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How light conditions affect development of park grasslands is a question that has not been satisfactory addressed. The aim of this study was therefore determination of the level to which unfavorable light conditions influence grassy parks area and relationships between parameters which determine state of turf grasses. Researches were conducted in two parks in Warsaw, in various light conditions and included measurement of: leaf density, sward height, leaf area index (LAI), and botanical composition of the communities. The leaf density of shaded areas did not exceed 70%. LAI value varied from 0.5 to 0.9-fold lower than in the areas in half-shade and in sun. The participation of basic lawn species at Skaryszewski Park was higher under shade, while at Łazienki Królewskie was higher in full-sunlight areas. The state of tested grassy areas in limited solar radiation does not satisfy the requirements of recreational and representational functions. The development processes of vegetation coverage were inhibited at the sites of lower solar radiation. LAI was influenced by both leaf coverage and sward height. Agrostis stolonifera and Poa trivialis may be recommended to create grass areas under limited solar radiation.

In this study, 254 Escherichia coli isolates from faecal samples of veal calves were evaluated for antimicrobial susceptibility using the disk diffusion method. During the experimental period, six mass antibiotic treatments were administered to the animals (about one treatment per month). The active principles used were oxytetracycline, colistin, tylosin, doxycycline, chlortetracycline, and sulphonamides. An extremely high resistance prevalence (> 70%) towards penicillin, sulphonamide, tetracycline, ampicillin, and spyramicin was detected. Sixty E. coli isolates could be defined as multiresistant, showing resistance to at least 6 antimicrobial classes. Subsequently, we evaluated the inhibitory effect of a species-specific probiotic against multiresistant E. coli, showing its beneficial action with large inhibition halos for 76% of the isolates. This suggests the potentiality of the probiotic, putting in evidence a clear advantage of its use in veal calves nutrition, in particular during the first phases, when the animals are more susceptible to severe enteric infections by E. coli.

Effects of thermostable lipolytic enzymes Pseudomonas fluorescens 66 ZB in pasteurized milk on concentration of free fatty acids (VMK) in milk were studied in selected milk samples. Identical bulk milk samples were analysed by the method specified in previous papers (Vyletělová et al. 1999a, b, 2000). Reference milk samples (without bacterial strains) and the experimental ones (containing Ps. fl. 150 th. CFU/ml and 2800 th. CFU/ml, resp.) were stored at 6.5°C and 14°C and analysed at regular time intervals (24 h) - Table 1. An extractive-titric method (Kadlec et al. 1996; Table 2 and Fig. 2) was used for monitoring of fatty acid (MK) liberation. Precise analyses of MK and VMK were made by the chromatographic method (Figs. 1, 3 and 4). Medium-chain fatty acids (C12-C16) are liberated first of all; short-chain acids (C6-C10) were found sporadically or in very small quantities (Table 2). Dissociation constant of the specific fatty acid liberated from milk fat affects principally relationships between pH and free fatty acid concentration. The predominating proportion of long-chain acids in liberated fatty acid formation is associated with lower reduction of pH as compared to the predomination of fatty acids with shorter chains associated with more substantial reduction of pH. In our study, a rapid decrease of pH was noted before 168 h (Table 24); this corresponds to low concentrations of short-chain free fatty acids. Vyletělová et al. (2000) found significant relations between pH and contents of VMK (measured by the extractive-titric method); in some samples, correlation coefficients amounted to r = -0.93*** (P ≤ 0.001). The extractive-titric method analysing VMK concentrations (mmol/kg milk fat) provides results characterized by a systematic rise (e.g., 32.0 mmol/kg instead of 13.0 mmol/kg in raw milk). According to Kratochvíl (1992) 20 mmol VMK/kg milk fat signalized the starting point characterizing flavour degradation of milk caused by activities of fatty acids C12-C14 above all; the transformed value (respecting specifics of the extractive-titric method) amounts to 49 mmol/kg. In case of higher storage temperature a significant break is found after 144 h; in case of lower temperature this break is after 192 h (Table 2). Limits determining potential lipolytic modifications of milk flavour (RLZCHV) as related to specific samples and temperatures at VMK levels amounting to 49 mmol/kg or 20 mmol/kg are outlined in Fig. 2. Milk samples No. 5 and No. 6 stored at higher temperature surpassed this risk limit at 56 h and 64 h, respectively (Table 2, Fig. 2). On the contrary, milk samples stored temperatures corresponding to the standard storage temperature (storage of raw milk, transport, storage of pasteurized milk) surpass the mentioned risk level after 90 h and 140.5 h. Obtained results document the predominant role of storage temperature in the whole complex (production and processing of milk as a raw material or an intermediate product); evident differences in contamination rates (105 an 106) can be characterized as secondary effects in this case (Table 2). As related to practical conditions, the mentioned facts imply immediate processing of raw milk and pasteurized milk. This postulate must be respected namely by da

