Agricultural insurance is one of the possible measures to meet the risks that may occur because of the natural disasters and to ensure continuity of production in agricultural sector. This study was conducted to evaluating the results of government supported crop insurance (GSCIS) policies in terms of the apple producers and to determine characteristics of both farms participating and non-participating in government supported crop insurance system in the Isparta province of Turkey. The data used in the study was obtained from 77 apple producers by using a questionnaire. The farms were chosen by random sampling method and the data were analyzed by the chi-square test which was used to test relationship among variables. The result of the analyses showed that there is a significant difference between the farms participating and non-participating in GSCIS, considering social security status, farmer’s experience, membership of a cooperative, agricultural income level, non agricultural income status, agricultural advisory status, internet use, agricultural credit use, tractor ownership, farmers’ experience in apple production, shapes of apple orchards and varieties of apples grown. In conclusion it is suggested that effective service delivery by insurance service providers will ensure continuity of producers’ participation in agricultural insurance and also participation by producers who are yet to participate. Producers should be informed and be aware of the studies about government supported crop insurance.

Apple scar skin viroid (ASSVd) is a serious pathogen of apple fruits that results in severe loss in apple production. Up to nowadays, many ASSVd management options are applied to resist the disease, but the diserable resulits are not achieved. Therefore, this study was conducted in 2010–2012 at experimental field of Penglai City, Shandong Province, China (E 120°57’22’’, N 370°38’33’’) to investigate whether arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) Glomus versiforme protects Red Fuji apple trees (Malus × domestica Borkh) against apple scar skin viroid. Red Fuji apple trees were inoculated with Glomus versiforme and then potential protection mechanism was explored and compared to non-inoculated plants. The results showed that inoculation with Glomus versiforme significantly increased root length colonization rate and clearly decreased the percentage of disease severity of apple scar skin disease. Compared to non-inoculated plants, Glomus versiforme obviously enhanced total nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations in leaves. Root colonization by Glomus versiforme induced an increase in defense-related enzyme activities in fruits, such as the enhanced activities of catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, chitinase and glucanase. Significant differences in acid content of fruit and fruit yield were observed as apple roots were colonized by Glomus versiforme. It is therefore concluded that Glomus versiforme can be regarded as a biocontrol agent to protect apple trees against the infection with ASSVd.

The present study aimed at finding techniques alternative to chemical control, capable of reducing spider mite density. The experiment was carried out in 7 single-leader and 3 multi-leader training systems. The pest density was compared across the systems and between apple cultivars Elstar and Jonagold showing variable crown densities and trichome cover of leaves. The spider mite mobile stages were more abundant in single-leaders crowns, whereas more eggs were laid in multi-leader crowns. Nevertheless, the egg and the youngest stages survival was reduced in multi-leader crowns probably by the more intensive solar radiation reducing the air RH. The lowest pest abundance was found in the crowns of the V-Güttingen system, and in the similar, stretched Tatura trellis 2-leader system. These types of crowns should be therefore recommended for integrated and organic apple production.

In cultivation of Japanese bunching onion as an annual crop harvested for bunches there is required to use pseudostem – type cultivars, with high rate of growth, rich in valuable phytochemicals. In a field study there was evaluated the yield potential, quality of the crop and nutritional value of the following pseudostem – type cultivars: Sprintesa, Parade, Performer, Ishikura Long White, Red Toga, Freedy and Totem. Kroll cultivar commonly recommended as a perennial crop grown for the use of cut foliage was recognized as the control. Seedlings produced in multicell trays were transplanted into the field on 19–22 April and harvested on 19–25 June, when majority of plants reached the pseudostem diameter > 10 mm. At harvest there were evaluated the yield size, morphological features of plants and content selected organic and mineral compounds. Most of the exammed cultivars appeared to be suitable for early spring growing for bunches, among which Parade produced the highest marketable yield and beside Sprintesa characterized the longest pseudostem as well as low nitrates content. ‘Kroll’ grown as annual crop for bunches produced yield similar to ‘Red Toga’ and ‘Freedy’, while significantly lower to the other examined cultivars. Its plants characterized by low mean weight and short pseudostem, but high amounts of potassium and low nitrates accumulation.

