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A one-year field trial in Italy was carried out for comparing tillage systems such as 50 cm chiselling (CH), 40 cm plow-till (PT40) and 20 cm plow-till (PT20) according to results of a new developed infiltration method. Ponded infiltration rates were measured to obtain the field saturated hydraulic conductivity (K fs ) using single ring infiltrometers on six dates with six replications in three sites on a sandy clayey loam soil. In both PT20 and CH plots, K fs after tillage increased temporarily to a value of about 4 and 9 times greater than that observed before tillage, respectively. However, late in the season, it tended to be not significantly different from the one before tillage for both. In PT40 plot, K fs remained relatively constant during the year except May. At the end of the year, PT40 had the greatest K fs and CH had the lowest. As a result, it was found that the tillage technique used does not have appreciable effect on the K fs for this type of soil. Although tillage recreates transmission pores in increasing K fs , such pores were temporary, and tillage-created cracks may have collapsed within the season as a result of raindrop impact and wetting-drying cycles.

Spent coffee grounds (SCG) are produced in massive amounts throughout the world as a bio-residue from coffee brewing. However, SCG are rich in carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, bioactive compounds and melanoidins, which are macromolecules with chelating properties. Additionally, SCG have showed potential applications in several fields such as biotechnology (bioethanol, volatile aromatic compounds, carotenoids, fungi and enzymes), energy production (combustion, pyrolysis, torrefaction, gasification, hydrothermal carbonization) and environmental sciences (composting). This review will focus on the last of these applications. SCG improve soil quality by increasing their chemical, physicochemical, physical properties and biological fertility. However, SCG inhibit plant growth at very low concentrations (1%) due to i. the stimulation of microbial growth and consequent competition for soil nitrogen between soil microorganisms and plant roots; ii. the presence of phytotoxic compounds in SCG, such as polyphenols. The SCG transformations that have proven to eliminate these compounds are vermicomposting and pyrolysis at 400 degrees C. However, it has been pointed out by some studies that these compounds are responsible for the chelating properties of SCG, which makes their elimination not recommended. The use of SCG as biochelates has also been studied, generating a residue-micronutrient mixture for the biofortification of edible plants.

National audience; Symbiotic nitrogen fixation (SNF) has a high energetic cost for legume plants; legumes thus reduce SNF when soil N is available. The present study aimed to increase our understanding regarding the impacts of the two principal forms of available N in soils (ammonium and nitrate) on SNF. We continuously measured the SNF of Medicago truncatula under controlled conditions. This permitted nodule sampling for comparative transcriptome profiling at points connected to the nodules' reaction following ammonium or nitrate applications. The N component of both ions systemically induced a rhythmic pattern of SNF, while the activity in control plants remained constant. This rhythmic activity reduced the per-day SNF. The nitrate ion had additional local effects; the more pronounced were a strong downregulation of leghaemoglobin, nodule cysteine-rich (NCR) peptides and nodule-enhanced nicotianamine synthase (neNAS). The neNAS has proven to be of importance for nodule functioning. Although other physiological impacts of nitrate on nodules were observed (e.g. nitrosylation of leghaemoglobin), the main effect was a rapid ion-specific and organ-specific change in gene expression levels. Contrastingly, during the first hours after ammonium applications, the transcriptome remained virtually unaffected. Therefore, nitrate-induced genes could be key for increasing the nitrate tolerance of SNF.

WOS: 000390502600021, The present study was carried out to investigate the effects of pre-harvest aminoethoxyvinylglycine (AVG, 250 mgL(-1)) and zinc (0,3% ZnSO4) treatments on pre-harvest fruit drops, internal ethylene concentration (IEC), fruit weight, color characteristics, fruit firmness, soluble solids content (SSC), titratable acidity like quality attributes and antioxidant activity, total phenolics, micro and macro elements of Jersey Mac apples (Malus x domestica). Compared to control treatment, except for 22 July, pre-harvest drops were significantly reduced with all treatments in all measurement times. Zn +AVG treatment was found to be more effective in reducing pre-harvest fruit drops. IEC decreased with AVG, Zn and Zn +AVG treatments. Single AVG treatment was more effective on IEC decreases. While flesh softening was retarded with AVG treatments, Zn treatments stimulated flesh softening. Fruit weights increased with Zn treatments, but decreased with AVG and Zn +AVG treatments. Red color development was retarded with both AVG and Zn + AVG treatments, but stimulated with Zn treatment. SSC significantly decreased in the last measurement date (12 August) with AVG treatment. Compared to control fruits, AVG and Zn +AVG-treated fruits had higher titratable acidity, total phenolics and total antioxidant capacity, but Zn-treated fruits had lower values. All micro element and nitrogen and phosphorus-like macro element contents of single Zn and AVG or Zn +AVG-treated fruits were higher than the control fruits. It was concluded that beside AVG, Zn could also play an active role in retarding pre-harvest fruit drops. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

3rd Balkan Symposium on Fruit Growing -- SEP 16-18, 2015 -- Belgrade, SERBIA, WOS: 000385238300082, Turkey strawberry production consistently increased since the beginning of strawberry culture in 1965. In the last 10 years, strawberry production has shown a dramatic increase from 150,000 (2003) to 376,070 t (2014), making Turkey the fourth largest strawberry producer in the world after China, USA and Mexico. Main strawberry producing regions in Turkey are Mediterranean (52.1%), Aegean (24.7%), and Marmara (14.6%). In the Mediterranean region, Mersin city has achieved 35% of total production followed by Aydin, Antalya, Bursa and Konya cities. Strawberry export of Turkey also increased year by year. Strawberry export of Turkey was 24,774 t in 2013 and 11,870 t was exported to the Russian Federation. Protected strawberry culture has also an increasing trend. High tunnels account for 1/3 of the current production, followed by mini tunnels. Annual hill plastic culture system is a common practice in Turkey's strawberry growing. The strawberry nurseries are generally located in Central Anatolia region, mostly around Cappadocia. Frigo plants are still dominating in production. There are several strawberry cultivars bred and registered in Turkey although they have not been utilized on a large commercial scale in production. In recent years, 'Camarosa' and 'Sweet Charlie' cultivars have been replaced by cultivars such as 'Rubygem', 'Festival', 'Albion', 'Florida Fortuna', and 'Camino Real'. Soilless culture in strawberry growing is also developing in Turkey. In this article, the current status of strawberry production, developments in strawberry growing techniques and nursery plant sector, as well as future projection of strawberry industry are evaluated., Int Soc Horticultural Sci

WOS: 000378892800003, This study was carried out to investigate the effects of eggshell colour and spot properties (colour and size of the spot area) on eggshell incubation temperature and hatching outcomes of Japanese quail eggs (Coturnix coturnix japonica). Study material was allocated to five groups according to their eggshell and spot colours: black spots on greyish white coloured eggshell (I), blue spots on greyish white coloured eggshell (II), diffuse brown spots on greyish brown coloured eggshell (III), brown spots on light green coloured eggshell (IV), and small brown spots on greyish brown coloured eggshell (V). The size of the spotted area was determined in each egg group using digital image analysis. Mean relative weight losses of hatched and unhatched eggs between days 0-10 and 0-14 of embryonic development were 4.76% and 10.48% and 9.17% and 15.46%, respectively. The mean eggshell temperatures of hatched and unhatched eggs measured at the equatorial region on days 10 and 14 during embryonic development were 36.92 and 37.79 degrees C and 36.84 and 37.18 degrees C, respectively. Eggshell temperatures at the equatorial region on days 10 (36.89 degrees C) and 14 (37.57 degrees C) of embryonic development were lower than the fixed temperature of the incubator (37.6 degrees C). Fertility, hatchability of fertile eggs, and hatchability and embryonic mortality rates do not vary in relation to eggshell colour or the size of the spotted area., Scientific Research Project Unit of Mustafa Kemal University, Turkey [1206 M0117], This study was conducted between February and April, 2013. Present study was supported by the Scientific Research Project Unit of Mustafa Kemal University, Turkey (Project number: 1206 M0117).

