Turgay Unver, Zhangyan Wu, Lieven Sterck, Mine Turktas, Rolf Lohaus, Zhen Li, Ming Yang, Lijuan He, Tianquan Deng, Francisco Javier Escalante, Carlos Llorens, Francisco J. Roig, Iskender Parmaksiz, Ekrem Dundar, Fuliang Xie, Baohong Zhang, Arif Ipek, Serkan Uranbey, Mustafa Erayman, Emre Ilhan, Oussama Badad, Hassan Ghazal, David A. Lightfoot, Pavan Kasarla, Vincent Colantonio, Huseyin Tombuloglu, Pilar Hernandez, Nurengin Mete, Oznur Cetin, Marc Van Montagu, Huanming Yang, Qiang Gao, Gabriel Dorado , Yves Van de Peer

A two-year study was conducted to determine plant biomass, plant height, seed yield, fatty acid and essential oil contents and essential oil composition of coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) cultivars across different irrigation levels in a semiarid climate area of Kayseri, Turkey. The experimental design was a randomized complete block arranged in split plot arrangement with three replications. The main plots were cultivars Gurbuz and Aslan, the subplots were irrigation levels 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100%, assigned as S-0, S-1, S-2, S-3 and S-4, respectively. Growth season of autumn sowed corianders lasted about 270 days and the plant consumed water between 265-680 mm according to the applied water level. Coriander is a slightly sensitive plant to water stress since seed yield response factor of both coriander cultivars were found slightly higher than 1. Higher seed and essential oil yields were obtained with elevated water application. Water stress caused decrease in coriander biomass, plant height, seed yield and essential oil yield. Fatty acid and essential oil ratios were not changed significantly by water stress. Main essential oil component linalool was not changed with changing water amounts. Non-stable differences in essential oil components were observed between coriander varieties in both years. In coriander cultivation, timely irrigation with enough water is very crucial to obtain the highest seed yield and essential oil yield.

Alkaloids are diverse group of secondary metabolites generally found in plants. Opium poppy (Papaver somniferum L.), the only commercial source of morphinan alkaloids, has been used as a medicinal plant since ancient times. It produces benzylisoquinoline alkaloids (BIA) including the narcotic analgesic morphine, the muscle relaxant papaverine, and the anti-cancer agent noscapine. Though BIAs play crucial roles in many biological mechanisms their steps in biosynthesis and the responsible genes remain to be revealed. In this study, expressions of 3-hydroxy-N-methylcoclaurine 4'-methyltransferase (4'OMT) and reticuline 7-O-methyltransferase (7OMT) genes were subjected to manipulation to functionally characterize their roles in BIA biosynthesis. Measurements of alkaloid accumulation were performed in leaf, stem, and capsule tissues accordingly. Suppression of 4'OMT expression caused reduction in the total alkaloid content in stem tissue whereas total alkaloid content was significantly induced in the capsule. Silencing of the 7OMT gene also caused repression in total alkaloid content in the stem. On the other hand, over-expression of 4'OMT and 7OMT resulted in higher morphine accumulation in the stem but suppressed amount in the capsule. Moreover, differential expression in several BIA synthesis genes (CNMT, TYDC, 6OMT, SAT, COR, 4'OMT, and 7OMT) were observed upon manipulation of 4'OMT and 7OMT expression. Upon silencing and overexpression applications, tissue specific effects of these genes were identified. Manipulation of 4'OMT and 7OMT genes caused differentiated accumulation of BIAs including morphine and noscapine in capsule and stem tissues.

Bu calisma kapsaminda, endemik Iris galatica turunun in vitro cogaltilmasi icin bir protokol gelistirilmistir. Bu amacla Iris galatica turune ait olgunlasmamis embriyolar ve in vitro gelisen surgunlerden elde edilen yapraklar farkli konsantrasyon ve kombinasyonlarda thidiazuron (TDZ), 6-benzilaminopurin (BAP) ve α–naftalenasetik asit (NAA) iceren Murashige ve Skoog (MS) besin ortamlarinda kulture alinmistir. Eksplant basina olgunlasmamis embriyolardan 4.85, yapraklardan ise 3.04 adet surgun elde edilmistir. Rejenere olan surgunler 3-5 cm uzunluga ulastigi zaman koklendirmeye alinmistir ve en iyi koklenme 1 mg/l IBA veya 1 mg/l NAA iceren ortamlardan elde edilmistir.

