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Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) virus represents a major threat to the swine industry worldwide. This study describes the transmission of a European strain of PRRS-1 to a pig farm leading to the spread of the virus to different age categories of pigs and the development of clinical signs in pregnant sows and piglets. Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome aetiology was confirmed by serological tests and by virus isolation and subsequent sequencing. Repeated mass vaccination using modified live virus was used to synchronise the level of PRRS-specific immunity in all age categories of animals and to hinder virus circulation in the herd. Four months after the second mass vaccination, regular modified live virus vaccination of sows and gilts was implemented. Introduction of sentinel animals demonstrated cessation of virus circulation and the success of the control programme.

In this study, 12 microsatellite markers (SSR) were evaluated for their applicability to protect from frauds and misuse the Italian PGI product "Common bean from Lamon". SSR analysis generated polymorphic alleles, with an average of 4 alleles per locus and all in the range of molecular weight between 181 and 284 bp. Twenty-nine variety-specific fragments were identified, which might be reasonably adopted for characterization and traceability purposes. Cluster analysis well outlined the relationships between the genotypes studied. Overall, our study underlines the use and usefulness of molecular markers to protect both farmers and consumers from frauds.

The different materials and methods used to develop biopesticides with entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) still limit the quality of the final product, reducing field efficacy and complicating application strategies. Therefore, the objective of this review is to identify priority areas to improve the EPN formulation process based on the scientific and technological research developed so far. The results show great progress in the EPN survival time, from 7 days to 180 days, through two types of formulations: water dispersible granules and calcium alginate capsules. Also, EPNs formulated and applied as insect cadavers showed higher efficacy for the pest control than the EPNs applied in an aqueous solution. We consider that the priority areas of research are: automated massive formulation and exploration of new additives with better properties that may lead to increase the infectivity in the field. It is concluded that the study of these aspects requires a systemic approach with greater involvement of the invertebrate physiology and systems modelling disciplines.

The purpose of the present studies was to determine the antagonistic effect of bacteria Bacillus spp. and Pseudomonas spp. towards selected fungi from the soil environment of carrot. Oats (Avena sativa L.), tansy phacelia (Phacelia tanacetifolia Bentham) and vetch (Vicia satica L.) were used as cover crops in the cultivation of this plant. In the traditional cultivation of carrot the population of bacteria was the smallest, while after the application of oats it was the largest. Laboratory tests showed that cover crops promoted the development of antagonistic Bacillus spp. and Pseudomonas spp. Irrespective of the experimental treatment, those bacteria were the most effective in limiting the growth and development of Fusarium oxysporum and Thanatephorus cucumeris (syn. Rhizoctonia solani), while being less effective towards Altenaria dauci and Alternaria radicina, and the least towards Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. The best total antagonistic effect of Pseudomonas spp. and Bacillus spp. towards the tested fungi was found after using oats and vetch, while the worst - in the traditional cultivation of carrot.

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.

The objective of this review is to integrate clinical findings and laboratory analyses in such a way to improve the welfare of newborn piglets and achieve better prognoses of neonatal viability. Deaths during the intrapartum period account for a significant proportion of pre-weaning mortality in farms worldwide. Piglets which die during parturition generally have normal size and typically lack gross lesions at post-mortem examination. However, circulatory abnormalities in the umbilical cord help in assessing piglet viability. Cord lesions can be classified as normal (adhered), oedematous, congested or haemorrhagic and should always be evaluated in perinatal deaths. The likelihood of neonatal survival decreases rapidly as the severity of umbilical cord lesions increase. The physiometabolic blood profile which includes acid-base balance, degree of dehydration, mineral balance, metabolic expenditure and gas exchange are also useful clinical elements for properly assessing neonatal viability. Neonatal survival is notably reduced when the blood pH falls below 7.0, lactate rises above 90 mg/dl, bicarbonate drops below 10 mmol/l, or the pCO₂ increases above 110 mm/Hg. Blood calcium is also an excellent indicator of neonatal stress when used in combination with the other parameters mentioned above. Trembling due to an imbalance in the movement of calcium in muscle is also a factor involved in neonatal mortality. Neurological function in the newborn piglet could also be evaluated by adapting the Apgar score widely used in human perinatology. Neonates with scores lower than 6 in a 10 point scale have generally lower survival rates. The two most important indicators for this vitality score are breathing latency and bradycardia. If the neonate has apnoea for more than 5 min and the cardiac frequency does not increase to more than 110 beats per minute the prognosis for survival is rather poor.

