Aim of the paper is to identify low productivity lands distribution in Vidzeme region, identify enterprises that could use wood chips from willow plantations established on these lands as the main resource in electricity and heat production and calculate produced wood ash amount from these enterprises that could be used as fertilizer and could be recycled in SRC plantations. For better soil fertility evaluation and economic turn predictions all agricultural lands are evaluated in quality units, where one quality unit in money is equal to 5.38 EUR or 70 kg of rye. According to studies, traditional farming in lands, which are below 38 quality units, could be unproductive. In Vidzeme region are 501,880 ha of agriculture lands from which 206,574 ha (52%) are lands with quality assessment under 38 units. According to local farmers’ opinion, the real quality unit, below which economically profitable farming is impossible, are 25 quality units. There are 87,900 ha of agricultural lands under 25 quality units, which represent 18% from all agricultural lands in region. These lands could be used by growing SRC plantations in 2013; the region has 48 enterprises that used wood chips, with total amount of 170,500 oven-dried tonnes per year. Wood chips from SRC plantation could be used in these enterprises. To fulfil the wood chip demand in the region, about 17,000 – 34,000 ha of agricultural land should be planted with SRC plantations. To increase the yields from these lands, fertilization is recommended. In this region are more than 300 enterprises, which use wood as the main resource for electricity or heat production leading to 14,000 oven-dried tons of wood ash production every year.

With this issue of 2009, we bring 52 proceedings of the 98, which started life as presentations at the Annual 15th International Scientific Conference Research for Rural Development 2009 held at the Latvia University of Agriculture, in Jelgava, on 20 to 22 May 2009. In the retrospect of four months later, we can count the Conference as a great success. The theme - Research for Rural Development - attracted participation of 321 researchers with very different backgrounds. There were 4 presentations from Ukraine, 3 from Sweden, 2 from Belarus, 3 from Estonia, 1 from Belgium, 1 from India, 1 from Turkey, 10 from Lithuania and 64 from Latvia. Four independent reviewers estimated each report. The proceedings of the Annual 15th International Scientific Conference Research for Rural Development 2009 is intended for academics, students and professionals researching in the area of crop production, animal breeding, agricultural engineering, agrarian and regional economics, food sciences, veterinary medicine, forestry, wood processing, water management. The proceedings will also be useful for researchers in educational sciences.

The Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies and Organizing Committee of Annual 27th International Scientific Conference ‘Research for Rural Development 2021’ tried to continues a tradition of bringing together researchers, academic and professionals in Jelgava, from 12 to 14 May, 2021 from all over the world. But, unfortunately, this year again the rules were set by the Covid-19 virus pandemic. We did start new tradition from 2020, account from 1st until the 27th conference and totally are 36 Volumes. The interdisciplinary papers contributed the most recent scientific knowledge in crop production, animal breeding, agricultural engineering, agrarian and regional economics, food sciences, veterinary medicine, forestry, wood processing, water management, environmental engineering, information and communication technologies. These Proceedings will furnish the scientists of the world with an excellent reference volume. We trust also that this will be an impetus to stimulate further study and research in all these areas.

Scientific evidence is robust about the environmentally destructive side-effects of the current industrial civilization and that requires radical actions to safeguard sustainable management of natural resources and liveable Planet Earth. Agroecology as a broader movement serves some of this role in demonstrating alternative practices in food production and ecosystem management. This paper demonstrates that the permaculture movement in Latvia is developing as a recognized alternative on the pathway to solutions, linking to the work elsewhere done on management of common natural resources – the things that no one owns and are shared by everyone. The author has explored the development of the permaculture movement in Latvia since its first roots in the late 2000s and the establishment of the Latvian Permaculture Association (LPA) in 2011. The contribution of the movement manifests itself in diverse aspects. It unifies various sustainability-oriented people, grounds itself in locality and traditions, organises practically oriented events to upskill people, and collaborates with Latvian environmental organisations and internationally. Within the research the author consciously opted for an in-depth involvement and co-creation of initiatives within the permaculture movement, leading the LPA since 2016 and organizing multiple events and workshops. That leads to further reflections on the role and necessity for participatory action research for sustainability transformations and common natural resources.

Triticale (×Triticosecale Wittmack) is a promising cereal crop that has a number of economically valuable properties that are absent in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). The research was conducted at Uman National University of Horticulture (Ukraine) in a long-term stationary experiment, founded in 1964. The aim of the work was to study the influence of long-term application of different fertilizer systems (mineral, organic and organo-mineral) on the yield and grain quality of spring triticale. It has been established that in the conditions of high air temperature and soil moisture deficit, mineral and organo-mineral fertilizer systems have an advantage. In sufficient wet conditions, all studied fertilizer systems are highly efficient. Spring triticale (Kharkiv Hlibodar variety) has a high reaction to fertilizers, as grain yield increases from 6.3–6.6 to 9.0–9.5 t haE−1 (р≤0.05). Mineral and organo-mineral fertilizer systems have the greatest effect on protein content. In conditions of sufficient moisture, all levels of mineral and organo-mineral fertilizer systems significantly increase the protein content in spring triticale grain. In arid conditions, saturation of crop rotation area with N90P90K90 (M2), N135P135K135 (M3) and Manure 9 t +N46P68K36 (OM2), Manure 13.5 t + N69P102K54 (OM3) is preferred. It should be noted that spring triticale is quite reactive with fertilizers, as the protein content increases from 13.2–14.0 to 15.2–16.0% (р≤0.05) depending on the fertilizer system. The high influence of fertilizer system and year factors on yield and protein content in triticale grain has been established. It should be noted that spring triticale grain yield varies most from the weather conditions of the growing season.

