Roles of gibberellic acid and zinc sulphate in increasing size and weight of olive fruit

Olive trees (Olea europaea L. cv. Shengeh) were treated with gibberellic acid (GA3) at 0, 15, 30 and 45 ppm and zinc sulphate at 0, 0.25, 0.5 and 0.75% when fruit were at 70% of their final size in experiments carried out in 2007 season. The effect of GA3 and ZnSO4 treatments on yield and some variables related to fruit characteristics (fruit, pit and pulp weight, pulp/pit weight ratio, fruit length and diameter, pit length and diameter, fruit L/D ratio, pit L/D ratio fruit volume) was analyzed. Fruit weight was significantly increased most by concentrations of GA3 and ZnSO4 treatments with respect to control trees, due to an increase in fruit size. GA3 spray at the 30 ppm concentration was more effective in improving yield than spraying GA3 at other concentrations and control. Thus, these treatments accelerated fruit growth of olive, and also increased both fruit size and total yield per tree, allowing for an increase in its economic value. Use of 0.5% ZnSO4 + 30 ppm GA3 treatments was optimum for improvement of olive fruit yield

Micropropagation of three endemic and endangered fig (Ficus carica L.) genotypes

In this research, in vitro propagation of three endangered and endemic fig genotypes named ‘Bargchenari’, ‘Dehdez’ and ‘Runu’ were investigated. For shoots proliferation, nodal explants on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium were treated with different concentrations of growth regulators. Rooting of shoots was initiated by the use of MS and MS/2 media and various concentrations of Indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) (0, 0.5, 1 or 1.5 mg l-1). The experiments were conducted in a completely randomized design. Results showed that shoots proliferation improved as subcultures increased. The highest shoot numbers per explant 13.67 and 8.8 were achieved eight weeks after second subculture in ‘Runu’ and ‘Bargchenari’ genotypes respectively, when MS medium supplemented with 0.5 mg l-1 benzyl adenine (BA) and 0.2 mg l-1 N6-(Δ2-isopentenyl)adenine (2ip). In ‘Dehdez’ genotype, the number of shoots was 4.4 per explant, when culture media were supplemented with 6 mg l-1 Kinetin (Kn) and 0.2 mg l-1 6-α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA). The highest root numbers (2.23) were obtained in ‘Bargchenari’ genotype on MS/2 medium containing 1.5 mg l-1 IBA

In vitro drought effects on morphological and physiological indices of two fig (Ficus carica L.) cultivars

In vitro responses of two fig cultivars, ‘Sabz’ and ‘Siah’, were evaluated in MS media containing four levels of polyethylene glycol (PEG) (0, 2, 4, 6%) as a simulation of water stress. The results showed that in Sabz cultivar, shoot length, shoot fresh and dry weights were 43, 36 and 25%, respectively, lower than control in drought treatments caused by 4% PEG, while the leaf area and specific leaf area were not significantly (P>0.05) affected. In Siah cultivar, shoot length, fresh and dry weights were 57, 58 and 40%, respectively, lower in stressed media in comparison to control. In contrast to Sabz cultivar, leaf area and specific leaf area of Siah cultivar were significantly reduced by addition of 6% PEG (56 and 21.5%, respectively). Naturally, the amount of proline in ‘Sabz’ was higher than in ‘Siah’ (81.8 µmole g-1 versus 16.7 µmole g-1). However, in both cultivars, with the addition of PEG in culture media, leaf proline content was increased, in comparison to control. With increasing PEG% in culture media, the amount of leaf soluble sugars content increased and the amount of starch decreased. The results show that ‘Siah’ is more sensitive to drought than ‘Sabz’ and that in vitro culture can be used to evaluate drought tolerance of cultivars

In vitro drought effects on morphological and physiological indices of two fig (Ficus carica L.) cultivars

In vitro responses of two fig cultivars, ‘Sabz’ and ‘Siah’, were evaluated in MS media containing four levels of polyethylene glycol (PEG) (0, 2, 4, 6%) as a simulation of water stress. The results showed that in Sabz cultivar, shoot length, shoot fresh and dry weights were 43, 36 and 25%, respectively, lower than control in drought treatments caused by 4% PEG, while the leaf area and specific leaf area were not significantly (P>0.05) affected. In Siah cultivar, shoot length, fresh and dry weights were 57, 58 and 40%, respectively, lower in stressed media in comparison to control. In contrast to Sabz cultivar, leaf area and specific leaf area of Siah cultivar were significantly reduced by addition of 6% PEG (56 and 21.5%, respectively). Naturally, the amount of proline in ‘Sabz’ was higher than in ‘Siah’ (81.8 µmole g-1 versus 16.7 µmole g-1). However, in both cultivars, with the addition of PEG in culture media, leaf proline content was increased, in comparison to control. With increasing PEG% in culture media, the amount of leaf soluble sugars content increased and the amount of starch decreased. The results show that ‘Siah’ is more sensitive to drought than ‘Sabz’ and that in vitro culture can be used to evaluate drought tolerance of cultivars

