The purpose of the study was to present the dependence between the number of air bulbils in the maternal umbel and the on morphological features and the yield plants grown of winter garlic. The maternal material were air bulbils of different various numbers in the maternal umbel (classified in six different categories: 1–5, 6–10, 11–15, 16–20, 21–25 and 26–30 numbers of air bulbils in a maternal umbel). The experiment was set in autumn 1998 and 1999, while agricultural studies were carried in 1999 and 2000 in Experimental Station Agricultural University in Lublin. In conclusion, the results of the study show that the number of air bulbils in the maternal umbel had a substantial impact on the studied biometrical characteristic of the grown up plants i.e.: height of plants, number of leaves, weight of plants, weight of head, yield of cloves as well as the mass of flower umbel and the yield of air bulbils.

The purpose of the study was to present the dependence between the number of air bulbils in the maternal umbel and the on morphological features and the yield plants grown of winter garlic. The maternal material were air bulbils of different various numbers in the maternal umbel (classified in six different categories: 1–5, 6–10, 11–15, 16–20, 21–25 and 26–30 numbers of air bulbils in a maternal umbel). The experiment was set in autumn 1998 and 1999, while agricultural studies were carried in 1999 and 2000 in Experimental Station Agricultural University in Lublin. In conclusion, the results of the study show that the number of air bulbils in the maternal umbel had a substantial impact on the studied biometrical characteristic of the grown up plants i.e.: height of plants, number of leaves, weight of plants, weight of head, yield of cloves as well as the mass of flower umbel and the yield of air bulbils.

The experiment described in the paper was carried out in 1997–2001. The successive effect of green manure in the form of forecrop plants on crops and selected elements of nutritive value of red beet was studied. Two forms of forecrop utilization were used – the whole biomass and post-harvest residues. The fertilizing effect of green manures was compared with farmyard manure at the dose of 25 t·ha^-1 and with cultivation without organic fertilization. Red beets were grown in the third year after organic fertilization. Green manure had a positive effect on red beet crops. The highest total and marketable yields were obtained after oat as well as the mixes of vetch with field pea and vetch with oat were ploughed under. The greatest amount of dry matter was found in red beet grown after field pea. The greatest sugar content was found in red beet grown after the mix of vetch with oat and field pea and after field pea.

The effect of organic fertilization and liming of soil on lead content in soil and in the white cabbage grown in the first year after fertilization was studied. The following organic fertilizers were used: farmyard manure at the dose 60 t·ha^-1, rye straw at the dose of 4 t·ha^-1, and rye and winter vetch cultivated for green fertilizer as winter intercrops. The soil was limed with the normal calcium carbonate fertilizer at the dose of 1,5 t CaO·ha^-1. In the first year after organic fertilization lowering of soil content of lead dissolvable in ammonium acetate (pH 7,3), assumed available for the plants, was obtained with the use of fertilization with straw, farmyard manure, and rye. The greatest lowering of lead content in cabbage was obtained with fertilization with farmyard manure and winter rye. The liming of soil, in the first year after use, did not have an essential influence on the quantity of dissolvable lead in soil and its contents in cabbage. The successive effect of organic fertilization on the content of lead dissolvable in soil and in vegetables was found only in the second year following its application. The most beneficial effect on lowering dissolvable lead content in soil and red beet was exercised by fertilization with winter vetch and rye. The liming of soil did not have an essential influence on the content of lead in vegetables.

Short day interruption (SDI) was applied in protected cultivation of spray chrysanthemum cultivars. SDI improved shape and quality of spray – inflorescence together with delay of flowering of plants. The delay was longest (21–26 days) in summer culture placed in plastic tunnel; in autumn culture-only 5–6 days

The studies were conducted in the years 2000–2002 at the Experimental Station of Czesławice near Nałęczów on a field of monocultures of runner bean and soybean. The subject of the studies was the rhizosphere soil of these plant species. The experiment of each plant included 2 combinations, i.e. with dressing the seeds with Zaprawa Oxafun T and without dressing the seeds (control). Results of the microbiological analysis of the rhizosphere soil of runner bean and soybean showed that the plants grown of the seeds dressed with Zaprawa Oxafun T always gave a greater number of bacteria colonies, Bacillus spp. and Pseudomonas spp. but a smaller number of fungi colonies than in the control combination. In comparison to the rhizosphere soil of soybean, the rhizosphere soil of runner bean contained much more bacteria and a much lower number of fungi colonies. Among the obtained saprotrophic macroorganisms, a more numerous group of antagonistic bacteria and fungi was achieved from the rhizosphere soil of runner bean than from the rhizosphere soil of soybean. Whatever the plant species, considerably more antagonistic bacteria and fungi occurred in the combination with Zaprawa Oxafun T as compared to the control. The plant species as well as the introduction of Zaprawa Oxafun T into the soil together with the seeds had a considerable influence on the quantitative and qualitative composition of the populations of soil microorganisms.

