Emmer wheat, Triticum dicoccum SCHRANK (SCHUEBL), is an old species of cereal which has been traditionally grown in arid areas. The renewed interest in this variety has its origin in favourable quality parameters of emmer wheat grain and a beneficial effect on human organism. This article deals with a study of quality parameters and storage protein composition of 6 varieties of emmer wheat (which have been chosen from the collection of gene bank at the Research institute of Crop Production in Prague-Ruzyně and in České Budějovice). High crude protein content in grain was proved during the trials. Nevertheless, such a characteristic is not suitable for the classical bakery processing (production of leavened products). The analysed genotypes contain more than 10% of high molecular weight glutenins (HMW glutenins), approximately 70% of low molecular weight glutenins + gliadins (LMW glutenins + gliadins), and almost 20% of residual albumins and globulins. Thanks to high share of albumins and globulins, emmer wheat grain is very valuable raw material for the production of healthy diet. The level of stability of storage proteins composition destines the suitability of emmer wheat for organic and low input farming in Less Favoured Areas.

Zemgale planning region divides into two intra-regions (Zemgale 1 and Zemgale 2) by natural, soil and other agricultural resources. Each intra-region has different size of farms. The aim of the research was to find the structure of rural economy in different size farms or rural enterprises of Zemgale 1 and Zemgale 2 intra-regions. The research showed that very small farms dominate grow-plant sectors production. Medium size farms and enterprises have solid high proportion of grow-plant sector production in total production value. This proportion is even higher in biggest agricultural enterprises and companies (100 is less than or equal 250 ESU). In general author has stated that in Zemgale 1, which is the biggest agricultural production territory in Latvia, grow-plant production sectors dominate.

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.

This paper discusses the continuous field view of representing geography and its role in forest inventory. Describing all forest attributes at any location or point and storing this information in digital databases, as an alternative to store forest compartments as vector polygons and associated attributes, is considered to be important for development of remote sensing and GIS applications for forest inventories. Main results achieved following this approach during the last decade in Lithuanian university of agriculture are described. Special research polygon near Kaunas was developed. Four auxiliary data sources (Spot Xi, Landsat TM, digital aerial photos and stand-wise inventory material), three estimators (two-phase sampling with stratification, the k-nearest neighbours and regression) as well as different methods for auxiliary data integration were examined to get point-wise forest characteristics. The lowest root mean square errors at a level of virtual sample point using optimal implementation tactics are – for mean diameter 24 %, height 18%, age 28%, basal area 37%, volume per 1 ha 40% and percentage of coniferous trees 29% of the mean value of corresponding forest characteristic. Integrating additional auxiliary information – characteristics of forest compartments, estimated during the conventional stand-wise inventory – and satellite images improved the overall estimation accuracy. Pre-stratification of sample plots using the attributes of compartments improved the estimation accuracy for certain stand groups. A new approach of segmentation, aimed to construct conventional forest compartments – estimation of point-wise forest characteristics for every pixel of satellite imagery and using them instead of original image values – was suggested and investigated.

Progeny testing of Scots pine in Latvia is carried out in only few locations, however, material from selections via seed orchards is deployed in various climatic and soil conditions, therefore concerns arise for influence of genotype environment interaction on levels of genetic gain. Problem is addressed based on 3 open pollinated progeny tests, consisting of 80 open pollinated families, located in 3 distant climatic regions in Latvia. Test age is 27 years, therefore not only growth, but also branch quality traits can be reliably analyzed. Strong genetic correlation (rb=0.80-0.94) among sites for tree height and diameter was found, but considerably weaker for branch traits like diameter of thickest branch (rb=0.52-0.67), average branch diameter, and sum of branch diameters (rb=0.41-0.49). Coefficients of additive genetic variation and coefficients of phenotypic variation among family means, determining potential of improvement via breeding, can be inflated by up to half, based on single site estimates for growth traits and double for quality traits. Backward selection based on results of several trials, in contrast to forward selection or utilization of single experiment results, could lead to improvement of branch traits close to the same as for growth traits (height and diameter). Single site narrow-sense heritability estimates for analyzed growth and quality traits are up to twice as large as across site estimates, indicating possibilities of serious bias in genetic gain estimates based on results from one test site. Testing at 4-5 sites for further breeding work is recommended.

