In this study, Common Sage (Salvia officinalis L.) and Anatolian Sage (Salvia fruticosa Mill.) seeds, which are important medicinal plants, were used as plant material. The seeds of the Salvia genus have dormancy as they have seed husks containing a mucilaginous layer. For this reason, in order to improve the germination and emergence performance of seeds and to increase the quality of seeds, nine pre-sowing treatments (KNO3 application, GA3 application, polymer coating, polymer coating + KNO3, polymer coating + GA3, priming, priming + polymer coating, priming + polymer coating + KNO3, priming + polymer coating + GA3) were applied to the seeds and the effect of applications on germination rate, emergency rate, germination speed and emergency speed were investigated.

Allium scorodoprasum L. subsp. rotundum (L.) STEARN is a medical and aromatic plant which grows naturally in various countries of the world. The purpose of this study was to determine the natural antioxidant content and antioxidant activity of Allium scorodoprasum L. subsp. rotundum (L.) STEARN plant, an Allium subspecies of the Alliaceae family. Plants which grow naturally in 7 different locations of 3 cities (Samsun, Nevşehir and Tokat) of Turkey were used in the study. The purpose of this study was to determine the natural antioxidant content and antioxidant capacity of wild leek plant, an Allium subspecies of the Alliaceae family, which grows in three different cities (Samsun, Nevşehir and Tokat). The material of the study consists of 42 wild leek samples from 7 different locations of Samsun, Tokat and Nevşehir. Some physicochemical characteristics and antioxidant features of both bulbs and leaves of samples were determined separately; allicin, an organosulfur compound, was specified qualitatively and thermal behaviours of the samples were monitored through TGA/DSC analysis. As a result of the analyses conducted, in the bulb and leaf parts of the samples, total phenolic matter values were 254.51-927.81 and 1929.05-19645.24 mg/kg, FRAP was 0.80-5.20 and 14.31-47.83 mM TE/g, DPPH free radical scavenger effect was 0.99-9.02 and 36.61-241.06 µmol TE/g and ascorbic acid content was 29.14-314.01 mg/kg and 200.64-1383.16 mg/kg, respectively. These data reveal that the leaf’s of A. scorodoprasum subsp. rotundum plants are rich in antioxidants. In conclusion, it was found that the antioxidant activity of the plants differs significantly in terms of the parts of the plant and growth location.

Increased consumer interest in poultry meat produced in different production systems necessitates more detailed examination and comparison of chicken meat characteristics. Factors such as habit, reliability, product characteristics, animal welfare and sensitivity to environmental problems affect consumers’ preference to these products. Researches report that production systems and genotypes can be effective on protein, fat, fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, tenderness, juiciness, color and flavor. It was investigated that the effects of production systems and genotype on some chemical, physical and sensory characteristics of chicken meat in this review.

The study is aimed at predicting soil erosion and investigate its spatial distribution in Souss basin area used EPM (erosion potential model), also known as Gavrilovic method, incorporating into GIS (geographic information system) software. The spatial distribution of soil erosion shows three main zones in the studied area (very slight, slight to moderate). The main factors in the EPM (soil erodibility, soil protection, slope, temperature and rainfall) were evaluated using GIS software. Data layers used in this study were created from digital elevation model (DEM), lithology maps, landsat 8 oli digital images, the highest amount of erosion occurred in the northeast regions, Results showed that about 87.84% of the study area is classified in low and very low to destructive erosion intensify, 12.15% of the study area was moderate potential soil losses.

The agricultural production model which is done in order to provide food security, sustainability, and traceability in the agriculture, protect the natural sources and perform agricultural production, harmless to the environment, human and animal health, is called as Good Agricultural Practices. This study covers agricultural enterprises engaged in good agricultural practices and non-engaged in good agricultural practices in Adana province. The aim of the research is to compare the general characteristics of farms and to determine their views on good agricultural practices. The main material of the study constituted the primary data obtained through the survey of the 170 enterprises engaged in good agricultural and the non-used citrus (lemon and mandarin) farming in Adana province. According to the survey, it was determined that a higher level of education in enterprises engaged in ITU. The majority of good agricultural producers are residents in cities and towns and have social security. About 84.71% of good agricultural producers practise ITU in order to benefit support. It was determined that 25.88% of no good agriculture practices found ITU unnecessary. The 67.06% of producers stated that the market situation of the ITU products is similar to conventional products.

