In this study, sterol and fatty acid compositions with the other quality criteria (free fatty acids, peroxide value, total chlorophyll and carotenoid content) of olive oil samples obtained from Halhalı, Gemlik and Sarı Hasebi varieties through two phase mechanical method (crushing, kneading and centrifuge) was determined. Oleic, palmitic, linoleic, stearic, palmitoleic, linolenic and arachidic acids were the determined as the main fatty acids in olive oil samples. It was determined that oleic acid contents of oil samples ranged between 66.25-76.14% and Sarı Hasebi had the highest oleic acid content. Sterol and fatty acid compositions of olive oil samples showed significantly statistical differences according to varieties. It was determined that the total sterol contents of oils ranged between 1025 and 1686 mg/kg and varieties with the highest and lowest total sterol content were Gemlik and Sarı Hasebi. Apparent β-sitosterol contents (β-sitosterol, Δ-5-avenasterol, Δ-5-24-stigmastadienol, klerosterol, sitostanol) were between 92.96 and 94.63%. Varieties with the highest and lowest apparent β-sitosterol contents were oils which belong to Halhalı and Sarı Hasebi varieties respectively. β -sitosterol (83.08-88.21%), Δ-5-avenasterol (4.82-6.97%) and campesterol (2.28-3.43%) were identified as the main sterol components. Erythrodiol + uvaol contents of olive oils varied between 2.28 and 3.43% and these values were within the limits established by Turkish Food Codex.

During the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases, first cause of deaths in the world, diet has a vital role. While nutrition programs for the cardiovascular health generally focus on lipids and carbohydrates, effects of proteins are not well concerned. Thus this review is written in order to examine effect of proteins, amino acids, and the other amine consisting compounds on cardiovascular system. Because of that animal or plant derived proteins have different protein composition in different foods such as dairy products, egg, meat, chicken, fish, pulse and grains, their effects on blood pressure and regulation of lipid profile are unlike. In parallel amino acids made up proteins have different effect on cardiovascular system. From this point, sulfur containing amino acids, branched chain amino acids, aromatic amino acids, arginine, ornithine, citrulline, glycine, and glutamine may affect cardiovascular system in different metabolic pathways. In this context, one carbon metabolism, synthesis of hormone, stimulation of signaling pathways and effects of intermediate and final products that formed as a result of amino acids metabolism is determined. Despite the protein and amino acids, some other amine consisting compounds in diet include trimethylamine N-oxide, heterocyclic aromatic amines, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and products of Maillard reaction. These amine consisting compounds generally increase the risk for cardiovascular diseases by stimulating oxidative stress, inflammation, and formation of atherosclerotic plaque.

Ethiopian agriculture is a vulnerable sector from effects of climate variability. This study identified how strong is the effect of climate variability on smallholders’ crop income in Central highlands and Arssi grain plough farming systems of the country. The unbalanced panel data (1994-2014) of the study collected for eight rounds analysed through fixed effect regression. The model result shows that successive increment of crop season rainfall keeping the temperature constant has negative and significant effect on households’ crop income in the study area. The crop income responds similarly for temperature increment if the rainfall remains constant. Given this, simultaneous increment of the two climate related inputs has positive and significant effect on crop income. Other variables like flood, frost, storm, and rainfall inconsistency in the onset and cessation time affected households’ crop income negatively and significantly. Similarly, draught power and human labour, which are critical inputs in the crop production of Ethiopian smallholders, have positive and significant effect on crop income as to the model result. Thus, this study recommended that there should be supplementing the rainfall through irrigation, check dam and other activities to have consistent water supply for the crop production that enable smallholders to collect better income. Additionally, negative effect of temperature increment should be curved through adopting long lasting strategies like afforestation.

