Millets, including pearl millet, foxtail millet, and finger millet, among others, offer a complementary solution to traditional staple crops such as wheat, rice and maize, particularly in the context of climate change. Known for their resilience to heat, drought, and poor soil conditions, millets can be integrated into existing agricultural systems to enhance food security and nutritional diversity in regions increasingly affected by climate change. While millets may not replace staple crops, their cultivation alongside these staples provide several benefits, including improved nutritional outcomes and reduced environmental impact. Pearl millet, for instance, is rich in iron and zinc, addressing micronutrient deficiencies that are common in many developing regions. Finger millet’s high calcium content makes it a valuable addition to diets in areas with limited access to dairy. These grains thrive in marginal environments, contributing to more sustainable farming practices with a lower environmental footprint. Incorporating millets into agricultural systems can reduce dependency on water-intensive crops, lower the risk of crop failure, and provide a buffer against the impacts of climate change. By diversifying cropping systems, millets could help to stabilize food production and improve nutritional outcomes without displacing the critical role of traditional staples in global diets. To maximize the benefits of millets, efforts should focus on improving value chains, supporting smallholder farmers, and increasing consumer awareness. Moreover, targeted research and supportive policies are critical to unlocking their full potential and integrating them effectively into global food systems. As the world faces the dual challenges of climate change and malnutrition, millets offer a viable pathway to enhance resilience and sustainability in agriculture, complementing staple crops and enriching global food systems.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the pollination and fertilization biology of black mulberry (Morus nigra L.), with a specific focus on understanding the effects of different pollination treatments on fruit formation and seed formation. Two experiments were designed to evaluate both dioecious and monoecious genotypes. In the first experiment, genotype 25 (dioecious female) was subjected to various artificial pollination treatments using pollen from two male genotypes (genotype 5 and genotype 28), as well as isolation treatments to observe parthenocarpic fruit formation. High fruit formation rates were recorded across all treatments, and no significant differences in fruit size or drupelet number were observed, regardless of the pollen source. The second experiment involved three monoecious genotypes (genotype 1, genotype 30, and genotype 31), where significant variations in fruit formation and size were observed, depending on the pollen source. This study highlights the potential for both fertilized and parthenocarpic fruit formation in black mulberry and underscores the importance of pollen source in determining fruit quality and seed formation.

Potato common scab incited by pathogenic Streptomyces spp. is a significant soil-borne disease leading to serious economic losses in potato tubers worldwide. However, there is limited information available in Egypt regarding the pathogenicity, prevalence, and variety of Streptomyces spp. inciting common scab. Therefore, this study aims to clarify the aspects of identifying and characterizing Streptomyces spp. obtained from scabby tubers as well as to evaluate their pathogenicity. In the present investigation, nine isolates of Streptomyces spp. were obtained from various scab lesion symptoms. Of these, the Ag2 and Man strains exhibited pathogenic traits. The pathogenicity assays demonstrated that the strains induced necrotic lesions on tuber slices and abnormal growth of radish seedlings. In potato pot trail, The Ag2 isolates caused deep-pitted lesions with a disease index of 73.30%. Additionally, tubers inoculated with the Man isolate exhibited visible brown raised lesions, resulting in a disease index of 63.97%. Subsequently, the strains were characterized based on morphological, physiological, biochemical and phylogenetic levels. Phylogenetic tree derived from 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that Ag2 and Man strains share 100% sequence similarity with Streptomyces caviscabies ATCC 51928 and Streptomyces enissocaesilis NRRL B-16365, respectively. The results of this study demonstrate that S. caviscabies and S. enissocaesilis are capable of causing CS disease in potatoes and may pose a potential threat to potato cultivation in Egypt.

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.

