Fast-growing hybrid aspen clones are recommended for establishment of plantation on abandoned agriculture land in Northern Europe. In this study we assessed the productivity, quality and assortment structure of hybrid aspen clones at final felling. Data were collected during the hybrid aspen clonal experiment conducted in the central part of Latvia. Large variation in the productivity level between different clones was affected by growth and survival. From the compared 5 most and least productive clones, based on the yield m**3 haE-1, the faster growing clones have about 17% better survival rate at age 10. Also, the mean annual increment (MAI) differed notably and significantly (p is less than 0.05, α = 0.05) between hybrid aspen clones at the age of 18 years ranging from 7 to 34 m**3 haE-1 yearE-1. Theoretical assortment structure of hybrid aspen at the age of 18 years was the following: 43 ± 4.86% of small dimension saw logs (SDS logs), 21 ± 4.86% high quality saw logs (HQS logs), 18 ± 4.33% pulpwood, 4 ± 0.77% firewood and 13 ± 0.08% of logging residues (tops). The outcome of HQS logs on average is more than 30% from the 5 best clones and further increase can be predicted with age. Stem volume (H2 = 0.32), height (H2 = 0.47) and quality parameters (stem straightness - H2 = 0.73, branch angle - H2 = 0.60) had a high heritability and large differences between clones, indicating notable possibilities to improve the productivity of plantations via selection of the best-growing genetic material.

Recently, a renewed interest in non-harmful, environmentally friendly adhesives has ensued among the industry professionals, both environmental and healthcare scientists. In this study, organic rich lake sediments (sapropel) from two lakes located in Latgale Region of Latvia were used as a glue to investigate the potential use of such adhesive for manufacture of composite materials from wood. Sapropel is a valuable resource with multiple areas of application, e.g., agriculture, balneology. Available amount of sapropel in Latvia is estimated at up to 2 billion m**3. Prior the tests, characterization of sapropel samples was done. Properties of the obtained composite material samples from wood and sapropel, as well as the mechanical properties were investigated. Tests involved the assessment of static bending strength and shear strength tests, durability according to their operating performance (D1-D4), as well as dried natural peat tensile strength perpendicular to the grain direction were determined and compared to the literature data; and the opportunities to use new composite materials in accordance with to the standards were discussed. The results of the study revealed an insight into possibilities to develop products of higher added value from sapropel as adhesive in combination with various resources. Results indicated that the samples made from Lake Pilvelis sapropel gain to better results of bending strength determination (parallel bending - 88.7 MPa). The aim of this study was to explore options to produce veneer using two kinds of sapropel as a glue and to determine the optimal properties according to the standards, as well as to characterize properties of the obtained composite material.

Turkish traditional food producers are mainly subsistence and semi-subsistence farmers who have a limited marketing knowledge. They thus encounter a significant number of problems during the supply chain due to the lack of capital, awareness and equipment, as well as underutilized resources and insufficient rural infrastructure. They are also not actively encouraged by the policies implemented at the regional level. The majority of the food reaches consumers either directly (the less common purchases from the farmer) or via a number of intermediaries. If the current volume of traditional food is compared with the past production volume, it can be clearly seen that there is a sharp decrease in the production in contrast to the rapidly increasing population. This study aims to find willingness of Turkish consumers to pay for a MarketMaker website – an electronic trading platform of traditional products in Turkey. The estimations rely on data collected from 157 persons covering all regions in Turkey through an online survey in August, 2015. The average willingness to pay (WTP) annually was found to be about 32 Turkish Liras (TRY) for all observations including zero bids and TRY 164 excluding zero bids. The results of the probit model show that age, marital status and shopping in traditional food markets were identified by the model to have a significant impact on the probability of WTP.

