Fulltext search in archive

Irrigation with saline waters is an agricultural practice that becomes increasingly common as competition for fresh water increases. In this study, three strawberry cultivars (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) were tested for their salt tolerance. For this purpose, five salinity levels in water with electrical conductivities (EC_i) of 1.1, 1.6, 2.1, 2.5, 2.9 dS/m and river water as control (0.5 dS/m) were used in a randomised design with four replications. Percent leaf damage at two dates and accumulation of salts in soil were determined for each cultivar. Considering the results, Maraline is the most tolerant to salinity. Severe effects of salt on Muir and Tudla growth were observed even at EC_i 1.1 dS/m. The higher the level of EC_i of irrigation water, the higher the soil EC_e produced. In general, the highest soil EC_e's were produced by Muir followed by Tudla experiment.

The area of vineyards has increased to 19 261.5 hectares and the number of wine producers to 18.292 by 1 May 2004. This branch needs a long-term study that will lead to the establishment of the new politics for viniculture and wine-growing, related to the needs of the region. The trends are compared to the main European producer - France, and another country from the so called "New World"- the South African Republic. The researches are focused on the consumption of wine by population, share in the gross national product, employment in this branch, areas of vineyards, and number of wine-growers.

The study deals with the problems of territorial marginality in Slovakia. It illustrates the content structure of regional marginality, its factor satiation, as well as its spatial (territorial) localization. The historical-spatial context of marginal territories in Slovakia and their position in the transformation period are pointed out. The stress is laid on social-spatial marginality of the regions, representing its central component. The study suggests the possibilities of solving the problems of marginal regions, their developmental disposabilities, as well as the necessity of application of certain demarginalization activities, as a component part of modernization processes and their dynamization in the respective territories. The existing contradictions between the intentions of the regional policy of the Slovak Republic and the actual situation in solving the problems of marginal regions have been pointed out as well.

Rare forest tree species that are necessary for the domestic processing industry, especially for the furniture industry, currently occur as scattered trees in many forest stands in theCzechRepublic. For their harvest and supply to the processing industry it is necessary to measure their dimensions and growing stock. Logging technologies are proposed that will enable to harvest and transport this scattered wood mass to buyers. These technologies and used conveyances must not cause any damage either to forest soil or to adjacent stands and they should be economic, i.e. increased costs of processing must be covered by selling price.

The contents of eight biogenic amines (tryptamine, phenylethylamine, histamine, tyramine, putrescine, cadaverine, spermidine and spermine) were determined in samples of processed cheese, either pasteurised (P) or sterilised (S), and consequently stored for either 22 or 57 weeks at the temperatures of 8°C and 22°C, respectively. Tyramine was quantitatively the most important biogenic amine (1.3-29.3 mg/kg); the highest level (P < 0.05) was found in P cheese stored for 22 weeks after processing at 8°C (P1). Regardless of tyramine, and with the exception of putrescine in S cheese stored for 57 weeks (2.2 mg/kg), the content of no biogenic amine exceeded 2 mg/kgin any tested sample. Significantly higher (by five to six orders of magnitude; P < 0.05) counts of total aerobic and facultative anaerobic microorganisms in P1 sample in comparison with all other samples were indicative of the cover leakage. No lactic acid bacteria were detected in any sample, the counts of coliforms and total anaerobes, respectively, were negligible and did not differ (P> 0.05) between samples. No sample of the tested long-term stored processed cheese was considered unsafe from the toxicological viewpoint.

