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Drying is an effective method for preserving the quality attributes of agricultural products over extended periods. In this study, mandarin slices were dried using the shade-drying method, either without pretreatment (control) or with pretreatments, including ascorbic acid, gum arabic, and citric acid. The shortest drying time was observed in the gum arabic-treated samples, lasting 120 minutes. In all samples, the drying rate was initially high but decreased as moisture content declined. Color analysis revealed that the yellowness (b) value, an important quality attribute for mandarins, was closest to that of fresh fruit in the gum arabic-treated samples. The highest pH value was recorded in the control group (3.60), while the lowest values were observed in the ascorbic acid (2.92) and gum arabic (2.97) treatments. The °Brix value was highest in the ascorbic acid-treated samples (0.9) and lowest in the citric acid-treated samples (0.4), indicating that the pretreatments significantly influenced the quality parameters. The highest rehydration ratio was obtained in the gum arabic-treated samples (3.96). Sensory evaluation showed that overall acceptability was highest for the control and ascorbic acid-treated samples, whereas gum arabic treatment resulted in lower acceptability. These findings provide insights for optimizing pretreatment selection in dried mandarin production and can guide future studies evaluating different drying techniques and their combinations.

This study aims to analyze how the conceptual perceptions of female high school students toward the agricultural sector are transformed through an education-based intervention. The research was conducted in 2025 with 65 female participants, with a mean age of 16, who attended the “Yeni Nesil Tarım Hareketi” (Next Generation Agriculture Movement) program organized in Antalya, using a pre-test/post-test word association test design. The obtained data were analyzed through frequency and percentage distributions, while the statistical significance of conceptual differences was evaluated using the chi-square test of independence and the effect size was measured through Cramer’s V coefficient. The findings indicate that prior to the educational intervention, agriculture-related concepts were predominantly perceived within the framework of production, labor, and physical components. Following the training process, however, agriculture was increasingly positioned within a more holistic and technology-oriented framework associated with ecosystems, sustainability, digitalization, and entrepreneurship. While the chi-square analysis revealed statistically significant differences across all concepts (p<0.001), the Cramer’s V coefficients demonstrated that this transformation reflected a systematic effect. The findings further suggest that educational activities generate meaningful and structural transformations in individuals’ cognitive frameworks. Accordingly, the study emphasizes the critical role of perceptual transformation in developing qualified human capital for the agricultural sector and demonstrates that education-based approaches constitute an effective policy instrument for enhancing the integration of young women into agriculture.

This research was carried out under rainfed conditions during the spring growing season of 2025 at the İkizce Research and Application Farm of the Field Crops Central Research Institute to evaluate the effects of three different tillage methods which are no-tillage/direct seeding into stubble (T1), reduced tillage (T2), and conventional tillage (T3) in combination with two fertilizer treatments, DAP (G1) and compost (G2) on chickpea yield. Plant density per square meter, plant height, first pod height, number of seeds per plant, grain yield, and 100-seed weight assessed as agronomic parameters. The results show that tillage methods had a significant effect on chickpea grain yield at the 1% significance level. Based on the average values, the highest grain yield was obtained under the T3 treatment (117.20 kg da⁻¹), followed by T2 (77.05 kg da⁻¹) and T1 (15.30 kg da⁻¹). Statistically significant differences were also observed among fertilizer treatments. While the compost application (G2) resulted in the average yield of 84.51 kg da⁻¹ , it was 55.18 kg da⁻¹ in the the DAP treatment (G1) treatment. However, the interaction between tillage methods and fertilizer applications was not statistically significant. Overall, the findings indicate that both tillage methods and fertilizer applications have significant effects on chickpea yield under the ecological conditions of Ankara. The highest grain yield was obtained under the combined application of the T3 tillage method and G2 compost treatment. Therefore, these practices were determined to be the most suitable for chickpea production under similar agroecological conditions.

Maize (corn) is an important plant used as a feedstock and a raw material in the production of many foodstuffs. Silicon (Si) is a functional and beneficial nutrient element, potentially required for some plants, which has reported effects in protecting the plant against abiotic stresses like drought stress.In this study, an experiment consisting of 27 plots was established using three different irrigation levels (based on 100%, 75%, and 50% of evaporation rate, ETc) and three different product applications (Control, 2, and 3 applications). The application type was determined as seed treatment and foliar spray.The results showed that the silicon-containing product applications did not have a positive effect on the average ear number or grain weight. No statistically significant difference was found between the treatments for hectoliter weight and harvest moisture values either. Statistical analyses performed on yield values found that the silicon-containing product applications did not have a statistically significant contribution to yield. However, it was determined that irrigation levels had a statistically significant effect on yield parameters at the 1% significance level. As expected, significant reductions in yield values were observed under water-stressed conditions. The highest yield was obtained under the full irrigation (%100) treatment, while the lowest yield was recorded at the %50 irrigation level.In conclusion, it was determined that the silicon-containing mineral fertilizer product had no effect on maize yield and did not increase the plant's tolerance to water stress.

This study reviewed and synthesized studies published between 2006 and 2025 to comprehensively evaluate the adaptability, socio-economic contributions, and production traits of Akkaraman, one of Türkiye's most important native sheep breeds. The findings indicate that the Akkaraman breed possesses superior adaptability due to its low level of genomic inbreeding and fat-tailed phenotype. The breed serves as a primary source of income and employment for rural family farms, particularly in the Central and Eastern Anatolia regions. Regarding production traits, birth weight ranged between 3.09 and 4.71 kg, 90-day weaning weight ranged between 19.69 and 35.10 kg, 120-day live weight ranged between 28.60 and 34.95 kg, and survival rate ranged between 86.38% and 97.67%. Participation in community-based breeding programs has been shown to significantly increase farm profitability. In conclusion, the Akkaraman sheep is of strategic importance for the sustainability of Turkish sheep farming due to its high genetic diversity and adaptability. The conservation and improvement of this genetic resource can be ensured through planned breeding programs and supportive policies.