In this study, the removal efficiencies were evaluated based on key environmental parameters such as chemical oxygen demand (COD), Total Organic Carbon (TOC), Total Nitrogen (TN), and Total Phosphorus (TP), using P. chrysosporium white rot fungus to treat synthetically prepared domestic wastewater. The research aimed to assess the suitability of bioremediation results with respect to the Urban Wastewater Treatment Regulation. The experiment was carried out over a span of 11th days, employing static 1/1 and 1/5, as well as dynamic 1/1 and 1/5 dilution ratios. The outcomes revealed varying removal efficiencies, with the highest rates observed at dynamic conditions and a 1/5 dilution ratio: 84% for COD, 81% for TOC, 73% for TN, and 56% for TP. Conversely, the lowest removal efficiencies were determined under static 1/1 conditions, reaching 48% for COD, 33% for TOC, 31% for TN, and 45% for TP. Based on the results, it is evident that P. chrysosporium exhibited effective bioremediation capabilities on synthetic domestic wastewater within a reasonable 11th day period. Furthermore, the results aligned with the specified limit values outlined in the Urban Wastewater Treatment Regulation. Consequently, the study highlights the efficacy of P. chrysosporium as a valuable species for biological treatment stages in urban wastewater management.

In this study three different electrospun nanofiber samples, named as polyvinly alcohol (PVA), polyvinly alcohol +black carrot extract (PVAB) and polyvinly alcohol+black carrot extract+tin dioxide (PVABT), were produced successfully using the electrospinning method. According to characterization analysis by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), it has been found that PVA nanofibers were continuous and they preserved their uniform structure and average diameters were measured as 215.76±75.47. With the addition of black carrot extract, fiber diameters increased to 637.97±91.85 nm. On the other hand, for PVABT accumulation of new structures observed and diamater thickness increased to 658.66±101.5 nm respectively. Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy elemental mapping results of PVABT sample proved the binding and integration of the tin dioxide to the surface of the electrospun nanofibers.  Antioxidant properties are also compared to determine how nanofiber coating of plant extracts effect on Total Oxidant Level (TOL) – Total Antioxidant Level (TAL). While the antioxidant level of the black carrot extract covered with nanofiber was ~62% higher than the extract without nanofiber, it was determined that the extract-metal oxide combination showed higher antioxidant results. In addition, no oxidant was detected in electrospun nanofiber samples. Overall, it has been concluded that nanofibers can be fabricated in combination with plant extract and metal oxides and addition of these materials have ability to effect characteristic properties and antioxidant properties. Therefore, metal oxides and plant extracts have the potential to be used as an active food packaging ingredients for further applications in food industry. In the future, it will be important to determine other properties such as thermal stability, mechanical properties, or water vapor permeabilities of these nanomaterials.

The aim of this study was to investigate the mode of inheritance of leaf number per stalk, area of the middle belt leaves and yield of dry leaf mass per stalk in four F1 tobacco hybrids. These tobacco hybrids were obtained by crossing five varieties, four of which are Oriental in the role of mother and one Broadleaf as a father. Investigations were made in 2020 and 2021. The most common mode of inheritance is negative dominance for the first trait, partial for the second trait and intermediate dominance for the third trait. There is no heterosis. The best results considering the size of the middle belt leaves and the yield of dry mass gave P-76/86 x B-1/91. The obtained mode of inheritance is an indicator of good selection of individuals in future generations and quick fixation and stabilization of the traits. The four hybrid combinations represent very interesting starting material for tobacco breeding.

Seed vigor is a complex trait which refers the quick and uniform germination of seeds in the field. It can be highly affected by the genetic background of the seed, the environment where the seeds are grown, and storage conditions (Yang, X. B. 1999). Besides, seeds affected by quality parameters may respond differently to seedling pathogens in the soil; these responses are likely to differ according to environmental conditions. The main objective of the study was to evaluate the relationship between soybean quality and the effects of specific soil-borne pathogens on soybean emergence and seedling growth, with a specific focus on phenotyping early-stage roots. Seed lots with different levels of seed quality, represents a range of seed vigor with the same genetic background, were created by accelerated-aging (aa) treatments. The effect of aa on seed performance was tested in growth chambers with and without infested soil at 20 °C and 25 °C. A remarkable emergence reduction (65-55%) was observed in the aged-seed. Synergistic effects between seed aging and Rhizoctonia solani infestation was observed on root biomass (root dry weight) and the numbers of root tips, forks, and crossings (p<0.05). Besides, some parameters such as plant length and fresh weight, fresh root weight, root length, volume, and surface area were significantly affected by both seed quality and fungal inoculum. The results obtained from the study is expected to contribute on determining the impact of environmental conditions and stress factors on the epidemiology of soilborne pathogens. On the other hand, we expect that the results will shed light on developing new strategies for effective disease management.

