Fulltext search in archive

Restoration of forest soil character after the change of agricultural land use has not been studied yet despite the large areas reforested since the late 40ies of the last century. This process takes place throughout Europe to an increasing extent at present. The reformation of forest soils was studied in the area of Český Rudolec town: Natural Forest Area 16 - Czech-Moravian Uplands, altitude 600-630 m a.s.l., bedrock is built of granites and gneisses, soil type is Cambisol, forest site type 5K1. The process of restoration of a new humus form was analysed in plantations of American red oak (Quercus rubra), Swedish birch (Betula pendula), European larch (Larix europea) and Norway spruce (Picea abies), the site was homogeneous. The particular tree species accumulated 12.81, 13.81, 46.57 and 44.76 t/ha of surface organic matter during the last 30-40 years, these values are typical of forest sites at lower and middle altitudes and corresponding tree species composition. The effect of broadleaved species and conifers was markedly different, in the first case pH in KCl ranged 3.8-3.9 (mineral soil) and 3.5-5.2 (holorganic horizons), being 3.5-3.8 (mineral soil) and 3.1-5.1 (holorganic layers) for the conifers. Visible effects of the particular tree species were also evident in the soil adsorption complex and in the contents of plant available and total nutrients. The results can be summarised and generalised: - the forest soil character is reformed at lower and middle altitudes in a relatively short time from the aspect of surface humus accumulation and basic soil chemistry (30-40 years), - birch exhibited the best revitalisation effect among the studied species, - American red oak and Norway spruce humus accumulation potentials were different although the soil chemistry was comparable, - Norway spruce did not show a remarkable degradation effect until now, - on the contrary, European larch appeared as a site degrading species.

Forests in the Czech Republic are highly influenced by the antropogenous factors - those are particularly air pollution, pollutant deposition, soil degradation, change of the natural forest ecosystems, and also global climate changes. Significant damages due to air pollution are visible already 50 years (the Ore Mts. region). Since 1989 the sulphur emission has decreased significantly. By the end of 90ies SO₂ emission was reduced in nearly 90%. In the 1990-1995 period, the change of air pollution situation in mountain regions resulted into the spruce stands condition improvement, and good progress of transitory stands (birch, blue spruce, mountain pine, alder etc.). Following development was not that ideal, however. Since 1995, various symptoms of damage have been observed, caused by the complex of factors. During the winter 1995/1996, within the whole region of the Czech Republic, reddening of the last needle year class of spruce was observed in the altitude over 700 m. These symptoms were the most visible in the eastern part of the Ore Mts., where 3-4 needle year classes were affected, or even tree decay observed. An acute damage was caused by direct impact of the high SO₂ concentrations. The average defoliation was over 60% in stands assessed. About 12,578 ha of spruce stands were damaged, 1,300 ha of them has completely died. The rest have regenerated successfully in following period. After following winter, in spring 1997, the damage of transitory birch stands was observed in all the northern mountain regions. In the Ore Mts. ridge birch did not flush at all, the leaf lost was observed in a vast area with variable intensity in altitudes over 800 m above sea level during the springtime. In total 3,400 ha of birch stands was damaged, in 1998 it was nearly 5,428 ha. Birch completely died at about 2,550 ha, in following period the damage development stagnated. Similar damage of smaller extent has been observed also in other parts of the country, in higher elevations, situated above the inversion layer during the spring months. After winter 1999, vast damage of the spruce stands, manifested in yellowing of older needle year classes, and gradual needle drying and fall, affecting the stand of all age categories, was observed in the western part of the Ore Mts. but also in other regions. Yellowing was observed on 2,000 ha in 1999, next year it was 6,500 ha, and in 2001 about 9,000 ha was damaged within the Ore Mts. A new type of damage has been observed in the Orlické hory Mts. ridge caused again by the stressing factors complex after the winter 2001/2002. Nitrogen deposition seems to be one of major problem. The damage presented shows that in spite of significant lowering of air pollution load the forest stands health state in air polluted regions is not stabilized.

