A correct detection and appropriate identification of causal pathogens associated with crop plants or seeds are considered to be the most important issue in designing the proper management plans for plant diseases. This study was designed to detect Phytophthora infestans inoculum from potato grown soil. A high detection rate of P.infestans was obtained from the naturally infested soil of potato fields. Naturally soils were firstly moistened in a plastic pots and then pre-incubated at ±18°C for 3 days, baiting with potato tuber slice for 24, 48, and 72 h. The baits were then thoroughly washed, flooded with 10–15 ml of distilled water in Petri-dishes and incubated under continuous darkness in chamber ±18ºC. Sporangia started to emerge from the margins of potato tuber slice. They were easily observed under the stereomicroscope. Pure culture of the fungus was obtained by isolating from baited tubers on a Rye Agar medium. This is the first report of recovery of P. infestans from naturally infested potato growing soils using susceptible potato tuber (K. Bahar) as bait in India. All isolates were determined to be A2 mating type.

Common purslane (Portulaca oleracea L.) is an annual plant as one of the natural sources for noradrenaline hormone. In this research, hairy root culture of purslane was established by using Agrobacterium rhizogenes strain ATCC 15834. In the following, Box-Behnken model of response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to optimize B5 medium for the growth of P. oleracea L. hairy root line. According to the results, modelling and optimization conditions, including sucrose, CaCl2.H2O, H2PO4 and NO3-/NH4+ concentrations on maximum dry weight (0.155 g) and noradrenaline content (0.36 mg.g-1 DW) was predicted. These optimal conditions predicted by RSM were confirmed the enhancement of noradrenaline production as an application potential for production by hairy root cultures.

Concern over food authenticity has increased as a result of an increase in the consumption of processed foods containing meat or animal products. This raises a number of issues where the presence of pork in such foods is considered unacceptable in most Muslim and Jewish communities around the world. It also applied to the prohibition of beef consumption among Hindus. In order to ensure the absence of unwished meat products or mixing of meats from different sources in processed foods, a specific and sensitive test is essential. For this purpose we developed a molecular test based on DNA amplification by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of the cytochrome b gene followed by reverse line blot analysis (RLB). Using this method many samples may be treated simultaneously and meat origins can easily be detected from processed foods or foods containing mixed meat sources; also, added pork components such as fat may be identified by this methodology. The PCR/RLB method is considered to be a sensitive and specific technique; it can detect one nucleotide change within the PCR-amplified DNA segment.

The present study was conducted to determine some environmental factors affecting birth weight, weaning weight and daily live weight gain of Holstein calves of a livestock facility in Izmir, Turkey. The data on 2091 calves born between the years 2005-2010 were used to assess the relevant parameters. Effects of calving year, calving month, calf gender and the interaction between calving year and calving month on calves’ birth weights were highly significant. The overall mean of birth weights was 39.6±0.15 kg. In addition, effects of calving year, calving month, gender, birth weight, weaning age, calving year x calving month, calving year x gender and calving year x calving month x gender interactions on weaning weight (WW) and daily live weight gain (DLWG) were highly significant. The overall means of WW and DLWG were respectively found to be 79.7±0.20 kg and 525±2.5 g. A one kilogram increase in birth weight resulted in an increase of 0.89 kg in weaning weight and a decrease of 1.26 g in daily live weight gain. Prenatal temperature-humidity index (THI) affected birth weight of calves (R2=0.67). Increasing THI from 50 to 80 resulted in 3.8 kg decrease in birth weight.

In Afghanistan food safety is managed by several ministries including Ministry of Public Health, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Commerce and municipalities. There is no food law but multiple ministerial decrees which ensure if GMP is implemented well. There is no legal requirement to get food safety certification. Hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) is recognized as a key part of food safety management practice in the global food industry and can be applied at any stage of the food supply chain. This article discusses accepted approaches to the application of HACCP principles for the development, implementation, and maintenance of HACCP plan. It is intended as an introduction to food safety system in Afghanistan, giving propositions to government on how to apply the principles in a stepwise approach, and showing how HACCP benefit public and private sector and also suggesting ways how to adapt this approach in the food businesses.

