Bu araştırmada, Kütahya il ve ilçelerinde çerezlik kabak çekirdeği üretimine başlayan üretici arazilerinin toprak özelliklerinin, hasat edilen tohumların özellikleri üzerine etkileri araştırılmıştır. Bu amaçla, Kütahya Tarım ve Orman İl Müdürlüğü’nün çiftçilere çerezlik kabak tohumluğu dağıttığı tarlalardan (44 adet) ekim öncesi toprak örnekleri alınmıştır. Toprak analizleri yapılmış ve elde edilen sonuçlara göre dekara 10 kg azot (N), 30 kg fosfor (P2O5), 11 kg potasyum (K2O) ve eksikliği belirlenen mikro elementleri yeterli seviyeye getirecek miktarda gübre önerilmiştir. Bu araştırma ile hasat edilen kabak tohumlarının verimi, morfolojik özellikleri, yağ ve protein içeriği belirlenmiştir. Araştırma alanındaki toprakların çoğunlukla killi tınlı, kireçli, organik madde içeriğinin orta, N içeriğinin yeterli, P içeriği yetersiz olarak belirlenmiştir. Toprakların mikro element içerikleri ise Fe ve Cu yeterli, Mn ve Zn çok az, B ise yeterli olduğu bulunmuştur. Kabak tohumlarının iç kısmının protein içeriği %22,6 ile 45,8 ve yağ oranı %41,48 ile 54,13 değerleri arasında değişmiştir. Bazı yetiştiricilerin ürettiği çerezlik kabak tanelerinin 100 tohum ağırlıklarının iri kalite sınıfına girdiği belirlenmiştir. Araştırma verileri, büyüme ortamı olan toprak özelliklerinin ve iklim koşullarının kabak çekirdeğinin protein ve yağ içeriğine doğrudan etkisinin çok fazla olduğu sonucuna varılmıştır.

Turkish hazelnut (Corylus avellana L.) is naturally grown as a multi-stemmed shrub. This hazelnut produces lots of suckers. Suckers compete with the main branches for nutrients and water. Because the emergence of suckers negatively affects crop management in the hazelnut orchards are required to eliminate at least twice a year. Flaming is an alternative method to chemical and mechanical control methods. In this study, the effect of gas pressure, flaming time on fuel consumption and flaming efficiency in hazelnut sucker control were evaluated. The trials were carried out in an shrub ocak (in Turkish) type hazelnut orchard The results show that the torch flaming method is a useable method for hazelnut basal sucker cleaning. Gas pressure and flaming time had significant effects on fuel consumption and flaming efficiency. 150 s flaming duration and 3 bar pressure is sufficient for the flaming application. Durations above this time will increase fuel consumption and time loss.

Ever-developing agricultural technologies and progress in communication science increase competition and globalization in converge countries. Agricultural fairs offer ambient to bring producers and input-suppliers of agriculture together at certain places and times. They offer direct and efficient information about new technologies to producers. German Agricultural Society and Leader Farmer Association have jointly organized outdoor fairs in Turkey since 2010. Agriculture Days Fair is one of the most important events among these jointly organized fairs. This study was conducted to determine the reasons for producers’ participation in these fairs held in 2015 and 2017 and to determine the effects of socio-economic characteristics of the producers on their reasons for participation in these fairs. A total of 589 questionnaires were made in this study (250 in May 2015 fair and 339 in August 2017 fair). The same questionnaire forms were used in both years. CHAID analysis technique was employed in analyzing data gathered from the producers. It was observed that producers generally participated in agricultural fairs just for the excursion or spent time with their families at weekends. However, it was also determined that the producers were informed about the agricultural fairs by producer organizations and Leader Farmer Association participated in the fairs to promote a new products or to give information about new technologies and inputs. It can be suggested that beyond informing producers about the fairs, Leader Farmer Association formed within the scope of Leader Farmer Project initiated with the support of German Agricultural Society (DLG) should convey information about how important the fairs are in the acquaintance with introducing new information and technologies.

Potato is a high potential food security crop in Ethiopia. Genetic variability is the basis of all crop improvement programs. The study was conducted at Adet in 2018 with the objective of assessing the extent and pattern of genetic variability of potato genotypes for yield and yield related traits. A total of 36 potato genotypes were evaluated for 18 quantitative traits in simple lattice design. The analysis of variance revealed that highly significant difference among the tested potato genotypes for all quantitative traits except stem number per hill. The phenotypic coefficient of variation was ranged from 4.56 to 56.01% (for specific gravity and unmarketable tuber yield ha-1 respectively) and the genotypic coefficient of variation was ranged from 2.32 to 40.66% (specific gravity and late blight severity percentage respectively). Days to attain 50% emergence, leaf area index, number of marketable and total tubers per plant, marketable and total tuber yield ha-1, and late blight severity percentage showed high heritability and high genetic advance as percent of mean. Most of the traits had high phenotypic coefficient of variation and genotypic coefficient of variation; and coupled high heritability with high genetic advance as percent of mean. Traits having high heritability and high genetic advance as percent of means is effective for simple selection.

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.