The present investigation was conducted to know the impact of bio-inoculants in low input field conditions on the magnitude and direction of gene effects and mean performance of some morphological and productivity traits in three wheat cultivars WH 147 (medium mineral input), WH 533 (drought tolerant), Raj 3077 (drought tolerant) and six generations namely P₁, P₂, F₁, F₂, BC₁ and BC₂ of three crosses i.e. WH 147 × WH 533, WH 533 × Raj 3077 and WH 147 × Raj 3077. The experiment was conducted in randomised block design with three replications and three treatments i.e. control (C, without inoculation), inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi (AMF, Glomus fasciculatum), and AMF + Azotobacter chroococcum (Azc). Mineral fertilizer (80 kg N/ha + 40 kg P/ha + 18 kg ZnSO₄/ha) was applied in all the three treatments. The application of bio-inoculants, AMF and AMF + Azc had a positive effect on plant height, peduncle length, grain yield, biological yield and harvest index in various populations of all the crosses. However, in some of the generations the impact of bio-inoculants was insignificant. The joint scaling test revealed that additive-dominance gene effects were mainly operative in governing expression of peduncle length, tillers per plant, plant height, grains/spike, grain yield and all traits except days to flowering and harvest index in crosses WH 147 × WH 533 and WH 533 × Raj 3077. The application of bioinoculants influenced gene effects for days to flowering, days to maturity, flag leaf area, spike length, grains/spike, 1000 grain weight and harvest index where complex genetic interactions were changed to simple additive-dominance gene effects in the cross WH 147 × Raj 3077. Likewise, additive-dominance gene effects were altered and digenic interactions exhibited for days to maturity, flag leaf area in WH 147 × WH 533 and days to flowering, plant height, flag leaf area in WH 533 × Raj 3077. Flag leaf area and plant height were governed by additive gene effects while for days to maturity and 1000-grain weight both additive and dominance gene effect were important. Duplicate epistasis was important in all the three crosses for days to flowering and harvest index and in the cross WH 147 × Raj 3077 for grain weight grains per spike and flag leaf area.

Using the research technique of document study, the paper analyses printed mass media with national coverage (from the national daily newspapers to specialised journals) during the period of the beginning 2002 - October 2003. The task of the paper is to outline the experiences with the SAPARD Programme as they are recorded in mass media and found among stakeholders (i.e. farmers and the representatives of rural municipalities or rural businesses). The text prolongs the previous investigation among Czech SAPARD shareholders and compares the findings. The SAPARD Programme showed that they are the rural stakeholders who are well prepared to act in the institutionalised frames of the EU structural policy. As a necessary condition of stakeholders for the success in getting the EU funds, there are the visions, enthusiasm and appropriate objects for the the intended project. The issues which have to be developed (and therefore they are the challenge for the future) are achieving better co-ordination of activities, quality and good system of information, dissemination of gathered experiences and simplification of administration.

Goal of the paper is to identify opportunities and threats following from the European integration process and influencing the agribusiness entities in the accession country - Slovak Republic. These topics have begun one of the current themes connected with the approaching date of the Slovak Republic accession to the European Union. It is related to the fact, that agrarian but mostly food processing markets have their own specificities, appearing with their typical high sensitivity to the outside environment influence and strong enterprise motivation to competition. In the paper, there are also outlined tasks for business management to analyze external environment, to identify the decisive strengths and weaknesses, to overcome difficulties to adopt European standards and to use opportunities in a wider market place.

The article presents results of measuring influence of the selected economic differentiation factors on successfulness of agricultural businesses. As key factors, there were selected: the size of company, legal form, allocation based on attractions of soil - climatic conditions. Regarding certain financial indicators results and the specified order of analysed companies, they were divided into groups depending on theirs successfulness. Each group was compared and analysed. At the end, the results of dividing into the groups were graphically presented.

