AMP (63.51%), and multiple drug resistance was common. The household was the leading site of DEC infection, and meat and meat products were the main suspected culprit foods (18.15%). EAEC strains showed 52.4–100.00% sequence identity, and ETEC strains showed 52.2–100.00% sequence identity. All cases of DEC infection in Huzhou were sporadic between 2020 and 2022. Strengthening continuous surveillance will be useful in the risk assessment of foodborne diseases caused by DEC.

The Ellenberg quotient (EQ) is a climate index defined as a ratio of the hottest month's temperature and the average annual precipitation sum. The quotient indirectly expresses the relationship between climate and vegetation, and its application is related to the ecological niche of Fagus sp. Although the quotient was curated on the grounds of field research primarily on German vegetation, the possibilities of its utilisation are not limited to the Central European region. The objective of this study is (i) to compare the EQ values calculated for the forest vegetation zones in the Czech Republic with the published data using the ecological niche of Fagus sylvatica; and (ii) to compare the new EQ-based vertical model with field empirical mapping. The study area is the Czech Republic, Central Europe. We used climate data from 1970–2000 and the data of the National Forest Inventory, 2^nd cycle (2011–2015), representing an objective data design. Geospatial analytic methods, machine learning (boosting), and verification through statistical testing were performed. The results indicate higher EQ values between the two most substantial spatial frames – the Hercynicum and Carpaticum regions. By comparing empirical mapped units to their climatic potential (in the EQ), a match was found only within the Carpaticum region. The study presents a concretisation of the general climate index for a specific region, adds to the knowledge about the Fagus ecological niche in context with the Central European vegetation, and also points to the EQ's potential for evaluating the concept of vertical differentiation of forest communities, as well as a possible prediction tool for the vegetation migration in context with climate change.

The present study was designed to evaluate the effect of pectin supplemented feeds on the growth, gut morphology and immunology of Labeo rohita. Experimental feeds containing various concentrations of pectin including control (0%), T1 (0.5%), T2 (1.0%), T3 (2.0%), and T4 (4.0%) were administered to L. rohita twice per day at a rate of 3% body weight. There was a significant (P < 0.05) decrease in average final weight, weight gain%, net weight gain and specific growth rate observed in treatment groups in order of control > T1 > T2 > T3 > T4 while feed conversion ratio was significantly (P < 0.05) higher in T4 compared to the other groups T3 > T2 > T1 > control. Immunological parameters of peroxidase, protease and antiprotease (trypsin) showed significant (P < 0.05) results between control and treated groups. Peroxidase activity was significantly (P < 0.05) higher in T4 group fish compared to T3 > T2 > T1 > control group. Total protein, protease and antiprotease activity were significantly (P < 0.05) higher in the control compared to treatment groups T1 > T2 > T3 > T4. An increased level of the non-starch polysaccharide pectin in feed caused acute effects on gut morphometry. Villus length, villus width, and an increase in mucosal folds were abnormal but no significant (P > 0.05) abnormality was observed in the control group. In the submucosal part of the intestine, hyperplasia was shown in loose connective tissues and in adipose tissue cells in the treated groups. In conclusion, dietary pectin supplementation from 0.5% to 4% had negative effects on the growth, immunological parameters and gut histomorphology of L. rohita.

Forests are atmospheric CO₂ sinks, but their losses and degradation accelerate the emissions of carbon stored as a sink. Deforestation and forest degradation are widespread in Bangladesh, but their impact on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is unknown. We assess land use and land cover (LULC) change and forest loss in this study by classifying different Landsat satellite imagery with a focus on forest cover loss from 1989 to 2020. Tier 1 standards were used to estimate the carbon removal and emissions from a small-scale tropical forest. Over the last three decades, the forest area has decreased by 2.40%, 3.74% and 7.52%, respectively. The primary causes of forest loss are large-scale tea garden and homestead expansion, as well as increase in agricultural activities. Because of a reduction in the forest area, the annual gain of carbon in forest biomass has also decreased. Although overall carbon emission was a net gain for the Maulvibazar hill forest, it has decreased from 331.24 Gg·yr^–1 in the first decade (1989 to 2000) to 307.7 Gg·yr^–1 in the most recent decade (2011 to 2020), which is an alarming trend. As a result, this research will contribute to leaders’ commitment to “halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030” at the 26^th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP 26) in 2021 to improve carbon sequestration, combat climate change and conserve biodiversity.