The aim of the present study was to investigate qualitative and quantitative properties of wings, offal (liver, heart and gizzard) and necks of chickens from organic and conventional production systems, currently available on the market for Czech consumers. Production properties (yield and weight), surface colour (lightness, redness, yellowness) and chemical indicators (dry matter, total protein, net protein, collagen, hydroxyproline, fat, ash and phosphorus) were evaluated in fresh chicken broilers. Conventionally produced chickens had higher carcass yields but higher wing yields and weights were observed in organic broilers. The skin, bones, tip (left wings) and the meat with skin (right wings) of organic broilers were heavier (P < 0.05) than those of conventional chickens. The dry matter and total protein content of deboned organic broiler wings (meat with skin) was greater (P < 0.01) than those of conventional wings. Similarly as for yields, the offal (heart, gizzard) and necks of organic chickens had significantly (P < 0.01) higher weights in comparison with conventional chickens. Colour indicators showed that the external surface of the livers, necks and gizzards (muscle) from organic chickens were darker (lightness; P < 0.01). Total protein content in livers, hearts and necks of organic chickens was greater; fat content in the livers and necks of organic broilers was also higher (P < 0.05) than those of conventional broilers. The ash and phosphorus in the necks of conventional broilers was higher (P < 0.05) than in organic chickens. This study indicates that the quantity and quality of offal and neck from organic broilers are slightly superior compared to conventional chickens.

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.

It was assumed that the determination of the mineral nitrogen (N_min) content in the 0.01 mol/L CaCl₂ could rely on measurements of single form NO₃^--N, NH₄⁺-N or both, and even including other extractable nutrients. This hypothesis was verified based on some primary data from 17 fields: ten with oilseed rape and seven with maize as indicatory crops during three consecutive seasons in a production farm in Górzno, Poland. The contents of NO₃^--N, NH₄⁺-N, P, K, Mg and pH were measured in soil prior to the spring vegetation start and after a crop harvest (autumn). Phosphorus in spring and NH₄⁺-N in autumn, were variables discriminating against the number of clusters. It was higher in cropping sequences (CSs) with maize than with oilseed rape. The reliability of N_min determination and distribution between clusters in spring based only on NO₃^--N was fully corroborated for maize CSs. In autumn, irrespective of the CS, the decisive factor in N_min prediction and distribution over clusters was the NH₄⁺-N pool. This study resulted in the rating of CaCl₂ extractable nutrients, indicating their availability status, shortage or excess, on the background of the N_min temporary rating.

Translocation of tracers incorporated into the upper layer of topsoil was evaluated in the course of seedbed preparation for winter wheat. Aluminium cubes with the edge length of 16 mm were used as tracers that were placed into the soil before its tillage into furrows perpendicular to the direction of passes. After the passes of the OPALL-AGRI combined cultivator, the tracers were searched and marked using a metal detector. The translocation of tracers was evaluated during multiple passes on flatland and on the slope. During the seedbed preparation on the slope, downslope and upslope passes in a fall line direction were chosen. Results of the tracers movement measuring that simulate the soil particle translocation indicate a pronounced movement of the upper layer of topsoil during multiple downslope passes of the combined cultivator. A significant translocation was also observed after passes on flatland. A significantly smaller lengthwise translocation of tracers was found out at upslope passes. The type of translocation on flatland and upslope was quite similar, on the other hand, downslope movement was much larger. The upslope passes were found to have a very limited function with regard to the correction of the undesirable downslope movement of soil particles that occurs in the course of tillage.

