This paper examines factors determining farmers‘ adoption decision for improved maize varieties in the maize-common bean intercropping practices in two districts of East Hararghe zone, Eastern Ethiopia. It is based on data collected from 129 farm households using structured questionnaire. Descriptive results revealed that adopters of improved maize varieties had better food and nutrition security status. Furthermore, logit model output indicated that the decision to adopt improved maize varieties is influenced by location (district) dummy, education status of the household head, age of the household head, distance from the main road, and the number of plots owned. Major recommendations include improving the rural road infrastructure, educating and training farmers, organizing experience sharing events among farmers, and raising awareness about the food and nutrition security benefits of sustainable agricultural intensification practices like intercropping improved maize with improved common bean varieties.

This study was conducted on a total of 776 goats (part of Central highland goat breeds of Ethiopia), 306 from Boset district of Oromia region and 470 were from Minjar Shenkora district of Amhara region. A format developed by using food and agriculture organization discerption list was used for recording of morphological traits, bodyweight and linear body measurements. Both qualitative and quantitative traits were recorded from randomly sampled mature goats and the data were analyzed using SAS software. The goat type in the study area was characterized by a higher proportion of plain coat color patterns (62.5). Ingeneral, the majority (98.4%) of the studied goats were horned and characterized by backward orientation (67%) with a straight shape (49.3%). They presented a concave facial profile (73.8%), slop up toward the rump back profile (66.2%), no wattle (99.6%), no toggle (90.7%), no ruff (85.9%) and no beard (57.3%). The location had a significant effect on body weight and some other linear body measurements. Traits like body length, rump length, horn length, head length, head width and shin circumference were significantly higher in Boset district. In contrast, rump width and cannon bone length were significantly lower. The mean body weight of male goats in Boset and Minjar Shenkora district were 30.5±1.05 kg with a range of 16 to 47 and 27.5±0.56 with a range of 13 to 57, respectively. While for female counterpart mean body weights (kg) were 28.4±0.35 with a range of 17 to 45 for Boset and 27.5±0.33 with a range 15 to 57 for Minjar Shenkora district. Heart girth had the highest correlation with body weight in both sexes and shoulder width in Boset male goats. The wider variation in most quantitative measurement traits would open an opportunity for further improvement, conservation and utilization work.

In the present study, it was aimed to determine the volatile aroma composition and antioxidant activity of Maitake mushroom grown in different substrate mixtures comparatively. Five different substrate mixtures except control were prepared. Total polyphenols and antioxidant activities were specified by Folin-Ciocalteu, FRAP and DPPH methods. Furthermore, analyzes were carried out in both dried and frozen samples. Head Space Solid Phase Micro Extraction technique combined with Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) was used in the analysis of volatile compounds. In the present study, yield was obtained only from S4 (oak sawdust + wheat stalk + bran at 1:1:1 ratios) and S5 (poplar sawdust + wheat stalk + bran at 1:1:1 ratios) growing mixtures. Therefore, the studies have been continued by comparing only these two mixtures. While the yield in S4 mixture was 55.02 g 1 kg bag-1, it was determined as 124.82 g 1 kg bag-1 in S5 mixture. DPPH analysis results of frozen and dried samples were 7.99±0.08 and 8.19±0.05 µmol TE g-1 DM (S4) and 8.07±0.09 and 8.20±0.06 µmol TE g DM-1 (S5) respectively. In volatile aroma profile analysis, 22 and 32 compounds were detected in S4 and S5, respectively. Ketones were the most found compound groups and its ratio was 68.67% in S4 and 52.37% in S5. The highest percentage among ketones was obtained from 4-nonanone and 3-octanone compounds.

Catalase from the thermophilic fungus Mycothermus thermophilus is a bifunctional enzyme with a secondary phenol oxidase activity (CATPO). MtCATPO catalyses the oxidation of catechol, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid and (+)-catechin to yield mainly dimers, and higher molecular weight oligomers and polymers. The role of this phenol oxidase activity is not known. Here, the antioxidant capacities (AC) of the phenolic substrates in the absence and presence of MtCATPO were compared. The oxidized products displayed enhanced AC reaching a maximum of 2.4-fold with catechol. Other phenol oxidases (laccase and tyrosinase) did not yield AC enhancement to the same extent. MtCATPO-treatment increased AC of green and black tea infusions, as well as water extracts of samples collected from a black tea production line up to 28%. The bifunctional MtCATPO appears to be an important antioxidant enzyme with a wide range of potential applications in the food, neutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals industry.