The aim of the study was to investigate acute toxicity of clove oil for common carp and, using values of haematological and biochemical profiles of blood and histological tissue examinations, to assess the effects of the fish exposure to that anaesthetic. Acute toxicity values of clove oil for carp were found 10 minLC50 74.3 mg/l; 10minLC0.1 51.6 mg/l; 10minLC99.9 110.1 mg/l; 96hLC50 18.10 mg/l; 96hLC0.1 15.45 mg/l; and 96hLC99.9 19.80 mg/l. The fish were divided into four groups for haematological and biochemical examinations of blood and histological examinations of tissues. The groups were Control I (before the anaesthetic administration), Experiment I (immediately after 10 min anaesthesia at the concentration of 30 mg/l), Experiment II (24 hrs after 10 min anaesthesia) and Control II (controls examined in parallel with Experiment II). A total of 40 carp were examined. Clove oil anaesthesia had not effect on the haematological profile. The 10-min exposure to clove oil at a concentration of 30 mg/l caused a significant (P < 0.01) increase in the concentration of glucose (GLU) and inorganic phosphate (PHOS) immediately after anaesthesia. Clove oil anaesthesia had not effect on other biochemical indices. Histological examination showed capillary ectasia of gill filaments immediately after clove oil anaesthesia. Twenty-four hours after anaesthesia, no ectasia was observed. No histopathological changes were demonstrated in other tissues following anaesthesia. Results of the examinations suggest that the use of clove oil at a concentration of 30 mg/l does not cause irreversible damage in carp.

Eight varieties of spring barley (Hordeum vulgaris Lin.) were artificially inoculated with a Fusarium culmorum (W.G. Smith) Saccardo - isolate and naturally infected in the middle of the flowering period, and 2 d later treated with the fungicides azoxystrobin or tebuconazol at a dose of 1 l/ha in 250 l of water. In both control and treated samples of grain the content of deoxynivalenol (DON), the main trichothecene mycotoxin produced by F. culmorum, was determined by gas chromatography (GC-ECD). The treatment with either fungicide resulted in elevated levels of DON, an effect that was more pronounced with azoxystrobin.

The influence of supplementation of a lecithin emulsifier (0.1%) to the feed mixture for piglets after weaning was studied. 16 piglets in the control group (C - without lecithin) and 16 piglets in an experimental (E) group were monitored in three replications in a 28-day experimental period. We observed higher digestibility of monitored nutrients in the experimental group (crude fat: C = 66.28 ± 12.11, E = 69.75 ± 9.85%, crude protein: C = 78.72 ± 5.47, E = 82.17 ± 2.23%, crude fibre: C = 56.70 ± 12.85, E = 59.10 ± 12.04%, nitrogen free extract: C = 86.67 ± 3.32, E = 87.75 ± 3.00%, ash: C = 63.63 ± 11.59, E = 65.73 ± 10.35%). Statistically insignificantly higher daily average gain (C = 374.1 ± 107.0, E = 399.1 ± 104.7 g) of experimental groups and a lower feed conversion ratio (C = 2.285 ± 0.416, E = 1.768 ± 0.048 kg/kg) were found out. It was also confirmed in an additional field experiment (C = 279, E = 312 piglets from birth to 71 days of age) where average daily gain weight was 270 g in control and 290 g in experimental group. The influence of lecithin on the occurrence of haemolytic strains of Escherichia coli was not proved. This experiment confirmed a positive effect of the lecithin emulsifier supplement on the efficiency of piglets.

Field experiments were carried out to study effects of zinc application on quality traits of barley in 1994-1996. The treatments were applied as 0 and 23 kg/ha of zinc sulphate and incorporated into soil before sowing. The experimental design was split plot with four replications. Barley genotypes responded differently to zinc application in relation to thousand grains weight, protein content and starch content. A significant increase was determined for thousand grain weight in cultivars Tokak 157/37 and Cumhuriyet 50, for protein content in Orza, Bülbül 89 and Anadolu 86, for starch content in Karatay 94 and Cumhuriyet 50, while a significant decrease has been found for thousand grain weight in Karatay 94 and Obruk 86 and for protein content in Karatay 94, Cumhuriyet 50 and Tarm 92. When feeding and malting quality are considered together, Karatay 94 and Cumhuriyet 50 are the most suitable cultivars for growing in zinc-applied soils of semi arid areas.

The incorporation of Czech agrarian sector in the Common Agricultural Policy of the EU means also the application of so called "European Model of Agriculture" which reacts to a basic requirement of socially balanced and sustainable agriculture which contributes to maintenance and an improvement of the European agricultural cultural landscape. In connection with it, a new strategy of agrarian policy was set according to which the orientation of Czech agrarian sector changes in a principal way, which was focused up to now only on the production function and also its other functions become more important, above all in the environmental and social, so non-production area. One of the aspects of multifunctional agriculture is an organic agriculture, a system which fulfills visions of sustainable agriculture.