Agricultural marketing plays a vital role in economic development and livelihood of people in developing countries. Marketing of agricultural products which provide income to most farmers and marketers in Nigeria has been characterised with a lot of deficiencies which have constrained sustainable development and economic growth. This study, therefore, analysed carrot and cucumber marketing including constraints to their effective marketing in Enugu State, Nigeria. Data collected, primarily, were analysed using descriptive statistics, marketing margin and Likert type rating technique. The result shows that vegetable marketing was dominated by females (65%) who were still in their economically active age and did not belong to a cooperative society. Half of them perform a retail marketing function, 30% perform both retail and wholesale functions while 20% perform wholesale function. Vegetable marketing contributed to marketers’ income by providing N25,667.7 (USD 66.93) per month on average. The marketing margins were 26.30% and 20.18% for cucumber and carrot, respectively. The high cost of shop rent, high transportation cost, low capital, price fluctuation, poor credit facilities and a low supply of vegetables due to seasonal variation were the major constraints faced by vegetable marketers. Vegetable marketers, therefore, need support by providing affordable credit facilities and building of modern market stalls by the government. This would give them a conducive and hygienic environment. Also, vegetable marketers should form a cooperative society where they can pool resources and get financial assistance. This would lead to efficient marketing of the product.

Şekerpancarı üretiminde verim ve kalite için azot (N) ve bor (B) gübrelemesi önemlidir. Fakat fazla azotlu (N) gübreler kalite parametreleri üzerinde olumsuz etkilere neden olmaktadır. Hayvan yemi olarak kullanılan şeker pancarı yapraklarında nitrat birikiminin artması da olumsuz etkilenen kalite parametrelerinden birisidir. Bu çalışmanın amacı, şeker pancarına farklı dozda azot ve bor uygulamasının bitki yapraklarında nitrat birikimi üzerine etkisini incelemektir. Çalışma, Kahramanmaraş ili Elbistan İlçesinde 2017 yılında B içeriği 0,56 mg kg-1 olan bir arazide yürütülmüştür. Deneme tesadüf blokları faktöriyel deneme desenine göre 3 tekerrürlü olarak kurulmuştur. Denemede 5 farklı N dozu (0, 9,18, 27, 36 kg N da-1) ve 4 farklı B dozu (0, 200, 400, 600 g B da-1) uygulanmıştır. Araştırmada temmuz, ağustos, eylül ve ekim aylarında yaprak örnekleri alınmıştır. Araştırma sonuçlarına göre N dozu arttıkça yaprakların nitrat içeriği istatistiksel olarak önemli derecede artmıştır. Bor uygulamasının yaprakların nitrat içeriği üzerine etkisi önemli bulunmamıştır. Hasat dönemine doğru yaprakların nitrat içeriği istatistiksel olarak önemli düzeyde azalmıştır. Sonuç olarak hasat sonrası şekerpancarı yapraklarının hayvan yemi olarak kullanması, nitrat bakımından hayvanlar için bir risk oluşturmamaktadır.

In Ethiopia, maize is the second largest in production areas and first in its productivity but there are high yield gaps between the actual yield currently producing and the potential yield. Therefore, this study was aimed to identify factors that affecting maize production of smallholder farmers at the farm level in the Meta district in the east Hararge zone, Oromia, Ethiopia. A two-stage random sampling technique was employed and a total of 200 smallholder farmers were randomly and proportionally selected to collect primary data. Multiple linear regression models were used to analysis factors that affect maize production among smallholder farmers. The result showed that the production of maize was influenced by several factors. The coefficient provided that as the farmers obtained 1 dollar from non-farm activity, the maize production of farmers increased by 293.2 kg, keeping other factors constant. Thus, the farmers who had money from non-farm sources used as additional income to gain agricultural inputs for maize production and thus generate more maize quantity. The result was pointed out that the size of the cultivated areas of land had a positive influence on the quantity of maize production of farmers. The coefficient entailed that as the size of the cultivated areas of land increased by one hectare, the farmer’s quantity of maize production increased by 140.4 kg by keeping other factors constant. The result was also indicated that other factors being constant, the maize crop production of smallholder farmers of Meta district was decreased by 4 kg as Development Agent’s (DA’s) office distance increased by one minute. The possible explanation was that extension services were a critical source of information on agronomic practices. Therefore, policy makers should encourage the current maize production and supplying improved seed and chemical fertilizer which support to improve smallholder farm households’ welfare by increasing their sources of income.

‘Circular economy’ in agriculture centres on the production of agricultural commodities using a minimal amount of external inputs, closing nutrient loops and reducing negative discharges to the environment (in the form of wastes and emissions). This can be achieved through the (re)design of maintenance, repair, reuse, remanufacturing, refurbishing, and recycling. Under the principles of CE, products and materials approaching their end-of-life stage can be regenerated or restored or replaced. Circular agriculture is aimed at closing the loop of materials and substances, and reducing both resource use and discharges into the environment. New measures like environmental taxes, insurance for liability resulting from environmental damage, cap and trade system and environmental labelling can be explored to promote transition of a current linear model to a circular one. The circular economy in Nepal is in infant stage and there is plenty of works to be done in this sector. The results of the paper will be instrumental for the transition of Nepalese agricultural sector to a more circular one.