Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) is a beneficial group of free-living soil bacteria that colonize the rhizosphere and are helpful in root growth and development. PGPR plays an important role in plant growth through the production of phytohormones, solubilization of inorganic phosphate, increased iron nutrition via iron-chelating siderophores and volatile compounds that affect the plant metabolism and signalling pathways. Additionally, PGPR shows synergistic and antagonistic interactions with rhizosphere microorganisms and soil which indirectly improve and enhance plant growth rate. Various environmental factors affect the PGPR growth and proliferation in the plants. There are several shortcomings and limitation in the PGPR research which can be addressed through the use of modern approaches and techniques by exploring multidisciplinary research which combines applications in microbiology, biotechnology, nanotechnology, agro-biotechnology, and chemical engineering. Furthermore, PGPR is also known to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs), carbon footprint, and also increase the nutrient-use efficiency. Here we describe the importance of PGPR in sustainable agriculture and their role in plant growth and development.

Xanthomonas aXonopodis pv. phaseoli (Xap)’nin neden olduğu adi yaprak yanıklığı hastalığı, tropikal ve subtropikal iklimlerde önemli verim kayıplarına neden olan ve tohumla taşınan en önemli fasulye bakteriyel etmenlerinden biridir. Hastalıkla mücadelede antibiyotikler ve bakırlı preparatlar kullanılmakta, ancak patojenin dirençli mutantlarına ve fitotoksisiteye neden olmaları nedeniyle sorunlar yaşanmaktadır. Bor (B), bitki için temel bir besin elementidir ve ayrıca bitki hastalıklarına direnç sisteminde önemli bir rol oynar. Bu çalışmada, 12 farklı bor bileşiğinin Xap üzerindeki etkileri araştırılmıştır. In vitro denemelerde, kimyasalların Xap popülasyon gelişimlerine etkileri ve MIC değerleri belirlenmiştir. Kontrollü koşullarda, 6 haftalık hassas fasulye çeşidi Aras 98 bitkileri, 108 CFU ml-1 yoğunlukta Xap süspansiyonu ile inokule edilmişlerdir. Bitkiler, in vitro’da belirlenen ve kimyasala göre değişen 5 farklı (1, 5, 10, 20, 40 mM) konsantrasyonda 7 gün ara ile iki kez muamele edilmişlerdir. Hastalık şiddeti, 1-9 skalası ile değerlendirilmiş ve kontrole göre (%81,15) en düşük hastalık şiddetine sahip bileşikler; sodyum tetrafloraborat (%13,88) ve potasyum tetrafloraborat (%15,38) olarak belirlenmiştir. En düşük hastalık şiddeti ise borik asit uygulaması (%78) ile elde edilmiştir. Bitkilerde kimyasalların fitotoksik etkileri tespit edilmemiştir. Çalışmadan elde edilen bulgulara bağlı olarak, bazı bor bileşiklerinin, fasulyede adi yaprak yanıklığı hastalığı üzerindeki önemli etkileri ile organik ve sürdürülebilir tarım içerisinde yer alabileceği düşünülmektedir.

Much of the sustained agricultural growth necessary for poverty reduction and sustainable development comes from adequate and expanded improved agricultural inputs use like hybrid seeds, pesticides, insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, and inorganic fertilizer. However, smallholder farmers faced various and empirically unidentified constraints in the sustainable use of improved agricultural inputs. This study, therefore, is to examine the trends and challenges farmers faced to use improved inputs. The study has used secondary data from various databases such as FAOSTAT, World Bank, Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research and agricultural statistics. Simple graphical sketch, tabular and percentage analysis was employed for interpretation of the data. The study revealed that the trends in the use of various improved inputs are not based on the regular basis. The sustainable improved input intensification by smallholder farmers was influenced by various socio-economic, physical, and institutional factors. Understanding trends and challenges in input utilization provide baseline information for input intensification policies and strategies. Therefore, this review pointed out that it is possible to increase inputs intensification by smallholder farmers.

