Food safety is one of the most important factors of a healthy diet. The aim of the research is to determine the awareness levels of consumers about food safety and to reveal the factors affecting it. The data of the research was obtained from the surveys completed with 384 consumers determined by sampling method in the Atakum district of Samsun province. The five-point Likert-type questions in the research were asked to the consumers to measure their awareness levels. The ordered probit model was used to determine the factors affecting the awareness level. According to the results of research, 10.9% of the consumers have a low, 45.6% have a medium and 43.5% have a high awareness level. The personal and household incomes of consumers in the low awareness group are lower than those in the other groups. While 50% of consumers having low awareness are women, the proportion of women consumers with medium and high-level awareness is much higher. Similarly, while the rate of high school graduates is in the first place among low awareness consumers, university graduates are in the first place among consumers within the medium and high awareness groups. According to the ordered probit model results, age, chronical illness, marital status, having children at home and household income are significant variables affecting the food safety awareness level statistically. Research on the factors affecting the awareness levels of consumers having different socio-economic developments will contribute to taking adequate measurements about food safety at the national and local levels.

In Wuhan, China, a severe acute respiratory syndrome caused by coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has emerged, causing serious symptoms in patients such as fever, dry cough, and exhaustion. This fatal pandemic spreads over the globe, causing significant infections in humans, mainly in the respiratory tract. To date, researchers have paid close attention to new therapeutic methods, particularly promising antiviral medicines and vaccines. Especially, existing synthetic antivirals have been used against viruses that prevent replication, entry into the cell, and transmission of the virus. These antiviral agents have been the subject of the basis of drug discovery studies that directly affect COVID 19. Since the COVID-19 outbreak, a variety of conventional herbal remedies have been employed either alone or in combination with current medications to treat infected people with encouraging results. Flavonoids, lectins, polysaccharides, alkaloids, terpenes, lectins and essential oils are some natural ingredients with demonstrated antiviral activity. These secondary metabolites have been shown to be effective against a wide range of viruses in the studies on this subject. In this review, we investigated the potential herbal medicines against various RNA, and DNA viruses, including SARS-CoV-2. We also investigated the bioactive substances from medicinal plants and their potential antiviral efficacy.

In this study, it was aimed to evaluate the soil quality status of the paddy-grown areas in the Bafra plain lands with the SMAF (Soil Management Assessment Framework) model and to examine the spatial distribution conditions with different interpolation methods (inverse distance neighborhood similarity-IDW, radial basis functions-RBF, and kriging). The physical quality indicators of the paddy fields were determined as low (50.38%) and high (82.12%), and chemical quality indicators were determined as very low (36.50%) and medium (66.69%) classes. The most effective properties on the soil quality index, which was obtained by evaluating all the properties together, were determined as clay, available water content, available potassium, and organic matter. In addition, the soils of rice cultivated areas showed variability between low (49.01%) and medium (68.63%) quality classes. The most suitable interpolation model for the distribution of quality indicators was determined as kriging, and the lowest root means square error (RMSE) value (3.0284%) was obtained with the simple kriging gaussian model for the soil quality index. As a result of this study, it has been determined that soil quality can be increased effectively by keeping chemical quality indicators such as pH, organic matter, and available potassium at optimum levels of soils with high physical quality index.

Yellow rust disease caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst) is the most destructive disease of wheat and the most effective control method against the disease is the use of resistant plants. For this reason, the cultivars commonly grown should be tested against the current disease population or Pst race/races of high virulence. In this study, the infection of yellow rust on 54 durum wheat cultivars registered in Türkiye was evaluated under natural conditions. This study was carried out with two replicates on the campus of Akdeniz University during the 2017-2018 years. For the disease assessment, the modified Cobb scale was used and the infection of the coefficient was calculated according to the disease reaction determined. Based on the results of this study, it was found that most of the varieties were moderately susceptible and susceptible to the natural yellow rust infection in both years. Additionally, Kiziltan 91, Altin 40/98, Yilmaz 98, Imren, Çesit 1252, and Kunduru 1149 varieties were resistant to the current disease population under field conditions. In further studies, it is necessary to determine the resistance gene or genes found in these cultivars by molecular methods. Additionally, it is important that new varieties developed in breeding programs were analyzed for Pst races identified in our country for the control of the disease.

