Different mechanization practices are included in the drying process, which is among the methods (ensiling, drying, storing at high moisture level, etc.) used in the preservation of roughage, which has an important place in the nutrition of ruminant animals. Haymaking processes are applied by natural (at the field) or artificial drying methods (in warehouses and special dryers). During drying, the hay may be loose or loosely baled. The machines that can be used in various stages of haymaking from harvesting forage to filling the warehouse can be listed as strimmers, crushers, windrow harvesters, hay rakes, loose forage harvesters, balers, bale collecting and transporting machines. These mechanization practices have positive and negative aspects relative to each other. In other words, these mechanization practices affect hay quality at different levels. In this study, different mechanization practices applied in hay drying and the effects of these mechanization practices on hay quality were emphasized.

The entomopathogenic bacterium, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) has been one of the important sources of biopesticides and applied in biological control against agricultural pests for many decades. Isolation and characterization of Bt isolates from different habitats around the world allow the discovery of new Bt strains with high insecticidal activity and the ability to cope with the problem of resistance to pesticides. The goal of this study is to obtain a new Bt collection from hazelnut orchards in Türkiye and to investigate the insecticidal cry1 gene content of these isolates and to reveal their protein profiles and serovars. Bt was isolated from 28 soil and leaf samples collected from 14 different locations in Ordu province. Of the 302 Bt-like colonies examined, 63 were observed to carry crystals in the form of parasporal inclusions and the Bt index was found to be 0.21. The presence of cry1 gene in Bt isolates were analyzed using Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis. The results showed that 21 isolates (33%) were positive for cry1 gene. When the protein profiles of the Bt isolates were examined by SDS-PAGE analysis, bands of 130 kDa, 60 kDa, 43 kDa and larger than 200 kDa were obtained in most of the samples. In order to reveal the serovar types of Bt isolates, hag gene was amplified and the PCR products were further sequenced. The analysis identified the Bt tochigiensis and Bt xiaguangiensis serovars among the screened Bt isolates. This study reports the isolation and characterization of a novel collection of B. thuringiensis isolates from hazelnut orchards in Ordu province (Northern Türkiye), identifying the cry1 gene carrying strains with potential toxicity against some lepidopteran pests.

The study aimed to calculate the percent transfer of lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn) from milk into cream, skim milk, butter, buttermilk, soft cheese, and whey manufactured in the laboratory. The four heavy metals were determined using the ICP method. The results revealed that the percentage of these metals transferred to milk products varied from 9.48 to 72.63%, with skim milk exhibiting the highest transfer rate (67 to 72.63%) and butter displaying the lowest transfer rate (9.48 to 13.94%). These findings are expected to urge the artisanal dairy industry to decide on the best way to process milk that does not comply with the maximum permissible levels of Pb, Cd, Cu, and Zn into a safe product for the consumer.

Ülkemizde geniş bir alanda yayılış gösteren Hypericum perforatum L. (sarı kantaron) bitkisi halk arasında soğuk algınlığı, depresyon, safra rahatsızlıkları, mesane irritasyonları, migren ağrıları ve yanık gibi pek çok hastalığın tedavisinde kullanılmaktadır. Bu çalışmada; eczane (numune 1) ve aktardan (numune 2) temin edilen iki ayrı sarı kantaron yağının, tirozinaz ve kollajenaz inhibitör potansiyellerini belirlemek amaçlanmıştır. Deneyler kolorimetrik ölçüme dayanan enzim reaksiyonları üzerinden gerçekleştirilmiştir. Her iki numune de tüm deneylerde 20 µg/mL konsantrasyonda çalışılmıştır. Numune 1’in (%18,3±0,15 inhibisyon), numune 2’ye (%4,1±0,28 inhibisyon) kıyasla daha yüksek kollajenaz enzim inhibisyonu sağladığı ve yine numune 1’in (%15,1±0,24 inhibisyon) numune 2’ye (%3,7±0,19 inhibisyon) kıyasla daha yüksek tirozinaz enzim inhibisyonu sağladığı belirlenmiştir. Bu sonuçlar doğrultusunda; sarı kantaron yağının kollajenaz ve tirozinaz enzimlerini inhibe ettiği, eczane kaynaklı sarı kantaron yağının aktar kaynaklı sarı kantaron yağına oranla daha yüksek inhibisyon gösterdiği tespit edilmiştir. Bu durumun, üreticinin bitkiyi doğru zamanda toplaması, uygun şekilde kurutması ve doğru maserasyon yöntemiyle yağ üretmesi sonucunda ortaya çıktığı; bu sayede içerisindeki biyoaktif bileşenlerin yoğunluğunun artarak aktivitenin yükselmesine katkıda bulunmuş olabileceği şeklinde yorumlanabilir.

