Determination of Energy Use Efficiency of some Apple (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Malus x domestica</Emphasis>) Production in Turkey: a Case Study of Eğirdir Region

This research aims to make an analysis of energy use efficiency of apple (‘Starkrimson Delicious’ and ‘Golden Delicious’) production in E?irdir region of Turkey, during the production season of 2012. Production data this research was collected in 2013. In order to determine the energy use efficiency of apple, various surveys have been conducted in 71 apple farms, selected through Simple Random Sampling method, located in E?irdir region of Turkey. The data have been collected through face to face questionnaires and first hand observations. The energy input and output values in apple production have been calculated as 34,703.63 MJ ha^?1 and 95,034 MJ ha^?1, respectively. Energy inputs consist of diesel fuel energy by 29.04?%, chemical fertilizers energy by 24.28?%, machinery energy by 15.70?%, chemical energy by 9.84?%, human labor energy by 8.54?%, electricity energy by 5.63?%, irrigation energy by 3.97?%, farmyard manure energy by 2.88?% and lime energy by 0.12?%. Energy use efficiency, energy productivity, specific energy and net energy in apple production have been calculated as 2.74, 1.16 kg MJ^?1, 0.86 MJ kg^?1 and 60,330.36 MJ ha^?1, respectively. The total energy input consumed has been classified as direct, by 47.17?%, indirect, by 52.83?%, renewable, by 15.38?% and non-renewable, by 74.62?%.     

Determination of Energy Input-Output Analysis in Plum (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Prunus domestica</Emphasis> L.) Production

The aim of this research is to compose the energy input-output analysis of plum in Nevsehir province in Turkey. This research was conducted at the plum cultivating facilities during the 2015–2016 production seasons in Nevsehir province of Central Anatolian Region in Turkey. The agricultural input energies and output energies used in plum cultivation were calculated to determine the energy input-output analysis. According to the research findings, the energy inputs in plum cultivation were calculated respectively 3920?MJ ha^?1 (44.99%) chemical fertilizers energy, 1618.91?MJ ha^?1 (18.58%) diesel fuel energy, 1125.85?MJ ha^?1 (12.92%) chemicals energy, 1069.20?MJ ha^?1 (12.27%) machinery energy, 723.24?MJ ha^?1 (8.30%) human labour energy and 255?MJ ha^?1 (2.93%) irrigation water energy. Production output plum yield were calculated as 12,112.50?MJ ha^?1. The energy output/input ratio, specific energy, energy usage efficiency and net energy calculations were calculated respectively as 1.39, 1.37?MJ kg^?1, 0.73?kg MJ^?1 and 3400.30?MJ ha^?1.     

Simple assessment of radical scavenging capacity of beverages

The radical-scavenging antioxidants play an important role against oxidative stress in the defense system in vivo. The beneficial effects of antioxidants contained in foods and beverages have been well-accepted, and their antioxidant capacity has been assessed by various methods. In the present study, a simple method is proposed in which the total radical scavenging capacity is assessed from the bleaching of pyranine and pyrogallol red induced by free radicals generated from azo initiator. The total content of antioxidants contained in red wine, green tea, and cassis drink and their reactivities toward peroxyl radicals were measured from the lag phase and rate of bleaching using pyranine and pyrogallol red as a probe, respectively. It was found that this method to follow the bleaching of two probes by visible light spectrophotometer is convenient and applicable for assessment of total radical scavenging capacity of both content and activity of the antioxidants contained in beverages.     

Assessment of radical scavenging capacity and lipid peroxidation inhibiting capacity of antioxidant

The role of radical scavenging antioxidants against oxidative stress has received much attention, and the antioxidant capacity has been assessed by various methods. Among them, a method that measures the effect of antioxidant on decay of the probe is one of the most widely used methods. The present study was performed to compare the two methods to assess the antioxidant capacity, one to follow the decay of the probe and the other to measure lipid peroxidation products in human plasma. It was shown that the method following probe decay was suitable for assessment of radical scavenging capacity of antioxidant, but not for the capacity to inhibit lipid peroxidation in plasma. This is true whether a hydrophilic or lipophilic probe is used. Such different results arise from the fact that the efficacy of inhibition of lipid peroxidation by antioxidants depends on the fate of antioxidant-derived radical and interaction between antioxidants as well as the capacity of free radical scavenging. Thus, the capacity of antioxidants for inhibition of lipid peroxidation should be assessed from the effect on the extent of oxidation, not from the effect on probe decay.     

Survey of the Occurrence of Equine Deep Digital Flexor Tendon Contraction (Clubfoot) in the Main Thoroughbred Breeding Area in Japan

At 114 ranches in the Hidaka District of Hokkaido, a total of 1,118 Thoroughbred foals that were born from January to June 2003 were examined at different times from May to September of the same year to ascertain the occurrence of clubfoot. Clubfoot was seen in a total of 179 foals (16%) at 89 ranches (78%). Also, 124 of the 179 foals (69.3%) had clubfoot of grade II or higher, and it was found that grade I was likely to be overlooked or rapidly advance. In the present study, the occurrence of clubfoot was higher than expected in the investigated region. Hence, it is necessary to establish accurate diagnostic techniques and clubfoot guidelines to minimize the impact.     