The paper analyses sustainable development situation in Šiauliai and Telšiai counties between 2004 and 2013 and compares it with respective situation in the Republic of Lithuania. In order to provide an integrated assessment of the situation, the analysis employed the method of calculating sustainable development indices, close to the Compass method, often applied in research practice all over the world. The calculated indices of economic and social development and environmental state in Šiauliai and Telšiai counties and in Lithuania have shown changes in sustainable development during the period of 10 years. Integrated sustainable development indices, obtained by summing up economic and social development and environmental state indicators demonstrated that sustainable development situation in Šiauliai and Telšiai counties and the Republic of Lithuania between 2004 and 2013 was very similar. Due to the first EU investments between 2005 and 2007, a huge improvement of economic and social situation took place, environmental protection also improved. However, the global economic crisis of 2008 – 2010 decreased the sustainable development of Lithuania and the mentioned counties. In 2011 – 2012, the sustainable development situation started improving again, however, not in such big proportions as in 2005 – 2007. Recession in 2013, in fact, brought the level of sustainable development of Lithuania, Šiauliai and Telšiai counties down to the level of 2004. Conclusions provide generalisation of the research outcomes and possible sustainable development trends for Šiauliai and Telšiai counties.

The paper presents theoretical and practical aspects of content marketing decision application for rural tourism development using a case of a farmstead ʻĮlankos sodybaʼ. The first part of the article deals with theoretical insights into content marketing ability to stimulate rural tourism development. Results of literature review reveal that there are connections between elements of the content marketing and rural tourism development, which means that the use of content marketing can be economically valuable for the wider range of the farmsteads. The second part of the paper focuses on the case analysis of the farmstead ‘Įlankos sodybaʼ. In order to explore how the application of content marketing decisions can impact rural tourism development, an experiment of content marketing usage in search advertisement of selected farmstead was carried out. Separate content marketing elements were involved in search advertisement and changes of advertisement effect upon the customers were measured. The given results show that content marketing elements can improve the chosen advertisement effect upon the customers. This leads to presumption that the wider use of content marketing can improve not only the effect of separate marketing tool, but also can contribute to the development of rural tourism. The paper concludes with findings and discussion; limitations and future research possibilities are given as well.

The European Union livestock sector is a major player of the agricultural economy and its land use, and livestock is one of the fastest-growing sectors in agriculture, potentially presenting opportunities for economic growth and poverty reduction in rural areas. In Latvia, the year 2014 was quite difficult for the dairy industry both due to Russia’s embargo on dairy product import and low milk purchase prices and due to concerns that milk quotas had been exceeded. It is therefore important that cows are healthy and no additional losses are suffered from mastitis. Mastitis is a complex disease involving many factors, which is mainly caused by bacteria and there is no simple model that encompasses different possible aspects. Therefore, the research aim is to assess the effects of mastitis in cow herds for farms in Latvia. The research study proceeds in two stages or phases: firstly, to review the scientific literature on mastitis problems and solutions to the problems in other countries, secondly, to survey dairy farms of various sizes in the regions of Latvia in order to examine the real situation concerning mastitis and its effects on the economy of farms. A survey results of 74 farms in Latvia revealed that 90.5% of the farms had problems with mastitis. Consequently, if sick cattle are timely culled, it is possible to keep the herd milk yield without a significant drop. In case of cows with mastitis, farms suffer losses from smaller quantities of milk produced depending on farming intensity and due to cows culled with mastitis.

The article is of a cognitive and application nature. The research objective is to distinguish harmonious management principles applicable to the management of public sector efficiency. Results of the article achieved: 1) The analysis was done of the management principles in social models, as well as between them and harmonious management and its exclusive features. Harmonious management in this article is treated as a continuation of the analysis of the public administration evolution. The extracted specific management principles of conduct can be used for a comparative analysis between the social management models. 2) The analysis was done of harmonious management directions, which may be applied to a public sector organization. 3) The article discusses the process of harmonization and presented stages. Harmonious management process logic diagram integrated exchange organizations into a cohesive process model and principles for promoting efficient activities. 4) The article presents the proposals and conclusions of different options and the need to apply the harmonious management of public sector management to gain efficiency. The aim of the research is to identify the principles of harmonious management applicable to public sector management for the purpose of effectiveness. The paper is based on the scientific literature and document analysis and synthesis, systematization, comparative analysis and case studies. In this article the case study is used by local authorities, which are represented by the public sector. Empirical research is conducted by using the quantitative standardized expert interview method. Visualization method is used, too.

