At the Jimma town’s Boye nursery site in southwest Ethiopia, three selected indigenous agroforestry tree species were the subject of a study to determine how their foliage litter materials broke down over time. Using Pearson’s correlation coefficient, the study used a single exponential model to calculate the rate at which decomposing litter materials decayed and the litter chemical quality indices that were investigated. C. macrostachus had a rate constant of 0.0400 day-1, which was substantially faster than that of F. vata and E. abyssinica. It took 17.3 and 29.7 days, respectively, for F. vata and E. abyssinica to lose 50% of the initial dry matter. While nitrogen and phosphorus were found to be facilitators, the parameters of the chemical quality of the litter were found to be impeding biochemical parameters. The species with the fastest rate of nitrogen return in a short amount of time was found to be E. abyssinica, followed by C. macrostachus and F. vasta. C. macrostachus decomposes quickly, which may limit its ability to improve soil fertility over an extended period of time. It is important to take into account F. vasta and primarily E. abyssinica for the long-term accumulation of soil organic carbon.

Bu çalışma; ıslah sonrasında tuzlu - sodyumlu topraklara çiftlik gübresi uygulanmasının toprakların bazı önemli özellikleri ile arpa verimine etkisini belirlemek amacıyla yürütülmüştür. Hasat sonrası yapılan analizlerde çiftlik gübresi uygulanmış ve arpa yetiştirilmiş toprakların pH, CaCO3, değişebilir Na ve Ca, KDK, ESP, kütle ve tane yoğunluğunda azalma olduğu görülmüştür. Organik madde, porozite; agregat stabilitesi, hidrolik iletkenlik, tarla kapasitesi, solma noktası ve yarayışlı nem değerleri artmıştır. Gübre uygulamalarının pH değerinde düşüşe, organik madde miktarında önemli bir artışa ve EC değeri ise çok az bir artışa neden olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Uygulanan gübre dozunun artışıyla topraklardaki ESP değerlerinin önemli oranda azaldığı belirlenmiştir. Her iki gübre türünde de yüksek dozda gübre uygulamasının toprakların katyon değişim kapasitesi değerlerinde azalmaya,  buna karşılık hidrolik iletkenlik, porozite, agregat stabilitesi ve toprağın su tutma kapasitesi değerlerinde artış görülmüştür. Islahtan sonrası gübre uygulanmış topraklarda yetiştirilen arpa bitkisinin 1000 dane ağırlığı, birim alan başına çıkış yapan bitki sayısı ve boyu, başaktaki dane sayısı ve ham protein miktarlarında özellikle yüksek gübre dozlarında iyileşme olmuştur.

Bu araştırmada ‘Fuyu’ çeşidi meyvelerine, hasattan 14 ve 21 gün önce farklı dozlarda (0, 75, 150 ve 225 mg l-1) AVG (Aminoetoksivinilglisin) uygulamalarının depolama süresince meyve kalitesine etkileri incelenmiştir. AVG uygulaması yapılan meyveler modifiye atmosferli poşetler ile ambalajlanarak 0-1oC sıcaklık ve %85-90 oransal nemde 4 ay süreyle depolanmıştır. Araştırmada ağırlık kaybı, toplam suda çözünür kuru madde miktarı, titre edilebilir asit miktarı, meyve eti sertliği, askorbik asit miktarı, toplam fenolik madde miktarı, toplam antioksidan madde miktarı, solunum hızı ve üşüme zarar oranları incelenmiştir. Çalışmada depolama süresince meyve eti sertliği azalırken, meyvelerin ağırlık kayıplarında artışlar belirlenmiştir. AVG uygulamalarının meyve olgunlaşması üzerine olan geciktirici etkisine paralel olarak üşüme zararı oluşumu da gecikmiştir. Solumun hızı ve biyokimyasal bileşiklerin kaybı üzerine artan dozları ile AVG’nin engelleyici etkisi belirgin bir şekilde ortaya çıkmıştır. Sonuç olarak, ticari hasattan önce uygulanan 150 ve 225 mg l-1 AVG uygulamasının, hasat sonrası depolama döneminde meyve kalitesi açısından Fuyu’ çeşidi Trabzon hurması üzerinde önemli ve olumlu bir etkisi olmuştur.

