ACADEMIC TEACHERS' PREFERENCES IN SELECTING SCIENTIFIC DATABASES

The objective of the paper was to determine the preferences of academic teachers in the selection of databases of scientific publications. Material consists of the results of research carried out with the diagnostic survey methods carried out with the questionnaire technique among the scientific employees and students of the selected Polish higher schools: University of Life Sciences in Lublin, University of Agriculture in Krakow. 135 scientific employees and 140 full-time students of the second cycle studies participated in the survey. University teachers the most often used publications in scientific journals and publications in the Internet. All students that took part in the questionnaire used scientific publications in the Internet and information included in the Internet. Databases of the Polish scientific publishing houses, Elsevier database, and Google Scholar database are the most useful in the scientific work. Students search for publications only in the Polish databases of publishing houses and Google Scholar base.

INFORMATION ACQUISITION METHODS AND THEIR RELATION TO THE LEVEL OF EQUIPMENT OF A FARM IN INFORMATIVE INFRASTRUCTURE ELEMENTS

All item flows are always accompanied by information flows. The condition of the goods flow between a sending point and a receipt point is exchange of information between a sender and a consignee. The role of scientific-technical and economic information in modern  agriculture grows successively. It is hard to imagine efficient management that would guarantee rational use of the factors of production, including respect for the environment, ensuring high quality of products and satisfaction of market requirements without it. Information is indispensable for both agricultural producers as well as producers and providers of production means and agricultural products consignees. Farms which strive to be competitive and which want to develop must use facilities of modern information technologies. The aim of the paper was to determine information acquisition methods and the relation to the level of equipment and the use of information infrastructure elements on commodity farms. The paper covered 50 agricultural farms located in the south Poland region. Information acquisition methods and the level of equipment and use of information infrastructure elements were determined. Respondents also evaluated which of the information acquisition methods was the best and which was the worst. It was concluded that the level of farm equipment in elements of information infrastructure was satisfactory and the information infrastructure methods guaranteed efficient farm management.

EFFECT ASSESSMENT OF KELPAK SL ON THE BEAN YIELD (PHASEOLUS VULGARIS L.)

Biostimulators applied in the cultivation of plants stimulate the processes of life and increase their hardiness to stress conditions, contributing to greater and better quality of yield. One of them is Kelpak SL obtained from brown seaweed species Ecklonia maxima. The aim of experiment carried out was to assess a potential effect of Kelpak SL on bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) cultivar Aura yield. The trial was carried out during 2010-2011 years on the experimental field of Institute of Agricultural Sciences The State School of Higher Education in Chelm. Treatments with Kelpak were carried out in 2 different concentrations (0.2 % and 0.4%) and in two application frequencies (one application in the 2 – 3 leaves stage or two applications – first in the 2 – 3 leaves stage and second at the beginning of the bean’s blooming). Received results were compared with the control where Kelpak was not applied. The number and the weight of seeds, the number of pods and the weight of thousand seeds per 1 m2 were recorded. The beneficial effect of seaweed extract of Ecklonia maxima on the yield of beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) was demonstrated. The highest number and weight of seeds and number of pods were obtainment in the combination of once application with 0.2 % solution of Kelpak SL in 2010 and once application with 0.4 % solution of Kelpak SL in 2011. Application of Kelpak SL significantly increased number and weight of seeds and number of pods compared with the control where Kelpak SL was not applied

Biostimulants and the antiradical activity of soybean seeds

In recent years, the interest in the application of biostimulants has increased, which positively affect the growth and development of plants and contribute to an increase in the yield and quality of crops. In Poland, the area of soybean cultivation is constantly increasing and thus the improvement of the quality of its seeds seems to be purposeful. In the available literature, there are few reports regarding the effect of biostimulants on the antiradical activity of plants. Therefore, studies on the influence of biostimulants on soybean seed antiradical activity seem to be justified. The study was carried out in 2014 - 2016 in Perespa, Poland. Annushka soybean seeds were sown in the third decade of April. During the growing season, four biostimulants: Kelpak SL, Terra Sorb Complex, Atonik, and Tytanit, were used in four combinations, using lower or higher concentrations and single or double spraying. After harvesting the plants, the antiradical activity of the seeds was evaluated by ABTS•+ assay. It has been found that the foliar application of biostimulants positively influenced the studied property. The highest antiradical activity of plants was found upon double spraying with lower concentrations of Atonik and Terra Sorb Complex