Willows (Salix sp.) and reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinecea L.) (RCG) are fast growing perennial energy crop and potential cultures for recovering of cutaway peat lands. Cut away peat land soils are characterized by high acidity (pHKCl 2-3), high NH4**+1, and lack of P and K. Wood ash could be good liming agent and resource of potassium. Waste water sewage sludge (WWSS) compost is effective fertilizer and source of phosphorus. The objective of the study was to investigate the effect of application of WWSS compost and wood ash fertilizers of different doses on ingrown of willow cuttings and RCG in potted cultures. The wood ash addition of 10 g lE-1 and 20 g lE-1 to WWSS compost mix with peat from used query in proportions 1:1 and 4:1 were tested. The length of shoots and dry mass of shoots and roots were assessed to determine the effect of fertilization on growth of crops. Chemical analyses of growing media were performed to determine the content of main nutrient elements and pHKCl changes during season. The positive effect of fertilization on growth of crops was observed - an optimum dose for willows is (10 g lE-1) equivalent to 10 tDM haE-1 wood ash with mix of WWSS compost with peat. RCG produces more biomass in growing media containing largest doses of wood ash and WWSS compost premix. The willows produced bigger amount of biomass and accumulated more nutrients from growing media than RCG.

The vegetation of Pruno-Fraxinetum plant communities was described in 2004 – 2005 according to the Braun-Blanquet method throughout Latvia, in forests where common ash (Fraxinus excelsior L.) are dominant species in tree layer on moist soils. Classification of relevés (in total 52) by two way indicator species analysis (TWINSPAN) resulted in two variants of this association: typical variant (typicum) and variant with Filipendula ulmaria. Ellenberg indicator values were used to find out the relationship of flora with climatic (light, temperature, continentality) and edaphic (soil reaction, nitrogen, moisture) factors. Canonical correspondent analysis (CCA) was used to find out differences between two variants of Pruno-Fraxinetum. Results of this research have shown that these forests have complicated structure (form four vegetation layers, high species richness), which mainly depends on moist, rich eutrophic soils, usually with presence of limes. Main differential soil factors in ecological analysis are gradients of soil richness: moisture and nitrogen regimes. The influence of other factors was less expressed. Due to the human influence, especially drainage, the moist ash forests are decreasing and the species composition is changed. As Pruno-Fraxinetum forests in Latvia lie on the northern border of its distribution, the species composition differs from forests in the rest Europe; species characteristic determined by floodplain forests in Central Europe are absent.

In this study wool characteristics of Libyan sheep in north-eastern Libya were investigated in a coastal region extended from El-Marj (32 25 N and 20 30 E) to Emsaad at the north-eastern border of the country (31 33N, 25 6 E). Twelve locations, one flock per flock were studied. Three sites have been sampled from each animal (Shoulder, mid-side and breech). Mean staple length and fiber diameter were 12.16cm and 38.43 µm respectively. In this study, staple length and fiber diameter didn’t significantly vary between locations studied. Sample site on the body of the animal significantly affect both staple length and fiber diameter, with breech position samples showed the shortest staple length and the thickest fiber diameter (P< 0.05). There was no difference between samples taken from mid-side or shoulder in all measured traits. Results of this study showed that Barbary sheep raised in the eastern part of the country characterized by a long staple and a large fiber diameter, and then confirmed the previous studies studies stated that this breed could be classed as a long carpet wool breed. Samples taken from mid-side position could be representative of Barbary sheep fleece

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peer reviewed | A survey on the production characteristics of guinea fowl (Meleagris numida) was carried out in the Borgou department located in the soudano-guinean zone North-Est of Benin. Chicks and reproductive groups were kept either on station under improved management conditions or in rural environment. In rural environment, the birds were divided in two groups. The birds pertaining to the first group were treated against parasitic diseases, whereas those in the second one (control group) received no treatment. Under station conditions, the feed conversion ratio and the daily weight gain were 8.8 and 5.7 g/day respectively. Mean body weight at six months of age were 1151g and 1085g for males and females, respectively. Sexual maturity was reached at 36 weeks of age. For mature hens kept on station, laying rate and the mean egg weight were 37.2% (65% at the peak) and 41.1g respectively. Smothering, stress and pricking were the major constraints to the cloistering of guinea fowl. In rural environment, the mean hatchability rate was 70%. Mortality rate and adult body weight were not significantly different between groups. Mortality rate observed in the rural environment was 50% for both treated or untreated birds. Apart from the parasitic affections, the main causes of mortality were the rain, the predators, the cold and the fragility of chicks. The mean body weight at six months of age is higher for the birds raised under village conditions in comparison to the birds kept on station.