WOS: 000378041400001, The oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel), reduces the quantity and quality of many host fruits through the process of oviposition and larval feeding, and this insect has been considered a major insect pest in several Asian countries for decades. Using an earlier-developed, female-specific system that combines the toxicity of the ricin A chain (RTA) and the alternative RNA splicing property of doublesex (Bddsx), we show that transgenic male flies harboring the RTA-Bddsx transgene unevenly repress the pest population through inheritable effects. In age-stage, two-sex life-table analyses, high larval mortality and a delay in pupation were observed after introducing the transgene. The high male to female ratio in DsRed(+) flies demonstrates the lethal effect of ricin on females. The fitness of both the DsRed(+)- and DsRed(-)-transformed females was reduced as shown in the decrease of the net reproductive rate (R-0), intrinsic rate (r), and finite rate (lambda) values compared with the wild-type populations. The integrity of the RTA-Bddsx transgene remained in more than 80% of DsRed(+) males after ten generations, supporting the stable inheritance of the transgene. All of the data from this study support the proposed RTA-Bddsx SIT approach, which provides a species-specific and environmentally friendly method of suppressing, rather than eradiating, B. dorsalis., Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan [MOST102-2321-B-005-007, MOST103-2321-B-005-007], We would like to acknowledge the contributions of the reviewers and editor for their valuable comments and suggestions, all of which were instrumental in improving this article. This study was partly supported by grants (MOST102-2321-B-005-007, MOST103-2321-B-005-007) from the Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan. In addition, we would like to thank the ATU plan of the Ministry of Education for publication support.

WOS: 000467668200024, The uniformity of genotypes are significant for crop breeding program decisions to improve new varieties. The AMMI (Additive main effects and multiplicative interaction) analysis and Genotype x Environment Interaction (GEI) is make to estimation grain yield and understands GxE interaction patterns by researches as differential ranking of variety yields in multi-environment trials. Therefore, fifteen barley advanced line and six national cultivars and four foreign varieties (registered in abroad) were used in the study. The experiments were performed according to a complete randomized block design with four replications at five environments during two years. The stability and superiority of genotypes for yield and other traits were determined using AMMI and GGE biplot analysis. Factors (G, GE, and GEI) were found to be highly significant (P < 0.01) for grain yield. AMMI analysis indicated that the major contributions to treatment sum of squares were environments (98.52%), GE (0.45%) and genotypes (1.02%), respectively, suggesting that grain yield of genotypes were effected environmental conditions. The GGE biplot indicated that PCA 1 axes (Principal component) was significant as P

WOS: 000463297500034, Lentil is conventionally grown as a rain fed crop, mostly in the Middle East; it's a rich source of protein for human feeding. Yield, seed quality, adaptability and chalky spot syndrome of fifteen lentil genotypes and five lentil cultivars were evaluated in the South-Eastern Anatolia of Turkey. Yield and yield trails as well as seed quality such as protein content, seed rate with chalky spotted and germination rate for of all genotypes were varied significantly. Seed yield were varied from 1337 to 2142 kg/ha among the genotypes. While cultivar 'Sakar' produced the maximum yield and cultivar 'BM 848' produced the minimum seed yield. It was also revealed that genotypes 'ILL10975', 'FLIP2010-94L' and cultivar 'Sakar' was found the most sensitive to cold. Lentil crops with chalky spotted were detected in Adiyaman location and its rate ranged from 42% to 13%. Genotype x environment interaction was significant for seed yield and different stability parameters were computed for genotype adaptability. Ecovalance (W(2)i) and stability variance (sigma(2)i) were low value in genotypes ILL 3375 and Kafkas, but Firat 87 had high values.

WOS: 000463126100004, A novel disease of tomato (Solarium lycopersicum L.) was observed in the Southeast Anatolia Region of Turkey. Symptoms were blight of all aerial parts of the plant, including stems, branches, leaves, petioles, flowers and fruits, defoliation, root rot, inner stem necrosis, and plant death. The disease was found in 13.9% of surveyed fields, with an incidence varying from 3% to nearly 75% (average 21.2%) of the plants in symptomatic fields. The average severity of blight on stem in fields with the symptomatic plant surveyed was 1.4%. A Botryosphaeriaceae species, identified as Neoscytalidium dimidiatum (Penz.) Crous & Slippers using morphological and cultural features, was consistently isolated from symptomatic roots, inner stems, and blighted leaves, shoots, stems, fruits and flowers. The partial nucleotide sequence data for three gene loci, including nuclear rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS), large subunit (LSU) genes and the translation elongation factor 1-alpha (TEF-1 alpha), confirmed the morphological identification. Furthermore, sequence data of actin genes from N. dimidiatwn was, for the first time, deposited to the GenBank. Koch's postulates were fulfilled by testing the susceptibility of different tomato tissues (leaves, stems, inner stems and roots of tomato seedlings, and detached tomato fruits and flowers) to N. dimidiatum inoculation. To our knowledge, this is the first report of N. dimidiatum on tomato.

WOS: 000464925100014, Effects of pre-harvest aminoethoxyvinylglycine (AVG, 250 mg L-1) and zinc (0.3% ZnSO4) treatments on pre-harvest fruit drops, internal ethylene concentration (IEC), flesh firmness, color characteristics (L*, chroma and hue angle), soluble solids content (SSC), acidity, total phenolics, antioxidant activity, flesh and leaf micronutrients and macronutrients of 'William's Pride' apples, were investigated in this study. AVG was sprayed 4 weeks before the anticipated harvest date and Zn was sprayed when the fruits reached the size of a walnut. As compared to the control, both the single AVG and zinc treatments significantly reduced the pre-harvest drops. However, combined AVG + Zinc treatments were found to be more effective in reducing the pre-harvest drops. At the last measurement date (15th of August), 60% fruit drop was measured in control, but 22% in AVG + Zinc treatment. AVG and AVG + Zinc treatments reduced ethylene synthesis. On the other hand, single zinc treatments stimulated ethylene synthesis. AVG treatments retarded red skin color development, but zinc treatments again stimulated red color development. As compared to the control and single zinc treatments, AVG-treated fruits had greater firmness and acidity values, but lower SSC values. While AVG treatments increased the total phenolics and antioxidant activity, zinc treatments decreased these attributes. As compared to the control, zinc treatments significantly increased flesh Cu, N, P and K contents and leaf Mn, N and P contents. Based on present findings, it was concluded that AVG could be used as an efficient tool to reduce the pre-harvest drops in apples.

WOS: 000378090700007, Improved phytochemicals and antioxidant properties in crops are becoming important traits in many breeding programs. In this study, along with several other horticultural attributes, total phenolic content (TP) and antioxidant capacity (ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) and Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC)) of 52 superior pepper genotypes from the Alata Pepper Breeding Program were examined. The fruits from these plants were harvested at immature and mature stages. The genotypes greatly varied for TP, FRAP, TEAC, soluble solids, vitamin C content, and fruit color as determined by L, a and b values. The range for TP was 319-4047 mu g GAE/g fresh weight (fw), while FRAP and TEAC varied between 0.22 and 0.56 mu mol of TE/g fw and 0.08 and 1.88 mu mol TE/g fw. All these characteristics were considerably variable between immature and mature stages. These characteristics were also found to be significantly correlated. Principal component analyses conducted for all the characters used in the study and constructed separately for immature and mature stages demonstrated no obvious patterns for pepper types. Therefore, our overall results suggest that individual pepper cultivars having high total phenolic and antioxidant capacity can be utilized in developing new pepper cultivars with rich phytochemical content., Alata Horticultural Research Institute; General Directorate of Agricultural Research and Policies; Republic of Turkey Ministry of Food, Agriculture, Livestock, We would like to thank the Alata Horticultural Research Institute, the General Directorate of Agricultural Research and Policies, and the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Food, Agriculture, and Livestock for supporting this research.

