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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.

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.

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.

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.

Tilletia controversa and Tilletia caries were specifically detected in wheat plants by PCR using primers TILf (5´-CAC AAG ACT ACG GAG GGG TG-3´) and TILr (5´-CTC CAA GCA ACC TTC TCT TTC-3´). DNAs from uninfected wheat, rye, barley and triticale were not amplified. Natural infection of control plants by other species of fungi as Alternaria spp., Erysiphe graminis and Fusarium spp. proved the specificity of the test because even in this case no unspecific products were formed. This method can be very useful both for seed producers and for state officers checking the seed quality.

The high rate of the Stagnosols and Gleysols in the East Slovak Lowland substantially influences the potential utilisation of the existing agro-ecosystems. On the basis of the pedologic and informative system of Slovak soils investigation, we determined the possible structural, productive and economic parameters of the soil representatives in the East Slovak Lowland, its districts and soil-ecological regions with the help of geographic informative systems. 46.9% of the soils are not profitable for the plant growing without subsidies. At the average expense per one hectare of agricultural soil 10 227 SKK, it is possible to expect the yields of approximately 10 295 SKK/ha, which means profit without subsidies 68 SKK/ha (profitability rate 0.67%). The best natural and economic results in plant production can be expected in the Michalovce and Trebišov districts and the soil-ecological regions of Ondavská rovina (Ondava flatland), Laborecká rovina (Laborec flatland) and Kapušanské pláňavy (Kapušany welds).

The article deals with characteristics of local communities and rural regions. Local communities are defined both according to the standards of population density and the number of inhabitants. In the article, there are treated especially the indicators of population development (balance of migration), economic activities of the inhabitants, unemployment rates, structures of the population according to the sector of national economy and the indicators of education. These indicators have been calculated on the basis of data of the Census 2001, municipal and regional statistics and the Department of Employment data concerning the unemployment rate.

A possibility to increase the efficiency of plant regeneration from microspore-derived embryos of selected botanical varieties of Brassica oleracea was investigated from 2001 to 2004. More than 400 regenerants of R₁ generation were derived in kohlrabi, cabbage and cauliflower by means of different modifications of microspore culture technique. Distinct genotype differences in embryogenic responsibility and regenerative ability of microspore embryos to whole plants were detected. The highest frequency of embryogenesis and subsequent regeneration of plants were achieved in cauliflower cultivar Siria F1, kohlrabi line P7 and some experimental F1 hybrids of cauliflower. The best production of embryos was obtained when donor plants were grown in the growth chamber under controlled light and temperature conditions. The regeneration of plantlets was considerably improved by repeated subculture of cotyledonary embryos on media with various combinations of phytohormones and excision of the cotyledons from mature embryos. The percentage of plant regeneration from subcultured embryos in kohlrabi ranged from 11.11 to 63.64%, in cauliflower from 23.53 to 46.19% and in cabbage from 5.88 to 52.00%. The utilization of regenerants for doubled haploid line production is often complicated by male sterility also in plants with the normal diploid chromosome number.

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.

Economic efficiency in farming is achieved as a result of manager's skills and proper technologic equipment available on the farm suitable for carrying out husbandry operations. Applying skilled management to the whole business of farming is of an extraordinary importance, too. The manager should be equipped with more or less sophisticated software that would make his decision making process more professional and adequate to (generaly) production conditions. Such software (program) will allow proving his technological conception by economic calculations and proper tests. An Agricultural Technology Management Program AGRO-EXPERT has been conceived and is discussed in this paper. The authors analyze situation in appearance of such programs and conditions/information necessary for their correct (adequate) functions.

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 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.

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.

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.