Category Archives: vol2-no1

Evaluation of Some Atriplex Accessions under Salt Stress Conditions and their Molecular Characterization Using ISSR Technique

Basem Alsamman*(1) Yousef Wjhani(1) Marwan Cheikh-Al basatneh(2) and Wael Yousef(1)

(1). Biotechnology Department, General Commission for Scientific Agricultural Research (GCSAR), Damascus, Syria.
(2). Damascus University, Faculty of Sciences, Ecology Department.

(*Corresponding author: Dr. Basem Alsamman, Biotechnology Department, (GCSAR), Damascus, Syria. E-mail:  basemhsam1@yahoo.com).

Received: 08/08/ 2014                                                 Accepted: 09/03/ 2015

Abstract

The study was carried out at Saalow Research Station, in Der Al Zur, General Commission for Scientific Agricultural Research (GCSAR), Der Al Zur, Syria, during the agricultural seasons 2008/2009- 2009/2010, 2010/2011 to evaluate the performance of four accessions related to the genus Atriplex, i.e. A. leucoclada, A. canescens, A. halimus1 (from Syria) and A. halimus2 (from Tunisia) under soil salinity stress conditions depending on a number of morphological indicators. ISSR technique (Inter Simple Sequence Repeats) was used for molecular characterization using 10 primers. The results showed that the studied accessions varied in their response for salinity stress conditions, the average of plant height in Atriplex halimus2 (203.3 cm) was significantly higher than the other accessions, A. halimus1, A. leucoclada and A. canescens (177.8, 72 and 64.3 cm), respectively. A. halimus1 and A. halimus2 revealed the highest tolerance to soil salinity (EC20 dSm-1) followed by A. leucoclada and lastly A. canescens. Results showed vast genetic variation among the studied accessions, all primers proved their effectiveness in showing polymorphism between the studied accessions; primers gave 132 bands with a polymorphic percentage 98%. The number of bands of each primer varied from minimum 7 bands for the primer (ISSR-17899b) to maximum 22 bands in the primer (ISSR-862) with average of 13.2 bands of each primer.

Key words: Atriplex, Soil salinity, Molecular characterization, ISSR.

Full paper in Arabic : تقييم بعض مدخلات الرغل تحت ظروف الإجهاد الملحي وتوصيفها جزيئياً باستخدام تقنية ISSR

Self-sterility in Some Olive Cultivars and its Influence on Parthenocarpic Fruits  “Shotberries” Formation

Mohammad Mhnna*(1) Faisal Douay(2) and Fadel Al-Qaiem(3)

(1). Siano Research Station, Scientific Agricultural Research Center of Lattakia, (GCSAR), Lattakia, Syria.
(2). Horticulture Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Tishreen University, Lattakia, Syria.
(3). Scientific Agricultural Research Center of Lattakia, (GCSAR), Lattakia, Syria.

(*Corresponding author: Eng. Mohammad Mhanna, Siano Research Station, Scientific Agricultural Research Center of Lattakia, (GCSAR), Lattakia, Syria.
E-Mail: Agrihort@yahoo.com. Mobile: +963 0999160267).

Received: 15/02/2015                         Accepted: 12/03/2015

 Abstract

The research was conducted in 2013 and 2014 at Bouqa region- Latakia governorate, Syria, to study the self-sterility on olive cultivars i.e.  “Khodeiri”,  “Frantoio”  and french  “Picholine, and its influence on commercially useless fruits” Shotberries “by evaluating self-incompatibility and  “shotberries”  ratios which are developed after self- vs.- open- pollination, also anatomical studies of fruits were conducted to estimate the fertilization if so. The results showed that the pollen viability was adequate and over 64% for all cultivars. All studied cultivars were suffering from self-incompatibility in different degrees (ISIkhodeiri=0.21-0.24, ISIpicholine=0-0.09, ISIfrantoio=0.12-0.19). Self-pollination produced high ratios of commercially useless fruits “Shotberries” and their ratios increased in 2014 season due to drought. Anatomical study showed that all “Shotberries” were seedless and were produced from un-fertilized flowers, which caused this an irregular development. Shotberries were completely dropped before harvesting time. The results confirmed the importance of planting a mixture of cultivars in olive fields to improve production and reduce the ratio of unwanted commercially useless fruits.

Key words: Olive, Parthenocarpic fruits, ISI.

Full paper in Arabic:  العقم الذاتي في بعض أصناف الزيتون وتأثيره في تشكل الثمار البكرية
(Shotberries)