Agricultural intensification and associated loss of high‐quality habitats are key drivers of insect pollinator declines. With the aim of decreasing the environmental impact of agriculture, the 2014 EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) defined a set of habitat and landscape features (Ecological Focus Areas: EFAs) farmers could select from as a requirement to receive basic farm payments. To inform the post‐2020 CAP, we performed a European‐scale evaluation to determine how different EFA options vary in their potential to support insect pollinators under standard and pollinator‐friendly management, as well as the extent of farmer uptake. A structured Delphi elicitation process engaged 22 experts from 18 European countries to evaluate EFAs options. By considering life cycle requirements of key pollinating taxa (i.e. bumble bees, solitary bees and hoverflies), each option was evaluated for its potential to provide forage, bee nesting sites and hoverfly larval resources. EFA options varied substantially in the resources they were perceived to provide and their effectiveness varied geographically and temporally. For example, field margins provide relatively good forage throughout the season in Southern and Eastern Europe but lacked early‐season forage in Northern and Western Europe. Under standard management, no single EFA option achieved high scores across resource categories and a scarcity of late season forage was perceived. Experts identified substantial opportunities to improve habitat quality by adopting pollinator‐friendly management. Improving management alone was, however, unlikely to ensure that all pollinator resource requirements were met. Our analyses suggest that a combination of poor management, differences in the inherent pollinator habitat quality and uptake bias towards catch crops and nitrogen‐fixing crops severely limit the potential of EFAs to support pollinators in European agricultural landscapes. Policy Implications. To conserve pollinators and help protect pollination services, our expert elicitation highlights the need to create a variety of interconnected, well‐managed habitats that complement each other in the resources they offer. To achieve this the Common Agricultural Policy post‐2020 should take a holistic view to implementation that integrates the different delivery vehicles aimed at protecting biodiversity (e.g. enhanced conditionality, eco‐schemes and agri‐environment and climate measures). To improve habitat quality we recommend an effective monitoring framework with target‐orientated indicators and to facilitate the spatial targeting of options collaboration between land managers should be incentivised.

Applications of biological agents intensify the growth of crops, so they more quickly form a maximum leaf area, optimize photosynthesis, increase plant productivity and quality. Chemical producers offer a new generation of bio-organic fertilizers based on nano technologies. Such fertilizers have not been well investigated yet; therefore, the aim of this study was to ascertain the influence of the fertilization rates by bio-organic nano fertilizer, made from cattle manure on the effectiveness of sugar beet crop photosynthesis and productivity parameters. The investigations were carried out in 2011-2012 at Aleksandras Stulginskis University's Research Station, Kaunas district, Lithuania (54º52′ N, 23º49′ E) on a silty loam Luvisol (Calcari-Epihypogleyic Luvisol, LVg-p-w-cc). Sugar beet plants were sprayed with the fertilizer at doses of 0.5 or 1.0 L ha -1 at the BBCH 18 and/or BBCH 31 stages. Single application of the bio-organic fertilizer at single 1 L ha -1 dose was more effective than at single 0.5 L ha -1 or double 0.5 + 0.5 L ha -1 doses. At the beginning of intensive sugar beet development (BBCH 37-38), single 1 L hadose increased the number of leaves by 19.6%, leaf area by 13.4%, root diameter by 11.1%, canopy dry biomass by 29.1%, root biomass by 42.6%, net photosynthetic productivity by 15.8%, root yield by 12.6%, sucrose content by 1.03 percentage points and yield of white sugar by 19.2% in comparison with the untreated beets. Double 1 + 1 L ha -1 dose of fertilizer was slightly more effective but economically less suitable than single (1 L ha -1 ). In general, the application of bio-organic fertilizer revealed a great potential for optimization of sugar beet development, productivity and quality parameters.

Current climate scenarios predict rising air temperature along with increasing frequency and intensity of summer drought in the Central and Eastern Europe. Severe drought episodes affect physiological processes in trees such as transpiration, photosynthesis and carbon allocation. Understanding gas exchange between plants and the atmosphere is important in woody plant research. The aim of this study was to evaluate differences in gas exchange characteristics and chlorophyll fluorescence of tree species prevailing in Lithuania Scots pine, Norway spruce and Silver birch and their physiological response to water stress. The study was conducted in Aukstaitija integrated monitoring station, Lithuania. Gas exchange parameters and chlorophyll fluorescence were measured during the vegetation season of 2016. Meteorological parameters were obtained from the monitoring station. Four weather periods with different meteorological conditions were identified. Under moderate drought conditions all investigated tree species demonstrated reduced photosynthetic rates, lower stomatal conduction transpiration rates, water use efficiency and instantaneous carboxylation efficiency. During moderate drought, intercellular CO 2 concentration of Norway spruce was higher and this species demonstrated the highest decrease in instantaneous carboxylation efficiency. No significant changes of maximal chlorophyll fluorescence Fv/Fm among species were detected during different weather periods except Silver birch. The investigated tree species reacted differently to weather conditions. The Scots pine demonstrated the highest tolerance to different weather conditions. The study confirmed the sensitivity of Norway spruce to drought conditions. The Silver birch was the least sensitive to temperature and humidity conditions variation.

