The CULTAN (Controlled Uptake Long Term Ammonium Nutrition) system is based on one-time injection of the whole dose of nitrogen required for the vegetation period. The effect of this method on yield and grain quality of winter wheat was observed in a 2-year small-plot trial at 4 different experimental sites in the Czech Republic. The experiment comprised two treatments with the total amount of nitrogen applied during fertilization of 150 kg N/ha. At the CULTAN treatment the whole dose was applied all at once using the GFI 3A injection machine (Maschinen und Antriebstechnik GmbH Güstrow), whereas at the control treatment, the dose was divided into three applications. The average grain yield of winter wheat in 2007 was 9.56 t/ha (control) and 8.78 t/ha (CULTAN); in 2008 it was 9.91 t/ha (control) and 9.63 t/ha (CULTAN). The differences in 2008 were not statistically significant. The contents of nitrogen and gluten were significantly lower at CULTAN treatment in both years. The values of falling number, Zeleny test and bulk density were generally similar at both treatments.

The aim of this article was to express social and economic aspects of the sustainable livestock production in relation to meat consumption in the Czech Republic and to predict the possibilities of further development of livestock production in the conditions of Czech agriculture. With the accession of Czechia to the EU (2004), the structure of Czech agriculture changed to the detriment of livestock production. The decisive sectors of livestock production are pig breeding, cattle breeding and poultry farming. This article (contribution) analyzes trends in the development of production in the basic categories of livestock, and it evaluates the degree of self-sufficiency of the economy in the given sector of agricultural production and the consumption of individual types of meat in Czechia. Using Holt’s model of statistical analysis, it then predicts the future consumption of meat and its individual types in the Czech Republic in the years 2020–2024. As research has shown, the sustainable development of livestock production and meat consumption in the Czech Republic depends not only on the mutual size of meat production and consumption or its quality, but also significantly on the market prices of meat (including world prices), as well as changes in eating habits of the population.

Each year, around 2% of the four million hectares of farmland in Czechia changes owners. However, after years of significant growth in prices, a slowdown in pace and demand is expected. Rising interest rates, a strengthening of the crown and legislative changes in 2018 have influenced the price of farmland. Yet the prices of farmland in Czechia are a third of those in the countries of Western Europe, and so it still represents an interesting opportunity for investors. Currently, land is bought primarily by the farmers who work it. In Czechia, 80% of farmers farm on hired land, and rent increases are starting to be an issue for many of them. The return on the investment in agricultural land is currently around 50 years for an owner and 25 years for a farmer working the land. As research has shown, the price of farmland is an important factor in the sustainable development of agriculture in Czechia, along with the greening of production and the fight against soil erosion and the effects of climate change.

Three non-food cultivars of winter wheat (Biscay, Clarus, Rapsodia) were grown at four locations in the Czech Republic with different agro-ecological conditions in the years [2005][2006][2007][2008] and two levels of nitrogen fertilization -90 and 120 kg N/ha were used. The influence of growing conditions (year, location, cultivation technology) on grain yield, starch content, protein, gluten, share of amylose in starch, falling number and amylographic characteristics. All qualitative indicators were significantly affected by the weather. Wheat grown in the areas 500 m a.s.l. had lower grain yield of 2.8 t/ha (8.4 t/ha), higher starch content of 2.1% (69.0%) and lower content of proteins by 1.8% (10.2%) in grain than wheat grown in the fertile conditions (below 300 m a.s.l.). The cv. Biscay had the highest starch content of 68%; the proportion of amylose in the starch was in the range 22-27%. The content of proteins was negatively correlated with starch content (r = -0.89). The level of damage of starch α-amylase was most affected by wet weather during ripening -falling number was 62 s, with a very low amylographic gelatinization maximum (30-155 Brabender units) and a low gelatinization temperature at the maximum (67-74°C). The respective values recorded in dry conditions were ca 300 s, AU 600 and 90°C. Most damaged starch was recorded in the cv. Clarus. Keywords 241Plant Soil Environ. Vol. 61, 2015, No. 6: 241-246 doi: 10.17221/13/2015-PSE also cultivars with high enzyme activity (ethanol production) or with a high gluten content and good gluten washability (the Martin process for washing out the starch from wheat dough with tap water while it passes through a tumbling cylindrical agitator) (Day et al. 2006). Climatic conditions and the course of the weather affect starch content in wheat grain as well. Higher starch content in wheat was recorded in crops grown in cooler regions at higher altitudes (Petr et al. 2001). In contrast, dry weather conditions caused a decrease in yield and a higher proportion of crude protein in the grain (Erekul and Köhn 2006). Cox et al. (1985) reported that low-input cultivation technology significantly affects grain yield, protein and starch content. High doses of nitrogen increased crude protein content, and reduced the starch content in the grain (Vnuk and Ložek 1995). Studies focused on the effect of nitrogen fertilization showed a high positive correlation between gluten and protein content in flour (Szentpétery et al. 1992). Increasing nitrogen fertilization also increased the proportion of water-insoluble proteins, which enhanced the gluten washability (Kelfkens and Hamer 1991).As it is possible to grow non-food cultivars with a high starch content in areas unsuitable for food wheat, the aim of the investigation was to compare starch production in selected non-food wheat cultivars in relation to the intensity of cultivation technology and the agro-ecological conditions in the growing regions. MATERIAL AND METHODSPlant material and localities. Three winter wheat...

The purpose of this study is to express changes in consumer preferences for certain food products due to the income growth of the population, and to specify the way producers or retailers of these commodities respond to the changes in customer choices. The methodology of this study is based on comparing the economic model of consumer behavior in the market to the analysis of demand elasticity, together with its practical application to food products of the same brand offered by multinational chains in Czechia and Germany. The study presents a new survey, including a comparison of the quality and safety of food products offered by retail chains in Czechia and Germany, and a comparison with similar bio-quality products offered by Czech farmers in their shops or at farmers’ markets. As the comparison indicates, unless multinational producers change their current behavior, consumers will prefer purchasing products from Czech producers, including products offered at farmers’ markets, and shop in neighboring countries where higher-quality original products may be found.