This study investigated the effects of boron toxicity and humic substance applications on cotton fiber quality and yield over two consecutive years, targeting boron toxicity issues in soils affected by agricultural and geothermal activities. The experiment evaluated varying concentrations of boron (0.6–1.8–5.4–16.2 mg B l-1) and humic substances (0–200–400 kg ha-1), with a focus on their effects on seed cotton yield, fiber length, fineness, strength, and gin efficiency. In the first year, the highest seed cotton yield was recorded at 452.5 kg da-1 with the B1 application, followed by 428.3 kg da-1 with B2. In the second year, increased boron application led to a notable decrease in seed cotton yield, with the lowest yield at 99.3 kg da-1 for the B4 application. The highest dose of boron also significantly reduced fiber strength, with the lowest recorded at 31.57 g/tex, and gin efficiency, which dropped to 37.98%. Humic substance applications showed limited influence on fiber quality parameters; however, the highest dose (H3) led to a significant increase in fiber strength to 33.47 g/tex in the second year. Cotton leaves accumulated substantial amounts of boron, reaching concentrations of 2048 mg B kg-1 during the flowering period of the second year, suggesting that cotton could serve as a hyperaccumulator in phytoremediation efforts for boron-contaminated soils. The study further determined that cotton can tolerate boron concentrations in irrigation water ranging from 1.8 to 5.4 mg B l-1, making it a viable crop in boron-affected regions. These findings provide critical insights into the potential of cotton as a resilient crop in environments with elevated boron levels, underscoring the need for further research to optimize cotton cultivation under such conditions.

The edible mushrooms are valued by people because they possess a large variety of secondary metabolites with diverse beneficial effects on human health. The Agaricales order is one of the largest taxon in fungal systematics represented by a number of edible species in Türkiye. This study aimed to evaluate the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities, as well as the fatty acid composition, of four Agarics (Agaricus bitorquis, Coprinopsis atramentaria, Coprinellus micaceus, and Leucoagaricus leucothites) collected from Nigde Province, Türkiye. The antioxidant capability was determined using DPPH assay and the total phenolic content was measured by Folin-Ciocalteu’s phenol reagent technique. Among the four species, A. bitorquis showed the highest DPPH radical scavenging activity (84.259±1.32%) and total phenolic content (1472.21±10.35µg GAE/mL). Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) technique was performed for the analysis and characterization of the fatty acid compositions. Linoleic acid was the major fatty acid detected in all four species, with percentages ranging from 23.58% to 42.96%. The antimicrobial activity of the mushroom extracts was assessed using the disc diffusion method, and the ethanol extract of C. atramentaria showed the most significant effect on E. coli with a 29±0.6 mm inhibition zone diameter.

Mulching, a widely employed agricultural practice, has been recognized for its influence on soil moisture retention, temperature regulation, and weed suppression, thereby improving growth and yield of crops. An experiment was conducted to study the effect of mulching materials on growth and yield attributes of summer squash under water constraint condition during March to May 2023 in Chitwan, Nepal. The experiment was laid in single factor Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with four different mulches (rice straw, wheat straw, rice husk and silver on black plastic mulch 30 microns) and control replicated 4 times. All the Plant growth parameters, including plant height, number of leaves per plant and plant spread, were highest in silver plastic mulch and the poorest in the un-mulched plots. Mulching also significantly influenced floral characters, with plastic mulch demonstrating superiority in traits such as days to flowering, number of flowers per plant, and sex ratio compared to organic mulches and the control. Fruit length, diameter, and weight exhibited the highest values under plastic mulch and the lowest values under the control, while all organic mulches showed similar results. The highest yield of 41.44 Mt ha-1 was achieved with silver plastic mulch, highlighting its effectiveness in enhancing crop productivity, while the lowest yield of 11.77 Mt ha-1 was recorded in the control plots. Despite its higher cost, silver pastic mulch exhibited highest net return and benefit-cost ratio. Rice husk mulch, with the second highest benefit-cost ratio and relatively low cost of production, emerged as promising alternative. Although mulching did not notably affect the soil pH, the varying soil organic matter percentages were observed, with the highest on rice straw mulch and the lowest on silver plastic mulch. The study suggests that while plastic mulch can significantly boost productivity during water scarcity, rice husk mulch offers a cost-effective alternative with substantial economic benefit.

