SummaryThe interest in creating a base-line for development patterns of clusters and clusters '

On the basis of a literature review, the directions for transition of agriculture from the productive to the postproductive model are presented. A methodological framework has been developed, including the directions of the transition and the indicators on which it can be assessed. On the basis of this implementation, the passage from quantity to production quality, to the sustainability of agriculture, to new business models based on multifunctionality are assessed. It turns out that the changes in Bulgarian agriculture cannot be assessed unambiguously. The transition to sustainability is accompanied by continued mechanization and digitization of technological processes. There is a simultaneous development of both the productive and the post-productive model of agriculture. Together with the increasing interest in organic production, the implementation of environmentally friendly practices and the implementation of ecosystem services, modernization based on computerization and chemisation continues. The results are part of scientific project DN 15/8 2017 Sustainable multifunctional rural areas: reconsidering agricultural models and systems with increased demands and limited resources funded by the Bulgarian research fund. JEL Classification Numbers: O13, Q16, Q56,

Development level of the rural areas in the different countries is usually associated with different forms of interaction and interdependence among producers, cooperative organizations, business and even research institutions. These forms and their various legal framework, as well as various levels of development trends and success have certain effect not only over the incomes generated, but also on the overall progress of the region they are located, including local community, agribusiness and its contribution over the local economy. This paper aims to conceptualize an effective local development model, enabling a more effective organization and interaction of community resources and government support. Against this background a number of representative initiatives of innovation and innovative solutions that have emerged at the regional level will be analyzed. The study corroborates that the determinants of the innovation process in the rural areas are not simply the policy measures undertaken, but rather the sense of responsibility and collaborative action taken on by the different stakeholders. This translates into the development of networks, involving local municipalities, for-profit organizations, as well as non-for profit organizations and cooperatives that explicitly pursue community well-being and regional identification.

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the ovarian status and steroid hormone concentration on the day of TAI on the reproductive performance of dairy cows subjected to estrus synchronization treatment and timed artificial insemination with sexed semen. Seventy-eight cyclic Holstein cows pre-treated with PGF2α-GnRH were divided in two groups—I (Preselect-OvSynch, n = 38) and II (OvSynch+PRID-7-day+eCG, n = 40)—and inseminated with sexed semen. The presence of preovulatory follicle (PF) with or without corpus luteum (CL), the PF diameter, the estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4) concentrations on the day of TAI, the pregnancy rate (PR) and embryo loss were determined. On the day of TAI, 78.4% of all the pregnant cows presented a PF (mean size 1.80 ± 0.12 cm) without CL, low P4 (0.59 ± 0.28 ng/mL) and high E2 (12.35 ± 2.62 pg/mg) concentrations. The positive correlation between the size of the PF and the level of E2 in the pregnant cows from group II was stronger than that of group I (R = 0.82 vs. R = 0.52, p < 0.05). The pregnancy rate on day 30 (57.5% vs. 36.8%) and day 60 (50% vs. 26.3%; p < 0.05) and the embryo losses (13% vs. 28.5%) showed better effects of treatment in group II. In conclusion, the ovarian status and the steroid hormone concentration on the day of TAI influence the pregnancy rates of dairy cows subjected to estrus synchronization and timed artificial insemination with sexed semen.

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