The present study was conducted to determine some environmental factors affecting birth weight, weaning weight and daily live weight gain of Holstein calves of a livestock facility in Izmir, Turkey. The data on 2091 calves born between the years 2005-2010 were used to assess the relevant parameters. Effects of calving year, calving month, calf gender and the interaction between calving year and calving month on calves’ birth weights were highly significant. The overall mean of birth weights was 39.6±0.15 kg. In addition, effects of calving year, calving month, gender, birth weight, weaning age, calving year x calving month, calving year x gender and calving year x calving month x gender interactions on weaning weight (WW) and daily live weight gain (DLWG) were highly significant. The overall means of WW and DLWG were respectively found to be 79.7±0.20 kg and 525±2.5 g. A one kilogram increase in birth weight resulted in an increase of 0.89 kg in weaning weight and a decrease of 1.26 g in daily live weight gain. Prenatal temperature-humidity index (THI) affected birth weight of calves (R2=0.67). Increasing THI from 50 to 80 resulted in 3.8 kg decrease in birth weight.

This study was conducted to determine a suitable time and temperature combination for the electrical conductivity test to be used in sorghum seeds. Fifty seeds known initial seed moisture content and weight of fresh and dead seeds (105°C for 6h) of seven sorghum cultivars were used as material. The electrical conductivities of soaking water were measured using an EC meter in 20, 25 and 30°C for 4, 8, 12 and 24 h using 50 mL deionized water. The experimental design was three factor factorial (7 × 3 × 4) arranged in a completely randomized design; with four replications and 50 seeds per replicate. The results showed that increased time and temperature caused a remarkable increase in EC values of all of the cultivars. Temperature significantly affected the electrical conductivity values and the best results were obtained at 25°C. The cultivars with the lower germination percentage gave the higher electrical conductivity value. Dead seeds always gave higher electrical conductivity at 25°C for all periods. It was concluded that the temperature of 25°C and 24 h was the optimum combination for the electrical conductivity test in sorghum.

Fish Platycephalus indicus usually are consumed by southern people in Iran. The present study assessed the effect of processing on proximate compositions in the fillets of P.indicus. The fish samples were prepared by boiling, baking and frying, while proximate analysis was done by standard methods. Boiling processing method significantly reduced ash content in the fillet whereas fat content was significantly increased in frying. Baking method recorded highest ash content of 10.64%. The highest protein concentration was obtained for boiled fillet (82.73%). Lipid content was recorded highest in fried fillet (17.27%). P. indicus was, rich in fat, protein, and ash, thus its consumption should be encouraged.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the factors affecting the consumption of bee products and honey and also determine consumption habits and awareness of bee products in some selected province in Turkey. The main material of the study was formed by the original survey data which were collected from randomly selected 1112 people from Batman, Bursa, Diyarbakır, Erzincan, Kayseri, Kırşehir, Mersin, Muğla, Muş, Ordu, and Samsun as random provinces in 2014. The data in the study were examined in two parts. The first part consisted of the consumption habits and awareness of honey, whereas the preferences of individuals usage of bee product such as pollen, propolis, royal jelly and bee venom were examined in the second part. Multivariate logistic regression model was applied for each section including variables data for bee products. According to the survey, it was found that 39.6% of consumers consumed honey between 0-500 grams on a monthly basis. 51.2% of consumers bought honey from beekeepers, and 41% of them stated that they received from the market and bazaar. 5.9% of consumers believe the advertisement on television about bee product. 45.8% of consumers using honey stated that they could understand the quality of the honey. The proportion of consumers who kept a trademark for bee products was determined as 52.7%. Age of the consumer, honey that where consumers bought, honey brand preference and convincing of honey advertisement were significant for P

Eight nearly homozygous, horticulturally superior and optimally divergent lines of tomato having Indian and exotic adaptability were used for carrying out half diallel design to study General Combining Ability (GCA) and Specific Combining Ability (SCA) estimates for fruit weight, polar and equatorial diameter, locules fruit-1, pericarp thickness and fruit firmness. The variances due to both GCA and SCA were significant, suggesting that both additive and non additive genetic variance were involved for genetic control of the character fruit polar and equatorial diameter, and locules number in F1 and F2 generations. However, the variance due to GCA was more pronounced for fruit weight, pericarp thickness and firmness as a result of additive gene action. Due to their high general combining ability effects, exotic parents Ec 490130 and Ec 177371 producing firm fruited small to medium sized tomato fruits having constant expression of GCA effects over the generationsregarded as best general combiners. The crosses GT 1 x Ec 490130 and Ec 490130 x Ec 398704 having high x high and high x low combinations, respectively in F1. While in F2, GT 1 x Ec 177371 and H 24 x Ec 490130 having high x high and high x low combining lines were considered as best crosses for greater fruit firmness. Therefore, heterosis breeding in F1 and selection of desirable lines in F2 generation is recommended for further improvements were suggested for future hybridization programmes.

The aim of the present work was to examine the effects of anionic salts (MgCl2 or MgSO4) supplementation on metabolic profile, peripartum diseases and pregnancy rate of dairy cows during the prepartum period. Fourty five Holstein dairy cows were placed on 1 of 3 prepartum treatments. Treatment groups were balanced body condition score as far as similar. Treatments were total mixed ration (TMR) without anionic salt (control), TMR supplemented with 30 g/d/cow MgCl2 or TMR supplemented with 30 g/d/cow MgSO4. After parturation, all groups were fed with same TMR. The presynch-ovsynch protocol was used and fixed time artificial insemination was done after 30 days postpartum. The experiment was lasted for 8 weeks of postpartum. Cows fed MgCl2 supplemented TMR increased milk yield compared with control and MgSO4 supplemented TMR. Supplementing anionic salts reduced serum AST and ALT concentrations, increased serum glucose, HDL, IgG, Ca and Mg concentrations. Health and reproductive performance were not different between treatments. These data suggets that anionic salts supplementation in TMR during prepartum can alter milk yield and blood biochemical parameters.

