In this study the effect of different grassland managements (cattle grazing with different intensities and mowing) on soil mesofauna, i.e. mites (Acari) and springtails (Collembola), was studied. Mites and springtails are the most numerous representatives of soil mesofauna organisms living in the upper soil layers (up to 5 cm). Soil mesofauna groups or species are commonly used as bioindicators of soil health. The experiment was carried out from 2007 to 2009 in the West Sudety Mountains, Poland. Pastures and meadows were under organic farming management, without pesticides or synthetic fertilizers, and restricted livestock density. Soil samples were taken three times a year (in May−June, July and October) from pastures grazed at different frequencies: once, twice and four times a year, alternate management (grazed and mown pasture) and mown meadow. Mites were identified according to orders or suborders (Oribatida, Gamasida, Prostigmata, Astigmata), while springtails to the species level. The data were analysed using a general linear model (GLM). The mesofauna taxa in relation to the treatment and date were analysed with the canonical correspondence analysis (CCA). The data from three years showed that most soil mesofauna assemblages occurred in significantly higher numbers on the pasture grazed once or twice and on alternate managed pasture than in pasture grazed four times a year and mown meadow. The CCA analysis showed the preference of most springtail species to pasture grazed once a year, while mites preferred pasture grazed twice a year and alternate management. The number of species and the abundance of the most numerous species (Protaphorura pannonica, Desoria multisetis and Folsomides parvulus) did not differ significantly between treatments. To summarize, cattle grazing once or twice a season or alternate management (grazing and mowing once a season) have a positive impact on soil mesofauna.

The aim of the study was to analyze and assess the possibility of using a two-stage filtration system with ceramic membranes: a 3-tube module with 1.0 kDa cut-off (1st stage) and a one-tube module with 0.45 kDa cut-off (2nd stage) for treating effluent water from a juvenile African catfish aquaculture. The study revealed that during the 1st filtration stage of the effluent water, the highest degrees of retention were obtained with respect to: suspended solids SS (rejection coefficient RI=100%), turbidity (RI=99.40%), total iron (RI=89.20%), BOD5 (RI=76.0%), nitrite nitrogen (RI=62.30%), and CODCr (RI=41.74%). The 2nd filtration stage resulted in a lower reduction degree of the tested indicators in comparison to the 1st filtration stage. At the 2nd stage, the highest values of the rejection coefficient were noted in for the total iron content (RIV=100%), CODCr (RIV=59.52%; RV=64.28%, RVI=63.49%) and turbidity (RIV and RV = 45.0%, RVI=50.0%). The obtained results indicate that ceramic membranes (with 1.0 and 0.45 kDa cut-offs) may be used in recirculation aquaculture systems as one of the stages of effluent water treatment.

Urban agriculture and horticulture, although accompanying cities since the dawn of history, has become a newly defined issue of their development in the last quarter century. This applies to the development of the economic as well as social and spatial sphere. In Poland, urban agriculture, treated as a conscious activity of entrepreneurs and private individuals, as well as the subject of the authorities’ interest, has not yet acquired full citizenship. It still remains in the sphere of considerations of scientists who are thinking about how to define the phenomenon in Polish conditions, as well as the possibilities and limitations of introducing this type of enterprise into the economic, social and spatial structures of the city. The purpose of the article is to identify problems and issues related to the possibility of introducing urban agriculture issues to urban spatial planning.

The paper presents the student project created during the course of Urban Regeneration implemented in the first semester of the second degree in architecture at the Lodz University of Technology. It is the author’s development of a functional and spatial concept for degraded post-industrial areas of the former Widzewska Manufaktura made by two students. Until now, post-industrial facilities in Lodz have been adapted mainly for service and housing needs. The authors wanted to show another possibility that falls under the stream of ecological thoughts. The article presents the possibility of adapting post-factory facilities to the function of a city farm and the positive aspects of such a solution.

On power generation and the future of Polish offshore wind farms.

A study was conducted on changes in the abundance and diversity of floristic composition in baulks and cultivated agrocenoses in the area of the village of Nowokornino, located on the outskirts of the Białowieża Forest. Within the geodesic area of the village, which covers approximately 1,100 ha, agricultural crops are grown under three farming systems: conventional farming, integrated farming and organic farming. In the study area, there are unique marginal ecosystems in the form of mid-field baulks on which various weed species of ecological importance occur. Three study plots were designated on the baulks, and three plots on field crops Floristic surveys were carried out in 2016, 2020 and 2022. The cover of individual species was estimated according to the 7-level Braun-Blanquette scale. A total of 91 plant species belonging to 6 phytosociological groups were found, with the Stellarietea mediae group having the highest species richness. The significance of differences in floristic richness between study and control plots was tested by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Statistical analysis showed that the factors differentiating the floristic composition on the baulks were their location within the cultivated agrocenoses, natural soil abundance and interaction with fertiliser factors. The highest species abundance of plants defined as weeds, occurred in fields under the integrated farming system (58 species), the lowest in fields under the conventional system (39 species). The vegetation of the baulks and adjacent arable fields was dominated by plants representing mainly three types of ecological strategies: C, R and C-R.