This study was carried out between 2018-2019 to determine the current situation of the pomegranate growers, their approach to some agricultural practices, and the problems encountered during the production and marketing phase. The study was conducted in Siirt Center, Pervari and Sirvan districts, which have significant potential in Zivzik pomegranate production in Türkiye. For this purpose, using “Proportional Sample Volume” a questionnaire consisting of 23 questions was applied to a total of 143 randomly selected farmers at 90% confidence and 5% error level. The data obtained from the pomegranate producers were subjected to statistical analysis and the averages were evaluated as %. According to the results of the study, it has been determined that 39.8% of the producers are cultivating in 0-5 decares of land, and 30.1% of them have a yield of 21-50 kg per tree. In addition, 72.7% of the producers stated that they used farm manure and 59.5% had problems in marketing. In addition, although 50.3% of the producers pointed out that the most important harmful insect species in pomegranate orchards is aphid, 82.5% of them stated that they do not use chemical control against harmful organisms. It was found that the majority of the growers did not recognize the insects that cause yield losses, did not consult with anyone about the pest control, and did not take into account issues such as garden cleaning after harvest. On the other hand, the growers have stated that the plant protection and fertilization practices generally carried out within the scope of organic agriculture. The difficulties in pomegranate production, finding buyers at low prices for years and problems in marketing was revealed that the pomegranate producer did not live up to expectations. In conclusion, in order to increase the contribution of Zivzik pomegranate production to the economy of both the region and the country, it should be aimed to solve the problems of the producers with new supports by the relevant institutions.

This study was carried out to determine the limits of variation in fiber quality characteristics of cotton varieties produced in Sanliurfa and Diyarbakir, two important provinces where cotton production is intense in the Southeastern Anatolia Region of Türkiye, and to reveal the fiber quality values of the region. This study was carried out under the coordination of GAP International Agricultural Research and Training Center within the scope of the EU/PA Project “Regional Industrial Collaboration in Cotton Fibre Manufacturing Project”. In the study, 1090 fiber samples, belonging to six different cotton varieties collected from ginning factories in Sanliurfa and Diyarbakir provinces, were used as material. The analysis was performed using High Volume Instrument (HVI). In the frequency distribution, it was determined that cotton fibers produced in the region were in the middle and long fiber group in terms of fiber length, they were in the middle, strong and very strong group in terms of fiber strength, and the material was generally in the medium and thick group in terms of fiber fineness. Most of the material was taken place in the medium group for fiber uniformity; very low and low for short fiber index; high and medium for elongation; mature and very mature for fiber maturity. The results of the spinning consistency index showed that 59.2% of the material changed between 119.41 to 135.83 and 31.3% of the materials changed from 135.83 to 152.24. The 58.2% of the material had 74 and higher brightness values, while the material was taken place in the white and slightly white color group and the majority of the material (65%) had low trash content. The results of this study indicated that cotton fibers produced in the Southeastern Anatolia Region have superior quality values that meet the demands of the textile industry.

