Morphometric analysis of the mandible of Bardhoka autochthonous sheep in Kosovo

Kosovo, one of the countries in the Balkan Peninsula, has a long tradition in sheep farming, and sheep breeds share triple purpose breed characteristics: milk, meat and wool. Bardhoka sheep, also with triple productive profile, is an important sheep breed because of its economic value with its milk production. In this study, 24 mandibles of adult Bardhoka sheep (12 male and 12 female) aged between 2 and 5 were used. The sheep were acquired from slaughterhouse around Kosovo, and the mandibles were selected without any deformities from healthy sheep. After cleaning the mandibles, a total of 12 morphometric measurements were taken from each sample using digital calliper. The difference between female and male was statistically significant (p < .05) for measurement 11 (height of mandible level of alveolar edge of 3rd molar tooth). The mean value of measurement 11 in male individuals was 42.26 ± 3.96, and it had a higher value than in female individuals (39.37 ± 2.57). In the literature, knowledge related to mandible morphometry of Bardhoka sheep was insufficient. The aim of this study was to determine mean values from osteometric measurements of Bardhoka sheep mandible and obtain references with the values acquired.     

Effect of humic substances in nutrient film technique on nutrient uptake

An experiment was conducted to find out how humic substances affected nutrient uptake of plants. The test plants, oregano, thyme, and basil, were grown in nutrient film technique at two pH levels (4.5 and 6.5), in two substrates (peat and perlite), and at three levels of humic substance that was a peat extract (control, low, and high concentration). Nutrient uptake of potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), and copper (Cu) were determined by elemental contents in aerial parts of the plant and its weight. Humic substance had no effect on K, Ca, and Mg uptake but lowered the uptake of Fe, Mn, Zn, and Cu for the three test plants, more pronounced with perlite than peat and more at low pH than at high pH. The lowering of the uptake might be caused by complexation of Fe, Mn, Zn, and Cu by the humic substance and the lower availability of these metals in complexed form than as a cation or as EDTA‐chelate in the case of Fe. It is not clear why the effect of the humic substance on micro‐element uptake is larger at low than at high pH. The complexation is expected to be stronger at pH 6.5 than at pH 4.5. At low pH, the high concentration of humic substance caused a low fresh weight of the shoots, perhaps caused by a toxicity of the humic substance at low pH. This was less pronounced at high pH.     

THE EFFECT OF NITROGEN SOURCES ON YIELD AND QUALITY OF SALAD ROCKET GROWN IN DIFFERENT MONTHS OF THE YEAR

The effects of months of the year and nitrogen (N) sources on salad rocket (Eruca sativa Mill.) yield, quality, and nitrate accumulation was investigated during the years 2002 and 2003. In both years, seeds were sown on the first day of April, May, June, July, August and September. Three different nitrogen sources were used: farmyard (cattle) manure (100 tonnes·ha^?1), calcium nitrate [Ca(NO₃)₂]-15.5% N (150 kg N·ha^?1) and ammonium sulfate [(NH₄)₂SO₄)]-21% N (150 kg N·ha^?1). Yield, leaf color, dry matter, vitamin C and total glucosinolate content and nitrate accumulation was assessed. Growing months affected all the assessed parameters significantly both years, with the exception of hue angle in 2003, whereas nitrogen source only influenced yield and nitrate accumulation in 2003. In both years the highest yield was obtained in April, but vitamin C and total glucosinolate contents were higher during summer months, and leaves were slightly darker colored. Chemical fertilizers increased the yield compared to farmyard manure; however, they also increased nitrate accumulation slightly, without any significant difference between them. Nitrate accumulation never exceeded 300 mg kg^?1 fresh weight (FW), which is well below the acceptable daily intake of 3.7 mg nitrate per kg^?1 bodyweight set by European Commission's Scientific Committee on Food.     

