Fresh-cut herbs satisfy consumer demand owing to the convenience of buying them in food shopping malls as quickly accessible products. Food packaging has an important role in the food industry nowadays, because it helps to preserve the quality of fresh-cut food products at the production and sales sites and provides safety during storage. The aim of this research was to evaluate the quality changes of fresh-cut rosemary packed and stored in biodegradable film packaging. Rosemary has been packed in several materials – two biodegradable packaging materials, NatureFlexTM NVS INNOVIA film, Nature Works® PLA P-360 containers with hermetically pressed PLA cap and “breathable” conventional BOPP PropafilmTM P2GAF film. The samples were analysed over time at 0, 3, 5, 8, 10 and 12 days of storage at a temperature of +5 ±1 °C in terms of physicochemical quality: O2 and CO2 concentration, mass loss, pH, content of soluble solids (ºBrix) and tested sensory evaluation. The analysis of the obtained results showed that the cellulose based biodegradable NatureFlexTM NVS INNOVIA film was a good way to prolong the storage time of fresh-cut rosemary and ensuresensory quality and high physiochemical quality during the preservation period.

In recent years, the demand for organic fermented dairy products has been growing. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are of major interest in the food industry due to their ability to form the quality and functionality of fermented products. A significantly higher LAB cell count is presented in organic (ORG) fermented products such as yoghurt and kefir, than their conventional (CONV) counterparts. There is still a lack of information on the possible explanation and evidence of ORG milk as a better medium for LAB growth. The aim of the present review is to summarise the results of research articles on the milk compounds and their effect on LAB growth, and to identify differences between ORG and CONV milk that may provide a plausible explanation for their influence on LAB growth in ORG milk. The monographic method was used in this study. According to the previous research, significant differences were established in a content and range of carbohydrates, nitrogen sources, fats, macro elements and microelements, as well bioactive compounds in ORG and CONV milk. The composition of ORG milk may have potential benefits for the development of LAB due to the higher concentration of peptides and long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in it.

Pesticides have been used for a long time in agriculture to prevent the growth of undesired organisms. However, depending on the type of production (i.e., conventional, organic, and regenerative), they might not be applied. Adequate types and uses of pesticides should not cause any damage to any non-target species or environments due to the exposure to it, especially if all farming operations have been done properly. Reversely, when pesticides are applied in inappropriate time, amount or technique, they may cause several impacts, among which is water contamination. Brazil stands out worldwide for its agricultural potential, but it is exposed to risks concerning the water supply security to its population. The current study is a comparison of the Maximum Permissible Concentrations (MPC) for pesticides in potable water supply in Brazil with the values set in the United States, Canada, European Union countries, Japan, and the guidelines issued by the World Health Organization. The regulations of each country were used, as well as the trading, consumption and agricultural production data. The Brazilian regulation is the one accounting for the largest number of pesticides. However, their MPC is 5,000 times more permissible than that from the European Union for the herbicide known as glyphosate, 300 times than that for 2,4-d and 20 times than that for atrazine. Finally, it was possible to observe the relevance of revising the regulation and public policies in place to minimize the indiscriminate use of pesticides in Brazil and adapt these compounds to the standards in a global level.

This research in progress paper investigates the multifaceted factors shaping the work-related attitudes of top managers in organizations with a focus on Germany. Through in-depth interviews with seasoned experts, it reveals crucial work attitudes, examines the impact of interpersonal and procedural factors, and evaluates information’s role in the principal-agent relationship at top management levels. The findings challenge conventional assumptions, providing different perspectives on leadership and highlighting the evolving nature of management practices in the digital age. The study also explores potential differences between top IT managers and other C-level roles, investigating their implications. The results of this research based on expert interviews are used in a broader context of research to triangulate literature analysis findings and quantitative surveys in order to develop a comprehensive understanding of factors influencing top managers’ work attitudes. Semi-structured expert interviews were conducted to gain a comprehensive perspective on the influencing factors of work attitudes in top management functions. Six German experts participated, bringing diverse backgrounds and affiliations with professional associations. Despite varied perspectives, universal importance was identified in key work attitudes, challenging assumptions of significant differences between employer and employee representatives. A novel contrast between hierarchical and broader perspectives within owner and worker associations emerged, suggesting a need for a more comprehensive understanding of management approaches. Additionally, interpersonal factors in leadership, information flow, trust-building, were highlighted as contributions. Furthermore, distinctions and commonalities between IT management and other top managerial roles were identified. This study both confirms existing knowledge and introduces valuable insights to management science, potentially shaping future research and practices.

