Even though dairy products play an important role in infant and human nutrition, they may also cause food borne diseases. Milk toxin AFM1 is one of the most important public health hazards. This toxin is produced by animals after consuming contaminated feed with AFB1 which is known for its carsinogenic effects and then excreted in milk. Same as AFB1, AFM1 is also carsinogenic, neurotoxic, nephrotoxic, hepatotoxic and immunsupressive for humans and cannot be destroyed by sterilization or pasteurization. For that reason, studies on cost effective and rapid methods for detection and detoxification of AFM1 in milk are quite popular among researchers. In this review, the worldwide prevalence of AFM1 in milk and milk products has been presented as well as the developments in techniques to detect and detoxify.

This study was conducted to determine applicability of the Inward Processing Regime (IPR) in enterprises which are vegetable oil producers and exporters. The data was obtained from 26 vegetable oil producer and exporter enterprises by using survey method. Frequency tables, indices, and percentage calculating were used to analyse Data. Also, SWOT analysis was used to determine the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in the sector, and relationship among some variables were examined with correlation coefficient. According to research findings, 25 of the enterprises (96%) utilised the IPR. Since the enterprises started to use that system; availability of cheap raw material, rate of capacity utilisation, market share, and export value all have increased. In addition, raw material was found as an important expense item, and the most important problems were qualified as raw material inadequacy and high input prices.

Honey samples were obtained from wild and domesticated sources and analyzed for some physicochemical properties such as color, pH, moisture content, ash content, refractive index, specific gravity, total solid, viscosity, glucose and fructose content following Standard Association of Official Analytical Chemistry. The following range of values for pH (3.55-4.20), moisture content (18.50-25.60%), soluble solids (74.10-81.20%), ash content (0.08-0.14%), specific gravity (1.38-1.47), refractive index (81.3-83.4%), fructose content (40.5-63.04%) and glucose content (19.35-32.34%). The mineral composition analyzed revealed potassium to be the dominant mineral in the honey samples followed by Calcium. However, Cadmium and lead where not detected in the honey samples. The results indicated that parameters such as pH, moisture content, ash content, specific gravity, sugar (majorly fructose and glucose content), fructose/glucose ratio, glucose/water ratio conform within the limit of the international standard for honey. However, moisture contents of the wild honey samples (22.05% and 25.60%) were a little higher than the Codex Standards of ≤ 21%. In conclusion, the honey samples investigated have the needed quality criteria and are good for human consumption. The results also revealed excellent organoleptic acceptability of the honey samples, hence are suitable for human uses.

The aim of this study is to determine the factors that affect the development of bureaucratic knowledge and skills of farmers in rural areas. To achieve this aim, a questionnaire was administered face-to-face to 110 farmers. The survey was conducted in the central villages of Tokat Province in 2013. Exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were used to determine the factors that affect the development of farmers’ knowledge and skills regarding bureaucratic procedures. The exploratory factor analysis generated a structure with 4 factors and 10 variables. These factors which explained 76.063% of the total variance, and their reliability coefficients were determined as cooperation tendency (0.803), bureaucratic procedure experience (0.701), level of benefit from government support (0.900) and immediate environment communication (0.601). According to the results of the confirmatory factor analysis, the fit index values were 0.938 for GFI; 0.934 for CFI and 0.913 for NFI. The fact that the RMSEA and CMIN/DF coefficients were also consistent and significant indicates that the results fit the theory. The fact that the intended goodness-of-fit index values of these coefficients were significant also indicates that the results fit the theory. Thus, the factors that affect the bureaucratic knowledge and skills of farmers in the rural areas of Tokat Province were found to be: getting involved in agricultural organizations, the experience of performing formal procedures in public offices, attempts to benefit from agricultural support and immediate environment communication.

This study aims to investigate the effects of nitrogen fertilizer application on tomato yield by using econometric models. The data obtained by questionnaire from 53 farmers who produce tomatoes in Tokat province constitute the main material of the study. The Simple Random Sampling Method was used to determine the sample size with a 90% confidence interval and 10% margin of error. Nine models were tried to determine the best model to explain the effect of nitrogenous fertilizer usage in tomato cultivation. The data in the models were used to calculate the growers’ optimal fertilizer amount of use (physical optimum and economical optimum values were calculated) and the results were compared to the ones suggested by the experts. As a result, through the statistical studies, quadratic model was found to be the most suitable one. It has been determined that tomato farmers use less (10.54 kg da-1) or excess (23.48 kg da-1) N fertilizer than the level at which economic optimum is achieved.

