EJPAU, 2017, Volume 20, Issue 4

Experiments were carried out to evaluate synthetic fertilizers effects on seed germination and seedling growth of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). In this study, three most commonly used synthetic fertilizers including Urea (100, 200, 300, 400, 500 and 1000 ppm), Triple superphosphate (10, 20, 30 and 60 ppm) and K₂SO₄ (100, 200, 300, 400 and 800 ppm) were used in four replications. The results showed that fertilizers at given concentrations did not change seed germination performance. However, there was a significant influence on seedling performance. Seedling growth under Triple superphosphate and K₂SO₄ applications was slightly enhanced, but the enhancement for Urea was notice only at low concentrations. At high concentrations the seedling growth significantly decreased in comparison with control. The root to shoot ratio was influenced by Urea and when the concentrations exceeded 300 ppm the ratio was decreased. The results also showed that Triple superphosphate improved root dry weight, but the other treatments decreased this trait slightly. It was concluded that the seedling growth of barley was more sensitive than seed germination to the fertilizers, and among the treatments Urea application due to inhibition effects at high concentrations must be used carefully.

Electrical and dielectric wood properties are used in many applications. In this work, the complex impedance of seven wood species was measured for frequency range 1 kHz–1 MHz. The measurements were conducted with parallel and perpendicular orientation of the electrical field with respect to specimen visible grain cut from sapwood and heartwood. Based on the complex impedance, values of relative permittivity and loss coefficient were calculated. These parameters of various wood types differs significantly below 10 kHz for relative permittivity and below 200 kHz for loss coefficient. For wood samples classification, the relative permittivity values measured at frequency 5.1 kHz and the loss coefficient values measured at frequency 110 kHz were used in this work. Three different classification methods were employed for clustering. Results show that relative permittivity looks more promising parameter for wood species differentiation.

This article is about analysis of the dependence of industrial and agricultural production in the regions of Azerbaijan on two main factors: capital funds and workforce. It was mainly used the Cobb-Douglas production function and linear function in this analysis. The Cobb-Douglas production and linear functions that have economical and statistical meaning are used during analysis. In the analysis, it is decided not to take account of the main funds that indirectly used in the production and to improve the statistical database because the main funds that indirectly used in the production and the lack of statistical database create some hardships for making exact decisions and calculation.

Limited supplies of freshwater are of concern worldwide. The ever growing demand for water for agricultural purposes warrants the need for alternative water sources for irrigational purposes. Soap-based grey water was used to irrigate fluted pumpkin plants (Telfairia occidentalis) at different frequencies of wetting for a period of 3 months; this was coupled with the concomitant effects of shading conditions. The results obtained showed that grey water had favourable effects on the growth and yield of Telfairia occidentalis, having little or no effect on the proximate content. With regard to yield, determined herein as number of leaflets, since the plant is majorly utilized for its leafy vegetable, was better under partial shade; no significant differences were recorded for leaf area under various shading conditions. Increased superoxide dismutase and catalase activities in higher plants, as reported in this study, is an indication of disturbed physiological stress condition, triggered by biotic stress condition. Thus grey water can serve as alternative source of irrigation while augmenting with fresh water.

