This study was undertaken to assess the potential for sweet potato silage making business by estimating sweet potato vines and root wastage and assessing the economic feasibility of investing in sweet potato silage. Information was collected through key informant interviews, secondary data review, sweet potato root peeling and weighing, focus group discussions with pig and sweet potato producers covering a sample of 180 farmers. Semi-structured interviews with 240 respondents (120 sweet potato farmers, 60 pig farmers and 60 sweet potato traders) were also conducted. The results showed that sweet potato production is seasonal with substantial wastage of sweet potato components existing across the various nodes of the sweet potato value chain. The study concludes that there is an opportunity for investment in sweet potato silage business that has the potential to reduce wastage of sweet potato and bridge the feed scarcity gap faced by pig farmers.

The objective of this study was to estimate genetic parameters of reproduction traits of pure Fogera cattle at Metekel Ranch. Metekel cattle Breeding and Improvement Ranch has so far been engaged in maintenance of Fogera cattle population outside their adapted environment (ex-situ conservation). The breeding program has two components: selection and crossbreeding. The establishment of the pure breed unit is meant for the improvement of the Fogera breed and for providing heifers to cross- breed to exotic dairy sires (by Artificial insemination). In cross breeding program; crossbred animals are produced through artificial insemination of Fogera cows with Friesian semen. Around three to six months of pregnancy, the F1 cross heifers are sold to farmers for milk production (Melaku et al., 2011a, b). Very recently the ranch started to distribute non pregnant F1 cross heifers. WOMBAT software was used to estimate genetic parameters. The variance components and heritability were estimated using a Uni-variate animal model using four models which fitted direct additive, dam genetic and permanent environmental effect as a random effect and the fixed effects (year, season, sex and parity). Parameter of age at first calving (AFC) were estimated using Model 1 (Y= Xb + Z1a + e), Model2 (Y= Xb + Z1a + Z3c + e), Model3 (Y= Xb + Z1a + Z2m + e (cova, m = 0), and Model4 (Y= Xb + Z1a + Z2m + Z3c + e (cova, m = 0) whereas parameters of reproductive traits including gestation length (GL), calving interval (CI) and days open (DO) were estimated using model 2 and 4 which fit permanent environmental effect due to repeated records per cow. Correlations (genetic and phenotypic) among the different traits were estimated from bi--variate analysis by using model 1 for growth traits and AFC and model 2 to estimate the correlation between CI, GL and DO and birth weight (BWT) and GL. Correlation between birth weight and gestation length were estimated by treating gestation length as a trait of calf. Due to record limitation correlation between AFC with other reproductive traits were not estimated. Estimates of direct heritability of reproductive performance traits from the best model were 0.003 ± 0.05 for AFC, 0.00 ± 0.03 for GL and CI and 0.013 ± 0.03 for DO. The phenotypic correlations between reproductive traits were 0.003 ± 0.034 for CI and GL, 0.37 ± 0.041 for CI and DO and 0.167 ± 0.036 for DO and GL and the genetic correlation between reproductive traits ranged from -0.94 ± 0.2 for DO and GL to 0.83 ± 0.579 for CI and DO. Genetic correlation between growth and AFC ranged from 0.77 ± 0.24 for BWT and AFC to 0.87 ± 0.03 for pre-weaning average daily gain (PADG) and AFC. The phenotypic and genetic correlations between BWT and GL were 0.03 ± 0.05 and -0.84 ± 0.013 respectively. The results of genetic correlation between considered traits was ranged from moderate to high and it indicates that selection for one trait would have a significant effect on the other traits not considered however selection must be done with caution. The heritability estimates confirmed the presence of high environmental effect among the study population and it masks the individual animal genetic difference. Given the low heritability estimates obtained, effective improvement in reproduction performance of Fogera cattle could be achieved by improving the production conditions and through crossbreeding.