In the period between 2001 and 2003 selected biological, morphological and technological characteristics were experimentally investigated in the pepper assortment. 12 traits that are important characteristics of individual varieties were studied for different growing methods and for utilisation in breeding work.

This article concerns an influence of heat treatment on strength and toughness of steel. The partial results of tests on steel 12　042 are presented.

This paper gives an overview of Czech forestry policy and legislation since the beginning of changes in the CEEC plus developments and activities of the main forestry institutions. These activities are referred to in the background material given for the political transition period and also related to the Pan-European and global forestry processes. The philosophy of forestry in the Czech Republic is based on the international framework set out by the first Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe and also in conjunction with the preparation of the Czech Republic for accession to the European Union. National and regional forest programmes are aimed at implementing the principles of sustainable forest management and a broad range of stakeholders from the forestry and environment sectors has been involved in its preparation. The current situation and main problems of forestry are given along with basic principles on how to solve such problems and also on how to fulfil obligations to future generations, and international commitments.

Pea (Pisum sativum L.), sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) and maize (Zea mays L.) plants were cultivated for 10 days in hydroponics at 1mM and 7mM nitrate or ammonium concentrations at regulated pH 6 and ambient CO2 level. Plant growth, content of total N and both ions in plant tissues, uptake of water and both N ions were evaluated, N uptake related to transpiration mass flow and to diffusion supply was calculated. Pea and sunflower preferred nitrate nutrition while maize plants used both N ions. The content of total N as well as of both N ions in plant tissues increased with N level with some exceptions. The uptake of both N ions related to transpiration mass flow was dependent on transpiration rate and N ion concentration. At a 1mM N concentration the uptake of N ions related to transpiration mass flow was low and reached in maize up to 16 times, in sunflower 11 times and in pea 2-3 times lower values in comparison with diffusion supply. At a 7mM N concentration N uptake in pea plants was totally supplied by transpiration mass flow, in sunflower plants the ratio of N supply related to transpiration mass flow amounted to 50% and in maize plants N supply through diffusion prevailed, amounting to 70-80%. These results explicate N starvation at low N supply that can intensify at elevated CO2 causing decreased stomatal diffusion.

Twelve carbonaceous materials were investigated for adsorption of Cd, Cu and Ag from water solutions. Before the adsorption experiments the chemical and structural characterization of all materials were made. The batch adsorption experiment was used. The kinetic of the adsorption process was very fast for the first five hours but very slow for approximately the next 65 hours. Nevertheless the maximum amount of metal removed was achieved during the first stage of about five hours. Biological materials (milled wood, bark, cork) exhibited a very low affinity for adsorption of metals. The best results were obtained for materials in an intermediate degree of carbonisation with a high content of oxygen rich functional groups. Although the highly carbonised materials exhibited low ability to adsorb copper or cadmium, their capacity to bind silver was very high.

The article deals with the evaluation of competitiveness in milling, feedstuffs, pasta, spirits, wine, beer and malt industries in the Slovak Republic. It further evaluates the impacts of economic policy tools on the stated sections of food industry by means of the PAM analysis. The impact of the policies on income, costs and profits of food production in the selected food industry branches has been discovered, based on the effects of divergences and coefficients of nominal and effective protection.

In Hungary, after the political and economical transition period of the nineties, the transformation of agriculture, the privatisation and the partial compensation brought about fundamental change in the land ownership structure. Recently, the private ownership of land has become dominant. As a result of the land compensation and the restoration of individual shares of the co-operatives members, unfavourable farm structures were established in a great number of cases; and consequently the redistribution of land property has become indispensable. The revival of the market is hold up, on one hand, by the present legislation of land acquisition (by Hungarian legal entities and foreigners) and, on the other hand, by the repugnance of the land acquisition of foreigners by a great number of people. The political risks, the EU accession and the changes to be expected concerning the EU subsidy schemes might also affect the land market in the long-term.

