2026-02-26
SEDAT SEVEROĞLU
This study aimed to evaluate the potential protective effects of chrysin (Chr), a flavonoid compound, on growth, biochemical,hormonal, and nutrient levels in forage pea (Pisum sativum ssp. arvense L.) seedlings under NaCl-induced salt stress. The experimentwas conducted under controlled greenhouse conditions in a completely randomized design with three different concentrations of Chr(Chr0: 0 mM, Chr1: 0.1 mM, and Chr2: 0.5 mM Chr) and three levels of salt stress (S0: 0 mM, S1: 100 mM, and S2: 200 mM NaCl),resulting in nine treatment combinations (T0: Chr0S0, T1: Chr0S1, T2: Chr0S2, T3: Chr1S0, T4: Chr1S1, T5: Chr1S2, T6: Chr2S0, T7: Chr2S1, andT8: Chr2S2).Salt stress reduced plant fresh weight by 73%, plant dry weight by 77%, root fresh weight by 70%, and root dry weight by 63%. Hydrogenperoxide (H2O2) levels increased by 480%, while malondialdehyde (MDA) levels increased by up to 627%. Growth hormones includingindole acetic acid (IAA) decreased by 73% and gibberellic acid (GA) by 69%, while abscisic acid (ABA) increased by 908%. Essentialnutrients nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium decreased by 88%, 87%, and 88%, respectively.Chr applications significantly mitigated these adverse effects, with the 0.5 mM dose in particular enhancing growth parameters andantioxidant enzyme activities (catalase increased by 103%, peroxidase by 78%, and superoxide dismutase by 75%). Chr facilitatedthe accumulation of compatible solutes such as proline (902%) and sucrose (467%) while suppressing ABA levels by 68%. Regardingnutrient balance, nitrogen increased by 12%, potassium by 70%, and phosphorus by 160%.The findings indicate that Chr can serve as an effective protective agent against salt stress in sensitive species such as forage pea. Thisstudy highlights the potential of Chr in enhancing plant stress tolerance and provides a scientific basis for the use of flavonoid-basedbioregulators in agricultural stress management.
2026-02-26
ÖZLEM ÇAKIR et al.
This study compared the antioxidant capacity, total phenolic content (TPC), phenolic composition, lipid oxidation level, andmineral profiles of extracts obtained from four wild hawthorn species (Crataegus tanacetifolia, C. orientalis subsp. orientalis, C. orientalissubsp. szovitsii, and C. monogyna) collected from northeastern Türkiye. Significant interspecific variations were observed in DPPH,FRAP, and CUPRAC assays. While C. monogyna had the highest reducing capacity and TPC, C. orientalis subsp. szovitsii had the highestDPPH activity. Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry analysis showed that catechin,epicatechin, chlorogenic acid, and quinic acid were the major phenolics, and were particularly abundant in C. monogyna. Despitehaving a high phenolic content, C. monogyna had the highest malondialdehyde level, indicating that phenolics alone were insufficientto fully inhibit lipid oxidation. Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry mineral analysis detected high levels of K, Mg, and P inall species. Principal component analysis effectively distinguished the species based on their antioxidant, phenolic, and mineral profiles.Overall, hawthorn fruits were confirmed as valuable sources of natural antioxidants and essential minerals.
2026-02-26
LUBA DURISOVA et al.
In Slovakia, snowy mespilus (Amelanchier × lamarckii F. G. Schroed.) is recognized both as an ornamental plant and alesser-known fruit species, prized for its high levels of bioactive compounds, particularly polyphenols. The aim of this study was todetect the polyphenolic profile of snowy mespilus and to assess polyphenol accumulation in cells. The total polyphenol content wasdetermined by the Folin–Ciocalteu method, antioxidant activity by the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assayand the 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) method, and individual polyphenolic compounds by the highperformanceliquid chromatography (HPLC) method. The results of analyses revealed that among the phenolic acids, chlorogenicacid was the most prevalent [44.24 ± 0.2 μg/g fresh weight (FW); 123.75 μg/g ± 1.0 dry weight (DW)], while among the flavonoids,epigallocatechin (13.17 ± 0.2 μg/g FW; 36.84 ± 0.3 μg/g DW) and quercetin (7.6 ± 0.0 μg/g FW; 21.25 ± 0.1 μg/g DW) were dominant.These polyphenolic compounds are primarily accumulated in the epidermis and hypodermis cells of the fruits, with anthocyaningranules being the predominant polyphenols.
2026-02-26
TUFAN DEMİREL
Tree species diversity (TSD) is a critical biological variable for ecosystem functioning and sustainable forest management.This study aimed to model TSD in forest ecosystems using spectral and texture metrics extracted from Sentinel-2, WorldView-3,and PlanetScope satellite imagery, and structural metrics derived from LiDAR data. Tree species data collected through field surveyswere used to calculate Shannon, Simpson, and species richness biodiversity indices. These biodiversity indicators were then related toexplanatory variables derived from remote sensing (RS) metrics. The Boruta algorithm was applied for variable selection and randomforest regression analysis was used for modeling. The results show that combining LiDAR and satellite data is a promising approachfor estimating TSD. In particular, the integration of structural heterogeneity metrics from LiDAR with spectral and textural measuresfrom Sentinel-2 significantly improved the prediction performance of the Shannon and Simpson indices. For species richness models,high-resolution imagery played a more prominent role. These findings suggest that the integration of different RS sources can serve as apowerful tool for monitoring forest biodiversity and provide a scientific basis for precision forest management.