Treatment of horticultural produce with 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) is a novel method used to extend storage life and to improve postharvest quality of different fruits and vegetables. In tomato production, several LSL (“Long Shelf Life”) cultivars with a gene prolonging ripening process, of longer shelf life, were introduced to practice. It is assumed that 1-MCP treatment of such fruit could improve its storage ability and shelf life even further. The aim of the 2-year study was to investigate the effect of 1-MCP treatment on some quality traits of stored tomato fruit ‘Habana’ F1, the cultivar of LSL type, in relation to storage temperature. Tomatoes, which were grown on stakes in open field, were harvested at mature-green stage, treated with 1-MCP in concentration of 1.0 µL·L^-1 and then stored at a cold store under the two temperature variants (12.5°C and 20°C). There were determined after 4 weeks of storage: lycopene, total phenolics, ascorbic acid, total sugars contents, as well as titratable acidity and pH of the fruit. Results of the study showed big differentiation in chemical composition of the tomato fruit depending on 1-MCP treatment and storage temperature, but also differences between growing seasons. The relationship between experimental factors studied was not clear and differed between the years. Therefore, it can be concluded in general that the effect of 1-MCP treatment strongly depends on initial physiological state of tomato fruit, which is modified by environmental conditions during growing season. After the storage, a tendency to higher content of phenolics for the fruit treated with 1-MCP was observed. Tomatoes treated with 1-MCP were not significantly affected in terms of lycopene,  sugars contents and pH compared to the untreated ones, but a tendency to lower content ascorbic acid in the 1-MCP treated fruits was observed. It was also found a tendency to higher titratable acidity for 1-MCP treated fruit.

The reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea L.) features high content of bioactive compounds from the group of alkaloids with allelopathic activity. Habitat factors and the harvest time determine the synthesis of chemical compounds required for plant survival in adverse conditions. The aim of the research was to reveal the inhibitory effect of extracts from the reed canary grass on some weed species. The biotypes of the reed canary grass originated from two floristically different habitats. The material was collected in two periods: in spring and in late autumn before the winter dormancy. In each period, aboveground parts and runners of each biotype were collected as raw material for preparation of the extracts. Several series of the tests showed strong inhibitory activity towards Amaranthus retroflexus L., Papaver rhoeas L.,and Stellaria media (L.) Vill of the extract prepared from the runners collected on the bank of a midfield watercourse in Pisarzowice. The strongest inhibitory effect was exhibited by the extracts from runners collected before the winter dormancy period. Extracts derived from both aboveground parts and runners collected from the habitat in Jarnołtów had a considerably weaker phytotoxic and inhibitory effect regardless of the harvest date.

Crops grown in open ground are from early stages exposed to several stress factors acting simultaneously or in a sequence. One-week and three-week-old seedlings of cucumber plants (Cucumis sativus cv. Dar) were subjected to two abiotic stress factors, i.e. water deficit and UV-B radiation applied separately and in combination. The progressive stresses decreased the water content in cotyledons and leaves. The stresses caused membrane damage and an increase in the injury index (ID), which was the highest under drought and successively lower under UV-B/drought combination and UV-B on its own. An increase in lipoxygenase (LOX) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) content was observed in cucumber seedlings. UV-B and water deficit caused more pronounced effect separately than in combination. Generally, the damage (injury index) observed in leaves was higher than in cotyledons and the increase in LOX activity was also slightly higher in leaves than in cotyledons. There was greater increase in the MDA content in leaves than in cotyledons.
In nature the abiotic stress  factors - water deficit, excessive radiation and heat, often occur simultaneously.  Plants respond to a combination of two different abiotic stresses in a unique manner and their response is different when stresses are applied individually. The research findings suggest that each of the stresses may alleviate the negative effect of the other stress factors. In the cotyledons and leaves of cucumber seedlings the water deficit and UV-B radiation applied together generally alleviated the effect of individual stresses within the cellular membrane, as measurements of the membrane damage, LOX activity and MDA content revealed.

The study assessed the association between rainfall variability and cereal output in Gozamen Woreda. It employed mean, standard deviation, the coefficient of variation and precipitation concentration index measures in analyzing the variation of rainfall over time. Correlation analysis was used to establish the association between inter-seasonal rainfall variability on each of the six major cereals output for the last ten years (2005–2014). Rainfall data analysis revealed a general decreasing of spring, summer, and annual rains, while autumn rainfall showed increasing trend. “Teff” registered more or less constant performance. Sorghum and “engido” exhibited declining performance, however maize and wheat had an increasing performance. Teff and barley negatively correlated with summer rainfall whereas maize and sorghum revealed a strong positive correlation with spring rainfall. “Engido” recorded negative correlation with autumn rainfall. From the result it is suggested that having recognized the physical potentials and demands, efforts should be made in areas of irrigation, traditional soil fertility maintaining practices. General environmental resources, conservation works should be done  to realize sustainable development in the cereal production sector in particular and overall efforts of the inhabitants of the site in general. (182/250)

