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Welcome to the Open Repository of research and development results of the Mendel University in Brno. The repository serves to archive Open Access publications of university authors. Publications are automatically sent from the OBD system to the repository in the DSpace system.

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To upload articles and other publications to the repository, contact the Open Science Centre: repozitar@mendelu.cz. Before uploading publications, the record must be created in the OBD system.

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Recent Submissions

Access status: Open Access ,
Digital Mythologies
(Springer New York, 2025) Rakowski, Roman; Kowalikova, Petra; Polák, Petr
This study presents a research manifesto aimed at opening a new field of inquiry: digital mythology as a form of ideological structure in the era of artificial intelligence (AI). Rather than cataloguing specific digital myths, the article serves as a prolegomenon-a call for interdisciplinary investigation into how digital technologies, algorithms, and "onlife" environments reshape cultural narratives, symbolism, and collective imagination. The text is also directed at professionals in STEM fields who may not yet be familiar with cultural theory or theories of ideology. To that end, the authors explain the foundational approaches of Barthes, Marx, Althusser, and Jameson, demonstrating their relevance for critically engaging with contemporary technological discourse. The study further distinguishes between industrial and digital mythology, highlighting the specific features of algorithmic narratives, including the role of AI in reproducing hegemonic ideologies. Particular attention is given to the myth of AI objectivity and to the question of how digital myth-making processes differ from earlier forms of ideological reality construction. The result is a conceptual framework for future research that bridges political philosophy, sociology, and media studies within the context of digital transformation and its broader social significance.
Access status: Open Access ,
Overview of Techniques for Sustainable Sugar Beet Production
(Springer Switzerland, 2025) Gazdík, Zbyněk; Koprna, Radoslav; Lojková, Lea; Cerkal, Radim
European sugar production is influenced by the demand for alternative sweeteners, new technologies, and Common Agricultural Policy. Sugar beet is a biological resource with high carbon accumulation; chemically and energy-intensive crop with high rate of assimilation and carbon-dependent microbiome. The structure of associated greenhouse gas emissions is well known. In this review, currently available tools able to reduce environmental burden and the risk of resistance are summarized from the viewpoint of sustainability. In the field of herbicide protection, strip tillage combined with early-sown, fast-growing and freezing out intercrops is discussed, combined with tolerance to acetolactate synthase enzyme inhibitors, herbicide point application techniques, and autonomous inter-row weeding systems. Modern methods of insecticidal protection are based on cultivation of companion crops with camouflage or repellent effects, biological traps used by organic sugar beet growers and plant protection products based on essential oils. Current state of European insecticide scene calls for the utmost need for the integration of signaling methods and techniques of chemical and physical fixation of conventional plant protection products not burdened by resistance. Protection against pathogens is discussed according to the activity of the associated microflora, subsequently categorized into four lines of defense. Biofungicides are widely available, but for now, too technology-demanding and costly. The implementation of new fungicidal biotechnologies based on breeding associated with microbiome is very close, but - for now - still missing proper impulse for their introduction into practice, caused by a fundamental legislative restriction or economic pressure.
Access status: Open Access ,
Variability in the Content of Essential Oils and Selected Mycotoxins in Spices of the Apiaceae Family
(John Wiley & Sons, 2026) Pluháčková, Helena; Kudláčková, Barbora; Svojanovská, Lenka; Křápek, Milan; Martiník, Jan; Boško, Rastislav; Pernica, Marek
Essential oils (EOs) obtained from spices, herbs and medicinal plants are well known in traditional medicine and are an area of interest due to their various biological activities. On the other hand, spices are consumed on a daily basis and have the potential to be contaminated with mycotoxins. Therefore, it is crucial to consider them as a factor in health safety. The present study inves tigated the yield, EOs composition and mycotoxins (T- 2 toxin and HT- 2 toxin) content in five spices (caraway, anise, coriander, fennel, dill) of the Apiaceae family. EOs obtained by hydrodistillation were analysed and identified by gas chromatography cou pled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Mycotoxins were determined using liquid chromatography coupled to a mass spectrometer (LC-MS). The yields of EOs ranged between 0.66% and 5.26% depending on the type of spice. The results showed that the major components present in caraway samples were carvone (53.02%-59.65%) and limonene (39.34%-46.08%); in anise trans- anethole (93.79%-95.70%); in coriander linalool (62.02%-67.91%); in fennel trans- anethole (0.82%-92.87%) or estragole (2.53%-89.51%); and in dill samples limonene and carvone (about 47.00% each), or dill apiole (42.08%) and limonene (29.80%). T- 2 and HT- 2 toxins were detected in small amounts (0.37-2.69 μg/kg) in three of 24 analysed samples.
Access status: Open Access ,
Paradigm shift of agroforestry in Slovakia: from an unknown concept to a concrete policy support scheme in less than 5 years
(Springer Netherlands, 2025) Mitrová, Anna Mária; Šťastná, Milada; Bakay, Ladislav
Despite growing EU-level support, agroforestry remains poorly developed in many Central and Eastern European countries, including Slovakia. This study presents the first sociological assessment of agroforestry development in Slovakia, focusing on stakeholder perceptions, system preferences, and policy barriers. Using a qualitative, multi-actor case study approach, we conducted participatory fieldwork, focus groups, and open-ended surveys between 2022 and 2023. Findings reveal rapid growth in awareness and interest following targeted engagement activities. Stakeholders identified silvopastoral systems as particularly suitable for abandoned upland areas and silvoarable systems for intensively farmed lowlands. Environmental and cultural benefits-such as biodiversity enhancement, landscape aesthetics, and microclimate regulation-were key motivators, whereas economic incentives played a secondary role. However, structural barriers persist. Respondents cited legal ambiguity, limited advisory services, and restrictive implementation of the first agroforestry support measure under the CAP Strategic Plan (2023-2027) as major obstacles. Many viewed the policy as overly prescriptive and poorly aligned with on-the-ground realities. We conclude that participatory, context-specific approaches are essential to designing effective agroforestry policy. Slovakia's experience offers broader lessons for post-socialist countries aiming to integrate agroforestry into multifunctional land-use systems under the European Green Deal and CAP reforms.
Access status: Open Access ,
Silymarin and Fatty Acid Profiles of Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum L.) Genotypes
(Springer New York, 2025) Kudláčková, Barbora; Misák, Petr; Pluháčková, Helena
Milk thistle (Silybum marianum L.) seeds are known for their high amounts of bioactive silymarin complex and oil, both contributing to its potential as a functional food. This study aimed to evaluate the phytochemical composition of four milk thistle varieties (Silma, Silyb, Mirel, and Moravia 55), focusing on the silymarin complex, oil yield, and fatty acid profile. Silymarin content was quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography with diode-array detection (HPLC-DAD) following ultrasound-assisted extraction (USE). Pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) was employed for determining oil yield, and the fatty acid composition was performed by gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC-FID). Results showed significant variability between genotypes. The total silymarin content ranged from 12.69 to 20.28 mg·g⁻¹ DW, with silychristin, silybin A, and silybin B as major constituents. Oil content varied from 22.81 to 26.25%, with Mirel 2 showing the highest yield. Fatty acid analysis revealed a high proportion of unsaturated fatty acids (79.30–83.30%), with linoleic (53.53–62.27%) and oleic (20.17–24.57%) acids being the most abundant. The results were further evaluated by Principal Component Analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis. The study’s findings may contribute to the strategic selection of milk thistle genotypes for pharmaceutical or nutritional applications, and support targeted cultivation to optimize phytochemical content.