Possibilities of herbicide applications to the self-heal (Prunella vulgaris L.) growth were tested in 1997-1998. Experiments showed that the application of pre-emergence herbicides in the Prunella vulgaris L. growth was efficient when 3 l/ha ofherbicide with 500 g/lisoproturon as an active ingredient were used. Herbicide applications had no influence on the emergence rate of direct seeding. Among the post-emergence herbicides it is possible to use glyphosate-IPA in 50% concentration by the wick applicator to Elytrigia repens (L.) Nevski. The results of these experiments can be used as a basis for testing the herbicide biological efficacy in the framework of minority indications for cultivated medicinal plants. .

The study deals with the problems of regional development in Slovakia, with the emphasis on presentation and critical reflexion of specific features and basic developmental tendencies characterizing the regional development in the transformation period (after 1990). The regional development is presented in broader social contexts of the development of the Slovak society, with the emphasis on its modernization stage, as well as the social-economic and social-spatial changes, characterizing the society development in the transformation period. The social and social-spatial implications and impacts of this development on social segments of the society, territorial and regional units and their social potentials are pointed out. In the conclusion, the dispositions of the regions and the developmental trends of the regional development of Slovakia are confronted with the conditions for the information society development.

New possibilities of oak mildew (Microsphaera alphitoides) control were tested and compared with present methods. The results of three-year experiments in 6 localities (Cikar, Budkov, Planá nad Lužnicí, Vědomice, Voznice, Zadní Bor) clearly showed that the sulphur-based fungicides registered for the control of oak mildew (Sulikol K, Sulka) had a relatively good and stable effectiveness, and that two other newly tested preparations (Systhane 12 EC, Amistar) were even more effective when the percentage of infested plants did not exceed 2% (Systhane 12 EC) or 5% (Amistar) in any experimental locality. Their registration should be extended in this way. The biopreparations with fungicidal or fungistatic effects such as Supresivit, Polyversum and Ibefungin, known and used in forestry, showed that it was not possible to use them for oak mildew control, similar results were received in tentative testing of another preparation (PFR). Testing of preparations Bion 50 WG and Neem Triact 90 EC gave interesting and promising results. Besides their sufficient effectiveness in the control of oak infestation by the mildew, our experiments also indicated their generally positive influence on the health of plants; this could compensate their economic disadvantage compared to classical fungicides.

The spreading of bulldozer-formed windrows represents a second stage of the site restoration with bulldozers utilization in the Ore Mts. In the first period, bulldozers were used to create windrows for mechanized reforestation of immission-declined stands, causing profound devastation of forest sites, because removed surface humus was the only source of nutrients and environment for tree species roots. Preparatory stands have been established, and have to undergo re-construction in the coming years. Nowadays, the windrows are spread by the bulldozers again, covering 1/3 f the whole area between windrows by the rest of holorganic matter. This substratum is impoverished by the extensive mineralization and connected nutrient (especially N) losses, representing differently suitable space for tree rooting. Presented paper documents the effects of fertilization by different types of the SILVAMIX fertilizer on the growth and prosperity of new spruce plantations. Effects of fertilization are visible very soon and they are significantly beneficial for the new forest plantations.

The prevalence of thermophilic Campylobacter spp. was evaluated in the caecum and on carcasses of pigs at slaughter and in the facilities of slaughterhouses in the period of 2001- 2003. During that timeframe, prevalence of Campylobacter spp. in both the pigs and the environment of slaughterhouses decreased. In 2001, Campylobacter spp. were detected in 34% of 316 samples; in 2002 there were 27% of positive findings out of the 624 samples; and in 2003, Campylobacter spp. were detected in 16% out of 300 samples. Campylobacter spp. were mostly found primarily in the caecum (292 isolates) and in smears collected from carcasses (21 isolates), while Campylobacter spp. were isolated only sporadically from the work surfaces of equipment in slaughterhouses. The majority of isolates were identified as C. coli. In 2001, 16 out of 109 strains of Campylobacter spp. were identified as C. jejuni; in 2002, 8 out of 167 strains were C. jejuni; and in 2003, none of 47 isolates was identified as C. jejuni.

