This research was conducted to determine the effects of different seaweed doses on yield and nutritional values of hydroponic wheatgrass (Triticum aestivum L.) juice in the climatization chamber of Karabuk University, Eskipazar Vocational School, Department of Crop and Animal Production between the dates of 15.01.2015 and 15.06.2015. In the research, four different seaweed doses (Control; 0, D1; 150, D2; 300, D3; 450 and D4; 600 ppm) and control were applied to irrigation water and their effects on the content of biomass rate, biomass and grass yield, grass juice yield and pH, plant height and root length, biomass and grass dry matter rate, grass juice energy and macronutrient values (protein, carbohydrate, fat, dietary fiber and ash) were analysed. According to the results, while the highest biomass and grass yield, plant height values were obtained from D1, D2, D3 and D4 treatments, the highest grass juice yield and root length were obtained from D3 treatment. The highest pH, grass dry matter content was obtained from control treatment. Seaweed dose treatments were not had influence on grass juice energy values. However, the rise in the grass juice yield was caused a rise in the total energy values in the unit area. D3 treatments can be recommendable to achieve the highest grass juice yield.

Sürdürülebilir tarımın karşı karşıya olduğu en önemli sorunlardan biri kaliteli gübre teminin ve gübrelemenin uygulamasında karşılaşılan sorundur. Son yıllarda bir yandan doğal yöntemlerle elde edilen gübrenin miktarı artırılmaya çalışılırken; diğer yandan farklı tip gübre (katı doğal, sıvı doğal, biyo-doğal vb..) çeşitlerinin elde edilmesine yönelik çalışmaların artarak devam ettiği görülmektedir. Bu çalışmanın amacı, fermente olmuş doğal hayvan gübresi ile beslenen solucanlardan (Eisenia fetida) elde edilen sıvı gübredeki (vermiwash) bazı besin elementleri ve metallerin zamana (30 gün, 31-6 gün) bağlı değişimlerinin belirlenmesidir. Bu amaçla, doğal meralarda otlayan ineklerden elde edilmiş ve en az 12 ay süreyle fermente olmuş hayvan gübresi ile Eisenia fetida solucanı beslenmiş ve besleme sırasında elde edilen sıvı solucan gübresindeki bazı makro ve mikro besin elementleri analiz edilmiştir. Sağım süresi arttıkça sıvı solucan gübresindeki N, K, Ca, Mg, Na, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Hg, Sb değerleri istatistiksel olarak önemli seviyede azalırken; Co, As, Ag, Cd, Pb, Al, Se, Mo, Li ve Be değerleri istatistiksel olarak önemli seviyede artmıştır.

Bu araştırmada, Koçaş Tarım İşletmesinde yetiştirilen Siyah Alaca ineklerin süt verim özellikleri incelenmiştir. Bu özelliklere ait fenotipik ve genotipik parametre tahminleri yapılmıştır. İncelenen özelliklere ait en küçük kareler ortalaması laktasyon süt verimi, 305 gün süt verimi, laktasyon süresi ve kuruda kalma süresi sırasıyla; 7046,18 kg, 6588,38 kg, 327,37 gün ve 67,48 gün, olarak tespit edilmiştir. Yine aynı özelliklere ait kalıtım dereceleri ise sırasıyla; 0,25, 0,26, 0,07, 0,03 ve 0,30 olarak tahmin edilmiştir. Yılın, mevsimin ve laktasyon sırasının laktasyon süt verimi, 305 gün süt verimi ve laktasyon süresi üzerine etkisi ile kuruda kalma özelliği üzerine mevsimin ve laktasyon sırasının etkisi önemli bulunmuştur. Araştırma sonuçları, süt verim özellikleri bakımından Koçaş Tarım İşletmesi yetiştiricilik şartlarının iyi durumda ve işletme için hesaplanan genotipik parametrelerin de kabul edilebilir sınırlar içerisinde olduğunu göstermiştir.

Land use management requires controlling natural resources for sustainability. Soil erosion related to improper land use is a major issue around the world. Land degradation may harm the health of ecosystems. Defining the soil loss in a basin is the starting point in the restoration of soil quality for crop production. Reducing soil losses to a tolerable rate is one of the primary objectives for sustainability and soil conservation. Central Anatolia is under considerable risk due to an increase in the cultivation of marginal lands for food production. Cultivated lands have already been reached the final limits throughout the last 50 years. Moreover, forests and considerable areas of pasture have recently been converted to ploughed fields due to agricultural expansion. This study was conducted in the Sarısu basin to evaluate soil losses and land use management for sustainability. The Universal Soil Loss Equation model and Geographic Information System techniques were used to estimate the soil losses. The mean potential soil loss of the basin was calculated to be 1.88 t ha-1 per year with the Universal Soil Loss Equation model. These results are comparatively small when compared to the average value for Turkey of 13 t ha-1 yearly. Our calculated results are closer to the value for the Sakarya river basin, which is approximately 2.77 t ha-1 y-1. In this study, land usages in the Sarısu basin were evaluated in terms of soil losses, tolerable soil loss rates and soil conservation precautions.

