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Palm oil is a superior product from Indonesia that is continuously and widely used for daily needs such as cooking, grooming, and manufacturing. However, this potential must be supported by oil palm business actors' performance to maintain its intensity and competitiveness. This study investigates how various factors affect Indonesia's crude palm oil (CPO) export intensity and competitiveness by employing panel regression and the basic gravity model. The panel data used here is a 20-year time series with cross-sections from five major importers from 1999 to 2018. The results show that the importer's gross domestic product (GDP) and quantity of export significantly and positively affect Indonesia's CPO export intensity, while the exporter's GDP and economic distance has a significant and negative effect. The factors that positively and significantly influence competitiveness are soybean's import value and Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) certification, while Malaysian CPO's export and population of importing countries negatively affect Indonesian CPO competitiveness.

Festuca ovina L. is an important ornamental species used in urban landscapes and pastures reclamation. However, low resistance of this species to salt stress has hindered its extended application in low-water and salty regions. To study the effects of calcium on reducing salt stress injuries in seed germination and early growth of this species, a factorial experiment based on completely randomized design with three replications was conducted. The salt levels included NaCl solutions (5, 10, 15 and 20 dS/m). Calcium source was CaCl₂ with concentrations of 0, 10, 20 and 30 mmol₊/L. Germination percentage and mean germination time were significantly affected by interaction of salinity and calcium. As salinity increased, mean germination time increased. However, germination percentage, shootlet length, rootlet length, shootlet fresh and dry weight, rootlet fresh and dry weight and seed vigour index decreased following the increasing salinity. Concentrations of 10 and 20 mmol₊/L CaCl₂ had significant effects on reducing salt injuries on seed germination of Festuca ovina. This finding was even prominent in higher salinity levels of 15 and 20 dS/m. Therefore, to facilitate using this species in urban landscapes or in pastures, pre-treatment of the seeds using 10 and 20 mmol₊/L CaCl₂ is recommended.

This study was devoted to verifying the performance of various configurations of a winged chisel plough (WCP) in a soil bin. The performance of the new tool was assessed at three wing depths (5, 10 and 15 cm), three bend angles (10, 20 and 30 °), and three rake angles (7.5, 15 and 22.5 °) with three replications using a completely randomised design at a constant depth and speed of 30 cm and 1 m.s-1, respectively. The draught and vertical forces, soil disturbed and upheaved areas plus the efficiency of the soil loosening were measured during the tests. The results revealed that the draught and vertical forces were significantly increased by increasing the wing depth, bend and rake angles. The soil disturbance area increased with an increase in the wing depth, bend and rake angles. While the soil upheaving was decreased by increasing the wing depth and bend angle, the effect of the rake angle on the soil upheaving area was not significant. The maximum efficiency of the soil loosening of 268.1 cm2.kN-1 was achieved for a wing depth of 10 cm, a bend angle of 20 °, and a rake angle of 15 °. A significant improvement in the efficiency of the soil loosening along with maintaining a considerable portion of the residue on the soil surface suggest that the WCP should be adopted for conservation tillage.

The objective was to determine effects of equilibration length and freezing curve type as well as their interactions on motility and live spermatozoa proportion in bull sperm after thawing. The ejaculates of 6 sires were repeatedly collected. Fresh semen was diluted with one extender and divided into 3 groups equilibrated for 30, 120, and 240 min. Subsequently, half straws of each group were frozen using standard 3-phase or 2-phase freezing curve differing in the rate of temperature decrease. The spermatozoa motility (M) was evaluated immediately after thawing and at 30, 60, 90, and 120 min of thermodynamic test (TDT). Live spermatozoa proportion was evaluated after thawing and at the end of TDT. Average of spermatozoa motility (AM), decrease of spermatozoa motility (MD), average proportion of live spermatozoa (ALS), and decrease of live spermatozoa proportion (DLS) through the TDT were calculated. Significant inter-sire differences in AM (0.45-17.0%; P < 0.05-0.01), MD (0.76-12.57%; P < 0.05-0.01), and ALS (0.99-23.8%; P < 0.01) were detected. The longest equilibration ensured the highest M during TDT and AM (+2.72 and +4.58%; P < 0.05-0.01), however higher MD (+4.06%; P < 0.01) compared to standard length as well. Straws freezed using 2-phase curve achieved higher M through TDT, AM (+7.3%; P < 0.01) as well as ALS (+11.77%; P < 0.01). The 2-phase curve presented higher M compared to the 3-phase freezing curve within all equilibration lengths. Significant differences in AM, MD, and ALS (0.45-6.78%, 0.62-5.35%, and 20.79-21.11%; P < 0.05-0.01) between equilibration length vs freezing curve interactions were determined. Results document the importance of equilibration length, freezing curve, and their interaction effect on live spermatozoa proportion and sperm motility after thawing as well as necessity of individual conditions for bulls semen processing and insemination doses production.