In spite of the low grain yield they produce, the hulled wheat have become even more important in recent years because of their resistance to negative environmental conditions and healthy nutritional content. The research was carry out in order to comparison the yield and yield characteristics of durum (Kiziltan-91 and C-1252), hulled (Einkorn and Emmer) and bread wheat (Tir) varieties in Isparta ecological conditions in 2013-14 and 2014-15 vegetation periods. In both years, the highest grain yield was obtained in Kiziltan-91 variety (3992 and 3758 kg ha-1 respectively). The grain yield of hulled wheats in the first year (Einkorn 1269 kg ha-1, Emmer 2125 kg ha-1) was around Turkey averages. However, grain yield decreased of commercial wheat varieties due to the negative effect of high amount of rainfall in June in the second year, but considerably increased in (Einkorn 2150 kg ha-1, Emmer 2533 kg ha-1). N uptake was found to be lower in the than durum wheats. In terms of grain protein content, the highest values were obtained in Emmer variety (16.4%-15.3%).

Bu çalışma, Kırşehir İlinde yetiştirilen Akkaraman ırkı koyunlarda gebeliğin son döneminde yapılan ek yemlemenin kuzularda doğum ve çeşitli dönemlerdeki ağırlıklar üzerine etkisinin belirlenmesi amacı ile yapılmıştır. Araştırma materyalini, 580 baş Akkaraman koyunu ve bunların 2015 doğum sezonunda doğurmuş oldukları 554 baş Akkaraman kuzusu oluşturmuştur. Akkaraman koyunları iki gruba ayrılmıştır. Her iki gruba da buğday samanı gebelik süresince verilmiştir. Ek yemleme grubuna (EYG), gebeliğin son döneminde buğday samanına ek kesif yem (400 gr/hayvan) verilmiştir. Kontrol grubuna (KG) ise gebelik süresince sadece buğday samanı verilmiştir. Araştırmada kuzuların çeşitli dönem canlı ağırlıkları, yaşama güçleri ve Akkaraman koyunlarının bazı döl verim özellikleri incelenmiştir. Akkaraman koyunlarında döl verim özelliklerinden kısırlık oranı, doğum oranı, ikizlik oranı, yavru atma oranı, koç altı koyun başına kuzu sayısı ve doğuran koyun başına kuzu sayısı değerleri EYG ve KG gruplarında sırasıyla %12 ve %9, %86 ve %91, %13 ve %5, %2 ve %0, 0,96 ve 0,95, 1,12 ve 1,04 olarak bulunmuştur. Kuzularda yaşama gücü 90. gün ve 120. günde EYG ve KG gruplarında sırasıyla %84, %80 ve %91, %91 olarak tespit edilmiştir. Akkaraman kuzularının doğum, 90. ve 120. günlük yaştaki canlı ağırlık ortalamaları EYG ve KG gruplarında sırasıyla 5,82±0,06 kg, 30,94±0,44 kg, 35,91±0,09 kg ve 3,43±0,05 kg, 30,17±0,39 kg, 30,84±0,39 kg olarak tespit edilmiştir. Ek yemlemenin, cinsiyet ve doğum tipine göre, doğum ağırlığı ve 120. gün yaş ağırlığı üzerine etkisi önemli bulunmuştur. 90. gün ağırlığı bakımından ise sadece doğum tipinin etkisi çok önemli bulunmuştur. Sonuç olarak, gebeliğin son döneminde yapılan ek yemlemenin kuzuların doğum ve 120. gün ağırlıklarını artırdığı tespit edilmiştir.