The aim was to evaluate the effect of polymorphisms in the promoter and in the coding region of the DGAT1 gene on the estimated breeding values (EBV) of Czech Simmental sires. The K232A polymorphism (n = 191) in the coding region was genotyped by PCR/RFLP, and the KU and SA polymorphisms in the promoter (n = 203) were identified in an automatic sequencer. In the K232A polymorphism, the frequency of the genotype AA (Alanine) was greater than that of the genotype KA, the homozygous genotype KK (Lysine) was not found. Similarly, the allele A predominated over the K allele (0.945 and 0.055). The EBV for milk performance have been assigned to the genotypes, and the associations quantified. For the AA genotype and A allele, positive association with EBV of milk yield and protein yield was found, and negative association with the breeding values of fat percentage and yield, and protein percentage, but only the value of fat content was found to be significant. The positive non-significant association of the A variant with the protein yield was caused by the high milk yield. In the KU polymorphism, the CC genotype was associated significantly with lower EBV for the fat percentage, both the C allele and the CC genotype were associated with higher EBV for milk yield, so both the fat and the protein yield were non-significantly increased. For the diplotypes K232A/KU, there was a significant association with the fat percentage. The AACC combination seemed to have some breeding potential. The K232A polymorphism explained maximum of 6.2% of EBV variability, the KU polymorphism of 4.4%, and the SA polymorphism of 4.2%. The diplotypes K232A/KU explained maximum of 7.4% of variability. The highest proportion of variability was explained for fat percentage. The results confirmed the important role of the BTA14 region in controlling milk performance.

Wood splitting, manual as well as mechanized one is a heavy work. It follows from the fact that usually the wood of the least quality, knot wood with scroll fibres, directed for less valuable assortments from the point of view of the price. Present technique on the contrary is relatively price demanding, requesting besides 2-4 members of operating personnel also adequate concentration of wood mass for the reason of the complete process economic efficiency. We submit in this paper technology analysis of the splitter WS 800 performance with the original concept for the wood manipulation and splitting process as well. Essential advantages of the mentioned splitter comparing with the stationary equipments are operational and interoperational wood manipulation, physical effort and operating personnel elimination, while the efficiency and work safety is increasing.

Wild service tree belongs among rare woody plants tolerant to higher temperatures and low soil humidity. There are available data from analyses of 34 wild service tree localities in Slovakia. The majority of analyzed localities (70%) were on south-exposed stands (SE, S, SW); 97% of these were in altitudes up to 600 m. Wild service tree prefers biotopes of the oak-hornbeam forests. The highest frequency of this woody plant was found in group of forest site types Fageto-Quercetum. According to altitudinal vegetation stages, the majority of stands (85%) were in the 3^rd and 2^nd vegetation stage, where potential evapotranspiration is higher than the sum of precipitation. From March to September the water deficit is approximately 100-150 mm. The most frequent are stands with mountain climate (62%) with prevalence of moderately warm (38%) and warm (15%) climate. Wild service tree grows mainly on soils with favourable physical characteristics and adsorbing complex (65% of stands). The soils are fertile and well supplied with nutrients (Luvisols, Cambisols). Some localities (35%) have soils rich in minerals; however, their soil chemistry is one-sided, so they are mostly little fertile (Rendzinas). Regarding the water content in soils, Cambisols have generally sufficient water supply; Luvisols have lower water supply with a possibility of their aridization; Rendzinas are mostly loose soils with good permeability, regarding their shallow profile with lower water capacity they have usually less water supply. According to the obtained data, it is possible to evaluate wild service tree as a light-demanding woody plant with requirements for higher temperatures and higher contents of nutrients in soil, able to grow on drier soils with infrequent occurrence of water deficit. With regard to the expected changes of global climate, wild service tree should substitute some tender woody plants with higher sensitivity to drought in landscape as well as in forestry.