Orange-fleshed sweetpotato (OFSP) is a sustainable and inexpensive source of vitamin A that contributes to food and nutritional security in developing countries. Its adoption is low due to unconformity of the variety with community food culture, limited cultivar selection and breeding studies. The current study aimed at breeding of promising OFSP genotypes in Benin using three parental lines. Two hundred and seventy-four seeds and one hundred and six genotypes were obtained through biparental crosses of Tio-joe (imported orange-fleshed variety), Vobodouaho (local white-fleshed variety) and ACAB220 (local orange-fleshed variety). The phenotypic diversity of genotypes was assessed using 10 leaf characters and storage root flesh colour through multiple correspondence analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis. The results indicated cross-compatibility between Tio-joe and ACAB220 when ACAB220 was used as female. Reciprocal cross-compatibility was found between ACAB220 and Vobodouaho. The genotypes could be separated into two main populations and classified into five cluster groups. Promising intermediate and pale orange genotypes were obtained indicating possibilities to incorporate beta-carotene into the white background of the Vobodouaho variety through further backcrossing.

The present study aimed to determine the incidence and coincidence of white striping (WS), woody breast (WB) and spaghetti meat (SM) in raw chicken breast meat (n = 300) collected 3–3.5 h post mortem from commercial broiler flocks (Ross 708 males, 56 days of age). The fillets were scored for the occurrence and severity of WS, WB and SM using visual and tactile methods, and the relationship between myopathies and breast weight was evaluated. A total of 88% of samples (out of 300) had either one or a combination of three myopathies, leaving only 12% without any myopathies. Approximately 29% of the fillets had only one myopathy present, with 59% of the samples demonstrating the cooccurrence of breast myopathies. In the present study, 47.7% of WB samples also exhibited WS, while the cooccurrence of WB and SM was exhibited in 14.7%. Based on binomial logistic regression, an increase in WB scores decreases the odds that the fillet may be affected by SM myopathy. No association was found between SM and fillet weight. Multinomial logistic regression showed that the weight of breast fillets was positively associated with WB1 (P = 0.011), WB2 (P < 0.001), and WB3 (P < 0.001). Furthermore, positive associations were found between WS1 and WB3 (P = 0.004) as well as between WS2 and WB3 (P < 0.001). The percentage distribution changes of each WB and WS myopathy score were used in relation to the 10 weight groups. The percentages of WB3 increased and WB0 decreased as the average fillet weight increased. Regarding linear regression, these results exhibited a positive linear relationship for both WB (R² = 0.91, P < 0.001) and WS (R² = 0.71, P = 0.002) myopathy with fillet weight. A high prevalence of myopathies was observed. The incidence of severe WB categories and the overall high cooccurrence rate are alarming.

The susceptibility of 14 pear cultivars to the bacterium Erwinia amylovora, the causal agent of fire blight disease, was evaluated using three different methods of in vivo inoculation – the leaf inoculation method on detached shoots of pear cultivars in a climate chamber, and the terminal shoot and blossom inoculation methods on potted trees of the same pear cultivars in a net house. The results of the artificial inoculations of the European and Asian pear cultivars were compared using the susceptibility score scale, as well as the ANOVA and post hoc methods. The differences among the pear cultivar susceptibility increased during the evaluation periods in the given year, but there were no significant differences between the annual evaluation in 2020 and 2021. The results of the pear cultivar susceptibility after inoculation of the detached shoots differed significantly from the results of the terminal shoot and blossom inoculation. The detached shoot susceptibility under pathogen-favourable conditions in the climate chamber was lower than the terminal shoot and blossom susceptibility in the net house for most pear cultivars. In both years, the highest values of the terminal shoot and blossom susceptibility were coincidently calculated for the Ananaska česká European old cultivar and the Nijissejkii Asian cultivar.

In this paper, an original analysis of the direct payment rate shaping mechanism – in terms of the process and from the perspective of game theory – has been carried out. The factors determining the direct payments rates were identified. The results of measuring the impact of these factors on payments rates fluctuations were presented. The territorial scope of the study is Poland. The time range covers the years 2016–2020. The objective scope of the analysis includes four direct support instruments. It was found that the rates of sectoral area payments vary to a greater extent than the rates of general payments due to fluctuations in the area approved for a payment. The findings of this study can be used to develop a method for predicting payments rates based on the analysis of the fundamental factors. The prediction of payments rates could be used to support decision-making processes in agricultural policy. Therefore, the research results involving the decomposition of payments rates are of significant practical value in addition to their cognitive significance.

