The study was aimed to examine a snail organic culture system and describe the cultivation properties of Cornu aspersum. The environmental parameters of the culture system and their effects on the growth and mortality rates of C. aspersum were determined between November 2014-October 2015. Snails were fed Spinacia sp. (spinach), Urtica sp. (nettles), Brassica oleracea sp (cabbage) and formulated diet. The feeding and growth rates increased with increasing temperature. Shell height growth rate was the highest in spring while the live weight growth rate was the highest in summer. Mortality rate of the baby snail was higher between November 2014 and May 2015 due to stress conditions such as handling and varying temperatures during their first stages of life. High mortality observed in adults could be associated with the spawning activity of the matured snails that caused physiological exhaustion. The result showed that the best culture cycle for C. aspersum was from spring to autumn in Black Sea region and in order to prevent postreproductive mortality, snails reached to marketable size should be harvested.
Chalky spot damage on red lentil is the most important problem waiting for a solution regarding plant health at lentil cultivation in Southeast Anatolia Region, Turkey. The stink bugs, Piezedorus lituratus (F.) and Dolycorus baccarum L. were subjected to trials in cages and in sprayed and unsprayed plot trials in open lentil fields and fields containing windrowed lentils after harvesting. The study revealed that P. lituratus and D. baccarum feeding on red lentil caused chalky spot damage. Average damage to lentil seeds caused by P. lituratus was 13% and 7.8% and by D. baccarum was 4.9% and 2% in 2010 and 2011, respectively. There was a positive relation between P. lituratus density and chalky spot damage (r =0.788, r 2 =0.621, P=0.000). The study also showed that after the harvesting, the stink bugs gathered under windrowed lentils and continued feeding and causing chalky spot damage. The damage in unsprayed windrowed lentils (6.60%) was approximately 12-fold higher than that in sprayed windrowed lentils (0.57%). Study suggests conduction of future work on environmental friendly control methods of stink bugs and alternative harvesting methods.
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