Winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) leaf diseases are an important risk factor that influences the productivity and quality of wheat production. The aim of the present study was to review published scientific literature about the possibilities for integrated control of winter wheat leaf diseases. The most common and economically important wheat leaf diseases are Septoria leaf blotch (caused by Zymoseptoria tritici), tan spot (caused by Pyrenophora triticirepentis), yellow rust (caused by Puccinia striiformis), and powdery mildew (caused by Blumeria graminis). The severity of winter wheat diseases has varied significantly over the years and depended on meteorological conditions, variety resistance to pathogen, and tillage system. The crop rotation and an efficient residue management significantly decrease the development of tan spot. The development of Septoria leaf blotch mainly depends on meteorological conditions, but agronomic practice is less important. The use of disease-resistant varieties is the most economical, safe, and effective way to prevent and control wheat leaf diseases. Many European countries have a number of decision support systems for optimizing and minimizing the use of fungicides. Decision support systems are based on control thresholds and meteorological observations. Most used parameters are: air temperature, relative air humidity, and precipitation. These systems have been developed in the countries with a milder climate and a longer vegetation period than Latvia, and systems need to be adapted to Latvian conditions. The main groups of fungicides for disease control in winter wheat are azoles, strobilurin, and carboxamides. The results of many studies about the effectiveness of fungicide groups show that the obtained results differ and further research is needed.

The aim of the work was to study accessions of Dactylis glomerata L. of different origin for breeding in the Leningrad region. The work was carried out at the Leningrad Agricultural Research Institute. The study involved 15 accessions. The nursery was founded in 2016 and included two replications for green yield and two – for seed production. Cutting and sampling for biochemical studies were conducted in May-June 2018, seeds were collected in July. The amount of ascorbic acid, carotenoids and chlorophylls and crude protein were determined. Statistical analysis included the calculation of the parameters of variation, ANOVA and correlation analysis. Three groups were identified by the degree of ripeness: a small group of early maturing – 31 days, a group of late maturing (single accession from Karelia) – 51 days, a large group of middle maturing – 34–37 days. For the late maturing accession the mechanism of regulation of the beginning of heading is due to the sensitivity to photoperiod. The adaptive potential of widely zoned varieties is wider than for localized. Their productivity is higher. The content of pigments in the green mass is closely correlated. The system of pigments in the complex of characters is separate, but is positively associated with the seed productivity and negatively – with the content of ascorbic acid. The seed productivity of the accessions is related to the total pigment content and power of the generative shoots (length and mass).

Studies were conducted at the experimental station of the Stavropol State Agrarian University on leached chernozem, powerful, low-humus heavy loam on loess-like loam in 2017. The goal was to study the effect of the introduction of rocks rich in chemical composition (limestone-shell rock, apatite and phosphogypsum), both separately and jointly, on the microbial phase of the soil. The determination of the number of microorganisms was produced on dense nutrient medium by direct counting of colonies. It was found that the amount of ammonifiers under the control was 37 ml CFU gE−1 (colony-forming units), increasing 1.3–1.5 times with separate use and 2.5–3 times with the joint use of rocks. Similar changes were observed with respect to the number of nitrifiers and aerobic nitrogen fixers of the type Azotobacter. The number of cellulose-depleting microorganisms in the remineralization variants reached 220,00–230,00 CFU gE−1 compared to 115,00 CFU gE−1 under the control. With the introduction of separate rocks, there was a decrease in the occurrence of pathogens, while with a joint introduction they were not detected. The frequency of occurrence of toxin formers, such as Aspergillus and Penicillium, reached 100% at the control and decreased by 20–40% at the experimental variants. It was revealed that the introduction of shell limestone, apatite and phosphogypsum had an effect on the increase in the number of soil microbiota of various physiological groups. Among the fungal microflora, the number of pathogens and toxin formers decreases and the number of pathogen antagonists increases.

West Pomeranian University of Technology Szczecin, Poland Business managers report the need for modern methods to improve the implementation of organizational strategies. Translating the strategy into activities and monitoring its implementation poses a serious challenge for the management of modern enterprises. The article aims to present proposals for multidimensional performance measurement with the help of Balanced Scorecard (BSC) for selected Polish listed companies in the confectionery industry. The authors’ original solution within the framework of the BSC construction is extending the range of perspectives for assessing performance compared to the card proposed by Kaplan and Norton by the perspective of suppliers and CSR, and the appropriate selection of measures for this assessment. The article is based on literature studies and analysis of information included in business strategies, financial statements and reports on the operations of selected confectionery companies. Research on the use of multidimensional performance measurement using BSC, taking into account the additional perspectives of suppliers and CSR, help to better understand the relationship between economic, social, and environmental aspects of a company’s operations.

Public participation is needed for nongovernmental organisations (NGO) to function and exist, as the public plays the role of investors by supporting the NGOs financially and thereby providing a quorum needed for the organisation to operate and make decisions. NGOs provide services for defending public interests, and the NGOs members carefully assess their gains from involvement or participation continuation in public organisations, just as if choosing a good or service for consumption. The level of society activity in NGOs sector is low in Latvia comparing with the Western world. To increase it, it is required to contribute to the public’s trust and NGOs transparency. Organisational performance analysis is one of the ways how to provide members with information on performance and funding use, as the members of NGOs wish to be sure that their membership fees and other financial support are effectively used to achieve their goals and defend the interests of their members. The research aims to analyse financial analysis methods used in the NGO sector. The research tasks were set: 1) to analyse the substance of financial analysis of NGO, and 2) to identify shortcomings for a comprehensive analysis of NGO. The research has found that as public participation in NGOs increases, it becomes increasingly important to provide financial transparency in the NGO sector in order to contribute to the public’s trust in the NGOs and make it possible to verify the consistency of funding use with the organisation’s goals and performance.

