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Zemspol, Dešná, Ltd is a large corporation engaged in various aspects of agriculture in the Czech Republic, including agricultural production, the assembly, maintenance and repair of agricultural machinery, the production of feed stuffs and feed mixtures,special agricultural services demanding special entitlement, business related matters and accounting. This paper focuses on agricultural production. The farm manages 2 100 hectares of agricultural land suitable for growing potatoes, although the largest area is used for growing wheat. The range of produce remains constant. Regarding livestock, the corporation specializes in cattle with the steady head count 250 for the past 15 years. These are predominantly red and white cattle, optimized for both milk and meat production. The average annual production is 1 350 000 litres of milk and 250 tons of beef. The agricultural farm can be described as being a strong perfomer with a very stable base, good reputation and very attractive products, both of crops and livestock. In order to keep this enviable status, frequent internal and external environmental analyses are undertaken.

The purpose of the situation analysis of the external environment is to find what is happening in the company environment now and in the future and how these factors will influence the activities and existence of the company. The paper deals with a situation analysis of the external environment of a specific company. This paper describes the external environment of the United Bakeries company using the STEPE analysis and in addition a situation analysis of the external environment was made. Next the probability estimation of the occurrence and influence of the factors is made for today, and for the near and long-term future.

The paper deals with the analysis of the typology of unemployed people in agriculture. Approximately 35-40% of people from this unemployment group have already no more chance to be reintegrated into the labour market. The analysis points to out the regional occurrence of this type of unemployment (less urbanised sub-mountain areas, stagnating and backward regions facing various processes of de-industrialisation, etc) and evaluates its wider socio-economic impacts. After 2000, the fragmentation of employment contracts in the corporative types of farms (agricultural co-operatives and companies) begins to appear in the agricultural sector. The category of seasonal agricultural workers with decreased labour and social protection begins to emerge as well. As a result of the strategy to cope with the situation, a certain self-supplying (subsistence farming) subculture was established in the Slovak rural areas to mitigate the difficult economic conditions of the rural households endangered by income deprivation, including the decreased purchasing power of rural population.

Previous experiences with breeding of lime tree (Tilia cordata Miller) in European countries are shown in this paper. The first results were obtained from the evaluation of juvenile planting of lime tree (Tilia cordata Miller) in the Czech Republic, founded in the School Forest Enterprise Kostelec nad Černými lesy. Lime tree clones (initially cultivated in vitro) were evaluated for growth parameters and also according to the growth form of the different clones. Individual clones were also checked for mortality.

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of endothelin-1(ET-1) on pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) and pulmonary hypertension syndrome (PHS, ascites) morbidity in broilers. Two hundred and seventy of one-day-old Arbor Acre commercial broiler chickens were randomly allocated into two experiments. In Experiment 1, 40 broilers (28 days of age) were intravenously with five different dose groups of ET-1, and the PAP was measured from time 0 to 30 min. The results indicated that the PAP increased from time 0.5 to 5 min after the broilers were injected with ET-1 at concentrations of 24 ng/kg (Group T1), 120 ng/kg (Group T2), and 240 ng/kg (Group T3). When the broilers were injected with ET-1 at a concentration of 360 ng/kg (Group T4), the PAP decreased immediately from time 0 to 0.5 min but increased from time 0.5 to 10 min. The change from baseline (at time 0, before the injection) of PAP values from the four treatment groups were statistically compared with that from the control group (Group C). The statistical analysis has demonstrated that there is no significant difference of the changes from the baseline between Group T1 or Group T2 and control group (Group C). However, there are significant differences in the changes between Group T3 or Group T4 and control group (Group C). In Experiment 2, 230 broilers were divided into four groups: a control group (Group C, n = 50) and three treatment groups (Groups A, B, and D). The chickens in the two treatment groups (Groups A and B, nn = 60 each) were intravenously injected with ET-1 at 240 ng/kg and 360 ng/kg, respectively. Those in Group D (n = 60) were exposed to cool temperatures (10°C to 14°C). The PHS morbidity, right/total ventricular weight (RV/TV) ratio, PCV, plasma nitric oxide (NO), and PAP were recorded and statistically compared. The results showed that PHS mortality did not occur in Group C, and trends toward increases in PHS mortality in Groups A, B and D were not significant. The RV/TV ratio and PAP were higher in groups A, B and D than in group C. The values for PCV and plasma nitric oxide (NO) followed the same tendencies as the RV/TV ratio. The results suggest that ET-1 at higher doses (240 ng/kg to 360 ng/kg) can initiate pulmonary hypertension and right ventricular hypertrophy, leading to PHS in broilers.

