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Two groups of dairy cows, Czech Red-pied × Ayrshire × Red Holstein crossbreds, received a diet with either production mixture with rapeseed, rapeseed cakes and rapeseed oil (Energol; E-group; final feed mixture with 62 g of crude fat per kg of dry matter, DM) or control production mixture (C-group; crude fat content in total feed mixture 37 g/kg DM). Milk samples were taken on the 14^th, 30^th, 60^th and 90^th day of lactation, and basic milk constituents and fatty acid content in milk fat were determined. E- and C-groups did not differ in either milk yield or yield of milk fat, milk protein and lactose (P > 0.05). Lactose, calcium, milk protein and casein content increased linearly (P < 0.05) with the increasing day of lactation both in E-milk and in C-milk. Casein content in E-milk was lower (P < 0.05) than in C-milk but total lipid content did not differ (P > 0.05) from that in C-milk. Dietary rapeseed decreased (P < 0.05) palmitic acid content in milk by 20 percentage units and at the same time increased (P < 0.05) oleic acid content by 10 percentage units in comparison with control milk; the ratio of total C16/total C18 fatty acids was consequently twice lower (P < 0.01) in E-milk. As far as polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) are concerned, the contents of linoleic acid (LA), α-linolenic acid (LNA) and eicosapentaenoic + docosahexaenoic acid were higher (P < 0.05) in E-milk; however, the PUFAn-6/PUFAn-3 ratio was not different between E- and C-milk. It was concluded that 1 litre of E-milk could provide 20% of both LA and LNA daily requirement.

An acute phase index based on a combination of acute phase proteins which permitted monitoring the response to therapy of canine leishmaniasis was developed and evaluated in this study. Six dogs naturally infected by Leishmania infantum were treated with meglumine antimoniate (Glucantime®, Merial, Lyon, France) 100 mg/kg/day sc, given concurrently for 20 days with allopurinol (Zyloric®, Glaxo Wellcome, Madrid, Spain) 30 mg/kg/day po and then, allopurinol alone for one month at the same dosage. Blood samples for acute phase proteins were obtained on different days before and after the beginning of treatment and two groups of indexes were calculated: (1) Indexes that combined one positive and one negative acute phase protein and (2) Indexes that combined two positive and one negative acute phase proteins. All calculated indexes were significantly higher in animals with leishmaniasis compared with clinically healthy dogs (n = 8) and a decrease was observed in all dogs tested during the treatment. Indexes that combined C-reactive protein (CRP) and ceruloplasmin (CP) with other proteins showed greater percentages of decrease that were statistically significant. Among these, the index CRP*CP/Alb was selected as the optimum since it showed a larger and faster decrease compared with the others as well as with individual proteins alone. These results would support the use of selected acute phase indexes, especially the CRP*CP/Alb index, to suspect about a leishmaniotic dogs and to monitor their response to treatment.

A microarray chip representing approximately 20 000 barley unigenes was produced as part of a USA project entitled "An integrated physical and expression map of barley for Triticeae improvement". The content of the chip was derived from more than 400 000 barley "Expressed Sequence Tag" (EST) sequences received from cooperators inUSA,Germany,Australia,Japan,Scotland, andFinland, plus about 1000 sequences retrieved from the GenBank nr database or GrainGenes. All EST sequences were trimmed to high quality regions, contaminants were identified and removed, and the remaining information was compiled using the CAP3 assembly program. A "stringent" assembly (paralogs separated) contained about 53 000 "unigenes" (the sum of contigs plus singletons), among which about 50% had reliable 3' ends and were therefore suitable for chip content. From these, probe sets were designed and the "Barley1" chip fabricated by Affymetrix. Complete details on the content of the barley microarray, and enhanced probe-set annotations, can be obtained using the software HarvEST:Barley, available from http://harvest.ucr.edu. The availability of an Affymetrix barley microarray has facilitated the study of gene expression on a large scale. Replicated experiments have revealed commonalities and differences between responses to abiotic stresses, and inherent differences between barley genotypes. The design and a brief summary of the results of drought stress experiments are stated.

