Organically and conventionally grown white head cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata) plants were cultivated during two successive seasons (spring and autumn) to evaluate the effects of the applications on the nutrient content of the edible part of cabbage plants. Seventeen different organic applications containing farmyard manure (FM), chicken manure (CM), and blood meal (BM) and 1 chemical fertilizer and 1 control, collectively 19 treatments, were examined under the open-field conditions. Recommendations of the best results obtained should be divided into groups in the following order regarding the mineral contents and also the seasons: 0.6 BM þ 7.5 FM in the spring season, and 3.5 CM in the autumn season for N, P, and K content of cabbage. For Ca and Mg, the group division should be 1.7 CM þ 0.6 BM in the spring season and 10.0 FM þ 1.2 CM in the autumn season. The optimum recommendations for the micronutrients could be 5.0 FM þ 1.0 BM in the spring season and 0.9 BM þ 0.85 CM in the autumn season for Fe and Cu and 15.0 FM in the spring season, and 10.0 FM þ 0.4 BM in the autumn season for Mn and Zn. FM and CM could be used in high rates in producing organic cabbage and could be substituted for chemical fertilizer especially in the spring season.

Spinach (Spinacea oleracea L.) plants were grown organically and conventionally during two successive seasons (late autumn and early winter) in order to examine the nutrient content of the plants. In a series of 17 organic applications including chicken manure (CM), farmyard manure (FM), blood meal (BM), and one mineral fertilizer treatment and one control, collectively 19 treatments, were used at each season. The optimum doses to be recommended should be divided into groups depending on the mineral nutrients and also the seasons as follows: 1.7 CMþ7.5 FM in the late autumn season and 2.5 CM þ 4.0 FM in the early winter season for N, P, K content; 5.0 FM þ 1.2 CM þ 0.4 BM in the late autumn; and 2.5 CM þ 4.0 FM in the early winter season for Ca and Mg. Regarding the micro nutrients, the group divisions should be as follows: 10.0 FM þ 0.4 BM in the late autumn season and 5.0 FM þ 2.5 CM in the early winter season for Fe and Cu, and 3.5 CM in the late autumn season and 10.0 FM þ 1.2 CM in the early winter season for Mn and Zn content. High rates of farmyard manure (FM) and chicken manure (CM) can be successfully used in organic production, and high rates of these manures may substitute for mineral fertilizer, especially in the late autumn season.

The aim of this study was to investigate impact of vermicompost on chemical and biological properties of an alkaline soil with high lime content in the presence of plant under the open field conditions in semiarid Mediterranean region of Turkey. The study also included farmyard manure and chemical fertilizers for comparison and was conducted in two consecutive growth seasons in the same plots to observe any cumulative effect. Plots were amended with fertilizers in different rates and celery (Apium graveolens L. var. dulce Mill.) was grown as the test plant. In general, vermicompost appeared to be more effective to increase organic matter, N, P, and Ca compared to farmyard manure. Soil alkaline phosphatase and β-glucosidase activities, especially in the second growth season, were significantly elevated by the vermicompost application. Urease activity, however, appeared not to be influenced by the type of organic fertilizer. A slight but statistically significant difference was detected between organic amendments in terms of number of aerobic mesophilic bacteria with vermicompost giving the lower values. Results showed that, in general, vermicompost significantly alters chemical and biological properties of the alkaline soil with high lime content during celery production under field conditions compared to farmyard manure and that it has a high potential to be used as an alternative to conventional organic fertilizers in agricultural production in the Mediterranean region of Turkey.

The amounts of plant harvest waste and agricultural industry waste have increased year by year both in the world and our country with the increasing of agricultural production. These plant origin wastes have an important potential, they include plant nutrient element as well as they are important organic matter source. These wastes are especially the important organic matter source for our country soils that are poor by organic matter. Also a benefit has been attained from these wastes as a growing media with proper mixture nowadays. Knowing the properties of these used wastes increases the rate of achievement in agricultural production. These plant origin wastes are seen as an alternative of peat that is used in large amounts in the world and our country and whose sources are diminishing gradually in the world, and the possibilities of their usage in place of peat are searched. In this review, it is tried to evaluate the properties of plant harvest and agricultural industry wastes ...

