Kamil Sarpkaya

Pistachio (Pistacia vera L.) cultivation has expanded markedly into the western regions of Türkiye in recent years; however, knowledge regarding pistachio rust disease emerging in these areas remains limited. The present study reports the occurrence of rust disease caused by Pileolaria terebinthi on cultivated P. vera as well as on naturally distributed wild Pistacia species (P. terebinthus and P. atlantica) in the Aegean Region. In addition, the pathogen was characterized morphologically and molecularly for the first time from this region. Field surveys conducted in 2022 revealed typical rust symptoms on the leaves of all three Pistacia species. Moreover, necrotic lesions associated with active sporulation were detected on P. vera fruits, representing the first record of fruit infection under field conditions. Microscopic examinations consistently revealed abundant thick-walled, unicellular, dark-brown teliospores with persistent hyaline pedicels, which are diagnostic features of Pil. terebinthi. ITS rDNA sequences (489–528 bp) obtained from four isolates—two from P. vera and one each from P. terebinthus and P. atlantica—showed very high similarity to reference Pil. terebinthi sequences available in the GenBank database. Climatic conditions prevailing in the Aegean Region during April–June, characterized by mild temperatures (10–20°C), high relative humidity (>60%), and frequent rainfall, were found to be conducive to infection and sporulation. The presence of wild Pistacia species in close proximity to production areas is therefore considered to play an important role as natural inoculum sources facilitating pathogen spread. Overall, this study extends the known geographic distribution of Pil. terebinthi in Türkiye, provides the first molecularly confirmed record from the Aegean Region, and draws attention to potential risks for pistachio production in newly expanding cultivation zones.

Basal rot caused by Fusarium spp. is a major constraint to garlic (Allium sativum L.) production, reducing plant emergence, bulb development, and postharvest quality. This study evaluated the efficacy of eight fungicides and a biological preparation (Trichoderma asperellum strain ICC 012 + T. gamsii strain ICC 080) against Fusarium oxysporum and F. proliferatum under in vitro, pot, and field conditions. All products were tested at 1, 10, and 100 ppm in laboratory and pot trials, and the most suitable treatments were subsequently evaluated in the field at two major garlic-producing locations. In vitro, Prochloraz and Tebuconazole most strongly inhibited mycelial growth (EC₅₀ = 0.01–0.14 and 0.08–1.42 ppm, respectively), whereas Hymexazole showed low activity (EC₅₀ = 64.26–91.81 ppm). In contrast, Pyraclostrobin + Boscalid and Hymexazole provided the most consistent and highest disease suppression against both pathogens in the pot and field trials (63–73% field efficacy), while Triticonazole + Pyraclostrobin and Azoxystrobin showed moderate-to-high field efficacy. Although Prochloraz was the most active compound in vitro, its 100 ppm dose caused pronounced phytotoxicity in pot- and field-grown plants, limiting its practical use. The Trichoderma-based biological preparation reduced disease severity only partially (26–43% efficacy) and did not match the performance of the best fungicides. These results show that fungicide efficacy is strongly influenced by the experimental system (laboratory, pot, or field) and that sustainable management of garlic basal rot requires an integrated strategy rather than reliance on a single product.

