Progesterone plays a key role in the establishment and maintenance of pregnancy in mammalian. Increasing levels of circulating progesterone in the post-conception period are associated with conceptus elongation and high pregnancy rates in cattle. Contradictory results are available on the direct role of progesterone in early embryo development. The objective of this study was to evaluate direct effects of progesterone on in vitro development of cattle embryos. Immature oocytes collected from slaughtered animals and cultured in the presence of different concentrations of progesterone (25, 50, 100 ng/mL) following in vitro fertilization. Cleavage rates in 25 and 50 ng/mL concentrations of progesterone were significantly higher than those in controls and 100 ng/mL. Rate of embryos that reached to the morula stage was similar in all groups. Supplementation of 25 and 50 ng/mL progesterone to the culture media significantly increased blastocyst yield while 100 ng/mL progesterone resulted in a decrease. As a conclusion, we can suggest that progesterone supplementation in in vitro culture may support embryo development at low levels.

The aim of this study is to determine the effects of adding different levels (0, 50, 100, 200, 300 and 400 mg/kg) of orange peel oil to the laying quail diets on performance, eggshell quality and some serum parameters. During the experiment, a total of 120 female Japanese quails at the age of 20 weeks were randomly distributed to 6 treatment groups with 4 replicates, each with 5 quail, for six weeks. The supplementation of different levels orange peel oil to the diets did not affect the performance and eggshell quality parameters, except for eggshell thickness. Eggshell thickness was significantly reduced with the addition of orange peel oil to the diet, and this decrease was more pronounced at the level of 200 mg / kg. Serum glucose, creatinine, albumin, globulin, total protein, ALT and AST concentrations were not affected by orange peel oil. Serum cholesterol concentration considerably declined with the supplementation of 400 mg / kg orange peel oil to the diet. Serum calcium level significantly improved with the addition of 100 and 200 mg / kg orange peel oil to the diet compared to the control group. Additionally, serum phosphorus concentration was considerably increased by 100 mg / kg and more levels orange peel oil. According to these results, it is possible to say that the orange essential oil has the effect of reducing cholesterol at 400 mg / kg and improving mineral metabolism at 100 mg / kg, but this positive effect could not prevent the decrease in eggshell thickness.

This study was carried out with 86 Bituminaria bituminosa (Bitbit) genotypes collected from Central Black Sea Region of Northern Anatolia in Samsun in 2012. After cleaning, seeds scarifying with sandpaper and sown in small pots. In November of 2012, the seedlings were transplanted to experimental field. No fertilizer and water applied throughout the study and spring and autumn elongation, hay yield and harvesting number in the second year of the plants (2014) were observed during the study. According to correlation analysis, there was a negative and statistically significant linear correlation between altitude and spring elongation, autumn elongation, harvest number. There was also a negative statistically insignificant correlation between altitude and hay yield. A positive and significant correlation was found between hay yield and spring and autumn elongations, harvest number; between spring and autumn elongations and number of harvest. Some genotypes taken from high altitudes stayed dormant in winter period, furthermore they started elongation later than the others and a slight growth was recorded in autumn. In the light of these results, it is possible to improve cultivars for different ecological conditions.

The main purpose of this study is to determination of agricultural structure and mechanization features of agricultural enterprises in Karaman province. The main material of the study is statistical data of Turkish Statistical Institute (TSI) of 2009 – 2018 years for Karaman province. According to the data of Karaman province in 2009 and 2018, the average tractor power is 34.92 kW and 35.33 kW; the average tractor power per cultivated areas 2.45 kWha-1 and 1.93 kWha-1; the number of tractors per 1,000 ha is 52.27 and 40.76; the cultivated area per tractor is 19.13 ha and 24.54 ha, respectively. The number of equipment per tractor is 10.66 and 9.86, and the number of combine harvester per 1,000 ha is 0.47 and 0.55.

The aim of this study was to determine the yield and various quality characteristics of two different strawberry cultivars (Fragaria x ananassa var. Festival and Camarosa), grown in the ecological conditions of Sultanhisar, Aydın, Turkey. The study was conducted over two years, in ten randomly selected open grown plantations for each of the two cultivars. When the fruits reached harvest maturity, they were harvested and their yield values, mean fruit weight, fruit diameter, fruit length, fruit firmness, colour, pH, titrable acidity, water-soluble dry matter, vitamin C content, total antioxidant capacity and total phenolics were determined. According to the results obtained, yield values fell in the second year of the study, but mean fruit weight, diameter and length increased. Similarly, the fruit firmness of both varieties was considerably greater in the second year, and these differences between the years were found to be statistically significant. While the highest antioxidant capacity and phenolic content were obtained from the Festival cultivar, the highest vitamin C content was found in the Camarosa cultivar. The changes of total antioxidant capacity and the amount of total phenolics according to years of both varieties were found to be statistically significant.

