The effect of lygus bugs (Exolygus prantensis L.) on marketing price of red lentil in Anatolia, Turkey

The aim of this study was to assess the damage commonly known as chalky spot syndrome caused by the lygus bug on red lentil and the negative relation to the resulting marketing price in the commodity market of Sanliurfa, Turkey. Analysis showed that there was significant difference among the content (%) of chalky spot damage (range 1.45–29%) of lentil samples collected from the farmers who brought their crops to sell in the commodity market and this was negatively related to the market price that farmers received. Marketing prices of samples were also found to be significantly affected. The correlation between visually inspected chalky spot damage (%) and that of decorticated and weighted lentils was found to be positive and significant. Marketing prices also were found to be negatively correlated with the results of both inspection methods. Further analysis indicated that regression equations could be used for price estimation of lentil with different ratios of chalky spot. It was concluded that 10% chalky spot can reduce the marketing price from 0.426 to 0.396 $ kg⁻¹ when visually inspected and from 0.438 to 0.358 $ kg⁻¹ when decorticated.     

Clinical and immunological effects of Newcastle disease virus vaccine on bovine papillomatosis

Newcastle disease virus (NDV) has antineoplastic and immunostimulatory properties, and it is currently being clinically tested in anticancer therapy. In order to analyze the immunostimulatory effects of NDV on bovine papillomatosis, we inoculated 14 cows subcutaneously with an attenuated vaccine containing the LaSota strain of NDV (LS-NDV). Four cows with papillomatosis served as controls. Serum samples were collected from each animal 1 h before and, 7 and 21 days after inoculation. In inoculated cows, on days 7 and 21 the mean antibody titers were log2 2.43 +/- 0.92 and log2 5.57 +/- 0.72 by haemagglutination inhibition (HI), and the mean levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) were 5.80 +/- 4.19 and 5.39 +/- 2.66 ng/ml by WEHI-164 cytotoxicity assay. Significant differences between inoculated and control animals were evident for antibody titers on day 21 and clinical scores on day 60. A correlation was evident between the TNF-alpha activities and clinical scores on day 21. The clinical observations at day 60 showed that the papillomas in five cows were completely resolved (36%), one animal had no alterations on clinical appearance of the tumor (7%), and papillomas in eight cows were regressed (57%). In conclusion, these results demonstrated that inoculation of LS-NDV vaccine stimulates an antibody response and limited increase in TNF-alpha activity and may enhance clinical recovery in bovine papillomatosis.     

Weed hosts of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Verticillium dahliae</Emphasis> in cotton fields in Turkey and characterization of <Emphasis Type="Italic">V. dahliae</Emphasis> isolates from weeds

A weed survey conducted in 2004 and 2005 in Aydin province of Turkey showed that Solanum nigrum, Xanthium strumarium, Amaranthus retroflexus, Portulaca oleracea, Sonchus oleraceus and Datura stramonium were the most prevalent weeds in the cotton fields exhibiting Verticillium wilt. Verticillium dahliae Kleb. was recovered from A. retroflexus and X. strumarium in those cotton fields. This is the first report of V. dahliae occurring naturally in A. retroflexus in Turkey. Pathogenicity tests on cotton and weeds showed that the virulence of V. dahliae isolates from weeds was higher on cotton plants than on weeds, with the disease severity ranging from 31.7% to 98.0%. Disease severity of V. dahliae isolates was 54.7–93.9% on eggplant, 23.7–51.6% on cucumber and 11.0–16.4% on tomato, whereas it did not cause any disease symptoms, or only low levels, on pepper and bell pepper. Two vegetative compatibility groups (VCGs) were identified among seven tested weed isolates: VCG2A (two isolates) and VCG2B (three isolates) using international reference strains.     

Effect of thermal treatment on the swelling and surface roughness of common alder and wych elm wood

Wood heat treatment has increased significantly in recent years and is still growing as an industrial process to improve some wood properties. We studied the change of swellingand surface roughness of common alder(Alnus glutinosa(L.) Gaertn. ssp.glutinosa) and wych elm(Ulmus glabra Huds.) woods after heat treatment at two different temperatures and durations. The temperatures were 180 and 200 C and the durations were 2 and 4 h. A stylus method was employed to evaluate the surface characteristics of the samples. Roughness measurements by the stylus method were made in the direction perpendicular to the fiber on the wood surface. Four main roughness parameters, mean arithmetic deviation of profile(Ra), mean peak-to-valley height(Rz), root mean square roughness(Rq), and maximum roughness(Ry) were used to evaluate the effect of heat treatment on the surface characteristics of the specimens. Swelling and surface roughness parameters(Ra, Rz, Ry, and Rq) differed significantly for two temperatures and two durations of heat treatment. Swelling and surface roughness values decreased with increasing treatment temperature and treatment times.     

Epiphytotics of chickpea Ascochyta blight in Turkey as influenced by climatic factors

Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection - Chickpea Ascochyta blight caused by Didymella rabiei is one of the most important fungal diseases affecting yield and seed quality negatively in Turkey....     

