For Turkish society, bread has been an indispensable part of the kitchen and daily life throughout history. Due to its high consumption in Turkish society, it plays an important role in terms of both health and nutritional habits. Contamination from the soil where wheat is planted to the bread making process is of great importance for health. In this study, the amounts of heavy metals such as aluminum, copper, nickel, chromium, manganese, iron, lead and cadmium in the soil of an agricultural land, in flour obtained from wheat grown there and in bread made from this flour were investigated using ICP-MS. The average levels of Al, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Cd, Fe, Pb and As in soil samples were 120.46, 12.23, 44.9, 93.46, 10.83, 2.06, 196.87, 1.96 and 0.21 mg/kg, respectively. In flour samples, these levels were 17.20, 2.03, 28.93, 26.3, 3.37, 0.09, 30.93, 1.37 and 0.03 mg/kg, respectively. In bread samples, 11.27, 0.77, 8.27, 18.63, 0.4, 0.02, 12.76, 0.04 and 0.001 mg/kg, respectively. The results obtained show that high metal levels in the soil are also found in bread. This indicates that heavy metal levels in bread may pose health risks in long-term consumption. Especially levels of aluminum, nickel, chromium and cadmium metals can cause serious health problems. Therefore, it is important to reduce heavy metal contamination in agriculture and production processes and to conduct regular inspections. Compliance with maximum limits set by health authorities and regulatory agencies is also critical for public health.

Süt insanların günlük beslenmesinde vazgeçilmez bir besin konumundadır, özellikle sağlıklı süt tüketimi için kaliteli ve güvenli üretim vazgeçilmez bir unsurdur. Süt üretiminde hayvanların sağlık ve genotipik özellikleri üretimi doğrudan etkilemektedir. Kaliteli bir üretim doğru hayvan bakım programı ve hijyenik koşullara uyulmasıyla mümkün olabilmektedir. Bu kapsamda çalışmada Kütahya’nın Altıntaş ve Uşak’ın Banaz ilçelerindeki hayvanların meme sağlığının ve süt bileşiminin belirlenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Altıntaş’ta 3 köydeki 77 inekten, Banaz’da 2 köydeki 49 inekten süt örnekleri toplanmıştır. Sütün bileşimi yağ (%), kurumadde (%), yoğunluk (%), protein (%), laktoz (%), tuz (%), donma noktası (°C), iletkenlik (ms/cm) yönünden karşılaştırılmış ve mastitis prevalansı Californian Mastitis Testi (CMT) ile araştırılmıştır. Elde edilen verilere göre işletmelerin büyük bir çoğunluğunda mastitis varlığına rastlanmazken, mastitis belirtileri görülen ineklerin genellikle aynı işletmede yetiştirilen inekler olduğu belirlenmiştir. İlçeler arasında Altıntaş ilçesindeki ineklerin yağ oranı daha düşük (%3,51), kuru madde oranı (%9,26) ve protein oranının da daha yüksek (%3,33) olduğu belirlenmiştir. Banaz ilçesinde de sütlerde laktoz oranları (%4,78) daha düşük, yoğunluk (% 28,08) daha düşük, iletkenliğinin de daha yüksek (4,95 ms/cm) olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Köyler arasında süt kalitesi yönünden en yüksek değerlere Çayırbaşı köyünde yetiştirilen inekler olduğu belirlenmiştir. Bunda üreticilerin bilinç düzeyinin yüksek olmasının, sözleşmeli üretim yapılmasının ve hijyen koşullarına dikkat edilmesinin sonucunda olduğu düşünülmektedir.

Parks and public open green spaces are open spaces for all segments of the society. These places, which are important recreation areas, enable the elderly to renew themselves, to breathe a little in the open air, to be alone with nature even in the city. These opportunities provided by parks are utilised by elderly users. Today, the population of elderly individuals is increasing day by day due to the slowdown in population growth rate. In this study, it is aimed to determine the park usage purposes of the elderly and important park features that encourage physical activity and social interaction. Within the scope of the research, 96 elderly individuals were interviewed with 96 elderly individuals within the scope of face-to-face survey study by going to the park at random times on weekdays and weekends on a voluntary basis by using the questionnaire form prepared for revealing the user profile of individuals aged 40 and over in Ihlamur Park in Selçuklu District, determining the preference times of the park, determining the duration and times of park use, determining the reasons for park preference and selection, and evaluating park user satisfaction and expectations. The findings show that parks are an important social area for elderly people in the same age group with their seating areas, walking paths, simple fitness equipment, as they create a gathering area for elderly people in the same age group, and therefore, parks require careful planning and implementation in the design, management and use of parks and should contain a large amount of space for socialization. In line with these findings, it will be possible for elderly people to benefit more from parks and have a more enjoyable time with landscape designs that provide socialization opportunities for elderly users. Thus, elderly individuals will be able to develop a sense of belonging for the park.