WOS: 000354216000010, Apricots are grown in many countries and are marketed as dried or fresh. Sulfur fumigation is preferred as a low-cost pre-treatment to maintain apricot color. This study aims to determine the effect of sulfur dioxide (SO2) concentration on quality and nutritional properties of dried apricot fruits during storage. Apricot fruits were treated with different concentrations of SO2 (1,250, 2,000, and 3,500 mg center dot kg(-1)) and then stored at 20A degrees C under 50-65% relative humidity conditions for 18 months. Fruit SO2 concentration decreased rapidly during the initial stage and then decreased at a slower rate. Fruit color darkening became more pronounced after 12 months, especially in the fruit treated with 1,250 and 2,000 mg center dot kg(-1) SO2. After 18 months of storage, total phenolic content (839-890 mg GAE 100 g(-1) dry weight), antioxidant activity (9.4-11.6 mu mol TE g(-1) dry weight), and beta-carotene levels (42.7-47.6 mg center dot kg(-1)) of all treatments varied only slightly, despite lower values overall. Therefore, SO2 levels must be chosen based on the expected storage conditions and length of the storage period., Aegean Exporters' Associations, This research is funded by the Aegean Exporters' Associations.

WOS: 000454870500002, In the present study, the response of Japanese Quails to dietary Thymbra spicata L. essential oil was investigated. A total of 192 Japanese quail chicks, 1-day old and of mixed sexes, were used in the feeding trial. Birds were randomly allocated to four dietary treatments comprising three experimental groups and one control group (basal diet). Each group was divided into four subgroups, with each containing twelve chicks. EO was added daily to the basal diet at levels of 200 (T1), 400 (T2) and 600 mg/kg (T3), respectively. There was a significantly increase in live weight at 35 days when quails were supplemented with increasing level of EO. Moreover, live weight gain significantly increased over ranges of 28-35 and 0-35 days in quails fed the EO at 600 mg/kg level compared to the control group (P

WOS: 000452607600016, The aims of this study were to evaluate different paternity test panels with 17 microsatellite markers for their effectiveness in paternity analysis and to identify pedigree error rates in the Kangal Akkaraman breed of sheep. The animal material for the study consisted of 175 Kangal Akkaraman sheep, 35 rams, and their 140 offspring, raised on farms and bred using controlled mating. The panels were created according to probability of exclusion (PE) of 17 studied microsatellites. A total of 240 alleles were detected across 17 microsatellite loci. The overall mean value of the polymorphic information content (PIC) (0.78) indicated that the microsatellite panels were highly polymorphic. Probability of identity (PI) values ranged between 0.02 and 0.13. It can be said that pedigree error (2.94%) occurred at a low rate in this study. The highest combined PE values were obtained from Panel-16 (0.9999771) as expected. Panel-8 and Panel-9 met the PE value accepted in the literature (0.999). The results show that these panels are cheaper and more practical than other panels formed for Kangal Akkaraman., Scientific Research Projects Coordination Unit of Tekirdag Namik Kemal University [NKUBAP.10.GA.16.010], We would like to thank the General Directorate of Agricultural Research and Policies (GDAR), which supplied the animal material for the study, and Adnan Menderes University Agricultural Biotechnology and Food Safety Application and Research Center (ADU-TARBIYOMER) for providing laboratory facilities for molecular genetics analysis. The Scientific Research Projects Coordination Unit of Tekirdag Namik Kemal University supported the present study (Project Number: NKUBAP.10.GA.16.010).

WOS: 000431302500004, The impacts of breeder age (32 and 55 weeks), egg storage time (2-12 days), setter ventilation program (control-test) on incubation and post-hatch performance of broilers were investigated in this study. Young (Y) and old (O) breeders' hatching eggs were incubated in two different setters operated by two different ventilation programs as control (C) and test (T). Incubation took place after a short (S) and long (L) time of storage in this study. According to the trial design, eight treatment groups were as YSC, YST, YLC, YLT, OSC, OST, OLC and OLT. In total 9600 eggs and 6400 chicks were used. Early stage embryonic mortality (ED) rates were lower and accordingly hatchability of fertile eggs (HF) were higher (p

WOS: 000447805900015, Cotton mealybug, Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley is an important polyphagous insect pest and causes severe losses to different crops worldwide. In the current study, we investigated the effect of different host plants, such as Caesalpinia pulcherrima, Plumeria rubra, Anthurium andraeanum, Jasminum sambac, and Hibiscus rosasinensis, on the biological parameters of P. solenopsis. The survival rate from crawler to adult, female nymphal duration, development time from crawler to female adult, and female adult weight were significantly different on the different hosts. Male nymphal duration, development time from crawler to male adult, pupal weight, emergence rate of male adults, and mean relative growth rate for male were similar on all the tested host plants. Pupal duration and generation time of male and female on H. rosasinensis were significantly shorter than on the other hosts. Adult male and female P. solenopsis longevity was significantly shorter on H. rosasinensis compared to other hosts. The fecundity was lower on C. pulcherrima and A. andraeanum and hatchability was lower on C. pulcherrima than on the other hosts. The net reproductive rate, the intrinsic rate of natural increase, and biotic potential and mean relative growth rate for female of P. solenopsis were significantly different on the tested hosts. Our results point to the role of host plants in increasing the populations of P. solenopsis and could help to design cultural management strategies.

WOS: 000452689400028, In this work, host specificity (comparing virulence levels on diverse hosts), temperature response as a physico-morphological characteristic, and genetic diversity of 40 M. phaseolina isolates from sesame and peanut plants with different geographic origins were evaluated. Sesame and peanut isolates of M. phaseolina performed different levels of virulence on maize, watermelon, melon, peanut, and soybean. The temperatures between 25 and 30 degrees C were the optimum temperatures for colony size of isolates from sesame and peanut. A temperature of 25 degrees C was optimal for only 26 isolates (65%), but 30 degrees C was optimal for 39 isolates (97.5%). UPGMA clustering of data indicated that the Sesame and peanut isolates displayed various levels of genetic similarity within a range of 0.79 to 1.0 similarity coefficient index in three major cluster groups. With a few exceptions, isolates from the same or close locations tended to group together., Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) [112O124], This study partly supported by The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK Project number 112O124). The preliminary data of this study was partly published in 12th European Conference on Fungal Genetics 2014 as an abstract.

WOS: 000403635400021, The study was carried out to determine the effects of pre-harvest Parka and post-harvest MAP treatments on weight loss, decay ratio, color characteristics, firmness, soluble solids content (SSC) and titratable acidity-like quality parameters and vitamin C, total phenolics, total antioxidant capacity (according to FRAP and TEAC) and total monomeric anthocyanin-like bioactive compounds of '0900 Ziraat' sweet cherry cultivar throughout cold storage and shelf life. MAP treatments significantly retarded weight loss throughout cold storage. Decay ratios throughout cold storage and shelf life were also lower in Parka, MAP and Parka + MAP treatments. In general, higher L*, chroma and hue angle values were measured in MAP and Parka + MAP treatments. As compared to control treatment, higher flesh firmness values were observed in Parka and Parka + MAP treatments at the end of storage and in Parka, MAP and Parka + MAP treatments in the last shelf life analysis (21st day). In cold storage and shelf life analyses lower SSC values were obtained from Parka and Parka + MAP treatments. Vitamin C contents were better maintained with MAP and Parka + MAP treatments. Total phenolics were higher in Parka + MAP treatments in all analyses of cold storage, but higher in control treatment in all shelf life analyses. In 21st day storage and shelf life analyses, antioxidant capacity (according to FRAP) of all treatments was lower than the control treatment. In all analyses, generally higher total monomeric anthocyanin contents were obtained from control fruits. It was concluded that combining pre-harvest Parka treatments with post-harvest MAP treatments could be used as an efficient tool in maintaining flesh firmness of sweet cherry fruits significantly influencing consumer preferences.