Whey is a by-product of dairy industry obtained during cheese and casein production. It contains approximately 93% of water. Main solid ingredients include lactose, whey proteins and mineral salts. Due to the characteristic taste, unprocessed whey is not an attractive product for consumers. However, the valuable composition of nutrients, as well as increasing demand for healthy food products, contributes to the development of accepted by consumers whey drinks. Until now a wide variety of whey beverages were developed. Among them can be distinguished unfermented and fermented beverages, probiotic beverages, refreshing soft drinks, alcoholic beverages, diet beverages, high-protein sport drinks and powder beverages. Manufacture of beverages is an important group of methods of whey management in food production. The aim of this article was to review the current literature related to the production of various types of whey-based beverages.

Respiratory activity (specified by carbon dioxide release) was tested in soils polluted with diesel oil, sampled from pots after the end of the growing season. Carbon dioxide release was determined by the absorption method. The samples collected from pots were brought to a moisture content of 60% maximum water-holding capacity. Carbon dioxide emission was determined at three temperatures: 10°C, 15°C and 20°C. Incubation was conducted in an ST3C60 thermostatic cabinet. The results obtained from the tests were analysed by ANOVA (F-test) for factorial designs. Significant differences were determined by Duncan’s test at the significance level of P = 0.01.

The aim of the paper was to determine the respiratory activity of soils contaminated with diesel oil. For the soils polluted with diesel oil on which Scots pine grew, the objects with a zero diesel oil dose had the highest carbon dioxide emission. The increasing of the petroleum derivative dose caused a decrease in CO₂ release. An inverse relationship was observed for the soils with European beech seedlings, the highest emission (average from 3 days) was recorded from the soils treated with the highest diesel oil doses. In analysing the objects devoid of plants, it was observed that the diesel oil dose had not affected the CO₂ emission rate. The respiratory activity of these soils was at one statistical level, regardless of the pollution level. The highest carbon dioxide emission was recorded after 1 day of measurement (in both the planted and unplanted objects) and the carbon dioxide release decreased over time.

Knowing the diversity of traits is basic for elaborating selection strategy in breeding new crop - Lupinus mutabilis in moderate climatic condition.  Multivariate methods (PCA and CA) were applied for proper evaluation twelve genotypes in respect to 16 morphological traits, yield structure and DNA polymorphism using eight SSR and eleven ISSR markers. The first three principal components accounted for 77.53% of the overall variability. The first component  was connected with: the height of main stem, whorls and  flowers numbers on the main stem, as well as pods number from lateral branches.  Molecular markers generated of 121 polymorphic amplification products. The CA performed on the basis of morphological traits, yield structure and DNA markers showed the different content of grouped genotypes. This fact indicates a need to extend molecular analysis with other types of markers, useful in selection of genotypes desirable from the breeding point of view.

This study analyzed the impact of globalization on the Nigerian beer industry’s export performance between 1985 and 2015. Time series data for the period 1985–2015 which was later adjusted to 1989–2015, was fitted with a Least Square Method Regression model (OLS). The results obtained are not too far away from expectations with the exception of very few. The result shows that when there is an increase in foreign income, all things being equal, there will be an increase in the demand for beer export. Imported technology is positive; it means that efficiency could be earned through imported technology which can bring about efficient production and competitive pricing in the international market. When this happens, it will bring about an opposite movement between export demand and price of export. The coefficient of openness indicates that there is room for beer export to benefit from globalization. This is because there is room for this sub-sector to benefit from globalization. It has the potentials to expand into the world market.