Life tables of Agrotis ipsilon (Hufnagel) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) on different cultivated plants

Agrotis ipsilon (Hufnagel) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is a cosmopolitan species that feeds on numerous cultivated plants and herbaceaus plants. Agrotis ipsilon causes significant economic losses in various agricultural products, especially in indisturial plants and vegetables in Turkey and worldwide. In this study, the effects on the biology and reproductive potential of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L., Asteraceae), maize (Zea mays L., Poaceae), sugarbeet (Beta vulgaris var. saccharifera Alef.,Amaranthaceae) and potato (Solanum tuberosum L., Solanaceae) which are essential host plants of A. ipsilon were investigated under climatized conditions of 28?±?1 °C, 60%?±?10 r.h., and 16 h daily artificial light. The data obtained were analyzed by using an age-stage two-sex life table. Agrotis ipsilon had five larval stages fed on lettuce, whereas seven larval stages were fed on other host plants. Agrotis ipsilon showed the best development and reproduction on lettuce, followed by sugar beet. When A. ipsilon is reared on lettuce the intrinsic rate of increase (r?=?0.1237 d^?1), finite rate of increase (λ?=?1.1317 d^?1) and net reproductive rate (R₀?=?403.06 offspring/individual) were found higher and the mean generation times (T?=?48.51 d) is shorter than those in other host plants. According to these results, A. ipsilon can cause the most damage to lettuce among studied plants.

     

Identification and pathogenicity of Alternaria alternata causing leaf spot disease on sweet cherry in Province of Turkey

Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection - Sweet cherry leaf spot, caused by Alternaria spp., causes significant yield losses to sweet cherry production globally. This study was aimed at...     

Age and sex related variations in protein and carbohydrate levels of Galleria mellonella (Linnaeus, 1758) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) in constant lightness and darkness

Variations in protein and carbohydrate levels correlated with the age and sex of Galleria mellonella (Linnaeus, 1758) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) in constant lightness and darkness were investigated. Tests were conducted under laboratory conditions at 28 +/- 2 degrees C temperature and 65 +/- 5% relative humidity. Insects were fed on combs without honey. Protein level in 100 mg of adults increased in the first days of adult life of females in connection with their age and then decreased. No difference was observed in males. Carbohydrate level in 100 mg of adults increased in both sexes in connection with their age. In all tests carbohydrate and protein levels of females were found higher than males. Protein and carbohydrate levels of adult G. mellonella varied in connection with the photoperiod regimes implemented. Decrease in the nutrient levels was observed in constant darkness.     

Analysing agricultural users’ patterns of behaviour: The case of OPTIRas™, a decision support system for starch crop selection

Redesigning IT systems for specific user groups encompasses a lot of effort with respect to analysing and understanding user behaviour. The goal of this paper is to provide insights into patterns of behaviour of agricultural users, during the usage of a decision support system called OPTIRas™. This system aids agricultural users in their cultivar selection activities. We analyse logs resulting from OPTIRas™, and we get insights into user’s navigational patterns. We claim that the results of our analysis can be used to support the redesign of decision support systems in order to address specific agricultural users’ characteristics.     

Antimicrobial activity of the essential oil of Centaurea aladagensis

Composition of the water-distilled oil of the aerial parts of Centaurea aladagensis, endemic in Turkey, was analysed by GC-MS. Hexadecanoic acid (39.3%), caryophyllene oxide (6.6%) and hexahydrofarnesyl acetone (4.3%) were found as main constituents in the oil. The oil was tested against 7 human pathogenic microorganisms.     

Design of Neural Network Predictor for the Physical Properties of Almond Nuts

In this study, an adaptive neuro fuzzy interface system (ANFIS) based predictor was designed to predict the physical properties of four almond types. Measurements of the dimensions, length, width and thickness were carried out for one hundred randomly selected samples of each type. With using these three major perpendicular dimensions, some physical parameters such as projected area, arithmetic mean diameter, geometric mean diameter, sphericity, surface area, volume, shape index and aspect ratio were estimated. In in a various Artificial Neural Network (ANN) structures, ANFIS structure which has given the best results was selected. The parameters analytically estimated and those predicted were given in the form of figures. The root mean-squared error (RMSE) was found to be 0.0001 which is quite low. ANFIS approach has given a superior outcome in the prediction of the Physical Properties of Almond Nuts.