A competitive indirect chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay (ic-CLEIA) has been developed for the determination of chloramphenicol (CAP) residues in shrimp. After the optimisation of four physico-chemical parameters, i.e. incubation time, concentration of Tween-20, concentration of PBS and its pH, the method developed gave a limit of detection of 0.01 ng/ml and a detection range from 0.03 ng/ml to 23.7 ng/ml, with an ED₅₀ of 0.47 ng/ml. The developed method has been validated on spiked shrimp samples in terms of precision (intra- and interassay coefficient variations of less than 10% and 15%, respectively), and of accuracy (mean recovery from 95% to 123%). All these parameters being better than those of the ELISA method which is widely used to detect chloramphenicol, it may be suggested that the CLEIA method can be used to detect aquatic samples instead of ELISA.

This study investigated the effects of some sweeteners (sucrose, honey and stevia) on the quality and thermal properties of plain (P) and cocoa (C) yogurt ice cream. For this purpose, six different yogurt ice cream samples were prepared with sucrose (control: AP, AC), with honey (BP, BC) and with stevia (CP, CC). The highest values of protein, ash, fat, lactose ratios and lightness (L*) were measured in samples with stevia. The addition of honey increased the b* values. The addition of cocoa increased pH and viscosity, but decreased overrun ratios. Although the addition of stevia reduced the lactic acid bacteria (LAB) counts, in all samples the LAB count was above 6 log CFU/g during storage. Results of the thermal and melting analysis showed that the use of stevia had a positive effect on the ice cream stability by increasing the freezing and melting point peak temperatures (Tf, Tm), the enthalpy (ΔHf, ΔHm), and the initial ice crystal melting temperatures (T'm).

The insecticidal efficacy of aqueous extracts of five Nigerian spices (Piper guineense Schum and Thonn., Aframomum melegueta (Roscoe), Xylopia aethiopica (Dunal) A. Rich., Zingiber officinale L. and Capsicum annuum L.) was tested in a field study for the control of two important post-flowering insect pests, Maruca vitrata Fab. (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) and Clavigralla tomentosicollis Stal. (Hemiptera: Coreidae) of cowpea. The extracts were applied at 10% (w/v) and sprayed every week for 4 weeks. P. guineense, followed by A. melegueta, significantly reduced (P < 0.01) abundance of the pests and decreased the damage to cowpea pods. Grain yields were significantly higher in plots treated with P. guineense and A. melegueta extracts compared to plots treated with other extracts. This technology is cheap, safe, environmentally friendly and easy to adopt by limited resource farmers in third world countries.

The aim of the study was to determine the effect of soil contamination with diesel oil (3, 6, 9, 12 and 24 g/kg soil) on the yield and the content of macroelements in oat and maize cultivated in soil supplemented with nitrogen and sawdust. The correlation between the content of macroelements in the crops and the soil enzymatic activity was also determined. High doses of diesel oil had a definite negative effect on the content of all macroelements in oat, excluding phosphorus. The presence of diesel oil had a favourable effect on the accumulation of most of macroelements in the above-ground parts of maize. Nitrogen application to the soil caused an increase in the content of nitrogen and in the accumulation of calcium and magnesium in the above-ground parts of both crops as well as an increase in sodium content in maize. Sawdust applied to the soil had a considerably lower effect (several to less than 20%) on the content of macroelements in plants. A correlation between the activity of urease and acid and alkaline phosphatase in the soil and the content of macroelements in plants cultivated in diesel oil contaminated soil was observed. This correlation was positive only in the case of alkaline phosphatase activity and phosphorus content in oats.

