Conversion of land use from forest to agricultural uses modifies soil quality through physiochemical soil properties changes. This study was conducted in Rwanda’s central plateau agro-ecological zone to evaluate the effect of forest and agricultural land uses on soil quality. The study was conducted in 2020. Soil samples were collected at the top, middle and bottom positions of each of the two land uses. We analyzed soil bulk density, soil moisture content, soil pH, soil organic matter (SOM), total nitrogen (TN), available phosphorus (Av P), and CEC for each position of the land uses. Data were analyzed using ANOVA in GENSTAT version 13. The results revealed that soil properties were significantly affected by land use change. Analysis of variances (LSD<0.05) results showed, however, that treatments were not significantly different within the same land use. The results showed that treatments from top position of forest lands had the highest mean values for soil organic matter and total N parameters with the respective mean values of 6.58 %, and 0.37 %. Treatments from middle position of forest lands had the highest mean values for soil moisture content and Av P parameters respectively with 23.60 % and 29.56 ppm. But, soil bulk density was high on top position of agricultural land with a mean value of 1.49 g/cm3. Land users are advised to apply crop and soil management techniques which maintain soil quality and productivity on agricultural lands.

In the research conducted under the conditions of Tokat, silage triticale-vetch mixture-second crop silage corn rotation was applied. The study used four different tillage methods to compare the quality and product yield of the seedbed prepared for silage triticale-vetch mixture. Conventional tillage method (M1), conservation tillage method (M2), reduced tillage method (M3), and direct sowing (M4) methods were applied. Seedbed quality: It was evaluated regarding soil moisture content, bulk density, penetration resistance, degree of soil fragmentation, and surface roughness for depths of 0-10 cm and 10-20 cm. The effect of soil tillage methods on porosity, surface roughness, and green grass yield were statistically insignificant. Although there were statistical differences between the methods regarding soil moisture content (MC), bulk density (BD), penetration resistance (PR), and mean weight diameter values (MWD), the values are within the limit values determined for plant growth. However, crop yield is the same between soil tillage methods. This result shows that alternative tillage methods are applicable when evaluated in sustainable agriculture, which does not create a statistically significant difference in crop yield compared to conventional tillage.

At present environmental pollution is a talked about issue. Due to environmental pollution, humans and animals face threats. The scientist has pointed out that waste is one reason for climate change. Solid, liquid, gaseous etc. are different types of waste. The experiments were conducted to determine the chemical constituents present in dairy farm wastewater, wastewater management practice and environmental impact and compare it with the groundwater Dinajpur Sadar upazila. The data concerning the dairy farm wastewater in Dinajpur was obtained through a designed questionnaire, and separate area inspection interacting with the proprietor and workers in the dairy farm. Randomly collected samples from different dairy farms. The chemical constituents of the wastewater sample were determined by a laboratory experiment. The wastewater contained Mg, Na, Ca, Cl-, K, EC, P, HCO3-, pH, TDS, DO, COD, Zn, S, BOD, HT and NO3-. The Na, K, Ca and pH concentration of wastewater under the range in groundwater in Dinajpur. However, concentrations of P, TDS, Mg, EC, Cl-, HCO3- and HT are above the groundwater range in Dinajpur. The produced wastewater was disposed of either through drainage or piping systems on fellow land, ponds, open lakes, roadside land, urban drains, and rivers. The unplanned wastewater disposal creates bad odor, and environmental pollution, seduces the growth of mosquitoes decreases the water quality, soil quality and health hazards. Therefore, it can be concluded that the prevailing dairy farm wastewater disposal system not being satisfactory. The proper disposal system should be improved to reduce environmental impacts.

Honey is known to be a natural food product with antibacterial and wound-healing properties. Among its different types, some attributed more with medical applications including Manuka honey. In this study, some wound healing-related parameters were systematically investigated on two different types of Turkish honey (Chestnut and Anzer), in comparison with Manuka honey. Chestnut honey had considerable amount of hydrogen peroxide (5 μg/mL) whereas Manuka and Anzer honey did not contain any. Additionally, Chestnut honey had the highest acidity among all tested samples (24.50 meq/kg), as well as higher antioxidant activity (IC50 ; 2.45 mg/ml) than those of Anzer (13.02 mg/ml) and Manuka honey (6.27 mg/ml). It was also demonstrated that Chestnut honey displayed a considerable antimicrobial activity against selected pathogens. On the other hand, in the scratch assay performed as a model for the wound healing process, Anzer honey induced the highest cell proliferation corresponding to almost total wound closure for all concentrations tested. Overall, the results showed that the Turkish Chestnut and Anzer honey samples had distinguished characteristics for wound healing that is comparable to Manuka honey, and therefore are both promising candidates for use in clinical applications.