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 determine the effects of curcumin, ellagic acid and methionine on sperm parameters following the freeze-thawing of Merino ram semen. Ejaculates were collected via an artificial vagina from four Merino rams, evaluated microscopically and pooled at 37 °C. The pooled semen samples were diluted in a Tris-based extender and separated into groups containing curcumin (1, 2, 4mM), ellagic acid (1, 2, 4mM), methionine (1, 2, 4mM) and no antioxidant (control). The diluted semen was cooled to 5 °C slowly and equilibrated for 3 h. After the equilibration, the samples were frozen in liquid nitrogen vapour, and plunged into liquid nitrogen (-196 °C) for storage. Frozen straws were thawed at 37 °C for 30 s in a water bath for microscopic sperm evaluation, individually. All antioxidants led to a higher percentage of sperm motility in comparison to the control group. The freezing extender supplemented with methionine (1mM), curcumin (1 and 2mM) and ellagic acid (1 and 2mM) led to higher percentage of sperm plasma membrane integrity when compared to other groups (P < 0.05). Antioxidant supplementation also resulted in a higher percentage of sperm acrosome integrity in comparison to the control. Methionine, curcumin and ellagic acid (1mM: 27.7 ± 2.4, 28.0 ± 2.1 and 26.8 ± 2.0) groups provided higher protection in terms of sperm mitochondrial activity when compared to other groups (P < 0.05). The findings of this study show that varying concentrations of curcumin, methionine and ellagic acid have markedly different effects on the spermatological variables under study.

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.

Transpiration efficiency (TE) is an important physiological trait associated with drought tolerance of plants. Currently, little is known about the grain sorghum TE and its dynamics with the age of plants. To compare the sorghum TE at different growth stages, four studies (two in the greenhouse and two in the growth chamber) were conducted under controlled environmental conditions. Plants were grown in lid-covered boxes and harvested at six-leaf, flag leaf, grain filling and maturity stages. The mean shoot TE values were 4.47 and 4.10 kg/m³ for two greenhouse studies, and 4.85 and 4.30 kg/m³ for two growth chamber studies, respectively. The shoot TE was not different among four growth stages within each study, suggesting that sorghum plants used the same amount of water per unit of biomass production for different growing periods. Because crops grown under dryland environments often run out of water during reproductive periods, result supports the ideas that soil water availability at later growth stages is crucial to achieve the yield potential of dryland sorghum.

Soil organic carbon (SOC) plays a critical role in rice production, but its feedback to the fate of fertilizer nitrogen (N) is not clear. In this study, a pot experiment was conducted to investigate the responses of rice yield and the fate of fertilizer N to different SOC levels using ¹⁵N-labelled urea. The results showed that rice biomass, yield and the total N uptake increased significantly with increasing SOC content. Both rice N uptake from soil and urea increased significantly with increasing SOC content. The recovery rate and residual rate of fertilizer N improved significantly with increasing SOC content, leading to a reduced rate of not-specified fertilizer N. Therefore, it was concluded that high SOC could not only improve rice yield and fertilizer N recovery, but also could increase the retention of fertilizer N and decrease the not-specified N in the paddy soil.

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.

A traceability system is an effective tool to guarantee safety in horticultural products and to improve supply chain transparency. A direct data matrix (DM) code created with carbon dioxide laser (wavelength 10.6 µm) can be used as a trust mark on bananas. In this study, green bananas were marked with the above-mentioned CO₂ laser. Subsequently, the samples were held under storage conditions. Images of the codes on bananas were captured by using two different cameras; i.e. hyperspectral imaging camera and charge-couple device (CCD) camera. Image processing was used for evaluating print quality of 2D codes based on the ISO/IEC 15415 standard. The quality of the codes on bananas mainly depends on some parameters: laser power, laser energy, marking time per module and storage time. The best readability results were achieved by using laser power of 1.8 W and marking time of 0.09 s per data matrix module, whereby an 80-100% readability of DM codes after the storage was obtained.