The objective of this study was to examine the effects of microbial oil, evening primrose oil and borage oil on rumen fermentation of a diet consisting of 80% of hay and 20% of barley in an artificial rumen (Rusitec). All three oils contained gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), microbial oil - 8.4%, evening primrose oil - 9.2% and borage oil - 23.7% out of the total fatty acid content. The experiment in Rusitec lasted 11 days. After a stabilization period (5 days), microbial oil (5% wt/wt) was added into fermentation vessel V₂, evening primrose oil (5% wt/wt) into V₃ and borage oil (5%wt/wt) into V₄ (6 days). Fermentation vessel V₁ served as a control (without oils). The results showed that the oils did not affect any of the basal parameters of rumen fermentation (pH, NH₃-N, degradation of dry matter, organic matter, neutral detergent fibre, acid detergent fibre). Methane production (mmol/day) was reduced numerically by the oils; microbial oil, evening primrose oil and borage oil decreased CH₄ production about 11.32%, 11.45% and 2.04%, respectively. The supplementation of the oils to the total mixed ration (TMR) significantly decreased percentage proportions of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA, about 0.1-0.3%), medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA, about 8%) and increased long-chain fatty acids (LCFA, about 8%) in the effluent. Stearic acid C_18:0 was the major FA in the effluent and was significantly reduced in oil supplemented diets. The percentage proportion of trans C_18:1 isomers significantly increased (1.7-2 times) in all oil supplemented diets. The main intermediates - cis 9, trans 11 C_18:2 (CLA) and trans 11 C_18:1 (TVA) also increased after oil supplementation of the diet. TVA concentration with microbial oil, evening primrose oil and borage oil supplementation was 3.17%, 8.19% and 9.3% in comparison with the control (1.38%). CLA concentration significantly increased 2.3, 1.2, and 2.1 times after microbial oil, evening primrose oil and borage oil supplementation in Rusitec. Finally, the oil supplementation caused incomplete biohydrogenation of unsaturated FA and it was characterized by an increase in TVA concentration and TVA to C_18:0 ratio in oil supplemented diets.

The aim of this study was to investigate the contamination of beer of Slovak origin with fumonisins. A suitable analytical procedure was suggested - the limit of detection at the level close to 1 µg/l was achieved for both fumonisins B₁ and B₂. The recovery was determined at 93% for fumonisin B₁ and at 78% for fumonisin B₂. Fluorescence detection was used after derivatisation with a mixture of o-phthaldialdehyde and 2-mercaptoethanol. Phosphate buffer usually applied resulted in a poor separation of derivatised fumonisins. Peak splitting was observed depending on the pH of the eluent. The pH value of 2.6 was found suitable for the peak splitting elimination. A convenient gradient elution metod was suggested avoiding the possible interference in fumonisin contents determination. For the preparation of samples, immunoaffinity cleaning procedure was applied. Beer samples from all domestic producers were analysed. The content of fumonisins determined was under the limit of detection in all cases. All the beers tested were produced from the barley grown in 2003.

The effect of cold storage of testes and epididymides at 4 °C for 12 h on the cryopreservation capacity of epididymal feline sperm was evaluated. Ten domestic cats were castrated, and testes and epididymides collected. Specimens were randomly assigned to two groups: in Group A, epididymal samples were immediately processed and frozen in 0.25-ml straws; in Group B, both testes and epididymides were maintained in saline at 4 °C for 12 h and sperm was then processed and frozen. Motility, morphology, acrosome status, sperm viability and DNA integrity were assessed in epididymal sperm samples before freezing (baseline), at thawing (0 h) and 6 h post-thawing (6 h). Although values were lower in Group B, no significant intergroup difference was observed for any of the parameters tested either at baseline or at 0 h. However, significantly higher values (P < 0.05) were observed in Group A at 6 h for total sperm motility (29.0 ± 2.4% vs 13.0 ± 4.3%), sperm viability (35.2 ± 5.4% vs 15.4 ± 1.4%) and normal morphology (47.6 ± 0.8% vs 40.0 ± 2.1%). It was observed that motility and acrosome status of epididymal sperm are the most sensitive parameters when both types of sperm samples (from fresh epididymis or from 12 h cold-stored epididymis) are frozen-thawed. When sperm quality was assessed 6 h after thawing, spermatozoa precooled in the epididymides showed significantly lower values for motility, viability and morphology than spermatozoa from fresh epididymal samples.

