A study was conducted to evaluate the growth performance of native and RIR chickens under intensive management condition for 22 weeks using a standard commercial ration. Seven native chicken populations were collected from representative administrative zones in northwest Ethiopia. The experimental layout was a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with three replications. Data on feed consumption, body weight and related parameters were collected up to the age of 22 weeks. The mean total feed intake for the seven native chicken ecotypes and RIR chicken lines at the end of their growth phase were 13.80, 15.16, 13.44, 13.25, 13.81, 13.36, 14.11 and 12.83 kg for the native chicken types named as Tilili, Gellilia, Debre-Ellias, Mello-Hamusit, Gassay, Guangua, Mecha and RIR, respectively. There was no significant difference in feed consumption among the tested chicken ecotypes. However, a significant (p<0.05) difference was observed in average body weight and body weight gain between the different lines. The average body weights for Tilili , Gellilia, Debre-Ellias, Mello-Hamusit, Gassay, Guangua, Mecha and RIR were 1191, 1186, 1054, 1222, 1038, 1249, 1257 and 1394 g respectively. The lowest and highest mean mature body weight at the age of 22 weeks were 1038 g for Gassay and 1257g for Mecha native chicken lines, respectively. Besides, the average mature body weight for Tilili, Gellilia, Debre-Ellias, Mello-Hamusit, Gassay, Guangua, Mecha and RIR was 1191, 1186, 1054, 1222, 1038, 1249, 1257 and 1394 g and their mean daily body weight growth rates were 7.6, 7.5, 6.7, 7.8, 6.6, 7.9, 8.0 and 8.8 g per bird, respectively. The native chicken lines named as Mello-Hamusit, Guangua and Mecha were the fastest growers among the native chicken lines. Mortality from hatching to end of the growth period i.e. at maturity was higher for all the native and RIR chickens used under intensive management condition.

The paper expounds the results of a theoretical and practical research on the significance of presence of emotional intelligence in the manager's professiogram. The research aim is to ascertain the role of emotional intelligence in the manager's professiogram in the 21st century. To foster economic development and global competiveness in Latvia, it is necessary to promote quantitative and qualitative growth of innovative enterprises. To make an innovative enterprise perform successfully, the modern management theory and practice have set forth new requirements for enterprise managers - to develop an ability to be a manager-leader themselves. The manager-leader professiogram has to include competencies forming emotional intelligence. The results of a pilot research revealed that students studying the speciality of management and business (at Latvia University of Agriculture) have a quite low self-evaluation for several competencies of their emotional intelligence; besides, an even lower evaluation is awarded by study fellows and group members. Along with studying theoretical aspects of communication, self-cognition, and self-management, the study process for new specialists of management and business has to be arranged in a way that it promotes practical development and use of EI competencies.

The objective of the research was to study the removal of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium with summer-pruned branches of apple-trees grown on dwarfing rootstocks under the influence of applied moisture regulation methods. The investigation was done at the Latvia State Institute of Fruit-Growing in Dobele, on the basis of an existing field experiment planted in 1997 with cultivar 'Melba' (rootstock B9) at 1.5 - 4 m trees spacing distances. Three different treatments of soil moisture management were compared: control (without moisture regime regulation), sawdust mulch and fertigation. Inter-row strips were covered by grass vegetation (Lolium perenne L. and Poa pratensis L., in proportion 1:3). Pruning of apple-trees was done in mid-July. The results of the research showed that the applied soil water regulation treatments (mulch and fertigation) had significant influence (p is less than 0.05) on the apple-tree biomass (leaves, one-year and older wood) removed by summer pruning, as well as on the content of dry matter in biomass. The contents of N and K were influenced both by the treatment and age of tree vegetative parts, but the content of P did not differ significantly among treatments or tree parts (p is greater than 0.05). Removal of N with summer-pruned leaves and branches was 30 kg haE-1 N in the mulch treatment and 16 - 17 kg haE-1 in control and fertigation treatments (p is less than 0.05). Removal of K in the control treatment was 19 kg haE-1, in the mulch treatment 40 kg haE-1, but in the fertigation treatment 27 kg haE-1 (p is less than 0.05). Removal of P varied from 5.04 to 9.84 kg haE-1, no significant differences were found among treatments (p is greater than 0.05).

Recently we have been noticing words as 'sustainable development', 'environment protection', 'environmentally friendly' etc more and more often. We understand meaning of those concepts, but there are no unambiguous definitions of these words in literature. Each of these notions includes particular characterizing elements which understanding and characterizing of which make possible to detect correctness of application or context. Sustainability like entrepreneurship is a process which takes place within definite environment around it. Mutual interaction of the processes produces consequences which have to satisfy all the interested parties. Therefore, it is necessary to integrate several science branches to solve this problem- i. e. economics and ecology. Nowadays, environment issues become part of each person, institution, policy and law. Environmental questions are integrated in different fields of economics and entrepreneurship, as well. It is hard to define environmentally friendly entrepreneurship. But there is a flexible definition that could be used in different economical spheres with great variability of economical circumstances, and it is- characterised circumstances would not be secured for a long time, yet. It is complicated to define the concept since this is a value involving process. Values which are sources for idea of sustainable development are based on need to form society satisfying human interests and unthreatening future generations, necessity to secure economical growth including moral, social and ecological aspects.