Probiotics have been used with increasing frequency in nutrition and for prophylactic purposes during the last years. In the present study we investigated the effect of Lactobacillus fermentum AD1 - canine isolate on selected intestinal microbial groups, weight gain, organic acids, haematology, glutathione peroxidase and phagocytosis of leucocytes in 2-days-old Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica). The results demonstrated that the 4-day application of this strain significantly increased the population of lactic acid bacteria - lactobacilli and enterococci in faeces (P < 0.01 and/or P < 0.001) and caecum of quail (P < 0.001) and significantly decreased the counts of E. coli in faeces (P < 0.05). The daily weight gain was increased by 14%. Although intestinal pH of both groups of birds was similar, the concentration of lactic acid was significantly increased in the experimental group (P < 0.05). The concentration of other organic acids (acetic, acetoacetic, formic, succinic, valeric, propionic, butyric) as well as blood glutathione peroxidase was not influenced. The index of phagocytic activity of leucocytes was significantly improved (P < 0.01).

Population studies and tests on the relationship between density and damage were conducted in 1999 to 2001 to determine the pest status of Empoasca dolichi on groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) in the Zaria area of northern Nigeria. Analyses showed that Empoasca numbers varied significantly from one year to another, and within each year the numbers of leafhoppers observed at the different growth stages of the plant were significantly different (P = 0.01). There was an inverse and highly significant relationship between the mean kernel yield and the Empoasca damage at the different growth stages of the plant. When natural population densities were plotted against economic injury level (EIL), the densities did not reach the EIL throughout the groundnut growing seasons. The insect was thus not an economic pest on groundnut in Zaria during the period of the study.

Fifty-one crossbreed young bulls, progenies of Charolais (CH), Czech Pied (CP), Simmental (SI) and Blonde d'Aquitaine (BA) beef cattle bred at the paternal position crossed by Czech Pied at the maternal position, were reared in a typical production system and slaughtered at an average age of 578 days and live weight of 656 kg. The animals were evaluated for fattening performance and carcass quality traits (live weight at slaughter, age at slaughter, total weight gain, carcass weight, dressing percentage, net daily gain) and meat quality characteristics (dry matter, proteins, fat, ash, pH₄₈, water holding capacity, remission, collagen, area of M. longissimus dorsi and cooking loss). Correlation coefficients were determined in order to discover which of the above-mentioned characteristics influenced textural properties measured by Warner-Bratzler (WB) shear device and compression test (TPA). It can be concluded from the overall assessment of the correlation coefficients that slaughter age (r = 0.68, P < 0.001), net daily gain (r = -0.54, P < 0.001), average lifetime daily gain (r = -0.50, P < 0.001) and pH₄₈ (r = -0.51, P < 0.001) had the major influence on the textural properties measured by WB shears. Meat texture expressed by TPA was mainly influenced by live weight at slaughter (r = 0.55, P < 0.001), carcass weight (r = 0.50, P < 0.001) and pH₄₈ (r = -0.54, P < 0.001). Significant differences (P < 0.001) were found out for the age at slaughter (CH × BA) and (CP × BA), slaughter weight (CP × SI) and (CP × BA) and carcass weight (CP × BA). At the same level of significance further differences were found out for pH₄₈ and water holding capacity (CP × SI), (CP × BA) and cooking loss (CH × CP). Highly significant differences (P < 0.01) in the textural properties (measured by WB shears) were determined between the following breeds: (CH × BA) and (CP × BA). At the level of significance P < 0.05, the highest differences were identified between (CH × SI) and (CP × SI). TPA test showed statistically significant differences between (CH × CP), (CP × SI) breeds at the level P < 0.05.

Several methods of Pristiphora abietina adults catching were compared (Malaise trap, white and yellow sticky boards, sweeping). The yellow sticky boards are handy in the field, and under the high population density appear to be a reliable method of detecting sawfly populations: 1. There was a statistically significant coincidence between the samples of Malaise traps and yellow sticky boards. 2. There was a highly significant linear correlation between the number of caught adults on five sticky boards and the degree of defoliation in seven localities. 3. We did not observe any statistically significant differences between the samples on yellow sticky boards taken in different intervals. To estimate the abundance of adults, it is sufficient to install yellow sticky boards before swarming and check them after the swarming. 4. No statistically significant differences were found between the catch means per board in line with different number of boards, it means with different distance, in both male and females.