Corticosteroids are not indicated in wound healing, but the intralesional and topical administration of these agents has been described to control tissue overgrowth in humans. The aim of the present study was to assess the use of topical corticosteroids to control pre- and post-surgical tissue overgrowth in a 5-year-old male Belgian shepherd weighing 33.5 kg. We report successful use of topical administration of corticosteroids to treat granulation tissue overgrowth before and after skin grafting. Corticosteroids are a safe and easy way to treat this complication and can be used to prepare a healthy granulation tissue bed before performing surgical procedures to cover large defects in dogs.

Wheat, one of the world's major crops, is seriously affected by fungal diseases, especially in regions with high moisture and moderately warm temperatures. This paper reviews various molecular and conventional techniques that are used to identify genotypes with resistance alleles associated with Fusarium head blight (FHB) diseases. Quantitative trait loci (QTL) type II, designated as Fhb1, are frequently applied in plant breeding, and the newly recognized genes related to resistance to this fungal disease give extra insights into marker-assisted selection (MAS). Molecular markers are robust tools that may be routinely used in MAS for the mapping of resistance genes in crop breeding. FHB resistance is polygenic, and different resistance genes could be conveyed into a single genotype by MAS, which might ensure greater resistance to FHB disease. In conclusion, different researchers have used various techniques to control FHB resistance, such as MAS, gene pyramiding (through backcross), and molecular markers (association with resistance QTLs or genes).

The efficacy of a brief exposure (1, 7, and 10 days) to a nitrogen-controlled atmosphere (N-CA) for major storagepests in a field validation study in the Czech Republic is reported. The main goal was to estimate how quickly themobile adult stages of six species of storage beetles (Oryzaephilus surinamensis, Cryptolestes ferrugineus, Triboliumconfusum, Tribolium castaneum, Sitophilus granarius, and Sitophilus oryzae) are killed after introduction of theinfested commodity to prevent their further spread to the surrounding storage bins. The trials were conducted in ametal bin containing 25 t of seeds using the system of continual top-down nitrogen filling to replace the oxygen. Thecomposition of N-CA in the silo was measured continually. The target N-CA concentration (i.e., ≤ 1% O₂ and 99% N₂)was reached at the bottom of the silo after 12 h of the purging phase of nitrogen silo filling. A one-day exposure toN-CA corresponds to top-down filling, which initially gives higher concentrations of N2 in the upper than in the lowerpart of the silo: low efficacy was reached at the silo bottom (0-33.3%), while higher efficacy (16.7-100%) was reachedat the top of the silo bin. The mortality variation at both locations was species dependent: the most sensitive was O.surinamensis, and the least sensitive were S. granarius and S. oryzae. Seven days of N-CA exposure led to 100% mortalityof all tested species except for S. granarius (96.7% mortality at the bottom), while 10 days of N-CA exposure ledto 100% mortality of all adults located at both the bottom and the top of the silo. This experiment showed that oneday of exposure to N-CA caused significant mortality to reduce the spread of insects from the top of the silo but notfrom the silo bottom, and 10 days of exposure completely prevent the adult mobile pest stages of all tested speciesfrom spreading from the treated silo and causing cross-infestation in the storage facility.

Drought can cause substantial yield losses, particularly for crops with shallow root systems, such as potato (Solanum tuberosum). This study tested whether root system architecture could affect potato yield under drought conditions. The following parameters of the roots were measured: depth range, total length, total area, surface area, average diameter, and total dry weight of the root system. These parameters in soil layers were also measured at different depths. Five potato cultivars from a group of mid-early cultivars were examined in this study. The same cultivars were tested under two conditions: control with optimal irrigation and drought stress treatment without irrigation for three weeks after the end of tuberization to check the tuber yield. Significant differences were observed among cultivars in the size of the root system and its architecture. The biggest differences in the individual layers of soil profile related to the diameter of the root, the root length, and the surface area. Also a relationship between the size of the root system and yield of tubers was found. The strongest correlations involved the root length and the root surface area with the decrease in tuber yield under the drought, then the dry root mass with the decrease in yield. These correlations were negative: the higher the value of the parameter, the smaller the observed decrease in yield. This showed a relationship between root length and mass with the decrease of yield; this relationship was stronger for roots in deeper layers than in the shallowest layers. Therefore, this study indicates that breeding potato cultivars with deep root systems might improve tuber yields under drought conditions.