This paper analyses the enforcement of the 2003 CAP reform in 5 countries of the West European Union: France, Germany, Italy, Spain and United Kingdom. The reform gives multiple possibilities of adaptation at a national or regional level. Two standard strategies are foreseen: that of the States which mobilized to the maximum the innovations that the reform allowed, and that of the States which have chosen the option of a minimal application, to limit the effects of reorientation of the productions (maximum sectors remain coupled) or of the redistribution of the payments (historical references). The great diversity of the conditions of agricultural production is one of the main explanations of the differences of enforcement of the reform. We analyse the first impacts of the reform. One can generally expect that the market of entitlements will be a priori limited, because of the links of the entitlements to land. The regionalisation of the calculation of the entitlements is incontestably the mechanism, which introduces the most redistributive effects, compared to the individual historical references. We examine also the consequences of the Single Payment System (SPS) on land rent and land market.

Ethiopia is one among the nations that possesses the largest number of livestock population in the African continent estimated to be 33 million cattle, 24 million sheep and 18 million goats. In contrast to the huge livestock resource, the livestock productivity is however, found to be very low. The major biological and socio-economical factors attributing to the low productivity includes: the low genetic potential and performance, poor nutrition (in quality and quantity terms), the prevailing of different diseases, traditional way of husbandry systems and inadequate skilled manpower, among others. Ethiopia is one of the African countries where tuberculosis is wide spread in both humans and cattle and the endemic nature of tuberculosis in humans and cattle has long been documented. The disease is considered as one of the major livestock diseases that results in high morbidity and mortality, although the current status on the actual prevalence rate of bovine tuberculosis (BTB) at a national level is yet unknown. Detection of BTB in Ethiopia is carried out most commonly on the basis of tuberculin skin testing, abattoir meat inspection and very rarely on bacteriological techniques. Recently undertaken studies indicated the prevalence rate of BTB with a range of 3.4% (in small holder production system) to 50% (in intensive dairy productions) and a range of 3.5% to 5.2% in slaughterhouses in various places of the country. BTB in cattle remains to be a great concern due to the susceptibility of humans to the disease. The infections mainly take place by drinking raw milk and occur in the extra-pulmonary form, in the cervical lymphadenitis form in particular. The aim of this paper is to review the status of BTB in Ethiopia in relation with the existing animal husbandry systems and abattoir meat inspection surveillances. Control measures, economic impacts and the zoonotic aspect of the disease are also briefly addressed.

The uniqueness of limestone soil-forming substrate was assessed with respect to the classification of forest ecosystems. 50 soil profiles from the Bohemian Karst were studied and the results were confronted with previously published works from other karst areas. The evaluation of soil profiles was based on a macroscopic description, on the results of chemical and physicochemical analyses, and on a micromorphological study. The carbonate bedrock was a cause of specific genesis of soils in these sites - both recent and relict ones (terrae calcis). However, it does not always condition the unique characteristics of these sites whose differentiation would call for an a priori special edaphic category. Unique geochemical characteristics of the substrate are modified on the gradient of advanced pedogenesis (Holocene up to mid-Pleistocene soils were assessed) by a very intensive soil-forming process connected with the impact of allochthonous, mostly aeolian material. Two possible approaches were designed for the classification of these sites: (i) wider conception - distinction of the basic edaphic category with small limitations for the quality of soil-forming substrate, (ii) narrower conception - limestone edaphic category with a number of limitations to distinguish this edaphic category.

Peat used as a feed supplement for piglets has favourable dietetic qualities; however, its frequent contamination with potentially pathogenic mycobacteria (PPM) has been shown to pose a potential risk to piglet health. The purpose of the present study was to investigate possible ways of devitalising mycobacteria. Examination of 118 samples from various types of commercially available peat (natural peat, packed peat for horticulture and specially processed peat intended for piglet feeding) showed that PPM were present in 84 (71.1%) samples. Mycobacterium avium subsp. hominissuis (82.1%) was the most frequent mycobacterial isolate. In addition, from a natural locality where peat is mined and stored in large piles for up to four months, mycobacteria were detected in peat samples collected from the surface and from up to 25 cm in depth. We used different physical and chemical procedures for peat decontamination (peracetic acid, formaldehyde, steam, and microwave radiation) in attempting to devitalise the mycobacteria in peat. We found that PPM can be reliably devitalised with 1.0% peracetic acid, or 5.0% formaldehyde. However, under field conditions, when using bulk amounts of peat, none of the above procedures were shown to be suitable. Based on these results, the feeding of peat to piglets is confirmed as a high-risk practice.