The Mediterranean fruit fly (Medfly), Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Tephritidae), is a serious pest on pomegranate in Turkey. The purpose of this study was to determine population fluctuation and infestation rates of medfly on various pomegranate varieties in Hatay province of Turkey. The Eostrap® invaginada traps baited with % 95 Trimedlure impregnated in a polymeric plug-type dispenser were used. The fruit infestation assessment was measured by a hundred fruits chosen randomly from ten trees in each of sampled orchard and checked for medfly punctures and infested fruits were counted. As a result of two-year investigations, this pest was found in six sites, which are located in Kırıkhan (Delibekirli, Kurtlu soğuksu) and Serinyol districts of Hatay province. In 2010, the highest mean of the catches per traps were recorded on 13 October (236.5), followed by 6 October (166.5), 29 September (145.5), 20 October (145.0) and 22 September (110.0) on ‘Karamehmet+katırbaşı’ varieties in Delibekirli village. Moreover, the highest mean of the catches per traps were recorded on 6 October (38.0), followed by 13 October (33.5), 20 October (17.0), 29 September (16) and 22 September (9) on ‘Katırbaşı’ varieties in Kurtlu soğuksu. In 2011, the highest mean of the catches per traps were recorded on 7 November (240.0), followed by 14 November (162.5), 31 October (100.5), 24 October (58) and 21 November (32) on Katırbaşı and Hicaz varieties of Serinyol district. The highest percentages of infestation rates were observed at orchard II (42) on ‘Karamehmet+katırbaşı’, followed orchard I (37) on ‘Karamehmet+katırbaşı’, orchard III (7) on ‘Katırbaşı’ and orchard IV (3) on ‘Katırbaşı’ varieties 2010. In addition, the highest percentages of infestation rates were observed at orchard I (44) on ‘Katırbaşı’, followed at orchard II (8) on ‘Hicaz’ varieties 2011. The highest mean of medfly was observed in October and September in 2010, and in November and October in 2011 due to ripening and harvesting time of fruits. The medfly caused significantly more infestation rates on ‘Karamehmet+katırbaşı’ and ‘Katırbaşı’ pomegranate than ‘Hicaz’ pomegranate.

Rainbow trout, a salmonid species has an economic importance worldwide and contributes to the indigenous food security. The present study was conducted in complete randomized design (CRD) to evaluate the dietary inclusion of citric acid with phytase as supplement on growth responses of rainbow trout. There were four treatments of diets with 0.5% citric acid (T1), 1% citric acid (T2), 1.5% citric acid (T3) and 0% control (T4) of citric acid incorporated with 1200FYT phytase as supplement. The treatments were replicated three times. Total harvest weight of fish in T3 (5720.2±105.6g) was significantly higher and different than T2 (4595.9±434.9g), T1 (4589.8±240.2g) and T4 (4567.5±217.3g). The highest daily growth rate was seen in treatment T3 (1.1±0.0) which was significantly different than T2 (0.9±0.0), T1 (0.9±0.0) and T4 (0.8±0.0). The highest specific growth rate was seen in the treatment T3 (0.8±0.01) which was significantly different than T1 (0.7±0.0), T2 (0.7±0.1) and T4 (0.7±0.0). The lowest food conversion ratio was seen in T3 (2.2±0.1) which was significantly different with T2 (2.6±0.1), T1 (2.7±0.1) and T4 (2.8±0.1). Similarly, the highest protein efficiency ratio was seen in treatment T3 (1.0±0.1) which was not significantly different with T2 (0.8±0.0) and T1 (0.8±0.1) but was significantly different than T4 (0.7±0.0). No significant changes were observed in water temperature, dissolve oxygen and pH under different treatments. The present findings demonstrated that dietary inclusion of citric acid with phytase as supplement enhance growth by reducing the pH in the gut which increases the phytate hydrolysis, kills the pathogens, decreases the rate of gastric emptying, improves mineralization and nutrient absorption.

The aim of the study is comparing the milk consumption habits of the students of the Department of Dairy Technology and Department of Agriculture Economy The survey was conducted with 66 students from Department of Dairy Technology and 84 students from Department of Agriculture Economy. It is indicated that 82.54% of the students from Department of Dairy Technology and 74.07% of the students from Department of Agriculture Economy get information from expert organizations (universities, private companies, etc.) about the importance of milk in nutrition. According to the Chi-square tests, there is a significant relationship between the department preference variable and the sources which are getting information and found reliable by the students and milk consumption variable. Besides, it is indicated that 98% of the students from both of the departments prefer pasteurized and UHT milk rather than raw milk.

