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In raspberry, the expression of the primocane fruiting trait is influenced by the environment. Although there are several factors that influence the expression of this character, it is well known that low temperatures that occur during the growth season of the primocane, are important and affect the flowering. In this study, plants in their early stages of development were exposed to low temperatures (2°C) for one month, in a dark cold chamber. The following genotypes primocane and floricane were used: 'UC103', 'Autumn Bliss', 'Heritage', 'Meeker' and 'Tulameen'. Flowering and growth were recorded until the end of the season and the morphology of the meristem was characterized in this moment. Interaction between cold and genotype was detected in all parameters studied. In 'Heritage', a slight primocane, growth and flowering were favoured by exposure to cold. Thereby, low temperature affects flowering, but this effect depends on primocane fruiting degree of each genotype, slight primocane the cold favored flowering and growth. However, strongly primocane the cold had no effect on flowering and growth.

The inter-related causes of food insecurity in these countries are mainly the long lasting civil wars, a limited access to land, environmental degradation, climatic shocks and the rapid population growth resulting from the high birth rates and the return of refugees.

The Mongolian squirrel is a murine rodent widely used as an experimental model and kept as a pet. With respect to the significance of the brachial plexus, we aimed to describe the origin and the nerves that constitute it, providing new information about the neuroanatomy of this species. Twenty adult animals were used, which were fixed in a 10% formaldehyde solution at the Applied Animal Morphophysiology Laboratory of the Brazilian Federal University of the Semi-Arid Region (UFERSA). The animals were medially incised with an opening of the thoracic cavity, and then bilateral dissection was carried out. Once the nerves were identified, cotton wool soaked with a 2% hydrogen peroxide solution was added for bleaching and better visualisation of structures. The gerbil brachial plexus derived from ventral roots of the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth cervical nerves (C₄-C₈) and the first thoracic root (T₁). The suprascapular nerve was formed from the nerve roots C₄ and C₅; the subscapular and cranial pectoral nerves from C₅ and C₆; the musculocutaneous and axillary nerves from C₅, C₆ and C₇; and the caudal pectoral, radial, median, ulnar, thoracodorsal, lateral thoracic and long thoracic nerves from C₇, C₈ and T₁. This resembles what is described in other rodents, such as the rat and capybara. The gerbil has a pre-fixed plexus conformation.

Soil samples from 100 cultivated and natural sites were assessed for the presence of entomopathogenic nematodes. Heterorhabditid nematodes were recovered from three soil samples during spring months, with the overall positive sample rate of 3%. The isolates of entomopathogenic nematodes were identified as three different strains conspecific with Heterorhabditis bacteriophora (Heterorhabditidae). They were found from natural sites and vineyard, while no recovery occurred from intensively cultivated agricultural fields. The morphometrical characteristics of infective juveniles and males showed differences between all Croatian strains and from the original description. Heterorhabditis bacteriophora ISO9 was bioassayed on Lasioptera rubi (Cecidomyiidae) (the raspberry gall midge) larvae at different nematode concentrations under laboratory conditions. The significantly highest mortality was observed in treatments with 50 and 200 infective juveniles per insect larvae within 8 days after inoculation. This is the first report of entomopathogenic nematodes of the family Heterorhabditidae from Croatia, and susceptibility of L. rubi larvae to entomopathogenic nematodes. The Croatian strain H. bacteriophora ISO9 was proved to possess strong insecticidal properties against L. rubi larvae.

