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.

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.

Grain samples of 51 spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) genotypes, including two-row, six rows, covered and hull-less were used for investigation of endosperm beta-glucan content. A significant difference (p-value is less than 0.001) between genotypes in beta-glucan content was observed. On average, the six-row barleys had slightly higher beta-glucan content. Far six-row genotypes it ranged from 35.9 to 47.1 mg kgE-1 with the mean value of 41.4 mg kgE-1, but for tw0-row barleys - 38.0 mg kgE-1 within the range of 33.2-44.9 g kgE-1. Six-row genotypes had a higher coefficient of variation in comparison with two-row genotypes. Hull-less genotypes had significantly higher beta-glucan content than the covered ones (49.3 mg kgE-1 and 38.9 mg kgE-1 respectively). The standard deviation of the mean values of beta-glucan content for covered genotypes was lower than for the hull-less ones. The mean values in 2005 were well plotted against data from the previous season for genotypes included in the two years trial. There were two distinct clusters of covered and hull-less genotypes. Beta-glucan content for varieties bred in Latvia ranged from 33.2 mg kgE-1 for two-row variety 'Malva' to 46.0 mg kgE-1 for six-row variety 'Druvis'.

The South-Esatern Anatolia Project (GAP) is a multi-sector and integrated regional development project in Turkey. The project area covers 9 administrative provinces - Adiyaman, Batman, Diyarbakir, Gaziantep, Kilis, Mardin, Siirt, Sanliurfa, and Simak - in the basins of the Euphrates and Tigris. The GAP planned in the 1970s consists of projects for irrigation and hydraulic energy production on the Euphrates and Tigris rivers. The development program encompasses such sectors as irrigation, hydraulic energy, agriculture, fish farming, rural and urban infrastructure, forestry, education, and health. This project envisages the construction of 22 dams and 19 hydraulic power plants and irrigation of 1.7 million hectares of land. The total cost of the project is estimated as US $ 32 billion. The construction of several dams will cause an increase in total capacity of more than 600 000 tons of fish in the region. Aquaculture will be an important source of income for the people and the economy of the country, a sum of US $ 1.8 billion of income will be obtained each year.

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.

Genetic evaluation of dairy cattle for milk production based on 305-day lactation yields was compared to the evaluation based on the corresponding test day (TD) yields from the first lactation. The heritability estimates were 0.19, 0.13 and 0.15, respectively for milk yield, fat yield and protein yield, and these parameters are lower than the corresponding ones for the routine genetic evaluation with the lactation model in Latvia. The results of estimated breeding values (EBV) and relative breeding values (RBV) showed relatively high variance for all traits: higher for fat yield and lower for protein yield. The calculation of reliabilities showed that the use of test day model gives higher reliabilities of the estimated breeding values. The reliabilities are higher (about 2 - 4 %) for all traits using TD model on average for all animals and cows. For bulls group with calculated reliabilities of breeding values of at least 50 % for all traits, the measure of accuracy is higher with TD model from 7% for protein yield to 17% for fat yield. The ranking of the best Top 10 sires by TD model is similar to the lactation model. A total of 3 bulls for fat and protein yield are included in rankings of Top 10 both by TD and lactation models. TD yields could be used instead of 305-day yields for the genetic evaluation of dairy cattle. It helps to improve the accuracy of genetic evaluation and does not change ranking of the best sires drastically.

Decrease of the consumption of energy resources is possible if grain is actively dry at low air temperatures, which also has a more favourable effect on a single grain. By using the new low-temperature technologies in grain drying, the same effect can be reached as by using grain dryers with high air heating temperatures. One of such technologies could be active drying of the grain layer at low air temperatures in ozone medium. Laboratory experiments show that the carried out moisture from grain is more efficient is active drying is performed using ozonized air. The presence of ozone in grain active drying process increases the amount of carried out moisture. Ozone when decaying to ordinary oxygen creates additional energy, which can be efficiently used in grain drying. As a result, grain drying is accelerated and energy consumption is decreased. Laboratory experiments prove the effectiveness of the presence of ozone in grain active drying process.

The paper analyses possibilities to model the concentration of DIN - a harmful pollutant from the eutrophication point of view-contained in the stream and self-purification processes of the stream. During the studies the data of a small right affluent of the river Musa (administrative district of Birzai) was used. The data comprised results of natural observations about the changes in DIN concentrations during the vegetation period and cold period of the year. The model of pollution dispersion through the stream is a parabolic differential equation with partial derivates, initial as well as boundary conditions. Constant DIN pollution in a stream stretch containing constant hydrological parameters and adequate environment conditions is proportional to the concentration of pollutants inflow. Further from the pollution source the constant pollution is exponentially decreasing. At the distance expressed by x (m) from the initial pollution concentration c0 measuring place, DIN concentration is expressed by C(x) = c0eE-0.00017x in the cold season of the year and by in C(x) = c0eE-0.00031x during the vegetation period. The stream polluted in the result of agricultural activity, further flowing through forest-covered area is significantly purified already at a 1.5 km stretch. Relatively, DIN concentration decreases about 3.8 times a day during the vegetation period and about 2.7 times a day during the cold season of the year.

In 1999-2003, the investigations were carried out in Juodkiskis study object of Water Management Institute of Lithuanian University of Agriculture. Study scheme is composed of three treatments: treatment I -slurry applied, treatment II - mineral fertilizers applied; treatment III - no fertilization. Test field is drained, drain spacing is 15 m; draining depth is 1.2 m. During the crop rotation the following plants were grown: spring wheat with undercrop, red clover (1st year of use), red clover (2nd year of use), sugar beet, and spring rape. The objective of studies was to determine the effect of cultivated crops on drainage water quality. As the study results have show, N total concentrations contained in drainage water increased due to higher fertilization rates and inorganic nitrogen accumulated in the soil. Neither fertilization nor amount of mobile phosphorous contained in the soil made any effect on Ptotal concentrations in drainage water. In arable land, Ntotal concentrations contained in drainage water were 2.3 times higher than those in drainage water of the field, where red clover was grown. Ptotal concentrations were higher in the field with red clover. According to the rates determined in Lithuania, drainage water is not polluted with phosphorus, while average annual Ntotal concentrations exceeded the maximum allowable (MAC) when spring wheat with undercrop and sugar beet was grown.

The study looks at a non - traditional way of perception and assessment of urban landscape, using the photographic method. Advantages and disadvantages of this method have been explained. As an example, a complicated urban area with different landscapes types, including historical, aesthetical, functional and emotional aspects, has been studied. The territory in the existing functional zones was mapped. Typical or representative views of each functional zone were photographed. Out of 590 slides, 25 were chosen and presented on a wall in an auditorium. For each slide, six questions were asked, which represented a public perception of landscapes from the standpoint of Environmental Psychology. These were: the aesthetical value, harmony, order and sense of locality, variety of forms and diversity, secrecy, safety. The results show differences of perception between men and women, younger and older people, and locals and visitors. Most of the respondents were Latvian, and for that reason cultural and mentality aspect was one of the most important the results of this study. Almost everybody chose slides with harmonized, safe and greener space, which are the main features of the historical Latvian country yard.