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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 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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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+.

Leaching is one of the most practical methods for improvement of saline soils and both the quality and the quantity of leaching water play an important role in desalinization of these soils. To determine the effects of different qualities and quantities of leaching water on salinity of drainage water during the growing season of wheat, pot experiments were conducted with a silty clay loam soil, a typical salt-affected soil in an arid region of central part of Iran. The experiment comprised the treatments of three irrigation water salinities (4, 9 and 12 dS/m) and four leaching levels (3, 20, 29 and 37%), using a factorial design with seven replications for each treatment. The results showed that at the beginning of the growing season the drainage water salinity was highest for all treatments. Then it started to decrease and depending on the quality and quantity of leaching water it became nearly constant or continued to decrease until the end of the growing season. The leaching of salts from the soil profile was more efficient during the first few irrigations and thereafter became less efficient. The increase of leaching level had a significant effect on the decrease of drainage water salinity. The comparison with steady-state mass balance of soil salt, sodium and chloride showed that the simple ratio of chloride in irrigation water to chloride in drainage water can be used to estimate the leaching fraction of saline soils with high accuracy.

Water deficit severely constrains sugar beet productivity by impairing photosynthetic capacity. However, the underlying structure-function mechanisms conferring photosynthetic resilience remain poorly characterised. This study investigates the temporal dynamics of photosynthetic limitations and structural adaptations in sugar beet during water deficit and subsequent rehydration. We found that water deficit significantly reduced the maximum net CO₂ assimilation rate (A_Nmax) and the Rubisco carboxylation rate (V_cmax) by impairing CO₂ diffusion and biochemical processes. The reduction in photosynthetic capacity is primarily and stably attributed to mesophyll limitation, while contributions from stomatal and biochemical limitations flexibly change with deficit degree and rehydration. Severe water deficit caused irreversible structural damage that hinders recovery even after rehydration, while moderate water deficit allows partial restoration of leaf and chloroplast function. Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) demonstrated that CO₂ diffusion was governed by the volume fraction of intercellular air space (f_ias, β = 0.28) and surface areas of the chloroplasts exposed to leaf intercellular air spaces (S_c/S, β = 0.35), with S_c/S indirectly influencing mesophyll conductance (g_m) through fias mediation (β = 0.53). Severe water deficit caused irreversible fias reduction and chloroplast interface damage (59% cell volume loss). These findings establish that resilience to water deficit in sugar beet depends on mesophyll structural integrity, with f_ias and S_c/S as key modulators of gm recovery. The study advances understanding of stress recovery mechanisms in sugar beet and provides a framework for multiscale crop improvement in the context of climate change.

Iris × germanica L. (bearded iris) is a popular ornamental plant with numerous commercially important cultivars; however, little is known about the genetic diversity and population structure of the species, as limited DNA markers have been explored. In this study, 34 722 expressed sequence tag (EST)-simple sequence repeat (SSR) loci were identified from RNA sequencing data. The most abundant SSR motifs belonged to the tri-nucleotide type, of which the most common were AGG/CCT followed by AAG/CTT. Overall, 50 primer pairs derived from these EST-SSRs were randomly selected and synthesized, and 22 primer pairs with good polymorphism effects were used for the following experiment. Correlation analysis of nine floral traits showed that most floral traits had significant correlations with each other. Association analysis between SSR molecular markers and nine floral traits showed that 11 EST-SSR markers were associated with 3–6 floral traits. The cluster tree constructed by using the unweighted pair group method demonstrated that the cultivars that had the same parents or similar colour were clustered together. The genotypic relations of most cultivars were consistent with their pedigree-based relationships. The EST-SSR loci identified in this study will facilitate the exploitation of genetic resources and molecular breeding of I. × germanica.