A series of initiatives have been adopted in the European Union to address greenhouse gas emissions and establish a society that is resilient to climate change. In response to these initiatives, the implementation of mobility budgets offers a more precise strategy for addressing carbon footprints associated with travel. Prioritizing localized carbon footprint control, mobility budgets are calculated and customized according to distinct regions, goals, and target demographics. When prioritizing the mobility budget as the central objective in municipal transport route planning, the focus should encompass principles of fairness and equity in travel. This entails considering factors such as accessibility, variety of mobility choices, inclusivity of transportation modes, and social justice. Therefore, this article aims to formulate an enhanced activity modelling methodology that would aid data-driven decision-making in municipal transport route planning, while upholding the principles of travel fairness and equity. Тhe results obtained from scrutinizing data related to public bus services and mobile networks are presented. The evaluation of Jelgava’s city transportation network to facilitate mobility budget reduction is undertaken, and this assessment is based on an analysis of data derived from a survey on public transport use coupled with an examination of the city’s mobility budget. The research presents the communication challenges that municipalities will face in planning and implementing changes that are needed to meet the greenhouse gas emission targets and outlines the possible use of visualization tools for modelling, explanation and communication of scenarios.

The contemporary scientific and technical community claims that the new development paradigm will be based on the priority of the universal laws of nature, the principles of ecological economics and the widespread use of digital transformation. The analysis of the sustainable development strategy Latvia 2030 and the presented changes in the value of indicators showed that, it is quite difficult to put together a common unified picture of Latvia’s movement towards sustainable development. The main goal of the article is to present a new approach to the assessment of sustainable development and to monitoring system, using a system’s power changes analysis method. In the context of a Latvian sustainable development strategy, the authors presented the results of the formalisation of new approach to the sustainable development monitoring, using an invariant coordinate system in units of power (energy flow) in compare with calculated data in monetary terms. Calculations and the initial interpretation of the results of Latvia as well as of the five EU countries from the Baltic Sea region – Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Estonia and Lithuania – were carried out for the period 1990–2019. The presented indicators of sustainable development show that achieving the strategic goals of Latvia 2030 would be very difficult without any serious internal and external incentives. The results can provide a basis for creation of the development strategy both the country as a whole and each region separately.

Production economics forms a very important part of an enormous range of economic theory. Agricultural production is no exception. When evaluating the competitiveness of the multifunctional agriculture, it is necessary to use the measure of efficiency instead of productivity. The conception of the efficiency is explained and the methods for measurement are provided. The authors discuss the methods of Stochastic Frontier Approach (SFA), Free Disposal Hull (FDH) and Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) that are particularly useful for multi-criterial evaluation of multifunctional processes. Those methods assign an efficiency score to each Decision Making Unit (DMU) based on how well it transforms a given set of inputs into outputs. Most studies have only focused on application of DEA method for assessment of the efficiency of agriculture farms. There is still a need on applications for sectors. This paper provides an examination of the applicability of DEA method to agriculture sectors efficiency measurement. By applying mathematical models, which are based on the DEA, the efficiency of agriculture in each EU country was evaluated.