The present study aims to establish the application of mobile fluorescence spectroscopy to determine varietal differences and water content during the storage of radishes under uncontrolled conditions. The experimental studies were carried out on the farm where the radishes were grown and stored. Fluorescence analysis was performed with a source with an emission wavelength of 285 nm using an author-developed mobile setup in a fiber-optic configuration generating fluorescence signals. Root crops from the Red Large, Espresso F1, French Breakfast, and Nacional 2 varieties are the object of this study. They were measured after harvesting after 3 and 6 months of storage. The correlation between the emission wavelengths of the samples of different varieties, as well as those of the same variety at different storage intervals, was established. This fact allows mobile fluorescence spectroscopy to be successfully applied as a rapid tool in radish breeding programs to establish the origin of unknown root crops in the presence of a rich library of spectra, as well as in the sorting of radishes in warehouses of food chains and producers. The experiment results can be used to optimize the time for the analysis of the varietal affiliation of different radish genotypes during storage under uncontrolled conditions. Fluorescence spectroscopy in a fiber-optic configuration will support the process of determining the affiliation of a particular radish variety to a given type (even for samples of unknown origin when it is necessary to qualify and sort in a short time).

Forage kochia is a semi-shrub forage plant tolerant to drought, cold and soil salinity. In addition to being a quality feed source for livestock, with its ability to remain green in the dry feed period when other fodder plants dry up, it also offers the opportunity to fight wildfire during this season. Despite these advantages of forage kochia, the fact that it loses its seed viability in a brief time causes the restriction of the cultivation of this plant. For this reason, the seeds of three different forage kochia genotypes (C1, C2, M5) harvested in November 2018 and stored under room conditions were periodically sown at five different periods; the day after harvest, 4th months, 7th months, 10th months, and 13th months after harvest in greenhouse conditions. The study's first objective was to determine the genotype with the most prolonged viable period of seed viability. At this study stage, the M5 genotype, sown 10th months after harvest, was recorded as the highest value with a 35.7% emergence ratio. The survey also obtained C1 and M5 genotypes that retained seed viability one year after harvest. In the second phase of the study, plants showing emergence were planted in the field conditions in November 2020, and plant height, canopy diameter, stem diameter, leaf length, leaf width, leaf color, and hairiness of the plants were examined throughout 2021 and 2022. When the averages of the two-year data were analyzed, it was determined that genotype C1 had the highest plant height with 105 cm when sown 13th months after harvest. Although the genotype M5, which was also sown in this period, had the shortest plant height with a plant height of 42.5 cm, it can be stated that this genotype also had the darkest leaf color (Scoring 7.25; 1: Red-Grey, 3: Grayish Green, 5: Bluish Green, 7: Green, 9: Dark Green). As a result of the study, it can be stated that C1 and M5 genotypes, which were sown 13th months after harvest, stand out from the other genotypes in terms of their long seed viability period and morphological characteristics for use as a gene resource in forage kochia breeding.

The application of the traditional homogenization process used in yogurt production under higher pressure, such as 50-200 MPa, is a new approach to improving yogurt structure and quality effectively. High-pressure homogenization (HPH) is considered a technology that changes the microstructure, water holding capacity, viscosity, and sensorial properties of yogurts by affecting fat globules and protein structures depending on fat content. In this study, the effects on bacterial growth, acidification kinetics and viscosity development were investigated in the production of yogurt from fatty and semi-skimmed milk with HPH. HPH treatment and fat content had a positive effect on the bacterial growth rate, and the maximum counts of L. bulgaricus and S. thermophilus were determined in the yogurt sample made from fatty milk treated with 100 MPa pressure as 8.65 and 9.16 log cfu/g, respectively. Also, the pH and viscosity change during incubation was affected and the Vmax and μmax values for fatty milk treated with 100 MPa pressure reached maximum values of 1.67x10-2 pH unit/min and 2.35x10-2 Pa.s units/min, respectively. With the HPH treatment, the fermentation time in fatty yogurt was shortened by 60 min compared to the control sample.

Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) is one of the most important fruit species grown in Turkey. Fungal pathogens cause significant losses in quality and yield of pomegranate fruit in orchards and warehouses. Pomegranate fruit and crown rot, caused by Coniella granati, is one of the most serious diseases of pomegranate. No fungicides have been registered in Turkey to control this disease. In this study, the antifungal effect of etidote-67, borax, boric acid, sodium benzoate, sodium nitrite, sodium carbonate and potassium sorbate on mycelial growth of C. granati was investigated in vitro. The antifungal effect of the salts on mycelial growth of the fungus was determined at concentrations of 0.01, 0.02, 0.03, 0.04, 0.05, 0.06 and 0.07 (w/v). Increased concentrations of etidote-67, borax, boric acid, sodium benzoate, sodium nitrite, sodium carbonate, and potassium sorbate significantly inhibited mycelial growth of the fungus compared to the control. Significant differences were found between the efficacy of the treatments (P<0.05). The concentrations of 0.04% and 0.03% of etidot-67 and borax salts, respectively, were determined to be the doses that completely inhibited mycelial growth of the fungus. Boric acid, sodium nitrite, sodium carbonate and potassium sorbate completely inhibited the fungal mycelial growth at a concentration of 0.05%, while sodium benzoate inhibited fungal mycelial growth at a relatively high concentration (0.07%). When comparing the effective concentrations (EC50) of the salts inhibiting mycelial growth by 50%, sodium benzoate showed a stronger inhibitory effect against the fungus. In conclusion, the results of this study show that boron, sodium, and potassium salts can be used as an alternative to synthetic fungicides to control fruit and crown rot disease caused by C. granati in pomegranate.

Contract farming is a deal between a producer and a buyer regarding cultivation of an agricultural product characteristically.   In reality, terms and conditions of these contracts can alter dramatically. It can refer to those arrangements involving public firms, government organisations or NGOs and can also refer to private schemes. In this paper, it is only focused on contract farming on arrangements between farmers and private actors. In recent years, buckwheat has gained increasing notice as a promising functional food, owing to its several human health issues and lack of gluten. This study examines buckwheat farmer’s involvement in contract farming in districts of Gümüşhane province which is in the northeast of Turkey. An empirical analysis of the contract farming regarding the buckwheat farmers and postharvest practice has been provided. The survey was conducted in Kelkit, Köse and Şiran districts as only production places of the buckwheat in the province. Data collected from 30 farmers who are engaged in contract farming model. According to data, issues of the contract farming, marketing channels of the buckwheat and perspectives of the farmers for the buckwheat production with contract farming are addressed. The findings of this study reveal that the contract farming model, mostly eliminates the marketing-related concerns of the farmers in the region. Perceive benefits derivable from beginning to buckwheat contract farming was measured based on the following proposals (the commitments to purchase product, the market guarantee, the compliance with the contract terms, purchasing at the agreed price and timely payment) was evaluated using 5 point likert scale. As a result, buckwheat contract farmers should be monitored by the contract buyer for the continuity of the production.

Various Fusarium species cause significant yield and quality losses in onion (Allium cepa L.) plants. Onion basal and root rot, caused by Fusarium proliferatum, is an emerging postharvest disease that causes severe economic losses. Although the disease has long been recognized as a major constraint to the production of Allium spp., there is insufficient information to support disease management. In recent years, a need has arisen for environmentally friendly, innovative alternative methods to avoid the use of chemical pesticides in the control of diseases that are a problem in agriculture. In this study, the biocontrol efficiency of antagonistic bacterial isolates obtained from bulbs, roots and leaves of healthy onion plants was investigated against F. proliferatum in vitro. The antagonistic activity of the bacterial isolates in inhibiting the mycelial growth of the fungal agent was determined by the dual culture assay. The bacterial isolates were identified by morphological, biochemical and proteomic (MALDI-TOF MS) methods. A total of 18 putative bacterial isolates were obtained from the bulbs, roots and leaves of healthy onion plants on selective media. As a result of in vitro dual culture assays, only six bacterial isolates (Bacillus cereus MK2, Enterobacter xiangfangensis MK3, Bacillus thuringiensis MK8, Alcaligenes faecalis MK9, Pseudomonas putida MK16 and Citrobacter freundii MK17) significantly suppressed mycelial growth of disease agent (43.89-50.56% inhibition). Bacillus cereus MK2 was found to be the most effective bacterial isolate with a 50.56% inhibition rate of mycelial growth. Overall, the results suggest that Bacillus cereus MK2 could be used as a potential biocontrol agent for a sustainable and environmentally friendly control strategy for onion fields affected by Fusarium basal and root rot disease. It is necessary to conduct further studies on the effects of the effective bacterial isolates against the pathogen in vivo and their mechanisms of action.