Despite the significant decrease of unemployment in Slovak Republic during the year 2003, the problem of high unemployment is still very relevant. In the previous period, various measures of active labour policy have been applied, and their efficiency was approved or disproved only by their realisation. In order to achieve the highest possible efficiency of the spent financial means, it is desirable that every prepared measure is assessed from different aspects by specialists, independent experts as well as by subjects that are to participate in the particular measure. This contribution represents ex ante evaluation analysis. Its objective is to assess the newly proposed measure in the field of active labour policy. The proposal of the measure was elaborated by Dr. Stanislav Buchta, CSc. and was published in the scientific contribution "Possible solutions of unemployment of workers in agriculture and construction industry" in Agricultural Economics 7/2003.The evaluation ex ante analysis was realised as a part of the bilateral project MATRA "System of regular monitoring, analysis and evaluation of employment policy", which was carried out in 2001-2003 in partnership with the National Labour Office and the Socio-economic Research Institute at the Erasmus University in Rotterdam. The analysis has focused on several groups of assessment perspectives such as problems of analysis, the participation of employers and employees in the proposed system of "maintaining wage", implementation aspects, comparison of proposed measure with the measures already realised, submission of alternative solution and evaluation of strengths and weaknesses of the measure.

Strategies used in conflict solutions include: avoiding, adjusting, coercion, compromise and cooperation. Although in our sample of respondents the most efficient strategy (cooperation) ranked No.1, almost the same preference was achieved by the strategy of coercion manifesting the directive style of management, which is becoming ineffective under present conditions.

Competitiveness can be analysed at various levels of the economy: at the product level, the enterprise level, the sector level, or the level of the entire economy. Several measures exist for each of these levels. This paper focuses on those used for the analysis of enterprises, particularly agricultural enterprises farming in Slovakia. Our research has been done on a selected sample of agricultural enterprises farming in Slovakia. Using "Recourse Cost Ratio" (RCR coefficient) has allowed investigating the differences in competitiveness between co-operatives and business companies, between the enterprises farming in better and worse soil and natural conditions as well as among various size groups of 111 agricultural enterprises. The research has proved that the optimal values of RCR coefficient revealed, that the common feature of all the competitive enterprises was their type of production oriented on solely plant production, possibly plant and meat production (there was no case of competitive enterprise with solely meat production). As for the different legal forms, we found out that more competitive were business companies than co-operatives. Considering different soil and natural conditions, there were better results observed in the group of enterprises farming in better soil and natural conditions.

Ten clonal dwarf or semi-dwarf sweet cherry rootstocks were evaluated for 5 growing seasons in a orchard that was established in the spring 1999 at Holovousy within international cherry rootstock trials that are co-ordinated in Europe by the Danish Institute of Plant and Soil Science at Aarslev, Denmark. Lapins cv. was used as a scion tester for all these rootstocks; five of them were also tested by Regina cv. Among the new rootstocks, G 195/5 was evaluated as the most promising for Lapins cv. It produced trees even smaller than P-HL-A or Tabel (Edabriz), with higher yield efficiency and good fruit size. In agreement with the results of earlier experiments, both P-HL-A and Tabel (Edabriz) proved to be quite reliable rootstocks for modern sweet cherry orchards established there. Among the semi-dwarf rootstocks, G 154/7 also seemed to be interesting because of high yields and fruit size. Weiroot 158 was found as relatively the most promising rootstock for Regina cv. On the other hand, the most disappointing results were obtained with the rootstock Weiroot 53 because of its inferior graft compatibility and its negative influence on fruit size. Some of the tested rootstocks significantly changed the time of flowering and the time of fruit ripening. Several relationships between the observed characteristics were found within this study and they are more thoroughly discussed.

We can see that the today's management level of informations is not quite fully controlled in most businesses. Nowadays generation of information systems creates support for business processes with the aim of optimalization of these processes on the bases of experiences with similar business processes. Today's information systems are at the level of data management or information management. Quite a few manage information processes in the area of tactical and strategic planning and almost no one manages processes in the areas of gathering, distribution and sharing of knowledge in business. We can say, that investments to the information technologies do not guarantee the successful way to the management of information and knowledge in business.