The study analyses the growth of beech seedling fine roots and their development in the first five years. The research plots were established in 1997-2003 in community forests of Starý Plzenec (Western Bohemia, Czech Republic). The data are based on annual reviews of beech samplings extracted from surveyed plots. The whole root volume as well as the fine root volume is significantly (on a 95% significance level) growing during the first years after outplanting and there is not any disruption of growth immediately after outplanting.

The degree of the beech bark necrotic disease was evaluated in three selected localities in southern Poland, in different orographic complexes, Beskid Sądecki, Beskid Niski, and Bieszczady. The degree is expressed by means of the stem necrotising index (I_SN ), crowns necrotising index (I_CN ), and whole tree necrotising index (I_NWT ). The values of the indices laid in the following limits: I_SN 0.73-0.84%, I_CN 0.12%-0.51%, and I_NWT 0.84%-0.90%. The current status of the beech necrotic disease in Southern Poland can be considered as favourable. The values of I_SN recorded in Southern Poland were lower by 30% than the average I_SN for whole Slovakia. We also recorded the frequency of selected insect pests (Bucculatrix ulmella Zeller, Cryptococcus fagi Bärensp., and Ectoedemia liebwerdella Zimm.), which act in the beech stands as vectors of the necrotic disease. With C. fagi, we recorded a high frequency reaching even 100%. In contrast, we did not at all observe the occurrence of B. ulmella and E. liebwerdella, which are common in the beech stands in Slovakia, as well as in Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria. In the localities studied, we recorded the occurrence of two species of parasitic fungi of the genus Nectria (Fr.) Fr. causing the beech bark necrotic disease, viz. Nectria cosmariospora Ces et De Not. and N. galligena Bres. ex Strasser.

The paper deals with the possibilities of arsenic analysis in the soil. The aim is the selection and verification of the methods for analysis of As in the soil, which seem to be suitable for risk evaluation based on the increased As soil load. Economical and analytical availability of the methods is an important criterion. A sample set of 6 heavily contaminated soils was used to compare application potential of prevalent as well as less common procedures for determination of arsenic forms in soils. The results showed that substitution of analytically more demanding As total content analysis and sequential analysis for simple extraction using one-off agents seemed to be promising in many cases. The comparison and evaluation of statistical correlation of used methods of As analysis in the soil was realised. The results suggested that using the combination of simple 1M NH₄NO₃ extraction and determination procedure for amorphous Fe forms in the soil (the Tamm method) was suitable for the risk assessment stemming from the As contamination without necessity of the application of more complicated sequential extraction procedures.

Crop yields are reduced by 70-80% due to a water stress situation specifically during the reproductive stage and are not able to fulfil the needs of food requirement in developed and developing countries of the world. Earlier work was mainly focused on the use of morphological or physiological and molecular aspects for improved stress tolerance. Efforts are being made to overcome this problem with the help of today's sophisticated and advanced technology through genomics, proteomics and metabolomics. The presented model summarizes our work in the last five years to mine anatomical parameters as a novel approach to further improving introgression or exploitation of stress adaptive traits. We have focused on some key anatomical traits playing a substantial role in water stress tolerance. This new conceptual model encompasses increased palisade mesophyll height, higher leaf strength index (LSI), higher number of conducting tissues with increased diameter in leaf, stem and root and controlled transpiration rate due to a lower number of stomata per unit leaf area along with the increased guard cell size. Different plants viz. Lycopersicon esculentum, Capsicum annuum, and Calotropis gigantea were screened by developing polyploids to validate this model approach. Genotypes of Vitis vinifera and Solanum melongena were also screened. Wild relatives like Lycopersicon esculentum var. cerasiforme and Solanum khasianum were evaluated for comparison. These observations were further correlated with various stress adaptation traits like yield under stress, in vitro screening, chlorophyll content, transpiration heating and cooling, molecular markers etc. A new scoring method is proposed which will be helpful to screen a large set of germplasms on a preliminary basis to discriminate genotypes for drought tolerance. There is an urgent need to study the genetics of these stress adaptive traits using high throughput molecular markers to make them more useful for a higher magnitude of genetic gain.

