Striga is a parasitic weed causing remarkable yield lose in Sorghum bicolor. In this study, phytotoxicity of leaf and flower extracts of Striga hermonthica were investigated on three sorghum varieties under laboratory conditions. Before allelopathic bioassay, total phenolics, alkaloids and terpenoids were quantified in the extracts. For allelopathic bioassay, 5 and 10% (w/v) aqueous extracts were prepared by reconstituting dried crude extracts of leaf and flower of S. hermonthica in distilled water. Varieties of sorghum named Muyra 1 (M1), Muyra 2 (M2) and Fendishe (Fe) were treated with equal amounts of 5 and 10% (w/v) extracts in Petri dishes lined with Whatman no.1 filter paper. The control treatment received distilled water and treatments were laid out in a completely randomized design with three replications. Germination parameters were monitored for 15 days and General linear model was used to analyze data. Results showed that both leaf and flower of S. hermonthica produce phenolics, alkaloids and terpenoids. Values of total phenolics and total alkaloids did not show significant variation, whereas total terpenoid was significantly higher in flower than leaf. Percent germination, shoot and root lengths as well as their dry weights were significantly affected by extract concentration, sorghum variety and their interactions. Compared to control, percent germination and seedling growth were highly reduced at 5% w/v extract concentration and completely inhibited at 10% w/v extract concentration. Varieties were not differentially affected by leaf extracts, but M1 and M2 appeared to be more affected than Fe by flower extract. The result also showed that root growth was more affected by extracts than shoot growth. Overall, this study for the first time revealed that S. hermonthica reduces yield of S. bicolor not only due to parasitism, but also through its negative allelopathic effect on seed germination and early seedling growth.

The application of near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) and multivariate analysis for determining the seed germination rate of corn genotypes was assessed. Seed samples about 90 gr belong to commercial and local corn varieties at various ages were scanned with FT-NIRS on the reflectance mode from 1000 to 2500 nm wavelength. Filter paper technique showed the seed germination rates varied between 18-100% depending on the genotypes after 7 days at ±25°C. Partial least squares regression (PLSR) was applied to the reference values corresponding to the spectra. The best statistical results obtained from the pre-treatment combinations of Smooth Savitzky-Golay 9 Points (sg9), MSC full and normalization to unit length (nle). The regression coefficient of calibration (R2C) and prediction (R2P) of the created NIRS calibration via chemometric software NIRCal are realized 0.97 and 0.98 respectively for the property of corn germination rate. The standard error of both calibration (SEC) and prediction (SEP) were almost overlapping (4.17%, 4.61% respectively). The prediction accuracy of the final NIRS model was quite reasonable with the acceptable root mean standard error of prediction (RMSEP) as 8.88%. According to the residual predictive deviation (RPD) index (4.18), the accuracy of the NIRS model regarded as in the best category. Therefore, the NIRS model developed here is sufficient to predict the corn seed germination rate very fast and non-destructively without using any regents.

In this study, structural characteristics, mechanization applications, problems and solution suggestions of poultry houses of broiler chickens in Bolu central district were investigated. The surveys were conducted in a total of 200 broilers in 8 villages (Oğulduruk, Taps, Değirmenbeli, Çivril, Banaz, Yakuplar, Vakıfgeçitveren and Çaygökpınar) where the broiler production of the central district of Bolu was intensively produced. The field work for the surveys was conducted in February-April 2018. In the broiler houses surveyed in the central district of Bolu, it was determined that the capacity was generally in the range of 5.000 ≤ Capacity < 20.000 (74%), and nearly all of the houses (96.5%) were in the east-west direction. It was determined that the concrete materials are used in the foundations of all the houses examined, and %79 Sandwich panel on the walls and 86.5% of the poultry houses are used mechanical ventilated, in 70% of the poultry houses have 9 and more fans for ventilation, and in all of the poultry house are used luminaires for illumination.It was determined that 91.5% of the poultry houses had a tractor, 96% of the poultry houses had full automatic watering, and nipple drinker with lifting system was used and 87.5% of the poultry houses had honeycomb (Ped) application. It was determined that the number of animals placed in 1 m² was 16-18 (42.5%). It was determined that 15.5% of the problem, 13% of deficiency of information with the broiler houses, 20% of credit and debt problems. Then, there should be a solution to the problem of disease among the producer problems in the enterprises examined and the credit facilities should be improved. In addition, manufacturers need to be informed according to new technological developments in information deficiencies.

The study aims to investigate the effects of changes in body weight of Japanese quails (Coturnix coturnix japanica) on some external and internal quality characteristics of their eggs and the correlations between them. In the experiment, totally 30 female quails raised in individual cages and 180 eggs obtained from them were utilized. According to the body weight, 30 quails were divided into 5 different groups and body weight averages were 238.0, 216.0, 202.3, 191.3 and 174.0 g for 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th groups, respectively. The examined eggs were individually collected from the quails and evaluated under live weight groups of quails. According to the results, egg weight, shell weight, shell thickness, shell ratio, albumen weight, albumen ratio, yolk weight, yolk diameter, and yolk ratio were significantly affected from body weight. There were found significant positive correlations of live weight with egg weight, albumen weight and yolk weight (respectively, 0.28, 0.24, and 0.25) and significant positive correlations with shape index and shell weight (respectively, 0.17 and 0.15).