The accession of the Czech Republic in the European Union has brought a necessity to adopt a range of new legal regulations and to apply them in our conditions. Their application however connects with a highly demanding and complex process of implementation of the individual acts of law, administrative and time requirements. One of laws that had to be adopted is the Act No. 76/2002 Coll. on integrated prevention and pollution control, on the integrated pollution register and on amendment to some Acts (hereinafter the IPPC Act). The Act imposes an obligation for all operators of various industrial and processing plants working at certain production or processing capacities have to obtain a so called integrated license without which their activities will not be permitted to continue in the future. At the beginning of the integrated licensing procedure, each subject concerned by the Act is obliged to file an application for the integrated license at a relevant regional authority. There is an analysis of the present time of the IPPC problems in Czech food industry. At the present time, the procedure of licensing and applications for the integrated license are at various stages of the process in individual enterprises.

This article presents information about the development and the structure of indices regarding natural and legal persons in the years 2000 and 2002. Finally, the development of indices is compared with the year 1990. The article characterizes the development of companies, which are farming land, like cooperatives, business companies, state owned companies and natural persons. It demonstrates the number and structure of companies in the branches of the agri-food sector divided into agriculture, agricultural services and food industry. Moreover, the article presents agricultural land area used by natural and legal persons. This contribution draws information from the results of the questionnaire, which was made by the regional offices of the Ministry of Agriculture. In conclusion, the article suggests the possible orientation of organizations in the short time period

A full liberalisation of the sugar market is hardly acceptable for Slovakia, because it would significantly affect not only the economic performance and employment across different sectors, but also their production structures, particularly in the farming-intensive regions. We nonetheless believe that the reform is necessary as the sugar sector remains the last unreformed CAP sector in the EU, which puts it in a better position vis-ŕ-vis other producers and farms. On the other hand, the justified claims of producers for the compensation of losses, similarly as the claims laid during the 1992 CAP reform, would disrupt the EAGGF budgetary framework through 2013, because only the claims of Slovak sugar beet producers would amount to some € 200 million during 2010-2015. We believe that the solution and consensus lies in the combination of reforms based on the scenarios of fixed quotas and falling prices, and/or the application of the "Midway situation" after 2011. The alternative setting of quotas, based the administratively assessed production efficiency levels for the individual EU countries, would also be unacceptable for Slovakia. In the recent past, the volume of investments in the Slovak sugar industry has been considerable and the most viable sugar refineries have already emerged from the selection process. The situation in the sugar beet sector is similar and the results of the "Fall in Prices" scenario until 2011 are largely similar to the situation before the accession to the EU.

In changing growth conditions, methodical procedures should concentrate on the investigation of processes currently under way in forests. Many studies have shown that present models of forest growth parameters differ from previous surveys as far as for instance the height is concerned. Causes of these phenomena have not been satisfactorily explained although various hypotheses are investigated. In our study, we present partial results of the investigation of height growth within a sixty-five-year period, based on the analysis of data obtained from seven forest management plans in the management-plan area of Kostelec nad Černými lesy (Kostelec n. Č. l.) and continuous measurements on pilot research plots in the period of 1965-1994. The comparison of mean height growth curves obtained by the curve fitting of the values of empirical data signifies by their different course and increasing kurtosis a dependence on the calendar year when the measure was taken. It signifies an increasing height growth trend of both species in the given area.

N fertilization has a substantial influence on sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) seed yield and quality. It was also well established that high-yielding sunflower hybrids had more N requirement than old cultivars such as open-pollinated ones. However, in Turkey, no sufficient information regarding the response of new developed oilseed sunflower hybrids to nitrogen fertilization under irrigated conditions. Therefore, a 2-year study was conducted to determine the effects of nitrogen application rates on the growth, yield, and yield components of two oilseed sunflower hybrids (AS-508 and Super 25) under irrigated conditions. In this study, all plant parameters were significantly influenced by applied nitrogen fertilizer rates. Yield response to nitrogen rates was positive and linear. Our research data indicated that under irrigated conditions N rate of 120 kg/ha was adequate for sunflower production in this region.