Honeydew is a sugar-rich, sticky substance secreted by many plant-feeding insect species from the order of Hemiptera and Lepidoptera. Aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae), on the other hand, feed on nitrogen-poor, carbohydrate-rich phloem sap and excrete excess carbohydrate as honeydew from their anus. The aphids, constituting the main material of the study were sampled from the Catalpa bungei C. A. Mey (Bignoniaceae) tree located in the central campus of Niğde Ömer Halisdemir University and then preparation procedures were carried out for species identification under laboratory conditions. According to the identification key organized according to the host plant, the samples were identified as Aphis gossypii Glover. The honeydew of A. gossypii Glover, known as the cotton aphid, was collected from the host plant and the effects of two different concentrations of the honeydew (10 and 20 g/L) on fungal growth were determined using both solid and liquid media. Different Trichoderma strains and Beauveria bassiana were used to examine fungal growth. Fungal growth in the prepared nutrient media was determined as the amount of biomass (gram). The honeydew content (phenolic substance, sugar and amino acid amounts) was determined and supported by FT-IR analyses. The growth of fungal species in the PDA medium, which was preferred as the control medium, and the medium containing honeydew was compared. It has been determined that fungal growth is better in the medium containing honeydew, and therefore honeydew increases fungal growth. With this study, it is predicted that aphid honeydew can support the growth of both fungal agents used in biological control and plant pathogens.

Synthetic fungicides that combat plant pathogenic fungi can enhance crop yields, ensuring stable crop production and market quality. However, the increase in the use of fungicides may cause to development of fungicide-resistant pathogen strains and the accumulation of fungicide residues in the food chain above safe limits. This situation underscores the need for improved fungal disease management through alternatives to synthetic fungicides. These alternatives include plant-derived compounds such as essential oils and extracts. Essential oils are known to be potent antifungal compounds against both human and plant pathogens. Aspergillus niger is a toxin-producing fungal disease agent that causes Aspergillus crown rot in peanuts. In this study, the antifungal activities of nine different essential oils from Foeniculum vulgare, Lippia citriodora, Origanum majorana, Origanum minutiflorum, Origanum onites, Origanum syriacum, Origanum vulgare, Salvia aramiensis and Thymus syriacus plants were evaluated against A. niger under in vitro conditions by using disc diffusion test. Among the nine essential oils tested, the highest antifungal activities were displayed by O. vulgare essential oil (with an inhibition zone diameter of 49.33 mm) which was followed by T. syriacus, O. onites, O. syriacum and O. minutiflorum essential oils (48.67, 47.00, 46.33 and 43.33 mm, respectively). The essential oils of F. vulgare, L. citriodora, and O. majorana showed relatively lower antifungal effects. The essential oil of S. aramiensis did not show antifungal effect against pathogen. The results indicated that plant essential oils could be valuable in promoting research aimed at developing new antifungal agent(s) for fungal disease management. However, further studies are needed to optimize the in vivo application conditions of essential oils against A. niger.

Asmalarda gövde hastalıkları (AGH) arasında, Esca sendromu (Phaeomoniella chlamydospora ve Phaeoacremonium oleophilum, Botryosphaeria spp., Eutypa lata, Phomopsis viticola, Cylindrocarpon spp.), Petri hastalığı (Phaeomoniella chlamydospora, Phaeoacremonium spp., Cadophora luteo-olivacea ve Pleurostoma richardsiae), Siyah ayak (Dactylonectria, Ilyonectria, Campylocarpon, Cylindrocladiella veya Neonectria), Botryosphaeriae dieback (Lasiodiplodia theobromae, Neofusicoccum parvum ve Botryosphaeria dothidea) Eutypa dieback, (Eutypa lata ve Diatrypaceae spp.) Phomopsis dieback, (Phomopsis viticola) yer almaktadır. AGH enfeksiyonları kısa veya uzun vadede asmaların ölümüne neden olur. Global ölçekte, bağcılığın sürdürülebilirliğini etkidiğinden ve tüm bağcı ülkelerde hızla yayıldığından, son otuz yıldır asmanın en yıkıcı hastalıkları olarak kabul edilmektedir. AGH’nın kontrolünde sıcak su uygulaması (SSU), tarım kimyasalları ve dezenfektanlar kullanılmaktadır. SSU′na genç asmalar, dinlenme halindeki aşı gözü veya anaç çelikleri, köklü veya aşılı köklü asma fidanları ve Vitis vinifera çeşitleri farklı düzeyde hassasiyet gösterebilirler. Bu hassasiyet çeliklerin veya fidanların büyüdüğü mevsim sıcaklıklarından etkilenebilir ve uygulanacak sıcaklık aralığı, kontrol edilecek patojenlere göre değişebilir. Asma çeliklerindeki AGH′nı baskılamak için çeşidine göre değişen aralıklarda SSU′ları (30-45 dakika süreyle 45-54°C) önerilmektedir. SSU, asma çoğaltma materyalleri ile taşınabilecek filoksera, nematod ve fitoplazma patojenleri için etkin bir kontrol yöntemidir. Kaliteli bir asma fidanı, sağlıklı, ismine doğru, iyi bir bitki formuna sahip, iyi kaynaşmış, virüsler ve patojenlerden arındırılmış, çevresel strese maruz kalmamış olmalıdır. Bu derlemede, asma çoğaltma materyallerinin patojenik bakteri, mantar, nematod, fitoplazma ve filoksera enfeksiyonlarının kontrolünde kullanılan SSU çalışmalarının bir özeti sunulmuştur.