The study uses the fuzzy Delphi and FANP (fuzzy analysis network process) methods to integrate the views of experts from enterprises and academia regarding the future direction of the agricultural biotechnology industry in Taiwan, in order to extract the critical success factors influencing its transformation. This study compares the differences in the "cross-domain" and "non-cross-domain" critical success factors, and expects that the research results could be a decision-making reference for both the industry and the government. The research results show that the cross-domain critical factor that influence the transformation of the agricultural biotechnology industry in Taiwan are sequentially: a stable source of raw materials, control of the trend of market demand, a new production equipment, the capability in supporting upstream and downstream industries, the integration of the human resources of the upstream, midstream, and downstream industries, and the capability in marketing and promotion. The non-cross-domain critical factors are sequentially: the capacity to establish the system of product technology, the capacity to control intellectual property rights, a perfect educational system, the capacity to carry out risk management of the new product development, the competence in cultivating the capacity of technical and R&D personnel, and laws and regulations.

Changbai Mountain Natural Reserve (1,985 km² and 2,734 m a.s.l.) of Northeast China is a typical ecosystem representing the temperate biosphere. The vegetation is vertically divided into 4 dominant zones: broadleaved Korean pine forest (annual temperature 2.32°C, annual precipitation 703.62 mm), dark coniferous forest (annual temperature -1.78°C, annual precipitation 933.67 mm), Erman's birch forest (annual temperature -2.80°C, annual precipitation 1,002.09 mm) and Alpine tundra (annual temperature -3.82°C, annual precipitation 1,075.53 mm). Studies of soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) mineralization have attracted wide attention in the context of global climate change. Based on the data of a 42-day laboratory incubation experiment, this paper investigated the relationship between soil moisture and mineralization of C and N in soils with different vegetation types on the northern slope of the Natural Reserve Zone of Changbai Mountain. The elevation influence on soil C and N mineralization was also discussed. The results indicated that for the given vegetation type of Changbai Mountain the C and N mineralization rate, potential mineralizable C (C0) and potential rate of initial C mineralization (C₀k) all increased as the soil moisture rose. The elevation or vegetation type partially affected the soil C and N mineralization but without a clear pattern. The moisture-elevation interaction significantly affected soil C and NO₃^--N mineralization, but the effect on NH₄⁺-N mineralization was not significant. The complex mechanism of their impact on the soil C and N mineralization of Changbai Mountain remains to be studied further based on data of field measurements in the future.

Burnout imposes consequences and costs on the organization and employees, such as frequent job and workplace replacement, frequent absenteeism and permissions, and reduced work quantity and quality. So it seems necessary to perform institutional interventions to reduce the staff burnout. The aim of the present study was to determine prevalence of burnout among forest workers in Mazandaran. This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample of workers in the forests of Mazandaran province. Result showed that a significant proportion of workers had burnout in terms of the three dimensions of Maslach Burnout Inventory. 46.90% of respondents suffered from high emotional exhaustion, 43.36% had high depersonalization and 49.56% of respondents suffered from low personal accomplishment. In this study it was shown that people with bachelor or higher degree (compared to people with a lower education level) were in better conditions in terms of all three dimensions of burnout; they had higher personal accomplishment and higher emotional exhaustion and lower depersonalization. It was shown that burnout is highly prevalent among chainsaw operators and skidder drivers.