WOS: 000343871400010, PubMed ID: 25039423, This study aimed to isolate and identify the causal organism causing hyperplastic outgrowths (knots) on stems and branches of pomegranate trees in the Eastern Mediterranean region of Turkey. Bacterial colonies were isolated from young knots on plates containing selective nutrient media. Biochemical tests, fatty acid analysis and PCR were performed to identify possible causal disease agent. Representative isolates were identified as Pseudomonas.pv.savastanoi (Psv) using biochemical tests, fatty acid profiling and PCR. Following inoculation of pomegranate plants (cv. hicaz) with bacterial suspensions, 25 of 54 bacterial isolates caused typical knots at the site of inoculation. PCR analysis, using specific primer for Psv, generated a single amplicon from all isolates. The similarity of the sequence of Turkish pomegranate isolate was 99% similar to the corresponding gene sequences of Psv in the databases. Based on symptoms, biochemical, molecular, pathogenicity tests and sequence analyses, the disease agent of knots observed on the pomegranate trees is Psv. To the best of our knowledge, this research has revealed pomegranate as a natural host of Psv, which extends the list of host plant species affected by the pathogen in the world and Turkey. Significance and Impact of the StudyPomegranate trees were affected by the disease with outgrowths (galls or knot) disease. Currently, there is no published study on disease agent(s) causing the galls or knots on pomegranate trees in worldwide. Bacterial colonies were isolated from young knots. The causal agent of the knot Pseudomonas savastanoi pv.savastanoi (Psv) was identified based on symptoms, biochemical, molecular methods, pathogenicity tests and sequence analysis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of Psv on pomegranate as a natural host, which extends the growing list of plant species affected by this bacterium in the world and Turkey.

WOS: 000353485400008, Forty-nine Phytophthora isolates were obtained from roots and crown of apricot trees with symptoms of decline grown in commercial orchards in Malatya, Elaz and Diyarbakr provinces, Turkey, in 2011 and 2013. All of the recovered isolates were identified as Phytophthora palmivora on the basis of morphological characteristics. Blast analysis of ITS region sequences of rDNA of 5 isolates revealed 100% identity with a reference isolates of P.palmivora from GenBank. Isolates of P.palmivora were pathogenic on 12-month-old wild apricot rootstock Zerdali' plants that were wound inoculated on the roots and on the crown. This study demonstrated that P.palmivora is the cause of the crown and root rot found on apricot in Turkey. To our knowledge, this is the first report of P.palmivora on this host plant., Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Affairs of Republic of Turkey [TAGEM-BS-11/04-01/02-10], This study is a part of the project supported by Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Affairs of Republic of Turkey (Project Number: TAGEM-BS-11/04-01/02-10).

WOS: 000329965800003, Cereal cyst nematodes (CCNs) are plant parasites that significantly limit global cereal production. The most frequently reported pathogenic species are Heterodera avenae, H. filipjevi, and H. latipons. One of the most cost-effective, environmentally friendly, and easily adopted control measures is the use of genetic host resistance, which maintains nematode populations below the economic damage threshold level. Many effective sources of resistance to CCNs have been identified in cereals; however, their effectiveness and usefulness is dependent on the interaction of the specific putative resistant accession and the CCN pathotype found in a specific region. In this study, 719 wheat lines from the Facultative and Winter Wheat Observation Nurseries, representing a broad geographical spectrum of breeding lines and varieties from Europe, Central Asia, and the International Winter Wheat Improvement Program, were screened against H. filipjevi under controlled conditions. The results indicated that 114 and 90 genotypes were ranked resistant and moderately resistant, representing 15.8% and 12.5% of the screened genotypes, respectively. The frequency of resistant genotypes observed in the germplasms varied significantly among the different original countries and was the highest for genotypes that originated from Bulgaria (59.3%). From those phenotyped germplasms, a set of 289 lines was genotyped to understand if resistance sources are located at the same site or originate from different locations in the genome.

Cambridge University Press, Faba bean is cultivated worldwide and widely used in Mediterranean countries, Asia and Europe. However, only a few faba bean breeders are active in cultivar development. As a result, a limited number of varieties are available for growers. Plant genetic resources or germplasm are fundamental sources for plant breeding, and the assessment of the genetic diversity among germplasm accessions is useful to facilitate more efficient use of plant genetic resources. A mini-core collection of faba bean germplasm (178 landraces and four cultivars), from diverse geographic regions of Turkey, was assessed for agro-morphological performance and some quality traits. There were substantial variations for the investigated morphological and quality characteristics. The analysis of variance revealed that the differences among 182 accessions were significant for all the studied characters. Some accessions showed very good agronomic performance for some traits. Positive and negative correlations existed among different morphological and agronomic traits. Landraces have been classified into four different groups using a cluster analysis. These results suggest that an a priori classification of accessions according to the growing area does not strictly correspond to phenotypic grouping. From the spatial distribution of landraces, however, it has been possible to identify 'superior' accessions of some traits. These findings indicate a number of useful traits in the gene pools and a wide range of phenotypic variation that provides a good source of diversity for use in modern faba bean breeding programmes. © 2013 NIAB., Özkan, H.; Department of Field Crops, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Çukurova, 01330 Adana, Turkey; email: hozkan@mail.cu.edu.tr

WOS: 000400943500001, The xylem-feeding leafhopper Kolla paulula (Walker), a vector of Pierce's disease, occurs primarily on weeds in and around fruit and ornamental crop orchards in Taiwan. Because our preliminary studies showed that K. paulula performed poorly when reared on pilose beggarticks (Bidens pilosa L. var. radiata) (PB) or trilobate wedelia (Wedelia triloba (L.)) (TW) alone, we collected the life table data of K. paulula reared on a mixture of both host plants to determine the effect at the population level. During their lifespan, 95.6% of feeding time was spent on the major host plant (PB) and only 4.4% on the minor host plant (TW). The intrinsic rate of increase (r), finite rate of increase (), net reproduction rate (R-0) and mean generation time (T) of K. paulula were 0.0487, 1.0500day(-1), 35.86 offspring and 73.4days, respectively. Because more than 95% of the insects have been observed feeding on both plants, this would indicate that the minor host plant may play an important role in the fitness of K. paulula regardless of the short feeding time. We calculated the percentage contribution to the population parameters made by females that had fed on both PB and TW and compared these with the values obtained for offspring of females that had fed solely on PB. We also evaluated the usefulness of applying the Weibull distribution in demographic studies. We demonstrated that when there is a higher mortality in specific life stages, the fitted Weibull distribution would be inaccurate in describing the survival curve and that application of the fitted curve to the calculation of life expectancy or other statistics would result in significant discrepancy to the actual curve., Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine, Taiwan [99AS-9.3.1-BQ-B2(4), 100AS-9.3.1-BQ-B1 (7), 101AS-10.2.1-BQ-B4(1)]; MOST [102-2313-B-005-028, 103-2923-B-005-003]; Czech Science Foundation: CSF [14-13119J], We are grateful to Dr. Hsien-Tzung Shih, Taiwan Agricultural Research Institute, COA, for his assistance in rearing techniques for K. paulula. This project was partly supported by grants from the Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine, Taiwan (99AS-9.3.1-BQ-B2(4); 100AS-9.3.1-BQ-B1 (7); 101AS-10.2.1-BQ-B4(1)), and partly by MOST 102-2313-B-005-028, MOST 103-2923-B-005-003 to SJ Tuan, and Czech Science Foundation: CSF grant 14-13119J to Pavel Saska.

WOS: 000402217900008, This research was conducted to determine muscle fiber characteristics and its relationship with some meat quality traits in Longissimus dorsi (LD) and Semitendinosus (ST) muscles from lambs of some Turkish native sheep breeds. A total of 36 singleton male lambs were used as experimental pure breed animals of Karayaka (n = 6), Kivircik (n = 6), Middle Anatolian Merino (n = 6), Awassi (n = 6), Morkaraman (n = 6) and Akkaraman (n = 6) breeds. All experimental animals were fed the same diet until they reach to a target weight of 40 kg weight. After the feeding period all lambs were slaughtered and LD and ST muscle samples were collected for determination of some meat quality traits (tenderness, pH, water holding capacity, and colour) and ATPase staining of muscle fibers. Type IIB muscle fiber numbers of Morkaraman sheep were higher than those of other breeds in LD muscle (P < 0.05). Awassi lambs had higher number of (P < 0.05) type IIA fibers and total fiber numbers in ST muscle compared to other breeds. Diameter of type I muscle fiber of ST muscle from Kivircik lambs was higher than those of other breeds (P < 0.05). There were positive correlations between diameters of type I (r = 0.513; P, TAGEM [TAGEM/10/AR-GE/13], The authors acknowledge the financial support by TAGEM (TAGEM/10/AR-GE/13) to carry out this study.