Garlic (Allium sativum L.) is an economically and nutritionally important plant species with high genetic diversity bearing rich biochemical compounds. The aim of this study is to evaluate and compare the morphological composition and chemical properties of 17 genotypes of garlic consisting of 15 genotypes collected from various regions of Türkiye and two superior genotypes from China and Iran. The examined genotypes in this research are: "Isparta-Çaltı", "Aksaray-Local", "Tokat-Local1", "Çorum-Üyük","Iran", "Kırklareli-Vize", "Tokat-Local2","Antalya-Kemer", "Antalya-Elmalı","Kastamonu-Taşköprü", "Balıkesir-Cinge","Konya-Akşehir", "Aksaray-Purple","Şanlıurfa-Birecik", "Kütahya-Germiyan","Aksaray-White", "China". This research targeted superior genotypes by analyzing morphological traits, mineral content, organic acid profiles, and sugar compositions. The genotypes examined in this study exhibited significant differences in morphological traits, elemental composition, organic acids, and sugars (p<0.05). Plant height ranged from 85.6 cm (G3) to 102.0 cm (G1), and leaf number from 8.0 (G17) to 13.4 (G10, G12). Sucrose levels in cloves varied from 2,461.15 mg/kg (G12) to 13,727.28 mg/kg (G16), while potassium content ranged from 807.7 mg/kg (G17) to 1,695.7 mg/kg (G9). PCA revealed that PC1 (29.37%) represented elements and organic acids, PC2 (14.70%) reflected sugars, and PC3 (10.47%) was associated with morphological traits related to N and P accumulation. Correlation analysis showed positive associations such as leaf width with pseudostem width (r=0.64) and potassium with magnesium (r=0.82), suggesting coordinated nutrient uptake. Negative correlations were found between sodium and nitrogen (r=–0.21), and malic acid and glucose (r=–0.52), indicating potential metabolic trade-offs. G14 appeared unique morphologically and biochemically, while G10, G11, and G12 clustered due to similar profiles. These findings highlight the potential of garlic genotypes for functional evaluation and breeding program development. This analysis determined that remarkable differences existed among the genotypes in terms of morphological characteristics, mineral composition, sugars, and organic acid profiles, which informed important breeding and functional product development. Genotypes G10, G12, and G14 exhibited superior morphological features with rich mineral content, while high levels of bioactive compounds (micronutrients and organic acids) in G6, G8, and G16 distinguished them biochemically. The use of multivariate statistical analysis allowed accurate differentiation among genotypes based on their structure and biochemical properties, paving the way for specific breeding strategies. The results are of great importance as a reference in the selection of genotypes with high nutritional quality and industrial utility.

Fusarium species are significant pathogens in many crops, including garlic (Allium sativum), threatening yield and food safety through mycotoxin production. This study investigates the physiological, phytochemical, and nutrient responses of garlic genotypes (Local-Konya, Babaeski-Kırklareli, and Iranian-Balıkesir) to Fusarium proliferatum infection. Phenolic compounds, antioxidant activity, protein content, and macro- and microelement levels were assessed in healthy and infected garlic genotypes. Infection by F. proliferatum led to a significant increase in phenolic compounds, especially resveratrol and catechin. The Iranian-Balıkesir genotype exhibited the highest response, showing a 110.9% rise in total phenolic content. Regarding antioxidant activity, 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazy (DPPH) inhibition also rose in all genotypes with the rate of 41.57–55.5% in diseased groups in comparison with healthy groups. However, the protein content of garlic was declined by infection of F. proliferatum in all genotypes. Elemental analysis revealed that there were notable drops in potassium and calcium levels, particularly in Local-Konya genotype, but the other elements in plants either increased or decreased accordingly. It was observed that garlic genotypes responded differently to F. proliferatum infection in organic acid components. These findings highlighted that F. proliferatum infestation in garlic enhanced phenolic production and antioxidant activities as a defense mechanism, but the amount of nutrient content of plants according to fertilization will also affect developing resistance to disease physiologically.