The aim was to determine the impact of Raskila bio-organic preparation on the productivity of winter rape ‘Sunday’ grown under conventional system, in order to activate and save the use of treatment Rovral aqua flo and to improve the wintering of plants. The scientific article presents the data of the conventional winter rape ‘Sunday’ growth intensity, plant formation, accumulation of dry matter, seed quality parameters, fertility data and the influence of the use of bioorganic fertilizers e. winter rape 'Sunday' seeds were coated with bioorganic preparations and synthetic treatments, and additionally sprayed with a bioorganic fertilizer solution. Agrotechnics was carried out according to the technology of winter rape growing at Aleksandras Stulginskis University Experimental station. Additional treatment of winter rape seeds and additional spraying with bioorganic fertilizers had a positive influence on the processes of growth and development of winter rape. By combining seed treatments and treatment with bio-organic Raskila fertilizers (3 l for 100 kg) and spray in autumn (3 l ha-1 ), the best results are achieved: the maximum rape seed yield was 3.87 t ha-1 and the best quality production. Bioorganic fertilizers and treatment Rovral aqua flo has significantly increased the following indicators of winter rape ‘Sunday’: the length of the plant (118.16-127.64 cm), the number of branches (6-10), seeds in the silique (28.27), the seed yield (3.16-3.87 t ha-1). The highest seed yield (3.87 l ha-1) was achieved, applying Nagro preparations in the autumn and the Rovral aqua flo treatment and spraying Raskila plants when the rape reaches a height of 5-7 cm (BBCH 10-19). Premium yield was 86.6 % compared to control. Raskila fertilizers and treatment Rovral aqua flo significantly increased the following parameters of winter rape seeds: content of fat (41.52-43.05 %), proteins (20.39-20.91%), glucosinolates decreased from 18.68 to 18.31 m mol g-1. This has improved seed quality. Treatment with Raskila and treatment Rovral aqua flo decreased seeds and seedlings infestation and morbidity due to Fusarium, Drechlera, Alternaria, Penicillium. Rates of treatment can be reduced if combined with bioorganic fertilizers. Application of bioorganic fertilizers and treatment in combination increases the effectiveness of treatment. Bio-organic fertilizer reduces plant stress caused by synthetic treatment.

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AnotacijaDarnaus vystymosi filosofija lemia prasmingesnį žmogaus ir visuomenės vystymąsi. Darnaus vystymosi samprata ir suvokimas yra svarbūs praktiniam taikymui žmogaus gyvenime. Straipsnyje aptariamos šiuolaikinės ekologinės kultūros mokslinės problematikos priežastys, šiuo metu stebimas socialinių ir gamtinių prieštaravimų paaštrėjimas, darnaus vystymosi etiniai aspektai, akcentuojant ekologinės sąmonės, ekologinės kultūros ir dvasingumo svarbą, darnaus vystymosi plėtros perspektyvos. Straipsnyje akcentuojamas dvasingumas, nes kiekvienoje kultūroje egzistuojančios savitos vertybės ir vertybinės orientacijos veikia ne tik kultūros narių pasaulėžiūrą, bet ir gyvenimo suvokimą. PAGRINDINIAI ŽODŽIAI: darnus vystymasis, ekologinė sąmonė, ekologinė kultūra, etika, dvasingumas, vertybinės orientacijos, žmogaus dvasingumo svarba darnaus vystymosi sampratoje. AbstractSustainable development philosophy leads to meaningful human and social development. Sustainable development concept and perception is very important, it should influence the practical application of human life. The article deals with modern problems of ecological culture scientific reasons, currently monitored social-natural contradictions aggravation, sustainable development with emphasis on the ethical aspects of ecological consciousness, ecological, cultural and spiritual importance of sustainable development for future development prospects. The article emphasizes on spirituality, because in each culture existing distinctive values and values orientation affect not only the worldview of society but also the perception of life. KEY WORDS: sustainable development, ecological consciousness, ecological culture, ethics, spirituality, values orientation, the importance of human spirituality in the concept of sustainable development. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15181/tbb.v76i1.1514 ĮvadasŽmonija įžengė į XXI amžių, naują tūkstantmetį, kai turėtų susiformuoti iš esmės naujas požiūris į mus supančią aplinką, mokslo ir technikos pažangą, įvairių kultūrų bei tradicijų integraciją ir tolesnę ekonomikos raidą. Praėjusį šimtmetį iš-bandytos ekonominės plėtros koncepcijos šiandien jau nebegali tenkinti žmonijos. Reikia naujos globalios ekonominės teorijos, kuri turėtų pakoreguoti dabar vyraujančios ekonominės filosofijos, "ignoruojančios fizinį pasaulį" ir įteisinančios

The research of the biological preparation Fertenat effect on spring wheat was investigated at the Experimental Station of Aleksandras Stulginskis University in Calc(ar)i-Epihypogleyic Luvisol (LVG-pw-cc) during 2013–2014. Spring wheat was grown according to the requirements of the National Agricultural Products Quality System. Biological preparation Fertenat had a significant effect on the elements of spring wheat yield structure and the values of chemical composition parameters, influenced by the rates of biological preparation and meteorological conditions. A strong correlation was found between the Fertenat rates and spring wheat plant stem and ear length, grain number per ear, total and productive stem number of one plant and 1 000 grain and hectolitre weight. The correlation between the biological preparation rates and protein, wet and dry gluten was strong as well. A strong correlation between the biological preparation rates and starch amount in grain was found in 2013, while in 2014 this correlation was moderate. The application of biological preparation Fertenat increased the spring wheat yield by 0.05–0.30 t ha–1 or by 2.29–13.76 percent units and by 0.02–0.41 t ha–1 or 0.40–8.23 percent units. The application of 6 l ha–1 and higher Fertenat rates significantly increased the spring wheat yield. Small 1–3 l ha–1 rates are inefficient. The correlation between the Fertenat rates and grain productivity was strong.

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