Garlic is very rich plant in terms of carbohydrates, enzymes, sulphurous and phenolic compounds, proteins and vitamins. At the same time, natural and artificial radionuclides and heavy metals can be found in the garlic depending on the structure of the cultivated soil. Garlic, used as medicine in the treatment of most diseases, is also consumed as raw, powder, mash and volatile garlic oil. In this study, the effects of different storage conditions on the element and radionuclide content of the garlic were determined. The results obtained from this study were compared with the limit values of international institutions. As a result, the radionuclide concentrations and element contents of Taşköprü Garlic will not pose any threat to human health even if the garlic is exposed to different storage conditions.

This research was conducted to determine the effects of different seaweed doses on yield and nutritional values of hydroponic wheatgrass (Triticum aestivum L.) juice in the climatization chamber of Karabuk University, Eskipazar Vocational School, Department of Crop and Animal Production between the dates of 15.01.2015 and 15.06.2015. In the research, four different seaweed doses (Control; 0, D1; 150, D2; 300, D3; 450 and D4; 600 ppm) and control were applied to irrigation water and their effects on the content of biomass rate, biomass and grass yield, grass juice yield and pH, plant height and root length, biomass and grass dry matter rate, grass juice energy and macronutrient values (protein, carbohydrate, fat, dietary fiber and ash) were analysed. According to the results, while the highest biomass and grass yield, plant height values were obtained from D1, D2, D3 and D4 treatments, the highest grass juice yield and root length were obtained from D3 treatment. The highest pH, grass dry matter content was obtained from control treatment. Seaweed dose treatments were not had influence on grass juice energy values. However, the rise in the grass juice yield was caused a rise in the total energy values in the unit area. D3 treatments can be recommendable to achieve the highest grass juice yield.

The objective of this study was to investigate the drying characteristics and kinetics of red pepper and bitter leaf under the influence of different drying temperatures. The drying experiments were carried out at dry bulb temperature of 35, 45, 55 and 75oC, respectively in an oven dryer. The results showed that as drying temperature increased, drying rate also increased and the drying time decreased. It was observed that un-sliced red pepper and sliced bitter leaf would dry within 2.5-12 h and 1.67-7 h, respectively at temperature ranging from 75 to 35oC. The drying of red pepper and bitter leaf was both in the constant and falling rate period. Four semi-empirical mathematical drying models (Newton, Page, Henderson and Pabis, and Logarithmic models) were fitted to the experimental drying curves. The models were compared using the coefficient of determination (R^2) and the root mean square error (RMSE). The Page model has shown a better fit to the experimental drying data of red pepper and bitter leaf, respectively as relatively compared to other tested models. Moisture transport during drying was described by the application of Fick’s diffusion model and the effective moisture diffusivity was estimated. The value ranges from 15.69 to 84.79 × 10-9 m2/s and 0.294 to 1.263 × 10-9 m2/s for red pepper and bitter leaf, respectively. The Arrhenius-type relationship describes the temperature dependence of effective moisture diffusivity and was determined to be 37.11 kJ/mol and 32.86 kJ/mol for red pepper and bitter leaf, respectively. A correlation between the drying time and the heat transfer area was also developed.

Crop production in West Africa is mostly dependent upon rainfed agriculture. Irrigation is a vital need due to uneven distribution of rainfall and seasonality of water resources. However, management and sustainability of irrigation are under risk due to notably weak database, excessive cost, unappropriate soil or land use, environmental problems and extreme pessimism in some quarters since rainfed agriculture is seen as potentially able to support the present population. This paper focuses on modernized irrigation technologies and systems that utilize less water. Information about irrigation systems in Ghana and Liberia were gathered through: 1) Irrigation development authorities in both countries, by reviewing past literatures, online publications, reports and files about irrigation in West Africa, specifically Ghana and Liberia; 2) International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI); 3) Collation of information, reports and data from Ghana Irrigation Development Authority (GIDA) and 4) International Water Management Institute (IWMI). The result shows that both countries have higher irrigation potential. However, the areas developed for irrigation is still a small portion as compare to the total land available for irrigation. On the other hand, as seen in the result, Liberia as compare to Ghana has even low level of irrigation development.

Agriculture is an important sector in Turkey’s economy. Access to credit financing is critical for timely acquisition of different inputs, farm productivity, and ultimately farmers’ financial well-being. Historically, Ziraat Bank and Agricultural Credit Cooperatives, supported by Turkish government, have been the principle supplier of loanable funds in the agricultural sector. However, since 2000, many private banks have discovered the potential of this market and entered the competition. This study was designed to investigate the structure of the agricultural credit market in Turkey and identify factors that influence farmers’ preference among alternative lenders. It was found that although the 550 Turkish farmers surveyed had several options among lenders, low interest rates and attainable eligibility criteria emerged as the most important differentiators among banks. Results from the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) demonstrate the rising role of private banks’ credit. However, Ziraat Banks’ subsidized credits still dominant and its composite weight is 30.74% of total amount of agricultural credit market.

The difficulty of sex determination in most poultry species causes significant financial losses for poultry production as birds cannot be separated at early stages of growth for meat or egg production. Therefore it is important to determine bird’s sex with zoometric parameters. This study was carried out to determine the sex of Japanese quails with zoometric measurements, such as live weight, body length, chest depth and chest width. Eighty-eight male and female Japanese quail chicks were used individually for live weight, chest depth (mm), chest width (mm) and body length (mm) with using digital scaled balance and caliper for every week over a period of six weeks. The weekly collected data were applied to t test for estimating the sex discrimination. The Pearson’s correlation was applied for examining the interrelationship between sex and biometric traits. The results indicated that there was a significant positive correlation between live weight and body length beginning with the 2nd week. Therefore, zoometric measurement of these body traits is suitable for discriminating the sex of Japanese quails in early phase of life.

