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.

Bu çalışma, Japon Bıldırcınlarının (Coturnix coturnix japonica) beyaz ve kahverengi iki farklı varyetesinde, bazı zoometrik ölçümler ve canlı ağırlıkların, karşılaştırmalı olarak belirlenmesi amacıyla yapılmıştır. Bunun için aynı beslenme ve çevre şartlarında barındırılan, beyaz ve kahverengi varyetelerinden 30'ar (15 erkek, 15 dişi), toplam 60 adet, altı haftalık yaştaki bıldırcında, canlı ağırlıklar ve on iki farklı vücut ölçümüne ait değişkenler değerlendirilmiştir. Altı haftalık yaştaki ortalama canlı ağırlıklar açısından literatür bildirimlerinin birçoğuna göre daha yüksek değerler elde edilmekle birlikte bu çalışmada karşılaştırılan iki renk varyetesi açısından herhangi bir fark görülmezken, dişiler erkeklerden istatistiki olarak anlamlı olacak şekilde daha ağır bulunmuştur. İstatistiki anlamlılıkların elde edildiği zoometrik ölçümlerden kafa genişliği, gaga uzunluğu, gaga genişliği, sternum uzunluğu, bacak uzunluğu ve kanat uzunluğu açısından beyaz bıldırcınlar kahverengi olanlardan daha yüksek değerlere sahip olurken cinsiyete göre ise canlı ağırlık, vücut uzunluğu, göğüs çevresi ve tarsus çevresi değişkenlerinde dişiler daha yüksek değerler almışlardır. Altı haftalık yaştaki Japon bıldırcınlarının canlı ağırlıkları ile kafatası uzunluğu, beden uzunluğu, sternum uzunluğu, orta parmak uzunluğu, kanat uzunluğu, göğüs çevresi ve tarsus çapı değişkenleri arasında pozitif korelasyonlar tespit edilmiştir. Bıldırcın yetiştiriciliğinin yaygınlaşması için tüketiminin artması gerçeği göz önüne alındığında, insanların beslenmede bıldırcınları tercih etmelerini sağlayacak unsurlar üzerinde daha kapsamlı çalışmaların yapılması önerilebilir.

Bu çalışmada, 2017 yılından 2021'e kadar beş generasyon boyunca ıslah ve seleksiyonu sürdürülen Anadolu-T etlik piliç saf hatlarının gelişme ve karkas özelliklerinin ticari hibritle karşılaştırmalı olarak ortaya koyulması amaçlanmıştır. Her generasyonda seleksiyon işleminden sonra yeterli sayıda saf hat (A1, A2, A3, B1, B2) ve ticari hibrit (Ross-308) yumurtaları kuluçka edilerek her genotipten 120 dişi-erkek civciv üretilmiştir. Etlik piliçler 6 hafta süreyle etlik piliç üretim standartlarında yetiştirilmiş ve bu süre sonunda kesim ve karkas özellikleri belirlenmiştir. Gelişme özellikleri olarak canlı ağırlık (CA), yemden yararlanma oranı (YYO) ve yaşama gücü; karkas özellikleri olarak göğüs ve but eti oranı ele alınmıştır. Beş generasyon boyunca 6 haftalık yaşta en yüksek ortalama CA ve en iyi YYO Ross-308 ticari hibritlerde (CA: 2961,2 ile 3481,2 g ve YYO: 1,43 ile 1,60 arasında) elde edilmiştir ve bunu sırasıyla baba (CA: 2633,8 ile 3180,2 g ve YYO: 1,65 ile 1,77 arasında) ve ana hatları (CA: 2307,7 ile 2698,5 g ve YYO: 1,65 ile 1,78 arasında) izlemiştir. Saf hatların yaşama gücü generasyonlara bağlı sayısal farklılıklar gösterse de ticari hibritle genel olarak benzer (%96-100) gerçekleşmiştir. Hem ana hem de baba hatların göğüs oranı ticari hibrite göre daha düşük iken, saf hatlarda but oranının daha yüksek olduğu belirlenmiştir. Saf hatların beş generasyonluk kısa bir seleksiyon geçmişine sahip olması henüz yeterli bir değerlendirmeye imkân vermemektedir. Ana ve baba hatlarında bireysel yemden yararlanma testine ek olarak baba hatlarında canlı ağırlık ve göğüs alanı özelliklerinin de seleksiyon kriteri olarak kullanılmasının canlı ağırlık ve yemden yararlanmayı iyileştirmesi beklenmektedir.

Food security is one of the major global challenges of the twenty-first century. World population is expected to increase by one-third, between 2009 and 2050, and in Asia, crop yield is estimated to decline by 5 to 30% from 2050 onwards compared to 1990. It is high time to seek alternatives that can increase production utilizing existing resources ensuring food security. A home garden can be a viable and sustainable alternative in this regard; nevertheless, it is often neglected. Thus, this study aims to understand the role of the home garden in maintaining household food security and enhancing rural women’s status in Nepal. Two villages of Bishnupur rural municipality, namely, Bajitpur and Musharniya were selected as study sites. 78.6% of households in Bajitpur and 68.4% households in Musharniya were found to have a home garden where crops and livestock were organized in an integrated way. The home garden was found to maintain household food security, ensure food availability for most of the seasons, access of household members to food, its utilization, and stability in production. Furthermore, 66.67% and 58.33% of women sold surplus home garden products in Bajitpur and Musharniya respectively. This signifies the role of home gardening activities in uplifting the social and economic status and, farming knowledge of rural women in both villages. However, there is a lack of extension facilities and subsidies for the home garden to encourage farmers. Therefore, different models of home gardens should be developed and disseminated, prioritizing the integration of the scientific farming system with traditional knowledge for sustainable adoption of the home garden in Nepal.

