Nusret Zencirci

Emmer (Triticum dicoccon) Production and Market Potential in Marginal Mountainous Areas of Turkey

Abstract Underutilized plant species play a fundamental role in the livelihoods of poor communities living in harsh environments such as mountain areas, although they only have a small share in production and trade. Emmer (Triticum dicoccon) is a typical example of an underutilized species suitable for development in mountain areas; it is important for food security and cultural value and has a very limited market share. This paper investigates the state of the market for emmer in mountainous areas in Turkey, where it is still produced. As is the case for many underutilized species, emmer is disappearing due to low yield compared to modern cereal varieties. Emmer is still grown in Turkeys mountains because of its hardiness and place in local food traditions; however, its competitiveness and persistence may be at risk because of changes in taste and the increased impact of global and regional markets. We examine the role of emmer production on mountain community livelihoods in Turkey and review potential market opportunities that may enhance the competitiveness of this underutilized crop, as happened, for example, in Italy. We surveyed market chain actors in Kastamonu and Sinop provinces in the Black Sea region, where few other crops are profitable because of poor soils. In Sinop province, emmer is less used and not marketed; in Kastamonu province, it is marketed and appreciated in local food traditions. Difficulties in processing, limited marketing, and lack of consumer demand are key factors in the decline of emmer cultivation. Despite emmers adaptability to poor soils and its low input requirements, lack of market opportunities is a key factor restraining its revival and maintenance. However, there is a new market potential associated with emmers nutritional and health properties; with growing appreciation by niche consumers, opportunities to maintain this valuable species are emerging.

Effect of Developmental Stages Length on Yield and some Quality Traits of Turkish Durum Wheat (Triticum turgidum L. Convar. durum (Desf.) Mackey) Landraces: Influence of Developmental Stages Length on Yield and Quality of Durum Wheat

The study aimed at exploring durum wheat landraces to be utilized in breeding programs. 566 single durum wheat plants selected from 117 populations collected from 12 provinces were studied. The selected material was planted for characterizing their some qualitative and quantitative traits such as percent vitreousness, pearling index, grain protein content, seed yield and thousand kernel weight; as well as determining time frame for germination-tillering, germination-shooting, germination-heading, germination-maturity, tillering-shooting (T-S), tillering-heading (T-H), tillering-maturity, shooting-heading, shooting-maturity, and heading-maturity. Mean, coefficient of variation, and confidence intervals (0.95) were computed for each of 12 provinces, for altitudinal origins with 200 m of ranges and, for each of two geographical regions separately. The highest variation existed for number of days between T-H and the lowest for number of days between T-S. The highest variation within developmental stages was observed in samples from Diyarbakir with a CV of 32.96%, from 600 to 799 altitude range with a CV of 18.86%, and from Southeast Anatolia with a CV of 20.12%.

Recovery of Verticillium dahliae from commercially available potato seed lots planted in Turkey and characterization of isolates by vegetative compatibility and aggressiveness

A total of 105 seed samples collected from commercially available potato seed lots in Turkey were assayed for Verticillium dahliae. V. dahliae was successfully isolated from 29 of the 105 seed lots tested. The frequency of infected lots was nearly 28%. Vegetative compatibility of the isolates was assessed through complementation tests using nitrate non-utilizing mutants. Of the 110 isolates obtained, 63 were assigned to VCG4A, 24 to VCG4B, 19 to VCG2A and one to VCG2B, while the three remaining isolates could not be assigned to any of the identified VCGs. All 36 of the isolates tested in the greenhouse on potato cv. ‘Russet Burbank’ were pathogenic to potato. As a group, AUDPC values were significantly higher (P <0.05) for VCG4A than for VCG4B and VCG2 isolates. These data suggest that (i) commercial potato seed lots are commonly infected with V. dahliae, and that this is a primary method by which the pathogen can be introduced into production fields; (ii) potato isolates of V. dahliae belong to VCG4A, 4B and 2A and these isolates are widely distributed via seed lots; and (iii) VCG4A and VCG4B are distinct pathotypes of V. dahliae that vary in their aggressiveness to potato. The present study is the first report of natural infections of potato by VCG4A and VCG2A in Turkey.

High-temperature adult-plant resistance to stripe rust in facultative winter wheat

Abstract. Stripe (yellow) rust, caused by Puccinia striiformis Westend. f. sp. tritici Erikss., is one of the most damaging diseases in wheat and is especially damaging for winter and facultative wheat. The objective of this study was to understand stripe rust resistance in 100 wheat and facultative wheat entries from the International Winter Wheat Improvement Program by conducting experiments in a greenhouse and in four field environments in Washington State, USA, and by genotyping molecular markers linked to Yr genes. Percentages of entries resistant to the rust races at the seedling stage were: PST-17, 44%; PST-37, 32%; PST-43, 45%; PST-45, 49%; PST-116, 18%; PST-100, 17%; and PST-127, 8%. Molecular markers were positive for genes Yr9, Yr17, and Yr18 and negative for Yr5, Yr10, and Yr15. Yr18 was present in 44 entries (44%). By using the highly virulent races PST-127 and PST-100 under controlled conditions, 16 entries were shown to have high-temperature adult-plant (HTAP) resistance and resistant–moderately resistant field reactions at all four field sites. Resistant entries, especially those with HTAP resistance, were also identified in the field experiments.

