Introduction

WOS: 000318196000020Comparative approaches between organic and conventional production systems allow the revealing of suitable crop management systems and perspectives for genetic improvement in grain crop production. For this purpose, two-year-field experiment with five advanced durum wheat lines was conducted under both organic and conventional conditions during 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 growing seasons. Grain yield and yield components (thousand grain weight, spike number per plant and grain number per spike) were determined. Significant positive correlation (r = 0.85**) was found between grain yield of wheat genotypes grown under organic and conventional conditions. Among yield components, a similar correlation (r = 0.74**) was evidenced only in grain number per spike. This suggests that the positive correlation between grain yield of wheat genotypes grown under both conditions is mainly regulated by this yield component. Our finding indicates that any conventional agronomic management which contributes to the increase of grain number per spike, or selected wheat cultivars which have higher value of this parameter may also be advantageous for organic wheat production systems. The critical phenological stage of expression of the character is pointed out, and the practical importance of the finding for facilitating the application of organic systems in durum wheat is underlined

Singlet Oxygen Quenching by Phenylamides and their Parent Compounds

This paper demonstrates for the first time that plant metabolites of the phenylamide type, conjugates of putrescine with hydroxycinnamic acids (p-coumaric, caffeic and ferulic), possess 1 O 2 quenching properties. Data were obtained confirming that their acidic parent compounds were also able to quench 1 O 2 , as did polyamines (putrescine, spermidine and spermine), and that this ability depends on the number of amino groups. Potentiation of the 1 O 2 quenching ability of the conjugates relative to both parent components was established. The importance of polyamines and phenylamides in the plant non-enzymatic antioxidant defence at sites of intensive 1 O 2 generation, such as the photosynthetic centers, was suggested

Plant-soil Water Status-induced Changes in Physiological and Biochemical Properties of Yarrow

WOS: 000392637400021As medicinal plants are generally collected from the wild flora, it is of fundamental importance to identify the optimum growth conditions for increasing the yield and quality potential of ex-situ cultivated plants. Effects of different soil water content [20, 40, 60 and 80 % of water holding capacity (WHC)] on growth, physiology and biochemical profile of Achillea millefolium group-related cv. Proa were investigated in the present study. Alterations in drug herbage, chlorophyll content, quantum efficiency of photosystem II, essential oil rate and composition, proline content and lipid peroxidation, antioxidant activity and flavonoid content of the plants under different plant and soil water status were determined. Decrease in soil water status under 40 % of WHC resulted in degradation of chlorophyll pigments, reduction in photochemical efficiency and lower dry matter production. The essential oil (EO) rate of cv. Proa was higher under limited and excessive water content of soil whereas the main component of EO, chamazulene, was negatively correlated with WHC of soil. Our results suggest a general trend of inverse correlation of antioxidant capacity and flavonoid content with essential oil rate in contrast to the positive correlation of these parameters with chamazulene content. The data obtained may serve as a basis of programming the optimum soil moisture conditions for successful cultivation of cv.Proa.Research Fund of TUBITAK (The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey)Turkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Arastirma Kurumu (TUBITAK); BAS (Bulgarian Academy of Science) [180O290]The authors thank Research Fund of TUBITAK (The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey) and BAS (Bulgarian Academy of Science) for their financial support (Bilateral project No. 180O290)

SOME AGRONOMIC AND QUALITY CHARACTERISTICS OF TWO Achillea asplenifolia Vent. POPULATIONS

WOS: 000392043000017The genus of Achillea L. consists of herbaceous plants are generally distributed in the northern hemisphere. Achillea asplenifolia and Achillea collina are the most important group of A. millefolium due to their highly effective pharmacological properties. Both species, A. asplenifolia and A. collina are distributed in the Europen flora but they don't exist in the Turkish flora. The present study aimed to determine some yield and quality characteristics of two populations, Achillea asplenifolia - 9602 and Achillea asplenifolia - 10403, belonging to Achillea asplenifolia Vent. collected from the flora of Bulgaria at Bornova and to select genotypes with high yield and quality. For this purpose a two years of field experiment was conducted in 2009 and 2010. Plant height (cm), green herbage yield (g/plant), drug herbage yield (g/plant), drug flos yield (g/plant) and essential oil content of populations were determined. Based on the results of two years of experiment minimum and maximum drug flos yield were 2 g/plant and 391.4 g/plant in Achillea asplenifolia - 9602. Essential oil rate ranged between 0.050-3.30%. Minimum and maximum drug flos yield of Achillea asplenifolia (10403) were 0 and 159.8 g/plant respectively and essential oil content ranged between 0-2.5%. A large distribution was found in both population of Achillea asplenifolia and especially population Achillea asplenifolia - 9602 was more remarkable and promising for selection studies.Scientific and Technical Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK)Turkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Arastirma Kurumu (TUBITAK) [108O290]We thank to the Scientific and Technical Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) for its financial support to this study (Project number: 108O290)