Abstract: Management of inbreeding is one of the crucial parts of breeding programs in livestock populations. Traditionally, the inbreeding coefficient is calculated using pedigree data; however, it can also be estimated from genomic data. Nowadays, various approaches to estimating genomic-based inbreeding coefficients are increasingly integrated into research and breeding practices. These genomic estimators can supplement or replace pedigree-based coefficients. Each genomic-based inbreeding coefficient has its own properties and different ranges of values, and some of them need specific settings for calculation. Moreover, depending on the methodological approach, genomic estimators are sensitive to the population structure, genotyping technology applied, and the quality control of obtained genomic data. It is important to consider all these factors when calculating and especially when interpreting the final genomic inbreeding values. For these reasons, using genomic-based inbreeding coefficients can be more challenging than using pedigree-based ones. In this review, we comprehensively evaluate the most commonly used genomic estimators of individual inbreeding in livestock, providing an in-depth analysis of their advantages and limitations while offering insights into the methodological considerations and best practices for their accurate calculation and interpretation.

National parks (NP) are the last refugia of forests dominated by the Nothofagus species in Chile. However, frequent, careless human-caused fires are destroying these forests even within the national parks. After large-scale fires, N. pumilio stands are unable to recover naturally neither in generative nor in vegetative ways and artificial regeneration must be resorted to in order to maintain their extent. However, even artificial regeneration is not successful without protection against browsing. Therefore, the aim of this study was to experimentally test a range of repellents and other methods of mechanical protection of seedlings against browsing. Five replicates of plots were placed in Torres del Paine NP, in different habitat conditions and with different methods of protection against browsing (11 repellents, wire mesh, plastic tube and control). In each plot, 12 seedlings were treated with each type of protection. In our experiment, only 8% of the seedlings were damaged by browsing, while the mortality rate was 38%. The results indicate a more significant effect of abiotic factors (mainly frost, drought or wind) on seedling mortality than browsing. In parallel, however, it is clear that, compared with the control, six of the eleven repellents used in the experiment showed a significantly positive effect. We suggest the use of plastic tubes as the best option to protect seedlings, which, in addition to providing 100% protection against browsing, are likely to provide more favourable microclimatic conditions for seedlings, similar to leaving the burned snags.

Drought-tolerant rootstocks with better performance regarding water deficit is important for sustaining orchard productivity, especially in regions where water availability is unpredictable. By selecting appropriate rootstocks, fruit growers can mitigate the adverse effects of insufficient water on yields. However, the response of specific rootstocks to drought remains unknown. Our study examined the drought tolerance of five plum rootstocks (Wavit, Torinell, Adesoto, Penta, and St. Julien) focusing on their physiological and biochemical responses. To assess their tolerance under drought conditions, we evaluated leaf relative water content (RWC), chlorophyll fluorescence, lipid peroxidation, hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), proline, and phenolic content. The results showed that Torinel exhibited the highest performance index (PIABS), maximum PSII photochemical efficiency (F_v/F_m), RWC, lowest lipid peroxidation and H₂O₂ during the drought-stress condition. Based on our results, we identified Torinel as a rootstock with a great ability to withstand drought, suggesting that it could be applied in the breeding program to increase plum resistance to drought. The study provides insights into the drought tolerance of different plum rootstocks, identifying which ones are better suited for cultivation in water-limited environments.

The results are presented of the estimation of sensory quality (shape, odour, colour, taste, consistency, crust, crumb etc.), mould and yeast counts, aw value, and pH in 8 bakery croissant-type products with nougat cream filling during storage under laboratory conditions (20 ± 2°C) for the periods of up to 90 days (0; 30; 45; 60; 75 and 90 days). The products differed in the type of dough (brioche, croissant), the aw value of the cream, and in the presence or absence of sorbic acid in the spirit spray applied onto the surface of the products under investigation. The above-indicated parameters were examined also in the nougat cream samples on day 0 and 90 of the storage. The selected quality parameters permitted to estimate the shelf life of the products in the dependence on various technological conditions (sorbic acid, recipe, aw value).