The aim of our research was to determine the effect of short pruning on the productive and vegetative characteristics of peach trees. The research was conducted on two cultivars, 'Redhaven' and 'Fayette'. Three short pruning treatments were applied, with heading of the bearing branches at 20, 30, and 40 cm in length and a control, without heading. The following characteristics were evaluated: the growth of the TCSA, the number of thinned fruitlets, the number of fruit and yield per tree, the average weight of the fruits and the diameter of the fruits. Based on our research, we made several observations: the pruning method did not affect the growth of the TCSA; the number of thinned fruitlets decreased with a reduction in the length of the bearing branches; the number of fruits and yield per tree decreased with a reduction in the length of the bearing branches. A higher average fruit weight and percentage of fruits with a bigger diameter were calculated from the trees with the short pruning, but with a different share depending on the cultivar.

The effect of foliar application of selenium (Se) fertilizers (sodium selenite and selenate) in two different Se doses (10 and 20 g/ha) on grain yield, Se content and mechanical and technological parameters of winter wheat grain was investigated in the field fertilization experiment. Foliar spray application of Se was applied at the growth stage of the 2^nd node on the main stem (32 BBCH). Selenate foliar applications in dose 10 g Se per ha showed a significant increase of grain yield in comparison to control treatment without Se application. The mechanical and technological parameters of wheat grain were not significantly affected by both selenite and selenate foliar application. The average Se concentration was significantly lower in 2007/2008 (grain yield 8.72 t/ha) than 2006/2007 (yield 6.35 t/ha) growing season (0.133 versus 0.189 mg Se/kg dry matter). The grain Se absorption efficiency at foliar application of 10 and 20 g Se/ha of selenite and selenate were 1.35-1.45% and 13.24-15.14%, respectively.

This study investigated the influence of the moisture content and speed on the cutting force and energy of tannia cormels using the response surface methodology (RSM). The moisture content and cutting speed were varied over five levels each [95.79, 113.68, 136.68, 168.42, 242.11% moisture content (dry basis) and 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 mm×min^-1, respectively]. The highest and lowest cutting forces were 114.09 and 63.99 N at the corresponding moisture contents of 168.42 and 113.68% and at cutting speeds of 10 and 20 mm×min^-1, respectively. The highest and lowest cutting energies of 0.92 and 0.49 J were both obtained at a 136.68% moisture content, at the 10 and 20 mm×min^-1 cutting speeds, respectively. The regression models for predicting the cutting force and energy as a function of the cutting speed and moisture content showed that there was no linear relationship between the investigated properties and the independent variables considered which could be attributed to the non-homogeneous nature of tannia cormels. The optimum cutting force and energy were 72.89 N and 0.60 J, respectively, at a 95.79% moisture content and a 22.33 mm×min^-1 speed with a desirability of 0.80. These findings could serve as a guide for the development of chipping and cutting machines for tannia cormels.

The present prospective, randomised, double-blinded clinical study was designed to investigate the commonly used anaesthetic combinations of dexmedetomidine-propofol-isoflurane and medetomidine-propofol-isoflurane on intraocular pressure and pupil size in dogs. Forty client-owned healthy dogs with no ocular abnormalities, average body weight of 25.7 ± 13.1 kg (mean ± SD) and aged 3.7 ± 2.7 years, were enrolled. Twenty four males and 16 females were included. Dogs were allocated randomly to receive dexmedetomidine i.v. at 0.005 mg/kg, dexmedetomidine at 0.01 mg/kg, medetomidine at 0.01 mg/kg or medetomidine at 0.02 mg/kg. Ten minutes later anaesthesia was induced in all dogs with propofol and maintained with isoflurane in oxygen-air. Intraocular pressure, pupil size, heart rate, respiratory frequency and arterial blood pressures (SAP, DAP) were measured prior to (baseline) and at 10 (before propofol), 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 min after dexmedetomidine or medetomidine administration. Oxygen saturation of haemoglobin (SpO₂) and end-tidal CO₂ concentration (EtCO₂) was monitored following anaesthesia induction. Data were analysed using Anderson-Darling and Bartlett's tests for data distribution and homogeneity of variance confirmation and ANOVA followed by Dunnett's tests for multiple comparisons. Changes were considered significant when P < 0.05. Following drug administration, pupil size, heart rate and respiratory frequency decreased significantly within groups, but did not differ between groups. No significant changes in intraocular pressure, SAP and DAP within and between groups, and SpO₂ or EtCO₂ between groups, were observed. Comparable doses of dexmedetomidine or medetomidine combined with propofol and isoflurane induced reductions in pupil size, respiratory frequency and heart rate, however, without a significant influence on intraocular pressure or arterial blood pressure.