Agricultural type of farms versus labour resources and possession of technical means

W opracowaniu przeprowadzono analizę zasobów pracy w 5 typach gospodarstw rolniczych. Określono liczbę osób zatrudnionych oraz nakłady pracy w przeliczeniu na gospodarstwo i na 100 ha UR. Obliczono także standardową nadwyżkę bezpośrednią oraz intensywność organizacji produkcji. Stwierdzono, że wielkość zatrudnienia jak i wielkość nakładów pracy jest uzależniona od typu rolniczego gospodarstwa. Określono wartość odtworzeniową, wskaźnik mechanizacji procesu pracy i rentowność środków technicznych.The study contains an analysis of labour resources in 5 farm types. The researchers determined the number of employed persons and labour amount per farm and per 100 ha of arable land. Moreover, the research allowed to calculate standard direct surplus and production organisation intensity. It has been observed that employment level and labour amount volume depends on farm agricultural type. The researchers specified replacement value, work process mechanisation index, and technical means productivity

Yield of corms of Acidanthera bicolor var. murielae perry depending on the date and depth of planting corms

The experiments were conducted in 2000–2002. Corms of Acidanthera bicolor var. murielae Perry were planted on four dates, every ten days: 19–20th of April, 29–30th of April, 8–9th of May, 18–19th of May, and at three different depths: 4, 8, and 12 cm. At the end of the vegetation period, the plants were dug out and cormels obtained were dried, cleaned and calibrated by 8 sizes that included cormels of the following circumferences: below 4.0 cm, 4.1–6.0 cm, 6.1–8.0 cm, 8.1–10.0 cm, 10.1–12.0 cm, 12.1–14.0 cm, 14.1–16.0, and over 16.0 cm. Then, the cormels were grouped into three sizes: I – cormels with a circumference of over 10.0 cm; II – cormels of 10.0–8.1 cm in circumference; and III – cormels of 8.0–6.0 cm in circumference. The structure and weight of the total and marketable yield as well as further values of cormel circumference were determined. The marketable yield comprised cormels with a circumference of over 8 cm, belonging to group I and II of the cormel size. It was found that planting corms in April increased the number of cormels in the total yield as well as the number and weight of marketable cormels. Planting corms at a depth of 12 cm increased the number and weight of cormels in the total yield as well as the weight of marketable cormels in comparison to the shallowest planting depth (4 cm). Planting corms on the 19–20th of April at a depth of 12 cm increased the percentage and weight of the largest cormels with a circumference of over 16 cm in comparison to planting them on the 18–19th of May at a depth of 4 cm

PRODUKTYWNOŚĆ GOSPODARSTW ROLNYCH POŁUDNIOWEJ POLSKI W ZALEŻNOŚCI OD KIERUNKU PRODUKCJI

The paper presents the productivity size and structure of agricultural farms with regard to the production trend. The aim was achieved based on the research carried out in 80 farms of the Southern Poland. Objects for research were divided into 4 groups: one-trend farms – aiming at plant and animal production, two-trend and mixed farms. It was explicitly proved that productivity of farms from the analyzed region depends on the production trend. The highest value of commodity production was reported in one-trend farms – plant production – 27,242 PLN/ha and was over 39 times higher than in case of one-trend objects – animal production (696.3 PLN/ha)

The profitability of family farms with different level of sustainability of production

Przedstawiono analizę dochodowości 40 gospodarstw rodzinnych podzielonych na trzy grupy według spełnianych kryteriów zrównoważenia procesu produkcji. Jako kryteria zrównoważone przyjęto: wskaźnik odnawialności substancji organicznej, intensywność organizacji produkcji, nakłady pracy, wskaźnik stopnia mechanizacji, wskaźnik wielkości parytetowej. Wykazano, że wraz ze wzrostem liczby spełnianych kryteriów zrównoważenia rośnie dochód rolniczy netto. Zaobserwowano wysoką dodatnią korelację miedzy intensywnością organizacji produkcji a wielkością dochodu rolniczego brutto. Stwierdzono istotną różnicę między uzyskiwanym dochodem rolniczym netto w grupie gospodarstw o najmniejszej liczbie spełnionych kryteriów a grupą gospodarstw spełniających najwięcej kryteriów.The paper presents an analysis of the profitability of 40 family farms are divided into three groups according to number of fulfilled the sustainable criteria of the production process. As sustainable criteria was accepted indicator of renewability of organic matter, intensity of the organization of production, labor inputs, mechanization level indicator, indicator of size parity. Demonstrated that with an increase in the number of fulfilled the sustainable criteria increases the net farm income. It was found a high positive correlation between the intensity of the organization of production and the size of the gross farm income. There was a significant difference between the net farm income achieved in the group of farms with the smallest number of fulfilled criteria and the group of farms with the highest number of fullfilled criteria