Except of 2001 and 2002, the agriculture has produced losses of SKK 38.8 billion over the entire process of transformation. The losses in agriculture were caused by major disparities between the price of supplies to agriculture and prices of agricultural products, plus the restrictive subsidy and loan policy adopted in the early years of the economic reform. The economic situation has improved over the last two years. This was caused by the increase in subsidies, as well as by the continuing restructuring process (sales and liquidation of dubious assets, optimised production), reduction in numbers of loss-making enterprises, by growth and increase in efficiency of production and due to a substantial increase in earnings of many partnerships. However, even despite the positive trends current financial position of most agricultural enterprises does not meet the requirements for development in agriculture, with the rate of TFA (tangible fixed assets) depreciation achieving 50% (of that, depreciation of machinery stands at 70%). The earnings are moderate even in profit making enterprises, with 75% of those enterprises making only up to SKK 1.5 million in earnings.

The paper is examining the productivity of production factors in the EU-15 and some of the New Member States. International comparison shows that Slovakia is considerably lagging behind the EU-15 countries in the productivity of land and productivity of labour, but it is rather competitive in productivity of the fixed and variable capital. In order to get comparable data, the author adjusted figures on production of agricultural activities published in the Economic Accounts of Agriculture, and excluded the influence of different price - and support levels in the EU-15 and New Member Countries.

The fulfilment of the subject of the Act No. 76/2002 Dig. on integrated prevention reduces energy consumption and increases hygienic safety of a thermal treatment of animal tissues at veterinary decontamination institutes. By making use of a back supply of heated rendering-plant fat to the continuous disc drier KDS 250 the so-called fritting effect is induced speeding up the evaporation of residual water and reducing the redrying time of the meat and bone paste. An analysis proved a reduced consumption of specific energy, whereby the demand for the best available technique (BAT) is met.

Activity of fungi participating in the dead wood decomposition was studied in the Velký Polom Nature Reserve, Protected Landscape Area Železné hory. Two game-proof fences of an area of 0.30 ha (570 m alt.) and 0.19 ha (620 m alt.) were used as permanent sample plots. In both the plots, activities were monitored of wood-destroying fungi in 126.82 m³ dead wood, 104.05 m³ of which were in beech. After conversion to an area, the volume amounts to 258.82 m³ per ha. In the whole reserve, almost 220 species of macromycetes were recorded in the course of a mycological survey. Wood-destroying fungi are the dominant component of mycoflora representing more than 50% identified taxa of in the period under study. The proportion of mycorrhizal fungi amounted to 14%. A series of macromycetes considered to be saprophytes is bound to products of wood decomposition. Fomes fomentarius (L.) Fr., Fomitopsis pinicola (Sowerby) P. Karst., Ustulina deusta (Fr.) Petrak, Hypoxylon fragiforme (Pers.) Kickx, Ganoderma lipsiense (Batsch) Atk. and the genus Armillaria were the predominant species of wood-decaying fungi. As for rare macro-fungi, it is possible to mention Ascotremella faginea (Peck) Seaver, Stropharia albocrenulata (Peck) Kreisel and Tricholomopsis decora (Fr.) Singer.

The objective of the paper is to assess the effects of amphibolite powder (waste from a dust removing process in a rock pulveriser) and Silvamix slow release fertiliser on Norway spruce plantation in the harsh physical environment of the Jizerské hory Mts. The plantation characteristics such as mortality, annual height increment, stem base diameter, crown diameter and nutrient analyses are evaluated. A nine-year-long period of observation is summarised. The effects of both the forms of chemical amelioration seem to be positive and statistically significant. The benefits of the amelioration expressed in absolute figures have been easily observable until now. Recently, the importance of these benefits has decreased after the adaptation of planted trees to the mountain site and natural acceleration of their annual increment.