Pot experiments were carried out to study the effects of a novel stabilizer of 2,4,6-trimercaptotriazine, trisodium salt, nonahydrate (TMT) on the bioavailability of heavy metals (Cu, Zn, As, Cd and Pb) in soils and heavy metals accumulation in tobacco. The results showed the optimal TMT dosage 200 mL/kg could effectively reduce the bioavailability of heavy metals in soils, and the bioavailability of Cu, Zn, As, Cd and Pb in soils was reduced simultaneously by up to 73.1, 63.2, 48.0, 68.9 and 57.2%, respectively. Application of TMT could significantly decrease Cu, Zn, As, Cd and Pb contents of all parts of tobacco. Furthermore, the contents of available Cu, Zn, As, Cd and Pb in soils were significantly positively correlated with Cu, Zn, As, Cd and Pb contents in upper, middle and lower leaves and stems of tobacco. There were no significant differences among plant height, number of leaves, stem girth, length and width of maximum leaves of tobacco under TMT treatments and that under control (P < 0.05), which showed that the TMT did not promote and inhibit the growth of tobacco.

In order to understand and clarify the impacts of straw return on maize production and field CO₂ emission in Northeast China, the most important agricultural base of the nation, a field experiment was conducted in 2012-2015, including no straw return (CK), straw amendment at 4000 kg/ha (S₄), and at 8000 kg/ha (S₈). The average grain yield was found significantly promoted by the two straw treatments, with comparably increased magnitudes of 11.0% and 12.8% for S₄ and S₈, respectively, and the benefits were gradually enlarged with increasing experimental duration. Although straw return tends to reduce slightly the harvest index, it was detected that it exerted significantly positive impacts on nitrogen harvest index. These results implied that added straw could lead to raising grain yield and enhancing nitrogen use efficiency simultaneously. In 2015, our monitoring showed that CO₂ emission was elevated with intensified use of straw, and S₄ and S₈ decreased carbon emission efficiency by 7.3% and 13.6%, respectively. However, there was no statistical difference between S₄ and CK. Overall, straw addition at the rate of 4000 kg/ha accompanied with inorganic fertilizer was recommended to be adopted in Northeast China, which was considered as a sustainable and relatively environment-friendly agricultural technique during maize production.

In an environment where fruit production is increasingly affected by unpredictable weather patterns, it is important to look for ways to minimise the impact of climate change on production. Under Central European conditions, a limiting factor for apricot (P. armeniaca L.) and Asian plum (P. salicina Lindley) growing in certain years is the occurrence of late spring frosts. One measure to eliminate their impact is to delay the actual flowering of the trees. This can be done by breeding or just by applying various plant growth regulators (PGRs). In our experiment, the effect of a total of 6 active substances in 16 different concentrations was evaluated. The results show that the application of Ethrel-based mixtures (concentrations of 0.05 and 0.5%) had the greatest influence, delaying flowering by up to 3-5 days, but also had the most destructive effect on tree health. The application of the commercial product Rhodofix (NAA - 0.3%) and the application of a proprietary mixture based on NAA 1.0% did not have a very significant effect, with a delay in flowering of just 2 to 3 days. One interesting finding was that the application of the above products had a statistically significant effect on the ripening date of apricot fruit, with a difference of up to 4 days.

Dormant bud cryopreservation is a valuable tool for the germplasm of temperate trees preservation. Freezable water content, as an important cryopreservation characteristic, was analysed by DSC. Scions of modern apple tree varieties (Malus domestica) were collected during the winter season from orchards, freeze-dehydrated to 26-32% of water content at -5°C and cryopreserved by the two-step procedure. Samples were rehydrated in moist peat after 4 months of cryopreservation and grafted on rootstocks in a field. Regeneration by sprouting buds on rootstocks was evaluated. The varieties were divided into three groups according to their water content and percentage of crystallized water. The regeneration in the three groups decreased with decreasing bud water content. Regeneration was higher than 80% in most of the varieties and reached 100% in almost 1/3 of the tested varieties. In only one variety, was regeneration lower than 40%, which is still a high regeneration rate for considering apple genotypes as successfully cryopreserved. According to this study, the two-step cryoprotocol was successfully optimized for Central European conditions.

