In the period from 2020 to 2022, the biological and pomological characteristics of the early ripening plum varieties ‘Ruth Gerstetter’, ‘Tuleu Timpuriu’, ‘Katinka’, ‘Tegera’, ‘Hanita’, ‘Cacaks Early’, ‘Cacaks Beauty’, ‘Green Renclode’ and ‘Top First® were investigated in the experimental plantations of the Research Institute of Mountain Livestock Breeding and Agriculture Trojan (RIMSA) - Trojan. The parameters analyzed included the flowering phenophases, ripeni ng time, pomometric and physicochemical characteristics of the fruit, and yield of the trees, in each case in comparison with the standard variety ‚Cacaks Beauty‘. In the period studied, the earliest flowering was observed in ‚Tuleu Timpuriu‘ (April 7-12), while ‚Ruth Gerstetter‘ had the longest flowering period (15 days). The shortest flowering phase (12 days) was observed in ‚Cacaks Early‘, which also bore the largest fruit (55.30 g). Early ripening plum varieties grown in the Trojan region have a lower dry matter value compared to the standard. Th e highest values of total polyphenols were found in ‚Katinka‘ (376.83 mg/g), followed by ‚Tule Timpuriu‘ (303.22 mg/g). The highest yield was observed in the standard variety (44 kg/tree), followed by ‚Cacaks Early‘ and ‚Katinka‘ (31-32 kg/tree). Varieties ‚Green Renclode‘, ‚Hanita‘ and ‚Tegera‘ are not only suitable for fresh consumption but also show potential for processing into juices, nectars and distillates.
In view of an increase in the world’s population and a potential problem of food shortages in the future, a task of the profession is to find a way to produce sufficient food while reducing a burden imposed on production. This paper’s objective is to illustrate the possibilities of using the algae as a source of proteins in the domestic animals’ feeding, with a particular reference to their use in different animal species and the advantages and disadvantages of their use in modern feeding. The algae are increasingly being researched, as they can be a source of proteins in animal nutrition, and various organic compounds can be extracted that can be subsequently used as an additive to the animal feed. Most algae have been proven to exert a positive effect on the domestic animals’ production indicators, product quality, health, and fertility. However, with all the positive aspects that the algae may offer, attention should also be paid to their toxicity. If the algae are incorporated in the domestic animals’ feeding, it should be clearly defined what quantities are acceptable. There is a necessity to further study the effect of algae on the ruminants and monogastric animals, as a vast majority of the research conducted is based on poultry. As the profession advances and the algae-production and -processing technology is being developed, it can be expected that the algae will be more widely added to the domestic animals’ feeding in the future.
This study focuses on the distribution and impact of the invasive species tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissima (Mill) Swingle) in the easternmost county of the Republic of Croatia. The research was conducted from May to September 2022 and 2023, utilizing the systematic random sampling method. The presence of tree-of-heaven was recorded in both rural and urban environments, where only the number of trees having a medium tree trunk diameter at breast height (DBH) of 10-20 cm and a small DBH of 5-10 cm was significantly higher in rural compared to urban sites. The negative effects of the tree-of-heaven population are due to its vigorous clonal growth (biological characteristics; p < 0.001) and dense monoculture stands, resulting in decreased plant species richness and native species diversity (ecological impact; p < 0.001. The harmful effects of invasion depend on the site where plants grow. Still, serious damage, based on significant factor loadings (eigenvalue >1), was recorded not only on environmental but also on functional, safety, and aesthetic aspects, causing economic loss and mechanical damage.
The aim of our paper was to study the relationship between somatic cell count, milk productivity, and specific technological parameters of the milking process in cows during the summer period. The research was conducted on a commercial farm in the central part of Ukraine from June to August 2024 on the Holstein cows with 1 to 5 lactations. Milk analysis was performed in a commercial laboratory using Bentley Instruments equipment. The following was analyzed: fat content (FC, %), protein content (PC, %), lactose content (LC, %), somatic cell count (SCC, thsd./cm3), and milk urea nitrogen (MUN, mg/100 ml). General linear model (GLM) and correlation analysis were applied. To analyze the influence of the “group of SCС” factor on the milk composition, all studied milk samples were divided into three groups according to the SCC in them: 1) ≤300; 2) 300–500; 3) ≥500. There was an established negative correlation between the LС, somatic cell score (SCS, -0.387, p < 0.001) and single milk yield (-0.225, p < 0.001). It was found that most traits, such as the FC, F/P, and MUN concentrations, increased in August if compared to the other summer months. The SCS decreased every month during the summer and was lowest in August (3.04±0.048).
High demand for soybeans requires farmers to achieve higher yields. One of the most important challenges in soybean production is weed control management, especially in the early growing stages. Successful soybean production is inconceivable without the use of herbicides, which can be applied as PRE-em—before seedling emergence, and as POST-em—after seedling emergence. On the other hand, herbicides can negatively affect germination capacity and can cause plant damage/injury, and finally result in lower seed yield. Therefore, this research aimed to examine the possible influence of different weed management treatments on weed infestation, soybean yield, and its components. A field experiment was set up during 2014 and 2015 in a randomized block design. The research included 7 treatments: a control treatment and 6 different herbicide treatments with the active substances metribuzin, oxasulfuron, thifensulfuron, s-metolachlor, and cycloxydim in full and reduced doses. Dominant weeds were Abutilon theophrasti, Amaranthus retroflexus, Ambrosia artemisiifolia, Chenopodium album, and Fallopia convolvulus. Herbicide application resulted in weed density reduction from 62.7 to 76.8% in 2014 and from 26.4 to 71.9% in 2015 compared to the control. Lack of herbicide efficacy due to adverse weather conditions during application and vegetation resulted in higher weed infestation and ultimately lower yields, lower nodes, and pods in 2015. Statistically significant differences were found between herbicide treatments regarding yields, whereby average yields were highest on POST-em treatments with split application.