Genomic selection has been widely implemented in national and international genetic evaluation in the animal industry, because of its potential advantages over traditional selection methods and the availability of commercial high density single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) panels.Considerable uncertainty currently exists in determining which genome-wide evaluation method is the most appropriate. We hypothesize that genome-wide methods deal differently with the genetic architecture of quantitative traits and genomes. A genomic linear unbiased prediction method (GBLUP) and a genomic nonlinear Bayesian variable selection methods (BayesA and BayesB) were compared using stochastic simulation across three effective population sizes (Ne). Thereby, a genome with three chromosomes, 100 cM each was simulated. For each animal, a trait was simulated with heritability of 0.50, three different marker densities (1000, 2000 and 3000 markers) and number of QTL was assumed to be either 100, 200 or 300. Data were simulated with two different distributions for the QTL effect which were uniform and gamma (a= 1.66, b=0.4). Marker density, number of QTL and QTL effect distributions significantly affected the genomic accuracy with different Ne. BayesB produced estimates with higher accuracies in traits influenced by a low number of QTL, high marker density, gamma QTL effect distribution and with high Ne.

WOS: 000413647600011, This study was carried out as a pot experiment to determine the effects of dolomite alone or together with leonardite on Ca and Mg uptake of pepper plants. The doses of 8 and 16 g. pot(-1) of dolomite which were equivalent to 4000 and 8000 kg. ha(-1) incorporated to soil as either alone or together with 8 and 16 g. pot(-1) of leonardite. Each pot fertilized by 200 mg. kg(-1) N, 150 mg. kg(-1) P2O5 and 150 mg. kg(-1) K2O. Results revealed that application of neither dolomite nor dolomite + leonardite applications were effective on root dry matter development; however, 4000 kg. ha(-1) dolomite + 4000 kg. ha-1 leonardite incorporation yielded the highest shoot dry weight. Ca concentrations of plants were increased by increasing doses of dolomite and leonardite. Dolomite incorporation alone at the dose of 4000 kg. ha-1 improved plant Mg concentration, all other applications was reduced plant Mg contents compared to non-treated (NT) variant. Zn and Mn concentration were also measured in this study. Zn concentration was 96 mg. kg(-1) at non-treated variant which was reached its highest value as 221 mg. kg(-1) Zn at 4000 kg. ha(-1) dolomite dose. The lowest obtained value within the dolomite and dolomite + leonardite applied pots was 143 mg. kg(-1) Zn which was still 49% higher than NT. Mn concentration was gradually increased by increasing dose of both applications, starting from 80 mg. kg(-1) Zn in NT to 192 mg. kg(-1) Mn at the highest application doses of dolomite and dolomite + leonardite. Stimulating effect of leonardite was observed in shoot dry wegiht, Ca, Cu and Mn concentration whereas Mg and Zn concentration was diminished by leonardite addition to the dolomite.

In standard pathogenicity tests of Fusarium strains isolated from symptomless weeds of agricultural fields it was determined that several isolates have significant positive influence on growth and development of cultivated plants and act as beneficial endophytes. The aim of this research was to investigate the influence of these isolates on several parameters of cherry plants grown in tissue culture. For this purpose two treatments with fungal inocula were used. The first treatment involved the addition of fungal inoculum into the tissue culture growing media. Cherry shoots were placed on the media and multiplied by tissue culture methods. The second treatment included root dipping of cherry explants into the fungal media. Plants were grown in the greenhouse for two months and after that growth parameters were recorded. Our results showed significant positive influence of the isolates on leaf width and length, stem length and plant fresh weight of cherry. There was almost no influence on number of leaves and root length of inoculated plants was lower as compared to the control. Identification of fungal secondary metabolites produced revealed several major compounds: beauverin, cyclosporines, enniatins, equisetin, fusaric acid, integracide A and trichosetin. Our conclusion is that endophytic Fusarium sp. isolated from weeds have a positive influence on growth and development of axenic cherry plants.

WOS: 000402039400007, PubMed ID: 27265551, Flavonoid compounds are strong antioxidant and antifungal agents but their applications are limited due to their poor dissolution and bioavailability. The use of nanotechnology in agriculture has received increasing attention, with the development of new formulations containing active compounds. In this study, kaempferol (KAE) was loaded into lecithin/chitosan nanoparticles (LC NPs) to determine antifungal activity compared to pure KAE against the phytopathogenic fungus Fusarium oxysporium to resolve the bioavailability problem. The influence of formulation parameters on the physicochemical properties of KAE loaded lecithin chitosan nanoparticles (KAE-LC NPs) were studied by using the electrostatic self-assembly technique. KAE-LC NPs were characterized in terms of physicochemical properties. KAE has been successfully encapsulated in LC NPs with an efficiency of 93.8 +/- 4.28% and KAE-LC NPs showed good physicochemical stability. Moreover, in vitro evaluation of the KAE-LC NP system was made by the release kinetics, antioxidant and antifungal activity in a time-dependent manner against free KAE. Encapsulated KAE exhibited a significantly inhibition efficacy (67%) against Fusarium oxysporium at the end of the 60 day storage period. The results indicated that KAE-LC NP formulation could solve the problems related to the solubility and loss of KAE during use and storage. The new nanoparticle system enables the use of smaller quantities of fungicide and therefore, offers a more environmentally friendly method of controlling fungal pathogens in agriculture., Hacettepe University Scientific Research Project [014 D12 101 005-820]; Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) [2211/C], This work was supported by Hacettepe University Scientific Research Project grant (014 D12 101 005-820) and The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) with PhD Scholarship (2211/C).

WOS: 000265889000032, This study was carried out to determine the brood production, development of adult worker bee population and honey yield of pure bred Caucasian (Apis mellifera Caucasica) (C (female male)), Anatolian (A (female male) (Apis mellifera anatoliaca) honeybees and their reciprocal crosses (C (male) x A (female) and A (female) x C (male)) under nomad beekeeping conditions in Central and South-East Anatolia with coastal side of East Mediterranean region of Turkey. All Queens were reared in same apiary, with same methods and at the same time. All of them were instrumentally inseminated. Average number of frames, covered with bees, of 10 measuring times between 25th April and 31st October, in C (female male), A (female male), C (female) x A (male) and A (female) x C (male) genotypes were found to be 11.6 +/- 0.4, 17.2 +/- 0.9, 11.5 +/- 0.5 and 17.8 +/- 1.0 number/colony and the brood areas 3754.2 +/- 340.8, 5425.1 +/- 416.9, 3742.6 +/- 323.8 and 5194.8 +/- 428.7 cm(2) colony(-1) were found, respectively. The total average honey yields for 4 groups were found as 36.3 +/- 3.5; 43.9 +/- 4.1; 33.1 +/- 3.5 and 55.3 +/- 4.5 kg colony(-1), respectively in 3 different ecological regions. There were found significant differences (p

WOS: 000388876100015, The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of storage duration and egg shell color on external and internal egg quality traits. Eggs were obtained from 29-week--old ATAK-S layer hybrids reared in a traditional cage system. Storage durations were set as 0, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days. Shell color was classified as dark (59.00-67.99); moderate (68.00-70.99) and light (71.00-79.99) using the Delta E values of the eggs. The storage duration significantly affected the egg weight (P, Gaziosmanpasa University Scientific Research Projects Department in Turkey [2009/65], This project (Project no: 2009/65) was supported by the Gaziosmanpasa University Scientific Research Projects Department in Turkey.

WOS: 000372907300001, PubMed ID: 26758450, Insecticide resistance is one of the most important evolutionary phenomena for researchers. Overuse of chemicals has induced resistance in insect pests that ultimately has led to the collapse of disease control programs in many countries. The erroneous and inappropriate management of insect vectors has resulted in dissemination of many vector-borne diseases like dengue, malaria, diarrhea, leishmaniasis, and many others. In most cases, the emergence of new diseases and the revival of old ones can be related with ecological changes that have favored rapid growth of vector densities. Understanding molecular mechanisms in resistant strains can assist in the development of management programs to control the development and spread of resistant insect populations. The dominant, recessive, and co-dominant forms of genes encoding resistance can be investigated, and furthermore, resistance development can be addressed either by the release of susceptible strains or timely insecticide rotation. The present review discusses the resistance level in all important insect vectors of human diseases; the molecular basis of evolvement of resistance has also been discussed.

