The effects of different irrigation levels applied in golf courses on some quality characteristics of turfgrass

The purpose of this research was to examine the effects of different irrigation levels on evapotranspiration (ET) and quality characteristics of golf-course turfgrasses grown under Mediterranean climatic conditions and to determine the most economical irrigation level which would provide an acceptable turfgrass quality level. Four different irrigation treatments were examined: 100% (S₁), 88% (S₂), 75% (S₃), and 50% (S₄) of the evaporation measured in the Class A Pan. Treatment S₂ represented the existing irrigation level practiced by golf course management. The best color quality during the experimental period was obtained from the S₃ irrigation treatment, followed by S₂. Results regarding the ground cover percentage and root weights in the S₂ and S₃ treatments were better than S₁ and S₄. It was concluded that Class A Pan could be used to schedule turfgrass irrigation and 75% of evaporation from Class A Pan would be enough for irrigation. Additionally, it was found that 15% of irrigation water could be conserved compared with the current irrigation schedule (S₂), practiced by the owner.     

Porcine circovirus type 2 and associated diseases in Romania--short communication

Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) has been demonstrated to be the causal agent for postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS) and porcine dermatitis and nephropathy syndrome (PDNS). This report describes the first detection of PCV2 and associated diseases in a Romanian swine herd located in Transylvania. The clinical signs, pathological and histopathological changes observed in affected pigs were similar to those previously described for PDNS and PMWS. Polymerase chain reaction and in situ hybridisation were used for the detection of PCV2 nucleic acids from tissues and serum samples. Complete PCV2 genomes of both PMWS and PDNS cases were sequenced and analysed, and by comparing them with each other no genomic differences could be detected. The sequence analysis showed that the Romanian PCV2 was closely related to PCV2 identified in France and in Hungary.     

Seroprevalence of malignant catarrhal fever-related gammaherpesviruses in domestic ruminants in Turkey

The prevalence of malignant catarrhal fever (MCF) virus infection in cattle, sheep and goat populations and also the prevalence of recovered and chronic MCF cases in north-western Turkey are reported. A total of 600 animals, 200 individuals of each species, located in four provinces were sampled between December 2003 and July 2005. A monoclonal antibody-based competitive inhibition (ci) ELISA were used to detect infection status of the animals. Detected antibody prevalence was 97.5%, 96.0% and 15.0% in sheep, goats and cattle, respectively. These results showed that MCF related gammaherpesvirus infections are common in north-western Turkey. There was no significant difference between prevalences detected in sheep and goats, as well as various breeds of these species. There was also no significant difference among locations. Results of this study show that sheep and goats may equally be important in the epidemiology of MCF in Turkey. Seropositivity against MCF agents among cattle was 15.0%. The results indicate that MCF infections may be maintained in intensively managed cattle herds having no close contact with small ruminants.     

Recreational scuba diving in a groundwater ecosystem: Disturbance mechanisms,ecological impacts and stakeholder perceptions

1. Ecological damage by scuba divers has been extensively studied in marine ecosystems, particularly coral reefs, whereas the impacts on freshwater environments such as groundwater springs is unknown. In the Silfra groundwater fissure in Iceland, a vast increase in diver entries has occurred during the last decade, prompting concerns over potential ecosystem impacts and visitor carrying capacity.
2. Here, a mixed‐method approach was used to assess the impacts of scuba diving in Silfra. (a) Divers were recorded under water to observe the mechanisms of diver‐related disturbances, (b) benthic material was collected along transects in Silfra and the undisturbed fissure Flosagjá to compare biofilm biomass and zoobenthic communities between and within fissures, and (c) the perceptions and experiences of stakeholders surrounding the dive tourism in Silfra were explored.
3. Underwater observations showed that 91.4% of the divers caused at least a single disturbance, resulting in biofilm detachments and/or sediment stirring. Diver fins caused the most frequent disturbances, predominantly through fin‐generated currents but also by directly contacting the substrate. Benthic biofilm biomass was lower in Silfra than Flosagjá and exhibited a negative correlation with dive‐use. Some disturbance‐tolerant zoobenthic groups exhibited moderate to strong correlations with dive‐use.
4. All stakeholders had negative perceptions towards increasing diver entries, but although entry limitation could improve tourism quality, disturbance might only minimally be reduced as springs like Silfra may be particularly sensitive.
5. Springs are characteristically stable and uniform environments that can be vulnerable to disturbance. Their use for scuba diving should be carefully managed through a holistic approach and an active collaboration between all stakeholders.

