The date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.), primarily cultivated in desert regions like the Middle East, is a significant source of nutrition, rich in sugars, polysaccharides, and bioactive compounds such as carotenoids, flavonoids, phenolics, anthocyanins, and sterols. Notably, the polysaccharides in dates exhibit prebiotic properties, supporting beneficial gut microbiota. Research highlights that dates promote the growth of helpful bacteria, including Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus, which enhance intestinal health, improve barrier function, and increase the production of short-chain fatty acids. Beyond gut health, dates offer additional benefits, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, cardiovascular, neuroprotective, and blood sugar-regulating effects. This review synthesizes recent findings on the prebiotic effects and broader health impacts of dates, suggesting their potential in dietary strategies for promoting health and preventing gastrointestinal disorders.

The current study examined the dietary solid-state fermented yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) larvae meal inclusion on growth performance, gut microbiota, body composition, liver and intestinal histology and histomorphometric parameters in the guppy (Poecilia reticulata) for 84 days. Guppies were fed diets included with no supplementation (C); 4 g/kg yellow mealworm larva meal (G1), 4 g/kg solid-state fermented with Lactobacillus brevis yellow mealworm larvae meal (G2), 4 g/kg solid-state fermented with Lactobacillus plantarum yellow mealworm larvae meal (G3), the combination of 2 g/kg solid-state fermented with L. brevis plus 2 g/kg solid-state fermented with L. plantarum yellow mealworm larvae meal (G4). For female guppies, the growth performance of the G4 group clearly differed from all groups with the synergistic effect of solid-state fermented with L. plantarum plus L. brevis. In male guppies, G3 and G4 groups showed the highest growth performance values among all groups. The intestinal microbiota of guppies was clearly varied with supplementation groups. Fusobacteria was the most abundant phylum in C, G1, G2 and G3 groups. However, Proteobacteria showed the most intensity in the G4 group. Intestinal villus height, width and surface area were positively affected in solid-state fermented yellow mealworm larvae meal supplementation groups, reaching higher values in G3 and G4 groups. In conclusion, solid-state fermented yellow mealworm larvae meal via 2 g/kg L. plantarum plus 2 g/kg L. brevis can improve growth performance by modulating the gut microbiota of guppies.

The Seed Technology Division, BARI, Gazipur, Bangladesh carried out a lab experiment in 2020–2021 to find the best vermicompost treatment for enhancing seed germination and seedling emergence in an environment of drought stress. With 4 replications, the experiment used a 2-factorial completely randomized design. Five different amounts of priming were applied to onion seeds: hydropriming, 5% vermicompost priming (VCP), 10% VCP, 15% VCP, and untreated control. In addition, the onion seedlings were treated with 10% and 15% PEG, two different levels of drought stress. BARI Piaj-4 onion was the kind that was used. The findings demonstrated that, under drought-stressed situations, seed priming with vermicompost leach improved seed germination and seedling emergence percent. especially, the vermicompost leach at 10% under 10% PEG drought stress condition showed the best results in terms of promptness index (123), germination stress tolerance index (84.25%), seed germination (90%), seedling emergence percentage (81%), and seedling vigor index (614).

The availability of high-yielding varieties adapted to diverse agro-ecologies and production systems, preferred by farmers and consumers, is the key factor limiting productivity. Farmers access seeds of different quality levels from various seed systems. Studies on seed systems and rates in relation to yield and yield traits of bread wheat varieties under irrigation are limited. Therefore, an experiment was conducted in 2021 in Northwestern Ethiopia to improve the productivity of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) varieties through suitable seed rates and systems under irrigation. The experiment was conducted using a randomized complete block design in a factorial arrangement of two varieties (Kakaba and Ogolcho), three seed systems (formal, intermediate and informal), and three seed rates (125, 150, and 175 kg ha-1) in three replications. SAS software was used for analysis. The results showed that the seed system and variety interaction had a significant effect (P < 0.05) on productive tiller numbers, days to 50% heading, kernel numbers per spike, and plant height. Additionally, the productive tiller numbers and days to 50% heading were significantly (P < 0.05) influenced by the interaction of variety with seed rate. However, the main effects of seed system, seed rate, and variety alone had a significant (P < 0.05) impact on physiological maturity, 1000-seed weight, kernel length, grain yield, biomass yield, and harvest index. The highest grain yields were obtained from the following main factors: seed system (intermediate (4.52 t ha-1); seed rate (150 kg ha-1 (4.71 t ha-1)); and variety (Kakaba (4.47 t ha-1)), which exceeded the average yield in irrigation (4.4 t ha-1). It is necessary to conduct experiments involving a greater number of seed rates and varieties over multiple cropping seasons and locations and sowing dates to strengthen the results.