Muscari azureum with beautiful white and sky blue flowers is an important endangered ornamental plant of Turkey and needs exploitation for commercial propagation. 2-4 bulb scale explants of M. azureum were cultured in basal media supplemented with 2 mg/l 2,4-D, 20 g/l mannitol, 20 g/l sucrose, 0.5 mg/l NAA and different concentrations of BAP KIN, 2iP and TDZ plus 2 g/l gelrite. The best regeneration on 2 or 4 scales and the highest mean number of bulblets per explants (mean 8.77 per explant)" was achieved on an Orchimax medium supplemented with 2.0 mg/l BAP, 2 mg/l 2,4-D, 20 g/l mannitol, 20 g/l sucrose and 0.5 mg/l NAA for 2-scales. Mature bulblets were excised and individually rooted on half strength MS medium supplemented with I mg/l IBA, 0.5 g/l activated charcoal, 20 g/l sucrose and 6 g/l agar Regenerated plants from 2 and 4 scales were acclimatized with a 14% survival rate after 3 weeks.

Plant tissue culture is an efficient technique for conserving endemic plant species. A reproducible in vitro regeneration protocol was developed for the endemic Iris sari and Iris schachtii in the present study. The highest number of shoots per explant was obtained on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 0.5 mg/L thidiazuron (TDZ) plus 0.5 mg/L alpha-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) and 1 mg/L TDZ plus 0.5 mg/L NAA, whereby 96.88% and 100% shoot induction with 9.55 and 11.34 shoots per explant of Iris sari and Iris schachtii were recorded, respectively. Regenerated shoots were successfully rooted on MS medium with either 1 mg/L indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) or 1 mg/L IBA plus 0.2 mg/L NAA. Rooted shoots were transferred to pots containing either a peat-soil-sand (1:1:1) mixture or a hydroponic culture containing Hoagland solution to acclimatize the regenerated plants to the greenhouse chamber. Approximately 90% of plants were transferred ex vitro successfully.

An efficient in vitro bulblet production procedure from immature zygotic embryos of endemic and endangered Muscari muscarimi Medik. was described in the current study. Zygotic embryos were first isolated from immature seeds and cultured on different nutrient media compositions supplemented with various combinations of a-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA), picloram, dicamba, 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP), and thidiazuron (TDZ). The best bulblet regeneration (59 bulblets per explant) was achieved in Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium containing 4 mg/L BAP and 0.5 mg/L NAA after 1 year of culture initiation. Regenerated bulblets were then transferred into MS medium without plant growth regulators for rooting. Bulblets produced well-developed root systems and increased their size on this medium after 2 months. All rooted bulblets were successfully transplanted into a potting mixture and acclimatized to ambient conditions.

The objective of present study was to compare essential oil components of Salvia forskahlei L. collected from nature and cultivated. Experiment materials were collected from Zonguldak province (in Turkey) and cultivated in Faculty of Agriculture of Ankara University. Essential oil components were analyzed by GC-MS. According to results, there were significant differences in terms of essential oil content and components of Salvia forskahlei. The essential oil content varied from 0.01 to 0.10 %. The essential oil components varied depending on climatic and geographic factors. Thirteen components in Salvia forskahlei were determined in nature and germacrene D and beta-caryophyllene were the main components of essential oil, representing 19.4 % and 23.6 %, respectively. Germacrene D (29.2 %), alpha-cadinol (21.2 %) and delta-cadinene (20.5 %) were the major components at first, second and third cutting of 2008, respectively.