This study investigates the spatial and temporal variations in chromium (Cr) concentrations in Picea orientalis L., across different directions (north, east, south, and west) and plant organs (outer bark, inner bark, and wood) in a forested region. The research, conducted over eight age periods spanning 1980 to 2020, aimed to assess the effectiveness of Picea orientalis L. as a biomonitor for Cr pollution. The highest Cr concentrations were observed in the east direction, particularly in the inner bark and wood, while the lowest levels were found in the west. The study was conducted in an urban area near the industrial zone and highway, as well as in forested regions. A total of 100 trees were selected for the study, with samples collected from three different organs: outer bark (OB), inner bark (IB), and wood. Samples were taken from each organ at breast height (approximately 1.3 meters above the ground) to ensure consistency. The sampling covered various age periods, specifically 1980–2020, to analyze temporal changes in Cr concentrations. Statistical analysis revealed significant variations in Cr concentrations across most directions and periods, with notable increases during certain periods, especially in the west direction. These variations can be attributed to several factors, including the proximity to industrial sources of pollution, which typically release higher levels of chromium into the environment. The eastern direction likely experiences greater exposure to these emissions due to prevailing wind patterns and urban runoff, leading to increased accumulation in Picea orientalis L. Additionally, seasonal changes, temperature fluctuations, and soil characteristics may influence the bioavailability of chromium, affecting its uptake by the tree. The results suggest that Picea orientalis L. can effectively reflect Cr pollution levels, with significant directional and temporal variations that highlight the influence of these environmental factors on Cr accumulation. This study underscores the potential of Picea orientalis L. as a valuable tool for monitoring and managing Cr pollution in forested environments.

The experiment was conducted in Banke, Nepal, from February 2021 to May 2021 to find suitable spacing and weed management practices for spring maize. The experiment was conducted in a split-plot design in which main plots consisting of two spacings (S1:60 cm × 25 cm and S2:60 cm × 30 cm) and subplots consisting of five weed management practices as, W1: weedy check, W2: weed free, W3: atrazine @ 2 kg a.i. ha-1 as pre-emergence herbicide, W4: atrazine as pre-emergence herbicide followed by single-hand weeding at 30 DAS, and W5: straw mulch. Observations were taken for different parameters, that are, cob length, cob circumference, number of grains per cob, number of ears per hectare, thousand-grain weight, and grain yield. Based on spacing non-significant variations were found for all traits except for the number of ears per hectare. The highest number of ears per hectare (61667 ears ha-1) was found in S1 (60 cm × 25 cm). Based on weed management practices all the traits were significantly different, except the number of ears per hectare and thousand grain weight. The highest value of grain yield (6.15 mt ha-1) was found in straw mulch, and the lowest grain yield (3.72 mt ha-1) was found in the weedy check. A positive correlation was observed between yield and different weed management practices (WEM) (r = 0.5**) and other yield-attributing traits, that are, number of ears per hectare (NE) (r = 0.62**), the number of grains per cob (NK) (r = 0.82**), cob length (CL) (r = 0.47**), cob diameter (CD) (r = 0.68**), and total grain weight (TGW) (r = 0.52**). A negative correlation was observed between yield and spacing (S) (r = -0.41*).

In table olive production it is necessary to remove oleuropein by brine or dry salting method because it gives bitterness. However, some olive varieties such as Throuba Thassos-Greece, Djemali-Tunisia can be consumed without any de-bittering process. Some olives in Türkiye are also consumed without any pre-treatment and these are Kilis Yağlık, Butko, Hurma (Erkence cv.), and Nizip Yağlık olives. These naturally de-bittered olives were aimed to be characterized in this research. The lowest moisture content was determined for Kilis Yağlık (6.84%) and the highest moisture content was determined for Butko (50.01%). The oil and protein content of the samples was between, 16.66-68.46% and 0.19-18.13%, respectively. Total phenolic content (mg GAE/100g) of Kilis Yağlık, Butko, Hurma and Nizip Yağlık olive varieties were determined as 458.87, 152.09, 109.73, 234.33, respectively. The lowest antioxidant capacity was determined for Butko and the highest value was determined for Kilis Yağlık. The hardness values of the olives were found between 677.44-3688.06 (g). The L*, a*, b* values of olive samples were found between 26.14-32.05, 2.02-4.78, 2.37- 7.18, respectively. Highest oleic was determined for Hurma, highest linoleic acid was determined for Butko whereas the highest linolenic acid was determined for Nizip Yağlık. Volatile component analysis results of olives showed that 24, 23, 16 and 17 volatile components were detected in Kilis Yağlık, Butko, Hurma and Nizip Yağlık olives, respectively.