Strawberry is propagated vegetatively. Nowadays, traditional bare-root transplants are often replaced with plantlets (plug plants) produced from runner tips. The nutrient level and type of growing medium may influence the quality of planting material. Phosphorus and potassium are important elements for plant metabolism. Insufficient supply of plants with these elements negatively influences the rooting and plant vegetative growth. The objective of the study was to evaluate the influence of substrate and monopotassium phosphate (MKP) on rooting and quality of strawberry plantlets grown in the greenhouse soilless system. ‘Elsanta’ mother plants were planted in containers and set on a special rack in the greenhouse. Emerging plantlets were set (clipped with metal clips) in micro-pots filled with peat or coconut substrate. Four concentrations of MKP in the growing medium were applied: 0, 0.22, 0.44, 0.66 g dm^-3. Rooting of plantlets was carried out before cutting them off from the mother plants for a period 7, 10 or 14 days. The investigations have showed a very similar dynamics of root formation both in coconut substrate and in peat. A significant effect of the application of monopotassium phosphate on rooting of strawberry plantlets was observed. The optimal dose of MKP depended on the length of rooting period of plantlets. After 7 days of rooting the highest root weight was recorded in case of plantlets rooted in the growing media supplemented with 0.44 or 0.66 g dm^-3 MKP. After 10 and 14 days of rooting even the lowest dose of MKP (0.22 g dm^-3) resulted in significantly stronger root growth in comparison with not fertilized control plantlets. MKP also significantly influenced the growth of plantlets after transplanting them into bigger containers. The highest quality plantlets were obtained at the dose 0.44 or 0.66 g MKP dm^-3 of substrate.

One of the reasons lowering the esthetic appearance of a lawn are diseases caused by fungi. The study on seed material of 11 ornamental grass species was carried out in 2009 and 2010. 681 fungi isolates belonging to 22 species and non-sporulating forms were obtained over the two year study period. Among fungi pathogenic to grasses, species of the genus Fusarium were obtained especially in 2010. In that year, isolates of these fungi constituted 29.94% of all isolated colonies. Colonies of Alternaria alternata were also frequently isolated from the analyzed seed material of the ornamental grasses; in 2009 and 2010 its isolates accounted for respectively 25.36 and 12.57% of all isolates. The study on the health of ornamental grasses conducted in field conditions revealed the occurrence of plants with necrosis of the roots and lower stem internodes. The percentage of such plants ranged from 12% for Coix lacryma-jobi to 69% in the case of Festuca ovina. The mean values of the diseases indices were from 2.6 in the case of Coix lacryma-jobi to 39.6 for Lagurus ovatus and they differed significantly. From the infected plants mainly species of genus Fusarium were obtained. Majority of isolates consisted F. oxysporum and also F. culmorum, F. crookwellense, F. graminearum, F. solani, F. avenaceum, F. sporotrichioides and species Bipolaris sorokiniana and Exserohilum pedicellatum were obtained. Studies on susceptibility of the seedlings of seven ornamental grass species to infection by Fusarium culmorum No. 34 and F. equiseti No. 62 were conducted in a growth chamber. The statistical analysis of disease indexes for plants that grew in the experimental combination with artificial infection of the subsoil with above-mentioned strains as compared to the control indicated significant differences in all studied species in the case of F. culmorum and in 5 species in the experimental combination with F. equiseti. Strain Fusarium culmorum No. 34 proved to be the most pathogenic towards Festuca glauca (98.25), and F. equiseti No. 62 towards Phalaris canariensis (89.5).

Fruit apricot dimensions, weight, size and shape are the most commonly measured pomological properties. The size and shape features of 13 apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) cultivars and promising Serbian selections grown in Western Serbia were investigated using a multivariate analysis. The apricots promoted fruits wider than long in shape, except ‘Harcot’, ‘T 7’, ‘Précoce de Tyrinthe’, ‘Roksana’ and ‘Vera’, whereas all cultivars and selections are wider than thick. Most of cultivars and/or selections tend to round shape. Mean values for fruit and stone weight, flesh rate, geometric mean diameter, kernel weight, sphericity, aspect ratio, surface area and volume ranged from 37.09 to 81.60 g, 2.71 to 4.18 g, 91.93 to 96.46%, 41.76 to 65.08 mm, 0.60 to 1.17 g, 0.94 to 1.03, 95.04 to 108.09%, 55.13 to 133.77 cm² and 38.31 to 145.10 cm³, respectively. For the most of attributes evaluated, ‘Roksana’ had the highest values. A high correlation was found among some physical attributes. According to their 22 properties, the apricots grouped into five clusters. There was either relative independence or close correspondence among the evaluation indexes of apricot fruit quality. Principal components analysis showed that the first three principal components variance accumulation contribution rate amounted to 85.77%, which reflected most of the size and shape characteristics of apricots.