The objective of this study was to determine compatible genotypes for both grazing and ley farming systems concerning nutritional traits among burr medic (Medicago polymorpha L.) genotypes with different flowering times. Therefore, the variability for nutritional traits of early- (n=13), medium- (n=12) and late-flowering (n=19) genotypes from a breeding study carried out during the 2016-2018 years was assessed using one-way ANOVA and chemometric techniques such as principal component (PCA) and cluster (CA) analyses. Except for the acid detergent protein, calcium and magnesium contents, there were significant differences in the nutritional traits among the genotypes with different flowering times. The medium-flowering genotype had a significant advantage over especially early-flowering genotype in crude protein, acid detergent fiber, metabolizable energy, and relative feed value. There were significantly mutual correlations between most of the studied traits. Consequently, considerable amounts of variability were determined among the genotypes for all the traits under consideration. The 44 genotypes formed three clusters, in which cluster sizes ranged from 3 to 29 accessions per cluster. The PCA 1 and 2 had the highest eigenvalues of 6.44 and 1.35, describing 63.27% and 15.91% of the total variance, respectively. The PCA and CA results indicate that medium- and late-flowering genotypes had the best nutritional traits due to probably high photosynthetic capacity in the conditions of the present study.

The study was carried out in Eskisehir/Türkiye for two years in 2019-2020 to examine the effects of weed density on some plant characteristics in silage maize. Weed densities were arranged as 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14 weeds m-2 and the experiment was established according to randomized complete block design in the field. The examined parameters showed significant variations between years and weed densities. Stem diameter, growth rate, and forage yield of silage maize were about 40% higher in weed-free (0 weeds m-2) plots compared to other weed densities. With the increase in weed density, the leaf and stem rate increased, while the cob ratios significantly decreased. Results indicated that weeds should be controlled as soon as possible to achieve better growth and yield performance in silage maize production.

The study was carried out in Eskisehir/Türkiye conditions for two years in 2019-2020 to determine the change in quality characteristics of the silage maize plant under different weed densities. Weed densities were arranged as 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 14 weeds m-2 and the experiment was established according to the randomized complete blocks design with three replications. In the study, crude ash, ether extract, fiber ratio, crude protein, starch ratio, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus contents were investigated. Except for the starch ratio, while the effect of the year was very important on the quality characteristics of silage maize (p<0.0001), it was observed that the weed density was effective only on the crude ash ratio. Although there is no change in quality due to the increase in weed density, weed-free cultivation should be done since there is a significant decrease in yield.

The aim of this study was to determine the soil and land characteristics of the province of Igdir in Türkiye and to create a database by using geographical data system analysis, which is widely used today. The study area was 3674.42 km2 and the digital elevation model of the area was created using a 1/25000 scale topographic map from the General Command of Mapping in Igdir province, and elevation, slope, aspect, and drainage maps were produced. Additionally, by using data and maps from the previous General Directorate of Rural Services and General Directorate of Soil Reform, large soil groups, depth, land use capability classification, problematic soils, water erosion, and wind erosion maps were created, and area calculations were made with ArcGIS Pro 2.5 software. As a result, flat and near flatlands were located in the center, east, and north and mountainous lands with high altitudes were located in the west and south of Igdir province. Therefore, slopes were steep in the south and west, and low in the central, east, and north parts. The land use capability map consisted of 122040 ha suitable for cultivated agriculture (I-IV class); 211220 ha unsuitable for cultivated agriculture (V-VII class) as grassland; and 29260 ha of non-agricultural land. Land with moderate, severe, and very severe erosion comprised 16.3%, 27.3%, and 25.8%, respectively, of water erosion. Wind erosion affected 36670 ha of land. Igdir has large diversity and variety in terms of soil and land features, despite its small area.

The aim of this research is to determine the irrigation method preferences of farmers. The research data were obtained from the surveys conducted with 54 farms having irrigated agriculture in the Gerze district of Sinop province, located in the Western Black Sea Region of Türkiye. While, the rate of farmers irrigating the entire land is 11.1%, 88.9% irrigating a part of their land. The farmers indicated that the most important reason for not irrigating the entire land is the insufficient water supply (75.9%). Among the modern irrigation methods, drip irrigation (54.5%) is mostly preferred in vegetable cultivation, while sprinkler irrigation (69.2%) is mostly preferred in corn cultivation. Also, flood irrigation, one of the traditional methods, is used in the cultivation of vegetables, grain corn, wheat, and silage corn. Farmers stated that drip (63%) and sprinkler (94.4%) irrigation methods are preferred due to easy application, and flood irrigation (85.2%) is preferred due to the lower cost of the facility than modern irrigation systems. According to the farmers’ opinion in the examined farms, choosing the right irrigation method was in the first place. To increase farm productivity and profitability, grant support for the establishment of modern irrigation systems should be increased in a short term and all farmers should be informed about this support. Therefore, it is of great importance to take into account the farmer’s opinions about agricultural irrigation and to carry out studies on the dissemination of modern irrigation systems.