According to the literature, forwarding productivity depends chiefly on log concentration, the number of assortments, mean log volume, load-size, slope, and extraction distance. However, there is not much scientific knowledge available on forwarding in continuous cover forestry (CCF) in boreal forests, nor whether the presence of remaining trees actually affects forwarding productivity. Thus, the objective of our study was to isolate the effect of remaining trees (i.e. stand density) on forwarding productivity during CCF, specifically selection cutting. The results showed that productivity was explained mainly by the log concentration, while other factors had at most minor effects. Most importantly, stand density did not significantly affect forwarding productivity, ceteris paribus. Thus, we conclude that remaining trees do not affect forwarding productivity in boreal forests. Although the study results from this CCF operation must only be cautiously applied to even-aged forestry, our results raise a general question: do we need separate productivity models for thinning and clearcut operations in boreal forests if remaining trees (stand density) do not affect forwarding productivity? Because of the small dataset, we consider our paper to be a pilot study whose findings need to be verified by studies based on larger datasets including several operators and stands.

Rongchang piglets were easily induced to cold stress and diarrhoea in the winter when raised in an open hog house. However, they also gradually recovered under mid-cold stress. Other studies have suggested gut microbiome might be involved in the host energy metabolism to relieve stress. To study how to adapt Rongchang piglets to cold stress by gut microbiome, thirty Rongchang piglets were randomly divided into a mild cold stress group and a control group for 30 consecutive days. The findings revealed that the piglets had low growth performance and a high diarrhoea rate and mortality rate during the first half of the cold treatment, but subsequently stabilised. The level of cortisol (COR) also displayed a similar trend. In the mild cold stress group, the relative abundance of Muribaculaceae significantly increased on day 15, and the predominant bacterial on day 30 was Lactobacillus sp. Our results indicated that the Rongchang piglet’s production performance and health were impaired at the start of the mild cold stress. However, as time passed, the body could progressively adapt to the low temperature, and Lactobacillus sp. participated in this process. This study provides new insight into how to alleviate health damage caused by cold stress.

Normal log lengths in Norway are 3–6 m (NL), but occasionally there is a demand for short timber with a 2.5 m log length (ST). There are concerns that ST could reduce the forwarders' productivity. Six type stands were created based on harvester data. Different assortment distributions, conditions, and forwarders were simulated in each type stand. It was found that an additional ST assortment almost always decreased productivity (from –15.5 to +4%). Increased forwarding distance (m), more difficult driving conditions, and increased log concentration [m³·(100 m strip road)^–1] decreased the productivity difference between sites with ST and NL and sites with only NL. Increased forwarder size increased the productivity difference between sites with ST and NL and sites with only NL. It is possible to load two stacks of ST on some forwarders. Such loading was more productive than loading one stack on longer forwarding distances, while the opposite was the case on short distances. However, loading two stacks of ST can lead to overloading.

In this article, we present applied research in the field of price transmission modelling with the generalised additive model. In line with recent studies on nonlinear time series models for price transmission, we introduce a nonparametric technique of generalised additive modelling to provide evidence of nonlinear patterns in price linkages and compare the degree of nonlinearity in price transmission between feed maize and poultry product markets in the Visegrád Group countries. The results of our empirical approach contribute to knowledge about market competitiveness in the Visegrád Group countries and provide information to policymakers.

This paper presents the results of an analysis of the changes in the fragmentation and ecological stability of the floodplain forest geobiocoenoses in the Protected Landscape Area Litovelské Pomoraví, Czech Republic. Using GIS methods, it was determined that the fragmentation within the study area had increased slightly and the ecological stability of the landscape had decreased slightly between the years 1938 and 2006, although the latter remained on a fairly high level. The data reflect the anthropogenic conditionality of the floodplain forest ecosystem and show that an anthropogenically conditioned geobiocoenosis may attain a relatively high level of ecological stability, this being particularly characteristic of floodplain forest geobiocoenoses in Central Europe. The results of the study contribute to the documents that will be used in drawing up a management plan for the locality important at the European level which is a part of the Natura 2000 system.

Forest structure is a key component of its management and assessment in every forest ecosystem. In the study, 23 plots were established to obtain data on the acacia forest community based on tree size. Results from the study indicated that the acacia community could be broadly divided into two groups based on tree-size variables. The diameter and height frequency distributions of Group 1 were right-skewed, while those of Group 2 were more complicated. In both groups, there were positive correlations between tree-size variables, nonetheless the relationship between diameter at breast height and total height was best described using the cubic equation. Further, the Weibull and Sinh-Arcsinh (SHASH) best simulated the diameter and height frequency distribution. High-quality trees were found in a large diameter (> 30 cm) and height groups (> 22 m). In contrast, low-quality plants often concentrated on the smallest sizes. Therefore, trees with a diameter of 2–10 cm and a height lower than 8 m should receive attention to tend. Carbon stock in the two groups was 61.48 Mg·ha^–1 and 64.21 Mg·ha^–1, respectively. Tending solutions and measurements should be carried out regularly to promptly propose silvicultural measures and improve forest quality in future.

