This study aimed to evaluate the basic taste and odor recognition abilities of trainee sensory assessors to identify candidates with adequate perceptual skills for sensory panel participation. A total of 18 candidates underwent standardized taste (sweet, salty, sour, bitter, umami) and odor (lemon, vanilla, thyme, mint, clove, cinnamon, nail polish, bitter almond) recognition tests based on ISO protocols. Friedman test results indicated significant differences in recognition accuracy among taste stimuli (p < 0.05) and odor stimuli (p < 0.001). Sweet and salty were identified correctly by all participants (100%), while sour (57.1%) and umami (50%) had the lowest recognition rates. Among odors, thyme, clove, and cinnamon were identified with 100% accuracy, whereas lemon and bitter almond had the lowest recognition rates (21.4%). Wilcoxon signed-rank test revealed that panelists performed significantly better in odor recognition than in taste recognition (p < 0.001). These findings suggest that trainee assessors exhibit higher olfactory than gustatory sensitivity, particularly for familiar and distinctive stimuli. The results highlight the importance of applying structured screening tools and targeted training programs, especially for less familiar taste and odor modalities, in the selection and development of effective sensory panels.

Rosehip seeds are an agricultural by-product obtained after the production of tea, jam, marmalade, and vinegar from rosehips. Solid-state fermentation can increase the nutritional composition of agricultural residues. This study was conducted to determine the effect of solid-state fermentation with Aspergillus niger on the nutritional composition of rosehip seeds. Fermentation was carried out using different A. niger strains (ATCC 52172, ATCC 201572, ATCC 200345, and ATCC 200344) at 30 °C for seven days. The crude protein (CP), ether extract (EE), ash, crude fiber (CF), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), and acid detergent lignin (ADL) were determined in unfermented and fermented rosehip seeds. Solid-state fermentation increased (P<0.001) the CP and ash content of the rosehip seeds. The CF and nitrogen-free extract were lower (P<0.01 and P<0.001, respectively) in the fermented rosehip seeds compared with unfermented rosehip seeds. Fermentation had no effect on the EE, NDF, ADF, and ADL content of the rosehip seeds. Results showed that solid-state fermentation with A. niger strains can improve the nutritional composition of rosehip seeds by increasing the crude protein and ash content and decreasing the crude fiber content.

The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of fertility losses on the success of the dairy-cattle breeding in the Konya Province, Çumra district, Türkiye. A survey was conducted by interviewing 98 operating livestock enterprises in the district that were chosen according to the stratified random sampling method. Socioeconomic analyses were conducted primarily for these enterprises and indicators of the number of days in milking (DIM), calving loss, insemination loss, heat incontinence cost, and service period were calculated to determine fertility losses in the dairy enterprises. Our results indicated that there were economic losses in reproductive yields of $10,807.57 in the small-scale enterprises, $20,818.12 in the medium-scale enterprises, and $49,248.83 in the large-scale enterprises. According to our results, reproductive controls, herd management, accounting for fertility disorders, and developing herd-tracking systems based on the size of the enterprise would help to reduce these economic losses.

Protein kalitesinin değerlendirilmesi, özellikle diyet formülasyonu ve geleneksel hayvansal proteinlere alternatifler bağlamında beslenme biliminin kritik bir yönüdür. Protein Sindirilebilirliği Düzeltilmiş Amino Asit Puanı (PDCAAS), diyet proteinlerinin kalitesini değerlendirmek için uluslararası alanda standart bir yöntem olarak kabul edilmektedir. Bu çalışma, Türk mutfağında yer alan Türkiye ulusal rehberinde standart tarifeleri bulunan zeytinyağlı ve etsiz sebze yemeklerinin protein kalitesini, PDCAAS yöntemi ile tahmin etmeyi amaçlamıştır. PDCAAS yöntemi, gıdadaki temel amino asitlerin profilini, hedef popülasyonu, genellikle yetişkinler veya küçük çocuklar için ideal amino asit gereksinimlerini temsil eden referans proteinle karşılaştıran amino asit skorunun belirlenmesini içermektedir. Bu çalışmada, 37 farklı zeytinyağlı ve etsiz sebze yemeğinin enerji, protein ve esansiyel amino asit desenleri analiz edilmiş ve PDCAAS puanları hesaplanmıştır. Elde edilen verilerin hesaplanmasında Microsoft Excel Programı kullanılmıştır. Türkiye ulusal rehberinde yer alan zeytinyağlı ve etsiz sebze yemeklerinin enerji protein oranları değerlendirildiğinde 37 yemekten 15’nin protein enerji oranları değerlerinin %10’dan düşük olduğu görülmektedir. En düşük olan yemekler sırasıyla; Patates kızartması (%3,4), İmam bayıldı (%3,5) ve Kabak bayıldı (%4,3)’dır. Ayrıca incelenen yemeklerin hepsinin PDCAAS puanı 1’in altındadır. Bu sonuçlar bu yemeklerin protein kalitesi yönünden düşük olduğunu göstermektedir. Yemeklere eklenen hayvansal kaynaklı proteinler ile ya da sınırlı esansiyel amino asit örüntülerine göre yapılan menü planlamaları kombinasyonları ile öğünlerin protein kalitesi puanları artırılabilmektedir. Protein kalitesinin, sağlıklı bir beslenme sağlamak açısından protein miktarı kadar önemli olduğu göz önünde bulundurulduğunda, bu çalışmanın özellikle düşük protein alımına sahip grupların (vejetaryenler gibi) beslenme planlamasında yol gösterici olacağı düşünülmektedir.