In this study, pectin was obtained from dried grapefruit peels by microwave assisted extraction and the extraction conditions were optimized for pectin yield. Response surface method was used for the optimization and optimum extraction conditions were determined as 30 ml/g solvent solid ratio, 90 s and pH 1. The yield of pectin extracted at these conditions was found to be 20.93% and the properties of the extracted pectin were compared to pectin obtained by conventional extraction. FT-IR analysis was performed for both pectins. Pectin obtained by microwave assisted extraction was compared with pectin obtained by the conventional method and their structures were found to be similar to each others. It was determined that the pectin obtained had high degree of esterification.

The polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) of lipids in muscle of sardine were known as unstable to oxidation. Propolis is a natural compounds produced by honey bees from substances collected from parts of plants, buds, and exudates. Nowadays, the particular attention has been attributed to propolis underlying their antioxidant properties due to the presence of the flavonoids, phenolic acids, and ethers. The impact of water and ethanolic extract of propolis at doses of 0.4 and 0.8% on fatty acid changes of vacuum packaged sardine fillets were investigated during chill storage. The main fatty acids in sardine fillets were palmitic acid (C16:0), palmitoleic acid (C16:1), myristic acid (C14:0), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, C20:5n3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, C22:6 n3), respectively. There was no significant differences in EPA and DHA between control and treated groups during storage apart from 4 and 11th day. Initial n6/n3 ratio in sardine fillet was 0.17. Group treated with 0.4 propolis ethanolic extract comprised lower n6/n3 ratio at 4, 11 and 13th days than that of other groups. Although the effects of propolis extracts on fatty acid composition of fish were variable, application of propolis ethanolic and water extracts on fish fillets at doses of 0.8% had a positive impact due to lead a better oxidative stability of PUFA content.

Environmental pollution is defined as the disruption of normal ecological balance with emmision of various substances and energy residues as a result of human activities. Animal production is one of the major human activity that enables this emission to increase significantly. Although ruminants play an important role in the effects of animal production on environmental pollutant emissions, the effects of poultry production and broiler production are also worth considering. As in all livestock types, the main factor that has a direct impact on environmental pollutant emissions is feeding for this animal types too. High nutrient needs of broilers and production processes of feed containing these nutrients; greenhouse gas causes increased nitrogen and phosphorus emissions; consequently, they cause air, soil and water pollution to multiply. Changes in protein and amino acid levels or the use of certain feed additives in feeds affect the emission value of broiler production. In addition, the feeding methods also has an effect on these emission values. When these effects are taken into consideration, it is possible to reduce the emission values in broiler production. In this review, environmental effects of broiler nutrition examined in terms of feed production, nutrient emission by manure, presentation of feed and feed form.

Pollinators play vital roles to the environment, biodiversity conservation, food security and several dimensions of global sustainable development. Honey bee is an important pollinator globally but has been exposed to increasing threats from diseases, pesticides and biotic stresses. This review paper highlights the role of honey bees as pollinators, addresses threats which influence decline of honey bees and assess pesticidal risk toxicity on non-target organisms. Decline of honey bee population is caused by several factors including habitat fragmentation, pesticidal toxicity, colony collapse disorder and climate change. Pesticidal residue and toxicity has an adverse effect which results in honey bee population decline, disturb foraging and contamination of bee products. Residues of agricultural pesticides like pyrethroid and neonicotinoid pose a serious threat on honey bee health further reducing agricultural production and diversity. Pesticidal risk assessments are carried out to study effects of pesticides on pollinators with an aim to provide measures to safeguard their abundance, diversity and health. Sustainable agriculture, effective policy and proper management can decrease pollinators' risk by helping to diversify the agriculture for pollen and nectars with reduced usage of pesticides and proper management.

Peste des petits ruminant (PPR), considered as goat plague is the most fatal infectious viral disease for small ruminants. This disease is endemic in many parts of the world including Bangladesh causes extensive loss on livestock and economy. This study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of PPR and this is the first meta-analysis on PPR as per authors knowledge in Bangladesh. Articles published during the years 2000 to 2019 on the topic PPR within three electronic databases were used for prevalence estimation by random effect meta-analysis model. A total of 39 articles were finally included in the model for prevalence estimation of goat and sheep. 1589784 goat and 142036 sheep were included in the study for analysis. Analysis showed prevalence of PPR was 15.17% (95% CI: 15.11-15.22) and 9.17% (95% CI: 9.02-9.32), respectively for goat and sheep. As PPR is affecting small ruminants in variable percentage in different districts of Bangladesh, this study estimates the cumulative prevalence of Bangladesh. This study may act as a baseline for taking effective control strategy of PPR in Bangladesh through proper allocation of resources on a priority basis.