This study aimed to compare patterns in the genetic structure of 27 mature stands and the natural regeneration of A. alba in the Eastern and Western Carpathians within the introgression zone of two refugial lineages from the Apennine and Balkan peninsulas. The distribution of the genetic diversity of fir stands was analysed using paternally inherited chloroplast DNA and five nuclear dominant inter simple sequence repeat markers (ISSRs). The study showed that the Balkan haplotype prevailed in both parental and progeny populations, and this haplotype was found in many mature Eastern Carpathian stands. Relatively high levels of genetic diversity were found in the mature stands (effective number of alleles Ne = 1.517, Shannon index I = 0.436, expected heterozygosity He = 0.295) and progeny (Ne = 1.515, I = 0.436 and He = 0.294) of silver fir. The analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed slight differences among the mature fir stands from the Western and Eastern Carpathians, with a value of 1.1%. According to principal coordinates analysis (PCoA) and STRUCTURE analyses, the populations, including stands of mature and progeny trees, were genetically separated into two groups. Slight genetic differences between the mature and progeny populations in the Polish Carpathians indicate sound gene pool transmission, which is essential for creating new selection and breeding programmes.

The paper presents the results of a study on the impact of forest stand structure and development in 1998 to 2018 on the occurrence of dog's tooth violets (Erythronium dens-canis L.) in the Medník National Nature Monument, Czech Republic. The research was carried out in mixed European hornbeam and sessile oak stands, herb-rich European beech stands and the Sázava-river Norway spruce ecotype stands. The site and stand characteristics of the following three forest stand types were compared: 1) oak-hornbeam forests, 2) herb-rich beech forests and 3) secondary spruce forests. The results showed that the ratio of sterile and fertile plants was 2.9 to 1. The occurrence of E. dens-canis was higher in older stands with differentiated structure. On the contrary, stands characterized by a higher number of trees and basal area negatively affected the population size of E. dens‑canis. Significantly, the density of E. dens-canis decreased with increasing stand density index (SDI) and increased with increasing diameter differentiation index in relation to tree neighbours (TM_d). During the period of 20 years, the E. dens-canis population increased by 40.4% on permanent research plots, while the highest changes were observed on spruce plots (+92.1%) and the lowest increase was in oak-hornbeam forests (+18.0%). The highest numbers of E. dens-canis plants were found in herb-rich beech forests (1 774 plants.ha^-1), lower numbers occurred in oak-hornbeam forests (784 plants.ha^-1) and minimal in secondary spruce forests (51 plants.ha^-1).

Taro starch was modified and used as an alternative encapsulant for the microencapsulation of Lactobacillus plantarum SU-LS 36 by spray drying. Modification of taro starch was conducted by heat moisture treatment (HMT) and 2 autoclaving-cooling cycles (AC-2C). Microencapsulation of L. plantarum SU-LS 36 by spray dryer was done at constant air inlet (125 °C) and outlet temperature (50 °C), feed flow rate (4 mL min^-1), drying air flow rate (20 m3 h^-1) and air pressure (0.196 MPa). The modified taro starch AC-2C as an encapsulant material was able to produce round-shaped microcapsules and provided optimal protection during spray drying. The modified taro starch AC-2C is very promising to be used as an encapsulant for L. plantarum SU-LS36 since it showed better production yield (40.19%), high encapsulation efficiency (89.83%), protected the encapsulated bacteria from high temperature (70 °C), and showed the lowest viability decreasing during storage up to 6 weeks at room temperature.