     

Drying temperature and relative humidity effects on wheat gluten film properties

The mechanical and physical properties of glycerol-plasticized wheat gluten films dried at different temperatures (20, 50, and 80 degrees C) and relative humidities (35 and 70% RH) were investigated. Dispersion of wheat gluten was prepared at pH 11 in aqueous solution. Films were obtained by casting the wheat gluten suspension, followed by solvent evaporation in a temperature and relative humidity controlled chamber. Decreasing relative humidity altered most of the mechanical properties. At 35% RH, tensile strength increased when drying temperature increased. However, at 70% RH, tensile strength decreased when temperature increased. Thickness of the films decreased by increasing temperature. Hypothetical coating strength increased with increasing drying temperature at 35% RH. However, at 70% RH, a maximum value was observed at 50 degrees C. Films produced at 80 degrees C exhibited low solubility in aqueous solution. Addition of 1.5% (w/v) sodium dodecyl sulfate increased solubility of all of the films except the film dried at 50 degrees C and 70% RH. Overall, drying temperature and relative humidity affected mechanical and physical properties of the wheat gluten films. However, the effect of drying temperature was more pronounced than the effect of relative humidity.     

Comparative Analysis of MLR,ANN, and ANFIS Models for Prediction of Field Capacity and Permanent Wilting Point for Bafra Plain Soils

ABSTRACT

Soil hydraulic parameters like moisture content at field capacity and permanent wilting point constitute significant input parameters of various biophysical models and agricultural practices (irrigation timing and amount of irrigation to be applied). In this study, the performance of three different methods (Multiple linear regression – MLR, Artificial Neural Network – ANN and Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System – ANFIS) with different input parameters in prediction of field capacity and permanent wilting point from easily obtained soil characteristics were compared. Correlation analysis indicated that clay content, sand content, cation exchange capacity, CaCO₃, and organic matter had significant correlations with FC and PWP (p < .01). Validation results revealed that the ANN model with the greatest R² and the lowest MAE and RMSE value exhibited better performance for prediction of FC and PWP than the MLR and ANFIS models. ANN model had R² = 0.83, MAE = 2.36% and RMSE = 3.30% for FC and R² = 0.81, MAE = 2.15%, RMSE = 2.89% for PWP in training dataset; R² = 0.80, MAE = 2.27%, RMSE = 3.12% for FC and R² = 0.83, MAE = 1.84%, RMSE = 2.40% for PWP in testing dataset. Also, Bayesian Regularization (BR) algorithm exhibited better performance for both FC and PWP than the other training algorithms.     

Response of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) to different tillage systems and intra-row spacing

The earliness is of great importance to cotton production in Mediterranean-type environments due to detrimental effects of autumn rainfall on lint quality. However, farmers commonly avoid early sowing due to risks of cold soil temperature and waterlogging after sowing in spring. Ridge-tillage system is one approach to increase soil temperature and mitigate adverse effects of waterlogging. The ridge-tillage system is also advantageous in reducing inputs in tillage operations. However, a limited experimental data are available about the effects of ridge-tillage system on earliness of harvesting, lint yield and quality of cotton in the Mediterranean-type environments. Thus, the objective of this study was to determine how ridge-tillage (RT)-planting system and intra-row spacing affect cotton lint yield, earliness and fiber quality compared with conventional tillage (CT)-planting system. Field experiments were conducted on a clay soil (Vertisol) in Hatay province (36°39′N–36°40′E, 83 m a.s.l.) in the Eastern Mediterranean Region of Turkey during 2000 and 2001. The experiment was laid out as a split-plot with three replications with tillage systems as main plots and intra-row spacings (13, 17, 21 and 25 cm) as subplots. The effects of tillage systems on lint yield and earliness were inconsistent among years. The RT-planting system resulted in 13.5% higher lint yield and 14.5% more earliness in 2001 when abundant rainfall occurred after sowing, while significant effects of tillage systems were not observed in 2000. The intra-row spacings significantly affected lint yield and earliness in both years. The earliness increased with closer spacing, while the highest lint yield was obtained from 17 cm intra-row spacing in both years. However, the fiber quality parameters were not significantly affected by tillage systems, intra-row spacings and tillage system × spacing interaction in both years. Finally, the results suggest that RT-planting system with 17 cm intra-row spacing can be used in cotton production instead of CT-planting system in the Eastern Mediterranean Region of Turkey. Ridging in 17 cm intra-row spacing also seems to be suitable to mechanical harvesting.     