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) growth is directly affected by sowing dates. However, the yield of wheat in Afghanistan is significantly lower than the global standard. Several factors including fertilizers, sowing dates, seeds and cultivation methods, contribute to this low yield. The objective of this research was to address this critical issue by comparison of the effects of different sowing dates on wheat yield and its components under Kabul climatic conditions. The same experiment was conducted at two sites in 2020 using a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications and twelve treatments. The varieties used were Darolaman-07 (V1), Mazar- 99 (V2), and Chunta-1 (V3) as factor one, and sowing dates of November 10th (S1), November 18th (S2), November 26th (S3), and December 4th (S4) as factor two. Growth and yield parameters measured and analyzed included plant height, number of leaves plant-1, total number of tillers plant-1, leaf area index (LAI), leaf nitrogen content (N), spike length, number of spikelets spike-1, number of grains spike-1, grain weight spike-1, thousand- grain-weight, days to maturity, number of spikes plant-1, biological yield, grain yield, straw yield, and harvest index. Sowing dates had significant effects on some wheat growth and yield parameters. Sowing on November 10th, 2020, resulted in the highest plant height and leaves number per plant compared to later sowing dates. There was a significant interaction between sowing date and variety at (P˂0.01) in both growth and yield parameters. ANOVA analysis highlighted significant differences among wheat varieties in spike length, grain weight spike-1, thousand grain-weight, and harvest index, with notable variations observed among different varieties. Based on the results, the longest duration to maturity and the highest grain yield were observed on sowing date of November 10, 2020.

Narrow and twin row sowing methods are agronomic applications that aim to increase plant growth and yield by expanding the plant's growing area but, they are highly affected by environmental conditions. The aim of this study is to determine the applicability of different narrow row and twin row sowing methods in clay textured soil in main crop cultivation of corn, which an important grain. The study was carried out Diyarbakır province in the Southeastern Anatolia Region of Türkiye in 2016 and 2017. In the study carried out with two different corn varieties, line abreast narrow row, diagonal narrow row, line abreast twin row, diagonal twin row, single row 1 (70 cm row spacing, 20 cm intra-row spacing) and single row 2 (70 cm row spacing, 12.5 cm intra-row spacing) applications were tried. ADA 351 and Sakarya corn varieties were used in the study. As a result it was determined that line abreast narrow row, diagonal narrow row, line abreast twin row and diagonal twin row applications are not suitable for corn cultivation. The highest grain yield was obtained from single row and 12.5 cm intra-row spacing application.

Pea (Pisum sativum L.) is the second most important cool-season food legume in Ethiopia after faba bean, both in terms of production area and annual yield. The study comprises 13 advanced field pea genotypes that were evaluated in a randomized complete block design with four replications across four different environments during two consecutive main cropping seasons (2020–2021). The primary objectives were to identify a field pea genotype with a reliable, high grain yield that could be subsequently released as a new cultivar for farmers in specific areas of Ethiopia.  A combined analysis of field pea grain yield revealed a significant difference (P < 0.01) between genotypes and environments, suggesting that the genetic composition of the genotypes varied and the environments were distinct. The average grain yield ranged from 1614 kg/ha to 2412 kg/ha, with a mean of 2032.69 kg/ha. Genotype G13 had the highest average grain yield (2412 kg/ha) compared to the standard check varieties Bilalo (2190 kg/ha) and Bursa (2100 kg/ha), indicating its potential for developing adaptable varieties suited to specific environments. This outcome may aid breeders in choosing the most appropriate cultivars for particular environments, resulting in higher field pea yields and productivity. Nonetheless, the research also indicates that to create broadly adaptable and climate-resilient varieties, it is crucial to carry out trials in various locations and across multiple years.

The Zamboanga Peninsula region significantly contributes to the Philippine coconut production, wherein abaca is also cultivated as an additional crop within coconut plantations. Still, coconut farmers belong to the country’s poverty sector. Abaca plays a significant role in providing an alternative source of income as a perennial intercrop in agroforestry systems like coconut. However, the productivity and sustainability of this farming system are affected by practices such as nutrient management, which is not explicitly known. Using a mixed-methods approach, this study applies a combination of quantitative and qualitative data-gathering techniques to assess the nutrient management practices adopted by the 33 qualified respondents, including challenges encountered and perceptions to abaca under the coconut farming system and fertilizer use. Quantitative data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 29, and thematic analysis was utilized for qualitative data. Results indicate that most (88%) of the farmers in the area did not apply fertilizers for their abaca. Yet, they still consider abaca as one of the income-generating crops besides coconut. The lack of financial resources and irregular harvesting operations are significant challenges that hinder fertilizer application. Findings revealed the need to develop low-cost and practical nutrient management technology for abaca under coconut, which shall be complemented with an effective human resource management system of skilled harvesters for the continuous harvesting operation of abaca to translate good crop growth into good yield and income. This will serve as a basis for government institutions and other stakeholders in developing and implementing programs and policies to improve the abaca and coconut industries.