Germination Stage Water Scarcity in Bread and Einkorn Wheat

Germination (GR, %) and power (GP, %) rates, coleoptile (CL, cm), shoot lenght (SL, cm), and root (RL, cm) length, shoot/root length ratio (SRLR), root fresh weight (RFW, mg) and dry (RDW, mg) weight, and root fresh/dry root ratio (RFDWR) of 12 bread and 10 einkorn wheat genotypes were investigated under 7 drought stress levels. SL and SRLR in the study were the most sensitive traits and followed by CL and RL. The mean performance of all traits was worsened starting at various stress levels. The highest percent reduction was in SL (100.00%), SRLR (100.00%), and RL (99.07%), and the lowest one was in GP (55.9%). The common applied drought tolerance indices grouped the entries as tolerant, moderate, and susceptible. Einkorn populations from higher rainfall Blacksea region responded worse under drought stress than bread wheat cultivars, which were improved for drier or relatively drier Central Anatolia, Sub-Marmara, and Thrace regions.

Mirza (Hacızade) Gökgöl (1897–1981): the great explorer of wheat genetic resources in Turkey

Mirza (Hacızade) Gökgöl (1897–1981) was a leading agro-ecological plant scientist, agronomist and breeder in Turkey. Gökgöl carried out extensive breeding programmes extensively selecting from local plant genetic resources from across Turkey from 1925 till the 1950s. He collected and evaluated cultivars, landraces and wild relatives, predominantly of wheat, but also of barley, lentil and other crops in Turkey during 1929–1955. He published books on wheat and other cereals, potatoes, castor bean, sweet clover, poppy, and other crops. He was a hardworking pioneer utilizing wheat genetic resources for crop improvement. Since his ample work has hardly been accessible by the English-speaking scientific community today, we are providing an overview of his major work, mainly on wheat. The books he published can still be found in libraries, although with difficulties. However, his articles, leaflets etc., are hardly accessible. Some of them are: Turkish Wheats, vols. 1 and 2, Plant Breeding through Scientific Methods (1928, translation of a book by E. Baur), The Basics of Wheat Breeding (1954), and Agriculture and Breeding of Cool Season Cereals–Wheat, Rye, Barley, and Oats (1969). In addition to the summary of his books, we reviewed his views and discussions about the centres of origin and diversity, and compared with those of Vavilov.

Siyez Buğdayı (Triticum monococcum ssp. monococcum) Çimlenme Döneminde Soğuğa Ekmeklik Buğdaydan (Triticum aestivum L.) Daha İyi Dayanmaktadır

On iki ekmeklik bugday cesidi ve 10 siyez bugday populasyonunun yedi soguk duzeyindeki cimlenme hizi (CH), cimlenme gucu (CG), koleoptil uzunlugu (KU), cim boyu (CB), kok boyu (KB) cim kok uzunlugu orani (CKUO), kok yas agirligi (KYA), kok kuru agirligi (KKA) ve kok yas kuru agirlik orani (KYKAO) uc tekerrurlu faktoriyel duzenlenmis tesaduf bloklari deneme deseninde arastirilmistir. Bu arastirmadaki calisma materyali; yedi soguk duzeyinde onemli farkliliklar gostermistir. Yirmi ekmeklik bugday genotipi CH, KU ve KKA bakimindan cok onemli; KB ve CB bakimindan onemli; CG, CKBO ve KKA bakimindan da onemsiz farkliliklar sergilemislerdir. Hesaplanan Pearson dogrusal korelasyon katsayilari KU-CU, KU-KYA ve KKA-KYA arasinda cok onemli iken CH-KYKAO, CG-KYKAO, KU-KYKAO, CU-KYKAO, KU-KYKAO, CKUO-KYKAO, KYA-KYKAO ve KKA-KYKAO arasinda onemsiz bulunmuslardir. Benzer sekilde, Spearman korelasyon katsayilari, soguk stresi altinda CH-CG, CH-KU, CH-CU, CH-KU, CH-KYA, CH-KKA, CG-KU, CG-CU, CG-KU, CG-KYA, CG-KKA, KU-CU, KU-KB, KU-CKUO, KU-KYA, KU-KKA, CU-KB, CU-CKUO, CU-KYA, CU-KYKAO, KU-SKUR, KU-KYA, KB-KKA, CKUO-KYA, CKUO-KKA ve CKUO-KYKAO arasinda yuksek olumlu iliski gostermislerdir. Ote yandan, AB1’deki CB (0.156), KB (0.156), KKA ((0.156)’lar onemsiz iken AB2’deki KYKAO (0.99) ile AB3’deki CH (-0.342)’lar onemli bulunmustur. Ilk ucte yeralan AB’lerin birikimli varyansi %87.58 olmus ve ortalama temelli obekagaci siyez ve ekmeklik bugdaylarini iki ana gruba ayirmistir. Sonuc olarak; yuksek bolgelerden toplanan kavuzlu siyez bugday populasyonlarinin cimlenme donemi soguklarina karsi uygun gen kaynaklari olabilecekleri ve soguk dayanimi icin calisan bugday islah programlari tarafindan kullanilabilecegi dusunulmektedir.