Bridging the research and policy divide remains a top priority on the Nigerian federal government's agenda. This renewed commitment paved the way for the Agricultural Support Facility Project (APSF), which seeks to, among other things, create an environment and produce evidence on specific policy issues facing the Nigerian agricultural sector that allows for a more inclusive design and implementation of evidence-based, pro-poor, gender sensitive, and environmentally sustainable agricultural and rural development policies and strategies in Nigeria. The conviction that the policymaking process should benefit from stakeholders' active participation led APSF to organize a stakeholder workshop to serve as a forum for addressing issues emanating from the evidence being generated by the facility. The workshop objectives were to: share progress on implementing APSF; discuss current research findings; and dialogue with stakeholders on upcoming activities (see Appendix A for Agenda). The workshop brought together participants from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources (FMAWR), the National Planning Commission (NPC), the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the Federal Ministry of Finance (FMF), the Federal Ministry of Commerce and Industry (FMCI), the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), the donor community, academia, farmers' organizations and the private sector. This executive summary provides an overview of the research findings, highlights key group discussion points, and provides next steps.

Bridging the research and policy divide remains a top priority on the Nigerian federal government's agenda. This renewed commitment paved the way for the Agricultural Support Facility Project (APSF), which seeks to, among other things, create an environment and produce evidence on specific policy issues facing the Nigerian agricultural sector that allows for a more inclusive design and implementation of evidence-based, pro-poor, gender sensitive, and environmentally sustainable agricultural and rural development policies and strategies in Nigeria. The conviction that the policymaking process should benefit from stakeholders' active participation led APSF to organize a stakeholder workshop to serve as a forum for addressing issues emanating from the evidence being generated by the facility. The workshop objectives were to: share progress on implementing APSF; discuss current research findings; and dialogue with stakeholders on upcoming activities (see Appendix A for Agenda). The workshop brought together participants from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources (FMAWR), the National Planning Commission (NPC), the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the Federal Ministry of Finance (FMF), the Federal Ministry of Commerce and Industry (FMCI), the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), the donor community, academia, farmers' organizations and the private sector. This executive summary provides an overview of the research findings, highlights key group discussion points, and provides next steps.

However, the last case of tuberculosis to cattle was registered in Estonia in 1986, rapid and accurate diagnosting of the disease is still an actual veterinary problem. On farms, tuberculin testing has been regularly carried out showing that tuberculin positive cattle constitute 5,47% from all the herd. During 1997-2001, 23 clinical samples were isolated from the tuberculin positive cattle. Each sample was analysed with conventional morphological and bacteriological methods and by PCR. None of eleven mycobacterial cultures, isolated from the lymph modes of cattle, belonged to M. tuberculosis complex. There were seven cultures identified as M. avium and one as M. avium complex (MAC). The research confirmed that M. avium is the most frequently isolated bacteria causing NTM-Mycobacterioses in cattle in Estonia (63,6%). Two cultures of MAC were isolated from the milk of tuberculin-positive cows, verifying that milk can be a potential source of MAC transmission to man.

The paper reports on annual pine increment dynamics during the period of last 30 years in the Vesetnieki Station of Permanent Ecological Research with a different drainage level: transitional bog, tree stand between the drainage ditches, tree stand adjacent to ditch. The increment of basal area of annual rings has been found to be considerably higher in the site adjacent to ditch with the most intensive drainage level. The increment of annual rings of individual trees proved to be non-synchronic, therefore trees can be suggested to have different response to have different response to the influence of the same meteorological factors (amount of precipitation, for example). The annual increment data for the last four years (1997-2000) have been compared to the results of biogenous substance circulation measurements during the given period.

In plot trials, seeded in a pure stand without a cover crop, tetraploid red clover varieties bred at Jogeva - 'Varte' (early) and 'Ilte' (late), outyielded the diploid standard varieties in crude protein yield at optimal harvest schedule by 30.8% as an average of two production years (the yields 2255 and 1724 kg ha*[-1), respectively) and 14.9% (the yields 2073 and 1804 kg ha*[-1), respectively), by 26.3% as an average of three production years (the yields 2254 and 1785 kg ha*[-1), respectively) and 28.4% (the yields 2173 and 1693 kg ha*[-1), respectively). Considering the crude protein content of dry matter and crude protein yield, a three-cut harvesting regime should be applied in early tetraploid red clover varieties to attain the best result. Then the first cut should be taken at the budding stage, the second at early bloom of regrowth and the third cut prior to the commencement of night frosts. The late tetraploid red clover varieties should be harvested twice-the first cut at the budding stage and the second cut prior to the first night frosts. The larger crude protein yield of tetraploid varieties was caused mainly by their higher dry matter yield; it was affected to a lesser extent by the crude protein content of dry matter. Yet, the tetraploid varieties exceeded in majority of harvest times the diploid varieties in dry matter's crude protein content but the excess was mainly insignificant.

The study deals with the rural landscape management in Latvia and presents a survey of the current situation in landscape planning and nature protection. It also gives a brief theoretical description of the landscape concept and its development and management. Impact of agriculture, forestry and rural tourism on landscape is analysed through the view on the state politics in these spheres. The author evaluates current situation in environmental politics, informs about environmental law, nature protection and preservation system and spatial planning. The author also draws conslusions and offers her suggestions how to improve the landscape management system basing on comparison between the current situation in landscape management and goals set by the national environment conservation plan (1995).

More than 17,5% of Latvian agricultural land is abondoned, therefore effective use of this land is a significant issue in national economics. One of the alternatives of how to use abandoned agricultural land is its afforestation by birch. The present research is based on the Scandinavian experience. Calculations have been made on the necessary investments and management costs. The recovery and possible impact on price changes in raw birch materials are analysed as well.

Problems in hulless barley growing are caused by a low germination ability and emergence. Grain quality for feed and food are influenced by threshability and infection with fungal diseases. The aim of experiments was to investigate the possible hulless barley seed and grain quality problems under Latvia's conditions. Germination, emergence, test weight, 1000 grain weight and threshability of 77 hulless barley genotypes of diverse origin were determined and compared to hulled control varieties. Correlation between hulless barley germination, grain germ damage and grain infection with Fusarium, Helmintosporium and Penicillum was analyzed. The seed material structure (content of grains with damaged germ, broken grains and grains with undetached hulls) of 5 hulless barley genotypes was determined.

A field trial concerning optimisation of a mineral fertiliser (NPK) in the production of perennial ryegrass 'Spidola' seeds was established at the Skriveri Research Centre of the Latvia University of Agriculture in 1999. Experiments were conducted on sod-podzolic sandy loam soil (Luvic Phaeozem, WRB 1994). In 2000, the first seed production year, which was quite unsuitable in terms of climatic conditions, the nitrogen fertiliser showed significant influence on seed and straw yields. The use of phosphorous and potassium fertilisers in all combinations with nitrogen decreased the resistance of the crop to lodging.

The aim of the research was to find out different aspects of food environment at schools, linking them to the economic situation in the regions and comparing those to the tendencies in Riga. The research shows that there is a need for common politics concerning school meals as every schools follows its own practice that mainly depends on social budget of the local government institutions, qualifications of scool personnel and different eating traditions in different regions.