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of different organomineral fertilizer treatments (granular and liquid) on the micronutrient concentration of maize (Zea mays L. var. Karadeniz yıldızı) plants grown in soils collected from the Ağrı/Eleşkirt region of Türkiye. Maize plants were grown in pots filled with soil (2 kg). Two granular (G) and liquid (L) organomineral fertilizers were applied at rates of 100 of the technical recommendation and plant micronutrient (iron (Fe), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), and boron ( B)) contents were analyzed. The harvested plant samples were digested in concentrated nitric perchloric acid mixture, and the concentrations of Fe, Cu, Zn, Mn in the extraction solution was determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry device, and the concentration of B was measured by spectrophotometry device.There were significant differences among the organomineral fertilizers in terms of their effects.  Plant (Fe) concentrationswere varied from 65.50 to 73.78 mg kg-1, Cu concentrations from 10.10 to 10.90 mg kg-1, Zn concentrations from 22.10 to 23.90 mg kg-1, Mn concentrations from 19.67 to22.25 mg kg-1 and B concentrationsfrom11.12 to12.77. The highest values were obtained from the liquid organomineral fertilizer treatments and the lowest values (except for Mn) were obtained from the control treatments.

Further research is recommended with the same organomineral fertilizers and soil types, but this time with different doses and under field conditions to investigate plant reactions to two organomineral fertilizers (solid/granular and liquid)  and to identify optimum doses.

The soil formation in Strandzha Mountain is influenced by the particular combination of the climate's unique forest tree vegetation, the extraordinary variety of root and soil-forming rocks, the hilly low-mountainous relief with significant fragmentation, a densely located hydrographic network with short slopes and dominant exposures. The diversity of soil microorganisms is crucial for plant growth and development and it makes it possible to understand in detail the plant-microbial interactions. The objectives of this study were to determine soil bacteria associated with rare wild leguminous species Cicer montbretii Jaub. & Spach (Constantinople chickpeas) and Lupinus albus L. (white lupinus) in Strandzha National Park. A new locality of Cicer montbretii Jaub was marked nearby village of Brodilovo. L. albus was found in saline-alkaline soil (A1) and yellow earth podzolic soils (A2) around the village of Brodilovo and the Great Pazvlak area. C. montbretii was found to grow on cinnamon forest soils (B1) and siliceous red soil (B2). A study was conducted by physio-chemical analyses and by assessing 16S rDNA metagenomics technique used to generate a total of 126,837 reads from the samples.  The most significant number of observed species 2249 was found in soils saline-alkaline soil (B1) soil. According to that result, the higher diversity indices were calculated in the also in B1 soil. The α-diversity analysis reported yielded similar Shannon indices ranging from 8,322 in B2 to 9,337 in B1. The analyses revealed that B2 yellow earth podzolic soil, unique for Strandzha, has the largest composition with Proteobacteria 44% and the lowest in Actinobacteria 20%. Opposite, in A1 saline-alkaline soil have the richest composition of Actinobacteria 52% and the poorest in Proteobacteria 23%. C. montbretii was found in neutral A2 and B2 soils, while L. ablus prefer acidic A1 and B1 soils. The determination of the microbiological status of the soils associated with Constantinople chickpeas and white lupinus and the annual monitoring of the species in Strandzha Park will determine the methods for the most effective maintenance and storage outside their habitats.

Hazelnut, occupying an important place in Turkey's economy, is the main source of income for many families of farmers. Hazelnut is grown especially in the Black Sea region. In recent years, it was observed that the average hazelnut yield in Turkey remained below that in other hazelnut producing countries. This research, it was aimed to investigate whether the agricultural practices carried out in the gardens defined as "sample hazelnut gardens" by the Arsin Chamber of Agriculture in Trabzon province have a positive effect on yield and to compare these practices with those of producers growing hazelnuts with traditional methods. In this study, all of seventeen producers who own sample gardens registered in the Chamber of Agriculture were face to face interviewed according to the census method, and surveys were administered. Simple descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. Correlation analysis was conducted to reveal the relationship between sample hazelnut orchard practices and yield. In the study, a moderate negative relationship was found between the number of ocak and hazelnut yield at the 5% significance level (r = -0.595), and it was determined that hazelnut yield increased as the number of ocak decreased. The study also revealed that the new practices in pruning, fertilization, and weed control methods of the sample hazelnut orchards yields were higher than those in traditional garden practices. It was determined that the average hazelnut yield obtained by producers who practice hazelnut gardens is approximately 2 times higher than those in Trabzon province and Turkey. It was concluded that sample hazelnut garden practices and agricultural extension and applied training studies need to be widespread and supported in order to increase hazelnut yield in this region.

