INFLUENCES OF THE SOIL PHYSICO-CHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS ON THE MINERAL COMPOSITION OF THE MOROCCAN STRAWBERRY TREE (Arbutus unedo L)

Leaf mineral composition reflects the complex interaction between soil, climate, and plant genetic and epigenetic background in terms of organic and inorganic composition. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of seven soil compositions on the mineral contents of Strawberry leaves (Arbutus unedo) under Moroccan conditions. The obtained results demonstrated a significant positive correlation between the soil nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium levels and their levels in the Strawberry plant leaves. Also, a positive relation was reported between the soil organic matter and the level of manganese and phosphorus in leaves. Moreover, a significant negative correlation was demonstrated between the soil organic matter and the plant pH level. These correlations were confirmed by the principal component analysis (PCA) which demonstrated the presence of three principal components accounting for 54.42% of the total variations, reflecting the important proportions of the various patterns of mineral and organic traits among accessions. In PCA, the most discriminative traits were clustered in PC1 and PC2. These findings may highlight the specific mineral needs for the A. unedo plant for its optimal cultivation and subsequent domestication in Morocco

MOROCCAN STRAWBERRY TREE (Arbutus Unedo L.) LEAVES: COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE NUTRITIONAL VALUE AND MINERAL COMPOSITION

Strawberry tree (Arbutus Unedo L.) is one of the evergreen trees that grow spontaneously in Moroccan forests. This tall shrub is traditionally used in grazing zones of some Moroccan areas, especially during the dry season, but its value in Morocco has still been underestimated. In this paper, the nutritional composition of A. unedo leaves sample collected from seven Moroccan regions has been assessed. For this, the leaves were dried, crushed, and chemically analyzed for their proximate composition, energetic value, total and reducing sugar, and mineral composition. Results of this study suggested that samples from BniAarouse (BA) region showed the highest contents of essential nutrients such as proteins, dietary fiber, ashes, and fat with average values of 7.53, 17.89, 4.14, and 8.05 g/ 100 g of dry weight, respectively, which positively influences its consumption by small ruminants. Cluster analysis based on surveyed parameters separated the strawberries individuals into four distinct groups, providing a high variability among and within studied locations. That could be related to the diversity of the edaphoclimatic conditions between regions and to the genetic effect. The results of the present study highlighted the potential use of leaves as livestock feed, with intermediate quality, and promotes their optimal cultivation and subsequent domestication in Morocco

First draft genome assembly of the Argane tree (Argania spinosa)

Background: The Argane tree (Argania spinosa L. Skeels) is an endemic tree of southwestern Morocco that plays an important socioeconomic and ecologic role for a dense human population in an arid zone. Several studies confirmed the importance of this species as a food and feed source and as a resource for both pharmaceutical and cosmetic compounds. Unfortunately, the argane tree ecosystem is facing significant threats from environmental changes (global warming, over-population) and over-exploitation. Limited research has been conducted, however, on argane tree genetics and genomics, which hinders its conservation and genetic improvement. Methods: Here, we present a draft genome assembly of A. spinosa. A reliable reference genome of A. spinosa was created using a hybrid de novo assembly approach combining short and long sequencing reads. Results: In total, 144 Gb Illumina HiSeq reads and 7.2 Gb PacBio reads were produced and assembled. The final draft genome comprises 75 327 scaffolds totaling 671 Mb with an N50 of 49 916 kb. The draft assembly is close to the genome size estimated by k-mers distribution and covers 89% of complete and 4.3 % of partial Arabidopsis orthologous groups in BUSCO. Conclusion: The A. spinosa genome will be useful for assessing biodiversity leading to efficient conservation of this endangered endemic tree. Furthermore, the genome may enable genome-assisted cultivar breeding, and provide a better understanding of important metabolic pathways and their underlying genes for both cosmetic and pharmacological purposes

First draft genome assembly of the Argane tree (Argania spinosa) [version 2; peer review: 2 approved]