This study was conducted to determine the effects of Bayvarol®, Fumidil-B®, Neo-Terramycin® on adult honeybee lifespan. Total twenty honeybee colonies were used and randomly divided into four groups (each group consisted of five colonies). Experimental groups: Bayvarol ®, Fumidil-B® and Neo-Terramycin® were treated to first, second and third groups, respectively. No treatment was done to forth group taken as control group. A hundred one day old worker bees were taken from each group and marked with different colors and numbered on the thorax. After the marked, all worker bees were given into the observation hive. Marked worker bees were controlled and counted daily. Statistical analysis of data was done by variance analysis method and between groups comparisons were done with Duncan's multiple range tests. Average lifespans of the first, second, third and control groups were 44.97±4.90, 46.86±6.56, 45.38±6.12 and 47.72±6.06 days, respectively. There were found statistically significant differences among average lifespan of first, second, third and control groups. This study showed that some drugs used to treat diseases and pests reasoned a negative effect on the lifespan of honeybees.

This paper provides a detailed overview of the current situation of the coffee sector in the Rwandan economy and identifies the possible challenges that the sector is currently facing. The study has identified the economic and the livelihood indicators for farmers who are engaged in coffee production and also gives the Rwandan coffee sector’ situation and its position in the global coffee market. Also, the research has found out that in Rwanda, nearly 500,000 farmers produce coffee along with other crops, notably beans, savory banana and corn and found out that in 2012, coffee accounted for almost 30 percent of Rwanda’s total export revenue. On the other hand, the study revealed that the sector throughout all the coffee production process, has undergone different challenges especially climate change as it is reported by the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal resources. A low yield was reported in 2007 and climate variability was quoted among the causes. Insufficient rainfall in the last three months of 2006 (the period of coffee flowering) proceeding the short dry season in the first two months of 2007 was recorded. The reduced rainfall was also poorly distributed across coffee growing regions in Rwanda. In addition, the research revealed that even though the area under coffee production is increasing, the coffee production is decreasing due to unexpected climate change and variability in current years and also the improper use of chemical fertilizers by coffee farmers is very critical. The study concluded that adding value to the coffee supply chain of Rwanda is adding direct economic benefits and important indirect social benefits to the lives of individuals and to the health of communities in Rwanda. Moreover, more effort should continue to raise the profile of the Rwandan coffee sector suggesting that proper use of chemical fertilizers, solid marketing channels and climate change adaptations measures would be the fair ways of making the sector more profitable and considering national targets to increase coffee export revenues, a few simple measures to improve the performance of the sector could have substantial effects on the country’s economic growth.

The objective of this study was to investigate the nutrient content, phytonutrient composition, physicochemical properties, alpha amylase and alpha glucosidase inhibition activity and antioxidant activity of the brown algae Stoechospermum marginatum collected from Gulf of Mannar, Tamil Nadu, India in pre monsoon season (June- September, 2015). Six and eight hours of ethanol and aqueous extract of Stoechospermum marginatum were used for phytonutrient screening, alpha amylase, alpha glucosidase inhibition activity and antioxidant activity. From the results of the study it is understood that Stoechospermum marginatum contain a high amount of carbohydrate, protein, crude fiber and phytonutrients like tannin, flavonoid, saponin, alkaloid, terpenoids, steroid and total phenolic content. The physicochemical properties namely Water absorption and Swelling power were very promising. Alpha amylase and alpha glucosidase inhibition activity was recorded to be high in both aqueous and ethanol extracts of eight hour extraction than in extracts taken from six hours extraction. Antioxidant activity was detected using DPPH, FRAP, beta carotene scavenging and H2O2 assay and found to have a high radical scavenging activity. Stoechospermum marginatum possess a valuable amount of total phenolic content and other phytonutrients and physicochemical properties, it may the reason for the potential inhibition of alpha amylase, alpha glucosidase and antioxidant activity. It is concluded from the study that the brown algae may be incorporated into foods to enhance their nutritional and therapeutic value.

The objective of this study was to develop a rapid infrared technique to determine 10 key quality parameters (sucrose, glucose, fructose, reducing sugar, 5-HMF, °Brix, moisture content, water activity, pH and free acidity) in honey by using new generation portable and handheld devices. The composition of honey samples (n=59) collected from different parts of Turkey was analyzed by using established reference methods, giving wide range of concentrations for each parameter. The levels of sucrose and 5-HMF in some samples were above the established regulatory limits (Codex Alimentarius and European Union standards), indicating possible adulteration or process and storage abuse. Spectra were collected by using portable Fourier-Transformed infrared (FTIR) and handheld NIR (Near Infrared) spectrometers. Partial least squares regression (PLSR) approach was used to correlate the spectral features with compositional reference values, giving strong linear correlation coefficients and standard errors of prediction. Although both systems performed similarly, portable FTIR system was superior in predictions of sucrose, 5-HMF and free acidity while portable NIR system performed noticeably better for °Brix and moisture content. The data indicates that all of the 10 parameters can be measured within the minutes using both systems, providing reliable screening capabilities, flexibility and the potential for in-field applications.