Theileriosis is a serious animal disease that is transmitted by ticks. Theileria species are tick-borne obligate intracellular protozoan parasites that cause severe and mild infections in their hosts. Two of them, Theileria annulata and Theileria parva, cause lymphoproliferative disease with high mortality and morbidity in cattle commonly known as tropical theileriosis and East Coast fever, respectively. Currently available antiparasitic drugs are effective in animals but animals may remain carriers and treatment is most effective in the early stages of the disease. The isolation, cloning and analysis of lactate dehydrogenase from T. annulata was the goal of the present study with the ultimate aim of designing new antiparasitic drugs that will hopefully have a wider mode of action in animals. Blood samples were taken from a four year-old Brown Swiss cow showing signs of acute tropical theileriosis and genomic DNA was extracted following the confirmation of the clinical diagnosis. For the first time, in this study, the lactate dehydrogenase sequence was isolated from from a Theileria species. Following extraction from genomic DNA by PCR the sequence was cloned into the vector pGEM-T easy. Sequencing of the whole gene from both directions indicated that the open reading frame was interrupted by two introns. Several single nucleotide exchanges, deletions and insertions were also observed in the T. annulata lactate dehydrogenase sequence compared to the host. The most remarkable difference between the parasite and host enzyme is a five residue insertion in the active site loop region that might be an attractive target for inhibitors of the enzyme. This study opens a new route to further kinetic and structural studies towards the development of novel inhibitors of T. annulata lactate dehydrogenase.

We monitored the presence of Listeria monocytogenes in environmental sources and to evaluate the phenotypic and molecular characteristics of the isolates recovered. L. monocytogenes was isolated in 12 (11.2%) of the 107 samples from the wild, farm environment, and vegetation. Most isolates (83.3%) were of serotype 1/2a and the remainder (2) were of serotype 4b. All 12 isolates were susceptible to the whole range of antimicrobials tested. These12 strains were carriers of the virulence genes prfA, hlyA, actA, plcA, plcB, inlA, inlB, inlC, and inlJ. The detection of the inlA gene in 4 (33.3%) of 12 strains using the PCR-RFLP suggests the potential of some of these strains to penetrate into epithelial cells of the intestinal barrier. Macrorestriction analysis also confirmed clonal identity of some environmental isolates with food and human isolates. These results indicate that the external environment is a source of potentially pathogenic strains of L. monocytogenes.

Sheath rot of rice and leaf blight of wheat caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae are the important bacterial pathogens of rice and wheat in Iran. The randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) method was used to investigate the genetic diversity of 60 strains of P. s. pv. syringae obtained from rice and wheat in different growth stages. Cluster analysis by UPGMA method showed that strains were grouped into two clusters. The AMOVA analysis indicated that about 18% of the total genetic variation existed between two populations of rice and wheat, which showed the lack of host specialization in P. s. pv. syringae strains among rice and wheat. We confirmed that high genetic heterogeneity existed in the P. s. pv. syringae strains which are detectable by RAPD analysis, and that molecular and statistical analysis of RAPD fragments can be used both to distinguish between strains and to determine relatedness between them.

Rumex obtusifolius is a troublesome weed widely spread in temperate grasslands and can be potentially used for detection of soils contaminated by trace elements. We asked how emergence and survival of its seedlings are affected by application of quick lime (Ca) and superphosphate (P) additives in soils contaminated by trace elements. We performed the pot seeding experiment with slightly acid Litavka soil contaminated by arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) and alkaline Malín soil contaminated by As, Cd, and Zn. We used a control without any additives, Ca and P treatments in both soils. Higher and quicker emergence, together with substantially higher mortality of seedlings, was recorded in Litavka than in Malín. A positive effect of the Ca treatment on seedlings was recorded in Litavka, but a negative in Malín. Small seedlings with narrow and long leaves of reddish colour were recorded in Litavka in the control and in the P treatment both with high availability of Zn, Cd, and Pb. In the Ca treatment, leaves of seedlings were more elliptic and less reddish. In Malín, seedlings were green and substantially more vital in the control and in the P treatment than in Litavka. In the Ca treatment, small and unviable seedlings were recorded. Seedlings of R. obtusifolius are sensitive on high availability of Ca, Zn, Cd, and Pb in the soil.