Plenty of studies have demonstrated that DIF has an effect on the fruit growth. To study the effects of day and night temperature differences on the strawberry sugar quality, an experiment using climate chambers was conducted. Five different differences between the day and night temperatures (DIF) were set, which were 6 °C (28 °C/22 °C, day/night temperature), 8 °C (29 °C/21 °C), 10 °C (30 °C/20 °C), 12 °C (31 °C/19 °C), 14 °C (32 °C/18 °C). The results showed the following indices peaked with a DIF of 12 °C, including the photosynthesis rate, glucose content, fructose content, sucrose content, soluble sugar content and sugar metabolic enzyme activity. The respiration rate increased with the DIF during the day and decreased with the DIF at night. The root dry weight peaked at a DIF of 10 °C, the stolon dry weight peaked at a DIF of 8 °C and the leaf dry weight peaked at a DIF of 6 °C; however, the fruit dry weight reached maximum values at a DIF of 12 °C. The Grey correlation analysis showed that the most important factor in our experiment affecting the fructose content was the sucrose phosphate synthase; however, for the sucrose, glucose, and soluble sugars, the most important factor was the photosynthesis. We found that a DIF of 12 °C (31 °C/19 °C, day/night temperature) was the most suitable for strawberry growth, especially for the sugar content accumulation.

To evaluate the long-term effects of fertilisation on soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration in rice-wheat cropping ecosystems, SOC dynamics, stocks and fractionation were determined. The treatments included no fertiliser, mineral N and P, mineral N, P and K, organic fertiliser (OF), OF plus NP and OF plus NPK. The results showed that the average carbon inputs that derived from crop stubble, root residues and organic fertilisers were between 1.47 and 4.33 t/ha/year over the past 34 years. The average SOC stocks measured in the samples collected in 2011-2013 ranged from 31.20 to 38.52 t/ha. The range of the SOC sequestration rate was 0.11-0.40 t/ha/year with a SOC sequestration efficiency of 6.3%. Overall, organic fertilisation significantly promoted C-input, SOC and the sequestration rate compared to mineral fertilisation. The "active pool" (very labile and labile fractions) and "passive pool" (less labile and recalcitrant fractions) accounted for about 71.0% and 29.0% of the SOC fractions, respectively. Significant positive relationships between C-inputs and SOC fractions indicated that SOC was not saturated in this typical rice-wheat cropping system, and fertilisation, especially organic amendment, is an effective SOC strategy sequestration.

The vigorous behaviour of a rootstock modifies the growth and yield of a plant variety or hybrid, altering the plant nutritional requirements. The purpose of this work was to study four ratios of NO3-/NH4+ (100/0, 92/8, 85/15 and 80/20%) over the growth, leaf anatomy and yield of grafted and ungrafted tomato plants. We used a fully randomised experimental block design with factorial arrangement of 2 × 4 (grafted and ungrafted plants and four ratios of NO3-/NH4+), on eight treatments in total with four replicates each, using Tukey's mean comparison test (P ≤ 0.05). The rootstock was 'Silex' by Fito Seeds, with the 'El Arrojado' graft (variety) by Gene Seeds. The graft produced an increase in growth, dry biomass production, stomatal density, trichome number, epidermal cell density, fruits per plant, average fruit weight, fruit size and total soluble solids, in comparison with the ungrafted tomato plants. In most of the assessed variables, the grafted tomato plants gave their best response at an 85/15% NO3-/NH4+ ratio; while the ungrafted plants performed better at a 92/8% NO3-/NH4+ ratio. The response of the grafted plants to the different NO3-/NH4+ ratios suggests that grafting induces tolerance to NH4+.