High economic losses in agriculture can be caused by pig disease like Postweaning Multisystemic Wasting Syndrome (PMWS). Porcine circovirus-2 (PCV2) is the primary agent of PMWS. It is known that PMWS causes cellular and humoral immunity disorders, therefore it is considered a general immune deficiency disease in piglets. It is still unknown, why piglets with PMWS have severe loss of lymphocytes in lymphoid tissues and in the blood. Thus, the hypothesis of the study was that lymphocyte depletion occurs because of lymphocyte life-cycle delay in pigs infected by PCV2. The activity of cell life-cycle is attributed to protein Ki67. This protein is found in all active phases of the cell like interphase G1, S, G2 and mitoses. However, protein Ki67 is not observed at all in the cell’s “quiet” phase G0. The aim of our work was to investigate the lymph node cell proliferation activity of pigs infected by PCV2. In total, 42 pig carcasses were collected from 5 to 15 weeks old pigs with PMWS clinical manifestation. Lymph nodes were selected from each pig carcass for histological and immunohistochemical testing. We concluded that B lymphocyte population was reduced first in the lymph node with PCV2, but the number of T lymphocytes decreased later. PCV2 decreased B lymphocyte proliferation activity.

The aim of this study was to investigate the patterns of antibiotic resistance of Aeromonas spp. bacteria isolated from the sea trout (Salmo trutta) from the state fish hatcheries of the Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment ‘BIOR’, Latvia. Bacteriological investigations were performed at four state fish hatcheries located in the drainage basins of the main Latvian rivers – Daugava, Venta and Gauja, during the five-year period (2012 – 2016). In fish with visible clinical signs, bacteriological samples were collected from heart, liver, spleen, kidney and ulcer surfaces. Aeromonas hydrophila and Aeromonas salmonicida were isolated from sea trouts. A total of 52 individual sea trouts were examined. Resistance to amoxicillin, ampicillin, cephalexin, colistin, doxycycline, enrofloxacin, erythromycin, florfenicol, gentamycin, kanamycin, lincomycin, neomycin, oxytetracycline, spectinomycin, streptomycin, tetracycline, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole was tested. The results of this study suggest a multi-drug resistance pattern among the A. hydrophila isolates. All the isolates were resistant to amoxicillin (100%), ampicillin (100%), cephalexin (100%) and erythromycin (100%). The lowest level of resistance was found against florfenicol (4.55%), gentamycin (4.55%), kanamycin (4.55%), but susceptibility was recorded to enrofloxacin, neomycin and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole. A. salmonicida isolates were resistant to oxytetracycline (9.38%) and tetracycline (9.38%). For other antibiotics A. salmonicida isolates were susceptible.

Renewable energy resources have been developing very fast due to negative effects and finite reserves of the fossil fuels. Biomass is ranked among the most promising renewable energy resources within the Central Europe. Corn (Zea mays L.) is currently the most widely grown crop in the Czech Republic; nevertheless, the cultivation of corn provokes soil erosion by water. Perennial energy grass called tall wheatgrass (Elymus elongatus subsp. Ponticus cv. Szarvasi-1) is supposed to be a good and environment-friendly alternative to corn. Field trials including these two crops were established in the experimental locality of South Bohemia. Their yield potential was monitored during spring harvest periods (use for combustion). Dry phytomass was fundamentally analysed (N, C, H, S) and higher heating value was determined too. Universal Soil Loss Equation was calculated for both crop species. Corn provided much higher average yield in a three-year interval; corn phytomass reached higher heating value as well. The area of Elymus elongatus should enlarge considerably, if we wanted to get the identical amount of energy from corn and Elymus elongatus. However, we found that, compared to Zea mays L., water erosion theoretical land losses would be several times less serious for Elymus elongatus.