We compared the results of calf maternal nursing and cow performance in 5 beef breeds managed under equal conditions in the region of West Pomerania. The study involved 549 cows and 1 979 calves (1 007 heifers and 972 bulls) of the following breeds: Red Angus, Salers, Hereford, Limousin, and Simmental. The cows and their calves were managed outdoors for one year. Feeding and management systems were the same for all the breeds during the studied period. The calves remained with their mothers until 6 to 9 months of age. Under intensive feeding, we recorded very good calf rearing parameters with very good or good milk performance of the cows. The best results were achieved by the Simmental cows and calves. Both the heifers and calf-bulls of this breed exhibited significantly (P ≤ 0.01) higher weaning weights adjusted to 210 days of age as well as daily gains from birth to weaning. The weaning weights of the calves were higher from 37 to 93 kg and daily gains from 45 to 280 g. The Hereford cows and calves also achieved very good parameters. Relatively poorer in terms of production performance were Red Angus, as compared with the other breeds, and Limousin cows whose calves produced the lowest body weights and had the lowest daily gains as well.

The study was conducted to evaluate the potential cryoprotective effect of butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) through post-thaw evaluation of canine semen and its optimal inclusion level. Ejaculated canine semen was extended in TRIS-glucose egg yolk extender containing various concentrations of BHT (0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, and 2.5mM). Semen was frozen at -196°C using 200 × 10⁶ spermatozoa per 0.5 ml straws and post-thaw evaluation was carried out in terms of sperm motility, viability, plasma membrane integrity, and acrosomal integrity through phase-contrast microscope, supravital staining, hypo-osmotic swelling test, and normal acrosomal ridge, respectively. BHT was found to improve (P > 0.005) all post-thawed semen quality parameters at an inclusion level of 1.0mM in the extended semen. However, higher concentrations than this were found to have detrimental effects.

The operating and economical parameters of agricultural products harvesting are important aspects from production costs point of view. Profitability of the crops depends on quantity and quality of end products and efficiency of growing and harvesting operations. In case of linseeds harvesting by combine harvester statistically important impact of cutting mechanisms state on energy, exploitation and economical parameters was determined.

Genetic diversity and genetic relationships of Czech apple cultivars were evaluated. Trees of 33 Czech apple cultivars and 97 reference foreign cultivars were analysed using the set of 10 SSR (simple sequence repeat) primer pairs. The total of 89 polymorphic alleles were amplified, while the number of alleles per locus ranged from 4 to 14. The SSR dendrogram, based on the Jaccard's similarity coefficient, divided apple cultivars into three major groups: Cox's Orange Pippin, McIntosh and Golden Delicious ancestries. The clustering highly depended on pedigree and origin of apple cultivars. Spontaneous mutated cultivars were identical with their progenitors. We proved that microsatellite markers were useful for evaluation of genetic resources, collection management and cultivar identification.

Mountainous areas represent regions with specific soil cover pattern that is naturally given by an altitudinal gradient. The objective of our study was to describe the soil cover development on the altitudinal gradient under changed environment given by man-planted vegetation and acidification. The studied area is characterized by spruce monoculture planting that replaced the original broadleaf natural vegetation and high load of anthropic acidification. The common hypothesis considering the sequence of Dystric Cambisol-Entic Podzol-Haplic Podzol with increasing altitude was not proved. The results of our study indicate that the influence of spruce vegetation causes the occurrence of Haplic Podzols at low altitudes where the natural soil formation does not induce their development. Results showed that the vegetation type can overrule other altitude-related soil-forming factors. The conversion of natural broadleaf and mixed forests to spruce monocultures leads to the expansion of podzolization process to lower altitudes.

