Ahmet Balkaya

Vegetable Genetic Resources of Turkey

Abstract Turkey is an important center for plant genetic resources and genetic diversity. It is also one of the domestication centers where ancient agriculture started. Traditionally small-scale agriculture in Turkey has been important in bringing together some species that have hybridized causing increases in variation. The status of vegetable species germplasm, collection and characterization activities, cultivar breeding programs and utilization of the vegetable genetic resources in Turkey are detailed. Conservation and maintenance of these valuable genetic resources are necessary because these populations are important sources of diversity that could be used in future breeding programs.

Evaluation of variation in seed characters of Turkish winter squash (Cucurbita maxima) populations

Abstract Winter squash and pumpkins are two of the most important Cucurbit vegetable crops in Turkey. In this study, variation in seed phenotypes in 160 populations of Cucurbita maxima, collected from different regions of Turkey, was determined. The present collection showed appreciable genotypic variation in seed shape, colour, brightness, seed dimensions, and seed weight. Seeds displaying a wide elliptic shape (62.5%) were the most common in the collection. Most populations displayed a cream seed colour (46.9%), followed by white (25.6%), brown (20.0%), and tawny (7.5%). This study demonstrated that substantial differences in seed dimensions exist in Turkish winter squash populations. Seed length ranged from 15.0 to 25.7 mm, 7.6–15.5 mm for seed width, and 1.4–6.1 mm for seed thickness. For seed length to thickness ratio and seed width to thickness ratio, populations showed a range of 3.2–14.2 and 2.2–8.5, respectively. Data were analysed using principal component analysis (PCA). PCA revealed that the first two PC axes explained 67.0% of the total multivariate variation. This evaluation of seed trait variability can assist geneticists and breeders to identify the populations with unique characteristics for inclusion in future breeding activities.

Hıyara (Cucumis sativus L.) Anaç Olabilecek Ümitvar Kabak (Cucurbita spp.) Genotiplerinde Işınlanmış Polen Tekniği İle Dihaploidizasyon

Gunumuz sebzeciliginde ozellikle ortualti yetistiriciliginde bircok turde gerek biyotik ve abiyotik stres kosullarina dayanim gerekse verim ve kalite acisindan asili fide kullanimi yaygindir. “Kabak ( Cucurbita spp .) genetik kaynaklarinin hiyar ( Cucumis sativus L.) anac islah programinda degerlendirilmesi ve yerli hibrit anaclarinin gelistirilmesi” projesi kapsaminda yurutulen bu calisma, hiyara anac olabilme potansiyeli yuksek bazi kabak ( Cucurbita spp. ) adaylarinin isinlanmis polen teknigi kullanilarak saflastirilmasi ve haploidizasyon etkinliginin belirlenmesi amaciyla yurutulmustur. Calismada kullanilan 17 anac adayina ait polenler gama isini veren Co 60 kaynaginda 150 Gy isin dozunda isinlanmis ve bu polenlerle disi cicekler tozlanarak partenogenetik haploid embriyo uyartimi saglanmaya calisilmistir. Haploidi frekansi uzerine genotip etkisinin onemli bulundugu calismada “I” genotiplerinden toplamda 23 meyve, 3998 tohum, 233 embriyo, 51 bitki ve 3 haploid bitki elde edilirken bu degerler “H” genotiplerinde sirasiyla 35, 6464, 821, 222 ve 24 olarak belirlenmistir. Elde edilen 273 bitkiden 192 tanesi (51 adedi “I” ve 141 adedi “H” genotiplerinden) celiklenerek dis ortama alistirilmis, bu bitkilerden ise 27 adet haploid bitki uretilmistir. Haploidi frekansi ise 100 tohum, 100 embriyo ve meyve basina sirasiyla “I” genotiplerinde 0.07, 1.29 ve 0.13, “H” genotiplerinde ise 0.37, 2.92 ve 0.69 olarak gerceklesmistir. Haploid bitkiler %1’lik kolhisin cozeltisinin tepe tomurcuklarina uygulanmasiyla dihaploid hale getirilmistir.

Moisture dependent of some physical and morphological properties of dent corn (Zea mays var. indentətə Sturt) seeds

In this study, physical properties of seeds of Simon and Goldeclat dent corn (Zea mays var. indentətə sturt ) cultivars as a function of moisture content were evaluated. Three levels of moisture ranging from 12.76 to 17.0% (dry basis), and 11.09 to 16.48% (dry basis) were used for Simon and Goldeclat cv., respectively. The averaged length, width, thickness, arithmetic and geometric mean diameter of seeds ranged from 10.54, 7.26, 4.57, 116.46 and 7.04 mm for Simon cv.; 10.80, 6.89, 4.81, 119.42 and 7.09 mm for Goldeclat cv., respectively. The sphericity, volume and surface area increased linearly from 0.668 to 0.684, 125.94 to 162.51 mm 3 , 131.13 to 154.37 mm 2 for Simon cv.; 0.657 to 0.670, 128.19 to 155.63 mm 3 , 133.18 to 150.89 mm 2 for Goldeclat cv., respectively. The bulk densities decreased from 762.60 to 675.51 kg/m 3 and from 783.37 to 714.48 kg/m 3 and true densities decreased from 1425.07 to 1367.35 kg/m 3 and from 1455.0 to 1396.36 kg/m 3 for Simon and Goldeclat cv., respectively, whereas, the angle of repose increased from 23.50 to 26.65° band from 21.86 to 25.27°. The static coefficients for friction of dent corn seeds were determined steel, plywood, wood, glass and galvanized sheet at various moisture contents. The highest static coefficient of friction was found on the wood and the lowest on the glass sheet among the materials tested. Key words : Dent corn, physical properties, moisture content, dimensions, density.

SEBZELERDE ERKEK KISIRLIĞI MEKANİZMASINDAN YARARLANILARAK F1 HİBRİT TOHUM ÜRETİMİ

Sebze cesit islahinda; son yillarda adaptasyon, verim, kalite, hastalik ve zararlilara dayaniklilik yonunden istenen ozelliklere sahip cesitlerin gelistirilmesi ve tohum uretimine yonelik olarak onemli basarilar elde edilmistir. Bu amac dogrultusunda polinasyon kontrol yontemleri de kullanilmaya baslanmistir. F1 hibrit tohumlugunun daha kolay ve ekonomik olarak uretilebilmesi amaciyla sebze islahinda, polinasyon kontrol yontemleri uzerinde cok sayida arastirmalar yurutulmustur. Sebze turlerinden sogan, havuc ve lahanagillerde erkek kisirligindan yararlanilarak F1 hibrit tohum uretimi gunumuzde yaygin olarak kullanilmaktadir. Solanaceeae familyasina ait sebze turlerinde ise pratik kullanim imkani bulunsa bile pratikte sorunlarla karsilasilmaktadir. Bu derlemede sebzelerde erkek kisirlik mekanizmasindan yararlanilarak F1 hibrit tohum uretiminin asamalari ve islah programlarinda kullanildiginda karsilasilan sorunlar detayli olarak verilmistir