Soils harbour enormously diverse bacterial communities that interact specifically with plants generating beneficial interactions between them. This study was the first approach to assess bacterial communities before sowing with three cotton genotypes, including both transgenic and conventional ones. The structure of bacterial communities was identified using the next generation sequencing analysis, ion torrent PGM (Personal Genome Machine™) sequencer technology, based on the V2-V3 16S rRNA gene region. Quantitative insights into microbial ecology pipeline were used to identify the structure and diversity of bacterial communities in bulk soil samples collected in the northeast of Mexico. Bulk soil textures and chemical properties, including most nutrients, were homogeneous in these bulk soil samples. Relative abundance analysis showed similar bacterial community structures. Dominant taxonomic phyla were Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, Gemmatimonadetes and Bacteroidetes, whereas the main families were Bacillaceae, Chitinophagaceae and Rhodospirillaceae with an abundance average of BS1 (bulk soil sample), BS2 and BS3 (24.85, 19.74 and 19.71%, respectively). Alpha diversity analysis showed a high diversity (Shannon and Simpson index) and a large value of the observed species found in bulk soils samples. These results allowed establishing the previous bacterial structural community in an unused soil before sowing it with a transgenic crop for the first time.

In the experiment, a group of 10 dairy cows was housed in a pen bedded with various amounts of wheat straw (5.2-13 kg/cow per day). The resulting mixture of feces, urine and bedding was stored in cubic containers with a volume of 1.5 m³. At regular intervals, the containers containing manure were weighed and manure leachate production was assessed. Daily changes in individual monitored variables over time in accordance with the amount of bedding per livestock unit per day (1 livestock unit = 500 kg live weight) were modelled using nonlinear mixed regression models. It was determined that manure weight changes and daily production of manure leachate released from manure stored in containers were related to storage duration and bedding amount in a statically significant manner. The results support the hypothesis that the amount of bedding has a statistically significant effect on the properties of manure stored in a manure pile.

Chinese cabbage is a less known, cultivated and consumed vegetable species in Transylvania, although previous studies have shown that it can be grown successfully in this area. The main purpose of the present research was to underline the effectiveness of various treatments on Chinese cabbage growth, yield and quality of the final product in organic farming system. The treatments included: different fertilisation types, place of the culture and several hybrids. Results showed that all the studied factors had a high influence on cabbage heads characteristics such as length, diameter, and weight, on the number of leaves and also on yield. The best yields were registered when horse manure was used (between 76.50 and 99.30 t/ha), followed by cattle manure (between 76.80 and 93.75 t/ha). A higher yield of better quality cabbage was obtained in a polyethylene tunnel (89.27 t/ha) compared to the open field culture (77.50 t/ha). Hybrid Super provided the highest yield (92.70 t/ha), followed by hybrid Vitimo (86.09 t/ha).

This paper follows up the landscape changes of Prague outskirts from 1990 to 2012 using the CORINE land cover data. It quantifies these changes by observing the acreage decrease and increase of individual types of land cover. The results confirm the frequently emerging trend in Europe, namely the increase of the urban area at the expense of arable land. Another significant change is the increase of pastures in the areas farther from the city. These changes are further analysed to find regularities relating to the relief, to the distance from the city and to the transport and settlement infrastructure. On the bases of the analyses there are defined the types of changes. The most significant change is a decrease of arable land at the expense of discontinuous urban fabric and pastures. The results show that there were changes made to the land cover on an area of 17,429 ha which is equivalent to 7.3% of the evaluated area.

