Several farmers of Latvia have established ostrich substituting traditional animal growing farms. Ostrich meat is frequently described as a healthy alternative to other meat products. Ostrich, a red meat, is even lower in calories, cholesterol and fat than skinless chicken and turkey, while remaining high in the content of iron and protein. The aim of the investigation is to evaluate the chemical composition of frozen ostrich meat obtain in Latvia and compare it with other meats. The samples of meat for experiments were obtained from ostrich meat producers. Moisture content was determined by drying of the samples at 100 deg C to a constant weight (ISO 6406). Protein content was determined by Kjeldahl method (ISO 5983). Fat content was determined by Soxlet extraction method (ISO 6492). The calories in different meats were determined by an approved procedure which includes summing of the calories from fat and from protein. The investigations showed that there were no significant differences between the main components of ostrich meat produced in Latvia and those found in the data in literature. Chemical composition of ostrich meat does not significantly differ from that of other types of meat. The research suggests that ostrich meat can be substituted for beef or chicken in any recipe, including meat-processing products.

Tryptophan is a precursor for the production of skatole and indole in the large intestine of pigs. Accumulation of these compounds in adipose tissue causes on objectionable odour in meat from entire male pigs. Potential market impact illustrates the importance in developing an accurate method of determining skatole and indole content in adipose tissue. In the present study, a method is described for determination of skatole and indole concentrations by liquid chromatography combined with mass spectrometry (LC-MS) using atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI). The optimization of chromatographic and APCI conditions is reported. This method showed excellent linearity over the concentration range tested (from 10 to 1000 ng mlE-1 of liquefied fat for both skatole and indole).

The main pine natural woodland habitats (woodland key habitats -WKH) and the importance of their management and monitoring have been described in this paper. The ecological importance of lichen epiphytes in forest ecosystem has been analysed. The lichenoflora and its percental cover features have been described. The exposition of lichen species depending on the cardinal points has been analysed. The paper presents the characteristics of ecological indicators of lichen in the landscape features. The lichenoindicative evaluation and comparison of pine WKH have been carried out.

The manufacture and export of pallets is one of the largest sectors of the wood industry. For the manufacturing of pallets mainly softwood - spruce (Picea abies L. Karst.) and pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) wood - materials are used. The price of those materials is increasing. It could be better for the production of pallets if the manufacturers could use hardwood - alder (Alnus incana L. Moench) and aspen (Populus tremula L.) wood materials. The reasons for that could be that these materials are not so expensive and that softwood materials could be used more in the wood industry where it is more necessary. But at that point more information about the physical and mechanical properties of hardwood materials needed. Basing on the previous research on quality and mechanical properties of softwood and hardwood and on the present research work the practical and theoretical values of deflection and strength of pallets have been assessed. The research enables us to optimize the preparation for pallet production. The aim of the research is to find out the strength of the pallets without destroying.

After Latvia has joined the EU, all the positive social and economic changes make us to believe that students' personalities will be developed in the same positive way. Of course it should be admitted that any changes in young personalities can be strongly affected by the university study course, its aims and content. Joining the EU allowed many Latvian students to use the possibility of studying and working abroad, and many of them are already using this chance not even thinking about the future of their native region. The majority of LUA students come from province as do many more from other higher schools but they differ from other higher schools but they differ from the previous generations with their more dynamical and free vision and more constructive actions. At the same time the idea of students' responsibility and upbringing their sense of affiliation to their native regions becomes more relevant. We investigated students' awareness of responsibility and civil maturity. The attention was paid to the development of students' patriotic attitudes during the acquisition of the course of studies at the institution of higher education. It is very important how a student's matured personality was developed. Love to the motherland was emphasized in Latvian pedagogy in pre-war years, but in our higher schools the idea of patriotic upbringing still remains at the very low level or sometimes does not even exist. The main objective for the higher schools management is initiating this process overwhelming student's drift away from their native district. The innovating rural tourism course for higher schools can be regarded as one of the possible instruments of patriotic upbringing.

The school's education surrounding is the places where social experience and children's learning opinion are gathered develop the system of attitudes. It values actualizes education's needs and develop the motivation of self-realization and develop motivates to continue the education. It is important to develop the skills to make a prognosis, to plan and to project the future. The aim motivation must be the real key in this process. The education of career is the school especially the main thing for rural schools that provide the long-term development during the crisis of demography and competition. The authors offer: 1) the typical needs of pupils for education in the surrounding of education, which is based on ecological approach in education and stresses the link between the surrounding and man in the holistic way, 2) the analysis of done investigations and evaluation in the part of discussions analysing the approach of career's education problems in the rural school, giving the references to other authors' views and investigations.

In XX century, educational dialogue is researched as educational and pedagogical method. The rural music schools of Latvia are good basis for scientific investigation. The aim of the research is to study situation of the educational dialogue in Latvia rural music schools and to analyse pedagogical aspects and authority, constructing progressive environment in understanding between individuals. A two thousand year's dialogue shows perspective way for best communication and cooperation. Dialogue idea in XX century philosophical and pedagogical theories is analysed in M. Bbuber, M.M. Bakhtin, P. Freire and N.C. Burbules works, and they have played an important role in the development of dialogue theory as a pedagogical problem. Dialogical interaction can provide to higher motivation of ensemble play lessons and to solve transportation and large way distance difficulties in Latvia rural areas.

The research was done to observe open-field cultivation potential for growing melons Cucumis melo L. without covering in two regions of Latvia: Tukums and Cesis. Three varieties of melons 'Zolotistaya', 'Galiley' and 'Kolkhoznica' were used. In all, 15 individuals of each variety were grown at each place - Tukums region and Cesis region. To evaluate growth and development intensity for each variety in each region, the following parameters were measured parameters were measured: length of the main shoot, number of leaves per plant, time of appearance of the first male and female blossom, and number of perished plants. The most suitable variety for the Cesis region was found variety 'Kolhoznica', but for Tukums region - 'Zolotistaya'. The research suggests that variety 'Galiley'is the least suitable for growing in both regions. It was established that successful open-field cultivation of melons in Tukums and Cesis regions is possible only in case of favourable weather conditions. In the year of the investigation, 2004, insufficient sum of effective temperatures limited successful development and yielding of melon.

In order to get maximum economic effect, when setting a solar collector in a peasant yard, it is important to choose the correct place. The yield of obtained heat energy will be at its maximum, if the temperature of surrounding air and solar radiation are higher by the relative humidity of the air - lower. To define these parameters, a special device 'Meteorological Device' (MD-4) was developed. The device was supplied with a mechanism which tracks the sun all day round. So the direct solar radiation on the surface perpendicular to the sun beams was measured. The second measuring of the solar radiation was made in relation to the surface, which was perpendicular to the sun beams only at the middle of a day time. For the measuring of the air temperature and relative humidity, corresponding sensors were used. In every 15 minutes the data of these four meteorological parameters were automatically measured and the results were saved into a logger - the device for data accumulation. After a certain period of time the information was brought into the memory of a computer and analysed.

Fuel as the main energy resource in agriculture and forest production is surveyed in the work. Specific weight of fuel and lubricants in applicable expenses in country farms is analysed, average fuel and oil consumption in farms of different specialization, as well as changes in oil price in farms of different size and specialization are shown.