Results of scoring the resistance of 35 selected spring barley varieties to powdery mildew, exhibiting high powdery mildew severity, in 307 variety trials of the Central Institute for Supervising and Testing in Agriculture were analysed. The varieties can be divided into two groups: the varieties that could not induce any changes in the pathogen population (the varieties with no effective resistance gene and varieties carrying gene mlo) and the varieties possessing major resistance genes [a total of 12 Ml-genes: a1, a3, a6, a7, a9, a12, a13, at, k1, La, g and (Kr)] to which the pathogen population adapted in 1971-2000. The time slope of decreasing resistance of varieties is described. The importance of individual evolutionary forces (mutations, migration, direct selection, indirect selection and recombinations) for the erosion of efficiency of respective major resistance genes and the effects of pathogen adaptation on population complexity and diversity are discussed.

Rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) is an important alternate oilseed crop in eastern Anatolia, Turkey. No information on plant density for rapeseed is available in this region. Therefore a study was initiated to investigate the effects of spacings between rows and spacings within rows on the yield and agronomic characteristics of two genotypes of spring rapeseed (Tower and Lirawell) in Erzurum, eastern Anatolia, during 1994 and 1995. The effects of spacings between or within rows on the yield and yield components of Tower and Lirawell, two cultivars of Brassica napus L., were studied for 2 years inErzurum,Turkey. Rows were spaced at 15, 30 and45 cm. Spacings within rows were 5, 10 and15 cm. The results of this study suggested that seed yield was significantly affected by spacings between rows but not by spacings within rows, and that rape yields were higher at the narrow (15 cm) row spacing compared to the middle (30 cm) and wider (45 cm) spacings.

Agriculture, like all sectors of the economy, needs credit for its development. Experience in OECD countries demonstrates that in a competitive financial environment, profitable agriculture can obtain the credit it needs. Due to the difficulties faced by farmers in transition economies in obtaining access to credit, the OECD has periodically called upon member and transition experts to reflect upon the issues at stake and to share relevant lessons and best practices in the field of agricultural finance and credit infrastructure. This paper reviews the key messages from past work on this subject, including some observations from the Czech experience. These messages pertain to: the essential framework conditions for access to credit; the role of government policy-making, and possible channels for financing the agriculture and rural sectors. The paper then briefly suggests some linkages and implications that may be drawn between the EU enlargement and these three themes.

In all partial aspects, subsidies can be effectively realised only if the adequate system of information is set up and used both on the level of subsidy suppliers (government) and on the level of subsidy recipients (agricultural organisations). It is essential to control and evaluate the usefulness of providing the support. The GPS technologies are ones of many options how to contribute to this effort. The proceeding rapid progress and upgrade of these technologies, miniaturisation of the apparatus along with the decreasing price and increasing technological efficiency, accuracy and reliability are together granting significant preconditions for their practical utilisation in agriculture. GPS is practically being used in agriculture in the system of precise agriculture and our experts belong among the world-wide recognized specialists in this direction. The GPS utilisation is additionally offered at the allocation of LFAs as well as at marking the places suitable for agro-environmental measures. In combination with the IACS system and its databases and registers, it is functionally and operatively useful at the land control of fulfilling the conditions of support programmes.

A pot trial was aimed to investigate the effect of different forms of nitrogen fertilizer on the aboveground phytomass yield, vitamin C content and uptake of some macroelements by Brassica pekinensis. The trial was conducted in 2000 and 2001 in pots containing 10 kg of loamy brown soil. Optimized NPK nutrition with the rate of 90.9 kg/ha N increased phytomass yields of Chinese cabbage in all treatments compared to the unfertilized control. The most marked increase (by 55.6%) of yield was obtained when N was applied in the form of (NH₄)₂ SO₄. The yields in the other treatments declined as follows: NH₄NO₃ > Mg (NO₃)₂ > KNO₃ > DAM-390. Positive effects of full NPK nutrition on vitamin C content were determined. Depending on the forms of N fertilizer, the content of vitamin C in fresh mass of cabbage decreased in the following order: DAM-390 (629.0 mg/kg of fresh mass) >Mg(NO₃)₂ > KNO₃ > NH₄NO₃ > (NH₄)₂SO₄. Optimization of NPK rates contributed to the increase in N, P, K, Ca, Mg and S uptake by the yield of final product in comparison with unfertilized control. The highest uptake of nutrients was determined in the treatment with N applied in the form of (NH₄)₂SO₄.