Nearly all of the apricot varieties grown in Malatya are dried apricots and the plantation areas in this region are expanding daily. Due to the impact of climate change, producers are growing apricots mostly under limited irrigation or even dry conditions. Therefore, it is essential to determine the drought resistance characteristics of the varieties commonly cultivated in this region. In this study, different irrigation levels of 100%, 75%, 50% and 25% of available water were applied to Hacıhalioğlu, Kabaaşı, Çataloğlu, Hasanbey and Soğancı apricot varieties. To evaluate the resistance of the varieties to drought stress and its relationship with physiological changes, chlorophyll a and b, carotenoids, total sugar, total starch and abscisic acid contents in the leaves were analyzed. A decrease in chlorophyll a and b, carotenoids, total starch values and an increase in total sugar and ABA values were determined due to the decrease in irrigation rates. In Kabaasi and Hasanbey varieties, which were observed as the most resistant to water shortage, chlorophyll a and b, carotenoids, total starch values were higher and total sugar content was lower at decreased irrigation levels. No difference was detected between varieties in ABA values. As a result of the observations in the drought resistance tests and physiological analyses, it was concluded that the most resistant varieties were Kabaasi and Hasanbey. Unfortunately, the most sensitive variety was the most widespread Hacihaliloglu. In addition, analyzing and evaluating the physiological changes occurring in apricot under drought stress will be useful in developing the most appropriate irrigation strategies for each variety and increasing water use efficiency. It may also be useful in cross-breeding studies to develop new drought-resistant varieties.

Dünya üzerinde yaşayan en kalabalık canlı grubu olan böcekler, doğal yaşam alanlardan başka yerlere taşınmaları durumunda önemli sorunlara neden olabilmektedirler. Son elli yılda Türkiye’de başka ülkelerden ve hatta kıtalardan taşınan böcek ve mantarların da aralarında bulunduğu birçok biyotik unsur önemli düzeyde hasara neden olmuş ve olmaya da devam etmektedir. Bu çalışmada, Türkiye’den kayıtları belirtilen ve istilacı olduğu tespit edilen Coleoptera takımına ait; Phoracantha semipunctata (Fabricius, 1775), Phoracantha recurva (Newman, 1840), Cordylomera spinicornis (Fabricius, 1775), Xylotrechus stebbingi (Gahan, 1906), Phryneta leprosa (Fabricius, 1775), Anoplophora chinensis (Forster, 1771), Anoplophora malasiaca (J. Thomson, 1865), Batocera rufomaculata (De Geer, 1775), Dendroctonus micans (Kugelann, 1794), Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier, 1790), Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say, 1824), Harmonia axyridis (Pallas, 1773), ve Xylosandrus compactus (Eichhoff, 1875) taksonlarının; taksonomisi, biyomorfolojisi  ekofaunası, Türkiye ve dünyadaki dağılımı belirtilerek, ülkemizdeki istilacı türlerin varlığı, etki alanları ve riskleri analiz edilerek değerlendirilmeleri amaçlanmaktadır.

In this study, the usage potential of some artificial antioxidants, generally recognized as safe (GRAS) compounds and nano-oxides solutions in wood preservation industry, was investigated. For this purpose, antifungal and antioxidant properties of solutions were determined. Erythorbic acid, ethoxyquin, potassium disulfide, sodium ascorbate, sodium erythorbate and Enginerring and Nature Sciences Faculty (TBHQ) were selected as artificial antioxidants; dehydroacetic acid, sorbic acid and sodium benzoate were used as GRAS compounds and nano MgO, nano CeO, nano ZnO, nano SiO2 and TiO2 were investigated as nano-oxides in this study. Three different concentrations (0.5%, 1.0% and 1.5% ) were prepared, and anti-fungal test were carried out. The brown rot fungus Coniophora puteana (Schumach.) P. Karst. (BAM Ebw. 15) was used for the anti-fungal test. Then antioxidant activity of the solutions were determined. Iron (III) ion reducing antioxidant power method (FRAP) was used to determine the antioxidant activity of solutions. All solutions at 1.5% concentration completely inhibited the growth of C. puteana fungus. The antioxidant activity of solutions was sorted as artificial antioxidants>GRAS compounds>nano-oxides, respectively. It was concluded that the tested substances can be used as impregnating agents in wood preservation.