Bu çalışma 2021 yılında Tokat Gaziosmanpaşa Üniversitesi bünyesindeki tam otomasyonlu ısıtmalı bir serada yürütülmüştür. Bu çalışmanın amacı, farklı dozlarda mikoriza ve organik gübre uygulamalarının biber fidelerinin gelişimi üzerindeki etkisini incelemektir. Çalışmada Bulut F1 biber çeşidi kullanılmıştır. Araştırma, tesadüf parselleri deneme desenine uygun olarak 3 tekrarlı olarak gerçekleştirilmiştir. Çalışmada, biber fidesi yetiştiriciliği için torf-perlit karışımına mikorizalı ve mikorizasız farklı dozlarda besin solüsyonu ve vermikompost uygulanmıştır. Fideler bir buçuk ayda sökümü yapılmıştır. Bu araştırmada, fide boyu, hipokotil uzunluğu, gövde çapı, yaprak sayısı, yaprak yaş ağırlığı, yaprak kuru ağırlığı, kök yaş ağırlığı ve kök kuru ağırlığı özellikleri incelenmiştir. Çalışma bugularına göre, gövde çapı üzerinde vermikompost+mikoriza+EC uygulamalarının daha iyi sonuç vermiştir. Vermikompost dozları arttıkça fide boyu ve hipokotil uzunluğunda bir artış olduğu ancak vermikompost uygulamalarının etkisinin olmadığı görülmektedir. Genel olarak tüm uygulamalara bakıldığı zaman vermikompost uygulamalarına göre EC ve EC+mikoriza uygulamalarının etkisinin daha fazla olduğu görülmektedir.

Over the years, more than 3336 rice genotypes were introduced into Ethiopia from different countries and evaluated for diseases reaction and agronomic traits. However, morphological characteristics and relationships were not well investigated among genotypes. Hence, the objective of this study was to characterize 100 rice genotypes morphologically for better identification and to classify genotypes relationships. The experiment was done using triple lattice design with 10×10 in 2021/22 main cropping season. Twenty-five qualitative morphological traits were used to characterize and 13 quantitative traits were used to categorize relationships of the studied rice genotypes. The Shannon Weaver diversity index of qualitative traits were varied from 0 to 1. Moreover, based on quantitative traits the studied rain fed rice genotypes were grouped into four distinct clusters and four principal components with Eigen value >1 were contributed 78.99% of the total variation. We recommend crossing cluster I with IV genotypes to get early-maturing besides moderate grain yield variety for short rainfall season areas. And cross cluster III with IV genotypes to get medium matured, high filled spikelet per panicle, augmented harvest index, biomass and grain yield variety for long rainfall season areas.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of the supplementation of defatted mealworm larvae meal fermented with probiotics to the diet of broilers reared under normal stocking density (NSD) and high stocking density (HSD) on the morphometric characteristics and mineral contents of tibia bone of broilers. A total of 450 one-d-old Ross 308 male broiler chicks were randomly distributed into six groups of similar mean weight, each containing five replicates. The experimental treatments were arranged as a 2 × 3 factorial design, incorporating two levels of stocking density (12 birds/m², designated as NSD, and 18 birds/m², designated as HSD) and three different diets in mash form: CONT- a corn-soybean meal-based diet containing no fermented defatted mealworm larvae meal (FDM) (0%); FDMLP- the diet obtained by supplementing defatted mealworm larvae meal (DM) fermented with Lactobacillus plantarum to the CONT diet (0.4%); FDMLB- the diet obtained by supplementing DM fermented with Lactobacillus brevis to the CONT diet (0.4%). HSD significantly aggravated the morphometric parameters (weight, length, weight/length index, diameter of diaphysis and medullary canal, tibiotarsal index and breaking strenght) and decreased mineralization (ash, Ca and P contents) of the tibia of broilers, whereas the FDMLP and FDMLB diets improved tibia mineralization and morphology except its medullary canal diameter and ribusticity index of broilers due to the results of enhanced mineral absorption. In conclusion, the use of FDMLP and FDMLB as new antibacterial feed additives in broiler diets regardless of stocking density was able to improve tibia mineralization and morphology except its medullary canal diameter and ribusticity index of broilers due to the results of enhanced mineral absorption.

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.

This study analyzed the drying kinetics of peanut pods employing sun, hot air, and microwave drying techniques, and evaluated their mathematical modeling. The findings demonstrated that sun-drying decreased the moisture content from 26.47% to 8-10% over a duration surpassing 72 hours. Hot air drying at temperatures of 60°C, 80°C, and 100°C, commencing with an initial moisture content of 29.92%, necessitated 810 minutes, 360 minutes, and 660 minutes, respectively. Microwave drying, commencing with an initial moisture content of 23.01%, required 40 minutes, 45 minutes, and 60 minutes at belt velocities of 3 mm/s, 4.9 mm/s, and 6.2 mm/s, respectively, at 300 W. At 400 W, the durations were 24 minutes, 30 minutes, and 40 minutes, respectively. All drying kinetics curves exhibited decreasing rates characteristic of agro-food products. Mathematical modeling analysis identified the Midilli model as the most appropriate, succeeded by the Page, Henderson, and Pabis models, for characterizing moisture loss during the sun, hot air, and belt microwave drying of peanut pods.

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.