A three-year pot experiment carried out in the vegetation hall in 2014–2016 included studying the enzymatic activity of soil, into which various amounts of copper: (100, 200 and 300 mg Cu/kg soil) and organic materials (cattle manure, chicken manure, post-mushroom substrate) were introduced, used separately, at a soil-introduction dose of 2 g C_org/kg. Copper and organic materials were used once, only in the first year of the study, before sowing test plant orchard grass. In soil collected after the last (fourth) swath of grass in each year of the study, the activity of urease, dehydrogenases, acid, and alkaline phosphatase was determined. Applications of copper to the soil, regardless of its dose, resulted in a decrease in urease, dehydrogenases and alkaline phosphatase and an increase in acid phosphatase activity. The inactivating effect of this metal on the activity of urease, dehydrogenases and alkaline phosphatase increased with the increase of its dose. Organic fertilisation generally increased the enzymatic activity of the analysed soil. In subsequent years of the study, urease and alkaline phosphatase activity decreased, while acid phosphatase activity increased. Dehydrogenase activity did not change significantly in subsequent years of the study.

Copper is an element necessary for the proper growth and development of plants, but when taken in excess amounts, it can be toxic. Its availability for plant can be reduced by using organic fertilizers or soil liming. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of increasing doses of copper (100, 200, and 300 mg Cu·kg−1 of soil) application in combination with various organic amendments (cattle manure, chicken manure, and spent mushroom substrate) on the yield of cocksfoot and its content and uptake of this metal, and to determine its coefficient of bioaccumulation and tolerance indices. The toxic effect of copper manifested by significant decrease in the yield of the test plant was after the application of 300 mg·kg−1 of soil. Increasing doses of copper application increased its content and uptake by the test plant, while observing the decreasing bioaccumulation factor. All the soil amendments reduced the toxic effect of copper on cocksfoot. The most effective organic amendment in terms of yield and protective effects against high levels of copper was cattle manure, in the case of which the Org/Cu and Cu/Org tolerance indices were highest.

Copper is a microelement involved in the metabolism of nitrogen compounds in plants. Good utilization of nitrogen from soil and fertilizers by plants requires an adequate supply of copper. The aim of the study was to determine the effect of increasing levels of copper (100, 200, and 300 mg Cu·kg−1 of soil) applied together with various organic fertilizers (cattle manure, chicken manure, and spent mushroom substrate) on nitrogen content and uptake by cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata L.) and the coefficient of nitrogen utilization from organic fertilizers. The pot experiment was carried out in three growing seasons (May–September) in greenhouse, and in this cocksfoot was grown and harvested four cuts in each year. Copper and organic fertilizers were applied once in the first year before sowing cocksfoot, and the after-effect was investigated in the second and third years. Application of different amounts of copper did not influence the nitrogen content in the biomass of cocksfoot. At the same time, soil application of this micronutrient in the amount of 100 mg Cu∙kg−1 of soil caused an increase in nitrogen uptake in the biomass of cocksfoot. Application of 100 and 200 mg Cu·kg−1 of soil caused an increase in the coefficient of nitrogen utilization from the organic fertilizers, which was highest effect in the case of cattle manure. All of the organic materials used increased the content of nitrogen and its uptake by cocksfoot, but the greatest effect was noted following application of chicken manure. The study showed no synergistic or antagonistic relationships between copper and nitrogen.

The aim of this paper was to assess the environmental and economic conditions of apple cultivation in Poland, including soil and climate conditions, production level and its profitability, the structure of management based on source materials using a descriptive and comparative method. Due to good soil and climatic conditions, Poland is the largest producer of apples in the EU and one of the largest in the world. In the utilization structure of these fruits is dominated by food processing (especially production of concentrated juice), followed by export and direct consumption. Increasing the values of profitability production index, requires optimization of cultivation conditions, introduction of the logistics concept for efficient management of supply, production and distribution as well as searching for new markets and effective ways of managing the oversupply of fruit.

Streszczenie Badano wpływ zanieczyszczenia gleby niklem (0, 75, 150 i 225 mg Ni kg-1 gleby) na tle zróżnicowanego wapnowania (0 Ca i Ca w g 1 Hh) i materiałów organicznych (bez stosowania materiałów organicznych, słoma żytnia i węgiel brunatny z Kopalni Węgla Brunatnego Turów) na zawartość niklu w kupkówce pospolitej i frakcje tego metalu w glebie. Analizowano cztery pokosy kupkówki pospolitej zebrane w trzecim roku doświadczenia wazonowego oraz oznaczono frakcje niklu w glebie pobranej po ostatnim pokosie rośliny testowej. Zawartość niklu w roślinie oraz ogólną zawartość tego pierwiastka w glebie oznaczono metodą ICP-AES po wcześniejszej mineralizacji. Frakcje niklu w glebie oznaczono metodą frakcjonowania sekwencyjnego - BCR. Wprowadzenie do gleby niklu, niezależnie od ilości, spowodowało istotne zwiększenie jego zawartości w biomasie kupkówki pospolitej oraz w glebie we wszystkich frakcjach, przede wszystkim we frakcji wymiennej (F1). Wapnowanie gleby oraz aplikacja materiałów organicznych zmniejszyły zawartość niklu w biomasie kupkówki pospolitej oraz w glebie we frakcji wymiennej, bezpośrednio przyswajalnej przez rośliny, powodując jednocześnie zwiększenie jego udziału we frakcji rezydualnej (wapnowanie) oraz redukowalnej i utlenialnej (aplikacja materiałów organicznych).