Approach to the problems of sugar-beet tubers surface damage dependence on harvesting technology. Investigation of sugar-beet tubers damage when falling on wood and iron surfaces and in the next case tuber damage caused by their fall on the tuber heap. Research of damage rate dependence on the fall height. Evaluation of damage rate was carried by the I.I.R.B. method (method used by all sugar-beet growing countries of Western Europe). The results refer that no considerable differences in damage rate after the fall on the wood or iron bottoms have been ascertained. The height of 1.5 m can be considered in all cases as the limit value of the tubers fall, when share of heavily damaged tubers reached acceptable values of 10-15%, but that the share increases significantly at higher falling height. The lifting bodies construction requires also a knowledge of dependence between root depth and force for tuber release from soil in relation to the tuber weight. Medium force needed for tubers lifting ranges from 17 to 27 kp, maximum value 50 kp was found out for tubers of weight above 3 kg.

Changes in N-NO3- content and N-NO3- increase after incubation were studied in 1992-1998 in soils of two farms situated in identical soil and climatic conditions (in spring and autumn seasons). The two farms produce sugar beet and grain crops, but since 1991 they have used different types of organic fertilizers. Farmyard manure has regularly been applied to root crops on Dobrá Voda farm; since Chvalina farm does not have animal production, green manure and plowing-in of beet tops and straw are used for organic fertilization. Soils with regular applications of farmyard manure show a trend of lower N-NO3- content than the soils of the farm without animal production. At Dobrá Voda N-NO3- content was about 12 ppm N in spring and 9 ppm N in the autumn season while the respective values for Chvalina were 14 and 10 ppm N. On the hand, N-NO3- increase after soil incubation (12-14 ppm N) was higher in Dobrá Voda soils than in soils from Chvalina farm (5-8 ppm N).

The influence of an interrupted K fertilisation on different K fractions of the soil, yield formation and K uptake by different crops was investigated in a long-term field experiment on Luvisol derived from loess. Irrespective of the previous K fertilisation, the interruption of K fertilisation resulted in a sharp decline of CAL extractable K. K concentration in the saturation extract as well as HCl extractable K were reduced while K fixation capacity increased within 10 years after omitting K. Omitting K fertilisation decreased yields of sugar beet and potatoes while cereals were not affected, although K uptake of all crops reacted to the differentiated K supply to a different extent.

Farms, farmers, farm families, and even farm policies have changed in the United States and Europe over the decades since World War II. Now it is time to bring the methods of farm policy analysis and the scope of data collection up to date. Agricultural economics, by tradition an empirical discipline, can offer important insights into the design, implementation, and effectiveness of policy. To succeed in this century, though, requires an emphasis on understanding micro-economic behavior at the level of the farm household. The paper presents fundamental aspects on methodology for micro-level farm policy analysis and data requirements for application of its intruments.

The contribution is focused on an analysis of the existing forms of farming in Czech agriculture which are characterised by an economical way of farming on agricultural land. Forms, an extent and economic connection of these farming ways are included. Above all, it deals with the programs of extensive use of land in worse natural conditions, principles of organic agriculture, farming in areas with a special water regime and so on. These ways of farming have to be a part of the state agrarian policy and the connected financial participation of the state in their supporting.

Adequate product cost economic management is not possible at present without economic software application. Based on the analysis of the current state of enterprise information systems in agriculture, we define basic methods of automatic processing of economic trials and this on the enterprise management level and in-plant level. For product cost management enhancement, we recommend managerial information system application, which introduces extension of enterprise information system and allow real time cost analyse with multidimensional disintegration. We also introduce requirements that economic software suitable for information management needs should ensure.