In this study, it was aimed to determine the ways of supplying breeding animals for sheep enterprises in Ordu. In the research, enterprises with a minimum size of 80 heads have been taken into consideration. Random selection method was used in determining the enterprises and face-to-face surveys were conducted in 86 enterprises. 37.21% of the enterprise owners met their breeding coach needs from their own enterprises, while 33.72% met from their own enterprise + neighboring enterprises. Moreover, it was determined that 52.33% of the enterprise owners met their breeding female animal needs from their own enterprise, whereas 22.08% and 12.79% met from their own enterprise + neighboring enterprise and from their own enterprise + state enterprise, respectively. According to the results, 58.14% of breeders (50 enterprises) keep breeding female animals for more than 5 years in the herd and 41.86% of breeders (36 enterprises) keep them between 3-5 years. Breeding male animals are kept in the herd for more than 5 years in 47.67% of enterprises (41 enterprises) and for 3-5 years in 41.86% of enterprises (36 enterprises). In only 10.47% of enterprises, breeding male animals are used in the herd as breeding for less than 3 years.

Identifying the originality and detecting the authentication of the processed and unprocessed commercial food products ensure food safety. Food adulteration of food products with high commercial value by cheap additives could threaten human health. In this study, we generated and tested five DNA barcodes (ITS, LEAFY, matK, rbcL, ycf1) of the Turkish Protected Designation of Origin Apricot “Iğdır Kayısısı” (Prunus armeniaca cv. Şalak) with related primer pairs. The generated barcodes were deposited on the GenBank database. The results showed that nuclear originated ITS and LEAFY barcodes discriminated the Prunus species and cultivars better than the plastidial barcodes. Due to plenty of ITS barcodes on the databases, and good results in our study we recommend using ITS to identify Prunus species and cultivars.

In light of recent news reporting the use of banned colorants in Lebanese-made pickled turnips exported to the European Union (EU) by the Rapid Alert System of Food and Feed (RASFF), The Lebanese Consumer Protection Association tested samples of pickled turnips being sold to the public and confirmed the use of rhodamine B. Many products were pulled off the market and were replaced with new products that were supposed to be free of any banned colorants. We selected 5 different brands of pickled turnips and tested them for pH, salinity, nitrites, and colorants. We tested the salinity using two methods: evaporation and titration. The concentration of nitrites was tested by absorbency method. The presence of colorants was determined using TLC and absorbency method. We determined that the newly released pickled turnips comply with the rules and regulations adopted by the Lebanese Standards Institution (LIBNOR) and the international standards according to the Codex Alimentarius.

Bark beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) are among the important pests of forest in the world and in Turkey. Pine-feeding bark beetles interact chemically with their host tree via the behavioral, physiological, and biochemical effects of one class of monoterpenes. The half of oleoresin producing by trees such as pines, spruces, firs in the forests is the monoterpene. The monoterpenes occur in the oleoresin and function as behaviorally active kairomones for pine bark beetles and their predators, presenting a classic example of tritrophic chemical communication. The monoterpenes are aggregation pheromones for pine bark beetle. In the control of bark beetles, monoterpenes are used in traps. For example, the monoterpenes are an attractant for bark beetles. Also, Myrcene is used for a synergistic effect in the trap. Monoterpenes can toxic to insects. Limonene is among the most toxic monoterpenes to bark beetles. Also, the interaction is found between monoterpenes and prey of bark beetle. Monoterpenes are enhanced to respond of predatory to the pheromone of bark beetle.

This work reports the survival status of Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella Typhimurium in homemade fig and mulberry vinegar. Each pathogen was separately inoculated in vinegar samples at approximately 7 log CFU/mL. The survival status of pathogens was examined at 20°C for 0, 15, 30 and 60 min, and 4, 8 and 24 h. The residual populations after 24 h were below detection limit for all species assayed. S. Typhimurium was much more sensitive to mulberry vinegar ( 6 log reduction in 30 min) than it is to fig vinegar ( 6 log reduction in 24 h). L. monocytogenes had an overall quite different behaviour, being the most sensitive species to fig vinegar ( 6 log reduction in 4 h) while being the most resistant one to mulberry vinegar ( 6 log reduction in 24 h). The total phenolic content of fig vinegar (767 mg GAE/L) was higher than mulberry vinegar (557.5 mg GAE/L). The results exhibited that antimicrobial activity of vinegar is mainly related to the contact time, test pathogen and physicochemical properties of vinegar.