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A fundamental shift to a total system approach for crop management in greenhouses is urgently needed to resolve escalating economic and environmental consequences of long-lasting undesired effects of synthetic pesticides used in combating agricultural pests. The aim of this study was to examine a potential new approach i.e. Microbial-based Production System (MPS) for greenhouse-grown peppers. For this purpose, a two-year experiment in greenhouse was carried out in southwestern Turkey (Antalya) in 2011 and 2012, and only microbial-based products were used to suppress and control invertebrate pests (insects, mites, nematodes, gastropods, etc.) and diseases. In addition, biostimulants, inoculants, and bioyield enhancers were used for plant growth, being supported with three macro elements (NPK: Nitrogen– Phosphorus–Potassium) that are considered to be essential elements for plant growth and development. A conventional plot, largely based on the use of synthetic chemical inputs, such as fertilizers and pesticides, was included as the control. The efficacy of the MPS was evaluated by monitoring the population development of the key arthropod pests, such as the cotton whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae), the western flower thrips Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) etc. and their natural enemies compared with that in a Conventional Production System (CPS). The results showed significantly lower numbers of the key pests, but higher numbers of natural enemies were seen in the MPS of greenhouse-grown peppers compared with the CPS throughout the study. Total yield was relatively higher in the CPS than the MPS in both experimental years.

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Although Turkey's agricultural sector is important in terms of national economy, it faces some important structural problems such as decrease in human capital in the agricultural sector. In order to solve these problems, within the "National Agricultural Project", a policy instrument named "Support for Young Farmers Projects" (YFPS) was added to the support in 2016. The aim of this study was to evaluate the criteria used in the selection of the beneficiaries of young farmers' support within the scope of YFPS in Turkey. A survey was prepared to determine what features young farmers benefiting from project support have and the extent to which the selection criteria served the purposes of the support program. The survey was conducted in the TR 71 Region, which is at the center of Turkey, in June-August, 2017. A total of 248 young farmers (139 supported, and 109 non-selected farmers for support) were interviewed. The methodology used in this study was the Categorical Regression. The results showed that the applicants who benefited more from YFPS were in the following order: Female> married> those aged 18-30> people from rural areas with a population of 1,000 or less> those with education in agricultural production> the disabled / martyr’s relatives / ghazi, and those from enterprises with an annual income of TL 10,000 or less. YFPS has breathed new life into agriculture by encouraging youths in rural areas, but this support has to be aimed at creating economically sustainable and viable enterprises.
 

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In this study, heavy metals (Cr, Pb, Zn, Cu, and Cd) contents of five Brassicaceae species grown in four different locations in Turkey were determined, mapped, and interpreted. Spatial analyses of the collected data were conducted in GIS, and thematic maps for average heavy metal accumulations including root, stem, and leaf of each species was developed. The biomonitoring potentials of species was assessed based on the statistical analyses results of the different localities. The heavy metal deposition characteristics of the plants showed differences. The most accumulated heavy metal was Zn, while Cd was the least accumulated. Capsella bursa-pastoris had the highest Cr and Cu accumulation compared to other species. Lepidium draba, on the other hand, accumulated Pb and Zn at most. Sisymbrium loeselii had the highest Cd accumulation compared to the other species. The results of the present study have indicated that Lepidium draba (Zn and Pb), Capsella bursa-pastoris (Cr and Cu) and Sisymbrium loeselii (Cd) can be safely used for biomonitoring studies.

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The effects of storage temperature on bioactive compounds, decay, and chilling injury development of pumpkins during cold storage and shelf-life periods were examined. In the present study, fruits were stored at 3°C, 8°C, and ambient temperature (control) for 180 days and, after that, fruits were stored at 20°C for 7 days to determine shelf-life performance. The lowest weight loss was found in the fruit stored at 3°C during cold storage while the highest flesh firmness was found on the fruit stored at 8°C. Total soluble solids, L-ascorbic acid and glucose contents were found to be higher in the fruit stored at 3°C compared to other storage temperatures. The highest total carotenoid content and the lowest decay incidence were recorded by the fruit stored at 3 and 8°C. Fruit stored at 3°C showed better quality parameters as compared to other temperatures under study. Although 3°C was better to protect the biochemical composition of pumpkin fruits, decay rate increased at this temperature due to chilling injury. It is concluded that the storage temperature of 8 °C was optimum to maintain fruit quality and biochemical contents and to inhibit decay during long-term storage of pumpkins.

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This study aimed to investigate the effects of inputs such as pesticides, fertilizers, seeds, labor and machine use on wheat yield. The data used in the study were obtained from 177 wheat producers in Diyarbakir Province through a questionnaire, and Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) were used in the analysis of the data. According to the results, the average wheat yield is 5482.03 kg ha^-1, and 294.75 kg of seeds, 550.73 kg of fertilizer, 3.59 hours of machinery, 5.37 hours of labor and 2662.43 cc of pesticides were used per hectare for wheat production. According to the results of the ANN analysis, the relative importance of inputs affecting wheat yield was quantified, with the use of pesticides and fertilizer having the most significant impacts. Specifically, the sensitivity coefficients for pesticide use and fertilizer use were found to be 0.23 and 0.14, respectively. These coefficients represent the relative change in wheat yield per unit change in the input parameters.