The research was conducted at Sugar Institute Eskisehir Experiment Station in 2018 and 2019 to evaluate the effect of chloride (Cl-1) applications on the yield and quality of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.). In the experiment, besides measuring the yield and quality values of sugar beet, the effect of the applications on the plant nutrient content was evaluated. Trials were conducted in a randomized complete blocks design with 4 replications in both years. Research subjects consisted of 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 kg Cl-1 da-1 application levels of chloride. According to the combined analysis of variance; chloride did not have a significant effect on beet root yield, sugar concentration, sodium content, potassium (K) content, harmful nitrogen (N) content, refined sugar concentration, and refined sugar yield. Chloride applications originating from potassium chloride, which do not increase the yield and quality values of sugar beet, did not have a toxic effect that would reduce the yield and quality of the plant. It was observed that the application of potassium chloride between 0.0-16.8 kg da-1 with the applications of chloride did not have a toxic effect on the sugar beet in the soil of the trial area containing middle-class chloride. In addition, it was observed that the strategy of increasing the sugar concentration of sugar beet did not work, as chloride applications reduced the nitrogen content of the plant by preventing nitrate uptake. While the applications did not change the content of macro and micro plant nutrients; N, phosphorus, K, magnesium, sulfur, zinc, iron, manganese, copper, and boron in sugar beet plant samples, they significantly increased the calcium and Cl- content.

In this study, it was aimed to reveal the socio-economic aspect of safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) production in the Beysehir district of Konya/Türkiye, as well as the profitability compared to other plants. In the study, data were collected from a total of 31 safflower producers in the Konya-Beysehir district through a questionnaire, and economic analysis of safflower production was carried out as of 2019. The average safflower land is 22.21 decares and the grain yield per decare is 91.36 kg, and the average selling price is 1.2 TL. Variable costs per decare were 139.27 TL, total fixed costs per decare were 227.99 TL, and total production costs per decare were 367.26 TL. In the gross profit calculation made, the producer makes a loss of approximately 30 TL from safflower per decare. However, when oil is obtained from safflower, the gross profit per decare increases to 134.85 TL. Instead of selling the product they produce directly, it is possible for the safflower producers to add value to the product by processing the safflower seeds in cold press machines and extracting the oil. In this way, the producers in the region will be able to avoid losses and make a profit. This condition may also provide job opportunities for many oil processing establishments that are idle due to a lack of raw materials. The state should update the guarantee purchase support of the product applied in the past years and increase farmer training and extension services to utilize the uncultivated idle areas with safflower agriculture, expand the production of safflower, which is an alternating plant, and to use the safflower pulp as animal feed after processing in the industry.

Polyamines are aliphatic, amine-containing polycationic molecules with a low molecular weight that are present in almost all cells. They have been considered a new class of plant growth regulators because they play critical roles in a variety of growth, developmental and physiological processes such as cell division and differentiation, protein synthesis, DNA replication, gene expression, somatic embryogenesis, dormancy breaking in seed germination, flower and fruit development, senescence, and enhancing stress tolerance. Although polyamines are known to be involved in various plant processes, their precise role remains unclear. This review includes current research on polyamine metabolism and function, metabolic mechanisms involved in polyamine formation and degradation, genetic and molecular approaches in plants, as well as studies using metabolic inhibitors to better understand the roles of polyamines. Polyamines and their modifications in transgenics are explored from a molecular perspective, and significant variations in polyamine titers in response to other plant regulators and stress factors are also discussed.