BACKGROUND : The Argane tree (Argania spinosa L. Skeels) is an endemic tree of mid-western Morocco that plays an important socioeconomic and ecologic role for a dense human population in an arid zone. Several studies confirmed the importance of this species as a food and feed source and as a resource for both pharmaceutical and cosmetic compounds. Unfortunately, the argane tree ecosystem is facing significant threats from environmental changes (global warming, over-population) and over-exploitation. Limited research has been conducted, however, on argane tree genetics and genomics, which hinders its conservation and genetic improvement. METHODS : Here, we present a draft genome assembly of A. spinosa. A reliable reference genome of A. spinosa was created using a hybrid de novo assembly approach combining short and long sequencing reads. RESULTS : In total, 144 Gb Illumina HiSeq reads and 7.6 Gb PacBio reads were produced and assembled. The final draft genome comprises 75 327 scaffolds totaling 671 Mb with an N50 of 49 916 kb. The draft assembly is close to the genome size estimated by k-mers distribution and covers 89% of complete and 4.3 % of partial Arabidopsis orthologous groups in BUSCO. CONCLUSION : The A. spinosa genome will be useful for assessing biodiversity leading to efficient conservation of this endangered endemic tree. Furthermore, the genome may enable genome-assisted cultivar breeding, and provide a better understanding of important metabolic pathways and their underlying genes for both cosmetic and pharmacological.DATA AVAILABILITY: All of the A. spinosa datasets can be retrieved under BioProject accession number PRJNA294096: http://identifiers.org/ bioproject:PRJNA294096. The raw reads are available at NCBI Sequence Reads Archive under accession number SRP077839: http://identifiers.org/insdc.sra:SRP077839. The complete genome sequence assembly project has been deposited at GenBank under accession number QLOD00000000: http://identifiers. org/ncbigi/GI:1408199612. Data can also be retrieved via the International Argane Genome Consortium (IAGC) website: http://www.arganome.org.https://f1000research.compm2021BiochemistryGeneticsMicrobiology and Plant Patholog

Impact of Water Stress on the Productivity and Quality Parameters of Wheat and Their Potential Use in the Breeding Program

Wheat occupies a prominent place at the national and international levels. This food crop is considered a main source of human and animal nutrition. Water stress is one of the main causes of the decline in bread wheat production in Morocco. Therefore, breeding for resilient varieties is of great importance to overcome this challenge. In this context, the main objective of this study is to assess the impact of drought on the productivity of bread wheat and to determine the key selection criteria for drought tolerance in a Mediterranean environment. To do this, 31 varieties and lines of bread wheat were evaluated at two contrasted INRA experimental stations during the 2020–2021 cropping season. Five productivity and quality parameters were assessed: grain yield, biomass, number of fertile spikes, thousand grain weight, and protein content. The results demonstrate the negative impact of water stress on the various parameters studied, except for the protein content which was higher in arid conditions compared to the favourable ones. Based on correlation analysis, the number of fertile spikes and the biomass could constitute the potential selection criteria for drought resistance. These trials will be repeated for several years under the effect of other intensities of stress and agro-ecosystems and by incorporating other parameters to confirm the results obtained. The line “BT19I5” showed great yield potential under both conditions and can be of great interest for farmers and for potential release at the national program

Moroccan Strawberry Tree (Arbutus unedo L.) Fruits: Nutritional Value and Mineral Composition

The strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo L.), grown throughout the Mediterranean, produces edible fruit; as it is easily bruised, the sweet, reddish fruit is used mostly to prepare jams, marmalades and alcoholic beverages. As the genus is paraphyletic, phytochemical analysis can assist in defining the fruit composition with the species Arbutus unedo L. (A. unedo). Here we report on the carbohydrate, total sugar, protein, fat, fiber, ash, and mineral content of wild fruit, harvested from 45 specimens from five locations. The dominant nutrients were carbohydrates (78.2–84.8 g/100 g), total sugars (52.1–67.2 g/100 g) and dietary fiber (11.0–20.1 g/100 g). Other important nutrients supplied by A. unedo fruit include P, K, and Fe. The fruit was observed to contain health-promoting components providing 42 and 36%, of recommended daily allowance (RDA) for fiber and zinc, respectively, as well as iron and manganese, at levels exceeding minimum RDA. The free-sugar profile revealed high glucose followed by fructose content with minor amounts of sucrose (14, 11, and 6 g/100 g, respectively). Significant differences both between regions and within individuals were observed for several traits. The richness of fruit nutrients in A. unedo confers nutritional value and as such, a promising alternative fruit source

In Vitro Root Induction from Argan (Argania spinosa (L.) Skeels) Adventitious Shoots: Influence of Ammonium Nitrate, Auxins, Silver Nitrate and Putrescine, and Evaluation of Plantlet Acclimatization