Garlic (Allium sativum L.) is a shallow-rooted crop mostly grown for cloves, which are used as a food flavoring condiment. Mulching helps to keep soil moisture by lowering energy loss through evaporation and preventing vapor transfer. A field study investigated how different mulches affect the garlic growth metrics. The experiment was conducted in the Chitwan District of Nepal from December to April 2022 under a randomized complete block design with three replications and five treatments (control, polythene mulch, straw mulch, banana leaf mulch, and sawdust mulch). The results reveal that the type of mulching materials employed substantially impacts on garlic growth and clove yield. Rice straw mulch exhibited the highest plant height (70.69cm) at 120 DAP followed by sawdust (64.44cm) and banana leaves (62.34cm). At 120 days after planting, leaf length was found to be statistically similar under rice straw (43.36) and plastic mulch (41.56 cm). Plastic mulch showed the highest results in number of leaves per plant(7.6), Stem diameter (1.58cm), Bulb weight (44.61gm),Bulb diameter(5.11cm), Root length(8.48cm) and Total yield (15.99t/ha). On the other hand, saw dust had a greater impact on bulb length (6.05cm). Notably, plastic mulch regularly outperformed other treatments in most criteria, with rice straw following closely. Based on these findings, plastic mulch appears to be the best option for garlic production.

Geleneksel yöntemlere kıyasla, makine öğrenimi ile desteklenen sistemlerin, daha hassas sulama kararları verebildiği tespit edilmiştir. Bu çalışmada, veri bilimi alanında sıkça kullanılan veri paylaşım platformu olan Kaggle’dan faydalanılmıştır. Sulama durumu tahmini için “Weather Data” veri kümesi kullanılmıştır, Veri kümesinde eksik ve aykırı veriler düzeltilmiş, bağımlı (sulama durumu) ve bağımsız (hava sıcaklığı, nemi, toprak nem değeri, yağış durumu) parametreler elde edilmiştir. Güneydoğu Anadolu Bölgesi’ndeki illere (Adıyaman, Batman, Diyarbakır, Gaziantep, Kilis, Mardin, Siirt, Şanlıurfa ve Şırnak) odaklanılarak farklı koşullarda algoritmaların doğrulukları test edilmiştir. Her bir il için ayrı ayrı yapılan analizlerde, makine öğrenimi algoritmalarından Karar Ağaçları, Destek Vektör Makineleri, Rastgele Orman, Naive Bayes, Gradyan Artırma, Lojistik Regresyon, K-En Yakın Komşu ve Yapay Sinir Ağı modelleri kullanılarak sulama durumu tahmini gerçekleştirilmiştir. Veri kümesi üzerinde yapılan tahminler sonucunda algoritmalar, doğruluk (accuracy) metriği kullanılarak karşılaştırılmış ve en etkili algoritmaların Rastgele Orman (%95) ,Karar Ağacı (%97), Gradyan Artırma (%93) ve Yapay Sinir Ağı (%98) modeli ile tüm şehirlerde %90’ın üzerinde sulama durumu tahmini doğruluğu elde edilmiştir. Diğer algoritmalar da yüksek doğruluk oranları ile (%75 üzeri) dikkate değer performans sergilemişlerdir. Her bir il için yapılan analizlerde, algoritma performans sıralamasının benzer olduğu belirlenmiştir. Sonuç olarak, bu çalışma makine öğrenimi algoritmalarının tarımsal sulamada oldukça yüksek bir performansla kullanılabileceğini göstermektedir.

The blue crab (Callinectes sapidus, Rathbun 1896) has become a significant source of raw materials in biotechnology and nanotechnology due to the biomaterials present in its shell. Natural polymers such as chitin and chitosan, derived from the crab's shell, are particularly noteworthy for their environmentally friendly and biologically compatible properties. These biopolymers provide an innovative alternative in the synthesis of quantum dots (QDs). Quantum dots are favored in various applications, including biomedical imaging, environmental sensors, and energy storage, due to their superior optoelectronic properties. Chitosan obtained from blue crab shells acts as both a stabilizer and a coating agent in the green synthesis of quantum dots. This process minimizes the use of toxic chemicals, thus promoting environmental sustainability. Moreover, the antimicrobial and biodegradable properties of chitosan enhance its usability in biomedical applications. For instance, biocompatible carbon-based quantum dots have shown promising results in cancer diagnostics and drug delivery systems. The synthesis of quantum dots using biomaterials is more cost-effective and environmentally friendly compared to traditional methods. Furthermore, utilizing blue crab shells as a waste material contributes to both marine ecosystem preservation and the circular economy. These synthesis methods are reported to create a significant paradigm shift in the field of sustainable technology development. In conclusion, the synthesis of quantum dots using biomaterials derived from blue crabs has the potential to reduce environmental impacts while serving advanced technological applications. This approach significantly contributes to the development of biotechnological innovations and sustainable development goals.