Immunophenotyping is a valuable method for prognosis in canine malignant lymphoma. The general B-cell marker is CD79a; however, Pax5 or B-cell specific activator protein, a transcription factor that controls B-cell identity and cell maturation, could also be used as a B-cell indicator in canine lymphomas. This study aimed to use Pax5, CD79a and CD3 expression in immunohistochemistry of spontaneous canine lymphomas, in order to carry out diagnosis and histopathological classification according to the World Health Organization guidelines. Forty-six retrospective cases including 33 multicentric, eight extranodal, and five alimentary lymphomas in dogs were immunostained by anti-Pax5 and anti-CD79a antibodies for B-cell identification, and anti-CD3 antibody for T-cell identification. T-cell lymphomas (CD3+/Pax5-/CD79a-) accounted for 30.43% of cases (14/46), and four of the lymphomas (28.57%) presented with CD3+/Pax5-/CD79a+. Conversely, B-cell lymphomas (CD3-/Pax5+/CD79a+) accounted for 69.57% of cases (32/46) and 12.5% of these (4/32) showed only Pax5-positive cells (CD3-/Pax5+/CD79a-). Therefore, in dogs, Pax5 appears to be a more useful marker for staining all B-cell subtypes compared to CD79a. Immunophenotyping with both Pax5 and CD3 are necessary for lymphoid lineage identification in canine lymphomas.

The objective of this study was to determine the suitability of carprofen, flunixin meglumine and meloxicam for use in emergency contraception. Forty-eight pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were used as material. Five groups were subjected to treatments while one group served as a control. The numbers of animals in each group were equal (n = 8). Treatment groups were administered carprofen (10 mg/kg, single or double dose, s.c.), flunixin meglumine (5 mg/kg, single or double dose, i.m.) and meloxicam (2 mg/kg, a single dose, s.c.) on the third day after mating. The control group received saline. The rats were sacrificed on Day 7 of gestation. Luteal spots and implantation sites were recorded. Pre-implantation loss was calculated by subtracting the number of luteal spots from the number of implantation sites. Compared with the control, the administration of flunixin meglumine (double dose), carprofen (double dose) and meloxicam highly significantly decreased the implantation rate (P < 0.001). Single dose administration of flunixin meglumine and carprofen led to significant decreases (P < 0.01). In conclusion, this study indicates that carprofen, flunixin meglumine and meloxicam treatment cause a decline in implantation rate in rats.

The molecular prevalence of Ancylostoma caninum was determined in stray and pet dogs in Lahore, Pakistan from July 2014 to August 2015. A total of 500 dog faecal samples were first evaluated using a sedimentation technique and further through a PCR assay targeting the ITS-2 region of the A. caninum genome. Overall, 130 (26%) samples were positive for hookworm infestation by microscopic examination. Only microscopically positive samples were processed for PCR and 89 (17.6%) were positive for A. caninum. Sequence analysis of amplicons showed 100% homology with A. caninum and the genotypes clustered in one clade with Brazilian A. caninum hookworms. There was a significantly (P < 0.05) increased prevalence in male dogs younger than six months old. Labrador retrievers had higher A. caninum incidence compared to German shepherds and other breeds. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the molecular prevalence of A. caninum in dogs in Pakistan. The novel results of the present study allow us to conclude that A. caninum is more prevalent in pet dogs, especially puppies, and this can be a potential threat for humans that come into contact with such animals. Therefore, the routine monitoring of pets, especially the more susceptible breeds, is essential for disease control.

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.

For the purposes of assessment of long-term changes, two sets of Chernozems soil samples were analysed and compared in parallel: 'old' file samples obtained during the Soil Survey 1960-1970 in the former Czechoslovakia and a 'present' (2013) set of samples from exactly the same sites as the archive samples. The recently collected samples revealed worse qualitative parameters (lower humic acid to fulvic acid (HA/FA) ratios and higher colour quotient Q4/6 values) than the file samples, for all the localities. On the other side, the quantitative soil organic matter (SOM) parameters (oxidizable carbon (C_ox) and all its determined components) showed contrary results. The amount of total SOM at the same sites is higher now than it was about 50 years ago. It can be concluded that the current decline in SOM quality in Chernozems is partly compensated for by higher accumulation of SOM in the soils. All the analysed Chernozem samples were found to have much worse qualitative SOM parameters than the values mentioned for this soil type in the older literature. However, a comparison of the current data and the file data of Chernozem SOM quality can still be considered an open issue and require more complex research.