This paper provides a detailed overview of the current situation of the coffee sector in the Rwandan economy and identifies the possible challenges that the sector is currently facing. The study has identified the economic and the livelihood indicators for farmers who are engaged in coffee production and also gives the Rwandan coffee sector’ situation and its position in the global coffee market. Also, the research has found out that in Rwanda, nearly 500,000 farmers produce coffee along with other crops, notably beans, savory banana and corn and found out that in 2012, coffee accounted for almost 30 percent of Rwanda’s total export revenue. On the other hand, the study revealed that the sector throughout all the coffee production process, has undergone different challenges especially climate change as it is reported by the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal resources. A low yield was reported in 2007 and climate variability was quoted among the causes. Insufficient rainfall in the last three months of 2006 (the period of coffee flowering) proceeding the short dry season in the first two months of 2007 was recorded. The reduced rainfall was also poorly distributed across coffee growing regions in Rwanda. In addition, the research revealed that even though the area under coffee production is increasing, the coffee production is decreasing due to unexpected climate change and variability in current years and also the improper use of chemical fertilizers by coffee farmers is very critical. The study concluded that adding value to the coffee supply chain of Rwanda is adding direct economic benefits and important indirect social benefits to the lives of individuals and to the health of communities in Rwanda. Moreover, more effort should continue to raise the profile of the Rwandan coffee sector suggesting that proper use of chemical fertilizers, solid marketing channels and climate change adaptations measures would be the fair ways of making the sector more profitable and considering national targets to increase coffee export revenues, a few simple measures to improve the performance of the sector could have substantial effects on the country’s economic growth.

Bu çalışmada, Türkiye opilionid faunası endemizm açısından değerlendirilmekte ve bu grubun Türkiye’nin biyolojik zenginliği içindeki mevcut durumu ve önemi ortaya konulması amaçlanmıştır. Bu amaçla ülkemiz otbiçenleri üzerine yapılmış olan çalışmalar incelenmiş ve 6 familyaya ait 35 tür ve 2 alt türün endemik olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Bu türlerin familya ve cinslere göre dağılımı belirlenmiş ve grafiklerle gösterilmiştir.

Water loss kinetics in osmotic dehydration of cone-shaped fruits and vegetables was modeled on the basis of diffusion mechanism, using the Fick’s second law. The model was developed by taking into account the influences of the fruit geometrical characteristics, initial water content of fruit, water diffusion coefficient in fruit, and the water concentration in hypertonic solution. Based on the obtained model, it was shown that the water diffusion coefficient and the initial water concentration of fruit have direct effects on the dehydration rate and also inverse influence on the dehydration duration. The geometrical parameters of fruit and water concentration in hypertonic solution showed direct effect on the dehydration duration as well as inverse effect on the dehydration rate. The presented model seems to be useful tool to predict the dehydration kinetics of cone-shaped fruit during osmotic dehydration process and to optimize the process prior to perform the experiments.

In this study, the threat categories of locally endangered orchid species were sampled over an area of covering 187 km2 in Mersin, Adana, Hatay and Kahramanmaraş provinces of Turkey. Periodic observations were carried out in 44 sampling plots specified within three bioclimatic belts, namely the Mediterranean-montane, the sub-Mediterranean and the Mediterranean. 34 orchid species were identified under the genera of Cephalanthera (L.), Comperia (Steven.), Dactylorhiza, Epipactis (L.), Himantaglossum (Boiss.), Limodorum (L.) Ophrys, Orchisand Serapias (Burm.fil). The results revealed that six orchid species were growing in the Mediterranean-montane zone, 20 species in the sub-Mediterranean zone and 23 species in the Mediterranean zone. According to the resources of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) the threat categories were reported for only 12 out of 13 species. Local threat categories of this study showed some differences when IUCN data were considered. 34 orchid species identified in this study and 12 species were evaluated under Critically Endangered (CR) threat category. It was found that 11, 7, 2 and 2 species were under EN, VU, NT and LC respectively. Therefore, Orchid species sampled from the Eastern Mediterranean Region of Turkey have been categorized on the basis of the threat categories identified by the IUCN.

Although the intensification of agricultural production is the reason for feeding of increasing human population the demand for organic or ecological products is increasing in parallel with the social consciousness in recent years. Hair goat breeding is made in a large part of Turkey that is suitable or may become suitable for organic production system with a few arrangements. In this study, Hair goat breeding was evaluated together with the Regulation on the Principles and Implementation of Organic Agriculture. The study is important in terms of ensuring sustainability of hair goats under the threat of crossbreeding by assessing it within organic production.