This study was conducted to determine the effects of electrical stunning including different currents (AC/pDC) and waves types (square, triangle and chirp) applied to unconscious to broiler chickens before slaughtering on carcass defects and breast meat quality characteristics. In this study were used 39-d-old (Ross 308) broiler chickens, from the same flock raised commercially under similar environmental and mean weight 2350 g. Six treatment groups were set up with 10 birds (5♀:5♂) each. A total of 60 broiler chickens were stunned with electricity at water bath for 5 s using AC and pDC currents at 200 Hz frequency and 120 mA/bird. After slaughtering, the amount of blood loss, vein hemorrhages in the carcasses, spot stains and fractures in the wing bones were detected in the chicks. In addition, pH and color values and water loss of breast meat were also examined. Electric current application did not cause any significant carcass defect in chickens. It was determined that triangular and chirp wave types caused more blood loss than square wave in chickens. The lowest water loss in breast meat was realized in the chirp wave type while pH15 value in the breast meat of chicks applied AC was found higher. It was determined that triangular and square waves in water baths and chirp wave type in individual applications were resulted in having more positive effects on the properties investigated.

Shiga-like toxin producing Escherichia coli is still an important public issue which causes extremely dangerous health problems. This study was planned in order to examine the inhibitory effect of Modified Atmosphere Packaging application on E. coli O157 and O157: H7. The purposes of the present study were to detect E. coli O157 and O157: H7 strains from ground and cubed beef. A total of 100 MAP cattle meat products (50 minced meat, 50 meat cubes) were collected from the markets and butchers in Samsun province between May and October 2013. According to results, 1(1/50-2%) E. coli O157 and 1(1/50-2%) E. coli O157: H7 strains isolated from 50 ground beef samples, while 1 (1/50-2%) E. coli O157 strain was identified from 50 cubed beef samples. It was determined that E. coli O157 isolate obtained from the MAP ground beef carried stx1, stx2 genes; E. coli O157: H7 isolate carried stx1, stx2, eaeA and hylA genes while E. coli O157 isolate obtained from the MAP cubed meat only carried the stx2 gene. In antibiogram test, both E. coli O157 isolates were resistant to streptomycin and one E. coli O157: H7 isolate was resistant to streptomycin, cephalothin and tetracycline. As a consequence; in order to protect public health, products should be kept in proper hygienic and technical conditions during sale and storage and use of uncontrolled antibiotics should be avoided.

Samanların hücre duvarında bulunan lignoselüloz kompleksin parçalanması ile selüloz ve hemiselüloz gibi rumen fermantasyonuyla sindirilebilir fraksiyonlar elde edilir. Rumende sindirilmeyen ligninin biyoteknolojik metotlarla parçalanarak samandan yararlanılabilirliğin artırılması son yıllarda hayvan beslemecilerin odak noktası olan alanlarından birisi olmuştur. Lignoselüloz kompleksin biyolojik metotlarla muamelesinde bakteriler, mantarlar ve bu mikroorganizmalardan elde edilen enzimler kullanılmaktadır. Bakteri muamelesinde Mycobacterium, Arthrobacter ve Flavobacterium türü bakterilerin lignini parçalayabilme özelliğinden yararlanılmaktadır. Enzim muamelesi etkili olmasına rağmen yüksek maliyet nedeniyle uygulamada yer bulamamıştır. Mantar muamelesinde beyaz, kahverengi ve yumuşak çürüme yapan 3 tür mantar kullanılmaktadır. Kahverengi çürükçül mantarlar tercihen selüloz ve hemiselüloza saldırır, ancak lignini parçalayamaz. Beyaz çürükçül mantarlar lignine saldırarak lignol bağları ve aromatik halkayı parçalarlar. Beyaz çürükçül mantarlar selülaz, ksilanaz gibi hidrolitik enzimlerle polisakkaritleri ve lignin peroksidaz ve lakkaz gibi oksidatif ligninolitik enzimlerle lignini parçalarlar. Lignoselülozik materyalleri en iyi parçalayabilen mikroorganizmaların mantarlar olması ve maliyetin düşük olması nedeniyle özellikle beyaz çürükçül mantarların uygulama potansiyeli bulunmaktadır. Bu bildiride biyoçeşitliliğin sağladığı avantajla biyolojik metotlarla samanların sindirilebilirliğinin artırılması tartışılacaktır.

Pesticide uses in Kazova region of Tokat province were assessed in this study. Data were gathered through Simple Random Sampling method with questionnaires made with 72 agricultural enterprises. Resultant data were assessed through arithmetic means and percentiles. A factor analysis was also performed on producer opinions about pesticide use in tomato. Average enterprise size was 20.27 da and tomato is cultivated over 56.98% of these lands. Of the participant producers, 97.22% were not member of any associations or cooperatives. About 91.67% of the participant producers prefer chemical treatments. Producer usually use chemicals based on their previous experiences and recommendations of chemical-fertilizer dealers. Price is the dominant factor while selecting the chemicals to be sued. The dose prescribed by the dealer is generally used. Of the participant producers, 91.67% indicated that they didn’t know about the time to be passed between the last chemical treatment and the harvest; 44.44% don’t think that pesticides they use leaved residues over the products and 95.83% indicated that chemical treatments didn’t create environmental pollution. With the factor analysis, KMO value was calculated as 0.553 and 14 variables thought to be effective on producer opinions about agricultural chemical uses were gathered under 6 factors (toxicity, attention in treatments, human health, conscious production and consumption, environmental harm, hygiene).