Dose-response relationships for the antifeedant effects of Humulus lupulus extracts against larvae and adults of the Colorado potato beetle

BACKGROUND: Dose–response relationships for antifeedant effects of H. lupulus extracts against larvae and adults of the Colorado potato beetle (CPB) were determined in laboratory conditions. The larval and adult beetles were fed on potato leaflets treated with H. lupulus extract ranging from 0.4 to 40 mg mL^?1 in a no‐choice situation. Their feeding behavior was recorded, and larval growth and antifeedant indexes were calculated. RESULTS: H. lupulus treatments significantly affected larval growth rate, and at higher concentrations the larval weights were significantly reduced over the course of the assay. Adults of CPB were more sensitive to the extracts than the larvae, and, even at lower doses, adult beetles were arrested for longer periods than larvae. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that H. lupulus extracts may have potential for control of CPB, particularly in organic farms where conventional insecticides are not available. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry     

Some descriptive characteristics of a new goat breed called Honamli in Turkey

This study has been carried out in the Western Mediterranean Region of Turkey on seven different Honamli goat flocks. The aim of this study was to determine the growth characters, survival rate (till weaning, 105th day), some reproductive characteristics and marketable milk yield. The data were collected from 516 does and 210 kids (125 buckling and 85 doelings). The results indicate that the numbers of multiple birth and litter size were 32.8 % and 1.35 respectively. Survival rates of kids at the 30th, 90th, and 105th days were 98.5, 97.2, and 97.2?%, respectively. The average birth weight for the buckling and doelings was 4.1 and 3.7?kg, respectively. The average weaning weights for buckling and doelings were 26.9 and 23.4?kg, respectively. The effects of dams?? age, on sex and birth type on the growth of Honamli kids were statistically significant (p?<?0.05, p?<?0.01, and p?<?0.001). While the diameters of erythrocytes of Honamli goats are smaller, the density of hemoglobin in the erythrocytes is more than Asian, Indian, and American caprine breeds. The average lactation length and marketable milk yield was assessed to be at 210.3?days and was 89?L, respectively. The growth characteristics of Honamli kids at weaning age were assessed to be higher than most of the other goat breeds in Turkey. The results further indicated that there is a significant variation in the production traits among the different Honamli goat flocks. Production traits of Honamli goats at different breeding conditions should further be investigated to come to a definite conclusion.     

Some productive characteristics and body measurements of Norduz goats of Turkey

Productive characteristics and body measurements of Norduz goats, a native genetic resource in Turkey, were measured. The animals studied were brought from natural habitats to the farm of the Animal Science Department of Agricultural Faculty, Yüzüncü Yıl University. Least squares means of withers height (WH), body length (BL), chest width at back of withers (CWBW), chest depth (CD), chest girth (CG) and leg girth (LG) of Norduz does were 65.9 ± 1.08, 67.2 ± 1.08, 21.1 ± 0.88, 30.8 ± 0.62, 88.9 ± 1.78 and 60.4 ± 1.28 cm, respectively. Least squares means of body weights after parturition of does were 41.3 ± 2.01 kg. The means of lactation length and lactation milk yield were 226. ± 7.2 days and 347 ± 40.1, respectively. Twinning rate, fertility, fecundity, litter size and litter size at weaning were 30%, 98%, 1.27, 1.30 and 1.28, respectively. Means of WH, BL, CWBW, CD, CG, LG and body weights of Norduz bucks were 73.9 ± 2.61, 75.6 ± 2.23, 21.4 ± 0.67, 33.9 ± 1.15, 95.0 ± 2.34, 69.8 ± 2.69 cm and 58.7 ± 3.91 kg, respectively.     

A laboratory bioassay for evaluating pathogenicity of Macrophomina phaseolina and Rhizoctonia solani isolates to strawberry stolons

Macrophomina phaseolina and Rhizoctonia spp. are the most important soilborne pathogens of the strawberry crop that cause seriously reduced yields. Various methods are being used to determine pathogenicity of these fungi isolated from strawberry; however, they take a long time to grow strawberry plants. They also encounter some problems to provide a large number of healthy plants for the pathogenicity tests. Therefore, the aim of this study was to develop a faster and more reliable pathogenicity test for soilborne fungal pathogens of strawberry by using the stolons of healthy strawberry plants. The stolon inoculation method was demonstrated to be easy and rapid for properly distinguishing soilborne fungal species of strawberry, whether pathogenic or non-pathogenic, and also for assessing the isolates for virulence.     

Functional response of the coccinellid predator <Emphasis Type="Italic">Adalia fasciatopunctata revelierei</Emphasis> to walnut aphid (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Callaphis juglandis</Emphasis>)

The functional response types and parameters of 3rd and 4th instar larvae, and adult females and males of a coccinellid predator, Adalia fasciatopunctata revelierei (Mulsant) (Col.: Coccinellidae), were evaluated at five different densities of Callaphis juglandis (Goeze) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) in order to understand their role for the aphid’s biological control. Experiments were carried out in petri dishes at 25 ± 1°C, 60 ± 10% r.h. and 16L:8D photoperiod in a controlled temperature room. All tested stages exhibited a Type II response determined by a logistic regression model. The attack rate (α) and handling time (T _h ) coefficients of a Type II response were estimated by fitting a “random-predator” equation to the data. Although the estimates of α for all stages of A. fasciatopunctata revelierei tested were similar, the longest T _h was obtained for 3rd instar larva because of the lower consumption rate at densities above 40 prey/day. Results indicated that the adult female has the highest predation of C. juglandis followed by 4th instar larvae, adult males and 3rd instar larvae. However, further field-based studies are needed to draw firm conclusions.