Fire has been a part of natural disturbance regime in boreal and to some extent also hemiboreal forests, affecting soil and light conditions, seedbanks, trees and ground vegetation. The most significant factors affecting occurrence, severity and size of forest fires are anthropogenic, weather and the environment, all of which are changing due to human-caused climate change. This paper discusses medium term (25 years) vegetation development in five different biotopes after fire disturbance. Sample plots were established in Slitere Reserve (now National park) in north-western Latvia on areas affected by large fire in 1992. Data were collected in 1993, 2002 and 2017. The aim of the study was to characterize the regeneration and succession of ground vegetation after the fire. In 1993, species such as bog-rosemary (C) were observed in the ground vegetation a year after the fire. In 2002 liverworts appeared, indicating that the bog has acquired more stable and wetter conditions, but in 2017, liverwort mosses were no longer present and the percentage cover of Rubus chamaemorus decreased significantly and Calluna vulgaris, sphagnum sp., and Betula pendula were present in large quantities in the bog. Comparing these studied years, it can be concluded that all these years the biotopes and species have continuously developed and are regenerating.

In the celebration of the Annual 25th International Scientific Conference “Research for Rural Development 2019ˮ held at the Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies, in Jelgava, from 15 to 17 May, participants with different backgrounds from 12 countries did 156 presentations, enjoyed welcome dinner with Latvian folk songs and dances as well as tasted a special cake. During a social programme of the conference, the participants visited a malt production plant, Rundāle palace and had farewell lunch. In the retrospect, four months later, we consider the Conference a great success in terms of interdisciplinary studies and networking opportunities. The sessions of the conference were structured so as to give all participants the opportunity to contribute to the primary purpose of the conference, which is discussion of important current issues facing rural development. The interdisciplinary proceedings of the Annual 25th International Scientific Conference “Research for Rural Development 2019ˮ (two volumes since 2010) are intended for academics, students and professionals. The subjects covered by those issues are as follows: crop production, animal breeding, agricultural engineering, agrarian and regional economics, food sciences, veterinary medicine, forestry, wood processing, water management, environmental engineering, information and communication technologies.

Liming soils make both direct and indirect effects on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. If raising the pH of soil, the amount of N2 O emissions in the result of nitrification decreases; therefore, it is important to perform also maintenance liming if applying nitrogen fertilisers. Liming acidic soils contributes to the absorption of nutrients supplied by means of fertilisers by plants, limits the spread of plant diseases, forms better soil moisture and air regimes for plants, improves the structure of soil and activates microorganisms. The aim of this study was to assess liming effect on nitrogen use efficiency and nitrogen oxide emissions in crop farming. To achieve the aim, this study proceeds in two stages: 1) to analyse the scientific literature on the liming effect on nitrogen use efficiency and nitrogen oxide emissions in other countries, as a few such research studies are available in Latvia; 2) to calculate potential gains and losses from liming acid soils in order to examine the real situation concerning liming and its effects on the economy of farms. The research finds out that at the farm level in Latvia liming gives a positive economic effect (41.6 EUR haE-1) however, it is essential for maintaining soil fertility, increasing yields, and presumably for more efficient circulation of nitrogen, which decreases nitric oxide emissions.

Cow lifespan is one of most important economical traits in every dairy farm and is affected by different environmental factors. One of genetic factors that affect longevity is cow conformation traits, which varies within different breeds, farms and animals. The aim in this study was to determine how stature and linear conformation traits affect cow lifespan and lifetime milk productivity. In the study, data about 34806 crossbred Holstein Black and White and 38201 Red cow group breed cows, which ended at least one full lactation, and were culled from 2002 – 2012 year were analysed. Data about cow productivity and culling was obtained from Latvian Agricultural Data centre. In the study, data about cow stature, udder depth, central ligament, teat length, and rear and front teat placement were analysed. Conformation traits were distributed in 3 groups. The average lifespan of analysed cows was 1869.9 days in which average 18550.8 kg energy corrected milk (ECM) was obtained. Holstein Black and White cows characterize with shorter lifespan (1833.7 days) than red breed group cows, but lifetime productivity is for 2339.1 kg ECM higher than for average red breed cow. Significantly longer (p is less than 0.05) lifespan – 2031.6 days was in cow group with stature 100 – 135 cm, but in cow group with stature more than 146 cm there is significantly higher lifetime and life day productivity. There is a significant difference between lifetime milk productivity and rear and front teat placement. Significantly higher productivity was given by cows with teat placement inside of quarter (linear evaluation 6- 9 points).