The author examines the theoretical aspects of analyzing the Polish nobility in a period of history in which they were slowly being transformed into a new social group of noble landowners.

Mineral fertilisers are one of the most important nutrients that plants need in large quantities, which help to greatly increase crop yields, and yeast is considered a bio-stimulator of plants. However incorrect implementation of both can make them more susceptible to pest infestations. The mealybug, Phenacoccus solenopsis (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), is an economically important polyphagous pest that destroys okra plants in Egypt. This work focused on the evaluation of mealybug infestations and okra plant productivity responses to mineral fertilisers (nitrogen and phosphorus), yeast (without and with) and their interactions. This study was executed in a private okra field (‘Balady’ cultivar) in Luxor Governorate, Egypt, during 2021 and 2022 seasons. A split plot design was applied, where two levels (with and without yeast) were used in the main plots, where seven levels of nitrogen and phosphorus were applied in the split plots. The results indicated that the addition of 286 kg N∙ha ^–1, 143 kg P∙ha ^–1 and yeast to okra plants led to a maximum increase in the population densities of pest, and this caused a decrease in the vegetative stage of okra that would affect the final yield as compared to the other treatments throughout the two seasons. However, the application of 190 kg N∙ha ^–1, 107 kg P∙ha ^–1, and yeast to okra plants gave the highest values for vegetative growth characteristics and resulting yield during the two studied seasons. This work aids farmers in improving okra production by comprehending good farming practices and avoiding the spread of mealybugs.

Considerable climate changes have been observed in the last 50 years – warming in every spatial scale (global, continental, regional and local), changes in atmospheric precipitation and several weather extremes, shrinking of cryosphere and sea level rise. The warming since the mid-20th century has predominantly been due to greenhouse gas emissions from human activities, in particular the combustion of fossil fuels, farming and other changes in land use. The paper presents the aspects of impact of climate change for farming and food security and the impact of farming for climate change in Polish and global scale. Agriculture holds a meaningful potential of reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and of carbon sequestration. It will be necessary to manage optimally advantageous changes and effectively adapt to adverse changes.

Territorisation of Intervention and Use of Endogenic Potentials in Mazovia Development Politics. Mazovia is developing rapidly in comparison to other European regions. It is also the most competitive region in Poland. Nevertheless, it is subject to a serious development duality. The regional policy to date has not been successful in curbing the increasing intraregional disparities. The article serves to indicate possible directions of Mazovia’s development which are worthy of support and fit into the Europe 2020 development model as well as the new EU regional policy paradigm. The adaptation of intervention to the differing parts of Mazovia so as to make use and develop their various endogenic potentials seems to be the right approach to increasing the region’s competitiveness and ensuring a decent standard of life in all its parts.

Stem base health of spring barley cultivated under organic, integrated and conventional systems and fungal communities were studied. A worst plant health status was observed in the organic system. The macroscopic and subsequent mycological analyses revealed the occurrence of Bipolaris sorokiniana and Fusarium spp. The incidence of B. sorokiniana on stem bases was clearly dependent on a farming system, and the highest incidence of this pathogen was observed in the organic system. Also, in that system, Fusarium spp. were isolated more numerously in the beginning of tillering, but in dough stage B. sorokiniana was the most prevalent pathogen, and Fusarium spp. were more numerous in integrated and conventional systems. It is worth to note that organic conditions could be favourable to Gliocladium spp. Because of growing interest in ecology, excluding the use of pesticides and increasing popularity of biological disease control, these antagonistic fungi could be useful in organic systems.

Tetranychus urticae (Acari: Tetranychidae) infesting many plants but Mentha viridis L., and Mentha piperita L., were low in number of infestation. Therefore the objective of this study was to identify the resistance of M. viridis and M. piperita plants against T. urticae by studying the external shape and internal contents of those plants. For morphological studies, dried leaves were covered with gold utilizing an Edwards Scan coat six sputter-coater. For histological studies, arrangements of Soft Tissue technique were used. For phytochemical studies, the plants were cut, dried and then high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used. While feeding the mites were collected from the area between oily glands, trichomes and respiratory stomata in both mint species. The most important leaf structures in aromatic plants are the oily glands found on the external part of the leaves (both upper and lower epidermis). The number of oil glands in M. viridis leaves was greater than in M. piperita; the trichomes on the epidermis of M. viridis were greater in number than in M. piperita; the spongy mesophyll in M. viridis was much thicker than in M. piperita. The essential oils in the leaves of both mint species contained 71 compounds representing 99.61% of the total oil constituents identified from M. viridis before infestation, and 90.95% after infestation, and about 99.65% from M. piperita before infestation, and 99.98% after infestation.