This work deals with the baking quality of the spelt wheat grain (Triticum spelta L.) compared with bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Mixed flours were made of different share of spelt wheat and bread wheat (in total 11 mixtures) in 2016 in the Česke Budejovice in the laboratories of the Faculty of Agriculture. The technological quality of these mixtures was analysed, focusing on standard evaluation methods (protein content, characteristic of gluten or swellability of protein). The analysis was supplemented by complete rheological analysis made by Mixolab II. Bread was used as a model product. Subsequently, sensory evaluation of baked bread from the previously prepared mixtures was done. Part of the analysis was to estimate the economic basic bread recipe with different proportions of bread wheat and spelt wheat. The results were statistically analysed via STATISTICA 9.1 (StatSoft, Inc., USA). It was proved that the flour made of spelt can give cereal products with a higher nutritional value. The results have shown that the spelt grain is much more suitable for baking. Its advantage is the higher protein content and higher resistance of kneading of the dough and starch gelatinization rate, which was statistically confirmed. The main disadvantage is the higher price of spelt. According to the results, the ideal utilization of spelt wheat based on sensory analysis and economic calculations seems to be the mixture of spelt wheat and bread wheat, which results in an undeniable decrease of the product cost, and hence effects the common customer choice and taste preferences.

The productivity and its performance is one of the core topics of economics studies. The growth of productivity is an indicator of competitiveness, as well as a possible way to achieve economic growth and wellbeing. After joining the EU, the agriculture of the Baltic countries faced increasing competition of the EU Single Market, while having relatively lower productivity indicators. Since 2004, significant structural changes have taken place in the agriculture of the Baltic countries, and it is a topical question whether these changes and overall trends in the agricultural sectors of the Baltic countries have facilitated to increase productivity. Therefore, the objective of the study is to evaluate the productivity growth of the main production factors and the total factor productivity growth in the agriculture of the Baltic countries between 2004 and 2015, in relation to the changes in the use of the production factors. The paper focuses on the value added as output, and land, labour and capital as individual inputs to obtain partial productivity measures. The evaluation of TFP is based on the Index number approach, where TFP growth is a ratio of the Output index to the Input index. The calculations and analyses show that since 2004 both the agricultural output and value added have increased in the agriculture of the Baltic countries, and also productivity performance has improved.

The processes of globalization in the world economy have a significant impact on different processes and development in all national economy sectors. Innovations and technological development have also increased the competition between economic operators. Faster growth is also observed in service industries. The global economic downturn affected the Baltic States whose development suffered a sharp decline at the end of 2008 and in 2009. A sudden drop in the demand in export markets, as well as the decline in the demand in the domestic markets due to low purchasing power contributed to the deterioration of the economic situation in the Baltic States, particularly in the manufacturing and construction sectors. Starting from 2011, the economic indicators in the Baltic States have been growing and here the export of goods and services can be mentioned as the main contributor to the development of the economy in the Baltic States. Significant changes in the development of economic sectors started in 2013 due to Russia’s economic problems. During the period 2005 – 2015, most of the value added to the overall structure of the national economy in all three Baltic States was brought by trade and manufacturing. The aim of the research is to analyse the national economy sectors in the Baltic States during the period 2005 – 2015 in order to determine processes that affected the development of economy sectors in each of the countries, or the opposite – the recession, thus finding the most competitive sector of the national economy of the Baltic States.

The legal regulation of the public sector auditing among the Supreme Audit Institutions (SAI) of the Northern and Central-European countries holds the potential to offer new perspectives on the functioning and independence of these public audit institutions. This paper aims to examine the external audit practice among the Baltic Sea Region countries as it is defined in the laws and legal acts aimed at the functioning of the particular institution. The task was carried out by conducting an analysis of the legal regulation of the corresponding supreme audit institutions. Overall, SAIs in the Baltic Sea Region closely cooperates with the Parliaments in the reporting phase. Meanwhile, most of them are closely integrated with the legislative power during the phase of the appointment of the head of the audit institution as well as during the budgeting phase and later on during the reporting phase. The research shows that among the Baltic Sea Region countries the Supreme Audit Institutions pursue audits in diverse range of fields as stipulated in the legal regulations. The paper also indicates a space for further research in the field of the SAI legal regulation, audit merit and further interrelation with the executive and legislative powers as well as the impact of such cooperation on the functioning of the accountability system in the particular country.