Given the intensive competition between rural businesses, building and managing good corporate reputation of rural businesses is gaining its popularity among business owners, marketers as well as among scholars. Building and managing good corporate reputation is considered to be one of the crucial goals for businesses that lead to successful competition in ever changing business world. The aim of this research is to determine dimensions and attributes for building good corporate reputation in the framework of rural businesses. To reach the aim, this paper adopts analysis and synthesis of scientific and practical literature in the field of corporate reputation management and, focus group discussion. 23 attributes of corporate reputation representing 7 corporate reputation dimensions were generated from scientific and practical literature. Generated attributes were provided for the evaluation and discussion during the focus group discussion to 7 representatives of rural businesses’ stakeholder groups, namely: customer, employee, supplier, business owner, media, local community, and expert. Empirical research proved 7 rural businesses’ corporate reputation dimensions: Products and Services, Innovation, Workplace, Governance, Citizenship, Leadership and Performance, each of the dimensions constituting of 3−4 corporate reputation attributes. For the further research, quantitative research to test corporate reputation dimensions and attributes and calculate its weights in the context rural businesses is necessary.

Mediation process promotes conflict solving, contributes to a higher level of positive solutions and decreases the number of litigation cases. The aim of the study is to outline the usage of constructive approach in mediation process, analyse conflict and its solving models and to find out the opinions of secondary school students on dialogue and conflict, as well as parties’ assessments after the mediation process. The theoretical method of the study is the analysis of conflict, conflict resolution, mediation process and long-standing mediator practice. The investigation of constructivist approach, conflict elements and strategies are outlined in the study. Conflict solving models are analysed in the Methodology part of the study. Empirical methods were a structured group interview of secondary school students and questioning of conflicting parties. The results of the study confirm that knowledge on conflict and mediation should be developed at school and mediation models should be improved on the basis of constructive approach.

Fragmentation of private property (142 thousand private forest owners) cause the challenge for governing forests, because forests are part of wider forest ecosystems, but at the same time narrowly assigned by private borders. Land restitution put the new pressures on path dependent management and new possibilities and responsibilities (that were emergent features of private forest governance). This article is part of doctoral thesis about the common governance of private forests with particular aim to focus on describing knowledge and experience exchange in private forest owners’ networks in this paper. The research question for this article is to help to find out how the translation of experience and knowledge manifest itself in private forest owners’ networks? The best theoretical model to fit this situation is the concept of translation from actor-network theory and emergent norm theory. Case study approach was selected to follow actors in forest owners’ networks. The cases are forest owners’ cooperatives, forest owners NGO’s, as well as other forms, in particular, forest extension services and cases where an emergent process can be seen. The empirical material shows that translation of experience and knowledge manifest itself in few important ways, namely, at first, in a negotiation of needs and agreement on private forest owners’ needs; secondly, in stewardship role of multi-functional actors; thirdly, in emerging and evolving legislative norms. A multi-functional actor is a term offered in order to reveal a wide range of mediation forms in multicultural multi nature of forests as governed property and forests as integral part of ecosystems.

The paper covers analysis of pre-commercial thinning performed in private forests over the period of 2007–2017. Since 2007, permanent and considerable European Union subsidies for pre-commercial thinning have been available; resulting in a significant increase in area of thinned young stands in private forests. The aim of this research is ascertain pre-commercial thinning activity depending on the type of forest owner (individuals, legal persons or local municipality), forest stand type (forest stand or plantation) and origin (natural or artificial) as well as the forest owner’s intention to apply for European Union subsidies. Data analysed were obtained from Forest State Register – national data base, managed by state authority State Forest Service and continued analysis comprise two main topics – ascertain amount and type of young stands owned by different type of private forest owners and amount and type of conducted pre-commercial thinning. In comparison with other type of forest owners, legal persons have significantly higher amount (47%) of young plantation forest and forest stands from the total forest stands area. The highest intensity of thinning was conducted in plantation forests of artificial origin owned by legal and physical persons, also forest stands with artificial origin owned by physical persons. The current period for European Union Rural development programme will be over in 2020; therefore, it is important to analyse the existing approach of granting subsidies to forestry and find the improvement necessary for the planning period from the year 2021.

Precision of the forest inventory still is one of the most important problems in the forestry nowadays. The aim of this research was to estimate the results of the combined forest inventory (CFI), using high spatial resolution aerial images in the planned areas of clear-cuts, comparing the results with the calipering and production files of harvesters. Testing of algorithms showed considerable difference in results between the CFI, forest inventory data and harvester production data. CFI results and production data had a close correlation with R2 =0.83. Comparing CFI calculated growing stock with production data, the average relative error amounted to 10.7%, which means the possibility for integration of these results into the forest inventory system. Comparing to CFI, there is a weak correlation between forest inventory and production data with R2 =0.34. The results indicate that LiDAR CFI technology can be used in the forecasting of the forest management, offering precise information about potential amount and economic value of assortments.