Koncepcje i metody modelowania matematycznego procesów wzrostu i rozwoju roślin. Kiełkowanie roślin - Cz. 1

Contemporary agricultural engineering searches for "safe" methods of raising crop yields, using a combination of knowledge from a number of sciences. Thus, computer modelling of plant growth and development fits this range, because it has become an area of interdisciplinary research. Presentation of knowledge in the form of mathematical computer models is one of paradigms of agricultural production systems based on the scientific and practical knowledge and information. In the scientific activity concerning agricultural engineering research tasks related to mathematical modelling of agrobiological processes have been carried out for many years. Additionally, the use of modern forecasting techniques in agriculture may bring real financial advantages with regard to the fact that based on crop yield prediction estimation of their cultivation profitability is possible. Dynamic and continuous progress of computer and informative technologies creates new opportunities showing thus growth directions of agricultural engineering. Taking this into consideration, it should be emphasised that mathematical modelling constitutes a support for decision processes which take place in agricultural production. This article discusses mathematical models, where the analysed system is described with the use of mathematical formulas. The objective of the paper was to present the current state of knowledge on mathematical methods in describing and predicting seeds germination. Possibilities of their use and new challenges which occur in the description of seeds germination were presented.Nowoczesna inżynieria rolnicza, szuka „bezpiecznych” metod podwyższania jakości plonów roślin uprawnych, wykorzystując powiązanie wiedzy z wielu nauk. W ten zakres wpisuje się zatem modelowanie komputerowe wzrostu i rozwoju roślin, ponieważ stało się to obszarem badań interdyscyplinarnych. Przedstawienie wiedzy w postaci matematycznych modeli komputerowych jest jednym z paradygmatów systemów produkcji rolniczej opartych na wiedzy naukowej i praktycznej oraz informacji. W działalności naukowej w obszarze inżynierii rolniczej realizuje się już od wielu lat zadania badawcze związane z matematycznym modelowaniem procesów agrobiologicznych. Dodatkowo stosowanie nowoczesnych technik prognozowania w rolnictwie może przynieść realne korzyści finansowe, ze względu na fakt, iż na podstawie prognozowania plonu roślin uprawnych możliwe jest szacowanie opłacalności ich uprawy. Dynamiczny i ciągły postęp technologii komputerowych oraz informacyjnych kreuje nowe możliwości wytyczając tym samym kierunki rozwoju inżynierii rolniczej. Mając to na uwadze należy podkreślić, że modelowanie matematyczne stanowi wsparcie procesów decyzyjnych zachodzących w produkcji rolniczej. W artykule tym omówione zostały modele matematyczne, w których analizowany system jest opisany przy zastosowaniu formuł matematycznych. Celem pracy było przedstawienie dotychczasowego stanu wiedzy na temat metod matematycznych w opisywaniu i prognozowaniu kiełkowania nasion. Przedstawiono możliwości ich wykorzystania i nowe wyzwania pojawiające się w opisie kiełkowania nasion

The intensity of organisation of production and the European Size Unit and the agricultural type of farms

W opracowaniu zanalizowano intensywność organizacji produkcji 39 gospodarstw rodzinnych. Określono dla tych gospodarstw intensywność organizacji produkcji, wielkość ekonomiczną oraz typ rolniczy gospodarstwa. Badane gospodarstwa zakwalifikowano do poziomu intensywności organizacji produkcji C1 – wysoki mniejszy.The analysis of intensity of organisation of production of 39 family farms in this study was performed. The intensity of organisation production, European Unit Size and the agricultural type of farm was qualified for these farms. The studied farms were classified to according to level of intensity of production’s organisation C1 – high smaller