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Honey bee wintering in a wintering building (indoors) with controlled microclimate is used in some cold regions to minimize colony losses due to the hard weather conditions. The behavior and possible state of bee colonies in a dark room, isolated from natural environment during winter season, was studied by indirect temperature measurements to analyze the expression of their annual rhythm when it is not affected by ambient temperature, rain, snow, wind, and daylight. Thus, the observed behavior in the wintering building is initiated solely by bee colony internal processes. Experiments were carried out to determine the dynamics of temperature above the upper hive body and weight dynamics of indoors and outdoors wintered honey bee colonies and their brood-rearing performance in spring. We found significantly lower honey consumption-related weight loss of indoor wintered colonies compared with outdoor colonies, while no significant difference in the amount of open or sealed brood was found, suggesting that wintering building saves food and physiological resources without an impact on colony activity in spring. Indoor wintered colonies, with or without thermal insulation, did not have significant differences in food consumption and brood rearing in spring. The thermal behavior and weight dynamics of all experimental groups has changed in the middle of February possibly due to increased brood-rearing activity. Temperature measurement above the upper hive body is a convenient remote monitoring method of wintering process. Predictability of food consumption in a wintering building, with constant temperature, enables wintering without oversupply of wintering honey.

Winter wheat is one of the most profitable crops in Latvia. Different growing technologies, including reduced soil tillage and continuous wheat sowing, have become more popular in recent years. The aim of this study was to characterise the development of winter wheat leaf diseases with respect to the soil tillage method and crop rotation under typical wheat growing conditions in the central region of Latvia. Experiments were carried out at the Pēterlauki Study and Research Farm of Latvia University of Agriculture in 2010, 2012 and 2013. Trials were conducted in two blocks: 1) conventional tillage with mouldboard ploughing at a depth of 22-23 cm and 2) reduced tillage with disc harrowing at a depth of 10-12 cm. Different crop rotations were established in each block, but crop sequences differed slightly depending on the year. Continuous wheat sowing and reduced soil tillage increased the level of tan spot infection, especially when these two factors were combined. The level of infection with Septoria leaf blotch was influenced by the soil tillage method and the year.

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