The study compares two methods for modeling the potential distribution of pests when applied to the European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalisHubner). The development of the European corn borer (ECB) is known to be closely correlated with daily air temperature as well as other climate variables. The climatic parameters are, therefore, used to predict the potential geographical distribution using tested tools such as CLIMEX or ECAMON. These models consider the climatic suitability of a given site/region for the pest's development and, thus, the possible establishment of a population at a given location. In this study, meteorological data from 1961 to 2000 and from 45 meteorological stations were used to characterise the current climate conditions in the Czech Republic. Validation was based on available field data of the occurrence of ECB in the same period. The climate parameters were later modified according to the estimates based on the combination of three SRES emission scenarios and three global circulation models. Under all climate change scenarios, we noted a marked shift of the pest's potential niches to higher altitudes, which might lead to an increase in the infestation pressure during the first half of this century. The present area of the univoltine population will increase due to temperature increases even above 800 m a.s.l. In addition there is a risk of the establishment of a bivoltine population in the main agricultural areas and 38% of arable land in the Czech Republic before 2050.

The first part of the study concerns the effect of the stage of maturity on nutrient content and leaf percentage of lucerne (Medicago sativa). The plants of lucerne were harvested and analysed at several stages of growth. The crop yield and changes in the concentration of nutrients were determined. The leaf percentage from whole herbage and leaf yield were determined as well. The leaf percentage at the growth stage of small buds was significantly (P < 0.05) higher than at the growth stage of bloom in all three cuts (1^st cut 52.7% vs. 46.62%; 2^nd cut 52.03% vs. 44.70%; 3^rd cut 50.58% vs. 46.26%). Crude protein content of lucerne was decreased significantly (P < 0.05) from the large bud growth stage (small buds 219.6 g/kg DM and large buds 203.1 g/kg DM vs. bloom 173.5 and after bloom 154.2). In the second part of the study, the effect of silage additives on fermentation characteristics of lucerne was investigated. The bacterial inoculant (containing homo- and heterofermentative lactic acid bacteria), chemical additive (containing formic acid, propionic acid, ammonium formate and benzoic acid) and the bacterial inoculant with benzoic acid were used for the improvement of fermentation process.The addition of the inoculant with L. buchneri increased acetic acid (P < 0.05) concentration compared to the silage with chemical additive (group I with inoculant - 1.22%; group Ch with chemical additive - 0.84%; group ICh with chemical additive and inoculant - 1.43). Control silage (C) without additive contained 1.14% acetic acid in dry matter.

Peat-based and peat-free (compost) materials were tested in a vegetable forcing experiment with Danubia green pepper (Capsicum annuum L.). Stability and quality of humic substances and the turnover of different nitrogen forms was determined in the studied media during the vegetation period. The main objective was to find how the degree of humification might influence the productivity of a crop under greenhouse conditions. The highest humus stability and humus stability coefficient values were detected in the green waste compost. Among different peat media, the low-moor peat was more humificated than the mixture of low-moor and high-moor peat. When the medium is more humificated it has a larger mobile nitrogen reserve. However, the structure stability decreases with the increasing humification. The mixture of two types of peat had the most favourable effect on nitrogen supply and the yield of pepper was the highest when grown on this medium. The nitrogen supplying ability of the examined compost was excellent but its structure stability deteriorated during the growing season.

Two different models (WBS FLAB, WaSiM-ETH) were used in the project HochNatur (flood prevention and nature conservation in the Weißeritz catchment in the Eastern Ore Mts. - Erzgebirge) to determine risk areas with quick runoff processes and to simulate the discharge. It was done in different scales, in the mesoscale Weißeritz catchment as well as two selected subcatchments with different natural and urban conditions, the Weißbach subcatchment with a well-structured landscape, the Höckenbach subcatchment with a greater part of arable land. On the basis of selected scenarios, the effect of land use changes on the runoff generation processes of an area and on the hydrograph is described. Land use changes are able to reduce the portion of quick runoff components, the water erosion and the discharge. The effect occurs especially in smaller catchments and with short heavy rains (events with a frequency of occurrence of 5-50 years). Depending on the present situation the changes have to include areas of more than 25% of the catchments area to cause a significant effect. It became apparent that nature conservation and flood prevention agree well in their requirements with the land use. A rich structured landscape proved to be extraordinarily positive for both, flood prevention and nature conservation.