One of the cornerstones of a developed economy is undoubtedly the agricultural sector. Agriculture is at the center of both human nutrition and economic activities. The use of drones, especially in the process of spraying fields, has the potential to increase the efficiency of agricultural production. Drones can be programmed to scan the field and spray pesticides on these areas. This allows farmers to manage the processes of protecting their crops and removing pests more effectively. Spraying with drones minimizes the negative effects encountered in spraying with tractor-drawn machines. Drones can easily reach places that tractor-drawn machine cannot reach and can spray more precisely. In addition, thanks to drones, the need for labor is also reduced, so that one person can spray a large area in a short time. In this study, the process of spraying with drones was observed in detail by a company with an unmanned aerial vehicle-2 (UAV) license for agricultural spraying. This modern spraying method using drones was meticulously evaluated step by step. In traditional methods, farmers or workers may be directly exposed to pesticides while spraying with tractor-drawn machines, but thanks to drones, this exposure is minimized, which provides a great advantage in terms of occupational health and safety (OHS). In addition, the speed of the work process, less use of water and pesticides, and the need for labor are among the advantages. However, the problem of not being able to connect to GPS, accidents that may occur under the command of the drone, and limitations such as adverse weather conditions can be considered disadvantages of drone spraying. The findings reveal how drone spraying has transformed agriculture.

Spartium junceum L. is a plant traditionally used for different medicinal purposes. While limited research data explicates its antioxidizing ability, interest in this plant is induced mainly due to its possible role, especially against stress-causing oxidative effects. The objectives of this study were to compare antioxidant activity in flowers and leaves of Spartium junceum L., as well as time under different storage conditions implemented for antioxidative mechanisms. Spartium junceum L. plants were obtained from the Kahramanmaras, Turkey region; subsequently, the flowering and leaf parts of the plant were separated and analyzed. Plant homogenates were prepared, and the activities of SOD and CAT enzymes, as well as MDA levels, were determined using spectrophotometric methods. Enzyme activity upon storage at +4°C, -20°C, and -70° temperature enzyme samples were carried out separately and operated for less than one month in our laboratory. Flowers exhibited higher SOD and CAT activities than leaves. Flowers also showed higher levels of MDA. It may be due to the structural and biochemical differences, where flowers experience extra oxidative stress. The optimal enzyme retention under storage conditions was at -70°C, and a decrease in temperature increased the stability of this biocatalyst. In contrast, MDA levels increased at low temperatures at total capacity. The antioxidant properties of the flower extract had stronger antioxidant potential than those of the leaf part, which also means that chemically active substances show much higher concentrations in this plant section. Storage temperature significantly affects the stability of enzymes, and it was stated that low temperatures mainly maintain antioxidant activity. The results obtained from this study recommend Spartium junceum L. as a valuable antioxidant food resource.

Sebzeler, meyveler ve otlar dengeli beslenmenin ana unsurlarıdır. Rambutan, Nephelium lappaceum tropical meyve türlerinden biridir. Dünyadaki bir çok değişik bölgelerde olduğu gibi Türkiye’de de Akdeniz bölgesinde özellikle de Antalya’da tropikal bir meyve olan Rambutan yetişmektedir. Tropik ve nemli coğrafyada yetiştirilip tüketilen Rambutanın 200’den fazla çeşiti vardır. Hem taze hem de kuru olarak tüketilmesi mümkün olan bu meyve, hafif ekşi ve ağırlıklı tatlı bir tada sahiptir. Bu ilk çalışma olup, taze Rambutan meyve ekstraktlarının farklı solventlerinde ve saklama koşullarında in vitro antioksidan kapasiteyi ve oksidatif stresi araştırmak amaçlandı. Antalya ilinden temin edilen taze Rambutan meyvesi kullanıldı. Taze Rambutan meyvesi %1,15 KCl (potasyum klorür), %0,9 NaCl (sodyum klorür) ve 0,1 M (Molar) fosfat tamponu ile ekstrakte edilip homojenleştirildi. Bu bitki homojenatlarında oksidatif stresin göstergesi olan antioksidan enzim aktivitesi MDA (malondialdehit), SOD (süperoksit dismutaz) ve CAT (katalaz) seviyeleri ölçüldü. Ayrıca rambutan meyve ekstraktlarının depolama koşulları 1., 3., 5., 7., 15. ve 30. günlerde +4℃,-20℃ ve -70℃'de incelendi. MDA, SOD ve CAT düzeyleri bu homojenatlarda spektrofotometrik olarak ölçüldü. En yüksek antioksidan kapasitenin ve en düşük MDA düzeyinin %1,15 KCI içeren meyve ekstraktında bulundu. Ancak en düşük antioksidan kapasite ve en yüksek MDA düzeyi, fosfat tamponlu meyve ekstraktında bulundu. Ayrıca Rambutan meyvesinin +4℃’de yaklaşık 1-2 gün, -20℃’de yaklaşık 10 gün ve -70℃’de yaklaşık 15 gün boyunca aktivitesini koruduğu gözlemlendi. Sonuçlar, Rambutan meyvesinin yüksek düzeyde antioksidan güçte olup geliştirilme potansiyelinde bir gıda olduğunu göstermiştir.