In this study, an image processing algorithm and classification unit were developed to classify the fruits according to their size and color characteristics. For this purpose, a total of 300 fruits (50 fruit samples from each of the Starkrimson Delicious and Golden Delicious apple varieties, Washington Navel and Valencia Midknight orange varieties, Ekmek and Eşme quince varieties) were used in the experiments. The size and color values measured with a caliper and a spectrophotometer were entered in the developed image processing algorithm to determine the success rates of classifying the fruits. The integration of image processing algorithm with the classification unit classified 88%, 100%, 96%, 82%, 86%, respectively. On the other hand, the size and color values read in fruits with the image processing algorithm were evaluated using predictive techniques used in data mining. For this purpose, K Nearest Neighbor (KNN), Decision Tree (DT), Naive Bayes classification and Multilayer Perceptron Neural Network (MLP) algorithms were used. Algorithms were run with 10-fold cross validation method. In the training of artificial classifiers, the success was 93.6% for KNN, 90.3% for DT, 88.3% for Naive Bayes, 92.6% for MLP and 94.3% for RF.

This study was aimed to evaluate DNA fragmentation by using Comet assay in naturally infected sheep with Anaplasmosis before and after treatment with the Comet method, which shows DNA damage specifically. In the study, blood samples were collected from 10 Anaplosmosis infected and 10 healthy sheep. The anaplosmosis was diagnosed by clinical signs and symptoms. The infection was confirmed by Giemsa staining. The blood was collected from control group and infected group before and after the treatment, from the vena jugularis with the appropriate method. The DNA fragmentation was checked by using the Comet assay of blood cells. The data were analysed throught ANNOVA one-way. The result showed higher DNA fragmentation in sick animals diagnosed with anaplasmosis; tail length and tail moment values were found to be statistically significantly higher than the control group. When the data obtained after imidocarb (IMD) application were compared with obtained during the disease, a decreased DNA damage and tail moment was determined, however, these values higher than control. In this study, DNA damage and the extent of this damage were investigated by the Comet assay method using a healthy control group before and after treatment in animals with Anaplasmosis. When the findings obtained from the study were evaluated, it was seen that Anaplasma agents caused DNA damage and with the imidocarb application given for treatment, DNA damage was reduced and results close to healthy individuals were obtained.

Nutrient elements, one of the major factors shaping plant development, are the major components of plants, and, after being taken from the soil, they are present in different organs of plant at different concentrations. The speciation of nutrient elements within plant body is vital importance for determining the contribution to plant development, knowing the transfer between organs within the body of organs, clearly understanding the factors influencing plant development, and shaping the plant development. In the present study, the change of the concentrations of K and Mg (macronutrient elements) and Cu (micronutrient elements) by species and organ in woody species Prunus cerasifera, Platanus orientalis, Acer negundo, Fraxinus excelsior, Catalpa bignonioides, Aesculus hippocastanum, and Tilia platypyllos. As a result, it was found that the changes of elements by species were statistically significant in all the organs, and, in general, the highest concentrations were observed in leaves. The study results revealed that the concentrations of these elements might significantly vary between the organs in the same species, which varies significantly by the species.

Alchemilla genus, which belongs to the Rosaceae family, is a medicinal plant used for various purposes among the people. Species of this genus are known in Turkish folk medicine as lion claw or hazelnut grass. Especially, they are used mainly women’s illnesses, in gastritis, anti-inflammatory, as carminative, and in the treatment of wound. Besides the antimutagenic effect of Alchemilla alpina L., its above-ground parts are used for antimycotic purposes in the form of tea or oral care water. In this study, it has been aimed to determine the antimicrobial effect of the above-ground parts of Alchemilla alpina extracts obtained from methanol, ethanol and chloroform and the antioxidant activity of different concentrations of the extract obtained from methanol. The antimicrobial activity of methanol, ethanol and chloroform extracts of the above-ground parts of A. alpina has been determined according to disk disc diffusion method. In the results obtained have been showed that these extracts inhibited the growth of some bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus ATCC25923, Escherichia coli ATCC25322, Klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC700603, Bacillus megaterium DSM32) and yeasts (Candida albicans FMC17 and Candida glabrata ATCC66032) at different rates (8-23 mm). The antioxidant activity of different concentrations (1.25, 2.5, 5 and 10 mg/ml) of the above-ground parts of A. alpina extract obtained from methanol has been determined according to the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging capacity method. In the results obtained, it has been observed that the effect of removing DPPH radical of A. alpina increased depending on increasing concentrations.

Environmental concerns together with social and ethical issues raise consumers’ interest in sustainable production and consumption practices. With rising trends of fair trade and high popularity of organic and local production in recent years, the demand for geographical indication registration has also increased by agricultural producers as a way of transmitting further information to raise reputation of their products. This research aims to assess the impact of geographical indications on export performance of Turkish agricultural products and foodstuffs. Findings reveal that geographical indications increase export revenues. Results communicate an important message to policy makers to promote the protection of geographical indications.