The article supplies the information concerning the transformation of informal MFIs to formal ones (Srnec, Havrland 2006). It underlines some risks of finance investors to the microfinancial segment of money market. Financial investors influence the possible development of MFIs and reverse. In contrary, MFIs can farcify or weaken the economic development in local areas and thus to decrease the financial effect and farm sustainable development.

This paper analyses the impact of the LFA payments on farms economic results on the basis of the Farm Accountancy Data Network in the Czech Republic. Firstly, the approaches are compared to the structure of farms based on the LFA type. Secondly, the share of the LFA payments on economic results of farms is evaluated. The evaluation considers the LFA type, share of grassland, size of the eligible area of farms. Basic economic indicators are being monitored, such as Gross Farm Income, Farm Net Value Added, Family Farm Income, current subsidies, of which in particular the LFA payments. The share of the LFA payments in economic results of agricultural holdings is compared. As a result of the analysis, the winners and losers of the current system were defined.

An approximately 7-year-old 1.7kg, female Siamese cat with a history of a malocclusion and an inability to open its mouth was referred the Animal Medical Center, Chonbuk National University. The cat had shown signs since it was adopted four years earlier but the cause was not determined. The mandible was deviated 2 mm to left, the mouth could be opened only 2 mm and attempts to open the jaws caused considerable pain. Radiographs indicated new bone formation and a loss of joint space in the right temporomandibular joint(TMJ). 3-dimensional CT showed bony fusion and bone thickness in the right TMJ. The physical, 3-dimensional CT and radiographic examinations revealed right TMJ ankylosis. Under general anesthesia, surgical treatment was performed to remove the ankylosis block with subsequent interpositional arthroplasty using a temporalis myofascial flap. The patient showed distinct improvement in both the articular functionality and clinical signs.

The population dynamics of wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus) was studied in three forest complexes differing in food supply in the intensively managed landscape of southern Moravia. They included an old semi-natural floodplain forest dominated by oak (HL), production broadleaved forest with the predominance of oak and robinia (HA) and a pheasantry with various forest stands consisting of diverse species and age categories of trees with a quantity of additional food for additional feeding of pheasants and roe deer (RB). The population fluctuation within six-year monitoring was affected by seed years (acorn crops in 2003 and 2006), which resulted in an increase in the species population density in the next year. Statistically significant effects of the crop of acorns on the body weight of monitored species were also detected (P < 0.01, F = 1.44). Relative abundance differed significantly between the floodplain forest (HL) and RB and HA (P < 0.01). The two last-mentioned sites did not differ and only a trend of greater preference to the most variable biotope in RB was noted. It evidences the unsuitability of floodplain forest for the species. In spite of the food specialization in small seeds significant effects of the excess crop of acorns can result in a rapid increase in the Apodemus sylvaticus population which can then cause damage to the natural regeneration of oak or artificial regeneration by seeding although to a substantially smaller extent than the more harmful A. flavicollis.

Fluorescent Maillard compounds measurement provides more specific information on the extent of the Maillard reaction than other unspecific tools to monitor the reaction, and is suitable, as the first approach, to assess the nutritional quality of foods as related to protein damage. This work presents an optimised laboratory procedure for the measurement of total fluorescent intermediate compounds (FIC) associated with Maillard reaction, described and evaluated in a cereal-based product. Total FIC are evaluated using increased pronase E concentrations and different incubation times for the enzymatic hydrolysis, as well as three different sample clean-up steps after the enzymatic digestion. The effects of basic/acid media are considered for the stability of the fluorescent compounds. The standardised procedure is finally applied to breakfast cereals as a model of cereal-based products, analysing the correlation between total FIC production and fibre and protein contents. It is demonstrated that fluorescent compounds are mainly linked to the protein backbone in ready-to-eat breakfast cereals. Fluorescence measurement is presented as an inexpensive, rapid and accurate procedure to study the extent of Maillard reaction in breakfast cereals.

