THE EFFECT OF THE FLORAL APPLICATION OF GIBBERELLIC ACID ON UNPOLLINATED INFLORESCENCES OF THE DATE PALM CULTIVAR ASSIANE (Phoenix dactylifera L.): A CASE STUDY OF FIGUIG OASIS, MOROCCO

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of Gibberellic Acid in mitigate the phenomenon of parthenocarpy and improve the fruit set in the date palm cultivar Assiane at Figuig Oasis in Morocco. For this, four different concentrations of Gibberellic Acid (GA3) viz., 5, 50, 100, and 200 ppm were applied on unpollinated inflorescences in two phases. The first dose of GA3 is applied at the time of spadices burst while the second one is applied after the seven days of the first one. The results obtained from the study showed that the application of gibberellic acid on unpollinated female inflorescences had a significant effect on the removal of parthenocarpy which resulting in the higher normal-looking fruits with normal seed and by promoting the maturity of parthenocarpic fruits. In the case of rate of thinning, the application of GA3 @ 5-100 ppm enhanced the flower drop, while the application at higher concentration i.e. 200 ppm promotes the retention and development of flowers. Further, the analysis of the ripe fruits sugars content by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) suggests that the application of GA3 did not have any significant effect on the sugar content and these treatments are not significantly different from the fruits of pollinated flowers

Tuberculous mastitis: a rare case report

Tuberculous mastitis is a granulomatous mastitis due to infection by mycobacterium tuberculosis. It’s a rare entity witch is often confused with breast carcinoma or pyogenic breast abscess because of its clinical and radiological aspect. The diagnosis is histological with identification of an epithelioid cell granulomas and necrosis. The treatment is based on anti-tuberculous therapy with a good clinical issue. Authors report a case of tubercular mastitis in a post-menopausal female diagnosed on adenectomy

A ruptured cornual pregnancy: a case report

A cornual gestation is a rare form of ectopic gestations accounting for 2-4% of all tubal pregnancies with a high rate of mortality among to 2%-2.5%. A 25 years old woman prima gravida was presented to the obstetrical emergency department with 8 weeks amenorrhea, lower abdominal pain and vaginal bleeding. A clinical diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy was made and confirmed using Ultrasonography and serum beta-hCG test. On laparotomy exploration authors found a left cornual ruptured ectopic pregnancy then authors made a left cornual resection with left salpingectomy. There were no postoperative complications

Calibration of Thermal Dissipation Probes for Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.)

The quantification of water flow through the stem is vital for date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) to promote a good water stress management. The thermal dissipation probe (TDP) method developed by Granier is widely used to evaluate transpiration of forest trees; however, there are contradictory reports regarding its reliability. Considerable errors in estimated sap flux density, which might be due to a lack ofspecies-specific calibrations. The TDP method uses a mathematical model that is based on an empirical equation to estimate sap flux density, which is claimed to be applicable to all tree species, independently of wood structure and anatomy. At the laboratory, we compared the rate of water uptake by cut stems with sap flux estimates derived from the TDP method to assess the validity of the method.Our calibration results were considerably different compared to the Granier’s original equation. Moreover, sap flux density was overestimated by 18.2 ± 0.5% when the original calibration parameters of Granierare employed. However, using new calibration parameters improved the accuracy of sap flow measurements. Our results indicated that it is not appropriate to use a general equation for different species. Therefore, previous estimations of date palm’s water requirement through thermal dissipation probes should be revised

Calibration of Thermal Dissipation Probes for Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.)

The quantification of water flow through the stem is vital for date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) to promote a good water stress management. The thermal dissipation probe (TDP) method developed by Granier is widely used to evaluate transpiration of forest trees; however, there are contradictory reports regarding its reliability. Considerable errors in estimated sap flux density, which might be due to a lack ofspecies-specific calibrations. The TDP method uses a mathematical model that is based on an empirical equation to estimate sap flux density, which is claimed to be applicable to all tree species, independently of wood structure and anatomy. At the laboratory, we compared the rate of water uptake by cut stems with sap flux estimates derived from the TDP method to assess the validity of the method.Our calibration results were considerably different compared to the Granier’s original equation. Moreover, sap flux density was overestimated by 18.2 ± 0.5% when the original calibration parameters of Granierare employed. However, using new calibration parameters improved the accuracy of sap flow measurements. Our results indicated that it is not appropriate to use a general equation for different species. Therefore, previous estimations of date palm’s water requirement through thermal dissipation probes should be revised