WOS: 000390885900018, The aim of this study was to determine the some physico-chemical content of raw milk from Anatolian water buffaloes raised under different village conditions in the Tokat province of Northern Turkey. The study materials included 1272 milk samples from 149 water buffaloes raised at 12 separate villages of the Erbaa, Turhal, and Pazar counties in the Tokat Province. Milk samples were collected during the morning milking between the months of February and May 2012 to 2014. The density, freezing point degree, dry matter, nonfat dry matter (or solid non fat), fat, protein, lactose, milk urea nitrogen and casein content of the milk samples were determined. The study results demonstrated that the mean dry matter, nonfat dry matter, fat, protein, lactose, casein content, density, milk urea nitrogen (MUN) and freezing point degree (FPD) of the raw milk samples were 16.99+/-0.108%, 10.88+/-0.036%, 5.98+/-0.107%, 4.85+/-0.043%, 5.17+/-0.021%, 3.61+/-0.036%, 1029+/-0.056, 21, 22 mg/dl and 0.55 degrees C, respectively. The study data were evaluated according to the water buffaloes' lactation stage, parity, and season by using the SPSS statistical program. It was concluded that the sampling time, parity, village conditions, stage of lactation and calving age had a significant effect (P, Republic of Turkey Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock, General Directorate of Agricultural Research and Policies [TAGEM/60MANDA2011-01], This investigation was supported by Republic of Turkey Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock, General Directorate of Agricultural Research and Policies for financial support (TAGEM/60MANDA2011-01). We would like to thank Tokat Buffalo Breeders' Association for technical assistance.

WOS: 000374657200038, Peanut (Arachis hypogeae) is an important legume used as green manure and cover crop also. In this study, preconditioned plumular apex explants with 20 mg L-1 BAP or unconditioned explants were cultured for 8 weeks on MS medium having 0.25-2.0 mg/l BAP with or without 0.25 mg L-1 NAA. 100 % shoot regeneration was recorded from both conditioned and unconditioned explants. However, conditioning of explants resulted in 1.5-2.0 fold more number of shoots per explants with relatively shorter shoots compared to unconditioned explants. Shoots per explant from unconditioned explants ranged 1.33-3.93 with 1.86-5.03 cm shoot length. Whereas, shoots per explant and shoot length of preconditioned explants ranged 2.73-5.87 and 0.77-1.75 cm respectively. In second experiment, 10, 15 and 20 muS/cm of KCl in combination with BA-NAA concentrations also resulted in 100 % shoot regeneration. Higher concentration of KCl imposed necrosis on the explants and generated shoots with low leaf area. Increased KCl concentration inhibited the shoots per explant but also enhanced the shoot length. In vitro regenerated shoots from both experiments were rooted successfully using IBA and acclimatized in the pots. Results revealed the superiority of preconditioning on shoot regeneration and KCl for shoot elongation.

WOS: 000413672900011, The aim of this study was to determine the composition of raw milk from Anatolian water buffaloes raised under different village conditions in the Tokat province of Northern Turkey. The study materials included 600 milk samples from 120 water buffaloes raised at different farms in 12 separate villages of the Erbaa, Turhal, and Pazar counties in the Tokat Province. The dry matter, nonfat dry matter (or solid non fat), fat, protein, lactose, and casein content of the milk samples were determined. The study results demonstrated that the mean dry matter, nonfat dry matter, fat, protein, lactose, and casein content of the raw milk samples were 16.99 +/- 0.108%, 10.88 +/- 0.036%, 5.98 +/- 0.107%, 4.85 +/- 0.043%, 5.17 +/- 0,021%, and 3.61 +/- 0.036%, respectively. The study data were evaluated according to the water buffaloes' lactation stage, parity, and season by using the SPSS statistical program. It was concluded that the sampling time, parity, village conditions, stage of lactation and calving age had a significant effect (p < 0.05) on the dry matter, nonfat dry matter, fat, protein, lactose, and casein content of raw milk from the Anatolian water buffalo., Ahi Evran University Scientific Research Projects Coordination Unit [ZRT.E2.16.008]; General Directorate of Agricultural Research and Policies in Tokat province, This work was supported by the Ahi Evran University Scientific Research Projects Coordination Unit. Project Number: ZRT.E2.16.008. This study's data were obtained from the scope of the project of improvement of Anatolian buffalo in public hand supported by General Directorate of Agricultural Research and Policies in Tokat province. We would like to thank Tokat Water Buffalo Breeders' Association for valuable technical assistance.

WOS: 000389669800002, Plant lectins have become efficient sources of insect resistance in crops. The present study was conducted to identify, amplify, clone and characterize the plant lectin gene GNA. The lectin, present in Galanthus nivalis (snowdrop), is an agglutinin toxic to hemiptera. The attempt was made to elucidate the relationship of the lectin gene trGNA (GNA isolated and characterized from Turkey) with other previously cloned lectins having insecticidal activity and to ensure the presence of the conserved mannose-binding region/site in the gene sequence. The full-length cDNA of trGNA was 477 bp that contained a 333 bp open reading frame encoding 157 amino acid proteins with 23 amino acids of signal peptide. BLAST results showed that trGNA has 89-97% similarity with previously reported GNA sequences while it has 84-96% similarity with earlier reported GNA protein sequences. No intron was detected within the region of genomic sequence corresponding to trGNA full-length cDNA. According to the search results from the NCBI (National Centrer for Biotechnology Information database), trGNA from Galanthus nivalis is most similar to the previously reported lectin sequences of Narcissus tazetta with a similarity percentage of 87%. The obtained results are useful for engineering of plants with enhanced insecticidal activity against chewing and sucking insects, causing crop pests. In addition, medical application of lectins may also be considered., Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) - BIDEB [2215], The authors are grateful to The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) - BIDEB for granting PhD. fellowship (2215) to Mr. S.D. Khabbazi.

WOS: 000389771500008, In order to address biosafety concerns regarding the constitutive expression of foreign genes in crops, we applied a strategy aimed at confining foreign gene expression in insect wounding sites of cotton. For this purpose, a plant expression construct was designed by cloning the AoPR1 promoter (pathogenesis-related protein gene isolated from Asparagus officinalis) upstream from the insecticidal gene cry1Ac. The Turkish cotton cultivar cv. STN-468 was transformed using the Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain LBA4404 containing the recombinant binary vector pRD400 harboring cry1Ac under a wound-inducible promoter. The neomycin phosphotransferase (nptII) gene was used as a selectable marker at a concentration of 100 mg/L. The primary transformants were analyzed for T-DNA integration and expression using standard molecular approaches. The efficacy of insecticidal gene control of the AoPR1 promoter was investigated using leaf bioassays with 2nd instar larvae of Helicoverpa armigera and Spodoptera littoralis. Positive primary transformants from T-0 progeny were further raised under greenhouse conditions to obtain progeny (T-1). The introduced gene was properly inherited and expressed in T-1 progeny. The mechanical wounding of plants resulted in increased cry1Ac protein levels during 0-48 h of the wounding period. The transgenic lines exhibited appreciable levels of resistance against targeted insect pests in the leaf bioassays. The use of a wound-inducible promoter to drive insecticidal gene expression is a valuable insect resistant management strategy as gene expression will remain limited to the insect biting sites of plant and crop, food and environmental concerns can be minimized., TUBITAK (The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey) [2216], The corresponding author is grateful to TUBITAK (The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey) for providing postdoctoral fellowship Code: 2216) to carry out the research activities at University of Ankara. The authors acknowledge Dr. Umut Toprak, Associate Professor, Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ankara for providing Helicoverpa armigera for our lab bioassays experiment

WOS: 000375826700019, A collection of common bean comprising totally 223 accessions of which 176 genotypes from the USDA, 37 common bean landraces and 10 commercial cultivars from Turkey, evaluated for several agromorphological plant characters and mineral concentrations in seeds. There were wide range of variations for the investigated agromorphological characters and mineral concentrations. The majority of the common bean genotypes had indeterminate climber growth habit (35% and 69% for collection and cultivars respectively), with white flower color (46% for collection 100% for cultivars). The majority of the USDA collection and Turkish landraces had very small seed size (52%) while common bean cultivars had medium and average seed size (38% respectively). The results showed that several genotypes such as Pinck, Feijao Pico de Oro, Estrada Rosado (Colombian genotypes), 08KMY0F25, 12KMYOF8 and 12KMYOF17 (Turkish landraces) found to be promising genotypes for grain yield and yield components. The genotypes G878, G16837, Frijol canario, P8474-A-D (from USDA collection), 12KMYOF25 landrace and Goynuk cultivar (from Turkey) were found to contain high Fe and Oaxana 5-1, Queretaro 7-5, Frijol canario and Negro for high Zn seed concentrations. The first two principal components (PC1 and PC2) which are the most important components accounteds for 29.78% and 18.70% of total variation respectively. PC1 is positively correlated to yield components such as number of pods per plant, weight of pods per plant, number of seeds per plant, weight of seeds per plant and grain yield per plot while PC2 is positively correlated to the seed Zn, Fe, Cu and Mn concentrations.

