The objective of the paper research is to assess the role of the implementation of the local development strategies (LDS) elaborated by the local action groups (LAGs) in the regional development and addressing social problems in Latvia. The paper examines the role and place of LDS in territorial development planning in Latvia, carries out thematic analysis of the projects implemented under the LDS as well as tries to assess the LEADER approach impact on regional development and addressing of social issues on the local level. The authors use unpublished data on LEADER projects and apply quantitative and qualitative analysis methods. Most of LEADER projects have been implemented to facilitate the development of infrastructure related to recreation and quality leisure time as well as culture and sports. Rural inhabitants have noticed positive changes in their local territory introduced by the LEADER approach. Though, in order to enhance the role of LAGs and LDS in addressing regional development and social problems at local level, it is advisable that the potential interaction of the activities provided by all regional planning documents is observed when determining priorities at regional level (presently the place and role of the LDS has not been formally defined), while implementation of the LDS should pay more attention to long-term effects and even accomplishment of target priorities.

rural tourism homestead choice in Lithuania. The aim of the research was to determine the balance between the importance and performance of factors affecting the choice of rural tourism homestead in Lithuania. The questionnaire research was provided in Lithuania in 2014. Tourists’ evaluations regarding five exogenous latent variables: ‘accommodation and catering’, ‘activities in destination’, ‘natural features’, ‘destination aesthetics’, and ‘environmental preservation’, and four endogenous latent variables: ‘destination marketing’, ‘perceived value’, ‘satisfaction’, and ‘loyalty’ were measured. The total effects for the specific endogenous constructs in the structural model (importance) and the average values of the latent variable scores, rescaled to a range of zero and 100 (performance) were measured to compose the importance performance grid. The research results indicate that the most important factors for tourists while choosing a rural tourism homestead in Lithuania are ‘destination marketing’, ‘environmental preservation’, ‘perceived value’ and ‘satisfaction’. Moreover, the highest share of the total investments allocated to satisfy tourists and enhance the level of loyalty should be accrued to the improvement of ‘destination marketing’ and ‘environmental preservation’.

The paper covers theoretical analysis of the tourism development in rural regions as well as the public administration role in tourism sector management in order to evaluate, plan and maintain tourism resources in the region. In the paper, there is presented a discussion on some proposed methodologies for the tourism structure and resources evaluation, in order to compare attraction potential of territories for the tourism development (competitiveness between regions). The tourism planning and management process should be proceeded at various levels of public administration institutions in order to avoid negative influence from different branches of the economy, preserve nature, historical and cultural heritage, ingeniously and cost-effectively use EU Structural funds and national budget resources for the tourism infrastructure development in order to prevent unwanted competition between local and regional public administrations, stimulating them to act jointly in order to achieve synergy attracting tourists to visit neighbouring regions. How to achieve mentioned goals the questioning of the tourism development experts has been performed, and some results of it are presented in the paper. Conclusions on the performed research and proposed methodologies as well as some suggestions for the better tourism development management at the regional level have been presented.

Land fragmentation is a problem in Europe, and Estonia is not an exception in this respect. Parcel size is widespread characteristic to describe the level of fragmentation. The aim of the study is to find out if there is difference of fragmentation among different groups of landholdings by size. In order to characterise land fragmentation, were calculated the Januszewski and Schmook indexes, average parcel size and average distance from the gravity centre of each landholding to its parcels. Results showed a high level of fragmentation of Estonian agricultural landholdings. There is a high variety of fragmentation inside and among the investigated groups. The average value of Januszewski index for all groups is 0.626, and the average value of Schmook index for all groups is 0.462. The average parcel size for all groups is 7.02 hectares and average distance from the gravity centre of each landholding to its parcels for all groups is 1.57 kilometres.

Within the frame of the Nordic/Baltic public-private partnership ’PPP for pre-breeding in perennial ryegrass’ various activities were performed, including assessment of L. perenne (Lp) genotypes under agro-ecological conditions of Latvia. This article summarizes the data obtained in two harvest years for 19 intermediate tetraploid (4x) Lp genotypes. In order to compare the results obtained in ryegrass with performance of grass interspecies hybrids (Fl), which become especially relevant in the recent years, two varieties, developed in Latvia – Lolium × boucheanum Kunth. ‘Saikava’ and × Festulolium ‘Vizule’ were included in the experiment. Various scores were performed, including evaluation of regrowth, intensity of culm development, sward cover, crown rust (Puccinia coronata) susceptibility, etc. The dry matter yield (DMY) and fodder quality were also determined. It can be concluded that the genotypes showed relatively good results in the first two harvest years. Wintering conditions were favourable. Despite the intensified drought and heat in the 1st ley year, relatively high DMY, which ranged from 9.30 to 12.15 t haE−1, for Lp were harvested in three cuts. In the 2nd ley year, under more favourable humidity conditions, Lp in four cuts provided similar DMY, which ranged from 8.81 to 11.50 t haE−1. If we compare the average DMY of Lp and Fl genotypes, it can be concluded that in the first two harvest years no significant differences were found, the average DMY was 10.30 and 10.64 t haE−1, respectively. No significant differences were found between Lp and Fl in terms of forage quality.

