Fractionation of seeds is a process commonly used by breeding and seed production companies. Separation of seeds into small, medium and large size fractions depends on a thousand kernel weight and thus on the content of the endosperm of the seeds, which is used in the process of embryo germination. Research showed that large seeds were characterized by a higher field germination capacity and generally seedlings had greater weight compared to those obtained from small seeds. The question then arises whether such fractionation would promote plant yield improvement. Yields of maize (Zea mays L.) plants of cv. 'Boruta' obtained from different size fractions (of different thousand kernel weight) were evaluated in the years 2005-2007. A three-year field experiment showed that yielding of the plants depended on the seed size fraction and decreased with an increase in the size of maize seeds sown. Moreover, in the experiment the germination value of seeds was assessed in cold (10°C) and warm (25°C) tests. The highest germination capacity in both the warm and the cold test (79.0% and 74.0%, respectively) was observed in the small seed size fraction. Germination of large seeds in the cold test was by 6.71% lower (a significant difference) than that of small seeds. The amylolytic activity of three fractions was also examined as indicated by dry and swollen seeds. The results showed the highest activity of amylases in small seeds (7.33 mg maltoze g dry matter-1 min-1) and the lowest in large seeds (4.12 mg maltoze g dry matter-1 min-1).

Seed treatments help reduce the pathogen load and thus improve the condition of plants from their earliest developmental stages, but they can have impacts beyond their basic fungicide protection role. In this study, we investigated how seven spring barley seed treatments affected the plants’ physiological state. The tested seed treatments differed significantly in their impacts on the vigor parameters of barley seeds and on the physiological state of seedlings under drought stress and after regeneration. Seed treatments based on substances from the succinate-dehydrogenase-inhibitors (SDHI) group did not cause inhibition of seedling growth and also display by the highest vigor index values. Using the analysis of photosynthesis-related parameters, we showed that seed treatments from the SDHI group provided a superior tolerance of the imposed drought in spring barley than other treatments. In addition to protection against abiotic stress, SDHI treatments also rendered a higher efficiency of photochemical reactions in the treated plants.

The aim of the research was to identify the functional structure of rural communes in Poland. The functional types were further characterized and spatially delimited. The research drew on 2015 data from the Central Statistical Office database, Local Data Bank and statistical yearbooks: 'Voivodship, subregions, poviats and communes'. Identification of functional types of rural communes in Poland employed a structural approach that classifies an administrative unit according to its prevalent social and economic functions. The optimal number of typological classes was first determined from the dendrogram produced by the Ward's method. Then, the k-means method was employed to perform the actual classification.

Integrated pest management (IPM), a worldwide agricultural strategy, contains methods to control or manage agricultural pests and diseases in a more efficient way, and consequently, to obtain better quality raw materials for food production. The engagement and practice of farmers play a key role in the success of this strategy. Since January 1, 2014, Poland and other European Union countries have been obligated to apply the principles of IPM. This paper shows the results of surveys conducted in 280 randomly selected farms the year before and the year following mandatory IPM implementation. The aim of this study was to gather information about farmers’ knowledge of IPM and the most commonly used plant protection methods. Our results show that law regulations do not significantly change agricultural practice. Among the non-chemical methods farmers most often comply with are: implementing the agrochemical calendar, sowing healthy material, destroying volunteer plants, rotating crop, applying balanced fertilizer, plowing stubble and preventing excess nitrogen. Integrated plant protection is not possible without proper knowledge of diseases. This factor needs improvement in Poland. The average Polish farmer lacks the knowledge about basic cereal diseases such as powdery mildew or brown rust, though larger farm operators tend to be more knowledgeable. The results of this survey demonstrate the necessity to provide informative farmer training campaigns to promote on-farm application of IPM and to improve the knowledge of disease issues.

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The aim of the article was to identify the spatial effects in assessment of financial self-sufficiency of the governments of communes (gminas) of Wielkopolska province (voivodship) in 2014, employing global and local Moran I statistics. The level of the governments' self-sufficiency was examined by positional TOPSIS method. The study was based on publicly accessible databases compiled by the Ministry of Finance (Wskaźniki do oceny sytuacji finansowej jednostek samorządu terytorialnego) and the Central Statistical Office (Local Data Bank). Calculations were performed in R with packages spdep, maptools and shapefiles. The study demonstrated that the communes of Wielkopolska province of comparable levels of financial self-sufficiency exhibited a moderate tendency to cluster. Clusters of high levels gathered around larger urban centres, especially around Poznań, while clusters of low levels -in economically underdeveloped agricultural south-eastern and northern part of the province.

Celem pracy była analiza porównawcza wyników identyfikacji poziomów rozwoju badanego zjawiska złożonego w przypadku występowania obserwacji oddalonych cech prostych. Obserwacje te mają istotny wpływ na zmniejszenie zakresu zmienności wartości konstruowanej cechy syntetycznej i w rezultacie mogą nastręczać problemy dotyczące identyfikacji poziomów rozwoju zjawiska. Zaproponowano rozwiązanie tego problemu przy zastosowaniu do konstrukcji miernika syntetycznego metody TOPSIS, w której dokonuje się korekty wartości obiektów modelowych. Korekty te polegały na ustalaniu wartości referencyjnych cech prostych z pominięciem obserwacji oddalonych. Do identyfikacji obserwacji oddalonych zastosowano metody jednowymiarowe i wielowymiarową metodę lokalnego miernika oddalenia obserwacji. Wyniki badań przedstawiono na przykładzie budowy syntetycznego miernika samodzielności finansowej gmin w Polsce w 2014 roku na podstawie danych pochodzących z Banku Danych Lokalnych oraz Ministerstwa Finansów.