Mastitis is an economically important disease of intensive buffalo dairy farming worldwide. Detection of subclinical mastitis (SCM) is important for its management and control. The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence of reproductive disorders, SCM and udder health management practices in the buffalo dairy farms of Bhola District, Bangladesh. Data on animal demographics, reproduction status, daily milk yield and status of California Mastitis Test (CMT) result were recorded. A total of 402 buffaloes were observed in two farms at Bhola district and among them 70 milking buffaloes were randomly selected for CMT. The overall prevalence of SCM in buffalo was 20.0%. Young age group of buffaloes was more susceptible for SCM and it was not significant difference. Parity and stage of lactation have no any effect on SCM. However, abortion case was more susceptible to SCM than other diseases but not any significant difference. During milking the milkers never use any antiseptic solution for washing the udder and never use any feed supply during milking. Among the isolated organisms Staphylococcus spp. and E. coli were found more frequent in the study area and gentamicin and ciprofloxaclin were most sensitive to the isolated organisms. From this study it was concluded that buffalo’s udder was very resistance to SCM infection and udder management practice was very poor. Common antibiotics were resistance to isolated organisms from SCM case. Gentamicin and ciprofloxacin were found more susceptible against all four isolated organisms.

Nowadays, whitening of stained teeth has become the most popular topic in aesthetic and cosmetic dentistry. Because of the side effects of materials that were used for bleaching, in this study the effects of some plants which were used in Anatolian folk medicine on the treatment of tooth staining were examined. In this study, upper central incisors which were extracted for periodontal reasons were used. The colour values of numbered teeth were obtained and the teeth were immersed into three different essential oils of medicinal plants (Mentha piperita, Ocimum basilicum, Rosmarinus officinalis, Salvia officinalis) for different time periods (1 day, 1 week, 1 month). At the end of the immersion periods, colour measurements of all samples were made and the colour changes were analysed. Obtained data were statistically analysed by using ANOVA and Duncan test. As a result of the variance analysis, plant species and the duration of immersion was found to be statistically significant. Within the limits of this study, we can indicate that tested medicinal plants has a whitening effect by resulting significant change in tooth colour.

Small walnut aphid (Chromaphis juglandicola (Kalt.) (Hem.: Aphididae) and Dusky-veined walnut aphid (Panaphis juglandis) (Goeze) (Hemiptera: Callaphididae) are important pests in walnut orchards in Lake Van Basin, Turkey. Aphids, which are colonized separately in the upper and lower parts of the walnut leaf, cause loss of quality and quantity in the walnut when their population is dense. In this study, population growth rate parameters based on feeding with both aphids of Chrysoperla carnea (Stephen) (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae), which is one of the important predators of the pest, were determined. The experiments were carried out in climatic rooms under 25±10°C, 65±5% humidity and 16: 8 (L: D) h (5,000 lux) lighting time conditions. Life table parameters were estimated according to age-stage, two-sex life table method. The values obtained for the intrinsic rate of increase (r), finite rate of increase (λ), net reproductive rate (R0) and mean generation time (T) were 0.082 d-1, 1.082 d-1, 59.47 offspring and 49.76 d, respectively of C. carnea fed on Chromaphis juglandicola and Panaphis juglandis. Results obtained might be used in pest management program that will be prepared for the aphids.

This study was undertaken to estimate the antioxidant activity and total tannin content of Moringa olifera Lam. (Moringa) leaves and find a suitable extraction condition for maximum yield. Two types of solvent and three different extraction times and temperatures were experimented for extraction. Moringa leaves were oven-dried and powdered to determine the antioxidant activity in terms of total phenolic content (TPC), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and DPPH radical scavenging activity and total tannin content. The maximum TPC value noted in methanol extract, and it ranges from 6.46 ± 0.34 g to 3.91±0.19 g gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/100g dry sample (DM). The FRAP values varied from 211.6 ± 3.75 to 344.13 ± 3.26 mg ascorbic acid equivalent (AAE)/100g DM and 166.67 ± 2.90 to 224.93 ± 1.94 mg AAE/100g DM, for methanol and ethanol extract, respectively. The DPPH radical scavenging activity ranged from 46.32 ± 1.07 to 58.09 ± 0.92% for methanol extract and 56.76 ± 1.48% to 69.72 ± 1.15% for ethanol extract. The total tannin content varied from 6.84 ± 0.05 to 10.22 ± 1.11 mg GAE/100 g dry sample and 6.77 ± 0.08 to 9.23 ± 0.51 mg GAE/ 100g DMfor methanol and ethanol extract, respectively. The highest antioxidant yield for methanol and ethanol extract of Moringa leaves differed for various conditions. Overall, Moringa leaves showed excellent antioxidant properties that can be commercially and domestically used.