Globalisation is at the beginning of the new century a double-edged weapon: a strong driving force of economic growth, the development of new technologies and the growth of the level of living in the poor as well as rich countries, but also a controversory process which damages national sovereignty, undermines the local culture and traditions and presents a threat of the economic and social non-stability. The key question of the 21^st century then is, whether the states will be able to keep the process under control or whether they will become its victims.

Malachite green has been used as an effective compound to control external fungal and protozoan infections of fish since 1933 but it has never been registered as a veterinary drug for use in food fish because of its potential carcinogenicity, mutagenicity and teratogenicity in mammals. The present paper reviews negative side-effects of malachite green including its accumulation and persistence in fish that have been treated and describes other alternative substances for the treatment of fish and fish eggs.

We studied the effectivity of a commercial antibiotic kit Mycokill AB for the elimination of mycoplasma contamination in virus strains. The contaminated virus strains were first filtered, treated with Mycokill AB for three hours and repeatedly passaged in its presence in the cultivation medium in pure cell lines. Three passages in the presence of Mycokill AB were invariably followed by three passages without Mycokill AB. The effectivity of purification was then checked by PCR. Twenty-four out of 28 tested virus strains became free of mycoplasma after a first or second cycle of the treatment with Mycokill AB. The other four strains remained positive even after repeated passages. In these cases of a likely resistance to Mycokill AB, we managed to eliminate the mycoplasma contamination through a subsequent treatment with the antibiotic combination BM-Cyclin. Mycokill AB was shown in the elimination of mycoplasma from virus suspensions as successful as other known most effective antibiotics.

The causative agents of respiratory diseases of turkeys represent, primarily in fattening farms, a substantial risk of economic and breeding problems. The purpose of this communication is to provide information on the prevalence of respiratory agents of turkeys and chickens in several fattening and production farms in Southern Moravia. This study was focused on pathogens causing bacterial diseases such as Ornithobacteriosis and Mycoplasmosis, as well as viral rhinotracheitis and laryngotracheitis of poultry. The laboratory diagnosis of these diseases has been performed in our institute since January 2008. We examined 249 samples of turkeys and chickens from a single rearing house and six fattening farms in Southern Moravia. The samples were examined using the PCR or RT-PCR method. The typing of isolates of Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale was done using the M13 fingerprinting method. We established the prevalence of pathogens such as Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale (ORT), Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG), Mycoplasma synoviae (MS), avian metapneumovirus (aMPV) and laryngotracheitis virus (ILT) in selected farms.

The aim of the study was to examine for the first time the various aspects of canine atopic dermatitis (CAD) presenting in a Middle Eastern country. Medical records of 164 dogs diagnosed with CAD were evaluated. Associations between signalment, lifestyle, clinical signs and allergens were evaluated statistically. Labrador Retriever, German Shepherd dog, Boxer, French Bulldog, Golden Retriever and Shar-Pei breeds were presented more frequently than the regular hospital population (P < 0.0001), and had an earlier disease onset time (P < 0.01). In 22 dogs (13%) signs of CAD were noticed at less than six months of age. Most dogs (75%) lived indoors. Most dogs (83%) had lesions on the ventral part of the body and 68% had foot lesions. After excluding flea allergy dermatitis by implementing strict flea control, 60% of the dogs presented with dorsal distribution of skin lesions. Dogs with ventral lesions were younger when clinical signs first appeared (P < 0.05). Most of the dogs were allergic to dust and/or dust mites (75.6%), with weeds and trees as the next most common allergens. CAD is similar worldwide, but geographic differences may be attributable to genetic pools and allergen loading. This study also shows that early onset of clinical signs, especially in breeds predisposed to CAD and with a dorsal distribution of skin lesions, should not rule out the diagnosis of CAD.

This paper presents research results of the performance of HSM-904 grapple skidder using a full tree harvesting method in a non-native aspen Populus deltoides plantation in even terrain conditions in Shafaroud, Northern Iran. Patch cutting as a silvicultural method was used in the plantation (2,000 ha). To evaluate the newly introduced machine to a ground skidding system in the aspen plantation and the possibility to increase the production rate, an empirical time study was conducted. The elements of the skidding work phase were identified and 58 cycles were recorded for the study. The models for effective time consumption, total productivity and work phase models are calculated. The average load per cycle was 2.2 m³, the average one-way skidding distance was 253 m. The average travel speed of unloaded skidder was 5.53 km.h^-1 and the average speed of loaded skidder was lower than the speed of the unloaded one by 2.94 km.h^-1. The average output in the study was 7.1 m³ per effective hour and the unit cost was 13.9 USD.m^-3.