A forest road system is a basic element of a technical infrastructure which enables conducting well-balanced forest management and meeting the postulates of the sustainable environment development. The correct designing of such a system for a specific mountainous forest area is a multi-layer activity, addressing a range of environmental features in the existing and future configuration, including but not limited to: relief, tree stand properties, hydrogeological conditions and a condition of the existing water system. A modern and effective analytical tool for geospatial data is GIS. The Forest Numerical Map Standard (FNM) contains a lot of essential information so that the analyses performed are useful in the road system optimisation.
   This article presents basic analyses conducted against FNM of a specific transportation area (Łopień forest area in Limanowa Forestry Inspectorate, Southern Poland) and the Digital Elevation Model (DEM). By means of QGIS 2.12.0 Lyon, thematic maps were created and basic calculations were carried out concerning: the cataloguing of the existing state, technological typification of tree stands and design of a new road system. These were, among others, the following tree stand analyses: diversification of age, species composition, reserves, quantity and planned timber acquisition. The following was also performed: physiographical analyses concerning exposition and downslope, hydrographic analyses, presence and localisation of nature reserves, building properties of a subsoil, the present condition of the road system and a range of zones of making tree stands available. Furthermore, the operation of tools is presented consisting in filtering the features of elements for their selection, designing the route of new roads in the system with consideration of important properties of the transportation area, drawing a longitudinal profile of the terrain in the place of the designed road, calculating longitudinal slopes of such profiles, visualising road functions in the system on the map and other analyses.

The aim of the study was to examine the possibility of reducing the compacted area in the field where winter wheat, maize, and winter rape are grown in 3-year crops rotation. For this the following ways were applied: (1) design of the traffic lanes in such a way as to get the maximum coverage of the resulting tramlines through adjusting of some parameters of the machinery owned by the farmer, where the adjustment referred to the tractors wheel track, and partly to the machinery working widths; (2) switching to the reduced tillage; (3) investing into new machinery, that would make possible implementation of the controlled traffic farming system. The proposed traffic lanes establishment, using the machinery existing on the examined farm, and switching to the reduced tillage, resulted in a considerable increase of the area free of traffic. However, the implementation of these solutions requires registration in the navigation panel of all machines tracks in the first year of operation, according to the designed layout, to make the return to the same tracks in the following seasons possible. The accurate RTK correction is inevitable.

The study deals with  the issue of wood supply variability in Poland illustrated with an example of the Płock Forest District. The aim of this paper was to identify and evaluate the supply variability of the selected wood assortment. According to the rules of time series decomposition based on the CENSUS II X-11 method, eight wood types were tested. Data came from the Płock Forest District collected from 2004 to 2014 in monthly intervals. Based on the conducted study, it was found that wood supplies in the Płock Forest District are not characterized by a clear share of systematic changes, trends and cycles. The results of this study have shown a significant impact of the seasonal and accidental fluctuations on timber prices. The trends and cycles were irrelevant for all 8 assortments. The dynamics of seasonal fluctuations were different depending on the assortment. Seasonal fluctuations had the biggest influence on wood supply of most of the tested assortments. The analysis has shown that there were also a lot of random fluctuations, which had a high amplitude of deviations.

The paper presents results of research conducted from 2008 to 2011 to determine the effect of manuring with undersown catch crop and production system on the microelement content in potato tubers. The following two factors were examined in the study: I. manuring with undersown catch crop (control – no undersown catch crop manure, farmyard manure, white melilot, westerwolds ryegrass, white melilot – mulch, westerwolds ryegrass – mulch), II. production system: integrated and organic. Spring triticale cultivated for grain was undersown with catch crops which, after incorporation, were followed by table potato. The following contents were determined in potato tubers: nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium and magnesium. The highest nitrogen content was recorded in the tubers of potato following white melilot mulch, and the highest phosphorus, potassium, calcium and magnesium contents in the tubers of potato following autumn-incorporated white melilot in the integrated production system.