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In this study, the effect of nitrogen doses (52, 80, 110, 140 kg/ha N) and the application of biostimulant preparations containing Ascophyllum nodosum L. algae extract were assessed. During the years 2018–2019, the influence of the preparations on the electrical capacity of the roots (C R) and yield components of spring barley was determined. Root electrical capacitance was determined in growth stages 45–50, 55–65, and 70–75 according to the BBCH-scale. The best phases of vegetation growth for the application of biostimulators with Ascophyllum nodosum extract were the barley tillering and elongation phases. This application increased C R while reducing the amount of N required to achieve similar or higher production of barley yield components compared to high N treatments. The root electrical capacitance, the number of productive tillers, and the number of grains per plant were significantly influenced (p > 0.05) by the weather of the year. The number of productive tillers was closely correlated with C R (r = 0.912**) as well as the number of grains per plant (r = 0.859**) and their weight (r = 0.850**). These relationships were the highest at the beginning of the grain formation (BBCH 70–75). Foliar biostimulation was not very effective in the dry year of 2018. The problem may be the foliar application itself. The effect of foliar application is strongly dependent on weather conditions and may be ineffective in many cases. We recommend the foliar application of effective biostimulants in tillering and elongation phases. They can reduce production costs and environmental pollution by reducing the amount of fertilizer needed while maintaining yields.

The solidification processes of two compositions, hypereutectic (21.0 mol% Y2O3–79.0 mol% Al2O3) and eutectic (18.5 mol% Y2O3–81.5 mol% Al2O3), were used via the horizontal directional solidification (HDS) method to produce two ingots with dimensions of 317 × 220 × 35 mm and 210 × 180 × 35 mm, respectively. The first ingot was heterogeneous and characterized by a two-layer structure with an expressed horizontal boundary, which is parallel to the solidification direction (an experimental fact observed for the first time), separating eutectic-type ceramics in the upper layer from the lower one containing the YAG dendrites. Considering the heat transfer feature characteristic of the HDS method and its action during the solidification of materials scattering thermal radiation, an explanation of the occurrence of such structure has been proposed. On this basis, the solidification parameters of the second ingot, providing its homogeneous structure, were selected. Characterization of the crystallographic texture and microstructure of both ingots revealed the advantage of the second solidification processing conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Historic spring barley varieties can be a source of resistance to abiotic (drought) and biotic (diseases) environmental factors in breeding programs. They can be a source of the new technological characteristics of malt or sensory characteristics of beer. Beers made from Pilsner malt from two historical varieties - Chlumecky (1902) and Stupicky Starocesky (1926) and two contemporary varieties - Bojos and Sebastian (2005) were evaluated. These beers have been flavoured with valerian, which in combination with hops has been shown to have anxiolytic and sedative effects. A comparison of elementary and sensory parameters of beers with addition of 0.5 g.L-1 and 1.5 g.L-1 of valerian to two different series of beers was carried out. The Chlumecky samples had the lowest content of alcohol by volume (6.17% and 5.12%) in both batch series of beer and the highest real extract in the first batch series (4.11%). The samples of beer from the Stupicky Starocesky variety had low real extract (3.57% and 3.60%) and high content of alcohol by volume in both batch series (6.34% and 5.96%). In terms of sensory analysis it means that beers brewed from the malt made from the older barley varieties - Chlumecky and Stupicky Starocesky with addition of 0.5 g.L-1 of valerian had the highest overall impression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]