The current study aimed to evaluate the effect of extraction solvents on the anti-bacterial and anti-fungal efficacy of the stem and roots of Ajuga integrifolia Buch. Ham. ex D. Extracts were prepared in different solvents and tested against fungi and bacteria species including, Agrobacterium tumefaciens, Xanthomonos oryzae, Citrobacter freundi, Alternaria alternata, A. solani and Aspergillus niger. Antibacterial efficacy of the Ajuga integrifolia was carried out by disc diffusion susceptibility method and antifungal efficacy by well diffusion susceptibility method. Methanol stem extract revealed efficacy against C. freundi by producing a 63% zone of inhibition at 3000µg/disc while methanol roots extract produced 77% ZI against A. tumifaciens. Methanol root and stem extracts produced an equal zone of inhibition (97%) at 1000 µg/ml concentration against A. alternata and A. solani. The results of the study clearly stated that the polarity of the solvents used in the extraction procedure affects the bioactivities of the extracts.

Yerel geleneksel yemekler bölgelerin tarihsel, coğrafi ve kültürel özelliklerini yansıtırken, bireylerin yeme alışkanlıkları ise sosyal ve ekonomik yapıya dair ipuçları sunar. Günümüzde, küresel endüstriyel gıda üretimi ve dağıtımı karşısında geleneksel gıda üretimi ciddi bir rekabet gücü kaybı yaşamaktadır. Geleneksel tarımsal ürünlerin üreticisi olan çiftçiler, yok olma tehlikesiyle karşı karşıyadır. Bu durum hem geleneksel ürünlerin kaybı hem de yeme-içme kültürümüzün önemli bir kısmının yok olması anlamına gelmektedir. Avrupa Birliği (AB) bu kaybın önlenmesi ve sorunun tüm boyutları ile değerlendirilip çözümü için kısa adı TRUEFOOD olan büyük bir proje yürütmüştür. Bu proje kapsamında AB, geleneksel gıdaların küresel rekabet koşullarında korunmasını sağlarken, üretim süreçlerinin çağın gerektirdiği gıda güvenliği standartlarına uyumlu hâle getirilmesini hedeflemiştir. Türkiye’de ise bu sürece parelel olarak başlatılan ve yaklaşık 20 yıldır düzenlenen Geleneksel Gıdalar Sempozyumu (GGS) serisi ile geleneksel gıdalarımız kayıt altına alınmaya çalışılmaktadır. Ayrıca çeşitli kurumlar AB’de olduğu gibi Coğrafi İşaret (Cİ) tescilleri ile “geleneksel gıdaları” korumaya çalışmaktadır. GGS serisinde sunulan birçok makalede, geleneksel gıdaların sadece ham madde ve üretim teknolojilerinden ibaret olmadığı; bununla birlikte toplumsal kimlik ifadesi, dini ritüel, dayanışmayı teşvik eden bir olgu ve bireylerin hatıralarını yansıtan bir bütün olduğu görülmektedir. Serinin gelecek sempozyumlarında ise “geleneksel gıdalarımızın” kayıt altına alınmasında onların hikâyelerinin ve sosyolojik boyutlarının birlikte inceleneceği bir gelenek oluşturulmasının kültürümüzün devamlılığı açısından büyük yararlar sağlayacağı düşünülmektedir.

Plants need to accumalate heat to complete a particular or whole growth period. This accumalation depends on temperature thresholds above or below which plant growth ceases, and on air temperature. It can be speculated that more heat accumulation is available for plants due to rapid warming within three or four decades. This study presents more recent heat accumulation for plants, quantified using a useful index called growing degree day (GDD), for five locations (Söke, Kuşadası, Aydın, Sultanhisar and Nazilli) in Aydın, Türkiye, during the latest climatic normal period from 1991 to 2020. GDD values were calculated both in monthly basis from March through October, and in daily basis from March 1st to October 31st. Monthly GDD averages, as expected, showed a pattern that increased from March to July or August, then decreased thereafter till October. Range and standart deviation showed approximately an opposite pattern, suggesting higher uncertainity in relatively colder months. The results are expected to provide farmers or agricultural practitioners with the latest averages of GDD to predict plant growth and development.