Bu calismada, Salvia tchihatcheffii ve S. cryptantha bitkilerinden elde edilen methanolekstraktlarinin ve ucucu yaglarin iki onemli depo zararlisi olan Sitophilus granarius L. ve S. oryzae L.’ye karsi kontak ve fumigant toksisiteleri test edilmistir. Yurutulen calismalardan sonunda elde edilen veriler degerlendirildiginde, en yuksek aktivite S. tchihatcheffii bitkisinden elde edilmistir. Bitkinin govde ekstraktlari, S. granarius uzerinde %87, cicek ekstraktlari ise % 69 oraninda insektisidal aktivite gostermistir. S. tchihatcheffii govde ekstraktlari ile yurutulen doz-olum calismalarinda ise LD50 degeri 49,52 g/L, LD90 degeri 106,55 g/L olarak hesaplanmistir. Calismada kullanilan diger bitki ekstratlari orta duzeyin altinda aktivite gostermistir. Bitkiden elde edilen ucucu yaglarin ise her iki bocek turunde de herhangi bir aktivite gostermedigi belirlenmistir

The phytotoxic effect of sunflower extracts prepared by different plant parts on germination and seedling growth of potentially crop rotational plants like wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) and sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) were studied. Stem and head extracts of sunflower cv. Sanbro at 2.5, 5 and 10% concentrations were obtained from sunflower residuals after harvest. Germination percentage, mean germination time, root and shoot length, seedling fresh and dry weight were investigated. Also, electrical conductivity (EC) and pH values were measured at each concentration and essential oil compounds of both stem and head extracts were determined. Results showed that germination and seedling growth of the species were significantly influenced by sunflower extract doses. Barley appeared to be more tolerant to phytotoxicity of sunflower, while sunflower was the most susceptible. Higher doses of extract inhibited germination and seedling growth of the investigated plants EC values of both extracts were raised by increasing level of extracts without significantly changing pH. The main essential oil compound of head extract was a-pinene with 54.70% followed by Calarene with 10.82% while Benzofuran (13.65%), palmitic acid (13.52%) and trans-vethenol (11.89%) were mostly found in stem extract. There were apparently differences between stem and head extracts of sunflower in terms of toxicity and stem extract had less inhibitory effect on germination and seedling growth of target plants than head. It was concluded that the inhibitory effect of head extract was mainly due to higher EC values and a-pinene in essential oil composition and removing the head of sunflower should be beneficial for alleviating the allelopathic effect. (C) 2013 Friends Science Publishers

Boron stress is an environmental factor affecting plant development and production. Recently, microRNAs (miRNAs) have been found to be involved in several plant processes such as growth regulation and stress responses. In this study, miRNAs associated with boron stress were identified and characterized in barley. miRNA profiles were also comparatively analyzed between root and leave samples. A total of 31 known and 3 new miRNAs were identified in barley; 25 of them were found to respond to boron treatment. Several miRNAs were expressed in a tissue specific manner; for example, miR156d, miR171a, miR397, and miR444a were only detected in leaves. Additionally, a total of 934 barley transcripts were found to be specifically targeted and degraded by miRNAs. In silico analysis of miRNA target genes demonstrated that many miRNA targets are conserved transcription factors such as Squamosa promoter-binding protein, Auxin response factor (ARF), and the MYB transcription factor family. A majority of these targets were responsible for plant growth and response to environmental changes. We also propose that some of the miRNAs in barley such as miRNA408 might play critical roles against boron exposure. In conclusion, barley may use several pathways and cellular processes targeted by miRNAs to cope with boron stress.

Essential oils extracted by hydrodistillation from the aerial parts of naturally growing and field grown plants of Salvia cryptantha Montbert & Aucher ex Benthan were analyzed by GC-MS. Furthermore, the chemical components of naturally growing and cultured plants in 2 consecutive years (2007-2008) were compared. The essential oils of plant materials investigated ranged from 1.20% up to 1.52%. Nine for naturally growing and 22 components for both 2007-08 field grown crops were characterized, representing 94.75%, 95.82%, and 93.35%, respectively. Valencene (31.80%), eucalyptol (23.61%), and beta-pinene (15.63%) were recognized as major components.