The agricultural traceability system provides information transparency throughout the agricultural supply chain. This paper applies game theory to analyse the traceability system used by the herbal product industry in order to elucidate the strategic choices made by government authorities, farmers (e.g. producers), certification agencies, and consumers. This paper clarifies how relevant variables affect the traceability system employed in the herbal product industry. The analysis yields strong results and indicates a superior equilibrium; the observed strategic choices comprise active traceability system promotion by authorities, development of a comprehensive traceability system by farmers, maintenance of independence by certification agencies, and purchase of herbal products by consumers. The traceability system and existing herbal product safety programs must be refined because they are crucial to consumers, farmers, and people who support agricultural communities. These results contribute to the literature in the field, serving as a reference for members of the herbal product industry, government authorities, and academics.

Filamentous fungi were isolated from ten spices collected from markets in Indonesia. The aim was to enumerate fungal contamination and to determine the toxigenicity of Aspergillus flavus strains on each of the spices. Viable fungal populations were determined using a dilution method. Toxigenicity of Aspergillus flavus was determined by culture on a quick screening coconut agar and by PCR using four sets of primers specific for aflatoxin pathway genes. All the tested spices were contaminated by storage fungi, Species of Aspergillus was the most commonly isolated moulds followed by species of Fusarium, Mucor, Penicillium and Rhizopus. The greatest number of Aspergillus flavus isolates were found on white pepper, followed by nutmeg, cardamom, and black pepper. The greatest number of Aspergillus chevalieri isolates were found on coriander, followed by nutmeg. Fifty strains of A. flavus were isolated, all of the strains produced large sclerotia and biseriate conidiophores. Their toxigenicity was assayed by the presence of yellow pigment on a quick screening coconut agar medium and PCR amplification of regulatory and structural genes in the aflatoxin pathway.

An 8-year-old intact male mixed-breed dog presented with tetraparesis, right side head tilt, and cluster seizure-like episodes. Based on the magnetic resonance imaging and cerebrospinal fluid analysis results, meningoencephalitis of an unknown aetiology was strongly suspected. The patient survived for 963 days under mycophenolate mofetil plus prednisolone therapy and was ultimately diagnosed with necrotising leukoencephalitis. This report describes the clinical findings, the serial magnetic resonance imaging characteristics, and the histopathologic features of a case of necrotising leukoencephalitis and the long-term survival after mycophenolate mofetil plus prednisolone therapy.

Manganese (Mn) is an important micronutrient for growth and development in plants, however, excess Mn is harmful by disrupting photosynthesis system and inducing oxidative damage in leaves. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play key roles in regulating Mn toxicity tolerance in plants. Here, we identified Mn toxicity-responsive miRNAs in Arabidopsis by using small RNA sequencing. Eighteen differentially expressed miRNAs were identified in Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings in response to Mn toxicity. These differentially expressed miRNAs are involved in regulating nutrition homeostasis, transport, stress response, and developmental processes. Our results indicated that these miRNAs play a key role in Mn toxicity response in plants.

Conservation tillage harmonizes soil protection with demands of the crop, soil and climate. The continuous conservation tillage improves soil properties and modifies impact of weather extremes. The aim of the paper was to investigate the changes in four soil physical states affected by soil conservation tillage and to evaluate soil water content in a critical period. The study was carried out on Chernozems applying six tillage treatments, that are loosening, ploughing, tine tillage (a deeper, and a shallower), disk tillage and direct drilling. The investigation suggested that soil conservation was the major solution resulting in the balanced water content (SWC) and penetration resistance values in both treatments under peculiar weather conditions. However, the crumb ratio and the crusted area resulted in significant differences between the treatments, presumably due to the level of surface preservation. Soil water content differed significantly between months, with higher contents in spring and lower values in the end of summer. The higher SWC expected at the beginning of the growing season was reliably fulfilled, but the SWC level for workabilty differed from the optimum.