The spray carnation seedlings obtained from the cuttings stored at 4°C during 55 days at cool storage and unstored were transferred to a greenhouse environment and the effects of different doses of Fe-EDTA (50, 100, 200, 300 mg L-1) applied via foliar application on the fresh and dry weight of leaf, stem and flowers of plants and the number of flowers per plants were investigated. At the end of the growing season, the effects of storing conditions on the leaf dry weight of the plant and of the Fe-EDTA application on the stem fresh weight and number of flowers per plant were found statistically significant. There were no clear effects observed from Fe-EDTA application on the fresh and dry weight of flowers.

The first specimens of Allium elmaliense were collected in Elmal? (Antalya/Turkey) in 2001 and were described as new species in 2004. However, Allium elmaliense was claimed as synonym of Allium cyrilli in 2006. This study was undertaken to reveal the differences between these taxa utilizing morphological, palynological, and chromosome characters and genomic differences based on the DNA analyses along with the ecological preference studies conducted during 2006 and 2011. The results clearly indicated differences between these two taxa in terms of morphological characters, pollen, seed surfaces and niche preferences. Chromosome morphology and Td-DAMD-PCR fingerprinting studies revealed that Allium elmaliense Deniz & Sümbül is a distinct species and not a synonym of A. cyrilli Ten.

An investigation was conducted in a Shouguang agroecosystem, Shandong Province, Eastern China, in order to determine the long-term (10–15 yr) disturbances of three different agricultural management practices. In this study, the main focus was on free-living soil nematodes, as a tool which will help differentiate between treatments according to their sensitivity to physical, chemical, and biota composition. In this study, three treatments were implemented in each of a total of four investigated sites: greenhouses, conventional farmlands, and fallows. Diversity, maturity (MI) and weight indices were used to assess the nematode community. The results indicated that greenhouses have a lower richness (SR), diversity, modified maturity index (ΣMI), modified maturity index for all nematodes with c-p = 2–5 [ΣMI (2–5)], plant parasite index (PPI), PPI/MI values, and fungi-feeding/bacteria-feeding (F/B) ratio, as well as lower basal index (BI) and channel index (CI) and higher dominance. Thes...

In this research, the effects of amendments of vineyard (Vitis vinifera) pruning residue (VPR) into soil (Typic Xerofluvent) by two different soil tillage (disk harrow and rotary tiller) on aggregate formation (AgF), aggregate stability (AgS) and organic carbon (OC) content of macro-and micro-aggregate sizes were investigated. For this purpose, an experiment was conducted during 2011 to 2012 in the Batı Akdeniz Agricultural Research Institute station in Turkey. VPR was incubated for two years in soil after having been chopped by the power take off (PTO) driven pruning residue chopper. At the end of the incubation period, the effects of VPR on soil AgF, AgS, and OC content in different aggregate scales (0.05-0.25 mm, 1-2 mm) were determined by using soil samples taken at the depths of 0-10 cm and 10-20 cm. After pruning in every two years, VPR were applied to soil at the amendment rate of 7233 kg ha −1 based on the dry matter. The amount of macro-aggregate in all sizes, except for > 4 mm, at both soil depths increased in the second year comparing to first year by the VPR amendment with rotary tiller. There were significant differences for AgS between 2011 and 2012. AgS decreased in some micro-aggregates and in most macro-aggregates in pruning amendments with rotary tiller at 0-10 cm soil depth. It was also determined that OC content of micro (0.05-0.25 mm) and macro (1-2 mm) soil aggregates decreased after the amendment of VPR in the second year. The results of this study suggest that the use of VPR may offer benefits for soil structural development and soil conservation, whereas the soil tillage could have a negative effect on carbon conservation.

Considerable yield losses due to iron (Fe) deficiency chlorosis in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L) may occur when susceptible genotypes are grown in calcareous soils with high pH. The most efficient practical and economical solution to overcome Fe-deficiency chlorosis in chickpea is through the utilization of genetic resistance. In this study, ICC 6119, which is leaf miner [Liriomyza cicerina Rond. (Diptera:Agromyzidae)] resistant but susceptible to Fe-deficiency chlorosis, was irradiated with 200, 300 and 400 Gy gamma rays. Mutated populations were evaluated for resistance to Fe-deficiency chlorosis and leaf miner using a visual scale from M1 to M5 generations. In the M3 generation, one mutant was selected for resistance to Fe-deficiency chlorosis and leaf miner from a single seed descent (SSD) set. Active Fe and chlorophyll content in Fe-efficient mutants were found higher than in the parent genotype ICC 6119. The identified Fe-efficient and leaf miner resistant mutant may be useful ...