In the context of the overall competition for water resources it is important to understand the complex dynamics of crop water management including evapotranspiration, water quality, and leaching requirement, each of them depending on the site-specific conditions. The research started with grain maize and continued with sunflower, grain maize, and wheat, at the experimental field. On both grain maize and sunflower, 10 irrigation treatments were compared that resulted from the factorial combination of two types of water (fresh and brackish water) with five irrigation regimes; the scheduled treatments were applied by furrow irrigation. The amount of salts brought into the soil with the irrigation water during the three irrigation seasons of our trial increased shifting from the lowest to the highest irrigation regime and with the increase of salinity in the irrigation water. From the study of salt distribution in the soil it follows that at the end of the irrigation season the salt concentration increased by passing from the middle of the furrow, a zone more subject to leaching during irrigation, to the intermediate zone between the furrow and the ridge, and in the middle of the ridge between two contiguous furrows, an area of confluence of the wetting and salt accumulation fronts. The leaching water supplied during the irrigation season was poorly efficient in leaching the salts brought in through irrigation, whereas the rainfall water of the autumn-winter period after the irrigation season ensured a good control of soil salinity.

This study evaluated the toxicity and repellent activities of essential oils (EOs) against Sitophilus granarius (Linnaeus, 1758), both in vitro and in vivo conditions. The EOs obtained from Thymus pallescens Noë. (Lamiaceae) and Cymbopogon citratus Stapf. (Poaceae) were analyzed by GC-MS, and revealed that carvacrol (56.64%) and geraniol (20.8%) as the respective major components. T. pallescens EO was found to be a more effective toxicant, with LC₅₀ and LC₉₀ values of 9.3 and 34.6 µL/mL, respectively, in the contact test vs 8.2 and 25.3 µL/mL in the fumigation test. T. pallescens EO showed also a stronger repellent effect with values ranging from 83.4% to 100%. In the in vivo test, the survival probability decreased from 99.9 to 2.48% among insects exposed to T. pallescens EO. These data demonstrated that EOs could be considered effective alternatives to chemical insecticides, providing pest control for stored products in an ecologically sustainable manner.

Growth and survival rates (specific growth rate - SGR; survival rate - S) of Barbus barbus L. were recorded in captivity during three years from the larval period (final body weight - W = 0.2 ± 0.03 g; SGR = 13.6 ± 1.1%/day and cumulative survival - S = 76.0 ± 2.5%) to the first reproductive season (W = 62.55 ± 13.5 g; SGR = 0.89 ± 0.05%/day; S = 59.3 ± 1.5%). Final body size and SGR were compared between both sexes. Females reached the significantly higher growth rate (SGR = 0.84 ± 0.01%/day) compared to males (SGR = 0.77 ± 0.01%/day). Early puberty was observed in 17 and 32 months old males and females, respectively. Multi-stripping activity was found out in both sexes during the first reproductive season. In total, 20%, 25.8%, 30.3%, 14.6% and 9% of females were stripped once, twice and three, four and five times, respectively. But all males produced sperm during the entire reproductive season. The highest and the lowest egg production was recorded in the middle (April) and at the beginning (March) of the reproductive season (2155 ± 925 vs. 1279 ± 298 eggs per stripping). The highest and the lowest sperm production was observed at the beginning (March) and at the end (May) of the reproductive season (7.9 ± 0.08 × 10⁹ vs. 1.9 ± 0.06 × 10⁹ per stripping).

The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of riboflavin/UV-A corneal phototherapy in comparison with topical antimicrobials for the treatment of corneal ulcers in horses. Nineteen horses with a diagnosis of corneal ulceration were randomised to receive either corneal phototherapy (11 horses) or topical antimicrobial therapy (8 horses). The corneal phototherapy consisted in the application of a riboflavin-enriched ophthalmic solution onto the cornea for 20 min followed by cornea UV-A irradiation at 30 mW/cm² for 3 min using a point-of-care UV-A device. A complete ophthalmological examination was performed at enrolment and then at day 1, 3, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42, and 49 after treatment. The corneal ulcer was considered healed when the fluorescein staining was negative. The corneal phototherapy succeeded in the complete corneal wound healing in 91% cases (10/11 horses) by 12.7 ± 5.5 days. In the topical antimicrobial group, no horse showed improvement of the corneal ulceration (0/8; 0%) and two eyes had a corneal perforation. Six horses, due to an enlarged corneal lesion, underwent corneal phototherapy at day 14 and achieved complete wound healing by 17.2 ± 5.5 days in 83% cases (5/6). The corneal phototherapy was shown to be an effective and safe treatment for equine corneal ulcers.