Sustainable food consumption is a core policy objective of the new millennium in the national and international agenda, as a consequence, the attention towards sustainable consumption has significantly increased in the last decade. However, the consumer attitudes and buying behaviours of sustainable food are still not completely understood. In this context, this paper aims to investigate the factors affecting consumers' attitudes towards food products with sustainable attributes. The first part of the work presents an overview of the theoretical concepts of sustainable consumption. Subsequently, the results of an empirical analysis with a sample of 300 consumers aimed at assessing factors' affecting consumer attitudes towards food products with sustainable attributes, such as Organic, Fair Trade and typical products, are presented. The results presented in this paper are valuable for both producers in the formulation of marketing strategies and for public institutions in the planning of the programs of education and information for the promotion of sustainable consumption.

Milk production is one of the most important areas of the Czech agrarian sector, as evidenced by its 50% share (at 2017 prices) in revenues from livestock production. As for any business, a certain level of profitability is a prerequisite for long-term and sustainable development of dairy farms. This study's aim was to evaluate the economic efficiency of milk production from both Czech Fleckvieh (C) and Holstein (H) cows based on data collected each year from 48 to 70 Czech dairy farms in the period from 2012 to 2017. Total costs per feeding day and litre of milk, level of profitability, and income over feed costs were calculated. The influences of herd size and milk yield on profitability and break-even points were examined while sensitivity analysis and model calculations were utilised to predict profitability. The farms with higher average milk yields (>7 500 and >9 500 L per lactation for C and H, respectively) had higher costs per feeding day, lower costs per litre of milk, and improved profitability (p < 0.05). Average break-even points were estimated for milk price (0.31 and 0.32 EUR) and milk yield (7 257 and 9 209 L) in C and H herds, respectively.

In this paper are presented the findings obtained during the start-up of a freeze concentration pilot plant, that operated with suspension crystallisation and with simulated fruit juices. Solutions with different initial concentrations were tested, with and without acidification, to simulate fruit characteristics and behaviour. The experimental runs demonstrated that solution acidity has negligible effects on the process performance, whereas the results showed that the initial solution concentration influences the start-up duration. During this time, the solution concentration grows by about 10 °Brix, and the maximum quantity of ice content inside the crystalliser is always lower than 40% by weight. These findings can help to predict the performance of a freeze concentration plant and may facilitate achieving target concentrations in a more efficient mode. Taken together, the data suggest that the initial concentration of the processed juice influences start-up duration and the achievable final concentration.

The antioxidant properties of cool-climate Regent wines from Podkarpacie region, Poland were investigated. Total polyphenols, total flavonoids, total monomeric anthocyanins, trans-resveratrol concentration, radical scavenging ability using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) and total antioxidant capacity with TEAC and FRAP methods were measured. The average contents of the compounds determined for Regent wines were comparable to the respective data available in literature found for warm-climate wines. Correspondence Analysis of the data revealed the relation of total polyphenols content and antioxidant capacity and radical scavenging ability of studied wines, and in lesser extent correlation with total flavonoids content. The total monomeric anthocyanins content and resveratrol concentration were poorly related to the total polyphenols content and antioxidant capacity.