The study aims at evaluating crop insurance effects on the farms’ production and investment indicators in Lithuania. The Common Agricultural Policy after 2020 considers measures helping farmers to adapt to climate change. For this reason, it is essential to evaluate existing risk management measures in order to propose appropriate schemes for the next programming period. In order to evaluate crop insurance effects on the farms’ production and investment indicators farm-level, data from Farm Accountancy Data Network dataset and propensity score matching approach was used. Study period was 2008–2017. The study revealed that participation in crop insurance schemes was influenced by the factors such as age of the farmer, wealth, specialization, and location of the farm. The study also demonstrated that crop insurance did not show statistically significant effects on the selected farms’ indicators. The main reason was support from the national and EU funds.

This study aims to assess the quality of lagoon water used as a dumping ground for shrimp farming waste. The research uses the descriptive method. The research was conducted at the Shrimp Cultivation Site in the Banaran Kulon Progo Village, Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The research focuses on physicochemical parameters, including temperature, pH, total suspended solid ( TSS), dissolved oxygen ( DO), ammonium (NH ₄-N), nitrate (NO ₃-N), and phosphate. The sampling technique is based on SNI 6989.57:2008. Sampling was carried out 48 times in 3 lagoons during rainy and dry seasons. Dialysis data was descriptively classified with the help of Storage and Retrieval of Water Quality Data System (STORET) and water quality was generally classified as C (moderately polluted) and D (heavily polluted) categories in dry and rainy seasons. The results showed that in the rainy season the highest pH, nitrate and phosphate levels of 8.3, and 6.1 and 20.8 mg∙dm ^–3, were up to 15% less than in the dry season in the same point. Thus, it can be concluded that these values from the STORET in the dry season are larger than those in the rainy season. The study results are expected to become a basis for the evaluation of the quality of shrimp farming wastewater so that environmental health can be controlled and the risk of waste pollution reduced.

The authors of this article were guided by the desire to show the profitability of using renewable energy sources and to facilitate decisions for future investors as to their choice. The article classifies energy sources and methods for converting renewable energy sources (RES) and presents a technical comparison of two electricity supply systems: a photovoltaic system and a household wind farm for a selected building. A residential, single-family building, inhabited by a family of three, was adopted for analysis. Photovoltaics, the use of solar radiation energy to produce electricity, is classified next to wind farms as the most dynamically developing renewable energy technology. When analysing in terms of technology renewable conversion methods that provide us with electricity, the better installation is the photovoltaic installation. By analysing the cost of renewable energy conversion technologies that provide us with electricity, the photovoltaic system becomes more beneficial, because with a similar investment price we get a much shorter payback period than in the case of a backyard wind power station.

Ewa Borzęcka's film Arizona presents contemporary life in a post-collectivised village. This film is an excuse for the author to wander into world of audio-visual historical narrative and the ethic implications of it.

Offshore wind power is a relatively new sector of the economy with a tremendous potential for development. Its main advantage is foreseeable production and a high capacity factor, estimated at 50% (with prospects to increase to 60%), which makes it the most efficient energy source of all renewable energy technologies. In the Baltic Sea Region, Poland has the largest potential for the development of offshore wind energy. This has been reflected in plans by investors interested in offshore investments within the Polish marine areas. European energy and climate strategies, which define principles and objectives for the transformation of the European energy sector in line with the principle of sustainable development, underline the importance of offshore wind in the effort to achieve climate neutrality of the EU economy and contribute to energy security in Europe. Decision-makers in Poland endeavor to create conditions favorable to the development of the offshore wind sector. The article presents European and Polish conditions for the development of the offshore wind energy. To assess threats and opportunities for the development of the technology in Poland, the article examines whether the offshore wind potential has been included in strategic policy papers related to the development of the Polish energy sector, as well as how the state intends to support the development of the technology. A particular emphasis has been put on the latest draft of the Energy Policy of Poland until 2040 due to the crucial role of the document, since it sets directions for the development of the Polish energy sector for the next 20 years.