Windbreaks form efficient soil protection against wind erosion particularly at the time when soil cover is not protected by the cultivated plant vegetation cover. The objective of this research was to evaluate windbreaks efficiency in terms of wind speed reduction. Wind speed along the windbreaks was measured in the cadastral areas of Dobrovíz and Středokluky (Czech Republic, Central Europe). The measurement was carried out by 4 stations placed at windward side (1 station at the distance of 3 times the height of the windbreak) and at leeward side of the windbreak (3 stations at the distance of 3, 6, and 9 times the height of the windbreak). Each station contained 2 anemometers situated 0.5 and 1 m above surface. The character of windbreak was described by terrestrial photogrammetry method as the value of optical porosity from the photo documentation of the windbreak at the time of field measurement. A significant dependence between the value of optical porosity and efficiency of windbreak emerged from the results. The correlation coefficient between optical porosity and wind speed reduction was in the range of 0.842 to 0.936 (statistical significance more than 95%). A significant effect of windbreak on airflow reduction was proven on the leeward side of windbreak in a belt corresponding to approximately six times the height of the windbreaks depending on the optical porosity and it was expressed by a polynomial equation.

A reliable, qualitative PCR-based detection method for the traceability and authentication of common and Tartary buckwheat was developed. Five InDel markers developed from chloroplast genome variation between the two species were applied for 96 buckwheat accessions and all accessions were easily differentiated as Tartary and common buckwheat using these markers. We also determined the sample detection limit by PCR and qPCR as 0.001 and 0.02 ng/µl, respectively. InDel markers could detect the mixture of two species flour up to 10% contamination. InDel markers were also applied to processed foods such as noodles and tea, and we found that species-specific PCR bands could be used to identify buckwheat even after processing. Hence, these InDel markers are simple with higher specificity and sensitivity and are reliable for the authentication of buckwheat processed foods.

This case report describes an episode of acute ataxia, tremor, vertical nystagmus and progressive weakness in a mixed breed dog treated with high doses of metronidazole. Complete blood cell count, serum biochemistry, coagulation profile, blood pressure measurement, urinalysis, computed tomography of the brain and cerebrospinal fluid examination were unremarkable. Metronidazole had been administered at a dose of 65 mg/kg/day and neurotoxicity was, therefore, suspected. Drug concentrations in the patient's serum and cerebrospinal fluid were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography and compared to control dogs. Metronidazole administration was immediately discontinued; supportive care consisted of fluid therapy and diazepam treatment. The neurological status of the patient improved rapidly within 72 h. The aim of this case report is to describe the clinical presentation of metronidazole intoxication in a mixed breed dog and to interpret the chromatographic analysis which can be a beneficial diagnostic and screening tool in dogs intoxicated with metronidazole.

Canine hip dysplasia is a debilitating hereditary orthopaedic disease with a high prevalence in dogs. The aim of this study was to describe the influence of internal or external rotation of the femur on the projected radiographic position of the patella within the trochlear groove, and on the femoral head in relationship to the acetabulum in the standard ventrodorsal hip extended view, i.e., medial or lateral patella displacement, Norberg angle, femoral head subluxation index and femoral head subluxation category. Eleven adult dog cadavers of large and giant breeds were radiographed in standard ventrodorsal hip extended view and with internal and external femoral rotation. The medial and lateral patella displacement, Norberg angle, subluxation index and subluxation category variables were measured on radiographs, and analysed comparing the normal position with positions of different degrees of internal or external rotation of the femur. In the normal ventrodorsal hip extended view, the patella was centred within the distal femoral metaphysis (P > 0.05). A mean ± SD internal femoral rotation of 16.0 ± 5.9° resulted in a medial patella index displacement of 0.23 ± 0.09, and a mean external femoral rotation of 17.9 ± 6.7° resulted in a lateral patella index displacement of 0.24 ± 0.1. The mean Norberg angle was 105.3 ± 4.3°, 107.7 ± 5.5° and 104.2 ± 4.3° (P < 0.05); the subluxation index was 0.15 ± 0.06, 0.12 ± 0.05 and 0.18 ± 0.06 (P < 0.05); the subluxation category was 1.55 ± 0.6, 1.46 ± 0.7 (P > 0.05) and 1.96 ± 0.65 (P < 0.05) in normal, internal and external femoral rotation ventrodorsal hip extended views, respectively. In conclusion, as the Norberg angle, subluxation index and subluxation category are parameters used for classification in the main international hip dysplasia scoring systems, adequate femoral position with the patella centred in the distal metaphysis is of uppermost importance to ensure the technical quality of radiographs.