Food and nutrition insecurity are inability to access adequate amount of nutritious foods to meet dietary needs for a productive and healthy life. However, food and nutrition insecurity, in some part of Ethiopia, is very high though food is not scarce. Therefore, a survey was conducted to investigate food consumption and dietary habits of the population in the district. A questionnaire and focus group discussions were used for data collection. Data were collected on available food sources and habits of consumption in purposively selected four kebeles in the district. Data were specifically collected on utilization and eating habit of cereal grains, legumes, fruit, vegetables, and animal food sources. A total of 150 representative sample households were interviewed based on the population size of the study area. The result obtained from the survey indicated that cereal grains (34.9%), legumes & pulses (28.5%), fruit & vegetables (16.8%), meat and poultry (19.8%) products are commonly produced in many parts of the study area. The study indicated that the population entirely consumes cereal grains that are mainly sources of carbohydrate, with minimal consumption of other food types. Though there are surplus food items in the study area, there is poor utilization and undiversified consumption habit. This indicates that the area is vulnerable for food and nutrition insecurity. Therefore, knowledge on proper utilization of local existing food sources for enhancing food and nutrition security is essential. Awareness creation on benefits and preparation of balanced diet at household level from local food sources is a vital to improve food and nutrition security in the study area.

The aim of this study was to determine students' consumption behavior based on their awareness of food safety. Data were collected using survey method. Study sample consisted of 400 students of Ünye Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Ordu University, Turkey. Chi-square test was used to determine whether participants’ levels of awareness of food safety differed by socio-economic characteristics. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine differences in mean scores among awareness groups (low, medium and high) in terms of reading the nutrition information on food labels, food purchasing venues to be reliable and factors affecting food purchase decisions. Results showed that expiry date was the most important factor in food purchase decisions, followed by dates of production and packaging. Participants’ levels of awareness of food safety significantly differed by the proportion of monthly income allocated to food and their preference for cheap foods containing GMO. Supermarkets were ranked the most reliable venues for safe food purchasing, followed by groceries and greengrocers. Results also showed that food purchase decisions of the low and medium awareness groups were mostly affected by their families while those of the high awareness group were mostly affected by their doctors. Results indicate that firstly parents' awareness should be raised about food safety and safe food consumption so that future generations can be more conscious of these issues. In addition, courses on these matters should be included in curricula, and seminars or workshops should be held to raise students' awareness of food safety.

Boron is an important micronutrient for growth and development of crop plants. Plant species differ in their requirement of boron for growth. This study was conducted to determine the effect of boron application on the plant characteristics of maize during early leaf stages. The experiments were conducted in Tel – Kaliş agricultural research area at the Mustafa Kemal University in 2015 and 2016 growing seasons. The field experiments were arranged in a split plot design with three replications. Four boron dosages (control, 4, 6 and 8 mg/m2) were applied at three growing stages (V2, V4 and V2V4 (at V2 and V4 stages in two equal parts) as foliar spray. The results revealed that the effects of foliar application of B were positive but statistically insignificant on plant characteristics. Further researches should be conducted for suitable boron application time at different growth stages of maize.

On-farm evaluation and demonstration of different field pea production packages (IFPP, LFPP and LFTP) was carried out for two cropping seasons across districts on seventeen sites in Northeastern Amhara region. The objectives of the experiment were to evaluate the performance of different field pea technologies and to demonstrate the package to the farmers and the extension personnel then to collect feedback from participants. The experiment was conducted by comparing improved variety with its full package along with the local variety under full package practice and farmers’ traditional practice. The agronomic, economic and farmers’ preference analysis clearly indicated that the improved technology is superior to the local variety under full package and farmers’ practice. The average mean grain yields of the improved practices (IFPP and LFPP) were 1901.7 and 1428.3 kgha-1in Dehana, while 1933.3 and 1520 kg ha-1 in Sekota district, respectively. Therefore, the improved field pea technology had a yield advantage of 33.2% and 91.8% respectively from the local cultivar under improved and farmers practice in Dehana. However, the improved technology had 27.2% and 94.6% yield advantage over the local with improved and farmers practice in Sekota, respectively. The marginal rate of return for improved technology in Dehana and Sekota districts was 857.2 and 1344.7%, respectively. Farmers perceived the higher yield potential of the improved technology as a result many of them showed great demand for improved field pea technology. So that pre-scaling up of the improved variety with its production package is recommended to similar agro ecologies.

In this study, growth performance of Akkaraman lambs and some fertility parameters of Akkaraman sheep raised in semi extensive farm conditions were investigated. A total of 6300 heads Akkaraman ewes (6000 ewes and 300 rams) housed in 34 farms located in central villages of Niğde province were evaluated between 2012 and 2016. The data of birth weight of 30161 lambs, body weight of 29517 lambs aged 90 days old and some fertility parameters of 30000 heads ewes were used. The average lambing rate of ewes was found 90.1%. The twining rate of ewes was 20.8%; the average litter size was 1.12 lambs. Birth weights of Akkaraman sheep lambs was 4.23 kg, average 90th day live weights were 23.05 kg. Effects of year, birth type, dam age, and sex were found statistically significant on birth and 90-day live weights of the Akkaraman lambs. As a result, it was concluded that the fertility of Akkaraman sheep and growth characteristics of lambs raised by public under semi-extensive conditions could be improved and the economic situation of sheep farms could be better by the implementation such improvement project.