‘Jonagold’ and ‘Szampion’ are winter apple cultivars, whose fruits are suitable for long-term storage. However, fruits of these cultivars differ markedly in the type of the surface and the rate and volume of water transpiration, which is manifested in fruit quality after storage and the length of apple shelf life. A majority of factors responsible for fruit quality and storability are genetically conditioned traits that are mainly developed before fruits reach harvest maturity or still develop during the storage period. The micromorphology, anatomy, and ultrastructure of 21-day-old fruit buds of the ‘Jonagold’ and ‘Szampion’ were examined using light microscopy as well as scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The analyses were particularly focused on the traits that determine fruit firmness and storability, which contribute to long-term storage capacity. It was found that the fruit buds in both cultivars differed significantly in the number of trichome scars and stomata on the fruit surface, the thickness of the hypodermis layer and the hypodermis cell walls, and in the content of phenolic compound deposits. At the fruit bud stage, the following features related to increased or decreased fruit firmness and storability were observed: platelet crystalline wax, cuticle microcracks, stomata and trichome scars, and presence of phenolic compounds.

In many countries, the traditional method of growing shallots from bulbs is replaced by direct seeding in the field or by planting seedlings. The availability of shallot seed with high parameters of the sowing value is an important condition for growing shallot in larger areas. It is possible thanks to the progress in breeding and introduction into cultivation of new cultivars that produce seed stalks and seed. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the sowing value of seed of the true-breeding cultivar ‘Toto’, when this seed is obtained by planting steckling bulbs (bulb-to-seed method) and by using the seed-to-seed method. This study, conducted in the period 2010–2012, was to evaluate some important characteristics of the seed quality obtained by planting different diameter bulbs (20–60 mm, 4 fractions every 10 mm) in autumn and spring and from seedlings planted in summer (third 10-day period of July and first and third 10-day period August). The quality of shallot seed was evaluated taking into account the following parameters: 1000 seed weight (TSW), germination energy and capacity as well as vigour tests (seedling growth test and seedling growth rate test). Shallot cultivation method had a large effect on 1000 seed weight, but it only slightly affected germination capacity and vigour of seed obtained. Larger seeds were obtained from bulbs, regardless of their planting time, compared to the cultivation method involving planting seedlings in summer. The diameter of bulbs used for planting at autumn planting time proved to be an important factor for TSW, germination energy and the traits determining seed vigour. In the case of this planting time, seed obtained from large bulbs with a diameter of 40–60 mm was distinguished by the best quality. The study did not show such a correlation for seed derived from spring bulb planting.

The present investigation was carried out to analyse the presence of endophytes in the above-ground parts of Hipericum perforatum and to analyse the biodiversity and enumeration of epiphytes. Plant material was collected in Poland three times during the growing season. Phenotypic and genotypic diversity of all the endophytes and the most abundant epiphytes were researched. We analysed fungistatic activity of this isolates. From the endosphere of tested plant Alcaligenes faecalis and Bacillus licheniformis were isolated. The most numerous epiphytes were the copiotrophs and a bit less numerous were oligotrophs, bacteria cultivated on Bunt and Rovir’s medium and fungi. The least numerous bacteria were Azotobacter sp. Among all the molds dominant were: Cladosporium herbarum, C. cladosporioides and Alternaria consortialis, A. alternata, Clonostachys rosea f. catenulata (Gliocladium catenulatum), Scopulariopsis brevicaulis and Penicillium terrestre. Among phyllobacteria there were found mostly the following species: Burkholderia cepacia, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas fluorescens, P. putida, Pantoea agglomerans, Paenibacillus polymyxa, Bacillus cereus, Rhodococcus sp., R. erythropolis and Cellulosimicrobium cellulans. The broadest spectrum of antifungal activity was examined for the following species: Paenibacillus polymyxa, Pseudomonas putida and Pantoea agglomerans. P. polymyxa limited the growth of over 82% tested molds, so did the other two strains: P. agglomerans over 77% and P. putida over 73%.