Turnip mosaic virus (TuMV) is the most important virus of brassica crops. In our study, we compare the genetic structure of two Czech TuMV populations sampled in the country's 25-year interval of virus presence. The 21 isolates, mainly infecting rutabaga and horseradish, were collected from four farms under organic production, and nearly complete genome sequences, 9 596–9 787 nt in length, were obtained using Sanger sequencing for all of them. The analysis of variability and polymorphism showed differences in genetic structure but the relative stability of both populations and moderate negative selection as a factor affecting the current TuMV population. The newly collected isolates are characterised by a relatively high frequency of intralineage recombinants; interlineage recombinants were not detected compared to the 25-year-old population. The phylogenetic analysis allowed the classification of all Czech isolates into world-B phylogroup, with the prevalence of isolates of subgroup B2. The spread of isolates belonging to the other phylogenetic groups posing higher phytopathological risk, which were present in the old population and some surrounding countries, was not found.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the response pattern of diazotrophic microbes, denitrifiers and nitrifiers to different types of land use management, such as soybean monoculture (M) during 5 and 24 years (M5 and M24) and soybean-maize rotation (R) during 4 and 15 years (R4 and R15) in two subsequent years at the time point of flowering. Soil samples from a site recently introduced into agriculture (RUA) and a pristine soil under native vegetation (NV) were used as controls. Abundances of different functional groups of microbes were assessed using the direct quantification of marker genes by quantitative real-time PCR using extracted DNA from rhizosphere samples. In addition, soil chemical and physical properties were analysed and correlated with the abundance data from the functional microbial groups under investigation. Overall, the results indicate that the abundance of nifH genes was higher under R treatments compared to M treatments. The abundance of ammonium monooxygenase genes amoA (AOA) was generally higher under rotation systems and decreased under M24. RUA evidenced a negative effect on the establishment and development of AOA communities. The influence of land use on nirS abundance was inconsistent. However, R treatments showed a high abundance of nirK genes compared to M treatments. In both growing seasons, the abundance of nosZ genes was higher under NV compared with the other treatments. Furthermore, M24 treatment was related to strongly changed chemical and physical soil properties compared with the other sites. As expected, soil samples from RUA showed the strong dynamics of measured parameters indicating the high sensitivity of soils under transition to environmental parameters. Our results also indicated that the long-term crop rotation modified the abundance of the investigated microbial groups compared to the monoculture and increased soil chemical and physical quality. Therefore, our results provide evidence for a stimulatory effect of the long-term crop rotation on the abundance of microbes involved in N transformation.

In recent times, consumers and politicians from Central and Eastern Europe complain that some food products sold in their regions are of lower quality and less healthy if compared to those sold under the same brands in Western Europe. This situation, that concerns exclusively food produced and sold under even well-known multinational brands, is brought back by many food Multi-National Companies to the necessity to adapt their products to local tastes and gastronomic traditions. Many tests and studies carried out at European level prove poorer-quality products offered by Multi-National Companies to Central and Eastern Europe consumers even if with the same packaging and prices (or even more expensive) of Western countries. This is a very novel issue, and to the best of our knowledge, there is not any scientific paper yet dealing with this issue. Therefore, the aim of the study is to add new knowledge to this field and to shed light on the multiple aspects linked to dual quality food. The analysis, essentially theoretical, has pointed out that in addition to the traditional problems of market failures, there can be positive implications in terms of opportunities of competitiveness for multinational food companies.

The cones of the giant sequoia contain red, water-soluble crystalline substances known as cone crystals. The inhibitory effect of this extracted material on Norway spruce, Scots pine and European larch germination was newly examined. Sown seed representative samples without and with added cone crystals were compared after their incubation in the same appropriate conditions. All these cases have brought compelling evidence that cone crystals totally inhibit germination. However, the chemically inhibited seeds being rinsed afterwards germinated very well. This switch effect caused by the cone crystals of the three above-mentioned conifers proved to be a nonspecific tool. Seeds of the giant sequoia, naturally affected by the cone crystals, were sown as rinsed and non-rinsed samples. Both the samples, grown on a wet peat substrate in appropriate conditions for 16 weeks, exhibited an equal, yet very low viability of 1.3% at the same time. This low number, fixed in seeds of the tree being far from the ecological optimum, does not allow any disputation with other authors.

The draft Strategic plan of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) for the Czech Republic has provoked the displeasure of many entrepreneurs in agriculture due to the redistributive payments, to which 23% of the total volume of direct payments will be directed instead of the originally planned 10%. According to the creators of the Strategic plan, this should support the fairer distribution of payments, respecting the benefits arising from the scale of production of large companies. Critics of the plan claim that operating subsidies are already degressive and fear an adverse impact on medium-sized companies, which, given the structure of the companies in the Czech Republic, will affect a large part of agriculture. This article aims to identify the farm size for which direct payments will be reduced and the likely degree of the impact on the farm economy. Our results suggest that the new payment system will lead to a reduction in direct payments for farms larger than 313 ha and, from a farm size of 873 ha, direct payments will fall below 85% of the average, which may cover around 50% of the agricultural land in the Czech Republic.