The potential of antagonistic rhizobacteria in the management of bacterial blight of cotton caused by Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. malvacearum (Xam) was evaluated under greenhouse and field conditions. In this study, 93 bacterial isolates from the rhizosphere of cotton were screened for their efficacy in inhibiting the growth of Xam in vitro. Among them, 21 isolates were found to inhibit the in vitro growth of Xam. These isolates were identified as Pseudomonas fluorescens and Bacillus subtilis based on phenotypic characteristics, biochemical properties and using 16S-23S intergenic transcribed spacer-Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). Among the 21 isolates, the isolates P. fluorescens Pf32 and P. fluorescens Pf93 and B. subtilis B49 exhibited the maximum inhibitory activity against Xam. Talc-based powder formulations of the effective antagonistic isolates of P. fluorescens (Pf32, Pf93) and B. subtilis (B49) were developed and evaluated individually and in combination for their efficacy in the management of bacterial blight of cotton under greenhouse and field conditions. The P. fluorescens isolates Pf32 and Pf93 and Bacillus subtilis isolate B49 survived well in the talc-based formulation for more than 90 days. The application of a mixture of Pf32, Pf93 and B49 to seed, soil and foliage significantly reduced the bacterial blight incidence and increased the plant height, number of branches and number of bolls under field conditions. The plots treated with a mixture of Pf32, Pf93 and B49 recorded the maximum yield of 1915 kg/ha and 1512 kg/ha in trial I and trial II compared to 1210 kg/ha and 987 kg/ha in the untreated control, respectively.

Canine visceral leishmaniasis is a protozoan disease affecting most vital organs and also causing myocardial and/or renal damage. P-wave dispersion, a newly used non-invasive ECG indicator, is used to follow atrial arrhythmias, atrial fibrillation, valvular disease in both human and veterinary medicine. The purpose of this study involving Canine Visceral Leishmaniasis (CVL)-infected dogs in stage III and IV was to verify whether the P-wave dispersion was related to the renal failure. For this purpose, a total of 17 dogs of different ages, both sexes, comprising eleven animals with CVL (at stage III and IV) diagnosed using a rapid ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) test and serological IFAT (immunofluorescence.antibody titres) and six healthy dogs used as controls were enrolled. Significant differences between the P-wave dispersion (regarding the mean values) of the control, stage III and IV-infected groups (P = 0.003) were detected as follows: 21.8 ± 0.5, 20.6 ± 1.2 and 25.0 ± 0.4 ms, respectively. The P-wave dispersion value was moderately longer in the stage IV-infected group compared with the control one (P = 0.022), however, the aforementioned relationship was determined as significant between the stage IV and III-infected groups (P = 0.003). Regarding all of the biomarkers of the renal function monitored within this study, there were differences between the control and stage IV-infected group for the creatinine (P = 0.002), the control and stage IV-infected group for the urine protein/creatinine ratio (P < 0.001), and the stage III and stage IV-infected groups for the urine protein/creatinine ratio (P < 0.001). In conclusion, an increased P-wave dispersion was not associated with renal failure. It might be related to the limitation of our study including small sample sizes in the groups. Therefore, the cardiac indicators were not analysed. For more accurate results, it is desirable to perform further studies including a larger sample size along with an investigation of the cardiac and renal indicators.

At the locality Čebovce we found damage on Asimina triloba cv. Prima and Corylus avellana, which is not a typical host plant. 20% of branches on the host plant Asimina triloba cv. Prima were damaged by the Currant Clearwing moth larvae. The leaves on the infested branches started to wilt in mid-August.

Surface mulch is an important factor of soil protection technology in the cultivation of potatoes. Presented herein are the results of three years (2009-2011) of field trials at two sites (Leškovice and Uhříněves), where two cultivars (Finka and Katka) were grown. Three mulching treatments (grass mulch after planting, grass mulch before germination and black polypropylene mulch textile) were used in the study. The weight of marketable tubers (tuber over 40 mm) and tuber size distribution were influenced significantly by mulching. The application of grass mulch on surface of the row ensured a 20.5-24.8% increase of weight of marketable tubers and higher occurrence of tubers over 56 mm (resp. tubers 56-60 mm and over 60 mm). There was no consistent effect of grass mulch on the aboveground biomass of weeds. Higher occurrences of larvae of Colorado potato beetle was found on the plots with black polypropylene textile in warmer site Uhříněves.