In the years 2011–2013 growth and yielding of four cultivars of sweet cherry trees: Burlat’, ‘Regina’, ‘Summit’ and ‘Vanda’ were evaluated. All of them were grafted on new Mahaleb rootstocks obtained through softwood cuttings selected from a population of German seedlings of ‘Alpruma’ type in comparison with Mazzard seedling. Additionally an analysis of genetic variability of newly studied biotypes of Mahaleb was conducted. The biggest trunk cross-sectional area had trees on seedlings of Mazzard and Mahaleb No.1, No.4 and No.5, and the smallest on Mahaleb No. 2, No. 3 and No. 6. The biggest volume of the crown had trees growing on Mazzard and the smallest on Mahaleb No. 2 and No. 6. Bigger crowns were also created by the trees of ‘Burlat’ and ‘Summit’ cultivars, and smaller ‘Regina’ and ‘Vanda’. Trees budded on Mazzard had fruits which were slightly lighter in comparison to Mahaleb rootstocks. Regina and Summit outstood other cultivars in terms of weight of fruits. The biggest sum of crops was obtained from trees budded on Mahaleb No. 6 and No. 2, and the smallest on Mazzard and Mahaleb No. 1 and No. 4. The most productive were ‘Vanda’ and ‘Summit’. The biggest productivity index was obtained for rootstocks of Mahaleb No. 6, No. 2, No. 3 and No. 5. For Mazzard and and Mahaleb No. 1 the value of this index was the smallest. Of all examined cultivars the best results was Vanda, then Summit. The analysis of electrophoretic profiles conducted with PCR-RAPD method showed a big genetic similarity between Mahaleb No. 2 and No. 6 and a big variability of the remaining biotypes of Mahaleb among each other. Out of six examined biotypes, Mahaleb No. 2 and No. 6 turned out to be the most productively valuable. Trees of sweet cherry on these rootstocks had the weakest growth, had relatively many flowers and fruits and were characterized with the biggest productivity index.

The pine processionary moth, Taumetopoea pityocampa (Denis and Schiffermüller) is one of the most widespread defoliator insects found in the forest areas of Turkey. Although different methods have been used to control this major forest pest up to now, the problem is still going on largely unsolved in the forest areas of Turkey. The objective of this study was to determine larvicidal effects of extracts obtained from six different plant species, Achillea wilhelmsii C. Koch, Nepeta meyeri Benth., Satureja hortensis L., Origanum onites L., O. rotundifolium Boiss., Tanacetum argyrophyllum (C. Koch) and on the 2^nd, 3^rd, and 4^th instar larvae of T. pityocampa in laboratory conditions.Test the toxicity of six plant extracts against to the 2^nd, 3^rd, and 4^th instar larvae of T. pityocampa, 10 larvae of this insect with 15 gr amounts fresh needles (1 year old) of Pinus brutia were placed to Petri dishes (9 × 1.5 cm deep). Each dose was dissolved in acetone and 0.25, 0.5 and 1 mg of the plant extracts found in 1 ml solution were sprayed on the 2^nd, 3^rd, and 4^th instar larvae of T. pityocampa in the Petri dishes, corresponding to 2.08, 4.16 and 8.33 mg·l^-1 air concentrations. Petri dishes were covered with a lid. All tests carried out at 26ºC (±2), 60% (±5) relative humidity and 14/10 h light/dark photoperiod in laboratory conditions. When exposure, mortality of the larvae was after the determined at 24, 48 and 96 h. Petri dish applied with sterile water and acetone were used as control group. All the tests were made in triplicate. The results showed that six plant exracts have a larvicidal effect on the 2^nd, 3^rd, and 4^th instar larvae of T. pityocampa in comparison with controls. Therefore, these naturally occurring plant extracts could be useful for managing the larvae populations of T. pityocampa.

Agricultural wastes management is a step toward sustainable agriculture. Peanut shelles as remained wastes of cultivating peanut has considerable volume which its compost can be used as available sources of ornamental plants medium. A factorial experiment based on randomized completely blocks design was conducted to investigate the impact of peanut shelles compost as the growth medium of Camellia in different concentrations of potassium. Fifteen treatments, every treatment at three replicates and 45 plots were used for experiment. The rooted cuttings of Camellia were planted and periodic watering with Hoagland solution was performed two times per week. After five months, the plants growth indices and the concentration and uptake nutrients were measured. Results showed that peanut shelles compost increased growth indices than in the control. In the most growth indices, the plant indicated a better response to 40% (w/w) compost and finally 60%. The results are indicator of providing the needed potassium for plant by peanut shelles compost than in the control.