Pyrenophora tritici-repentis is a major wheat pathogen in all wheat (Triticum spp.) growing areas worldwide. Up to date, eight P. tritici-repentis races have been described based on chlorosis, necrosis, or both symptoms caused on race differential wheat genotypes: ‘Glenlea’, 6B662, 6B365, and ‘Salamouni’. Symptom development on differential genotypes depends on the interaction of the pathogen’s necrotrophic effectors named Ptr ToxA, Ptr ToxB, and Ptr ToxC with host susceptibility genes. Ptr ToxA is encoded by the single copy gene ToxA and induces necrosis on sensitive wheat cultivars. Ptr ToxB causes chlorosis and is encoded by the multicopy gene ToxB. The Ptr ToxC is the non-proteinaceous, polar, low molecular mass molecule that also induces chlorosis, but up to date, the gene encoding this toxin is unknown. Races producing Ptr ToxA are predominant in the global Ptr population. There are several reports about new putative races of P. tritici-repentis that do not conform to the current race system, so further research is required. This study aims to collect and systematise available information about the virulence and races of P. tritici-repentis.

Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies and Organizing Committee of Annual 26th International Scientific Conference on Research for Rural Development 2020 tried to continues a tradition of bringing together researchers, academic and professionals in Jelgava, from 13 to 15 May, 2020 from all over the world. But, unfortunately, this year the rules were set by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. We did start new tradition from 2020, account from 1st until the 26th conference and totally are 35 volumes. The interdisciplinary papers contributed the most recent scientific knowledge in agricultural sciences, forestry and wood processing, food sciences, veterinary medicine, economics, rural and environmental engineering, water management; information and communication technologies and education. These Proceedings will furnish the scientists of the world with an excellent reference volume. We trust also that this will be an impetus to stimulate further study and research in all these areas.

The four independent reviewers estimated each paper and recommended 81 articles for publishing at the proceedings consisted of 2 volumes, which started life as presentations at the Annual 23rd International Scientific Conference “Research for Rural Development 2017” held at the Latvia University of Agriculture, in Jelgava, on 17 to 19 May 2017. In the retrospect of four months later, we can count the Conference as a great success. The theme – Research for Rural Development - attracted participation more than 155 researchers with very different backgrounds. There were 124 presentations from different universities of Poland, Kazakhstan, France, Czech Republic, Lithuania, Estonia, India, Russia and Latvia. Thank you for your participation! We are sure that you have learned from the presentations and discussions during the conference and you can use the outcomes in the future. The cross disciplinary proceedings of the Annual 23rd International Scientific Conference “Research for Rural Development 2017” (two volumes since 2010) are intended for academics, students and professionals. The subjects covered by those issues are crop production, animal breeding, agricultural engineering, agrarian and regional economics, food sciences, veterinary medicine, forestry, wood processing, water management, environmental engineering, landscape architecture, information and communication technologies. The papers are grouped according to the sessions in which they have been presented.

Modern varieties developed under conventional plant breeding programs do not always perform well under organic and low-input growing conditions. Therefore, organic farmers need varieties adapted to variable environmental conditions. This means emphasis on traits such as nutrient uptake and use efficiency, good weed suppression ability and disease resistance and can be achieved via extended genetic diversity within the varieties: variety mixtures and populations of self-pollinating crops. The aim of the present study was to review published scientific literature about importance and research results on this topic. Scientific articles about the necessity of such studies and results of investigations performed in different countries have been studied. The main results show that variety mixtures have advantages in terms of disease control and yield stabilization and performance of mixtures may be affected by various factors – choice of components and its number, interactions between plants of components, manner of the mixing and growing technology. Depending on parental material, populations contain greater genetic diversity than variety mixtures. There are trends observed in the studies that yield of populations increased over generations and they are more stable than modern varieties, but there is no evidence that they would be significantly more productive. This research direction has recently become topical and is not sufficiently widely covered in the world agricultural science. The obtained results are inconsistent.

The objective of the study was to detect the difference of the conformation scores between dams and daughters in Latvian Warmblood horse breed. For this purpose the correlations and regression coefficient between conformation traits of broodmares and the same traits of their daughters were estimated. Data of Latvian Warmblood horse breed broodmares were analyzed. The horse breeding organisations’ evaluating data from 1995 till 2015 were analyzed. The data included conformation valuation of Latvian Warmblood horse breed dams (n = 423) and their daughters (n = 596) of different ages. An average in ten-point scale in the group of dams was 7.71 ± 0.04 for top line scoring, 7.33 ± 0.05 for forelimbs and 7.35 ± 0.05 points for hind limbs. An average of valuation points of their daughters was 7.51 ± 0.03 for top line scoring, 7.21 ± 0.04 for forelimbs and 7.21 ± 0.04 for hind limbs. A significant difference between valuations of dams and their daughters (p0.05) was found for all three conformation traits. Positive and low correlation was calculated between groups of dams and daughters for all three conformation traits. The results show that the relationship between conformation traits of dams and daughters was weak. Further studies are needed in order to estimate influence of broodmare quality to daughters, analyzing the latest data of progeny.