The present study aims to establish the application of fluorescence spectroscopy as a field method in the determination of varietal differences after carrot harvesting. The experimental studies were conducted on site at the farm where the carrot accessions were grown. The fluorescence analysis was carried out with a source with an emission wavelength of 285 nm and an author-developed mobile fiber-optic experimental set-up. The subjects of this research are root crops from Nantes, Short`n Sweet, Touchon, and Flakkee.

The correlation between the emission signals of the samples was established. This fact allows mobile fluorescence spectroscopy to be successfully applied as a rapid tool to establish the origin of unknown carrot accessions in the presence of a rich library of spectra as an applied tool in breeding programs. The results of the experiment can be used to optimize the time for the analysis of the varietal differences of the carrot genotypes after harvest. Fluorescence spectroscopy in a fiber-optical configuration will support the process of determining the belonging of a specific variety to a given variety (even for samples of unknown origin when it is necessary to qualify the result of accessions in a short time).

Nowadays, there are new approaches and goals for packaging materials for advantages on foods and friendly properties on environment. For these purposes, biodegradable polymers are much preferred to replace conventional polymeric goods in packaging applications. Biopolymers, such as carboxyl methyl cellulose (CMS), environmentally friendly sustainable plastic alternatives. The worldwide need for bioplastic as an alternative for conventional plastics because of their nontoxicity, biocompatibility, renewability, and biodegradability properties. They are commonly produced using different raw materials (proteins and polysaccharides), which are mostly derived from plants (cellulose-based plastics and starch derived plastics), and microbial sources.

Moreover, there is more than a need to preserve natural resources and to reduce plastic waste materials by replacing them by bio-alternatives. It should be solution that wasted foods, which are the GRAS, should be a source for enriching biopolymers with their valuable bioactive compounds.  Fruits and vegetables, especially berries that contain high content of valuable bioactive compounds, can be used for enriching to biopolymers and for production of active films and indicators. It has high importance for food science because oxidation and microbial contamination present major problems that influence quality and safety of different products during their storage. Currently, to overcome these points, there are some approaches can be applied. For instance, bioactive compounds and antioxidant agents from berries can be directly added to biopolymers.  Blueberries, red and purple grape, black mulberries etc. and their industrial wasted present good sources of antioxidants, non-flavonoids and flavonoids.  Phenols are primarily found in the skin and pomace of berries. It is known that most of these phenols are typically wasted due to poor extraction during fermentation. Therefore, these wastes are of great importance for biofilms. However, it is also essential to investigate their effects on other properties, such as texture, taste, solubility, etc.

Microalgae are photosynthetic microorganisms with different morphological, physiological, and genetic characteristics. Microalgae, which grow in fresh and salt water, have an important role in the aquatic ecosystem due to their photosynthetic properties. Microalgae-derived bioactive components are produced as primary metabolism sources, such as proteins, various fatty acids, vitamins, or secondary metabolism products. Various microalgae can produce different bioactive compounds. Frequently studied microalgae can be listed as; Spirulina sp. (phycocyanin, tocopherols, phenolic acids), Haematococcus pluvialis (lutein, oleic acid, beta carotene), Chlorella sp. (carotenoids, eicosapentaenoic acid) and Dunaliella (trans-betacarotene, oleic acid, linolenic acid). It has been reported that these microalgae can be used in a wide variety of areas and can gain new uses day by day. They have antioxidative, antimicrobial, antihypertensive, immunomodulatory, and anticarcinogenic effects with their important bioactive components. Their antioxidant properties are of great interest in industrial applications. Microalgae have different colors due to their pigment contents and gain coloring properties. These properties emerge through various pigments called chlorophyll Chlorophyll is the green pigment and plays an important role in the photosynthesis of microalgae. microalgae species can produce different chlorophyll variants, making them appear in different colors. In addition to chlorophyll, the coloring properties of microalgae emerge through other pigments. For example, Microalgae also contain carotenoids with a red, orange, or yellow color and phycobilins with a blue, green, or red color. These various pigments and their coloring properties allow microalgae to be used in industrial, agricultural, and biotechnological applications.