Olive oil byproducts show differences according to the olive oil extraction systems, which are called olive mill solid wastes, olive oil wastewater and olive oil wastewater sludge. Three different kinds of composts, including two-phase and three-phase olive mill solid wastes, and olive oil wastewater sludge were produced with separated dairy manure, poultry manure, and straw. The composts obtained from two-phase and three-phase olive mill solid wastes and olive oil wastewater sludge were named as two-phase, three-phase, and water sludge composts, respectively. They were separately enriched by rock phosphate and potassium salt. These composts were mixed with peat in a ratio of 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% (v/v). Tomato seeds were sown in all mixtures on 3 February 2016. All the seeds were sown into 2 trays and each plug included 2 replicates. The trays were left in a germination room for 3 days, then moved to a heated greenhouse which is specialized for growing seedlings, and the seedlings were grown there for 3 weeks. The results showed that increasing compost ratios in the growing medium and also the enrichment of the growing medium increased organic matter content, electrical conductivity, and macro and micro nutrient concentrations. The germination period lasted longer with increasing compost ratios. The shoot length was lower at a compost ratio of over 50% excluding water sludge compost, which reacted to over 75%. The highest plant dry weights were obtained in the plants grown on the media with compost ratios of 50%, 25%, and 25% for water sludge compost, enriched two-phase compost, and enriched three-phase compost, respectively. We concluded that the composts obtained from two-phase and three-phase olive mill solid wastes and olive oil waste water sludge can be used without any need of enrichment and a ratio of 25% was found appropriate in most of the measured properties.

Soil salinization due to climate change and intensive use of water and soil is increasing exponentially. Cucurbitaceae species are cultivated worldwide and the identification of salinity tolerant genotypes to be used as rootstock or scion for securing yield stability in salt affected agricultural areas is a research priority. In the present greenhouse study, we assessed the response to salinity (0 mM a non-salt control and 150 mM NaCl dissolved in the nutrient solution) in the seedlings of 30 genotypes of cucurbits grown in a floating hydroponic system. The species tested included 16 genotypes of Cucumis melo L. (CM1-16), 6 Citrullus vulgaris Schrad. (CV1-6), 2 interspecific hybrids of Cucurbita maxima Duch. × Cucurbita moschata Duch. (CMM-R1 and 2), 4 bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standl. (LS1-4)), 1 Cucurbita moschata Duch. (CMO51-17), and 1 luffa (Luffa cylindrica Mill. (LC1)) species. Results highlighted different morphological and physiological traits between the species and genotypes and a different response to salt stress. We identified C. maxima × C.moscata interspecific hybrid CMM-R2, melon genotypes CM6, CM7, CM10, and CM16 together with watermelon genotypes CV2 and CV6 and bottle gourd LS4 as salt tolerant genotypes and possible candidates as salt resistant rootstock to be introduced in grafting programs.

Vegetable production worldwide is heavily influenced by climate change. We aimed to determine the responses of some local tomato landraces from Mediterranean countries pre-selected as drought tolerant according to previous screening tests at an early stage. Three irrigation approaches were applied: Full irrigation (Ir-Full), Deficit 1 (Ir-Def1), and Deficit 2 (Ir-Def2) irrigation. Drought stress was simulated via controlled irrigation deficit, reducing the amount of water applied by 35% and 50% in Ir-Def1 and Ir-Def2, respectively. Plant growth, yield, some fruit physicochemical properties, water consumption, and water use efficiency were measured. The results revealed that water deficit adversely affected total and marketable yields, plant growth, and biomass while enhancing some specific quality parameters. Landrace responses varied across different levels of water deficit. Among the tested tomato landraces, ‘Valldemossa’, ‘Chondrokats’, and ‘TR62367’ exhibited strong yield performance, with up to 4 kg m⁻² under water-limited conditions, whereas ‘Cherry-INRAE 1’, ‘Cherry-INRAE 3’, and ‘Cherry-INRAE 4’ excelled in fruit quality attributes, reaching up to 9.3% Brix, 14.07 mg 100 g⁻¹ vitamin C, 7.77 mg GAE 100 g⁻¹ total phenols, and 75.74 µmol TE g⁻¹ antioxidant activity. The amount of water could be reduced by 35% without compromising yield or quality in the most drought-tolerant landraces.

Ülkemizde seracılık ekolojik koşullara bağlı olarak gelişmiş olup, iklimin uygun olduğu Akdeniz sahil kuşağımızdayaygınlaşmıştır. Bu sahil kuşağında Antalya, toplam 239804.42 da örtüaltı alanı ile Akdeniz Bölgesi'ndeki seraların% 47.2'sine, Türkiye seralarının ise % 38.8'ine sahip olan, lider il konumundadır. Bu çalışmada, Antalya'nın örtüaltı tarımıyapan işletme sayısının en yüksek olduğu Kepez ilçesinde geleneksel sera üretiminin değerlendirilmesi hedeflenmiştir. Buamaçla ilçedeki üretici, işletme ve sera yapısı, yetiştiricilik, tür ve çeşit seçimi ve pazarlamaya ait bilgileri ve sorunlarıortaya koyabilmek için 2011 yaz aylarında gayeli örnekleme yöntemine göre seçilen 45 üretici ile hazırlanan anket formlarıile doğrudan görüşme yoluyla veriler toplanmıştır. Elde edilen sonuçlar, üreticilerin büyük çoğunluğunun ilkokul mezunuolduğunu, PE örtülü ve demir iskeletli serada yetiştiricilik yapıldığını, yan havalandırmanın hakim olduğu seralarda böcekneti kullanılmadığını, sadece dondan korumaya yönelik ısıtmanın yapıldığını, seralarda yetiştiriciliğin topraktagerçekleştirildiğini ve tek ürün şeklinde ağırlıklı olarak domates, hıyar ve çilek yetiştirildiğini göstermiştir. Toprakanalizinin yapılmadığı ve sentetik kimyasalların ise aşırı miktarda kullanıldığı dikkat çekmiştir. Üreticilerin çeşit seçiminikendileri veya bayi yönlendirmesine göre yapmakta olduğu ve en çok hastalık ve zararlılara dayanımı kriter aldıkları, fidekullanımının giderek arttığı ve üreticilerin çoğunluğunun hazır aşısız fide ile üretime başladığı, tarımsal bilgi kaynağı olarakdaha çok zirai ilaç bayinin kullanıldığı, kontrollerin zamanında yapılmaması ve verilen bilgilerin yetersiz olması nedeni ilememnuniyetsizlik yaşandığı, üretilen ürünlerin çoğunluğunun hale satıldığı ve ürün fiyatının haldeki komisyonculartarafından belirlendiğinden üreticilerin bu durumdan şikayetçi oldukları belirlenmiştir.

Vegetable seedlings are produced in specialized commercial nurseries. Peat is the most common growing medium used in seedling production. In organic agriculture, organic seeds and plant material should be used according to the EU Regulation No 834/2007. However, there is no restriction in the use of peat in the growing media in the Regulation although there is a comment on peat as a limited natural resource and restriction of its use with the approach of sustainability of organic agriculture. In fact, Bio Suisse Standards recommends restricting the use of peat for the cultivation of planting material no more than 70% peat. Thus, during the last two decades many researches have been conducted on the use different by-products or compost alone or as a part of a mixture as peat substitute. This review aims to bring the researches on peat alternatives in organic seedling production and their effects on different vegetable crops.