Bu çalışmanın amacı, tarım piyasalarının finansal piyasalarla buluşmasını ve ürün ihtisas borsacılığı ile türev piyasalara geçişini hızlandırmayı vadeden lisanslı depoculuk sisteminin, Türkiye’de beklenen başarıyı neden yakalayamadığını tespit etmektir. Bu amaçla çalışma, lisanslı depoculuk sisteminin tarım piyasalarına entegrasyonu ve üreticiler tarafından benimsenmesini engelleyen kısıtlara odaklanmıştır. Lisanslı depoculuk sisteminin üreticiye, sanayiciye, tüccara, tarımsal ve finansal piyasalara önemli avantajlar sunduğu literatürde birçok çalışmada yer almaktadır. Bu denli avantajlı bir sistemin benimsenmesini engelleyen unsurların belirlenmesi önemli görülmüştür. Yapılan araştırma ile, Türkiye’de lisanslı depoculuk sisteminin üreticide yeterince karşılık bulmamasının, gelişmekte olan diğer ülkelerde de aynı nedenlere bağlı olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Araştırma bulgularına göre, sistemin benimsenmesinde en önemli kısıt, lisanslı depo kapasitesinin yetersizliği, tarımın yapısal sorunları ve küçük ölçekli üreticiyi sisteme çekecek yeterli unsurun bulunmamasıdır. Türkiye ve gelişmekte olan çoğu ülkede tarımsal üretim, küçük çiftliklerde yapılmaktadır. Tarım sektörünün büyük çoğunluğunu oluşturan küçük aile çiftliklerinin sisteme katılımını sağlayacak politika ve motivasyon araçları geliştirilmediği sürece, sistemin amacına hizmet etmesi mümkün gözükmemektedir.

Paclobutrazol (PBZ) is a growth regulator that widely used in horticulture and in the tomato seedling growth to compact the shoots, increase the stem diameter and, root biomass, allowing more tolerance of the seedlings against adverse weather conditions. The objective of this work was to evaluate the rates of paclobutrazol (0, 4, 7, 10 and 13 mg L-1) applied 15 days after sowing by foliar spray on the growth, chemical composition and xylem vessel number of tomato seedlings cultivated in two periods. The PBZ regardless of the application rate reduced the height of tomato seedlings in both growth periods. The basal stem diameter and leaf area were increased with 13 mg L-1 of PBZ. The lignin percentage also increased with 10 and 13 mg L-1 of PBZ as compared to control for both periods. The number of xylem vessel was not affected by PBZ application on the seedlings in the first period. PBZ application at rates of 7 and 10 mg L-1 increased the xylem vessel number in the second period. In general, the application of 13 mg L-1 of PBZ generated seedling more robust to overcome climate adversities.

This study presents a comprehensive investigation into the interactions of two distinct synthetic dyes—1,9-Dimethyl-Methylene Blue and Toluidine Blue —with different DNA structures, namely calf thymus DNA (ct-DNA), G-quadruplex DNA, and single stranded DNA (ssDNA). The objective of this research is to elucidate the molecular affinities of these dyes for specific DNA structures and explore their potential applications in molecular biology and diagnostics. The experimental approach involved detailed UV-visible spectroscopic analyses, to probe the binding affinities of each dye with ct-DNA, G-quadruplex DNA, and ssDNA. The study aimed to assess the selectivity of these dyes towards the unique structural features of each DNA entity. The binding stoichiometry is defined from Job’s method. The selectivity of the dyes towards DNA also investigated with competitive dialysis experiments. The binding stoichiometry were 1:1 for 1,9-Dimethyl-Methylene Blue and Toluidine Blue and G-quadruplex DNA or ssDNA. Besides, results indicate that 1,9-Dimethyl-Methylene Blue and Toluidine Blue exhibit a pronounced affinity for G-quadruplex DNA, and ct-DNA. While single-stranded DNA is a fundamental component of DNA replication and transcription, our dyes exhibit lower affinity for this structure. The selectivity is advantageous, as it allows for the discrimination between single-stranded and structured DNA regions. The potential applications in studying DNA dynamics and unwinding processes are vast.

Climate change-induced droughts have various negative impacts on different sectors, especially on agricultural sector. Altınekin District, where the research was conducted, has the lowest precipitation in Konya Province, therefore is expected to be most affected by drought. For sustainable use of water resources, each stage of agricultural production should be carried out within the framework of a specific program. With this study, knowledge level of farmers engaged in irrigated agriculture in Altınekin district regarding irrigation and irrigation programs they applied were determined through a face-to-face survey. Present findings revealed that 38.7% of the participant farmers are aged 50 years and over and a large proportion of them (54.7%) are primary school graduates. Participant farmers were all (100%) using groundwater resources in agricultural production and 88% of them stated that they did not receive any training on irrigation. While 32% of the farmers participating in the survey stated that they had knowledge about the concept of irrigation program, 68% reported that they did not have any knowledge. Incorrect and improper practices regarding efficient use of irrigation water in the region, especially regarding the irrigation program, were identified and solutions were proposed for these problems.