Viral cross-protection in plants is a phenomenon, where a mild virus isolate can protect plants against damage caused by a severe challenge isolate of the same virus. It has been used on a large scale in cases where no resistant plants are available. We examined differences in cross-protection between pathotypes of Pepino mosaic virus representing Chilean 2 genotype. The potential of a mild PepMV-P22 isolate to protect tomato against more aggressive challenge isolates causing yellowing and necrotic symptoms was established. The challenge isolates were PepMV-P5-IY (yellowing), PepMV-P19 (necrotic) and PepMV-P22 K67E (artificial necrotic mutant of PepMV-P22 which differ from PepMV-P22 only by a point mutation). Efficient cross-protection was obtained using mild PepMV-P22 against PepMV-P5-IY. After a challenge inoculation with PepMV-P19 or PepMV-P22 K67E symptoms severity were significantly reduced in comparison to non-protected plants; however, necrotic symptoms appeared two months after coinfection. The real-time PCR analysis revealed that the level of accumulation of the necrotic isolate in tomato plants was even 5–7 times higher than that of PepMV-P22.

A trumpet creeper (Campsis radicans) is an attractive vine propagated vegetatively through cuttings. So far, there is very little available data on propagation of this beautiful species in tissue culture. There was a research conducted in order to estimate the possibility to obtain rooted Campsis radicans plants that had been cultivated in tissue culture. The plant material were shoots obtained by multiplication on Murashige and Skoog [1962] (MS) medium which were put in fresh media supplemented with auxins: IAA (indoleacetic acid), IBA (indolebutyric acid) or NAA (naphthaleneacetic acid). The shoots were rooted in vitro or transplanted into soil (peat + perlite 1 : 1 w/v). It was noted that Campsis radicans is a very difficult plant to root in tissue culture. No rooting was obtained in vitro. Use of a stimulating passage with a hormone free medium or the ones containing IAA or IBA in concentrations of 2.5–5 mg·dm^-3 and rooting shoots directly in soil allowed to obtain 100% of well rooted plants.

The studies concerned the variability in nectar and pollen production in flowers of 75 double-low lines of white mustard (Sinapis alba L.) and a reference cultivar ‘Nakielska’. Also, rates of insect visitation to flowers in 19 lines were investigated. Significant genotypic differences were found in nectar amount, sugar concentration in nectar and total nectar sugar amount. The average nectar amount/10 flowers varied from 2.3 to 24.4 mg, with a mean 14.7 mg for ‘Nakielska’. Nectar concentration for most lines exceeded 20%. The majority (52%) of the lines tested produced more than 2 mg of sugars/10 flowers in nectar. The average amounts of pollen varied from 1.2 to 12.0 mg/10 flowers, with the mean 8.5 mg for ‘Nakielska’. No clear genotypic effect on the amount of pollen/10 flowers was demonstrated. The lines did not differed significantly in their attractiveness to flower visitors. The main foragers were honey bees (93% of all visiting insects). It is concluded that the double-low lines of S. alba are comparable to conventional cultivars in their potential for nectar flow but perform poorer as pollen producers.

In two successive pot experiments with lettuce cv. ‘Królowa Majowych’, conducted in a phytotron, this study investigated the effect of cool white fluorescent light (FRS) at a PPFD 200 μmol·m^-2·s^-1 and red-blue LED light at a PPFD of 200 and 800 μ mol·m^-2·s^-1 on photosynthesis, yield, leaf area, SLA, and the content of photosynthetic pigments, total N and nitrates. Experimental plants were grown in sphagnum peat supplemented with full-strength Hoagland’s solution at the beginning of the experiment. 10 days after plants were pricked out, 4 experimental series were made which differed in the form of N supplied to the growing medium at a rate of 420 mg (2N): 1) Hoagland’s solution (control); 2) Hoagl + 2N-NO₃; 3) Hoagl + 2N-NH₄; 4) Hoagl + 2N-NH₄/NO₃. The obtained results showed that the lettuce leaf yield under FRS light was distinctly higher than under LED light at a PPFD of 200, and in particular at 800 μmol·m^-2·s^-1. Besides, the leaves grown under FRS light showed a significantly thinner leaf blade (SLA) and a lower content of photosynthetic pigments, total N and nitrates. The photosynthetic rate was higher under LED light relative to FRS light. Different nutrition of plants with N-NO₃, N-NH₄ and N-NH₄/NO₃ had a similar effect on the yield and analysed traits of lettuce leaves, regardless of the type of light and the level of irradiation with LED light. LED lamps seem to be a very promising light source for plants, but they require further research on how to adapt the spectral distribution of light to their requirements.