Sodium chloride is widely used in aquaculture due to its antiparasitic effects and its ability to reduce stress during fish transport and manipulation. The aim of this study was to assess the safety of short-term exposure to sodium chloride for the common carp (Cyprinus carpio). In our experiment, fish were placed into a sodium chloride bath (c = 30 g l^-1; T = 30 min; t = 20 °C) and the effects of the treatment were assessed immediately after the bath (T0) and 24, 48 and 240 h later (T24, T48 and T240, respectively), with non-treated fish serving as control groups. Though significant differences compared to the controls were observed in the treated fish sampled at T0, T24 and T48, these effects were only temporary and all the affected parameters (i.e., haemoglobin, haematocrit, plasmatic lactate, cholesterol, alanine aminotransferase, albumin, phosphorus and ceruloplasmin) had completely recovered within 10 days of exposure, suggesting that the treatment of carp with a sodium chloride bath represents a safe approach suitable for therapy of parasitic infections.

Mediterranean farming is facing increasing periods of water shortage and, in the coming decades, the water reduction is expected to exert the most adverse impact upon growth and productivity. This study was performed to assess the response of the physico-biochemical quality parameters of mango fruits to different doses of irrigation in a Mediterranean subtropical area in Spain. During two-monitoring seasons, trees were subjected to deficit-irrigation strategies receiving 33, 50, and 75% of a crop evapotranspiration (ETC), and a control at 100% ETC. According to the findings and respect to control, the yield was reduced in 8, 11, and 20% for the water-stressed trees at 75, 50, and 33% ETC, respectively, producing smaller fruits in line with the amount of applied irrigation. However, the water-stressed fruits significantly enhanced their quality, in particular at 33% ETC, with regards to the content of the health-promoting phytochemicals (total soluble solids, vitamin C, and β-carotenoids). Thus, sustainable water management without a detrimental effect on the yield could be possible, and farmers should be encouraged to adapt to the environmental constraints, producing improved quality fruits.

To investigate the effects of organic matter activators combined with a pig slurry on a soil's physical properties, a field experiment was carried out in a monoculture of corn (2015-2017). Three pig slurry application variants complemented with the activators in question, i.e. with PRP SOL spread directly on the soil surface (SOL), with Z'fix added to the slurry during the pig housing (ZF) and with a combination of both PRP SOL and Z'fix (ZF_SOL), were compared with just the pig slurry (C) under an equal dose of nitrogen and a uniform growing technology. According to the results, a positive effect of the penetration resistance with the pig slurry and the activators of organic matter (Z'fix and PRP SOL) was not proven. The saturated hydraulic conductivity was demonstrably better achieved with the Z'fix activator, but PRP SOL activator also provided a certain improvement. The largest change in the unit draught was observed in the ZF_SOL application (20% increase). The results seem ambiguous; however, they give a good indication of the activators' effect in practice. Nevertheless, the findings would certainly benefit from further verification.

The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of quercetin on the survival and primary culture of ovine spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs). The two-time enzymatic digestion process was employed to obtain SSCs from lamb testes. In the next step, the use of filtration and differential plating methods caused an increase in the number of SSCs in the cell suspension resulting from enzymatic and mechanical digestions. Mitomycin-C-treated Sertoli cells were used to prepare the feeder layer. The stem cells were then cultured on the Sertoli cell feeder layer. The identification of the colonies was done through alkaline phosphatase staining methods and specific gene expression of ram's SSCs (nanog and Plzf). The results of methylthiazolyldiphenyl-tetrazolium bromide assay on SSCs 72 h after culture with different treatments of quercetin demonstrated that the highest percentage of survival was for 5 μM and 10 μM concentrations, respectively; however, compared to the control, no significant difference was observed. In comparison with the control, the concentration equal to and greater than 20 μM quercetin caused a significant decrease in the survival of SSCs (P < 0.05). Seven days after culture, 40 μM quercetin caused a substantial reduction in the mean number of colonies, compared to the control (P < 0.05). The results demonstrated that compared to the control, 5 μM to 40 μM of quercetin significantly reduced Plzf gene expression. Furthermore, the concentration equal to and higher than 10 μM quercetin significantly decreased bcl-2 gene expression in the cells under study (P < 0.05). Based on the findings of the present study, the use of quercetin for the primary culture of ovine SSCs is not recommended. It is suggested that the function of this antioxidant should be investigated on the differentiation of SSCs.