WOS: 000386015200005, The study was conducted in Hatay Province, east Mediterranean Region, Turkey in 2012 and 2013 to determine major lepidopteran pests of sweet potato and to document the population development of the newly recorded species Helcystogramma triannulella (Herrich-Schaffer) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) in 2013. Four lepidopteran species, Aedia leucomelas (L.) (Noctuidae), Agrius convolvuli (Linnaeus) (Sphingidae), Hydriris ornatalis (Duponchel) (Crambidae) and H. triannulella were found. This was the first detection of H. triannulella in Turkey, so its population development was studied in the second year. The larval population of H. triannulella began to increase towards the end of July and reached its peak in mid-August. During the study, predators, Hippodamia variegata (Goeze), Oenopia conglobata (L.), Scymnus interruptus (Goeze), Scymnus mediterraneus Khnzorian, Stethorus gilvifrons (Mulsant) (Coleoptera; Coccinellidae); Nabis viridulus Spinola (Hemiptera: Nabidae) were found in the folded parts of the leaves, and parasitoids, Apanteles sp., Chelonus sp. (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) and Compsilura concinnata (Meigen) (Diptera: Tachinidae) were obtained in the laboratory from larvae of H. triannulella.

WOS: 000377634100039, Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) is a highly significant crop because of its quality for textile industry of the world. With the advent of genetic engineering, cotton has gone through several genetic improvements that encode tolerance against biotic and abiotic stresses. The efficient seed sterilization method is essential for successful genetic improvement in cotton. The present study was conducted to compare different sterilizing agents employed for in vitro culture of cotton to find out an efficient, reproducible, cost effective and genotype independent in vitro seed sterilization procedure of cotton. The two cultivated cotton cultivars i.e. GSN-12 and Coker-312 were used for these studies that were further transformed with insecticidal genes under different promoters. The different sterilizing agents used (in separate or combination) were ethanol, commercial bleach (NaOCl), mercuric chloride (HgCl2), Sodium Dodecyle (SDS), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The surface sterilized seeds of both cultivars were cultured on MS medium and data was recorded for contamination free seeds and germination ratio. The results showed that 5% n-Hexane in combination with 2% of H2O2 are the best sterilizing agents for both cultivars when compared to the efficacy of other chemicals. Seeds treated with n-hexane and hydrogen peroxide had minimum microbial contamination with improved germination rate. The sterilizing method was successfully used for surface sterilization of other cotton cultivars in our project. According to our knowledge, this is the first report of using n-hexane in combination with H2O2 for surface sterilization of cotton seed for in vitro culture studies.

16th International Multidisciplinary Scientific Geoconference (SGEM 2016) -- JUN 30-JUL 06, 2016 -- Albena, BULGARIA, WOS: 000391648800027, The aim of this study was to prepare electrospun chitosan-based nanofiber mats and to incorporate the fruit extracts of Osage Orange (Madura Pomifera) into the mats. Chitosan-ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid/polyvinyl alcohol (CS-EDTA/PVA) was selected as the polymers. The osage orange extracts with 3 wt% were incorporated into the CS-EDTA/PVA solution and electrospun to obtain nanofibers. The morphology and diameters of the mats were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The chemical bonding properties were investigated by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Finally, the sorption potential of Osage Orange loaded nanofibers for the removal of common metallic pollutants, cadmium (Cd2+), cobalt (Co2+), copper (Cu2+), nickel (Ni2+) and lead (Pb2+) was also investigated. The results indicated that the diameters of the fibers were on the nanoscale and that no crystals of the extract were observed in the mats. Osage Orange loaded chitosan based nanofiber adsorbent presented good absorption capacity for all tested metals ranged between 29-34%. In conclusion, our experiments demonstrated that biomaterials composed of osage orange loaded CS EDTA nanofibers have a potential adsorbent for heavy metal., Bulgarian Acad Sci, Acad Sci Czech Republ, Latvian Acad Sci, Polish Acad Sci, Russian Acad Sci, Serbian Acad Sci & Arts, Slovak Acad Sci, Natl Acad Sci Ukraine, Inst Water Problem & Hydropower NAS KR, Natl Acad Sci Armenia, Sci Council Japan, World Acad Sci, European Acad Sci Arts & Lett, Acad Sci Moldova, Montenegrin Acad Sci & Arts, Croatian Acad Sci & Arts, Georgian Natl Acad Sci, Acad Fine Arts & Design Bratislava, Turkish Acad Sci, Bulgarian Ind Assoc, Bulgarian Minist Environm & Water

WOS: 000385454300002, This study was carried out to investigate the effects of eggshell colour and spot properties (colour and size of the spot area) on growth performance and carcass traits of Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) eggs. Study material were allocated to five groups according to their eggshell and spot colours: black spots on greyish white coloured eggshell (I), blue spots on greyish white coloured eggshell (II), diffuse brown spots on greyish brown coloured eggshell (III), brown spots on light green colored eggshell (IV), and small brown spots on greyish brown coloured eggshell (V). The size of the spotted area was determined in each egg group using digital image analysis. The groups did not differ for body weight and length of the shank at the end of the growth period. However, the groups differed significantly for carcass yield after slaughter (not eviscerated) and carcass yield. These parameters were highest in Group I (82.08 and 76.09%) and lowest in Group III (80.20 and 73.86%). Digital image analysis demonstrated that heart length, cardiac fat area, gizzard width, and intestine length varied between the groups. Cardiac fat area was largest in Group III (0.86 cm(2)) and smallest in Group V (0.65 cm(2)). Gizzard width was greatest in Group I (2.63 cm) and smallest in Group V (2.47 cm). Intestine length was greatest in Group V (78.45 cm) and smallest in Group IV (72.39 cm). Body weight, shank length, and slaughter and carcass weight do not vary in relation to eggshell colour or the size of the spotted area. The lengths of intestine and heart, gizzard width, and cardiac fat area do vary in relation to eggshell colour or the size of the spotted area., Scientific Research Project Unit of Mustafa Kemal University, Turkey [1206 M 0117], The present study was supported by the Scientific Research Project Unit of Mustafa Kemal University, Turkey (Project no. 1206 M 0117).

WOS: 000384254400018, The effects of five training systems on tree growth, yield, and some fruit characteristics were assessed for 'Fuji' apple grafted on M.9 rootstock for the first five years in Tokat, Turkey. The trees were trained in one of five ways: Slender Spindle (SS, 4762 trees ha(-1)), Vertical Axis (VA, 2857 trees ha(-1)), HyTec (HT, 1904 trees ha(-1)) and two different tree densities of super spindle (L-Sup S with 5,000 trees ha(-1); H-Sup S with 10.000 trees ha(-1)). Trunk Cross-sectional Area (TCA), canopy diameter and canopy volume were higher in low tree density systems (HT and VA) than in high tree density systems (SS, L-Sup S and H-Sup S). Annual and cumulative yields per tree over the first cropping years were higher in VA and HT than in SS, L-Sup S or H-Sup S. Yield per unit area was the highest in H-Sup S in every year due to the higher number of trees per hectare. Yield efficiency (yield cm(-2) TCA) was higher in VA and HT than in SS, L-Sup S or H-Sup S in every year. HT produced the largest fruit among the training systems in every year. VA had the second largest fruit in 2008, 2010, and 2011., Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK), TOVAG [106 O 096], This study was supported by The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK), TOVAG (Project No: 106 O 096), we greatly acknowledge the financial support.

