Rafet Aslantaş

Identification of superior walnut (Juglans regia) genotypes in north‐eastern Anatolia, Turkey

Abstract This research was conducted to identify promising native walnut (Juglans regia) trees growing wild in the Çoruh Valley, north‐eastern Anatolia, Turkey. The research material consisted of uncultivated walnut trees. From c. 39 000 trees growing in the region, 20 genotypes with superior yield and fruit characteristics were selected and evaluated. These genotypes were resistant to anthracnose and early autumn‐late spring frost injuries. The ranges of average fruit characteristics determined for the selected genotypes were: 85–100% terminal fruitfulness; 40–63% lateral fruitfulness; 2.24–3.20 fruits per terminal shoot; 1.45–2.15 fruits per lateral shoot; 9.07–16.01 g nut in shell weight; 5.00–7.37g kernel weight; 45.66–67.14% kernel ratio; and 0.58–1.53mm shell thickness. The best genotypes were CVWS 13, 46, 138, 150 and 193. These types had thinner shell (0.58mm, CVWS 13), heavier kernel (7.37g, CVWS 138), and more lateral fruitfulness (63% CVWS 193 and 60% CVWS 46 and CVWS 150). Selected walnut genotypes in the Çoruh Valley will be used for further breeding purposes in terms of yield capacities, nut characteristics, and cold hardiness.

Promising native summer apple (Malus domestica) cultivars from north-eastern Anatolia, Turkey

Abstract This study was conducted on summer apple (Malus domestica) trees growing wild in the Çoruh Valley, north‐eastern Anatolia, Turkey. The research material consisted of uncultivated summer apple trees. Out of 250,10 trees not infected by apple scab (Venturia ineaqualis) were selected. Fruit characteristics of these superior types were evaluated. The ranges of fruit characteristics determined for the selected types were: 49.5–152.2 g fruit weight, 42.8–65.3 mm fruit length, 52.3–75.7 mm fruit width, 10.3–13.8% total soluble solids, 4.88–7.44 mg vitamin C/100 g, 0.19–1.43% total acidity (as malic acid), 9.33–12.06% total sugar, and 6.31–8.94% reducing sugar. Some selections ripening in mid July should be compared with common summer apple cultivars for their agronomic characteristics or used as breeding partners for further breeding efforts.

INOCULATION EFFECTS OF PANTOEA AGGLOMERANS STRAINS ON GROWTH AND CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF PLUM

In this study, five non-pathogenic Pantoea agglomerans strains were utilized. The objective of this study was to test for biochemical characteristics of these strains, and to evaluate their inoculation effects on fruit set rate, fruit pomological traits, fruit chemical compositions and some vegetative parameters of plum cultivar ‘Stanley’. The results showed that some of the tested strains had beneficial effects on the fruit set rate, fruit pomological traits, fruit chemical composition and/or some vegetative growth parameters of plum in comparison to the control. In conclusion, tested Pantoea agglomerans strains (especially RK-85) are the suitable inoculants for plum cultivation in cold areas such as Erzurum, and these strains may be considered as biofertilizer and protector sensitive plants against frost damage by applying in suitable timing and dose.

Ethylenediamine-N,N′-disuccinic acid mitigates salt-stress damages in strawberry by interfering with effects on the plant ionome

This study evaluated the hypothesis that the organic chelant ethylenediamine-N,N′-disuccinic acid (EDDS) mitigates plant damage under salinity, and that this is accomplished by EDDS-induced effects on cation uptake. Damaging effects of salinity on plants often involve inhibited uptake of nutritional cations, such as K and Ca, and excessive accumulation of Na. Therefore, mechanisms that improve uptake of K and Ca, or reduce Na uptake, have a potential for ameliorating salinity damages. Organic chelants increase heavy-metal cation availability at the site of uptake and increase their uptake by the roots or in planta transport. Although organic chelants are routinely used in agriculture to enhance uptake of heavy-metal cations into plants, and for soil bioremediation, their effect on uptake of cation-macronutrients is not known, and neither is their impact on plant function under salinity. In this study, we evaluated the response of strawberry plants to EDDS application (0, 1, 3 and 5 mmol kg soil−1), under six levels of NaCl (0, 3, 6, 9, 12 and 15 mmol L−1). EDDS application under salinity improved vegetative development, as well as reproductive growth and chlorophyll content, with statistically significant interaction between chelant dosage and level of salinity. The mitigation of salinity damage by EDDS occurred at high salinity treatments (from 9 mM NaCl). Application rates of 1–3 mmol EDDS kg−1 were optimal for mitigating salinity effects on reproductive development, but in accordance with the extent of chelant-induced accumulation of the macronutrients K, Ca and P in the leaves, higher application rates (3–5 mmol EDDS kg−1) were required for optimal improvement of vegetative development. These results suggest that EDDS improves plant function under mild salinities by interfering with salinity effects on the plant ionome.