In the present study, free amino acid (AA) regulation in the arsenic (As) hyperaccumulating ferns was evaluated in a pot experiment to determine the relationship between As stress and the characteristic change in metabolism of AAs. The ferns Pteris cretica cv. Albo-lineata (Pc-Al) and cv. Parkerii (Pc-Pa) were exposed to As treatments at 0, 20, 100, and 250 mg As/kg for 90 days. Greater As content, as well as higher biomass production, were identified in Pc-Al compared with Pc-Pa. Ferns showed changes in the stress metabolism of free AA homeostasis. These results indicate a disturbance in nitrogen metabolism and depletion of pool assimilated carbon metabolism. In the fronds and roots, Pc-Pa accumulated higher amounts of free AAs than Pc-Al. The total free AA content, as well as the ratio of the main AA family pathway (glutamate family), were increased by the accumulation of toxic As in the ferns. Results suggest that Pc-Al tolerates higher As doses better due to changes in AA biosynthesis; however, at higher As doses, Pc-Pa upregulated AA biosynthesis due to As toxicity. The most abundant free AAs of ferns was glutamine, which was enhanced by As. Furthermore, the ratios of selected individual free AAs revealed a characteristic phenotype difference between ferns.

Soil aggregate structure and soil organic matter are closely interrelated and commonly considered as key indicators of soil quality. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of different fallow durations on indices of soil structure and humus status indicators. Studies were conducted on abandoned agricultural fields (15, 20 and, 35 years after abandonment). As a reference site, we used a cultivated field in the area. The experimental soil fields are classified as Gleyic Cambisols. Soil macroaggregates were separated with the sieve (dry sieve) to seven aggregate size fractions, i.e.> 10, 10-5, 5-2, 2-1, 1-0.5, 0.5-0.25 and < 0.25 mm. The humus status parameters of soils included the following indicators: soil organic carbon (C_org), humus reserves (Q_H), the degree of humification of organic matter (SOM_dh), fractions of humic acids (HA) (free and bound with monovalent cations and Al₂O₃, Fe₂O₃, bound with Cа²⁺ which forms humates, bound with clay minerals), fulvic acids (FA) (free aggressive) and ratio of HA to FA (C_HA : C_FA). After a fallow period of more than 20 years on the surface formation of a sod layer. A long-term fallow period had an impact on the mean weight diameter of the aggregates (MWD) and agronomically valuable aggregates (AVA). Fallow soils have a significantly better structure than soils under a cultivated field. Long-term cultivation leads to the deterioration of soil structure and the formation of large aggregates (>10 mm). The C_org content remains at the level of the background content when the soils are left fallow for less than 15 years and increases over time. The C_org in the upper 0-20 cm soil layer has been shown to increase from 3.55 to 8.74% on arable land that has been fallow for 35 years and has been largely associated with significant accumulation of organic matter within the plant root mass. Mature sites are characterized by an increase of fulvic acids in the humus composition in comparison with their arable analogues. The abandonment of soil agricultural use and the cessation of mechanical tillage results in the restoration of the natural structure of soils and the improvement of their agrophysical properties. Such studies have not been previously conducted in the Primorsky region of the Russian Far East.

Cholecystokinin (CCK) affects the intestinal motility but in ruminants the question has not been entirely explored. The aim of this study was to examine the precise effects of CCK-octapeptide (CCK-OP)and its amphibian analogue, cerulein, on duodenal motor activity in unfasted rams in the course of chronic experiments. Five rams underwent the implantation of a strain gauge force transducer to the duodenal wall, and - additionally - the bipolar platinum electrodes to the duodenal bulb, distal duodenum, near the strain gauge force transducer, and proximal jejunum. During continuous motor recordings, 0.15M NaCl or CCK peptides were administrated intravenously. Injections of CCK-OP at doses of 20 (over 30 s), 200 (over 30 or 60 s), and 2 000 (over 30, 60, or 120 s) ng/kg of body weight and injections of cerulein at doses of 1, 10, or 100 ng/kg (given over the same periods) were each administered in the course of duodenal phase 1, 2a, or 2b of the migrating motor complex (MMC), i.e. 5 min after the onset of each phase. Injections of the smallest doses of CCK peptides exerted a slight and mostly insignificant effect on the duodenal areas under contraction (AUC). In the duodenum, the moderate doses of the hormones evoked short stimulatory effects followed by longer inhibitory biphasic effects on AUC. These effects were inversely related to the duration of the hormone injection. It is concluded that CCK evokes stimulatory and inhibitory (biphasic) physiological effects on duodenal motility in sheep.