Food and crops are sourced primarily from agriculture, and due to the enormous growth in population, agricultural goods are in great demand, while farmland is being developed for residences. Therefore, certain chemicals, like pesticides, are being overused and have become unavoidable to increase crop productivity and storage. Excessive release of pesticides into the environment and food chain may pose a health risk. Food and agricultural products need routine analyses to monitor the level of pesticide residuals. As pesticide detection techniques are labor-intensive and require highly qualified professionals, an alternative technique must be developed, such as analytical nanotechnology. The most commonly used nanomaterials for pesticide delivery, enrichment, degradation, detection, and removal are metals, clays, polymers, and lipids. In colorimetric analysis of pesticides, metal nanoparticles are widely used which are quick, easy, and do not require any sample preparation. This manuscript compiles the latest research on nanotechnology in pesticide formulation and detection for smart farming.

The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is booming in almost every sector of the economy, especially in the agricultural industry. According to some reports, the agricultural UAV market is expected to increase from USD 2.6 billion in 2020 to USD 9.5 billion in 2030. In this paper a brief overview devoted to the use of UAVs in the Russian State Agrarian University – Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy (RSAU-MTAA), including the results of studying the equipment use effectiveness for automatic driving of tractor equipment when sowing grain crops and planting potatoes. In the course of studying the equipment use effectiveness for automatic driving of tractor equipment, the deviations of the guess row spacing from the standard row spacing provided for by the seeder design were established; in the case of sowing barley using a marker, it was up to 4.3 cm, and in the case of winter wheat it was up to 5 cm. When using the autopilot system, these values were no more than 1.5 and 2.3 cm, respectively, which indicates the high accuracy and efficiency of the automatic driving systems. The autopilot system use provided a deviation of adjacent rows from the straightness when planting potatoes from 2.8 to 3.0 cm. The paper concludes that the use of unmanned robotic systems in agriculture, in conjunction with modern means of receiving and processing information, opens up new opportunities for increasing agriculture efficiency.

At present, a deep transformation of the agrobiocenose organisation under the intense anthropogenic factors’ influence is of particular importance. Thus, a significant increase in the number and harmfulness of pests’, phytopathogens’ and weeds species was noted due to the prevailing favourable conditions for their mass reproduction, expansion of habitats, and harmfulness, which inevitably leads to a significant deterioration in the phytosanitary state of cultivated crops. The phytosanitary trouble of agrobiocenoses allows us to say that today plant protection, being the final link in the cultivating technology for agricultural crops, is one of the most important stages in preserving the harvest improving the quality of the products obtained, and reducing their cost. In the current study it was tried to review the modern paradigm of the agricultural technological process efficiency. The relevance of this research is due to the fact that modern technological processes in agriculture cannot be implemented without the practical use of plant protection measures, in particular, the chemical method, which consists in the use of chemical compounds against pathogens of plants, pests, weeds, and is the most common, contributing to a significant increase in the yield of cultivated crops and labour productivity in agricultural production. All this, in our opinion, indicates the high practical significance of the results obtained.

Nowadays, the technological innovations affect all human activities; also the agriculture field heavily benefits of technologies as informatics, electronic, telecommunication, allowing huge improvements of productivity and resources exploitation. This manuscript presents an innovative low cost fertigation system for assisting the cultures by using dataprocessing electronic boards and wireless sensors network (WSN) connected to a remote software platform. The proposed system receives information related to air and soil parameters, by a custom solar-powered WSN. A control unit elaborates the acquired data by using dynamic agronomic models implemented on a cloud platform, for optimizing the amount and typology of fertilizers as well as the irrigations frequency, as function also of weather forecasts got by on-line weather service.

Aquaculture plays a great role in producing foodstuffs, sustaining inland capture fisheries and providing employment. The key to future development in pond aquaculture is diversification of production technology, intensity, and function connected to increasing the environmental value of pond areas. New production systems involve a combination of intensive and extensive pond culture, increasing productivity and improving nutrient utilisation and fish species diversification. The most important principle of these systems is the possibility to use the wastes from intensive aquaculture as the input for extensive, environment-friendly fish production. These systems were proven to be profitable and sustainable in tropical and subtropical areas. However, for temperate climatic conditions, such data are scarce. For this reason, we decided to discuss modifications that, in our opinion, can be applied in an extensive part of the integrated intensive-extensive system in temperate climatic conditions in order to increase the overall productivity of the pond aquaculture.

Research on the economy of the Polish‑Lithuanian Commonwealth usually follows one of two paths: searching for the genesis of the crisis of the farm and serf economy or estimating the scale of war damage. Is it possible to join these two paths and present a complex model of the functioning of local communities during the crisis? Can it be used in the field of the rescue history?

The article analyses different concepts of combining and interaction of agriculture with urban society. New academic and practice-based sources provide reliable information for early-stage holistic assessment of farming scenarios in various urban contexts. They acknowledge considerable social benefits and generally beneficial impact of urban farming. The new surveying methods and techniques to assess social and environmental impacts are mentioned in the article as well as the need of developing new indicators and standards which could be applied to improve the management of the urban green space.