The fermented seed of néré (Parkia biglobosa), known as Soumbara, is a condiment widely consumed by the population in West Africa and Guinea in particular. The present study aims to use physicochemical, colorimetric methods and mid-infrared (MIR) spectroscopy to evaluate the evolution of the quality of Soumbara during storage (30 days). Thus, 5 kg of Soumbara were taken, subdivided into 7 batches of samples, and analysed every 5 days for 30 days. Physicochemical analyses (water activity, moisture, proteins, and total ash) would show that the storage duration induced a variation during storage; for example, the total ash contents on days 1, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 are respectively 3.96 ± 0.25, 3.89 ± 0.43, 3.97 ± 0, 23, 3.99 ± 0.12, 4.54 ± 0.14, 4.57 ± 0.2 and 4.8 ± 0.21%. During the first 15 days of storage, no significant differences (p < 0.05) were observed between samples. The colorimetric measurements showed that the storage duration did not significantly affect the values of a* and b*, except the L* value which decreased significantly (p<0.05) (42.16 ± 0.015 on day 1 to 40.02 ± 0.015 on day 30). Applying statistical methods to mid-infrared spectroscopy allowed a clear distinction between the Soumbara samples during storage for 30 days. The partial least squares regression (PLSR) applied to MIR spectra made it possible to predict water, moisture and protein activity levels, since R2 greater than 0.99 were obtained. The results demonstrated that mid-infrared spectroscopy coupled with chemometric tools could be used as a rapid screening tool to assess and monitor the quality of Soumbara during storage.

In the study, the aeroponic system examined the rooting performances of three grapevine rootstocks (110R, 1103 Paulsen, 5BB) commonly used in Türkiye. IBA was applied to grapevine cuttings to encourage rooting. Grapevine cuttings taken during the winter dormancy period were placed in the aeroponic system after the necessary pretreatments. Significant improvements were observed in root length, root number, and rooting rate during the rooting process of cuttings placed in the aeroponic system. No diseases or pests were observed during the rooting period in the daily checks. As a result of the study, the highest root length was 17.77 cm in 110R rootstock, while the lowest was 7.1 cm in 1103P rootstock. The highest rooting rate was 76.67% in a 25 ppm IBA application in 1103P rootstock and 73.33% in a 100 ppm IBA application. The lowest rooting was 10% in 110R rootstock at 100 ppm IBA application dose and in the control group. The study's results revealed the positive effects of aeroponic systems in increasing rooting performance. The advantages offered by these systems are essential in terms of sustainability and efficiency in agriculture. Considering global challenges such as climate change and the reduction of agricultural areas, aeroponic systems are expected to find wider applications in the future.

Numerous in-depth studies have described the fertility traits, growth performance and milk yield traits of dairy animals, which are considered indicators of welfare, but there are limited studies examining these traits within the framework of cause-effect relationships, especially in buffaloes. The aim of this study was to determine the changes in some milk, growth and fertility traits of Anatolian buffaloes over the years in some dairy farms where the Buffalo Breeding Project in Public Conditions was implemented in Samsun province and, to investigate the effects of first calving age (FCA) and calving interval (CI) on milk and growth traits. The study was conducted in 27 buffalo farms (3295 buffalo cows and 3317 buffalo calves) located in Bafra district, the region with the highest buffalo population in Samsun province, Türkiye. The data was taken from records previously kept within the scope of the relevant project. The data such as growth characteristics [birth weight (BW), 6th and 12th-mo live weight (LW) values of calves born between 2013-2020] and lactation traits of cows [lactation milk yield (LMY) and lactation duration (LD)] and FCA and CI values were analyzed by analysis of variance. The effect of years on LMY of buffalo cows was found to be significant, and significant positive changes were determined from year to year. In addition, the BW, 6th-mo, and 12th-mo LW values of calves also varied from year to year. As the FCA value of buffaloes increased, the BW, 6th-mo, and 12th-mo LW values of calves and LMY of cows increased. Similarly, CI values affected the BW values of calves (P<0.01), and LMY and LD values increased in parallel with the increase in CI values. Consequently, determining the lactation and growth traits of buffaloes could benefit developing herd management practices that would optimize these performance indicators.