Tissue Culture of Rubus sp. by Different Methods and Assessment of Genetic Fidelity of Regenerated Plants Using RAPD

Different methods employed in plant tissue culture can provide a valuable source of plants for the horticultural industry and novel germplasm for breeding programs, but the genetic fidelity and lack of somaclonal variation of regenerated plants needs to be verified. In this study, the genetic fidelity of blackberry (Rubus hirtus Waldst. & Kit.) plants regenerated in vitro was assessed with 11 randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers. Three routes were assessed: callus induction on Yasuda medium with 6-benzyladenine (BA, 8.88 μM), 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA, 10.84 μM) and glycerol (2%, v/v), somatic embryogenesis on Murashige and Skoog (MS) supplemented with 7.57 μM abscisic acid (ABA), and micropropagation from single nodes on MS basal medium containing NAA (0 and 2.86 μM) and BA (0, 4.44, 8.88 and 17.76 μM). MS medium with 2.86 μM NAA and 8.88 or 17,76 μM BA was the most effective medium for axillary shoot multiplication of R. hirtus and Rubus sanctus Schreb. from nodal segments. A total of 618 fragments were successfully generated by RAPD and the maximum of loci was observed in primer 1204-209 that show 10 and 69 bands. Genetic similarity exceeded 86% when regenerated plants were compared to mother plants. Based on the RAPD data profile, almost true-to-type plants were produced by different methods of plant regeneration (direct shoot regeneration, somatic embryogenesis and organogenesis)

Anatomical and morphological changes in scion of some olive grafting combinations under water deficit

Effects of water stress deficit were studied on xylem anatomical fea- tures and some growth parameters among six olive grafting combinations; Amygdalifolia/Arbequina (Am/Ar), Amygdalifolia/Koroneiki (Am/Ko), Amygdalifolia/Zard (Am/Z), Conservallia/Koroneiki (Co/Ko), Conservallia/Zard (Co/Z) and Conservallia/Arbequina (Co/Ar) of about three-year-old olive trees (Olea europaea L.) under greenhouse conditions. To realize this, a factorial experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design (CRD). The results showed that rootstocks exhibited significant effects on scions xylem anatomical physiognomies, such as vessel lumen area (VLA) and vessel diame- ter (VD) and additionally on some growth indices including main stem length (SL), lateral shoot number (LSN) and graft union-cross sectional area (GU-CSA). Xylem anatomical characteristics including VLA, porosity, vessel frequency (VF) and VD of scions decreased when they were grafted onto Arbequina and Koroneiki rootstocks, but increased onto Zard rootstock. All growth parameters showed a decrease under drought stress, while this reduction was more pro- nounced for Zard rootstock than the other rootstocks. However, Co/Z showed the highest VF and the lowest vulnerability index (VI) and exhibited a better performance at the end of recovery.

Tissue Culture of Rubus sp. by Different Methods and Assessment of Genetic Fidelity of Regenerated Plants Using RAPD

Different methods employed in plant tissue culture can provide a valuable source of plants for the horticultural industry and novel germplasm for breeding programs, but the genetic fidelity and lack of somaclonal variation of regenerated plants needs to be verified. In this study, the genetic fidelity of blackberry (Rubus hirtus Waldst. & Kit.) plants regenerated in vitro was assessed with 11 randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers. Three routes were assessed: callus induction on Yasuda medium with 6-benzyladenine (BA, 8.88 μM), 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA, 10.84 μM) and glycerol (2%, v/v), somatic embryogenesis on Murashige and Skoog (MS) supplemented with 7.57 μM abscisic acid (ABA), and micropropagation from single nodes on MS basal medium containing NAA (0 and 2.86 μM) and BA (0, 4.44, 8.88 and 17.76 μM). MS medium with 2.86 μM NAA and 8.88 or 17,76 μM BA was the most effective medium for axillary shoot multiplication of R. hirtus and Rubus sanctus Schreb. from nodal segments. A total of 618 fragments were successfully generated by RAPD and the maximum of loci was observed in primer 1204-209 that show 10 and 69 bands. Genetic similarity exceeded 86% when regenerated plants were compared to mother plants. Based on the RAPD data profile, almost true-to-type plants were produced by different methods of plant regeneration (direct shoot regeneration, somatic embryogenesis and organogenesis)