Search

Farmers’ entrepreneurship in Poland has both a historical and economic basis and stems from personality traits. It is supported by national and EU projects and funding. Legal conditions also favor farmers’ entrepreneurial activity. The aim of the article was to analyze the influence of selected factors on the development of entrepreneurship among farmers in Siedlce County (with a high percentage of employment in the agricultural sector), measured by the entrepreneurship index in 2012 and 2022, and to find out which factors had the greatest impact on its development over the course of ten years. The research material consisted of data from thirteen municipalities of Siedlce County as at the end of 2012 and 2022, from Statistics Poland, and municipal offices, as well as the results of surveys in which respondents assessed the change in entrepreneurship development conditions in 2022 compared to 2012. The dependence of the entrepreneurship index on selected variables was assessed using the simple correlation coefficient and multiple linear regression equations. The econometric analysis showed that the entrepreneurship index in both 2012 and 2022 in the municipalities of Siedlce County was shaped by: the number of national economy entities, the share of annual own income per capita, and the share of agricultural tax in the municipalities’ own income. The respondents assessed that during the period under study, the share of non-agricultural income in total income increased, while the income situation worsened in relation to 2012 and there was a decrease in income from non-agricultural activities against the income of other occupational groups. Factors that significantly affected the entrepreneurship rate were shown to have changed in the decade under analysis. The overall situation shaping entrepreneurial development has also deteriorated.

Farmers' entrepreneurship in Poland has both a historical and economic basis and stems from personality traits. It is supported by national and EU projects and funding. Legal conditions also favor farmers' entrepreneurial activity. The aim of the article was to analyze the influence of selected factors on the development of entrepreneurship among farmers in Siedlce County (with a high percentage of employment in the agricultural sector), measured by the entrepreneurship index in 2012 and 2022, and to find out which factors had the greatest impact on its development over the course of ten years. The research material consisted of data from thirteen municipalities of Siedlce County as at the end of 2012 and 2022, from Statistics Poland, and municipal offices, as well as the results of surveys in which respondents assessed the change in entrepreneurship development conditions in 2022 compared to 2012. The dependence of the entrepreneurship index on selected variables was assessed using the simple correlation coefficient and multiple linear regression equations. The econometric analysis showed that the entrepreneurship index in both 2012 and 2022 in the municipalities of Siedlce County was shaped by: the number of national economy entities, the share of annual own income per capita, and the share of agricultural tax in the municipalities' own income. The respondents assessed that during the period under study, the share of non-agricultural income in total income increased, while the income situation worsened in relation to 2012 and there was a decrease in income from non-agricultural activities against the income of other occupational groups. Factors that significantly affected the entrepreneurship rate were shown to have changed in the decade under analysis. The overall situation shaping entrepreneurial development has also deteriorated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: A qualitative analysis of the tissues and organs of mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchos L.) allows us to estimate the possible hygienic and toxicological threats related to the concentration of lead and cadmium in the environment. A common property of heavy metals is that even in low concentrations they can be toxic to living organisms, including humans. Research related to monitoring the presence of pollutants in the environment of free-living animals should be conducted in order to assess the degree of environmental contamination and issue opinions in this regard. A property common to heavy metals is that even in small concentrations they can exert toxic effects on living organisms, including humans. The aim of this study was to analyze the quality of the tissues and organs of wild mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchos L.) by estimating the potential hygiene and toxicological hazard associated with the concentrations of lead and cadmium in these tissues and organs, as well as the influence of the birds' sex and place of origin on these parameters. A significantly higher average lead content was noted in the breast muscles and the livers of the mallards harvested in the Leszno hunting district compared to the birds from the Siedlce hunting district. A higher average cadmium concentration was recorded in the breast and leg muscles of the mallards harvested in the Leszno hunting district than the Siedlce hunting district. The concentration of cadmium in the tissues and organs of the mallards harvested in the Siedlce or the Leszno hunting district did not exceed the acceptable limits for the muscles and livers of slaughtered animals. This study found no significant effect of the sex of the wild crossbreeds on the content of lead and cadmium in tissues and organs. This study showed that the mallard has a measurable response to environmental pollution with lead and cadmium, and therefore it is a species that could to some extent be used as a bioindicator of the level of contamination of the environment with these xenobiotics. The ban on the use of lead pellets as ammunition in Poland may largely limit the degree of lead contamination of the tissues and organs of mallards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tubers destined for starch production in potato industry need to meet certain commercial quality standards. The objective of the work was to conduct a multivariate assessment of yield potential and tuber quality of starchy potato cultivars. An analysis was performed of data describing potato cultivars listed in the National List of Potato Varieties (KRO) in Poland published by the Plant Breeding and Acclimatization Institute - National Research Institute at Radzików. Very early and early as well as medium late and late starchy potato cultivars were analysed in terms of 13 quantitative characteristic using principal component analysis and cluster analysis. It was demonstrated that, regardless of earliness group, the following traits had the greatest share in the total variation of starchy potato cultivars: tuber yield, starch content, starch yield and bioethanol yield. Cluster analysis allowed the division of very early and early cultivars into 3 groups. The cultivars Szyper, Zuzanna, Kuba and Jubilat, included in the first group, produced superior yields, the highest bioethanol yield and were the most resistant to potato blight. Medium late and late cultivars were divided into two groups. The first group (Pokusa, Gandawa, Rudawa, Hinga, Inwestor, Pasja, Pomorska and Ikar) gave poorer yields and lower bioethanol yields but were more resistant to potato blight in comparison with the second group (Sonda, Kuras, Jasia, Bzura, Skawa and Danuta). The multidimensional methods applied allowed a simultaneous assessment of starchy potato cultivars in terms of many characteristics, and grouping into clusters sharing similar traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the work reported here was to determine the relationship between herbicide rate and the biodiversity of weed communities in potato cultivated in continuous cropping. A seven-year field experiment was conducted to examine the effect of 4 metribuzin rates and an uncontrol on weed infestation in successive years of continuous potato cultivation. The following indices were calculated: the Shannon-Wiener and Simpson’s indices of species diversity and the Simpson’s index of domination. A total of 33 species were recorded in the experimental plots. Echinochoa crus-galli was the dominant species. The most abundant segetal communities were observed in untreated plots. An application of the herbicide reduced the biodiversity of the agrophytocenosis. Cultivation in continuous cropping increased the species number of the weed community in potato. The herbicide and cultivation in continuous cropping did not significantly affect the biodiversity indices but their values, to a great extent, confirmed the trends revealed by the analysis of weed infestation