Development in Astronomy and Space Science in Africa

The development of astronomy and space science in Africa has grown significantly over the past few years. These advancements make the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals more achievable, and open up the possibility of new beneficial collaborations.Comment: Paper published in Nature Astronomy. Figures 1 and 2 are included in the published version, that can be seen at https://rdcu.be/2oE

Popularising science through astronomy, an Algerian experience in grassroot activism and its academic spin-off

We relate the success story of an amateur astronomy association based at Constantine, which has spearheaded the efforts of spreading astronomy and scientific culture in Algeria. This association has organised throughout the past decade many activities from large national yearly gatherings to a weekly radio program, through public sighting campaigns. It has been instrumental in the establishment of a pluri-university graduate study program in astrophysics, the so called Ecole Doctorale d’Astrophysique (EDA), the first of its kind in Algeria. We describe in particular how astronomers from various parts of Algeria involved in amateur astronomy have known each other, and banded together to the point of constituting a critical size group able to set up such a national graduate program with plans for the establishment of the first observatory in our country, the Aur`es Observatory in Eastern Algeria Aur`es mountain range. A strong interest for the project has been shown by the astronomical community, some site testing undertaken, and international collaboration sought. With some dedicated support, its foundation could take place within the year 2009. Could IAY2009 be turned into an annus mirabilis for Algeria and a showcase for the astronomy community worldwide with behind it a textbook case of synergy between amateur astronomy and academic endeavor in the astronomical sciences

Effects of climate change on the rate of parthenocarpy of date palm (Phœnix dactylifera L.): Case of the cultivar Assiane in the oasis of Figuig

Depuis 2015, la parthénocarpie a réduit la production dattière du cultivar dominant de l’oasis de Figuig. La maitrise de la pollinisation traditionnelle par les Figuiguis laisse supposer que des liens de causalité devrait exister entre ce phénomène chez le cultivar Assiane et les changements climatiques. Pour vérifier cette hypothèse, nous nous sommes basés sur l’étude de l’effet de l’ensachage des inflorescences, après leur pollinisation, avec trois types de voiles en polyéthylène (P 17 g/m², P 30 g/m² et P 60 g/m²). L’analyse des résultats a montré que les phases de la pollinisation et de la nouaison sont très vulnérables à la température. En effet, l’émergence précoce des inflorescences femelles à partir du mois de janvier et parfois en mi-décembre rend la mise à fruits difficile à cause des basses températures qui sévissent durant cette période. La protection des inflorescences par les voiles a permis de créer des conditions favorables à la germination des grains de pollen grâce aux températures favorables qui ont été enregistrées au stade fin-floraison. En effet, les voiles P17, P30 et P60 ont permis des taux de nouaison supérieurs à celui du témoin de 21,8; 23,4 et 30,4% et une amélioration de la production dattière de 70,3; 137,8 et de 159,4% respectivement. Mots clés: Oasis de Figuig, Cultivar Assiane, Parthénocarpie, Changements climatiques, basses températures, Nouaison, Voiles en polyéthylèneDespite the mastery of the pollination operation by Figuigui date palm farmers, parthenocarpy has led, since 2015, to an alarming drop in date production of the Assiane cultivar, which represents more than 51% of the oasis' plants. The present research aims to verify the hypothesis of the existence of causal links between parthenocarpy in date palms and the climatic changes in the Figuig oasis. To achieve this objective, we conducted a study on the effect of bagging the inflorescences of cultivar Assiane after their pollination, with three types of polyethylene veils (P17g/m², P30g/m² and P60g/m²), on the rate of fruit set and parthenocarpy. The analysis of the results showed, first, that the pollination and fruit setting phases are very vulnerable to temperature. Indeed, the low temperatures during the three flowering stages made fruiting difficult. Furthermore, the bagging of the inflorescences allowed to create favorable conditions for the germination of pollen grains thanks to the favorable temperatures that were recorded at the end-flowering stage. Clearly, the P17, P30 and P60 veils allowed higher fruit set rates than the control of 21.8, 23.4 and 30.4% and an improvement in date production of 70.3, 137.8 and 159.4% respectively. Keywords: Oasis of Figuig, Cultivar Assiane, Climate change, Parthenocarpy, Fruit set, low temperature, Polyethylene sail