Antep fıstığı (Pistacia vera L.), yüksek besin değerine sahip olması ve uluslararası pazarlarda da talep görmesi nedeniyle stratejik bir tarım ürünü olarak kabul edilir. Son yıllarda üretim alanlarının genişlemesiyle birlikte, Antep fıstığı yetiştiriciliği artarken, hastalık ve zararlılarla mücadele ön plana çıkmaktadır. Septoria pistaciarum Caracc.’ın, sebep olduğu Septoria yaprak lekesi hastalığı Antep fıstığı ağaçlarında yaprak lekeleri oluşturan önemli bir fungal patojendir. Bu çalışmada farklı Pistacia türlerinden elde edilen on izolat üzerinde farklı gruptan yer alan fungisitlerin etkinlikleri araştırılmıştır. Patojen fungusun in vitro miseliyal radial gelişimin inhibe edilmesinde azoxystrobin + difenoconazole etken maddeli fungisitin 1.25 ml l-1 dozunda %85.15 düzeyinde en yüksek oranda gelişimin engellendiği, dodine’in 0.3 ml l-1 dozunda fungal gelişimin %10.30 ile en düşük düzeyde inhibe edildiği görülmüştür. Karabük ilinde S. pistaciarum ile bulaşık Antep fıstığı ağaçlarında yürütülen çalışmada boscalid + pyraclostrobin etken maddeli fungisitin 75 g/100 l su dozunda %85.81 oranında en yüksek biyolojik etkinliği göstediği, azoxystrobin + tebuconazole etken maddeli fungisitin 75 ml/100 l su dozunda %83.80 düzeyinde hastalık kontrolü sağladığı görülmüştür. Septoria yaprak lekesi hastalığının kontrolünde en düşük biyolojik etkinliği prochloraz (%33.44) etken maddeli fungisit göstermiştir. Bu sonuçlar, Antep fıstığı yetiştiriciliğinde Septoria yaprak lekesi hastalığı ile mücadelede kullanılan fungisitlerin etkililik oranlarını ortaya koyarak, hastalık kontrolü açısından önemli veriler sunmaktadır.

In this study, the biochemical profiles of five different genotypes of garlic (Allium sativum L.) harvested in different regions of Türkiye were investigated in detail, focusing on phenolic compounds, organic acids and sugar components. The analyses were carried out using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and showed that there were significant biochemical differences between the genotypes. A total of 18 phenolic compounds, 12 organic acids and 3 sugar components were determined in the samples. With the phenolic compounds and the antioxidant activity, while Genotype 4 had the highest chlorogenic acid (174.99 mg kg-1), Genotype 5 had the highest catechin hydrate (158.77 mg kg-1), gallic acid (22.35 mg kg-1) and o-coumaric acid (12.78 mg kg-1). The profile of organic acids was also presented, where Genotype 2 was the richest genotype for citric acid (7374.66 mg kg-1). Other significant organic acids, succinic (12747.34 mg kg-1) and isobutyric acid (149.54 mg kg-1) which were identified the highest in Genotype 5. As far as sugar components are concerned, sucrose levels showed a significant variation between the genotypes, where Genotype 5 had 3197.79 mg kg-1 and Genotype 4 had 1950.93 mg kg-1. There were statistically significant differences between the genotypes in terms of phenolic compounds, organic acids and sugar components (p<0.05), which are indicate that biochemical differences between genotypes are important in terms of agricultural and nutritional value. These data can be utilized by garlic breeders and garlic producers by regions.

Pistachio (Pistacia vera) propagation is commonly carried out by seedlings and new orchards are mostly set by in situ grafting of rootstocks. Pathogenic and molecular characterization of wilt and desiccation agents observed in nurseries and young orchards were carried out and the causal species were identified as Fusarium oxysporum and F. solani. In vitro inhibition of mycelial development and conidia germination were carried out with seven fungicides selected against the disease. The plant protection product containing Prothioconazole + Spiroxamine was found to be 100% effective in mycelial growth trials in F. oxysporum isolates from 20 mgL-1 and in F. solani from 100 mL-1 at all increasing doses. . The fungicide containing phosphoric acid was found to be 18.3%-33.3% effective on both species at 2.5 times the recommended dose. On conidial germination, Prothioconazole + Spiroxamine and Captan provided 100% inhibition even at the lowest doses in all isolates tested. The EC50 values of Prothioconazole + Spiroxamine, which was determined as the most effective chemical in mycelial development and conidial germination, were 3.67 ml and 3.72 ml in F. oxysporum isolates and 56.83 ml in F. solani, respectively.