The research was aimed to estimate above- and below-ground carbon stock in Tankawati natural hill forest of Bangladesh. A systematic sampling method was used to identify each sampling point through Global Positioning System (GPS). Loss on ignition and wet oxidation method were used to estimate biomass and soil carbon stock, respectively. Results revealed that the total carbon stock of the forest was 283.80 t.ha^-1 whereas trees produce 110.94 t.ha^-1, undergrowth (shrubs, herbs and grass) 0.50 t.ha^-1, litter fall 4.21 t.ha^-1 and soil 168.15 t.ha^-1 (up to 1m depth). The forest in the study area is a reservoir of carbon, as it has a good capacity to stock carbon from the atmosphere. To realize the forest sector potentiality inBangladesh, the carbon sequestration should be integrated with the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) carbon trading system of the Kyoto Protocol.

The aim of the study was to select wheat-Aegilops biuncialis addition lines carrying Aegilops biuncialis chromosomes differing from those which were introgressed into the wheat-Ae. biuncialis addition lines produced earlier in Martonvásár, Hungary. In the course of the experiments new wheat-Ae. biuncialis addition lines carrying chromosomes 2U^b, 6M^b, 6U^b; 5U^b, 3U^b, 7U^b; 5M^b, 6M^b and 7M^b were selected. The 2U^b disomic addition line is relatively stable, as 91% of the progenies contain this chromosome pair. The 6M^b disomic addition line proved to be dwarf and sterile, but it still exists as a monosomic addition line. Progenies analysed from the 6U^b monosomic addition line did not carry the 6U^b chromosome. One plant containing the 5U^b, 3U^b and 7U^b chromosomes and one plant carrying 5M^b, 6M^b and 7M^b chromosomes showed very low fertility. Each of the plants produced a single seed, but seeds of the parent plants are still available. Line No. 49/00 carried a submetacentric Ae. biuncialis chromosome pair and the chromosome number 44 has been constant for several generations. After FISH no hybridisation site was observed on the Ae. biuncialis chromosome pair using the pSc119.2 and Afa family repetitive DNA probes, so it was not possible to identify the Ae. biuncialis chromosome pair. However, the use of wheat SSR markers and the (GAA)_n microsatellite DNA probe allowed it to be characterised more accurately. These new lines facilitate gene transfer from Ae. biuncialis into cultivated wheat and the selection of U and M genome-specific wheat SSR markers.

The attacks of adult Apate monachus (Fabricius) on pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) and carob (Ceratonia siliqua L.) trees in a plant nursery in southern Italy was described. The adult beetles produce circular holes and large sinuous tunnels on young trees that can involve the trunk and branches. The same plant can be affected by large numbers of such access holes. The adults appear during late June and reach a peak during the first three weeks of July. Given the increase in the spread of cultivation of these trees and, therefore, in the rate of spread of this pest species, further damage to crops is expected.

Influence of the nitrogen injection fertilization 'controlled uptake long term ammonium nutrition' (CULTAN) on winter rape yield and seed composition was studied in 2009 and 2010 at two sites with different soil-climatic conditions in the Czech Republic. Two conventional treatments consisted of fertilization using the system of divided doses applied on soil surface. Two CULTAN treatments used injection fertilization with the whole dose of nitrogen applied once in the vegetation period, in early spring at the BBCH 26 stage (6 side shoots detectable). The trial compared conventional and CULTAN treatments. The overall dose of nitrogen was 200 kg N/ha in each treatment. The seed yield in a two-year average was 4.83 t/ha at conventional and 4.80 t/ha at the CULTAN treatment. This difference was not statistically significant. The higher nitrogen content in seed was recorded mainly at CULTAN treatments at the Hněvčeves site in 2009. An inconclusively higher phosphorus content was recorded in winter rape seed fertilized with the CULTAN method at both sites in 2010. Content of K, Ca, Mg and S did not show statistically significant differences between the two treatments during both experimental years. In oiliness no differences between conventional and CULTAN methods were observed.