Saffron (Crocus sativusL.) is an important medicinal and spice of Turkey. Saffron cultivation has decreased in Turkey has confined to only in three villages in Safran Bolu district of Karabuyuk province. It is triploid and exclusively propagated vegetatively by corms. In Turkey, saffron is traditionallly planted by placing corms in rows randomly without grading or sorting; which results in placement of corms in vertical, horizontal and reverse positions in rows randomly. The study aimed to find the effect of corm size and position of placement in rows on saffron’s stigma and corms yield. This study was carried out at the experimental fields of the Department of Field Crops, Faculty of Agriculture, Ankara Univeristy, during 2010-2011 using four different corms size and three placement positions in three replications. The results showed that position of corms and their size had significant effect on stigma yield. Whereas, corm yield was influenced by corm size only.

Lemon thyme (Thymus x citriodorus (Pers.) Schreb) is widely grown as ornamental aims in Turkey and has no natural distrubition. It's a hybrid of Thymus vulgaris L. and Thymus pulegioides L. Compared with other Thyme species, Thymus citriodorus has a herbaceous oblique structure and rhizome formation. By means of this research, T. citriodorus was firstly cultivated in a field experiment and its yield and quality parameters recorded in semiarid conditions. Field trials were conducted in the Central Research Institute for Field Crops, Ankara, at complete randomized block design with four replications during the years of 2009 and 2010. Total yield of green herb, drug herb and drug leaf were 3769–4707kg/da, 1193–1475kg/da and 742.3–844.2kg/da, respectively. The average content and total yield of essential oil were detected 1.430–1.308% and 16.93–19.42 L/da. In comparison to other lemon odor sources such as Melissa officinalis L. (0.01–0.03%) and Cymbopogon citratus [DC] Staph. (0.2–0.5%), its essential oil content (1.3–1.4%) was found rather satisfactory. Though most Thymus species are thymol containing, the main component of Thymus citriodorus essential oil was determined as 'geraniol' with lesser amount of lemon scented citral (geranial + neral) (from twenty-one constituents).

Linseed (Linnum usitatissimum) has recently gained popularity as a health food product. It has high levels of fatty acids and minerals, giving it characteristics beneficial for functional foods. This research is a comparative analysis of the fatty acid and mineral content of 23 European linseed lines. The levels of seven fatty acids were analysed using an Agilent 6890 N GC. Alfa-linolenic acid (ALA) (C18:3, n-3) was the most predominant, ranging from 49.4 to 56.4%, followed by oleic (C18:1, n-9; 19.8 to 28.8%), linoleic (C18:2, n-6; 10.8 to 16.0%), palmitic (C16:0, 4.1 to 6.2%) and stearic (C18:0, 3.3 to 7.1%) acids. In contrast arachidonic (C20:0) and gadoleic (C20:1) acids were only found at trace levels. One-way ANOVA test showed significant differences between the lines in terms of saturated and unsaturated fatty acid content (p < 0.05). A negative correlation (r = –0.74) exists between levels of ALA and oleic acid. The levels of ten minerals (Ca, Mg, Na, K, P, Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn and B) were also determined and showed significant variability between lines. The results can be used to assist variety selection in targeted breeding programs.

Rosa canina L. is one of the 25 Rosa species that grows naturally in Anatolia and spreads widely. The fruits of R. canina contain high levels of vitamin C. For this reason, the fruits of naturarally grown R. canina are picked and used to produce jam, marmelade, tea, and fruit juice. This plant is also used as a rootstock for ornamental roses and erosion prevention in the landscape. To meet the increasing demand, in Turkey R. canina and some other Rosa species are being put into production. In propagation using seed, dormancy constitutes a major problem. Several methods have been tried to eliminate this problem. In this study, the effect of GA(3) treatments on seed germination has been analysed. Seeds of a R. canina, genotype with small prickles were used. Treatment rates of control (non-soaked) 0 (distilled water), 250, 500, 1000 and 2000 ppm GA(3) were applied for 6 hours to the seeds. The seeds were germination in a cold greenhouse. During the first year, germination percentages ranged between 0.8 (control) - 5.3 (2000 ppm). Germination crates were kept another year and the germination rates in the second year ranged between 61.0 (250 ppm) - 76.5 (Control). It is useful to try, beside hormone practices, the other practices which will eliminate dormancy in order to increase the germination percentages in the first year. Being kept for two years afters its collection seeds of R. canina show a high level of germination without any additional process.