The aim of this paper was to investigate the effects of microwave radiation on the viability of Paenibacillus larvae spores and to study the relationship between the microwave power consumption, the exposure time and the number of spores in the examined suspensions. Sterile distilled water suspensions were made using larval detritus, to contain tens, hundreds and thousands of spores. The suspensions of all the dilutions were gradually exposed to a microwave radiation power of 170, 510 and 850 W. In all the cases, the exposure time was 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 minutes. After cooling, 0.1 ml of each exposed suspension was inoculated onto three modified MYP (mannitol egg yolk polymyxin) agar plates and incubated aerobically at 37 ± 1 °C for 120 hours. The statistical evaluation of the spore counts decreasing with time was performed with the use of the nonparametric Friedman's variance test using the Unistat Statistical Package v6.5. The results showed that the rate of devitalisation of the spores is dependent on the microwave oven power consumption, but independent of the number of spores. Using a power consumption of 170, 510 and 850 W, the devitalisation of the spores occurred after 15, 3 and 2 min of exposure, respectively.

The article describes the use of the recently commercially available technique of microwave induced plasma optical emission spectrometry with plasma gas (nitrogen) generation for the determination of calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium in Mehlich 3 extracts. The specifics of the analysis of the agricultural samples for soil fertility assessment mean there are often a great number of samples to analyse in laboratory (the daily throughput of 500 or more samples). The analytical procedures were adapted to special requirements by the use of the new multielemental instrumental techniques. The detection limits were 0.43; 0.86; 0.20 and 0.06 mg/L; the precision for real sample analysis: 4.6; 1.0; 1.8 and 1.0%; the mean accuracy 97; 92; 107 and 100% for P, Ca, Mg and K, respectively, the real throughput reached 100 samples per hour.

The composition of European beaver (Castor fiber L.) meat and its utility for sausage production were investigated. Beaver meat has a high concentration of protein (21.44% wet weight) with the high content of available lysine (1.97 g/100 g) and tryptophan (0.29 g/100 g). The fat (5.08%) was characterised by a generally high proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids (35%) and lower proportion of monounsaturated fatty acids (29%). Octadecenoic acid (C18:1) was a dominant monounsaturated fatty acid. Beaver muscles were characterised by generally small muscle fibres, thick perimysium and low amount of intramuscular fat, thus this raw material may be used in sausage production as an alternative to pork. The most positive effects of beaver meat addition on the texture and palatability of sausages were obtained when about 20-40% of this kind of meat was used.

The purpose of the research is to analyse the successful creation of an artificial pine forest by seeding and develop recommendations for the guaranteed reproduction of pine stands in Northern European Russia. In recent decades, there has been a steady decline in the share of pine stands and their replacement with low-value and low-yielding tree species. We surveyed 12 permanent sample plots that were laid out in various variants of forest crops. The taxation parameters were obtained by a standard analysis of the experimental data. The evaluation parameters of the stands vary within the following limits: the average diameter of the pine trees varied from 21.9 to 30.9 cm; the total basal area of the pine varied from 19.1 to 38.8 m2∙ha-1; the average height of the pine varied from 20.1 to 26.8 m; the number of growing trees varied from 754 to 1 952 ha-1; the pines varied from 382 to 762 ha-1; the growing stocks of stands varied from 416 to 608 m3∙ha-1. The distribution of pine trees by thickness steps showed that all the studied samples were close to the normal distribution curve. The results of the correlation and multidimensional analyses showed that the creation method of the forest crops had a significant impact on the value of the taxation parameters. It was found that the best options for growing pure pine stands that can be recommended for practical production are plots with a large share of soil cultivation and the size of the seedbed.

Grey mould disease caused by the fungus Botrytis cinerea Pers is widely distributed on strawberries as the dominant postharvest disease. Therefore, fruits have been treated using a pin-to-plate corona electrical field at a high voltage electric field (HVEF) intensity of 3.61, 4.56, and 5.13 kV.cm^-1 for 60 minutes. The result revealed that the corona discharge demolished the B. cinerea growth using 20 kV.cm^-1 for 10 min in the Petri dishes. In addition, the treated strawberries at 4.56 kV.cm^-1 had an average infection rate of 23.33% compared with non-treated samples rate of 45.33%. The HVEF-treated samples showed significantly lower mass losses. The analysis of variance showed that the HVEF did not significantly affect the total soluble solids content, pH, titratable acidity, and softness; however, the lower acidity affected the Botrytis cinerea growth. No significant differences were observed among the mean values in the colour change parameters and colour difference for 4.56 kV.cm^-1 compared with the control, while the lightness was significantly higher. The result show that the corona electrical field was able to demolish the B. cinerea growth, and an electric field intensity at 4.56 kV.cm^-1 was found to extend the strawberries' cold storage and to lead to a lower mass loss.