Banana (Musa spp. ‘Grand Naine’) is a climacteric fruit prone to rapid postharvest deterioration, necessitating effective storage interventions. This study investigated the influence of perforated low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) packaging on the ripening physiology and quality attributes of bananas over ten days. A Completely Randomized Design (CRD) was used with five treatments including control, LDPE (24 and 48 holes) and HDPE (24 and 48 holes), and four replication per treatment. Fruits were exposed to ethylene (24 hours at 14–20°C, 85–90% RH) and subsequently monitored for ten days at ambient temperature. Quality attributes such as peel color, physiological loss in weight (PLW), firmness, pulp-to-peel ratio, total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA), TSS/TA ratio, and pH were assessed. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and mean comparisons performed with Least Significant Difference (LSD) tests at a 5% significance level. LDPE with 24 perforations minimized PLW (4.56%) and delayed ripening, while HDPE 24 holes best retained firmness (0.89 kg/cm2). Although TSS and TA trends were similar across treatments, LDPE and HDPE maintained higher pH values, indicating moderated acid metabolism. The TSS/TA ratio increased over time in all treatments, consistent with progressive ripening. LDPE 24 perforations offered the most balanced microenvironment, optimizing water retention and gas exchange. These findings support its application for enhancing banana shelf life and quality in subtropical storage conditions.

Bu çalışma, yumurtacı tavukların beslenmesinde rasyona kurutulmuş dar yapraklı sinir otu (Plantago lanceolata) ilavesinin performans, sarı pigmentasyonu ve diğer yumurta kalite özellikleri üzerine etkilerinin belirlenmesi amacıyla yürütülmüştür. Çalışmada 56 haftalık yaşta toplam 150 adet Lohmann Sandy genotipli yumurtacı tavuk kullanılmış, kontrol rasyonu (sinir otu ilavesiz) ve kontrol rasyonuna iki farklı dozda (1. doz; 0,5 kg/ton yem, 2. doz; 1 kg/ton yem) sinir otu ilave edilmiş deneme rasyonları olmak üzere üç deneme grubu oluşturulmuştur. Çalışma sonucunda, deneme grupları arasında yumurta verimi ve yem tüketiminin benzer olduğu gözlenmiştir (P>0,05). Diğer yandan, yumurta ağırlığının 1.doz grubunda 61.8 g ortalama değeriyle en yüksek, kontrol grubunda ise 58,6 g ile en düşük değerde olduğu gözlenmiştir (P<0,05). Yemden yararlanma oranı ise kontrol, 1.doz ve 2.doz gruplarında sırasıyla 2,06, 1,94 ve 2,02 olarak tespit edilmiştir (P<0,05). Kurutulmuş dar yapraklı sinir otu ilavesiyle yumurta sarı oranının kontrol grubuna göre artış gösterdiği, sarı renginin ise koyulaştığı saptanmıştır (P<0,05). Yumurta sarı rengi kontrol, 1. doz ve 2. doz deneme gruplarında sırasıyla 9,2, 12,6 ve 12,4 olarak gözlenmiştir. Sonuç olarak, yumurtacı tavukların beslenmesinde rasyona ilave edilen 0,5 kg/ton yem seviyesinde kurutulmuş dar yapraklı sinir otu yumurta ağırlığı, yemden yararlanma oranı ve sarı rengi üzerine olumlu etkileri olduğu için, özellikle sarı pigmentasyonu için doğal bir kaynak olarak önerilebilir.