The main objective of this study was to measure and analyzes economic efficiency of crop production in North Kordofan State. Secondary objectives included: estimate technical, allocative and economic efficiency and construct efficiency profile determination and the effect of socio-economic factors behind inefficiency. Primary data was collected by a structured questionnaire following stratified random sampling technique from 205 farmers, while secondary data was collected form relevant Institutional sources. The stochastic frontier production and cost function model analysis was used to estimate the technical, allocative and economic efficiency of producing crops. The predicted technical efficiency and economic efficiency are the basis for estimating allocative efficiency of farm. Results indicated that the mean technical efficiency of sorghum, millet, groundnuts and sesame were 0.57, 0.73, 0.53 and 0.74, respectively. The mean allocative efficiency of sorghum, millet, groundnuts and sesame production were 0.84, 0.83, 0.92 and 0.90, respectively. The mean economic efficiency of sorghum, millet, groundnut and sesame were 0.48, 0.62, 0.49 and 0.67, respectively. Farmers who have credit access are more technically efficient than those who have no credit access.

Restoration of soil has been identified as the option; to ensure crop sustainability. However, as per Trophobiosis Theory of French Scientist F. Chaboussou, focus on development of healthy plants is necessary to abate pest and disease invasion so as to ensure sustained crop performance, even under unfavorable environmental conditions. The present study, in randomized block design with green gram as test crop; was undertaken in Krishi Vigyan Kendra (Howrah, West Bengal) to evaluate the effectiveness of Inhana Rational Farming (IRF) Technology towards crop yield and soil quality development under different sustainable models viz. organic cultivation, integrated soil with organic crop management and non- chemical crop management; as compared to conventional farming practice. Highest yield was recorded under organic (933 kg ha-1) followed by integrated (921 kg ha-1) and non- chemical plant management (902 kg ha-1). The results were well corroborated with the plant development index obtained under these treatments. Favorable trend of soil quality under sustainable models especially in terms of microbial properties indicated the role of quality compost towards speedy rejuvenation of soil dynamics. The study indicated that reduction of synthetic fertilizers and qualitative management of soil is essential to restrict yield decline. However, plant management shall be prerequisite for ensuring crop sustainability without any time lag and under the changing climatic patterns. In this respect the potential of IRF Technology has been well accounted.

In this study, static stress-deformation analyzes (in terms of material strengths) were presented comparatively through a FEM-based simulation of the subsoiler and paraplow legs designed in a three-dimensional CAD environment. In general, both soil tillage implements with high energy requirements are being used to remove the soil compaction problem on agricultural land. The operating conditions of the implements were simulated using a FEM-based simulation program (Ansys-16). The results of static analysis obtained from the Finite Element Method (FEM) were evaluated on some different materials used in the shank design of both implements and the results were given comparatively. According to the analysis results, the maximum equivalent stress was in paraplow shank foot 122 MPa which is used C-60 material and the maximum vertical dis-placement is 0,00014 mm in the position of shank foot of subsoiler

New plantain hybrids plants have been developed but not much has been done on the post-harvest keeping quality of the fruits and how they are affected by microbial colonization. Hence fruits from a tetraploid hybrid PITA 2 (TMPx 548-9) obtained by crossing plantain varieties Obino l’Ewai and Calcutta 4 (AA) and two local triploid (AAB) plantain landraces Agbagba and Obino l’Ewai were subjected to various concentrations of acetic, sorbic and propionic acid to determine the impact of chemical concentration, chemical type and plantain variety on ripening and weight loss of plantain fruits. Analysis of titratable acidity, moisture content and total soluble solids showed that there were no significant differences between fruits of hybrid and local varieties. The longest time to ripening from harvest (24 days) was achieved with fruits of Agbagba treated with 3% propionic acid. However, fruits of PITA 2 hybrid treated with propionic and sorbic acid at 3% showed the longest green life which indicated that the chemicals may work better at higher concentrations. The Obino l’Ewai cultivar had the highest weight loss for all chemical types used. Modelling data obtained showed that plantain variety had the most significant effect on ripening and indicates that ripening of the fruits may depend on the plantain variety. It appears that weight loss of fruits from the plantain hybrid and local cultivars was not affected by the plantain variety, chemical type. The chemicals at higher concentrations may have an effect on ripening of the fruits and will need further investigation.

Chloropropanols are known as undesired food contaminants liberated during the processing of various food products. When the adverse effects of chloropropanols, especially 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPD), 2-monochloropropane-1,3-diol (2-MCPD) and glycidols along with their esters were first understood, the studies about the detection and mitigation of these compounds were accelerated. 3-MCPD, which was detected in food products in higher amounts when compared to other chloropropanols, usually occurs during refining process of vegetable oils, especially in deodorisation step. The novel methods in terms of the analysis of 3-MCPD and other chloropropanols are continuously updated. However, there are two basic methods today namely direct and indirect methods. Direct methods enable to detect all of the esters individually, yet, due to the necessity of a huge number of reference standards, indirect methods are currently more preferred. The first essential step of reducing chloropropanols in food products is to determine the proper analysis method. In this review, general information, new developments in analysis methods, mitigation studies and the toxigolocial data about various chloropropanols were summarized.

Prices of agricultural products fluctuate depending upon several factors. In Turkey, potatoes are one of the main products for which price fluctuations are observed. This study was undertaken to determine the effect of the fluctuation in potato prices on producer incomes in Turkey. The Neyman Method was used to determine the sample size. The number of enterprises required to achieve a representative sample size was determined to be 56, with a 5% error margin and a 95% reliability limit. The way in which the potato cultivation area is affected by price was examined. The Koyck model was utilized for this purpose. By using Koyck analysis, average lag time was calculated to be approximately 1 year. This result indicates that the fluctuation in potato prices has quite a rapid effect on production. It was determined that producer income varies greatly depending on annual potato prices. The difference between estimated potato price and the actual price for the year 2012 resulted in an income loss of 11,198.6 $/ha. Some sustainable efforts such as production planning can be recommended to prevent these price fluctuations.