The study aimed to assess the effects of pre-harvest gibberellic acid (GA3) and Parka applications on fruit quality and bioactive components of jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill. cv. ‘Li’) fruit during the storage. Fruit were kept at 0±0.5 °C and 90±5% RH for 45 days. Parka and GA3 applications delayed weight losses and respiration rate in the cold storage. While the effect of the Parka application on the decrease in fruit firmness values depending on the storage time was not significant, it can be said that GA3 application was effective in maintaining the fruit firmness in the cold storage. The increase in soluble solids content (SSC) during cold storage was less with GA3 application. The decrease in titratable acidity with ripening in the cold storage was similar in the Parka and control applications. It can be said that GA3 application was effective in maintaining the titratable acidity during storage and this effect increased with the combination of Parka+GA3. The highest vitamin C at the end of the storage was recorded in fruit treated with Parka. Total phenolics, total flavonoids and antioxidant activity decreased in all applications during the storage. GA3 and Parka applications retarded the losses in total phenolics, total flavonoids and antioxidant activity in the storage. As a result, it can be said that the pre-harvest GA3 and Parka applications give positive results in maintaining the quality properties of jujube fruit in the cold storage.

This study was carried out on the flowers of 'Le Castel' Dahlia (starflower) cultivated in Tokat Gaziosmanpaşa University Agricultural Research and Application Center in 2019. The study aimed to prolong the vase life of Dahlia flowers used as cut flowers. Deionized water (control), sucrose + deionized water, thyme oil, lavender oil, carvacrol, thymol, sodium hypochlorite, and gibberellic acid were used as vase solutions. The total vase solution uptake (g/stem), daily vase solution uptake (g/day fresh weight (FW)), proportional FW (%) and vase life (day) parameters were determined based on Dahlia flowers that harvested at different harvest stages (3, 4 and 5 layers). As a result; the most extended vase life was measured in the gibberellic acid treatment (8.22 days), the highest proportional fresh weight was measured in the carvacrol in the 6th day (139.78%), the highest daily solution uptake was measured in the thyme oil in 0-2 days (11.7 g/day FW) and the highest total solution uptake was measured in the thyme oil (27.5 g/stem). It was concluded that the vase life of earlier harvested flowers was longer than of late harvested.

In this study, the plant node was dried in an oven (40, 50 and 60 °C), shade and temperature-controlled microwave (40, 50 and 60 °C) methods. Statistically (p < 0.05), the values closest to the color values of fresh grass were determined in an oven at 40 °C drying temperature. Effective diffusion values varied between 8.85 × 10 À 8 -5.65 × 10 À 6 m 2 s À 1 . While the activation energy was 61.28 kJ mol À 1 in the oven, it was calculated as 85.24 kJ mol À 1 in the temperature-controlled microwave. Drying data was best estimated in the Midilli-Küçük (R 2 0.9998) model oven at 50 °C. The highest SMER value was calculated as 0.0098 kg kWh À 1 in the temperature-controlled microwave drying method. The lowest SEC value in the temperaturecontrolled microwave was determined as 24.03 kWh kg À 1 . It was determined that enthalpy values varied between À 2484.66/ À 2623.38 kJ mol À 1 , entropy values between À 162.04/ À 122.65 J mol À 1 and Gibbs free energy values between 453335.22-362581.40 kJ mol À 1 . Drying rate values were calculated in the range of 0.0127-0.9820 g moisture g dry matter À 1 in the temperature-controlled microwave, 0.0003-0.0762 g dry matter À 1 in the oven, and 0.001-0.0058 g moisture g dry moisture matter À 1 in the shade. Phenolic content 6957.79 μg GAE g À 1 fw -48322.27 μg GAE g À 1 dw, flavonoid content 3806.67 mg KE L À 1 fw -22200.00 mg KE L À 1 dw and antioxidant capacity 43.35 μmol TE g À 1 fw -323.47 μmol TE g À 1 dw. The highest chlorophyll values were obtained from samples dried in an oven at 40 °C. According to the findings, it is recommended to dry the knotweed (Polygonum cognatum Meissn.) plant in a temperature-controlled microwave oven at low temperatures. In this study, in terms of drying kinetics and energy parameters, a temperature-controlled microwave dryer of 60 °C is recommended, while in terms of quality characteristics, oven 40 °C and shade methods are recommended.

No abstract

The use of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in the fields of agriculture and horticulture has been increasing recently due to contribution to seed germination, plant growth and development, flowering, yield, and physiological improvements. This research aimed to investigate the effects of silver nanoparticles on the growth and flowering characteristics of the 'Santander' lily (Lilium L.) variety and to determine its potential for use in cultivation. Before planting the plant bulbs immersed in AgNPs solutions of 0 (control), 50, 75, 100, 125 and 150 ppm. After harvest; weight, circumference, height, root length, fresh and dry weight, stem root length, fresh and dry weight of stem, plant height, plant stem diameter, fresh plant weight, bud number and vase life were determined. As a result; it has been indicated that AgNPs solutions in different concentrations increased the quality and quantity of cut flowers and bulbs in lily plants. AgNPs increased an average of 26.29% when compared with control in all morphological characteristics except for the vase life. In the light of these findings, AgNPs applications can be preferred as a method that can be used on lily cultivation and reproduction. Nevertheless, considering the deficiency of treatments of AgNPs in lily plants and their poorly known effect on plants, further detailed studies are necessary.