The role of inoculum identity in drought stress mitigation by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in soybean

It is well known that arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) effects on plant growth largely depend on fungus identity. The objective of this study was to test whether three individual AMF isolates and their mixture mitigate drought stress (DS) differentially in soybean (Glycine max) genotype, predicting that under DS, the mixture of the AMF isolates would provide greater benefits to soybean plants than individual ones. In a greenhouse experiment, a drought-susceptible soybean genotype was inoculated with Septoglomus constrictum, Glomus sp., and Glomus aggregatum, known to be among the most abundant in agricultural and natural soils from central Argentina, and their mixture (Mx). Whereas under well-watered (WW) conditions, individual isolates and Mx treatment were similarly infective; under DS conditions, the Mx treatment showed lower rates of root colonization. Between WW and DS conditions, biomass was decreased in all treatments, although this effect was more marked in non-AM plants. Moreover, AMF strains improved water content and P and N concentrations. Under DS, the Mx treatment was unable to exceed the highest contents that were recorded by AMF isolates. However, under WW conditions, the Mx treatment showed a higher N content than individual isolates. Under both watering conditions, AM plants reduced oxidative damage evaluated as malondiadehyde and chlorophyll content and keep constant osmotic metabolites such as soluble sugars and proline content, without significant differences between AMF isolates and the Mx treatment. These results show that AMF play an important role in mitigating drought impacts on soybean, but that mixtures of AMF isolates did not perform as well as the best single strain inoculum, excluding complementarity effects and suggesting selection effect of AMF on DS alleviation in soybean.     

Effects of coated hatching eggs obtained from old broiler breeders with chitosan on embryonic growth,hatching results and chick quality

The aim of this research was to determine the effects of coating broiler hatching eggs with chitosan on egg quality, embryonic growth, hatching results and chick quality. Eggs obtained from old broiler breeder, aged 59 weeks, were used. Eggs were divided into two groups (coated with chitosan and uncoated) groups. Each group was divided into three groups according to the storage period. Eggs were stored for periods of 1, 4 and 7 days at 15°C and 80% humidity. Then, they were incubated. Storage period of eggs up to 7 days did not affect the egg quality, egg weight loss, embryo growth, chick properties and hatchability of fertile eggs. However, embryo development, relative residual yolk sac weight and relative chick weight were affected by coating eggs with chitosan. Interaction was not found between storage lengths and coating of eggs with chitosan for all examined parameters. The results of the present study suggested that hatching eggs obtained from old broiler breeder flocks were immersed into chitosan solution once and quickly have negative effect on the embryo weight, yolk sac absorption and relative chick weight. It has been observed that covering the hatching eggs with chitosan is not suitable in this respect even if immersion takes place once and in a short time.     

Effect of flunixin meglumine treatment during and after embryo transfer on the pregnancy rate in cattle

This study aimed to determine the effect of flunixin meglumine treatment during and after the transfer of in vivo produced embryos to Angus (cows) and Holstein (cows and heifers) breeds of cattle on pregnancy rate. Holstein cows were used as donors in the study. A double dose of prostaglandin F2α was administered to the recipient animals for synchronization. Uterine flushing was performed in donors on day 7 after artificial insemination. A total of 295 transferable embryos were obtained. These embryos were transferred to Angus cows (n = 85), Holstein heifers (n = 80) and Holstein cows (n = 130). After the transfer, these animals were divided into three subgroups. The first subgroup (TI) was administered flunixin meglumine during embryo transfer, and the second subgroup (TII) was administered flunixin meglumine both during embryo transfer and on days 8 and 9 after the transfer. The third subgroup (TIII) was not administered anything and it was considered the control group. Pregnancy examination of the recipients was performed on days 30–35 after the transfer using real-time ultrasonography. The pregnancy rates after embryo transfer were found to be 43.52% in Angus cows, 42.5% in Holstein heifers, and 24.61% in Holstein cows (p < .05). When the animals were not classified according to breed, the pregnancy rates in subgroups TI, TII and TIII were found to be 29.29%, 45.10% and 29.79%, respectively (p < .05). In addition, the pregnancy rates were higher in TII and TIII subgroups of Angus cows and Holstein heifers compared to that of Holstein cows (p < .05). As a result, the pregnancy rates obtained after embryo transfer in Angus cows and Holstein heifers were found to be higher than that in Holstein cows. In addition, it was concluded that the administration of flunixin meglumine during and during/after embryo transfer has a positive effect on pregnancy rates in Angus cows and Holstein heifers.