A unique evaluation of the apple tree trunk bark damage caused by common vole and European hare was presented. Damage was found in an apple orchard under organic farming, in Central Moravia (Czech Republic), at 700 m a.s.l. There were two cultivated apple cultivars Red Spring and Melodie/Angold. Damage occurred in winter with the snow cover lasting from December to February. In total 1 012 trees and 95.7% of trees were damaged. The cv. Red Spring was damaged more than cv. Melodie/Angold. Almost 90% of the dead trees were killed by common voles. While hares damaged both cultivars equally, voles damaged the cv. Red Spring to a significantly greater extent (P = 0.04). The study confirms the need of further research on the development of methodologies for orchard protection from damage caused by small mammals.

In recent years, progress has been made towards incorporating the sociocultural perspective in the assessment of ecosystem services (ES) to identify the relevant services according to the different needs and perceptions of the populations consulted. New sociocultural assessment methods are being explored to respond to this emerging line of research, without a generally accepted alternative being found thus far. Aiming to contribute to this line of research, this article proposes a new methodological approach for the sociocultural assessment of ES. The new methodological approach is based on combining two different measurement procedures: a traditional Likert scale and the Kano model. The case of ES provided by forests will be considered for its development and application. With the application of the proposed methodology, the sensitivity and consistency of sociocultural assessments of ES would be improved, and the development of longitudinal analysis would be facilitated.

The objective of the study was to estimate the heterozygosity and phylogenetic relationship between horse breeds in Poland, according to erythrocyte antigens and protein polymorphisms. The study included 15 434 horses: Polish Coldblood, Małopolski, Wielkopolski, Hucul, Polish Konik, Biłgorajski, Felin Pony, and ponies of Shetland origin. A total of 14 loci were studied: seven blood groups and seven protein polymorphism systems. Phylogenetic trees obtained for the erythrocyte antigens and protein variants were mostly alike which suggests that both kinds of markers may be equally used in estimating the similarity of animal populations. The lower polymorphism of the structural and enzymatic proteins, as compared with the erythrocyte antigen, resulted in a lower number of alleles per locus, lower heterozygosity, and closer genetic distances. The level of heterozygosity and phylogenetic trees of the breeds turned out to be mostly concordant with the known history of the populations. Małopolski and Wielkopolski horses are the most homozygous, the Huculs, Polish Koniks, and Biłgorajskis have a middle position, while the Polish Coldbloods and the ponies are the most heterozygous. The Polish Koniks are the most related to other breeds which shows that all the breeds studied, Polish Coldbloods included, have many indigenous ancestors. The Huculs, Polish Koniks, and Biłgorajskis are closely related. In spite of different histories, the Małopolski and Wielkopolski horses have the closest relationship. The Felin Ponies cluster together with the Shetlands. According to the blood groups and protein variation, the genetic diversity of the studied horse breeds is low and mainly due to individual differences. The low genetic variability of the breeds suggests reconsidering the long-term strategies of horse breeding in Poland, particularly of the conserved breeds.

Political and security stability have the potential to support developing countries‘ efforts to achieve Sustainable Development Goals, as this region is home to the majority of the global population. This study examines the impact of political and security stability and other factors on food security [as measured by the prevalence of undernourishment (PUN)] in developing countries. We analysed 2002–2020 data from 83 developing countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean, using the system General Method of Moment (sys-GMM). Our study indicates that political and security stability and the use of the internet can increase food security or reduce PUN in developing countries. Other factors contributed to an increase in PUN: the previous year’s PUN, the cereal import dependency ratio and the unemployment to total population ratio. Meanwhile, other factors have varying effects on the PUN in developing countries.