Nitrogen management strategy in plant growth period based on chlorophyll content evaluation in plant can improve nitrogen usage efficiency and reduce environmental contamination. This study is aimed to determine the impact of different nitrogen and sulphur fertilizers rates on dynamics of chlorophyll content in winter wheat during vegetative growth and to determine the relationship between nitrogen and chlorophyll content and grain yield of winter wheat. Field trial involving a winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) variety ‘Kranich’ was conducted at the LUA Research and Study Farm Vecauce during a three-year period (2012-2015). The treatments were 0, 85, 153, 175+S21, 175 (in 2015), 187 N kg haE−1 and different nitrogen norms according to chlorophyll meter Yara N-tester (Konica Minolta Ltd.) data: 180, 150, 205 N kg haE−1 depending on the year. The results of the trial show that the maximum chlorophyll content in different plant parts was observed at the end of flowering stage. The chlorophyll content depended on the level of mineral fertilisation. The highest chlorophyll content in leaves, stems and ears was obtained by using additional sulphur in two trial years. Usage of chlorophyll meter Yara N-tester obtained the highest chlorophyll content in all analysed plant parts in one trial year. Chlorophyll content was significantly dependant on plant growth stage in stems in all trial years, in leaves in two trial years, and in ears in one year. Nitrogen fertilization significantly affected chlorophyll content in leaves and stems in one trial year. Close positive correlation was observed between grain yield and wheat plant chlorophyll content and average nitrogen concentration at the end of flowering stage in all three trial years.

Faba beans (Vicia faba L.) are an excellent protein source and should be more present in human diet, but due to their long cooking time, they are rarely used. So, in order to increase the accessibility of faba beans (Vicia faba L.), experiments were carried out to obtain new food products. Extrusion-cooking was chosen as the potential thermal cooking process and two different products were obtained. One was made exclusively from faba bean (Vicia faba L.) flour, while the second one was produced with a 50% addition of wheat flour to bean flour. Protein content, size, volume mass, pH and starch content for obtained products were analysed in order to characterise the products, as well as to see the differences from non-extruded faba beans (Vicia faba L.) and obtained samples. The experiments were carried out using faba beans (Vicia faba L.) obtained at Ltd. “Pure Horticultural Research Centre”. They were milled at Ltd. “Grauda spēks” and extruded with a twin screw extruder at Ltd. “Milzu”. The experiments showed that the extrusion process had decreased the protein content by 9%, but the starch content had risen by 13% with the addition of wheat flour. But, for sample, without added wheat flour differences were not significant. No significant size differences were observed in the obtained samples and pH values had no significant differences between extruded samples.

Latvian Blue (LZ) cows are kept for a variety of herd colours and because of national cow breed value. Resources of LZ cow breed remained low over the last decade. The aim of the study was to evaluate LZ cow breed linear conformation traits and analyse results in relation to their possession to the gene pool (GF) status and productive lifetime in 2017−2018. Information of the Agriculture Data Centre Republic of Latvia (LDC) and linear evaluation in vivo were used. The number of LZ cows registered in LDC in 2017−2018 was 1648 and only 339 cows were gene-pool animals (LZ GF), and 140 of LZ GF animals were culled because of different reasons in 2017−2018. There were registered 544 (190 primiparous of them) closed standard LZ cow lactations in 2009 and only 292 (64 primiparous of them) in 2018. The oldest LZ GF cow was 16.3 years old; 20% of LZ GF cows were more than 10 years old, and only 10% were younger than 5 years. The overall exterior rating was established more than 80 points for 64.4% of the evaluated LZ GF cows. Some LZ GF linear conformation traits did not change significantly (p is greater than 0.05) with age – exterior, milking properties and cow’s temperament. Udder parameters, rump and foot angle became worse with animals advancing in age and could be improved by breeding. No statistically significant differences (p is greater than 0.05) were established regarding all parameters of conformation traits among LZ and LZ GF dairy cows except a tendency of larger body depth in LZ GF (p=0.054). In conclusion, the linear conformation traits of LZ cows, despite the presence of genetic influence of other breeds, do not differ significantly from the gene pool animals. Rump angle, udder and teat qualities became worse with age in LZ and LZ GF cows. Legs and hoofs were stable parameters inherited by the LZ offspring.