Energy transition from the fossil fuel dominating to the one based on renewable energy sources (RES) takes acceleration with the internationally recognised need to stabilise the global warming. Therefore, there is a general consensus that the initiative of the wide use of RES is manifold in its nature making an impact not only on the environmental issues, but also adding to the so desired customer involvement and rural development as well. Rural dimension in reaching the EU targets should arguably be a priority as RES utilisation is decentralised in its nature. Despite the fact that EU with its main strategic documents gives a clear direction on RES utilisation through wider involvement of citizens, especially in rural places, there are certain grounds for stating that a current situation and future insights among EU Member States still differ. Lithuanian case was chosen to explore the sustainability gaps regarding the RES utilisation development in rural places. Literature review is employed to choose the most suitable way aiming to explore and evaluate the RES utilisation development in rural places regarding the sustainability issues. This article adds to understanding and evaluating the main obstacles of the well balanced RES utilisation development in rural places.

The preservation of cultural heritage has become an important component of government policies of the EU and, of course, Latvia. Along with the preservation of cultural heritage, the use of it is also important. The aim of the research is to choose the best scenario for the use of cultural heritage in developing rural tourism in Latvia. The paper focuses on the problem of use of cultural heritage in the rural tourism development. The paper defined three scenarios for the use of cultural heritage in developing rural tourism: the initiative of entrepreneurs, public organisations and residents; the programme funded by national and regional institutions; the EU fund for the preservation of cultural heritage. A decision on the choice of the most appropriate scenario was made based on an expert decision-making method – the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). Out of the three scenarios seven experts: rural craftsmen, a municipality vice leader, a civil servant from the Latvia Ministry of Finance, representatives from rural tourism organisations and the Association of Rural Female organisations, chose the third scenario – the EU fund for the preservation of cultural heritage.

Objectives of this study were to compare costs and expected benefits of feed supplementation in cattle with alternative shrub legumes during the dry season using as a case study the hillsides of Central Nicaragua. The information used was gathered in a survey of 32 farms in the states of Boaco and Chontales in Central Nicaragua. The survey was designed to determine herd structure, land use patterns, milk and beef production, and use of inputs for animal nutrition, in order to estimate production, reproductive parameters and employment of family/contracted labor, as well as indicators of profitability of the alternatives under study. To calculate the economic return to the investment in alternative forages, a simulation model that applies optimization techniques through linear programming, implemented as a spreadsheet, was used to perform an ex ante evaluation of the costs and benefits of different land use alternatives and of interactions between technological components and biological productivity. The model compares the costs and benefits of the traditional feeding system versus an improved feeding system. The traditional system consists of grazing naturalized pastures (Hyparrhenia rufa) during the rainy season. In the dry season producers supplement the herd with small areas of king grass (Pennisetum spp.). The improved feeding system consists of establishing forage legumes for dry season feeding as a supplement to replace king grass during the dry season. Supplements to evaluate are the shrub legume Calliandra calothyrsus as partial replacement of the herbaceous high quality legume Vigna unguiculata, commonly known as Cowpea. Under the new feeding system, herd size can be increased by 60% due in part to the increase in stocking rate as well as to the increase in the quality of the diet offered with higher protein content. This increase in herd size raises both milk and beef output that generates an increase in farm income by 1.8 times more (i.e., from $1,314/farm/yr to $2,386). The economic return to family labor is increased by 20% to $ 5.26/day equivalent to 2.3 times higher than the local wage rate. The adoption of Vigna (Cowpea) after the harvest of maize/beans and a shrub legume as Calliandra to replace king grass seem to have the potential to significantly improve the productivity in smallholder farms. with the resulting increase in the economic return to family labor.