2025-12-30
MELİH OKCU et al.
This study investigates the optimal mixing ratios of common vetch (Vicia sativa L., CV) and oats (Avena sativa L., O) for enhanced forage yield and quality in the ecological conditions of Erzurum Province. The research was conducted over two growing seasons with three replications in a randomized complete block design (RCBD). Specifically, three common vetch cultivars (Gülhan, Albayrak, Kubilay) and one oat cultivar (Kupa) were evaluated by sowing as sole crops and in different ratios (25% vetch + 75% oat, 50% vetch + 50% oat, 75% vetch + 25% oat). The analyzed parameters included hay forage yield (HFY), dry matter yield (DMY), crude protein yield (CPY), digestible dry matter yield (DDMY), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), digestible dry matter (DDM), total digestible nutrients (TDN), dry matter intake (DMI), and relative feed value (RFV). The highest hay forage yield (93.24 t ha–1) was obtained from the 75% CV + 25% O mixture using the Kubilay vetch cultivar, while the highest crude protein ratio (18.65%) was achieved by the Albayrak vetch variety when planted as a sole crop. The best fiber quality (lowest ADF and NDF ratios) was determined in the mixtures with high common vetch ratios. Among all the treatments, the 75% CV + 25% O mixture exhibited superior performance in terms of digestibility and feed intake, along with a high crude protein content. It was concluded from the study that mixtures of vetch and oat produce forage diets with high nutritional value, yield, and quality. In Erzurum and locations with similar ecological conditions, a 75% CV + 25% O mixture is recommended as the most effective combination, providing balanced nutrient content and high forage quality.
2025-12-30
İREM AYRAN ÇOLAK
Sugar bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is a legume of notable nutritional and functional value, and its genotypes have substantial variation in bioactive compounds, antioxidant activity, mineral composition, and enzyme inhibition properties. This study aimed to comprehensively evaluate the biochemical and functional diversity of 10 sugar bean genotypes using data mining algorithms to identify superior candidates for functional food and nutraceutical development. Associations between the phytochemical profiles of sugar bean genotypes and their bioactivity, antioxidant capacity, and enzyme inhibition were modeled with classification and regression trees (CART), random forests (RF), and multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS), while one-way ANOVA quantified varietal effects on these responses. Data mining algorithms, particularly RF and MARS, provided accurate and robust predictions for the relationships between biological, antioxidant, and phytochemical properties of genotypes; however, the predictive power for enzyme inhibition was limited. Statistically significant differences (p
2025-12-30
ADEM ÖZARSLANDAN et al.
Individuals of the genus Xiphinema were recovered from soil samples collected during citrus surveys in south-eastern Türkiye. Morphological examination using light microscopy identified the species as X. brevicolle. The female individuals measured 2000–2050 μm in length, and displayed a slightly flattened lip region, an amphidelphic reproductive system with two well-developed branches, and a short conoid tail ending in a rounded tip. These morphometric and morphological features were consistent with those of previously described X. brevicolle specimens. For molecular confirmation, the D2–D3 segment of the 28S rDNA was amplified using the D2AD3B primer pair, and sequenced; the resulting sequence has been deposited in GenBank (accession number PQ647284). Sequence analysis revealed a 95% identity with other X. brevicolle sequences in GenBank. Phylogenetic analysis, including neighbour-joining and maximum likelihood, was also performed. This study represents the first record of X. brevicolle from citrus orchards in Türkiye, extending the known geographical distribution of this species.
2025-12-30
KEJUN WANG
This study investigates the impact of long-term fertilization modes on crop health and productivity using unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-assisted monitoring and a Q-learning-based approach for optimized fertilization strategies. An approximate state-matching Q-learning algorithm was developed to improve the efficiency of agricultural UAVs in fertilization tasks. The spatiotemporal patterns of cultivated land productivity under different fertilization regimes were analyzed in a long-term experiment. An evaluation system for cultivated land health productivity was established. The results indicated that the Q-learning algorithm enabled UAVs to achieve efficient task completion. QLASM outperformed traditional methods on all metrics. QLASM achieved a 92% task completion rate within the target time frame, outperforming deep Q-networks (78%) and rule-based algorithms (65%). Long-term fertilization, especially with organic fertilizer, had a positive impact on soil health and cultivated land productivity. Total irrigation plus organic fertilizer plus green manure reduced irrigation needs by 8–12% by increasing soil organic matter and water holding capacity. The average healthy production capacity was significantly lower in the control group compared to other fertilizer models. Balanced fertilizer application and the long-term use of organic fertilizers are recommended to improve yield and maintain the healthy productivity of cultivated land, which is the basis for sustainable agricultural management.