A potato experiment was conducted from 2004 to 2006 at the Zawady Experimental Farm. The farm is part of the University of Natural Sciences and Humanities in Siedlce, Poland. Tuber infection and injury by diseases and pathogens of three potato cultivars were assessed according to the potato ridge height and harvest date. The weight of mechanically injured tubers was also determined depending on the potato ridge height and harvest date. The weight of potato tubers infected by fungal and bacterial diseases was influenced by the cultivar, growing season, harvest date, and ridge height. Potatoes grown to their standard height and height ridges, were significantly less infected by diseases at the first harvest date. The weight of tubers in which the tubers were injured by soil pests, was affected by the cultivar and ridge height. Potatoes cultivated in a ridge which was 20 cm high, had tubers with significantly less mechanical injuries compared with a low (16 cm) ridge and high (24 cm) ridge.

The purpose of the study was to determine the relationship between herbicide rate and weed community biodiversity in continuous wheat. A six-year field experiment was conducted to examine the effect of four chlorsulfuron rates in comparison with untreated (the control) plots, on the status and severity of weed infestation - in successive study years of cultivating winter wheat in monoculture. In addition, the following indices were calculated: Shannon-Wiener and Simpson’s index of biodiversity, and Simpson’s index of domination. A total of 36 weedy species were identified in the experimental plots. The richest segetal communities were established in the control plots. An application of herbicide reduced the biodiversity of the agrophytocensosis. A short-term monoculture did not impoverish the species richness of the weed community established in winter wheat. The average number of species in the community was significantly greater in the second study year. In the initial study years of monoculture, the biodiversity of the segetal community increased markedly compared with rotation-based cultivation. The calculated indices of biodiversity were not significantly affected by herbicide rate or monoculture but the indices confirmed the trends outlined by an analysis of the status and level of weed infestation.

It was attempted in the paper to describe the growth of oriental goat's rue (Galega orientalis Lam.) growth by means of a logistic function. The studies demonstrated that the function describes empirical data well as the coefficients of determination obtained ranged between 97 to 98%, depending on the growing season. The estimated function parameters indicate that both the plant height and growth rate were conditioned by thermal conditions and moisture during the growing season. Plants had the longest stems in the year 2010 (127.9 cm), and the shortest in 2008 (105.9 cm). The maximum growth rate ranged from 2.12 to 3.97 cm per day in, respectively, 2009 and 2008. Also the inflection point, the point at which plants grew the fastest, depended on the conditions of the growing season. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Acta Scientiarum Polonorum. Agricultura is the property of University of Technology & Life Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Acta Scientiarum Polonorum. Agricultura is the property of University of Technology & Life Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Acta Scientiarum Polonorum. Agricultura is the property of University of Technology & Life Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Acta Scientiarum Polonorum. Agricultura is the property of University of Technology & Life Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Acta Scientiarum Polonorum. Agricultura is the property of University of Technology & Life Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Acta Scientiarum Polonorum. Agricultura is the property of University of Technology & Life Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Acta Scientiarum Polonorum. Agricultura is the property of University of Technology & Life Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)