Selenium (Se), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn) play important antioxidant role during the transition period of dairy cattle. However, there is limited information about their blood fluctuations during the entire transition period, especially in heifers. Furthermore, it is questionable whether the use of clinoptilolite, a natural zeolite, affects the availability of these trace elements during this period. The objective of the present study was to monitor the blood concentrations of Se, Cu, and Zn during the transition period of dairy heifers and to investigate whether the dietary inclusion of clinoptilolite has any effect on them. Forty clinically healthy Holstein heifers were used in the experiment. They were randomly allocated in two equal groups (n = 20) formed according to their body condition score. The control group was fed only the basal ration whereas the daily feed of treatment group was supplemented with 200 g clinoptilolite. The experiment started 28 days before the expected day of calving and lasted until day 21 after parturition. Blood samples were taken at the onset of the experiment and then at weekly intervals until parturition, at the day of calving, and on days 7, 14, and 21. All samples were analyzed for blood Se and plasma Cu and Zn concentrations. The results indicate that the levels of Se, Cu, and Zn in blood change significantly (P < 0.05) throughout the transition period in dairy heifers and increase significantly (P < 0.05) immediately after calving. Furthermore, the dietary administration of clinoptilolite does not significantly affect their blood concentration (P > 0.05). Blood levels of Se, Cu, and Zn, although undergoing significant changes throughout the transition period in dairy heifers, remain practically stable until parturition and increase significantly immediately after calving. Clinoptilolite does not impair the dietary availability of the trace elements evaluated when added in heifers' rations during this period.

This study was conducted using three multiparous non-lactating rumen-cannulated Holstein-Friesian dairy cows, with the objective of evaluating the in situ ruminal degradability and fermentation characteristics of novel mixtures of winter cereal and Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) plus winter cereal silages (mixture A: triticale, oats, barley and wheat; mixture B: triticale, barley and wheat; mixture C: Italian ryegrass and oats; mixture D: Italian ryegrass, oats, triticale, barley and wheat). The rumen fermentation study was conducted replacing the ensiled mixtures (experimental diets) with vetch-triticale haylage in a total mixed ration (control diet). It was found that the effective protein degradability at 0.08 rumen outflow rates was 80.6% (mixture A), 66.2% (mixture B), 79.7% (mixture C) and 79.3% (mixture D). The effective neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and acid detergent fibre (ADF) effective degradability at 0.08 rumen outflow rates was 18.0% and 17.7% (mixture A), 19.7% and 20.5% (mixture B), 19.1% and 17.0% (mixture C), and 15.2% and 14.6% (mixture D), respectively. Different dietary treatments did not change (P > 0.05) the rumen fermentation characteristics as there was no difference (P > 0.05) between control and experimental diets, and the inclusion of 40-55% Italian ryegrass (mixture C and D) did not cause any difference. These results suggest that the mixture of winter cereals and Italian ryegrass plus winter cereal-based silages had good potentially degradable dry matter, effective dry matter and effective protein degradability at 0.01, 0.05 and 0.08 rumen outflow rates without affecting the rumen environment maintaining neutral pH. The ensiled mixtures had a moderate level of potentially degradable NDF and ADF fractions.

Cultivating crops influences soil organic matter (SOM), but the effect of different crops remains unclear, particularly under long-term monocropping. The objective of this study was to identify how different crops influence the content and chemical structures of SOM under long-term monocropping. Here, soils were sampled (0-20 cm) under 27-year soybean and maize monocropping and separated into different physical fractions. The content and chemical structures of SOM in all fractions were determined. SOM contents were higher under soybean than maize in bulk soil and macroaggregates and their light-fractions instead of microaggregates and silt and clay. The difference in SOM chemical structure was observed in aggregates and density fractions rather than bulk soils and supported by the result of principal component analysis. The proportion of O-alkyl C in macro- and microaggregates and all free light fractions and that of aromatic C in mineral-associated fractions were higher, while that of carbonyl C was lower under maize than soybean. These results demonstrated that different crops monocropping influences the content and chemical structures of SOM, and the variations were mainly in the light-fraction SOM and highlight a higher sensitivity of physical fractions than bulk soil to different crops.