WOS: 000368558800006, In the current paper the direct additive and maternal genetic effects on birth, weaning (at 90 days of age), and scanning (at 20 weeks of age) weights and muscle and fat depths of the ribeye area in Karayaka lambs were investigated. Analyses were carried out by the restricted maximum likelihood approach, fitting 6 animal models with various combinations of direct and maternal effects. The best model was chosen after testing for improvement in the log-likelihood values. Direct heritability (h(d)(2)) for all traits decreased when maternal genetic effects were included in the models. The maternal heritability (h(m)(2)) ranged from 0.15 to 0.22 for birth weight, from 0.04 to 0.14 for weaning weight, and from 0.08 to 0.16 for scanning weight. The effects of h(m)(2) on muscle depth and fat depth of the ribeye area were not considered due to their insignificance. The permanent environmental effect of the dam was significant for birth, weaning, and scanning weights. Moderate negative genetic correlations (r(am)) between the direct and maternal genetic effects were observed, which were significant for birth (-0.179 and -0.221), weaning (-0.310 and -0.415), and scanning (-0.116 and -0.141) weights. As a result, h(d)(2) and h(m)(2) can be used as selection criteria for birth, weaning, and scanning weights in Karayaka lambs.

16th International Multidisciplinary Scientific Geoconference (SGEM 2016) -- JUN 30-JUL 06, 2016 -- Albena, BULGARIA, WOS: 000391648800042, Clay-based bionanocomposites have gained great attention due to their nanosized functional properties and safe natural structures. Combination at the nanometric scale of the increased surface areas and reactive surfaces of clays with the functional behavior of biopolymers has been pointed out as an attractive way to develop organic-inorganic nanohybrid materials with properties that are inherent to both types of components. In this study a natural-based nanocomposite film consisting of chitosan and organic clay was synthesized. Montmorillonite modified with octadecylamine (ODA-MMT) was used as an organically modified layered silicate. The nanocomposite was prepared by mixing a acetic acid suspension of ODA-MMT with a solution containing chitosan as the macroscopic polymer matrix. The effect of ODA-MMT content (0.5-3%) on the structure and antimicrobial activity of the nanocomposite have been investigated. The interactions between the chitosan matrix and ODA-MMT at different conditions were evaluated using SEM, TEM, XRD and DSC analysis. The results indicated that the formation of exfoliated nanostructure and the thermal stability of nanocomposites was improved within increased loading of nano-dispersed clay in matrix. Antimicrobial activity of chitosan/ODA-MMT nanocomposites was evaluated using disc diffusion method against Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 and Streptococcus mutans ATCC 25175 and Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia colt ATCC 25922 and Salmonella spp. (Laboratory stock). The antimicrobial activity studies of the nanocomposites showed that the nanocomposites could more strongly inhibit the growth of the tested Gram-positive bacteria than Gram negative bacteria. The inhibitory effect of nanocomposites on microorganisms increased with the increasing content of ODA-MMT. The results showed that the strong antimicrobial activity of the nanocomposites may be related to the interaction and the fine dispersion between chitosan and clay., Bulgarian Acad Sci, Acad Sci Czech Republ, Latvian Acad Sci, Polish Acad Sci, Russian Acad Sci, Serbian Acad Sci & Arts, Slovak Acad Sci, Natl Acad Sci Ukraine, Inst Water Problem & Hydropower NAS KR, Natl Acad Sci Armenia, Sci Council Japan, World Acad Sci, European Acad Sci Arts & Lett, Acad Sci Moldova, Montenegrin Acad Sci & Arts, Croatian Acad Sci & Arts, Georgian Natl Acad Sci, Acad Fine Arts & Design Bratislava, Turkish Acad Sci, Bulgarian Ind Assoc, Bulgarian Minist Environm & Water

WOS: 000384688800015, PubMed ID: 27641929, The effect of maternal nutrition level during the periconception period on the muscle development of fetus and maternal-fetal plasma hormone concentrations in sheep were examined. Estrus was synchronized in 55 Karayaka ewes and were either fed ad libitum (well-fed, WF, n=23) or 0.5xmaintenance (under-fed, UF, n=32) 6 days before and 7 days after mating. Non-pregnant ewes (WF, n=13; UF, n=24) and ewes carrying twins (WF, n=1) and female (WF, n=1; UF, n=3) fetuses were removed from the experiment. The singleton male fetuses from well-fed (n=8) and under-fed (n=5) ewes were collected on day 90 of gestation and placental characteristics, fetal BWs and dimensions, fetal organs and muscles weights were recorded. Maternal (on day 7 after mating) and fetal (on day 90 of pregnancy) blood samples were collected to analyze plasma hormone concentrations. Placental characteristics, BW and dimensions, organs and muscles weights of fetuses were not affected by maternal feed intake during the periconception period. Maternal nutrition level did not affect fiber numbers and the muscle cross-sectional area of the fetal longissimus dorsi (LD), semitendinosus (ST) muscles, but the cross-sectional area of the secondary fibers in the fetal LD and ST muscles from the UF ewes were higher than those from the WF ewes (P, TUBITAK [TBAG-U/148], The authors are grateful to Dr H. Onder for his guidance and advice in statistical analysis of the data. The authors also acknowledge the financial support by TUBITAK (TBAG-U/148) to carry out this study.

WOS: 000374719000004, The aim of this study was to determine the effects of various environmental factors on the somatic cell count (SCC) of Anatolian Buffaloes raised under different herd conditions in Turkey. Data were evaluated according to the stage of lactation (early, mid, and late), herd, lactation month, milking time, and parity. Analysis of the data was performed using the SAS package program. For a one-year period, farms were visited on a monthly basis to collect milk samples from each buffalo, in milkings performed both in the morning and evening. A total of 1200 SCC readings from 100 Anatolian Buffaloes were analyzed using repeated measures. The average SCC was determined to be 134,731 +/- 18,500 cells/ml. The effects of herd, parity, lactation month, milking time and stage of lactation on the SCC value were statistically significant (P

WOS: 000384152000010, The objective of this study was to determine the effects of eggshell color of guinea fowl (Numida meleagris) eggs on eggshell quality and hatchery results. The highest mean grey value (MGV), integrated density (ID), lightness (L*) and Hue angle (H*) values were obtained in eggs with lighter eggshell color. The effects of color difference (Delta E*) value levels on egg characteristics were evaluated. Eggshell color presented different (p0.05). In conclusion, under the conditions of the present study, eggshell color influenced eggshell thickness and weight loss, but not hatching parameters of guinea fowl eggs. Further studies on this subject should be carried out., Ministry of Forest and Water Affairs in Yozgat, Turkey, The authors thank the Wild Animals Breeding Station affiliated to Ministry of Forest and Water Affairs in Yozgat, Turkey, for supporting this study, and Gaziosmanpasa University and Cumhuriyet University for laboratory support.

WOS: 000373756700021, The genus of root lesion nematodes (RLN), Pratylenchus, feeds and reproduces in the root cortex of many plant species. RLN was reproduced on carrot culture by using a pure culture. In vitro tests were carried out to determine the effects of plant extracts from three indigenous plants: henbane, Hyoscyamus niger; bead-tree, Melia azedarah and common cocklebur, Xanthium strumarium on P. thornei (the major wheat root-lesion nematode). The nematodes were exposed for 12, 24, 48, 72 and 96 hrs in three concentrations of plant extracts. The effect of plant extracts was performed using the suspensions of P. thornei (100 nematodes ml(-1)) in distilled water. Distilled water was used as a control. All dishes were kept at 28 +/- 2 degrees C. The plant extracts of H. niger, M. azedarah and X strumarium exhibited highly promising mortality rate (100%) after 72 hours of exposure time. The result of this study suggests the studied plant extracts to be used for reducing the P. thornei population.