Technologies of keeping livestock and management of manure pig complexes holdings built in the country under the Soviet regime no longer satisfy modern veterinary and environmental requirements. Conditions for the modernisation of such complexes were created as from 2000, when agricultural aid programmes (funds) appeared in Lithuania. Information about old and newly implemented manure management technologies, fertilisation value of manure, and quality of the drainage runoff from manure-fertilised fields has been collected in six large livestock companies. Analysis of collected data revealed that new livestock keeping, feeding and manure management technologies are more cost-effective in using energy and mineral resources and conform to the animal welfare, environmental protection and hygiene requirements that are becoming more and more stringent. As the traditional manure management in economic terms is quite expensive and has a significant impact on the environmental quality, academic community is looking for new manure processing methods. The global development of manure management technologies focuses on the manure processing in biogas plants. Biogas generated from liquid manure and animal waste in such plants is an alternative source of energy.

Large proportion of 30-50 years old spruce stands originated from overstocked plantations can be characterized by low growth potential and present serious problem to forest managers. Although according to legislation unproductive spruce stands can now be clearcut, possible alternative solution allowing a forest owner to remove only trees with the worst growth potential would be also welcome. To be able to recommend any silvicultural measures, information on the inner structural development of the stands is necessary. The aim of this study was to analyze temporal structure of several spruce stands that have originated from overstocked plantations and now belong to the 2nd (increased risk stands) or 3rd (unpromising stands) growth potential groups. Data for the study from seven sample plots located in Forest Research Station ''Kalsnava'' and thinned with different intensity were used. Tree diameter distribution, volume accumulation patterns and tree mortality were analyzed. Correlation between tree diameter and tree diameter difference in the observation period from 2000 to 2006 was weaker than in the observation period from 2006 to 2009, indicating further decline of growth potential. In most cases the major part of the volume was accumulated in the middle of the diameter class distribution. For most of the trees one or both sawlogs were of good or average quality. In order to develop optimal and profitable stand management model, the effect of different thinning methods in spruce stands of low growth potential should be studied in the future.

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.

The scientific literature does not contain any single classification of management style. When dividing management styles into the classic and the new, the changes towards the nature of manager’s exposure to employees are taken into account. When analysing the structure of manager’s style, it is necessary to take into consideration the key factors: the conditions shaping management style, the opportunities for the manager to change and improve it purposefully. The efficiency of manager’s behaviour, together with the choice of management style, resulted in various objective and subjective factors. Objective factors include the factors which cannot (or very little) be affected by the environment. Subjective factors depend only on personal qualities which can be developed and improved. This article deals with objective and subjective factors shaping management style of a manager. The results of the empirical study on the structure of management styles of Kaunas district non-governmental organisations (hereinafter referred to as NGOs) have been presented, as well as the most significant advantages and disadvantages of objective and subjective factors shaping management style. Based on the data of the theoretical analysis and empirical study, improvement directions of the problematic factors of NGOs management styles have been identified and substantiated, taking into consideration the elimination of management style drawbacks.

At different points in the history there have been attempts to evaluate the volume and value of separate game-related goods and services in Latvia; however, so far there have been no comprehensive studies covering the role of the game management and its impact on Latvia’s economy. Such data would be necessary not only to evaluate the impact of the game management on Latvia’s economy, but also to set appropriate priorities in cases where game animals cause damage to other sectors of economy. In order to evaluate the role of the game management in the national economy, lists of the game-related goods and services have been drafted, sources of information have been identified to determine the volume and monetary value of the goods and services in the 2009/2010 hunting season, as well as a methodology has been developed to acquire the missing information. It has been determined that the total monetary value of the game-related products was 3.66 million LVL, while the game-related services accounted for 18.86 million LVL. The total contribution of the game management to Latvia’s economy in the 2009/2010 hunting season has been estimated at 22.52 million LVL. Among the game-related products the most significant product is the game meat total amount (sales and own consumption) of which has been estimated at 2.8 thousand tons, while total value accounted for 3.6 million LVL. Among the game-related services the most significant contributors are the following: sales of hunting equipment (6.7 million LVL) and game-related transportation costs (4.7 million LVL).

The theoretical part of the paper presents an overview of trends in the solution of economic and social problems in rural areas and rural development. It also makes an inventory of modern theories on European rural development and analyses aspects of strategic management of the activities of regional and rural communities. The documentary part of the paper analyses the EU and Lithuanian regional and rural development policy, the developments in the implementation of the EU LEADER programme in Lithuania in 2003 – 2010 and opportunities for its improvement, the establishment of local action groups (LAGs) and their key activities. The empirical part of the paper examines the activities of LAGs in Ukmerge and Radviliskis regions and offers a comparative analysis of the content of five strategies produced by the two LAGs for the period between 2003 and 2013. The research has demonstrated that the five rural development strategies of both LAGs are based on the principles of collaboration among the representatives of local authorities, businesses and rural communities, continuity and consultations with local population. The discussion part focuses on the guidelines for the improvement of the strategic management of rural development. The conclusions present an overview of the typical features, priorities, aims and objectives of the strategies of both LAGs.