This article deals with comparison of composts and manure use from the viewpoint of handling, transport and application on agricultural land. The published values were established by measurements under working conditions and afterwards converted on the basis of the content of nutrients defined in laboratory. Compost contained a greater share of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium and had higher dry matter content and lower volume weight. Direct consumed energy expressed by recalculation of the consumed diesel fuel in case of composts moved from 5.12 MJ/kg (potassium) up to 16.19 MJ/kg (phosphorus). In case of manure it was higher and moved from 10.49 MJ/kg (nitrogen) up to 29.79 MJ/kg (phosphorus). The greatest share in energy consumption occupies transport, which was considered uniformly at the distance of 5 km. The study confirmed the feasibility of use of compost in agriculture as a partial substitute of conventional organic fertilizers; for its handling, transport and application the standard mechanization used for manure may be utilized.

The present text is focused on an actual problem of planting of inappropriate tree taxa in many cities. It explains the causes of contaminated soils by winter salt management and principles of the toxic effect on plants. The paper summarizes the problem and brings solution. Town places with salt-contaminated soil should not be fitted with: spruce (Picea), pine (Pinus), linden (Tilia) and maples (Acer). On the other hand, resistant species are: ash (Fraxinus), poplar (Populus), willow (Salix), silverberry (Eleagnus), black locust (Robinia). Both lists of sensitive and salt-tolerant tree species have been presented. Salt-tolerant tree should be preferred before all the others species.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of physical exercise (marcha gait) on heart rate variability indices in Mangalarga Marchador horses. Twenty-five animals, fourteen females and eleven males, aged 6.4 ± 2.7 years and with a mean weight of 428.3 ± 24.7 kg, were used. Electrocardiograms were recorded at two different time points: rest and immediately after exercise (40 min of aerobic exercise, marcha gait). Time domain analyses of heart rate variability were made using vasovagal tonus index (VVTI) and standard deviation of normal intervals (SDNN). Variables were analysed for normality using the Shapiro-Wilk test and comparisons were made between T0 and T1 using the paired t-test (VVTI) or Mann-Whitney (SDNN), considering P < 0.05. The Pearson coefficient was calculated to evaluate the correlation between heart rate and VVTI and the Spearman coefficient was calculated for heart rate and SDNN. There was an increase in heart rate after exercise (P < 0.0001), from 45.7 ± 12.7 to 77.3 ± 13.5 beats/min, and a reduced VVTI (P < 0.0001), from 8.66 ± 1.45 to 4.65 ± 1.25 and a reduced SDNN (P < 0.0001), from 80.09 to 11.67 ms. No correlation was observed between heart rate and VVTI or SDNN. It was possible to conclude that the physical activity carried out by Mangalarga Marchador horses influenced the autonomic response and consequently heart rate variability indexes, suggesting the possible use of these indices for the evaluation of Mangalarga Marchador performance.

The brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys Stål, 1855 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pentatomidae), is recorded from Slovakia for the first time based on a 5^th instar larva collected in the town of Štúrovo, Slovakia. The current distribution, economic importance and biology of the species are briefly reviewed. During the visit to Štúrovo, a mass occurrence of adults and larvae of the southern green stink bug, Nezara viridula (Linnaeus, 1758) (Pentatomidae), so far captured in Slovakia in 2014 only as a single specimen, was also observed. This observation confirms the presence of N. viridula as an established species in southern Slovakia. Both species are important pests to a large number of crops (vegetables, fruit trees, decorative plants, etc.) and can cause considerable economic losses.