Bu çalışmada, Samsun ili 19 Mayıs ilçesinde çalışma hayatında yer alan kadınların dondurulmuş besin tüketim alışkanlıklarının değerlendirilmesi amaçlanmıştır. Araştırma, 200 çalışan kadın birey ile yapılmıştır. Aktif olarak çalışan ve araştırmaya katılmaya gönüllü olan bireyler çalışmaya dahil edilmiştir. Bireylerin vücut ağırlığı ve boy uzunluğu ölçülmüştür. Bireylerin vücut ağırlığı ve boy uzunluğu kullanılarak beden kütle indeksi (BKİ) hesaplanmıştır. Araştırma sonuçlarında, bireylerin %76,0’sı dondurulmuş besin tüketirken %24,0’ü tüketmemektedir. Dondurulmuş besin gruplarından sırasıyla et ve et ürünleri, meyve ve sebze, hamur işleri daha fazla tüketilmektedir. Bireylerin dondurulmuş besin satın alma nedenleri, %41,4’nün zamandan tasarruf, %48,0’nin hazırlama kolaylığından, %6,6’nın reklamlardan etkilendiği, %18,4’nün mevsimsel farklılıktan satın aldıklarını belirtmişlerdir. Bireylerin satın almama nedenleri incelendiğinde, %25,0’i fiyatını yüksek bulmakta, %33,3’ü sağlıklı olduğuna inanmakta, %33,3’ü taze olmadığı ifade etmekte ve %4,2’i ise doyurucu olmadığını düşünmektedir. Tüketim şekli incelendiğinde, %61,8’i yardımcı yemek olarak, %42,8’i aperatif olarak, %17,1’i ana yemek olarak tükettiklerini belirtmişlerdir. Aile bireyleri içerisinde 15-30 yaş aralığında bireyler dondurulmuş besini en fazla tüketmektedir. Araştırmaya katılan bireylerin dondurulmuş besin tüketip tüketmeme durumuna göre yaş, medeni durum, eğitimleri arasında istatistiksel olarak anlamlı bir farklılık bulunmuştur. Genel olarak dondurulmuş besinler, çalışan bireyler ve aileler için kolaylık, beslenme ve lezzet arasında bir denge sunan kullanışlı ve pratik bir seçenek olabilir. Ancak dondurulmuş besinlerin güvenli etiketlemeye, depolama koşullarına, tüketim miktarına ve şekline de dikkat etmek gerekmektedir.

Examining agricultural exports from the specific perspective of the Turkish economy is essential, as it facilitates the development of foreign trade policies, strengthens the agricultural sector, enhances global market competitiveness, and optimizes productivity. This study employs multiple regression analysis to assess the impact of exchange rate volatility and inflation on Türkiye's agricultural exports from 2016 to 2023. The results indicate that these two variables have a moderate effect on the value of Türkiye’s agricultural exports. Additionally, the analysis highlights that exchange rate volatility and inflation rates significantly affect these exports. Particularly, the positive impact of exchange rate volatility on exports suggests that firms may benefit from increasing their export share.

Alpinia officinarum, which attracts attention with its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, is used in traditional medicine, especially to relieve stomach and digestive system disorders. Although many studies have revealed the various pharmacological effects of Alpinia officinarum, the effect of different ionic solvents on its biological activities has yet to be investigated. In this study, the effects of homogenization of Alpinia officinarum roots with potassium chloride (KCl), sodium chloride (NaCl), and phosphate (PBS) buffer solutions on the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of the plant were investigated. Alpinia officinarum plant was collected from the Adana region during the season, and fresh root parts were separated and analyzed. Superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), myeloperoxidase (MPO) enzyme activities, and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels of plant homogenates prepared with KCl, NaCl, and PBS were determined by spectrophotometric analysis. The highest MPO and CAT enzyme activities were observed in the KCl solution, while lower levels were observed in NaCl and PBS solutions, respectively. The highest MDA level was observed in the PBS solution. Moreover, SOD enzyme activity showed a decreasing trend in NaCl, KCl, and PBS solutions, respectively. These findings suggest that the biological activity of plant extracts may vary depending on the solvent used. Determination of the conditions under which the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of Alpinia officinarum in different ionic solvents are the highest supports increasing the bioavailability of the plant.

The basic need of humanity is food. The agricultural sector has had to use new technologies in food production in recent years. The increase in the world population has necessitated the agricultural sector to produce more. Therefore, in recent years, the use of technology in agriculture has increased and new developments have occurred. Especially Industry 4.0 technologies have become preferred by manufacturers with the convenience and added values they provide. In this research, participants’ views on their expectations from technology in agriculture, their views on the use of drones in agriculture, farmers’ views on technology use, and farmers’ views on the agricultural technology context were examined. In the research, information management systems in agriculture and a survey to determine students’ interest in agricultural projects were used as data collection tools. Rapidly developing technology in recent years makes the work of producers easier in the field of agriculture and offers researchers the opportunity to research new topics. Within the scope of this research, it is important to create this research in order to determine the needs and reveal the current situation. According to the research, the participants do not see themselves as having sufficient knowledge about technology in agriculture. The research results show that the participants do not follow the developments in agriculture in the digital environment. It is seen that the participants have partially sufficient knowledge about the use of drones in agriculture, that the use of drones will be beneficial and that the use of drones will replace the use of traditional agricultural tools.

Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) cultivation in regions like Ramechhap, Bagmati Province, Nepal faces challenges in improving yield and economic returns due to suboptimal agronomic practices. To address this issue, a field experiment was conducted to assess the effects of pinching and micronutrient sprays (zinc and boron) on growth, yield, and economic returns of okra. The study aimed to evaluate the impact of pinching and zinc-boron foliar application on key growth parameters, including the number of leaves, fruit length, number of fruits per plant, and total yield. Pinching significantly increased the number of leaves and fruits per plant, as well as the total yield. The application of 0.25% Zn + 0.25% B resulted in the highest fruit length, fruit weight, and total yield. The combined treatment of pinching and Zn-B spray (P1M3) recorded the highest fruit length (11.13 cm), number of fruits per plant (21.91), and yield (17.68 t ha-1). Economic analysis revealed that this combination resulted in the highest net return (NRs. 774,869.35 ha-1) and the highest benefit-cost ratio (B:C = 1.95), indicating that it could significantly improve farm income for smallholder farmers in the region. These results demonstrate the potential of integrated agronomic practices, including pinching and micronutrient application, to enhance both productivity and profitability in okra cultivation.

While the size of the preovulatory follicle is a crucial marker of reproductive potential in mares, its connection to reproductive parameters, especially in Arabian mares, remains uncertain. This study examined the association between preovulatory follicle size and various reproductive parameters in 301 Arabian mares, monitored ultrasonographically over four years and 563 estrous cycles. The mares were categorized into four age groups: 3–8, 9–13, 14–17, and 18 years and older. The preovulatory follicle diameter across consecutive cycles and the size of follicles leading to pregnancy post-ovulation were analyzed in relation to the ovulation side, age, parity, ovulatory cycle, and parous state. The mean preovulatory follicle size was 46.3±4.34 mm (range: 39–60 mm), with no significant difference between the pregnancy and non-pregnancy cycles (p=0.490). Parity was not correlated with overall follicle size (r=-0.013, p=0.757) or follicle size during the pregnancy cycles (r=-0.060, p=0.303). However, preovulatory follicle diameter varied significantly across ovulatory cycles (p=0.040), with the second cycle having the smallest mean follicle size (45.45±0.35 mm) compared to the first (46.5±0.23 mm) and third (46.95±0.53 mm) cycles. Additionally, parous mares had significantly larger follicles (46.40±0.19 mm) than maiden mares (45.25±0.57 mm, p=0.050), while age group (p=0.796) and ovulation side (p=0.558) had no significant effect on follicle size. Follicle size remained consistent between pregnancy and non-pregnancy cycles across different age groups, consecutive cycles, parity states, and ovulation sides. These findings suggest that although follicle size varies across ovulatory cycles and parous states, it does not significantly affect pregnancy outcomes in Arabian mares. This insight could help refine breeding strategies by emphasizing the role of factors other than follicle size in optimizing reproductive success.

The effect of treatment of the Californian earthworm Eisenia fetida with preparations containing silver (Ag; in the form of either nanoparticles (AgNPs) or cations (AgNO3 solution)) and gold (Au; in the form of nanoparticles (AuNPs)) on its vitality was studied in a laboratory experiment for 12, 48, and 158 h. After the observations were completed, the total elemen content was analysed after exposure to individual preparations applied to the soil. Earthworms and the soil in which they were grown were analysed. Measurements were performed using the inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry technique, with prior mineralisation of earthworms and soil samples. The results of quantitative studies showed a several-fold increase in Ag content in earthworms exposed to preparations containing Ag compared to the control group. Significantly higher contents of K, Na, P, Mg, and Si were also found in earthworms exposed to Ag and Au compared to the control group. Despite exposure to AuNPs, no increase in the concentration of this element was observed in the earthworms. The analysis also included other elements: Li, Al, Ca, Ti, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Mo, Ag, Cd, Ba, Au, Hg, Tl, and Pb. The initial analysis did not show any significant differences in the concentrations of these elements in earthworms exposed to individual preparations compared to the control. The high level of elements classified as toxic to earthworms, including As, Cd, and Pb, is noteworthy, but the concentrations of these elements were not dependent on the use of any of the preparations. Based on a visual inspection of live individuals, we could not confirm the reduced vitality of earthworms exposed to individual preparations compared to the control. In contrast, individual populations retained full vitality after exposure and reproduced.