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Members of the genus Armillaria are widespread forest pathogens against which effective protection has not yet been developed. Due to their longevity and the creation of large-scale cloning of Armillaria individuals, the use of mycoviruses as biocontrol agents (BCAs) against these pathogens could be an effective alternative. This work describes the detection and characterization of viruses in Armillaria spp. collected in the Czech Republic through the application of stranded total RNA sequencing. A total of five single-stranded RNA viruses were detected in Armillaria ostoyae and A. cepistipes, including viruses of the family Tymoviridae and four viruses belonging to the recently described “ambivirus” group with a circular ambisense genome arrangement. Both hammerhead (HHRz) and hairpin (HpRz) ribozymes were detected in all the ambiviricot sequences. Armillaria viruses were compared through phylogenetic analysis and confirmed their specific host by direct RT-PCR. One virus appears to infect both Armillaria species, suggesting the occurrence of interspecies transmission in nature.

In the past few years, huge economic and environmental losses have resulted by fungal pathogens in agriculture and food production worldwide. Fungal toxins also pose a threat for food production and animal health. In the last decade, the site-specific fungicides has been used in plant protection, providing highly efficient protection against phytopathogens. However, the use of pesticides boosted problems with resistance in the targeted organisms and increased negative environmental impact of insecticides, herbicides and fungicides. Therefore, new methods are needed to control resistant populations of plant pathogens, including fungi. Mycoviruses are fungal viruses, i.e. viruses infecting fungi. Some mycoviruses affect the growth and virulence of the host fungus and may prevent successful infection of plant host. They have potential to reduce phytopathogens. In this review, the successful examples how mycoviruses alter hypovirulence in well-known phytopathogens are discussed. Mycoviruses could be useful as a one of new next generation pest-control products.

We introduced here the first loop mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay for the identification of honey fungus, Armillaria ostoyae, a basidiomycote playing an important role in spruce declines in the Palaearctic region. In total, 101 isolates, representing three Armillaria species, were used to develop a new LAMP assay to determine species specific identification. We have here described LAMP primers enhanced with fluorescent dye that are able to amplify A. ostoyae DNA and detect fungi in a fast single step reaction. The detection limit of LAMP was 1 pg of genomic DNA per reaction. We optimized a new LAMP assay for the rapid detection of A. ostoyae using the translation elongation factor 1-α (tef1) marker and fluorescence labelled oligonucleotide assimilating probe. The LAMP assay does not require any specialized equipment, hence it can be used in the field for the rapid detection of A. ostoyae even using the portable and mobile device. The specificity of the assay was confirmed by the use of A. ostoyae strains and Armillaria cepistipes and Armillaria gallica strains, respectively. In conclusion, the assay could be a rapid, specific, sensitive and low-cost tool for identification of A. ostoyae as well as the first step for expansion of this method in practical applications.

The objective of the study was to evaluate and compare sires based on results of their offspring in the Criteria of Young Horses. The Criteria of Young Horses are intended for stallions and mares of 4 to 6 years of age. The competitions are announced by the Czech Equestrian Federation in co-operation with breeders’ associations of the Bohemian warm-blood, Slovakian warm-blood, Kinský horse and Moravian warm-blood breeds. The horses were evaluated in the arena by the assessor and given three marks: for show jumping, agility and readiness of the horse. Data were obtained in co-operation with the Czech Equestrian Federation. Evaluated were the results of the Criteria of Young Horses in show jumping competitions held in 1998–2007. Only sires with 7 and more offspring were assessed. Ana­ly­sis of variance was carried out followed by tests according to Scheffe. The Excel 2003 and Statistica version 8 were used for processing the database and for statistical processing. Comparisons based on marks given by the assessor in the arena showed that the highest-placed stallion was Acord II and was followed by Catango Z, Calido I and Landos. The offspring of the Hanoverian stallion Walzerkönig were the lowest-placed; the second worst-placed were the offspring of Diktant slatiňanský, a stallion of Czech origin. The differences among these stallions were statistically significant. In comparisons based on marks as the second indicator, the offspring of stallions Acord II, Catango Z and Ascot were the highest-placed and offspring of stallion Diktant slatiňanský were the lowest-placed. The dif­fe­rence between these stallions was statistically significant. Based on the third indicator the offspring of stallions Acord II and Catango Z were the highest-placed. By contrast, the worst were offspring of stallions Duramus II and Duman. The differences between Acord II and Duramus II were statistically significant. According to the resulting total evaluation the highest rating went to offspring of stallion Acord II, followed by Catango Z, Autonom s.v. and Landos. The worst rating went to offspring of stallions Duman, Walzerkönig, Cattaro and Diktant slatiňanský. Comparisons showed that the dif­fe­rences were statistically significant only between Acord II and Diktant slatiňanský.