Perilipin, encoded by the PLIN gene, is a lipid droplet-associated phosphoprotein that functions as a key regulator of triacylglycerol storage and hydrolysis in adipocytes. In this study, structure and variability of the porcine PLIN gene were characterised. PCR fragments encompassing exons 1 to 9 and interspersed introns were sequenced and the obtained sequence was deposited in EMBL/GenBank/DDBJ databases (AM931171). Seven silent polymorphisms and one nonsynonymous polymorphism were detected in the coding sequence. The nonsynonymous polymorphism g.627G>A causing an amino acid substitution p.Val3Ile was found only in Meishan and Meishan × Piétrain cross. Associations were studied between loci g.4119A>G and g.7966T>C, and average daily gain (ADG), backfat thickness (BFT) or lean meat content (LMC) in 166 gilts from two herds. Due to supposed complete linkage disequilibrium between loci g.4119A>G and g.7966T>C only genotype combinations AA-TT, AG-TC and GG-CC were detected. A significant difference (P = 0.0290) between GG-CC and AG-TC genotype combinations for BFT in herd 2 and a suggestive difference (P = 0.0516) between GG-CC and AA-TT genotypes for ADG in herd 1 were detected.

In this study, the aim was to investigate the anatomy of the aortic arch in ground squirrels (Spermophilus citellus). Five ground squirrels were investigated. The materials were carefully dissected and the arterial patterns of arteries originating from the aortic arch were examined. The brachiocephalic trunk and the left subclavian artery were separated from the aortic arch. The brachiocephalic trunk first gave the left common carotid artery, and then the right subclavian and common carotid artery detached from it. In all the animals examined, at the cranial thoracic entrance and after leaving from this entrance, similar branches arising from the left and right subclavian arteries were the common branch of the internal thoracic artery and the intercostal suprema artery, separate branches as the vertebral and descending scapular arteries and a common branch of the cervical superficial, the cervical profund, the suprascapular arteries and the spinal ramus. After separation of these branches, the continuation of the artery gave the external thoracic artery on the external face of the thoracic cavity and then formed the axillar artery. The axillary artery separated into the subscapular and the brachial arteries. In conclusion, the pattern of arteries originating from the aortic arch and the branches of these arteries were partially similar to what has been observed in red squirrels, and thus differ from other rodents and domestic mammals.

An endophytic fungus of soyabean (Glycine max) roots, Fusarium oxysporum, was used to study its activity under heavy metals (Cd²⁺, Mn²⁺ and Zn²⁺) stress and the role of rock phosphate (RP) in alleviation of the stress. F. oxysporum growth, amino acids and protein were increased by increasing RP concentration (1-6 g/l) after 8 and 14 days. Heavy metals (HM) have a stressing effect on F. oxysporum - a significant decrease of amino acids, protein and accumulation of sugar at 1mM/l follows a descending order of Cd²⁺ > Mn²⁺ > Zn²⁺. RP is altering the stressing effects of metal on F. oxysporum by a significant growth improvement at 3 and 6 g/l RP, increase of amino acids, protein and decrease of sugar. The solubilization of RP increased under HM application, which may be attributed to an increase of the adsorption of HM by increasing RP concentration. RP has the highest adsorption affinity for Cd²⁺ (81%) followed by Zn²⁺ (71%) and Mn²⁺(55%).

Achievements and prospects of wheat breeding for disease resistance in the world and in the Czech Republic are reviewed. Attention is paid to rusts, powdery mildew, leaf blotch, glume blotch, tan spot, fusarium head blight, common and dwarf bunt, eyespot, barley yellow dwarf virus on wheat and wheat dwarf virus. Genes for resistance to rusts and powdery mildew in the cultivars registered in the Czech Republic are listed. Promising resistance genes and sources of resistance to the above mentioned diseases are reviewed. Prospects of resistance breeding including application of methods of molecular genetics and development of synthetic hexaploids are outlined.

