The importance of organic farming has increased rapidly in Estonia in the last few years. Nevertheless the higher prices of organic products are not presented in Estonia yet, but the official subsidies are often the main reason to start organic farming. The Estonian Republic supports organic farming as a branch of environmentally sustainable agriculture. The main theme of this article was to explain - is the organic cereal production profitable for farmers.

Major diseases occurring on flax crops in Lithuania are caused by Fusarium spp., Colletotrichum lini Manns et Bolley, Polyspora lini Laff. et Peth., Septoria linicola (Speg.) Gar. They can spread through seed, especially when the seed material does not meet quality standards. Microscopic fungi of other species can be found on flaxseed as well. Chemical seed treatment is one of the ways to control disease agents. When treated seed is sown, the seed treaters affect the indigenous micro-biota of the soil. The trial was carried out at the Upyte Research Station of the Lithuanian Institute of Agriculture in 1999. The tested seed treaters are registered for cereals in Lithuania. Our experimental results suggest that chemical treatment of flaxseeds is an efficient method to control seed-borne diseases. The microscopic fungi on seeds and roots of seedlings were analysed at the Institute of Botany. The data on the effect of seed treaters on the diversity of pathogenic fungi of flaxseed and seedlings, and the impact of treatment on the seedling infection are discussed in this paper.

Trying to find the best solution for the ecological problem of karst zone (i.e. protection of surface and ground water from agricultural activity) it is important to determine the migration extent of plant nutrients leached from the soil into the streams and ground water depending on the type of land use. The paper presents the results of the studies carried out in two vicinities of intensive karst zone in Birzai district. The obtained results show the influence of drainage water on the quality of stream water in drained areas. It has also been determined that drainage water quality is influenced by soil forming rocks as well as by the type of land use. In the failures of karst zone, as well as in arable land the quality of ground water is worse, especially when ground water is found near the ground surface.

Requirements concerning the welfare of production animals and the low profitability of beef cattle breeding have brought exercise yards and feedlots to Finnish farms. Depending on the use of the yard, there are different aspects that have to be taken into consideration. The structure of the yard, the surface material and the space allowance are important from the point of view of both animal welfare and environmental impact. Two exercise yards have been designed, constructed and monitored, together with two feedlot areas. Samples of runoff water, gravity water, subsoil and topsoil have been taken. Their nutrient concentrations and hygienic quality have been analysed. The behaviour of animals has been observed.

Latvia has essential territorial differences in socio-economic development. Therefore the task of the state is to realise such regional policy which decreases unfavourable territorial differences, facilitates balanced territorial development and increases the life quality of the inhabitants. The regions deserving special support have an important role in the implementation of regional policy. The state support from the specially established Regional Fund is mainly being given to the enterprises which are located in the regions deserving special support, sometimes - to local governments. Up to now the state support was more frequently given to the peasant farms and individual enterprises and occasionally to the stock companies, local governments etc. In the period from 1998 to 2000, interest payments for specific credits compile 82% from the usage of the Regional Fund. The directions of the application of the Regional Fund are not wide at present and they should be diversified.

This paper investigates the natural resources, business and social infrastructure and also the demographic structure of the local inhabitants of the municipalities, near the projected pulp mill. Possibilities and problems connected to the implementation of the pulp mill project are pointed out, also extra regional development is discussed.

The goal of this study was to investigate the use of body reserves, energy balance and fertility parameters at the beginning of lactation in first-parity cows bred in Estonia.

Experiments were performed to test the agronomic potential of kura clover in the seed mixtures with diminished seeding rates. During the seeding year a very slow establishment of kura clover (sown with perennial ryegrass) was observed: kura clover gave up to 7% of the total DM yield. The kura clover plants survived winter 2000/2001 well, but the distribution in the sward was not observed in the second year. The established grass sward density was rather high in the seeding year (around 10 000 tillers per square m) in 2000. In 2001, the white clover content increased to 80% of the DM yield but at the same time the grass sward density was decreased to 2900 tillers per square m. The kura clover plants are characterised by high proportion of leaves to stem and high nutritional characteristics with protein concentrations ranging between 19 and 23% as well as the neutral detergent fibre (NDF) concentrations between 24 and 38%. The experiments showed that the strains of Rhizobium bacteria required for kura clover do not naturally occur in Estonian soils and proper inoculation of kura clover seeds before planting is critical to get well-nodulated and persistent plants.

The work contains the description of the current technical conditions of the water resources of the Baltezers region and drinking water consumption in Riga during 2003-2010.