Studies on water occupancy rates have an important share in the sustainability of dam lakes, which are an important component of aquatic ecosystems. İmranlı Dam Lake was built between 1994-2002 for energy and agricultural irrigation purposes. This study is about the water occupancy rates of the İmranlı Dam Lake, located in Sivas province of Türkiye, between the years 2010-2021. The highest water occupancy rate of İmranlı Dam Lake was determined as 76.20 percent in 2018, while the lowest water occupancy rate was 27.70% in 2012. The average annual water occupancy rate of İmranlı Dam Lake between 2010-2021 was calculated as 56.86 percent. According to these values, it was determined that the water occupancy rates of the İmranlı Dam Lake did not face a significant decrease between the years 2010-2021. As a result, there is no short-term problem in terms of water occupancy rates in İmranlı Dam Lake. However, this does not mean that it will not be a problem in the long run. For this reason, taking into account the possible effects of climate change (CC), the water of İmranlı Dam Lake should be used sparingly and consciously. As a result of all these measures that can be taken, sustainability will be ensured in the İmranlı Dam Lake, and at the same time, water scarcity will be prevented, the continuity of aquatic vitality will be ensured and losses will be prevented.

Drought, a critical abiotic stress worsened by climate change, poses a substantial threat to crop production and global food security. White cabbage is classified as a moderately drought-sensitive crop. The function of folic acid, otherwise known as folate, in the plant's response to drought conditions is not yet fully understood. The aim of the study was to evaluate the potential of folic acid in enhancing certain growth parameters and physiological traits of cabbage seedlings under limited irrigation conditions. In this investigation, the effects of FA as a foliar application at 0, 100, and 200 µM (FA0, FA1, and FA2, respectively) were examined on white cabbage seedlings grown under full-irrigation (I0) and restricted irrigation (I1), set to 50% of full capacity irrigation scheme (I0). Drought stress adversely affected the plant growth properties of cabbage seedlings, whereas FA treatments mitigated the adverse effects of drought stress on the plant growth properties of cabbage seedlings. Under restricted irrigation, plants treated with 100 µM FA (FA1) had higher plant height, stem diameter and leaf area, while plants treated with 200 µM FA (FA2) had higher plant dry weight and plant dry matter content. Plant fresh weight increased with FA treatments under restricted irrigation, but no significant difference was observed between doses. On the other hand, leaf relative water content (LRWC), which decreased under restricted irrigation conditions, increased with FA applications regardless of the dose, while electrical conductivity (EC), which increased under the same conditions, decreased with 100 µM FA (FA1) application. Leaf number, root fresh weight, root fresh weight, root dry weight, root dry matter content and chlorophyll value (SPAD) were not affected by FA treatments under both restricted and full irrigation conditions. In conclusion, foliar spray of folic acid in cabbage can be recommended as a potential application to alleviate drought stress.

Biochar production has gained significant attention lately due to its potential to sequester carbon,                improve soil fertility and mitigate climate change. Various production technologies have been developed to convert biomass into biochar, each with its unique characteristics and advantages. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the current biochar production technologies aiming to synthesize existing knowledge and identify research gaps with a focus on their potential to contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2, 12, 13 and 15. The scope of this review encompasses various biochar production techniques including slow pyrolysis, fast pyrolysis, gasification and torrefaction. The effects of production conditions such as temperature, residence time, and feedstock types on biochar properties and yields are discussed. The prospects of using biochar in the agricultural system were discussed.  Additionally, challenges and opportunities associated to scaling up biochar production technologies are highlighted. The findings of this review have implications for the development of sustainable biochar production practices and environmental management strategies.