The studies were conducted in the years 1998–2000 on soybean, cv. Polan. The purpose of the studies was to conduct microbiological and mycological analyses of the leaves and pods of soybean. Bacteria and fungi were obtained much more often from the diseased soybean parts as compared to the healthy ones. 778 fungi isolates were obtained as a result of the mycological analysis of the leaves and pods of soybean. Fusarium spp. and Phomopsis sojae were most frequently isolated within pathogenic fungi. Their proportion was 17.5% and 7.8% of all the fungi, respectively. On the other hand, the isolated saprophytic fungi included for example the species from the genera of Acremonium, Cladosporium, Gliocladium, Penicillium and Trichoderma as well as Aureobasidium pullulans and Epicoccum purpurascens. Besides, about a four times lower number of antagonistic microorganisms (Bacillus spp., Pseudomonas spp., Gliocladium spp., Penicillium spp., Trichoderma spp.) was isolated from the infected soybean parts in comparison to the number of microorganisms isolated from the healthy parts.

Bases of young shoots were treated with the Ukorzeniacz B2, preparation stimulating adventitious roots development. Then piles of a mixture of white peat and hortisol were made around the shoots. The shoot growth was accompanied by increasing the height of piles. After one vegetative period the rooted layers were removed off from half of the piled plants, and after two vegetative periods – from the other plants. The quality of the rooted layers was estimated and in spring 1998 and 1999 new plants grew from them. On average 85.2% of Paeonia lactiflora Pall. shoots piled over one vegetative period, and 75% of those piled over two vegetative periods took roots. A higher rooting quality was recorded in two-year layers. Regardless of the piling period, new plants were developed from the all rooted layers in ‘Avelanche’, ‘Lady Dormouth’ and ‘Reine Hortense’ cultivars. These and other cultivars whose layers rooted in over 70% cases, i.e. ‘Baroness Schröder’, ‘La Rosi?re’, ‘Marechal McMahon’, ‘Monsieur Jules Elie’, ‘Profesor Wóycicki’, ‘Thér?se’ and ‘Ursynów’, can be propagated with vertical layers.

Over 2000–2001 the Department of Ornamental Plants in Poznań carried out two experiments which aimed at defining the effect of the gibberellic acid on post-harvest leaf quality of Zantedeschia elliottiana (W.Wats.) Engl.: ‘Florex Gold’ and ‘Black Magic’. The leaves were conditioned and stored. Conditioning, in water solutions of Gibrescol at the concentration of 100, 200 and 300 mg·1^-1 took 20 hours. Conditioning involved the application of Gibrescol which contained 98% of the gibberellic acid (GA₃). Then the leaves were placed into water or into preservative solutions: 8HQC or 8HQS at the concentration of 200 mg·1^-1. The post-harvest leaf quality was defined in the growing room at the temperature of 18–20°C at 12-hour photoperiod and inflorescence light of the quantum irradiance of 25 ?mol·m^-2·s^-1, while the air relative humidity was maintained at 70%. Stored leaves lost their decorative values little by little. Tips and margins of leaf blades were dried. Decrease of leaf weight and length of leaf petiole was also observed. The preservative solutions 8HQC and 8HQS significantly decreased the post-harvest quality of leaves.

The studies were conducted on Cornus alba L. in the years 1999–2001 in the green areas on two sites: with heavy traffic (site A) and no traffic (site B). C. alba was the host plant for two species of aphids: Anoecia corni (F.) and Aphis salicariae Koch. A. corni was dominating in the years of observations and it was most numerous in 2000, while A. salicariae in 1999. The weather had a significant effect on the aphid population. After a mild winter and warm spring aphids were more numerous. High temperatures (over 30ºC) and stormy rainfalls as well as autumn ground frosts limited their population. On the other hand, aphidophagous species did not limit the population of aphids in any considerable manner. A. corni lowered the ornamental values of C. alba shrubs, especially in autumn.

Pollen viability of 11 strawberry cultivars differing of photoperiodic sensitivity was investigated. During whole flowering period, average content of fertile pollen of everbearing fruit cultivars (‘Ostara’, ‘Geneva’, ‘Mara des Bois’, ‘Rapella’) amounted 28.5% and remained at the same level, whereas day-neutral cultivars (‘Selva’, ‘Tango’, ‘Evita’, ‘Irvine’) in third decade of June and July decreased at 35.2% in comparison to May level. Radiolographic analysis of plump seeds of 5 strawberry cultivars confirmed close relationship between pollen fertility and the plump of seeds.

The experiment was carried out at the Department of Processing and Storage of Plant Raw Materials of the Agricultural University of Szczecin in 2001–2002. The aim of this study was to estimate the quality and nutritive value of three patisson cultivar fruits. Salad-fruits (medium-size fruits) of all tested cultivars formed fruits of significantly greater weight, vertical and horizontal diameter in comparison with dessert-fruits (small fruits). Chemical composition of patisson fruits was significantly dependant on the cultivar and size of picked fruits. Among the tested cultivars the highest amount of dry matter, total sugars and vitamin C was obtained from the ‘Disco’ cultivar while the total nitrogen and protein was from ‘Gagat’. The highest amount of ash was found in fruits of cv. ‘Polo F₁’. Dessert-fruits contained higher amount of dry matter, total sugars, vitamin C, total nitrogen, total protein and ash in comparison with salad-fruits.