This study was aimed at identification and prevalence of potato soft rot and black leg disease agent in the potato production areas of Tokat province. In March-August 2018, 67 field surveys were carried out in Central, Turhal, Zile, Pazar, Erbaa, Niksar, Artova and Basciftlik districts of Tokat. The disease incidences were 0.25%, 0.33%, 0.31%, 0.5%, 1%, and 8% in Central, Erbaa, Niksar, Pazar, Turhal, and Zile district, respectively. In Artova and Basciftlik districts, no disease was encountered. The following tests, pectolytic activity on potato, gram reaction, catalase, oxidase, growth at 37°C and 39°C, salt tolerance, hypersensitivity reaction were applied to isolates obtained from diseased plant and tuber samples. In the PCR assay, 19 isolates were produced 434 bp product with Y1/Y2 primers specific to Pectobacterium spp., and 3 isolates were produced 420 bp product with ADE1/ADE2 primers specific to Dickeya spp. The isolates resulted positive with Y1/Y2 primers weren’t produced PCR product with ECA1/ECA2 primers specific to Pectobacterium atrosepticum. According to this, 19 isolates were identified as Pectobacterium carotovorum. With this study, the causal agent of potato blackleg and soft rot disease have been identified in the potato production areas of Tokat. Further studies will be conducted to determine the species and subspecies level of the pathogens using specific primers.

In this study, it was aimed to investigate the arterial vascularization of the kidneys in the South Karaman sheep breed. Twelve South Karaman sheep kidneys were used in the study. The course of the renal arteries in the kidney was examined by means of dissection and corrosion cast techniques. The kidneys were vascularized with right renal artery and left renal artery to the arteries originating from the abdominal aorta. Right renal artery was seen to be slightly more prominent than the left renal artery. Left renal artery was measured longer and thicker than the right renal artery. The renal artery entering the renal hilus, dorsal and ventral part of the renal artery were detected. However, in several materials, the left renal artery was shown to have a third branch. The dorsal and ventral branches gave interlobar artery with numbers ranging from 2-5. Each interlobar artery had multiple arcuate artery. These arteries ended by giving the interlobular artery. Anastomosis was not observed between the renal arteries. Although there were some important variations in the distribution of renal arteries of South Karaman sheep, similar findings were reported in the literature.

The aim of the present study is to assess the effects Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum, Fabaceae), sunflower (Helianthus annuus, Asteraceae), green cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum, Zingiberaceae) and seed extracts, which they belonged to three different plant families, on common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) spermatozoa motility parameters and oxidative stress conditions. For this reason, sperm samples treated with seed extracts at the ratios of 0.1%, %0.5, 1%, and 2%, were incubated at 4°C and sampled at 2nd and 48th hours. Among sperm motility parameters, curvilinear velocity (VCL), average path velocity (VAP), straight-line velocity (VSL), straightness STR), linearity (LIN), and wobble (WOB) were determined by computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA). According to the results, sunflower and green cardamom seed extracts have attenuated motility parameters at all tested concentrations. However, motility parameters measured in %0.5 of fenugreek seed extract were higher than all other groups including the control at 48th hour. Also, TBARS values as an oxidative stress indicator in this group were decreased. 2% of all seed extracts had negative effects on the sperm samples. Particularly, 2% sunflower seed extract caused the higher oxidative stress. These results indicate that fenugreek seed extract is more proper for the maintenance of common carp spermatozoa at 4°C, comparing to those of sunflower and green cardamom.

In the study, Trachurus trachurus, Engraulis encrasicolus, Merlangius merlangius euxinus, and Mullus barbatus from along the coast of Sinop were analysed for the content of copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), iron (Fe), nickel (Ni) and aluminium (Al) in the muscle. Zn, Pb and Cd concentrations were determined to be lightly higher than the acceptable rates in fish samples. The provisional tolerable daily and weekly intake of trace metals in our work were all under than the limits set by the Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization, while for Cd, only M. barbatus was higher than FAO limits. E. encrasicolus and M. barbatus had the highest values for the collected total target danger section, but they did not posture a potential hazard within the diet of local residents. For carcinogenic and non carcinogenic risk assessment, the results were lower than the admissible rate of EPA. In the four fish species in the work, the Target cancer risk values of Ni were greater than 10-4, whereas the Target cancer risk values of Pb were smaller than 10-6. According to these results, it is thought that the Ni concentration in fish does pose a carcinogenic risk due to long-term and continuous consumption.