Ethiopia’s export earning is heavily dependent on primary agricultural commodities and raw materials. Coffee has been the principal export commodity of Ethiopia for many years and continued to be the leading export commodity. The objective of this paper was, therefore, to identify the determinants of Ethiopia’s coffee export to the major trading partners. Eighteen countries were selected based on the importance of the country as Ethiopia’s coffee export destination and availability of the required data. Annual panel data from 2001 to 2016 was collected from FAO database and other relevant sources. After appropriate econometric tests had been applied, random effect model was selected and used to analyze the data. From the seven variables entered into the model, four variables were found to affect Ethiopia’s coffee export significantly. GDP of the importing countries and population size of Ethiopia affect Ethiopia’s coffee export positively as expected. Weighted distance between Ethiopia and its trading partners was also found to have an expected effect, negative, on Ethiopia’s coffee export. Contrary to the hypothesis, foreign direct investment flows to Ethiopia affected Ethiopia’s coffee export negatively. Based on the results, the study draws conclusion and policy implications. To increase Ethiopia’s coffee export, government and other stakeholders should give prime attention to countries where there is high demand for Ethiopia’s coffee. Moreover, coffee exporters should exploit the existing nearest market opportunities. Finally, favourable conditions should be created for the large unemployed labor of the country to increase coffee production and export.

Çilek dünyada ve ülkemizde eşsiz tat ve aromasından dolayı, üretimi giderek artan önemli bir meyve türüdür. Birçok meyve türünde olduğu gibi, çilek meyvelerdeki verim, tad ve diğer önemli kalite bileşenlerinin genetik yapıdan etkilendiği bilinmektedir. Bu kapsamda, özellikle son 100 yılda dünyadaki çilek ıslah çalışmaları sonucunda çok miktarda çilek çeşidi geliştirilmiştir. Bu bağlamda, Çukurova Üniversitesi bünyesinde de uzun yıllar farklı yoğunluklarda çilek ıslah çalışmaları gerçekleştirilmiştir. Bu çalışmada, bölümümüzde gerçekleşen çilek ıslah programı sonucu ön plana çıkan ‘33’, ‘36’ ve ‘61’ kodlu genotipler ile Akdeniz bölgesinde yaygın olarak yetiştiriciliği yapılan ‘Fortuna’, ‘Rubygem’ ve ‘Festival’ gibi ticari çilek çeşitleri geniş hasat (Ocak-Mayıs) süresi boyunca meyve SÇKM, pH, asit miktarı ile et sertliği gibi özellikler bakımından karşılaştırılmıştır. Çalışma sonucunda Akdeniz iklim koşullarında ocak ayında az miktarda ürün elde edilmiş olup, söz konusu ayda incelenen çeşit ve genotiplerde en yüksek SÇKM ve meyve et sertlik değerleri elde edilmiştir. Genotipler bakımından; ‘36’ kodlu olan, sezon boyunca %8,0 ile %13,1 arasında değişen SÇKM değerleriyle diğerlerine göre yüksek olması yanında, nispeten düşük asit içeriğiyle de dikkat çekmiştir. Bu genotip tat bakımından güçlü yönüne rağmen, 0,63 lb/inch2 meyve et sertlik değeriyle ticari çeşitlere (1,10-1,20 lb/inch2) göre oldukça yumuşak bulunmuştur. Bütün bu bilgiler doğrultusunda, her yönüyle çok iyi bir çeşit elde etmenin fizyolojik ve genetik nedenlerden dolayı mümkün olmadığı düşünülmektedir. Bununla birlikte, çilek ıslahçıları belirledikleri temel amaçlar doğrultusundaki özellikleri en yüksek seviyelerde bünyesinde barındıran çilek çeşidi geliştirmeyi hedeflemelidirler.