Fifteen registered winter wheat cultivars were tested for reaction to common bunt in 2-years trials. A mixture of seven Czech proveniences of common bunt was used for inoculation. Cvs Globus and Bill were most resistant in both years. The reaction of these two cultivars to 16 Czech and German samples of common bunt of different proveniences was also tested. On cvs Globus and Bill only one sample in one year caused bunt incidence 29.3% and 19.3%, whereas the incidence caused by other bunt samples was below 10% and 15%, respectively.

This experiment investigated the effect of olive cake in the feed of weaned Pramenka lambs on their daily gain, carcass traits and on the chemical composition of different groups of muscles. For that purpose, 45 male lambs were divided into three groups with 15 lambs each and fed separately for 50 days. The first group (control) was fed a commercial concentrate, while the second and third (test) groups were fed a concentrate with the addition of 15% and 30% olive cake, respectively. The results showed that the high level of olive cake inclusion (30%) decreased (P < 0.01) daily gain, final weight, empty carcass weight and (P < 0.05) dressing percentage of lambs. The olive cake resulted in a significantly higher (P < 0.01) proportion of stomach and intestines in the carcass compared to the control. The content of fat, proteins and dry matter in all the analyzed groups of muscles was lowest in the carcasses of lambs fed olive cake. The results of this research suggest that the addition of 15% of olive cake to the concentrate had no significant negative effect on daily gain, carcass weight and dressing percentage of lambs.

In order to achieve success on the domestic and foreign markets, the producers and distributors should know the customers´ behavior and possibilities how to positively affect it for their advantage. The consumers carry out many shopping decisions every day. Most of the big sellers study these decisions in order to know what, where, when, how, how much or how many and why the customers buy. The marketers have to know how the consumers will react to different marketing programmes used by the company. The communication media such as information carriers are objective decision of the individual advertising sponsors. This paper shows the volume of financial means invested by the advertising sponsors, production groups as well as the analysis of the food advertising market and the following survey of the biggest food advertisers in the Slovak Republic.

A simple and rapid multiresidue method for the determination of nine banned synthetic dyes in various spices has been developed. Reversed phase HPLC coupled with mass spectrometry (tandem in time-ion trap mass analyser) was employed for the examination of crude acetonitrile extract acidified with acetic acid. The detection limits of Para Red, Sudan Orange G, Sudan I, Sudan II, Sudan III, Sudan IV, Sudan Red 7B and Rhodamine B were in the range of 0.02-0.1 mg/kg, the recoveries ranged from 75.7-92.3% with repeatability of 0.9-11.3%. Rather worse performance characteristics were obtained with Tropaeolin 000, obviously due to its more polar nature as compared to other dyes involved in this study. In spite of that, the developed method can be used for a reliable control of a wide range of dyes used for illegal colouring of various spices.

We conducted a pot experiment to evaluate the Cd and Zn accumulation in leaves and roots of Salix smithiana (BOKU-03DE-001) and S. caprea (BOKU-01AT-004) clones grown on a metal-contaminated soil as affected by native microbes extracted from the same experimental soil, and the fungus Cadophora finlandica. Plant biomass production of S. smithiana was decreased in all the treatments compared to the sterilized control. In contrast, S. caprea grew best on the non-sterilized soil. Similar effects were observed for plant Zn and Cd contents. Microbial treatments affected metal accumulation differently in the two Salix species. The effects of the microbial treatments on biomass and metal content of leaves were not related to the degree of mycorrhization. A comparison with literature data suggests that the plant response to microbial inoculation in terms of metal accumulation may depend on the plant-internal metal concentration. Our findings also illustrate a difficulty of successful rhizosphere management using metal-tolerant microbial isolates to further enhance the phytoextraction process.

In our work, we focus on the evolutionary studies of sex chromosomes. As model organisms we use several species of the plant genus Silene. An important part of our research is represented by genetic mapping based on the assays of DNA length or sequence polymorphisms. Apart from the other methods we also use the dCAPS method, which is very useful for detection of the sequence polymorphisms (SNPs). This method is unique as it is able to detect SNPs that are not situated in any restriction site; a fundamental principle of this method is usage of primer designed with one or two mismatches that bring into the target sequence the mutation in vicinity of SNP. Using this method, we found out some improvements that can make analyses more cost-effective.