The aim of this study was to determine the nutrient and energy levels of red clover and lucerne forage. Investigation of forage at different maturity stages of three growths was carried out by chemical analysis, in vitro and in vivo digestibility methods. Generally, maturation caused a significant increase in fibre fractions. With the increasing maturity of forage samples the in vivo, in vitro, and calculated in vivo (in vivo_calcul) digestibilities of organic matter (OM) linearly decreased. The in vitro and in vivo_calcul digestibilities of OM averaged 0.754 and 0.708 for red clover and 0.717 and 0.667 for lucerne, respectively. The in vivo OM digestibility averaged 0.710 for red clover and 0.666 for lucerne. Gross energy (GE), digestible energy (DE), metabolizable energy (ME), net energy for lactation (NEL), and net energy for growth (NEG) averaged 18.12, 12.41, 9.60, 5.67, 5.50 and 18.09, 11.56, 9.01, 5.26, 4.99 MJ/kg of dry matter for red clover and lucerne, respectively. The effect of a vegetative stage on energy values of both forages was diverged for various growth times. When data were pooled across the estimated season, seven cutting-specific equations for descriptions of GE, DE, ME, NEL, NEG, in vitro, and in vivo OM digestibilities were obtained for red clover and lucerne, separately. The red clover model expression gave similar prediction equations for lucerne. It was possible to predict cutting-specific equations with coefficients of determination R² > 0.719 for red clover and R² > 0.400 for lucerne of the variation in GE, DE, ME, NEL, and NEG. The in vitro and in vivo OM digestibility equations were predicted with R² being 0.840 (in vitro) and 0.707 (in vivo) for red clover, and 0.979 (in vitro) and 0.937 (in vivo) for lucerne. The parameters of these specific equations were statistically preferable than the general model expression which included both forages together.

Transportation of tomatoes on farm and market roads causes interfacial stresses of tomatoes due to truck dynamics as affected by road and transportation conditions. These stresses may affect the shelf-life of tomatoes if they are high enough to cause damage to the fruit. This paper describes a novel method for the in situ measurement of the stresses during actual transportation of tomatoes, providing the producer information that can assist in taking decisions regarding the use of alternative routes, maintenance of existing routes or changes in packing to prevent excessive stresses onto tomatoes. The process involves measurement of the stresses using a stress-sensor that is recording the interfacial stresses continuously during transportation. These stresses can be correlated to road conditions (quantified through standard road-roughness statistics) and used to subject tomatoes in laboratory conditions to similar stresses to study shelf-life effects of transportation stresses. The paper focuses on the measurement process and first-order data analysis, and excludes a detailed study on the physiological effects of the measured stresses on tomatoes.

The aim of this work was to verify a comparative procedure for evaluating apple cultivars based on typology and comparing the sensory features of the examined cultivars during cold storage and simulated shelf-life. The procedure was applied experimentally to compare scab-resistant apples to known commercial cultivars. The procedure consisted of four sensory profiling analyses of internal apple characteristics: after two and four months of cold storage and after an additional ten days of shelf-life following each cold storage period. Eleven sensory attributes were evaluated at each timing, resulting in four general types of apple cultivars indicated and the cultivar storability over long cold storage time and shelf-life rated. The study was performed on 8 scab-resistant and 14 commercial apple cultivars evaluated over two consecutive years. The examined cultivars were then segmented into six groups of different sensory characteristics, which allowed for indicating those scab-resistant cultivars which might replace the conventional ones of equivalent sensory features.