Crop growth is a key factor that effects nitrous oxide (N₂O) emission in farmland soil. Clarification and quantification of the impact of maize growth on N₂O emission are important to guide maize planting and patterns, which is also useful for building model to simulate N₂O emission in an agroecosystem. In this study, we carried out a three-year (2013-2015) field experiment to evaluate the contribution of maize growth on N₂O emission using a split-plot design. The factors included planting versus not planting maize, and four rates of nitrogen (N) application (0, 150, 300, 450 kg N/ha). Our results showed the impacts of maize growth on N₂O emission decreased linearly with the growth of maize from the 43^rd day after sowing (y = -1.07x + 26.85, R² = 0.95). Nitrogen fertilizer application can reduce the impacts of maize growth on N₂O emission. The impact of maize growth on soil NH₄⁺-N and NO₃^--N are similar to N₂O emission, and they have a strong correlation. We concluded that maize growth reduces soil N₂O emission but N application can exert an antagonistic effect, and the impact of maize growth on soil NH₄⁺-N and NO₃^--N largely determines the impacts of maize growth on N₂O emission.

This case report follows a 10-year-old castrated male Miniature Schnauzer dog presented with a history of incomplete surgical resection of an oral malignant melanoma (amelanotic type) on the right mandible. Melanoma vaccine therapy was administered due to incomplete surgical resection, however, new masses were detected on the contralateral mandible and suspected pulmonary metastasis occurred at 2 weeks and 7 months, respectively, following the first melanoma vaccination. At the time of detecting the pulmonary metastasis, targeted chemotherapy was initiated with the owner’s consent using imatinib (10 mg/kg/day, p.o.), a tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI). The patient did not show any significant adverse events related to both anticancer treatments. Three months following the first dose of imatinib, the absence of the suspected pulmonary metastatic nodules on radiography indicated complete remission. In conclusion, this report describes the achievement of clinical remission of suspected pulmonary metastatic oral malignant melanoma and an extension of survival time in a dog given a combination treatment of immunotherapy and tyrosine kinase inhibitor.

The promising branching agent cyclanilide [1-(2,4-dichlorophenylaminocarbonyl)-cyclopropane carboxylic acid] is not permitted in the EU and the low vigour rootstocks preferred by growers make the branching of young sweet cherry (Prunus avium) trees difficult in the temperate zone production regions. To increase the number and length of new branches ("feathers") on such trees, chemical (6-benzyladenine [BA], gibberellic acid [GA_4/7]), mechanical (leaf pinching, summer notching) and various combined treatments were tested from 2015-2018. The numbers of feathers divided into three different lengths (1-10 cm, 10-30 cm and > 30 cm) were assessed as the main indicator of quality, supplemented with other morphological characteristics. Summer notching induced an insufficient number of feathers and led to some negative effects on the trees. The number of feathers from BA or BA with GA_4/7 treatment also was insufficient. The effect of pinching alone was variable. The number of all feathers generally was highest when pinching was combined with BA, regardless of the year or cultivar.

The paper aims at the overview of the main approaches of state support implemented by developed and developing countries and the assessment of their distorting influences on the trade with agricultural commodities. The current state of state support is analyzed on the examples of EU-27, the USA and Japan. The experiences of developing countries are summarized on the examples of China, Russia and the CIS countries. State support tools are grouped according to the WTO classification. The alternative classification is implemented in order to compare the distorting effects caused by the state support. The EPACIS model is implemented to analyze the effects of trade liberalization for the distribution of agricultural commodities and trade policies in developing countries. The model is adjusted in order to assess the effects of state support for the production and trade with agricultural commodities in developing countries, recently accessed the WTO (the case of Russia). Imitation calculations allow formulating policies for the developing agricultural markets depending on the degrees of their sensitivity to foreign trade regulations and domestic support.