Intensive tilapia egg incubation techniques create favourable conditions for microbial proliferation which often leads to massive mortalities of fish larvae. The effects of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) eggs exposure to bronopol on decontamination of their bacterial surface and survival of larvae were observed. Immersion treatments of fertilized eggs were applied at 10, 25, 50, 100, and 250 mg/l of bronopol for 10, 20, and 30 min. This treatment substantially reduced the number of bacteria on Nile tilapia eggs. The greatest reduction in bacterial numbers (1.58 × 10³ colony forming units/g of egg) was observed at the maximum treatment dosage, i.e. 250 mg/l for 30 min, but this was not significant when compared with treatments of 100-250 mg/l bronopol for 10-30 min. Treatments of 50-250 mg/l bronopol provided better larval survival (89.33-94.67%) than those of < 50 mg/l (P < 0.05). The larval survival obtained from the Nile tilapia eggs disinfected with 10 and 25 mg/l bronopol for 10-30 min was similar to that of negative controls (79.33-80.97%). Additional in vitro test was performed to determine the inhibitory potency of bronopol against bacteria cultured from fertilized Nile tilapia eggs. Twenty-two bacterial isolates (Aeromonas hydrophila (n = 12), Staphylococcus aureus (n = 6), Escherichia coli (n = 2), and Micrococcus spp. (n = 2)) responded to minimum inhibitory concentrations of bronopol ranging from 64 to 128 µg/ml. The study demonstrates that the immersion treatment of Nile tilapia fertilized eggs with 250 mg/l for 10-30 min, the concentration proven effective against bacteria cultured from fertilized eggs, significantly reduced bacterial load and improved larval survival.

Water stress decreases the quality of fruit by generating reactive oxygen species. Grafting is a technique that can improve the efficiency of crop water usage. This work was performed in order to assess the effect of different water stresses on the commercial and nutraceutical quality of a melon fruit. Cantaloupe melon plants, grown under shade houses were grafted onto a creole pumpkin rootstock and grown with different water stresses (20, 30, and 40 kPa). The grafted melon plants under 30-kPa water stress (G30) showed greater fruit firmness and increased catalase activity. The G30 fruits showed an increase in GPX activity of up to 80% over the non-grafted plants. The GSH was higher in fruits subjected to the 40-kPa water tension. The superoxide dismutase showed a 15% greater inhibition in the fruits from the non-grafted plants. At higher water tensions, the DPPH antioxidant activity decreased, while the vitamin C content increased.

The hazards from wind, sand, and soil erosion caused by human activities, such as residue slopes in abandoned urban mines, have resulted in a vicious circle of environmental degradation. Selecting the optimal protective engineering method in mountainous areas has become a major difficulty in recent years, and the primary goal of our research is to accelerate the process of ecosystem reconstruction to maintain water and soil quality. In this study, cover soil of 10, 20, and 30 cm in depth was spread on the 30° accumulation slopes composed of loose residue from the Huangyuan Quarry, Beijing, and combined with two protection measures: eco-bags and bamboo fences. Runoff and soil loss from the aboveground, soil and residue layers were measured under rainfall intensities of 30, 60 and 120 mm/h generated with a rainfall simulator. The results indicated that both eco-bags and bamboo fences decreased runoff and soil loss. Bamboo fences were better at intercepting water under low runoff, whereas soil loss was more strongly reduced by eco-bags. The analysis also demonstrated that the depth of soil cover had an effect on runoff and soil loss. These findings will enrich the understanding of the effects of human activities on surface mines and provide a scientific basis for the ecological restoration of mines using engineering methods.