Rate of passage of a non-traditional diet through the digestive tract in sheep

The rate of passage of experimental diets based on non-conventional feeds through the alimentary tract of rams was studied. The composition of diets was as follows: barley straw (D-2, D-1), conditioned beech sawdust (D-2, D-1), waste cellulose fibre (D-2, D-1), lactosylureide (D-2), peanut waste (D-2), urea (D-1), wood molasses (D-2, D-1) and mineral supplement (D-2, W-1). The control feed (K) contained straw, barley, beet molasses and mineral supplement. As a marker was used a single application (50 g) of polyethylene (PE), particle size 0.4 mm and specific weight 0.924, which formed 3.9, 3.5 and 4% of the diet dry matter. After 10 days the recovery of polyethylene amounting to 81.23% (D-2), 84.78% (D-1) and 86.6% (K) was established. The polyethylene losses occurred most probably at its administration in feed (10-12%), elapsing of polyethylene excreted after 10 days following the administration (0.5-1.5%) and by potential retention in rumen and large intestine. Maximal excretion of feces was observed during the second day after administration of the markered feed; after three days the excretion was as follows: group D-2-62%, group D-1-57% and control group 75.6%. A longer retention time in rumen at feeding D-2 and D-1 diets can be contributed to a high content of fibre in these diets. The digestibility of dry matter in diet D-2 amounted to 61.2%, i n diet D-1 to 62.3% and in control diet to 68.7%. Higher digestibility of feed is in accordance with its higher excreting. As shown by the results, the diets based on non-conventional feeds (secondary wood sources) lead to the prolongation of feed retention time in rumen and slow down the rate of passage through the alimentary tract.     

Determination of Energy Use Efficiency and Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions of Pistachio (Pistacia vera L.) Production in Adıyaman Province

The purpose of this research is to perform the energy use efficiency and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of pistachio production. This research was performed for 2016 and 2017 production season in Ad?yaman province of Turkey in dry conditions in 2017. The data supplied from research were collected from 152 different farms by face to face surveys with simple random sampling method. The agricultural input energies and output energies used in pistachio production were computed to determine the energy use efficiency. According to the research findings, the energy inputs in pistachio production were computed respectively as 4561.11?MJ ha^?1 (35.50%) diesel fuel energy, 3206.24?MJ ha^?1 (24.96%) chemical fertilizers energy, 2420.93?MJ ha^?1 (18.84%) machinery energy, 1020.06?MJ ha^?1 (7.94%) human labour energy, 715.69?MJ ha^?1 (5.57%) animal labour energy, 656.95?MJ ha^?1 (5.11%) farmyard manure energy and 266.16?MJ ha^?1 (2.07%) chemicals energy. Total input energy was computed as 12,847.14?MJ ha^?1. Energy values of pistachio yield were computed as 15,008.65?MJ ha^?1. Energy use efficiency, specific energy, energy productivity and net energy computations were computed respectively as 1.17, 22.32?MJ kg^?1, 0.04?kg MJ^?1 and 2161.51?MJ ha^?1. The consumed total energy input in pistachio production can be classified as 49.01% direct, 50.99% indirect, 18.62% renewable and 81.38% non-renewable. Total GHG emission was computed as 1123.72?kg CO_2?eqha^?1 for pistachio production with the greatest portions for human labour (32.42%). The human labour followed up chemical fertilizers usage (23.21%), diesel fuel consumption (19.89%), machinery usage (15.30%), farmyard manure usage (5.65%), chemicals usage (3.25%) and animal labour usage (0.27%), respectively. Additionally, GHG ratio value was computed as 1.95 kgCO_2?eqkg^?1 in pistachio production.

     

Fate of humic acids isolated from natural humic substances

Composition of humic acids (HA) is a function of plant-derived inputs, degradation processes regulated by microorganisms, organo-mineral interactions and age. Characterization of different origin humic substances is important for evaluation of their contribution to stabile and labile carbon pool in the environment. The relative abundance of chemical components in HA isolated from soils, compost, commercial lignohumates, alginite, acadiane and lignite was studied with aim to quantify content of important biomarkers such as amino acid, lipids and polyphenols. HA were considered as a heterogeneous complex and high concentration of peptides, polyphenols and lipids was determined in acadian-HA to compare with soil-HA. Compost-HA contained much more amino acids to compare with soil-HA samples. Alginite-HA and lignite-HA were similar in biomarkers content to soil-HA. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed that chemical composition and functional groups content differs with the origin, humification degree and the age of studied samples. Soil-HA are typically composed of a variety of ?OH, COOH?, C–O, C–H₂, (aliphatic and aromatic) groups, quinines, lignin fragments, polysaccharide, monosaccharide and proteins fragments, which are linked together by ?O?, ?NH?, ?H=, >C=O, metal ions and –S? groups. ¹³C NMR spectroscopy showed that aromatic carbon content was the highest in lignite-HA and soil-HA.