Abstract: Phloridzin (phloretin-2'-O-glucoside) is a phenolic compound characteristic of the genus Malus. This study aimed to evaluate phloridzin as a marker of undeclared addition of apples in fruit products. To test this proposal, the heat and oxidation stability of phloridzin was firstly confirmed. Then the distribution and variability of phloridzin in apples were studied, showing no difference between the tested apple varieties (Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Rubin and Champion) but a significant difference in phloridzin content in seeds (2 380 ± 755 mg kg^-1) compared to peel, flesh and core, which contained less than 70 mg kg^-1. The effects of different stages of apple purée production at an industrial scale were also investigated. The kinetics of phloridzin diffusion from seeds to apple homogenate played an important role in the final phloridzin content in 16 analysed apple purées (26-39 mg kg^-1). Finally, the survey of phloridzin content in 31 fruit products in the market was carried out. Phloridzin was also measured in eight jams and fillings which did not declare the presence of apples on their labels; findings from 2 to 6 mg kg^-1 indicate the addition of apples from 5% to 20%. It was confirmed that phloridzin appears to be a suitable marker for detecting the undeclared presence of apples, which are a cheap substitute for the declared fruit types.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of two dietary protein levels on performance, carcass characteristics, and meat quality parameters in fast- (Ross 308), medium- (JA757), and slow-growing (ISA Dual) chickens to assess the interaction of the two factors. Each genotype was divided into a control group fed a commercial type of feed mixture and an experimental group fed a low-protein diet (LP). The trial was terminated after a common period of fattening of each genotype, and 20 chickens per group (sex ratio 1 : 1) were selected for the carcass and meat analysis. The results indicated that the LP diet decreased growth (P < 0.001) and increased feed consumption (P < 0.001) more in the fast-growing than in the slow-growing genotypes; however, reduced mortality was detected in fast-growing chickens. The LP diet had a negative effect on the European performance efficiency factor (P < 0.001) in fast- (-10%) and medium-growing (-6%) but not in slow-growing chickens. The main effect of the genotype on the carcass characteristics included the highest (P < 0.001) dressing out and breast percentage in fast-growing chickens and the highest (P < 0.001) percentage of thigh and abdominal fat in the slow-growing genotype. The LP diet had only a minor effect on the carcass traits. Regarding meat quality characteristics, slow-growing chickens were characterized by higher contents of dry matter (P < 0.001) and crude protein (P < 0.001) and lower contents of ether extract (P < 0.001) and cholesterol (P < 0.001) compared to medium- and fast-growing chickens. The individual effects of the genotypes were manifested by the largest cross-sectional area of the muscle fibres of pectoralis major in fast-growing chickens (P < 0.001). The results of the present study indicate a significant interaction of the dietary protein levels and genotypes in growth performance and a negligible effect on the carcass composition and physical and chemical quality of meat

In the Czech Republic, the afforestation of agricultural land has been supported by providing subsidies from the government and the European Union. Afforestation of less-productive agricultural land provides many benefits including carbon sequestration, soil erosion control, biodiversity, water retention, cooling, social benefits, decreasing noise and light pollution, increasing air quality, wind speed reduction, oxygen production, wood production and non-wood products. In some aspects, it is possible to produce wood of the same quality on former agricultural land compared to permanent forest land. In this study, we attempted to find out the course of temperatures and volumetric water content as well as some other physical soil properties (at depths of 20, 40 and 60 cm) 9 years after the afforestation of agricultural land (warm, mild dry region of the Czech Republic) with a mixture of broadleaved tree species (Quercus robur L., Quercus rubra L. and Acer platanoides L.) or monospecific Pinus sylvestris L. stand; the study was performed in the period from April to the beginning of November 2020. Concerning the studied physical soil properties, the value of bulk density was higher (and total porosity lower) at a depth of 20 cm in Pinus sylvestris L. compared with agricultural land or the mixture of broadleaves; the water stability of soil aggregates was higher after the afforestation with the mixture of broadleaves. The temperature was lower in the soil of afforested plots (at all studied depths) compared to the agriculturally used land. Differences in rainfall interception, transpiration, soil(and forest floor) properties and other factors could influence the obtained values of water content in the soil of the studied plots. The average volumetric water contents were the highest in the plots with Scots pine (depth of 20 cm) and broadleaves (depth of 40 cm), and on the control plot (depth of 60 cm). The volumetric water content at a soil depth of 20 cm was not significantly (P > 0.05) different when the plot with Scots pine and agriculturally used land were compared. In all other cases and depths, the differences between plots were significant (P < 0.05).