The excessive use of chemicals in plant production, including mineral fertilizers has a harmful effect on the morpho- and physiological state of strawberry plants, their yielding, and the physicochemical properties of the fruit and soil. Increasing the effectiveness of beneficial microorganisms, i.e. filamentous fungi, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and bacteria, is an essential method of reducing the amount of fertilizers used to fertilize the soil. The aim of the study was to assess the effect of beneficial soil microorganisms (filamentous fungi and bacteria) applied alone or together with mineral fertilizers on the morpho- and physiological state of ‘Marmolada’ strawberry plants, their yielding, and the physico-chemical properties of the fruit. The experiment included the application of fungi (Aspergillus niger and Purpureocillium lilacinum), bacteria (Bacillus sp., Bacillus amyloliquefaciens and Paenibacillus polymyxa) alone or together with mineral fertilizers (Polifoska 6, Urea, Super Fos Dar 40). The study investigated the number of inflorescences and flowers, the intensity of the green colour of leaves, fruit yield and weight (g and %), pH, extract (°Brix), titratable acidity (g/100 g), fruit firmness (N), as well as the concentrations of macro-and microelements in the leaves of the plants. The obtained results depend on the type of fertilizer and its concentration. Strains of filamentous fungi or bacterial strains only (without fertilizer), increase the fruit yield by 60 and 35%, respectively. Reduced to 60% doses of Polifoska 6, Urea, and Super Fos Dar 40 combined with beneficial soil microorganisms influence the strawberry fruit yield more beneficially than the fertilizers applied in standard doses (100%). The mineral fertilizers enriched with soil beneficial fungi and bacteria increase the mean fruit weight by 25–30%. Both Super Fos Dar 40 enriched with bacterial strains and Polifoska 6 at 100% positively affect the physical and chemical properties of strawberry fruits. The application of reduced to 60% doses of Fos Dar 40 and Polifoska 6 enriched with beneficial bacterial strains increase the nitrogen and potassium contents in the leaves, respectively. Urea and Super Fos Dar 40 at 100% enriched with beneficial bacteria positively affect magnesium content in the leaves. Application of Polifoska 6 and NPK enriched with bacteria beneficially influences the iron content in the leaves. The calcium content in strawberry leaves decreases due to fertilization.

Tomatoes have become one of the most significant and profitable vegetable crops farmed for fresh market and processing in tropical and subtropical parts of the globe and they are an important element of our human nutrition. Tomatoes, like other vegetables, are more susceptible to insect pests and illnesses than other crops, owing to their sensitivity and softness. Insect pests are among the many causes that cause low tomato yields includes fruit borer, jassid, white fly, aphid and leaf miner. On the other hand, enough understanding about seasonal abundance of insect pests is required for the formulation and implementation of an appropriate, effective, and timely pest management approach. The current demand focuses not only on the use of various eco-friendly chemical groups, but also the employment of unique modes of action to provide sufficient control of insect pest populations. So, this work reviews and presents a pool of research on seasonal succession and management of key insect pests of tomato.

Considering the relevance of the agricultural sectors for the European countries' development, but also the volatile features of agriculture, with unforeseen risks induced by climate, ensuring durable economic progress is foremost for the companies. This paper aims to assess the associations of the key parties in corporate governance (directors, managers, advisers, and shareholders), employees and the independence level with the main outcomes and capacity/size of the European companies operating in agriculture, fishing, and aquaculture activities. Using a newly compiled and complex dataset of 3 184 active companies from Europe, provided by the ORBIS database, advanced modelling approaches were employed, based on the robust regression (RREG) and Gaussian Graphical Model (GGM). The main findings emphasised that: directors, managers, and advisors had a strong positive influence on the firms' size, boosting their turnover, and the shareholders' funds; advisors induced positive connections with the companies' liquidity; the number of employees exerted positive impacts on the firms' size and outcomes of these companies; the independence level exerted a negative impact on the firms' size and outcomes. Finally, specific measures must be addressed to primarily reconsider the number of directors and managers and the shareholders' participation in the ownership of these companies due to their unfavourable exerted effects.