Bu çalışmada, tarım arazilerinin değerine etki eden faktörlerin belirlenmesi ve bu faktörlerin değer üzerindeki etki oranlarının tespit edilmesi amaçlanmıştır. Bu kapsamda, Ankara ili Evren ilçesinde gayeli örnekleme yöntemi ile belirlenen 104 adet işletme ile anket çalışması yapılmış ve tarım arazilerinin değerine etki eden faktörlerle ilgili görüşleri alınmıştır. Elde edilen verilerin analizinde AHP yöntemi kullanılmıştır. Araştırma sonucuna göre arazi değerini etkileyen faktörler, arazi verimliliği %19,63, arazi genişliği %9,60, arazi şekli %4,47, arazi eğimi %3,63, arazinin yola uzaklığı %2,57, arazinin yerleşim yerine uzaklığı %2,84, arazinin sulama olanakları %30,38, arazi satışının hareketli olması %3,31, arazinin kadastro görmüş olması %2,70, arazinin yola cepheli olması %2,80 ve arazinin toprak yapısı %18,06 olarak tespit edilmiştir. Bu doğrultuda, tarım arazilerinin üretim kabiliyetlerine yönelik faktörlerin değer üzerinde daha etkili olduğu sonucuna ulaşılmıştır.

More than 1000 thermal and mineral water springs with temperatures from 20°C to102°C occur in Turkey. Kangal Balikli Hot Spring is known as psoriasis treatment center is one of the most important among these springs. The main scope of this research was to determine geological, hydrogeological and biological properties and water chemistry of the psoriasis treatment center and the stream running alongside the thermal pools. The spring water is an isothermal-hypotonic and oligometalic mineral water, having average of electrical conductivity: 530 μS cm-1, temperature: 35°C, CO2 8.70 mg l-1, pH 7.30 and O2 4 mg l-1. Calcium, magnesium and bicarbonates are dominant. Neither the chemical figures nor the temperature (35±1°C) of the water shows seasonal change. There are two fish species, Garra rufa and Cyprinion macrostomus, that adapted living at 35°C water temperature. The mean fork length and body weight of the fish living in the psoriasis treatment center is significantly lower than those living at the stream. Some of the fish in the pools showed symptoms of illness such as exophthalmus, scale loose, skin ulceration, pale gills, and bloated appearance. Gut analysis revealed that both species have been feeding on algae, insect parts, fish scales, and debris. In most cases the guts of fish caught in the pools were either empty or had very little content in it. Zooplanktons had little species and were not recorded frequently.

In this study, the effects of grape seed extract on insulin, adiponectin and resistin levels in diabetic rats were aimed to investigate. Weight of about 300-350g 7-8 weeks 32 female Wistar Albino rats were used. Weight of about 300-350g 7-8 weeks 32 female Wistar Albino rats randomly divided into four groups of eight each: control group (C), group with diabetes (DM), grape seed extract group (GSE), diabetes mellitus and grape seed extract group (DM+GSE). The diabetic group 45 mg/kg single dose of streptozotocin was administered intraperitoneally, and the grape seed extract groups (DM+GSE and GSE) grape seed extract was given orally every day with an intragastric tube for 20 days (0.6 ml/rat). Blood samples were taken from the hearts of rat’s end of the experiment. The sera obtained were used for insulin, adiponectin and resistin analysis measured via ELISA with commercial kits. The insulin and adiponectin levels of the rats in the diabetes + grape seed extract group were found to be higher than those in the diabetes group. There was no significant change in the resistin level differences between the groups. As a result; It is possible to say that grape seed extract has an increasing effect on insulin level and adiponectin levels of diabetic rats are decreased due to diabetes and it has no significant effect on resistin levels. Detected by the positive effects of grape seed extracts, it may be useful to use for the regulating of the diabetes in human.

Field experiments were conducted to evaluate yield and nutrient use efficiency in maize in response to various rates of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) in silty clay loam soil of Khumaltar, Nepal during 2019 and 2020. Three factorial randomized complete block designs with 27 treatment combinations were used in experiments, which were repeated three times. Three factors were N levels (150, 180, 210 N kg ha-1), P levels (40, 60, 80 P2O5 kg ha-1), and K levels (40, 60, 80 K2O kg ha-1). The results recommend to revise fertilizer dose since N210 kg ha-1 and K2O 80 kg/ha were optimum for increased maize production with grain yields of 10.95 t ha-1 and 10.54 t ha-1, respectively. Partial factor productivity, partial nutrient budget, internal efficiency, physiological efficiency, recovery efficiency, and agronomic efficiency of NPK for hybrid maize were mostly influenced by nutrient levels. Application of higher rate of P and K fertilizer improved maize N efficiencies, and case was valid for P and K efficiencies. Maize was more responsive to N and K fertilizer and lower rate of P application limited efficient use of applied N and K. To increase overall NUE, we recommend to revise dose of fertilizer for hybrid maize under mid hill condition of Nepal.