Argania spinosa (L.) Skeels is an endangered plant species endemic to Morocco. In recent years, attempts to develop in vitro regeneration systems for this species were made. However, rooting and acclimatization of in vitro plants have been a bottleneck for successful propagation. In the present study, the effects of different concentrations of auxins, putrescine, silver nitrate (AgNO3) and ammonium nitrate on the in vitro rooting of adventitious shoots of two argan genotypes “Mejji” and “R’zwa”, were evaluated. The highest rooting percentages (86.6% in “Mejji” and 84.4% in “R’zwa”) were observed on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium modified by reducing the ammonium nitrate concentration and supplemented with 1.5 mg L−1 indole-3-butyric acid (IBA), 0.5 mg L−1 1-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA), 2 mg L−1 AgNO3 and 160 mg L−1 putrescine. This medium resulted in the development of a good root system after only 10 days of culture. Plantlet acclimatization was carried out using different substrate mixtures, and high survival rates (100%) were observed when the substrate contained either peat alone or a sand–peat mixture (1:1, w/w). The high percentages of rooting and acclimatization reported in the present study are of high importance for rapid and large-scale propagation of this endangered species

Antagonistic potential of Moroccan entomopathogenic nematodes against root-knot nematodes, Meloidogyne javanica on tomato under greenhouse conditions

The root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne javanica is a devastating pest affecting tomato production worldwide. Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) are considered very promising biocontrol agents that could be used to effectively manage plant-parasitic nematode. The antagonistic activity of five EPN strains isolated from different fields in Morocco was evaluated against juvenile (J2s) antagonism in soil, the number of egg masses, and the galling index of M. javanica and J2s reproduction in the root. In greenhouse experiments, Steinernema feltiae strains (EL45 and SF-MOR9), Steinernema sp. (EL30), and those of Heterorhabditis bacteriophora (HB-MOR7 and EL27) were applied to the soil alongside RKN J2s. There was a significant reduction in M. javanica densities in the soil and roots by EPNs treatments when compared to the positive control. The EPNs decreased both egg masses formation and galling index by 80% compared to the positive control. The application of EPNs at a rate of 50 and 75 infective juveniles (IJs) cm−2 gave significant control of all studied nematological parameters compared to the positive control, which confirmed the importance of the doses applied. The applied dose was significantly correlated with M. javanica parameters according to polynomial regression models. The results also showed that S. feltiae strain (EL45) significantly increased plant height and root length, while H. bacteriophora strain (HB-MOR7) only enhanced root fresh weight. Therefore, both indigenous EPN strains; EL45 and SF-MOR9 have eco-friendly biological potential against M. javanica in vegetable crops

First draft genome assembly of the Argane tree (Argania spinosa)

BACKGROUND : The Argane tree (Argania spinosa L. Skeels) is an endemic tree of southwestern Morocco that plays an important socioeconomic and ecologic role for a dense human population in an arid zone. Several studies confirmed the importance of this species as a food and feed source and as a resource for both pharmaceutical and cosmetic compounds. Unfortunately, the argane tree ecosystem is facing significant threats from environmental changes (global warming, over-population) and over-exploitation. Limited research has been conducted, however, on argane tree genetics and genomics, which hinders its conservation and genetic improvement. METHODS : Here, we present a draft genome assembly of A. spinosa. A reliable reference genome of A. spinosa was created using a hybrid de novo assembly approach combining short and long sequencing reads. RESULTS : In total, 144 Gb Illumina HiSeq reads and 7.2 Gb PacBio reads were produced and assembled. The final draft genome comprises 75 327 scaffolds totaling 671 Mb with an N50 of 49 916 kb. The draft assembly is close to the genome size estimated by k-mers distribution and covers 89% of complete and 4.3 % of partial Arabidopsis orthologous groups in BUSCO. CONCLUSION : The A. spinosa genome will be useful for assessing biodiversity leading to efficient conservation of this endangered endemic tree. Furthermore, the genome may enable genome-assisted cultivar breeding, and provide a better understanding of important metabolic pathways and their underlying genes for both cosmetic and pharmacological purposes.This work was supported by the Iridian Genome Foundation (MD, USA). H.G. is supported by a Grant from the NIH (MD, USA) for H3ABioNet/H3Africa (grant numbers U41HG006941 and U24 HG006941). O.B. and B.C. are Fulbright JSD (USA) grant recipients. This work also benefited from support of Midterm Research Program of INRA-Morocco through the use of its bioinformatics platform.https://f1000research.comam2019Genetic