This study was conducted by using a survey made at 80 enterprises from 63 villages with the aim of determining situations, problems and solution proposals related to the sheep and goat farms in Kastamonu province. The average age of the farmers was 49.3 years. The farmers were 8.75% of primary school graduates, 68.75% of secondary school and also 22.6% of illiterate. The enterprises have raised animals as 31.75% of state + own land and 68.75%’ of private + leased land. Also they are kept the rate of 70% Hair goat, 30% Angora goat and 55% Merino sheep, 42.5% Akkaraman sheep, and 16.25% Turkmen genotype, 7.5% Sakız sheep and 6.25% of Kıvırcık Sheep. The average flock sizes goat and sheep enterprises were 77.3 head goats and 71.7 heads sheep, respectively. Sixty percent of the breeder feed their animals on the pasture for 8-10 months and only 30% the breeders give supplementary feeding before and during mating period. The enterprises have 31.2% parturition chamber and 92.5% lamb growth areas. While all enterprises are routinely used to protective vaccines but only used disinfectant of 73.7% enterprises. The reason of sheep and goat breeders is majority contributions of income and habits. So, flock sizes are small (74.5 heads animal). In conclusion, young people by encouraging small animal farming in the province of Kastamonu, should be given to technical, economic support and educational seminars. In the future, as the sole source of income and a large flock size may lead to a development of sheep and goat breeding in Kastamonu province.

Combining ability analysis has an important position in rapeseed breeding. To evaluate genetic and combining ability effects, three Brassica napus L. testers “Punjab Sarson, Legend and Durre-NIFA” and five lines “Duncled, K-258, ZN-R-1, ZN-R-8, ZN-M-6” were crossed using line × tester design in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. Mean sum of squares of the analysis of variances (ANOVA) for genotypes was highly significant for all of the traits. Most of the lines and testers exhibited significant results of mean sum of squares for combining ability. Line ‘Duncled’ was proved good general combiner for oil (8.8), protein (3.7), erucic acid (33.0), oleic acid (13.0) and glucosinolate (-19.3) over other lines and tester ‘Durree-NIFA’ for protein (6.6), erucic acid (-23.4), and linolenic acid (-5.3) over other testers. Significant specific combining ability effects were also observed. The best hybrid combinations were Legend × ZN-R-1 for oil (9.6), Punjab Sarson × Duncled for minimum erucic acid (-14.0) and linolenic acid contents (-6.0), and Legend × ZN-M-6 for maximum protein (8.2) and minimum glucosinolate contents (-11.1). The maximum oil contents were observed in ‘Legend × ZN-R-1’ (52.4%). The cross ‘Punjab Sarson × Duncled’ expressed maximum values of protein (26.5%) and oleic acid (62.5%) while minimum for erucic acid (2.3%), linolenic acid (5.4%) and glucosinolate contents (19.3µmol/g). This research discloses the significance of non-additive genetic effects for most of the studied traits except oil contents. These studies will also help to improve nutritional values of rapeseed crop by selecting noble crosses.

This study was conducted in order to determine the effect of the mechanical properties such as maximum force at the skin rupture point, energy at the skin rupture point and the skin firmness on color maturity of tomato by supervised learning algorithms of data mining. In the present study, a total of 88 tomato samples were used, and color measurements for each tomato in 4 different equatorial regions were performed and a total of 352 color measurement units were used. In the classification processes performed according to these mechanical properties, K-Star, Random Forest and Decision Tree (C4.5) algorithms of data mining were utilized, and in the comparison of comprising classification models, Root Mean Square Error (RMSE), Mean absolute error (MAE), Root relative squared error (RRSE) and Relative absolute error (RAE) values, which are some of the criteria of error variance, were considered to be low, while the classification accuracy rate was considered to be high. As a result of the comparison made, the classification model formed according to K-Star instance-based algorithm [MAE: 0.004, RMSE: 0.006, %RAE: 1.73, %RRSE: 1.70] has been found to be a better classifier compared to the others. With the classification made according to K-Star algorithm, the maximum force at the skin rupture point on the degree of maturity of tomato and the skin firmness were found to be green, light red, and their effects are non-significant during the color conversion periods, and found significant during other periods while the energy at the skin rupture point is only pink and has been to be significant during the color conversion stages and non-significant during other stages.

Six groundnut (Arachis hypogea L.) cultivars i.e. Golden, BARI-2000, Australian, BARD-479, ICG-7326 and 2KCGC20 were evaluated against the attack of Odontotermes obesus in terms of percentage infestation of workers and soldiers, their damage and impact on the yield. The maximum mean populations of O. obesus workers were recorded on 2KCGC20 (30.82±2.75 workers/plot) and Australian (30.65±2.92 workers/plot), followed by BARI 2000 (19.55±2.51 workers/plot), Golden (17.30±2.27 workers/plot) and BARD-479 (16.82±2.06 workers/plot). The minimum mean population of O. obesus workers was found on ICG-7326 cultivars (14.85±1.81) workers/plot. The maximum mean population infestation of O. obesus soldiers was recorded on 2KCGC20 cultivar (4.88±0.25 soldiers/plot) followed by Australian (4.15±.30, soldiers/per plot), BARD-479 (2.00±.17 soldiers/plot), ICG-7326 (1.70±.14 soldiers/plot), BARD 2000 (2.40±.25 soldiers/ plot). The minimum mean population of O. obesus soldiers was found on Gold (1.87±.17 soldiers/plot). Population of O. obesus workers was positively related with the damage and negatively related the yield in all the groundnut cultivars.