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the relation between some climate parameters inside and outside the stable in the course of the year. Investigations were carried out from 1 July 2007 to 30 June 2008 at the School Farm in Žabčice. We monitored the following micro-climate pa­ra­me­ters: temperature (°C), relative humidity (%) and the temperature-humidity index (THI) inside and outside the stable. We used the statistical programme UNISTAT version 5.1.11 to calculate the average monthly temperatures, relative humidity and the THI inside and outside the stable.Measurements carried out throughout the whole year revealed that the average daily outdoor temperature was always lower than the temperature monitored inside the stable. The differences between the outdoor and indoor temperatures were more marked in winter; in summer the differences were considerably lower. The coefficient correlations confirmed this finding; the temperatures were the highest in July and the lowest in autumn and winter. The same results and tendencies were monitored in terms of the average daily THI values. Much like the temperatures also the differences in high average daily values of relative humidity between the outside and inside environment of the stable were lower. Since the relative humidity was higher in winter than in summer the differences between the indoor and outdoor stable values were more marked in summer than in winter. In contrast to the temperature and THI, in one half of the cases the average daily relative humidity was higher outside the stable than inside and vice versa.

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the sporting efficiency of the Czech warm-blooded horse on the basis of their results in breeding competitions. These competitions, so-called Criteria of Young Horses, are part of the testing of young horses. In this work we focused only on the Criteria of Young Horses in jumping competitions. These competitions are advertised only for 4 to 6-year-old stallions and mares. The competitions are state-subsidised and are based on the valid programme of subsidies for the Czech Republic. The horses get three marks: for the jump, dexterity and readiness of the horse. The authorised examiner gives the marks. All horses of sports breeds bred in the Czech Republic may take part in the competitions, i.e. the Czech warm-blooded, Slovakian warm-blooded, the Kinský horse and the Moravian warm-blooded. The organiser of these competitions is the Czech Equestrian Federation.The evaluated results are from the period of 1998–2007. We compared the factors of sex, country of origin of the horse, age, examiner, level of difficulty of the competition and year of the venue. In these competitions 1617 horses started. The results were evaluated using analysis of variance and subsequent tests. Statistically significant differences were detected for all the evaluated factors. In terms of the sex factor the evaluation of the stallions was highly significantly (P < 0.00) higher than the mares. Comparisons of the country of origin revealed that the evaluation of imported horses was highly significantly (P < 0.00) better than of horses of Czech breeders. When comparing the age we discovered that the rating of six and five-year-old horses was statistically significantly (P < 0.00) higher than of the four-year-old horses. This factor is connected with the level of difficulty of the competition. Eva­lua­tions in the higher levels of difficulty were statistically highly significantly (P < 0.00) better than in the lower levels of difficulty. Comparisons of the factor of the year of the competition showed that the quality of the starting horses is increasing.When we considered the possibility of applying these results to estimate the breeding value we saw the biggest problem in the great disunity in the origin of the Czech horses. In the database we dis­co­ve­red that each stud horse had an average of 3 offspring and the mother an average 1.3 offspring. We consider these figures to be unsatisfactory. We assume that it is possible to estimate the breeding va­lues because the database is extensive, but the source of the great error in calculation may be the insufficient number of offspring of the stud horses.