This study first analyses the use of digital technologies in agriculture from two different perspectives. Then, correlation analyses using these data aim to show which countries focus on which of the two perspectives are ahead in agricultural exports. In the study, publications containing the word ‘agriculture’ in the title, abstract, or keywords section of the Scopus database and the keywords ‘digital technology’ and ‘production’ in the all-fields section were selected and recorded as publications in which digital technologies in agricultural production were investigated. Then, in the Scopus database, publications containing the word ‘agriculture’ in the title, abstract or keywords section and the words ‘digital technology’ and ‘marketing’ in the all-fields section were kept in a separate category and recorded as publications in which digital technologies in marketing of agricultural products were investigated. These two data sets were subjected to correlation analysis with export data obtained from OECD databases, and interactions on the axes of agriculture, digital technologies, production, and marketing were revealed. After selecting the OECD member countries with export data from all the data obtained, the number of academic publications of these countries with the specified conditions is given in separate tables. The correlation analysis on OECD member countries revealed a statistically significant and strong positive relationship between the average agricultural export volumes for 2020-2024 and the number of scientific publications containing the terms agriculture, digital technologies, and production indexed in the Scopus database. The Pearson correlation coefficient was calculated as r = 0.813, and the significance level was p = 0.004. When a similar correlation analysis was conducted with publications containing agriculture, digital technologies, and marketing terms, the Pearson correlation coefficient was r = 0.958 with a significance level of p < 0.001. This finding indicates that countries that produce higher levels of academic output in agriculture (publications containing both production and marketing terms) tend to have higher export performance in the agricultural sector. The results suggest that there may be a significant relationship between academic productivity and economic output in international agricultural trade.

Türkiye 2015-2023 yılları arasında dünya arılı kovan sayısında üçüncü, bal üretiminde ise ikinci sırada yer almıştır. Ancak bal üretim miktarı ve kovan sayısı her geçen yıl artmasına rağmen verimin genel olarak düştüğü görülmektedir. Bu çalışma, arıcılık sektörünün temel ürünlerinden biri olan bal üretiminin verimliliğini analiz etmek amacıyla gerçekleştirilmiştir. Veri olarak dünya ve Türkiye’ye ait 33 yıllık istatistikler kullanılmıştır. Ayrıca, Malatya’da, sektörün verimliliğini etkileyebilecek olası faktörleri incelemek amacıyla bir anket çalışması yapılmıştır. Türkiye ve dünya verimlilik düzeyleri karşılaştırılırken, iller arasındaki verim farklılıkları da incelenmiştir. Toplanan veriler tanımlayıcı istatistiklerle değerlendirilmiş; verimlilik farklılıklarını test etmek amacıyla t-testi, ANOVA, Mann-Whitney U testi ve Pearson korelasyon analizleri uygulanmıştır. Sonuçta koloni sayısı ve toplam bal üretiminde Türkiye’nin büyüme oranlarının dünyadan daha yüksek olduğu görülmüştür. Ancak Türkiye’nin kovan başına bal verimi, incelenen dönem boyunca dünya ortalamasının altında kalmıştır. Bu verim düşüklüğü özellikle son yıllarda daha da belirgin hâle gelmiştir. Türkiye’nin bal veriminin bölgesel farklılıklar içerdiği de görülmüştür. Bu durum, sadece üretim hacmine odaklanmanın yeterli olmadığını; verimliliği artıracak stratejilerin geliştirilmesinin gerekli olduğunu ortaya koymaktadır. Bu bağlamda, yüksek verim sağlayan bölgelerdeki iyi uygulama örneklerinin yaygınlaştırılması ve sektöre verilecek desteklerin artırılması önerilebilir.

This study investigates the spatial and temporal variation of thallium (Tl) accumulation in different tissues (outer bark, inner bark, and wood) of Robinia pseudoacacia growing in the city center of Düzce, Türkiye, a region known for severe air pollution. Sampling was performed by sectioning the main trunk at approximately 50 cm above ground level, and Tl concentrations were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). Variance analysis revealed significant differences in Tl concentrations depending on organ type and directional exposure (p <0.001). The highest concentrations were generally detected in the northern orientation, with the outer bark showing particularly elevated accumulation. Temporal evaluations across twelve time periods from 1963 to 2022 indicated a decreasing trend in Tl levels after 2008, suggesting improved environmental conditions in recent years. The results highlight the ability of Robinia pseudoacacia to reflect both spatial and historical patterns of Tl contamination, supporting its use as a medium-sensitivity biomonitor. Additionally, the wood tissue showed a potential to represent long-term cumulative Tl exposure. Overall, these findings suggest that Robinia pseudoacacia could be an effective candidate for phytoremediation and biomonitoring strategies in urban and industrial areas with thallium contamination.

Our study is on the protective effect of lavender oil on oxidative stress caused by copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs). For this purpose, 0.5 mg/kg body weight L. angustifolia, 5.0 mg/kg body weight CuO NPs and their mixtures (0.5 mg/kg body weight L. angustifolia +5 mg/kg body weight CuO NPs) were administered to mice by gavage method for 14 days. At the end of the time, antioxidant activities such as biochemical parameters (ALT, AST, T. Prot, Cholesterol) in mouse blood tissue and their combined effects on copper accumulation in kidney and liver tissues were investigated in male Swiss albino mice. The study results showed that copper accumulation in liver and kidney tissue increased significantly. While ALT and AST values in blood tissue increased compared to control, significant decreases were observed in T. Protein and cholesterol levels. These results showed us that lavender oil was significantly effective in homeostatic effects against any toxicity in mouse blood tissue.