The symptoms which were directly bound to the biochemical mode of action of an herbicide, other symptoms result from an indirect consequence of this action. The symptoms of herbicidal action deeply differed and that the climatic factors during the two first weeks after treatment could change definitely the result of the selective herbicide action. The repetitive observation of symptoms allows to inform the farmer about the tolerance or resistance of certain plant species, including the culture, for instance through the appearance of symptoms on the first leaves of the seedlings and their absence in the following leaves. As a whole, the accurate observation of herbicidal symptoms on plants is the essential, rapid and non-expensive analysis of treatment effectiveness at the field scale. The purpose of the current report is to describe the symptoms of a very complex herbicidal action, that of aclonifen involving two modes of action for the same molecule, approximately at the same concentration, and to compare these symptoms under field conditions and under controlled conditions, for a better understanding.

Compulsory competition occurring in the world trade has led the enterprises to different marketing system. Marketing problems seems to be a problem in Turkey rather than agricultural production problems. In this aspect, marketing alternatives are sought. E-commerce is a system with more opportunities in agricultural marketing. Increasing the applicability of this system in Turkey will eliminate many problems associated with marketing in agriculture. With an active use of E-commerce in agricultural marketing, it provides convenience at marketing products of agro-related industries agencies and producers and all country will have a potential market position. In this study, possibilities offered by e-commerce to the agricultural sector, opportunities, threats, deficiencies and contributions to agricultural sector have been addressed. Without the limitations of place and time via the internet and computers, establishing national and international supply and demand balance of e-commerce seems to play important roles in maintaining an active and alive marketing. Furthermore, it is an important tool in reducing agricultural marketing problems.

Salmonella species are important foodborne pathogens that have been implicated in a number of foodborne outbreaks. A total of 240 beef and its related samples obtained from the Techiman Municipality of Ghana were screened using the conventional method in the Food and Drug Administration-Bacteriological Analytical Manual (FDA-BAM)-USA. The overall prevalence of Salmonella species was 57.08%. The prevalence of Salmonella species ranged from 33.30% to 75.00% in the meat and its related samples (table, knife and apron), and 6.30% to 93.80% at the various meat sale points (locations where meat is sold). Prevalence of Salmonella species was significantly higher in meat (75.00%), table (60.00%) and knife (60.00%), than apron (33.33%). The most contaminated meat sale point was Kenten and Main markets (93.75%) and the least contaminated sale point was Sansema junction (6.25%). All the Salmonella species were susceptible to ciprofloxacin but resistant to vancomycin. Intermediate resistances occur for all the antibiotics except ciprofloxacin and vancomycin. The Salmonella species also exhibited 23 antibiotic resistant patterns with the pattern EVa (erythromycin and vancomycin) being the commonest (exhibited by nine different isolates). Multiple antibiotic index (MAR index) ranged from 0.11 to 0.67. This study revealed that beef and its related samples in Techiman markets are contaminated with Salmonella.

ATAK-S is a newly developed native hybrid layer. Although the laying performance of this hybrid has been studied and determined, the performance response of the hybrid to different environmental temperature conditions is not known. This study was therefore undertaken to determine the effect of cold and heat stress on egg quality traits. Hens were divided into three different groups; control (20°C), low (12°C) and high (32°C). A total of 360 hens, with 120 in each of the groups, were used in the study. Hens were held in three tier battery cages in an environmentally controlled poultry house. The study lasted for 3 weeks. No differences were found among different groups in terms of shape index, albumen height and Haugh unit of the egg quality traits. It was found that the differences among the heat groups in terms of egg shell breaking strength, egg weight, shell thickness and yolk colour were significant and the value of these traits decreased under the heat stress conditions, whereas they were not affected from the cold stress.

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of thermal manipulations during early and late embryogenesis on asymmetry in terms of sides of shank length, shank width and face length of broilers. Incubation conditions were 37.5°C and 55% relative humidity for control group throughout the incubation period until the 19th days. In the thermally treated eggs during early embryogenesis (8-10 days), incubation temperature was increased to 41°C and relative humidity to 65% for 3 hours (12.00-15.00) on the 8th-10th days of incubation. Also, in the late embryogenesis stage (16-18 days) incubation temperature was increased to 41°C and relative humidity to 65 % for 3 hours (12.00-15.00) on the 16th-18th days of incubation. Total 16 chickens were selected at randomly from all experimental groups to determine the asymmetry. The weekly left and right sides of shank length, shank width and face length of chickens were measured from 7 days of age to 35 days of age, and relative asymmetry values were calculated. There was no significant difference among the groups in point of relative asymmetry. Asymmetry values were reduced due to aging.