The effect of organic, mineral and combined organic and mineral fertilization of soils on the winter wheat yields and nutrient contents in soils was evaluated in long-term field experiments. Two sites with different soil characteristics were evaluated - Lukavec u Pacova (cambisol) and Ivanovice na Hané (degraded chernozem). The type of fertilization influenced wheat yields. Nutrient uptake by winter wheat was higher under nitrogen (N) fertilization, which resulted in a negative balance of phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) and to a decrease of nutrient contents in the more fertile soils at Ivanovice na Hané. Two soil tests (Mehlich 3 method and NH₄-acetate method) were used to determine P and K availability. The mineral nitrogen fertilization negatively and significantly affected NH₄-acetate extractable concentrations of nutrients in the soils and these were lower in comparison with concentrations of P and K determined by Mehlich 3 method. Relative availability of P in alkaline soils from Ivanovice treated with mineral N increased while the soil pH decreased.

Vegetation restorations of degraded meadows have been widely implemented. The evaluation of soil nutrient changes as affected by degradation is vital for efficient restorations. However, while macronutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) have been widely investigated, sulfur (S) as one important element correlated tightly with other nutrients has not been thoroughly studied. Two studies were conducted to determine changes of sulfur as affected by degradation and elevation gradients. The results showed that available S (AS) changed non-linearly with elevation and the first principal component based on other soil nutrient variables. Soil AS depended on degradation levels and contributed substantially to the separation of meadows with different degradation levels. Moreover, AS responded stronger to changes in elevation gradients and degradation levels compared with other major nutrients. Thereby, AS could be an important nutrient responding to meadow disturbance, which should be considered in future studies on meadow soil nutrients cycling and vegetation restorations. The findings have implications for ecological restoration of degraded meadows with respect to soil nutrient management and conservations.

The effect of artificial conditions of a short daylight period (16 h darkness (D): 8 h light (L)) and exogenous melatonin on milk yield parameters of sheep during spring and summer was examined to determine the impact of using sheep for milk on the secretion level of gonadotrophic hormones. The research was conducted on 60 sheep lambed in February. After raising the lambs, the sheep were divided into 3 groups and assigned for dairy use (May-September). The mothers in the control Group 1 (G1) were maintained under natural daylight conditions. The sheep in Group 2 (G2) were maintained under conditions of an artificial photoperiod (16 h D : 8 h L). Meanwhile, the mothers in Group 3 (G3) were given melatonin implants. A 6-hour collection of blood from 6 sheep of each group was performed every 4 weeks. The concentrations of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) in plasma were measured using radioimmunoassay. The average LH concentration in G1 gradually increased since May (5.32 ± 0.2 ng/ml), reaching the highest value in August (6.70 ± 0.2 ng/ml). In G2, the increase in LH occurred 4 weeks after the introduction of the 16 h D : 8 h L condition (6.26 ± 0.2 ng/ml). The maximum LH concentration in G3 was noted in August (7.31 ± 0.2 ng/ml). The average FSH concentration in G1 gradually increased since May (6.59 ± 0.2 ng/ml), reaching the highest value in August (10.50 ± 2.6 ng/ml). In G2, there was a significant increase in the FSH concentration in June (9.00 ± 0.3 ng/ml). In the final period during lactation, the FSH concentrations in G2 (13.51 ± 1.3 ng/ml) and G3 (13.60 ± 1.9 ng/ml) were higher than in G1. The results indicate that using sheep for milk does not inhibit the secretion of gonadotropic hormones induced by the simulation of short daylight conditions and exogenous melatonin.

In this study, the effect of tine type, adding wing, operating depth and forward speed on the draft requirement of subsoil tillage tines was investigated in clay loam soil. Three subsoil tillage tines (subsoiler, bentleg and paraplow), four levels of forward speed (1.8, 2.3, 2.9 and 3.5 km/h), three levels of depth (30, 40 and 50 cm) and winged and no-wing tines were examined with the exception of bentleg as it would not be winged. It was revealed that draft of the tines is less affected by forward speed but is much affected by tine type, depth and wing. It was observed that an increase of speed and depth plus adding wing results in an increase of draft in all tines. Additionally, it was found that in all depths and speeds, subsoiler required more draft than paraplow and paraplow required more draft than bentleg. Multiple regression models including the studied parameters were developed to predict the draft requirements for each tine with high accuracy.