1. science
2. biology
3. breeding

Agribiotech Lab Chronicle
20 Nisan 2015
AGRIBIOTECH BULLETIN
Selçuk University Faculty of Agriculture
SCIENCE NEWS
Agribiotech group and faculty
members had the privalege of
listening the talk of Prof. Iraida
SAMOFALOVA from Perm
State Agricultural Academy in
Russia; Prof. Samofalova is a
distinguished member of the Perm
State Agricultural Academy, and she
is working in the field of Soil
Science. She stayed a week in our
department via Melvana
Exchange Program. She has given
a lecture on Russian and World soil
classification systems.
Page 3 for more information on the
exchange programs undertaken and the
recent activities.!
TÜBİTAK TEYDEB and
Selçuk University Research
Coordination Office (BAP)
supported new research
proposals of AgriBioTech Lab.!
Three research proposals submitted
by AgriBioTech lab deserved
financial support from the
institutional research funding
system of Selcuk University. These
are; 1. miRNA profiling of salt
treated wheat genotypes with or
without Nax genes, 2. Analysis of
Cephalaria syriaca and 3. Genotyping
Anatolian spinach lines. TEYDEB
supported pumpkin project on
national hybrid seed development. !
Cephalaria syriaca genotypes from Sivas
region of Anatolia will be analysed by
the Agribiotech Genotyping Group
In 2013 and 2014, outstanding classical breeders from our
Field Crops Department, namely Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ahmet
TAMKOÇ and Dr. Rahim ADA, working on variety
development of Cephalaria syriaca decided to use
molecular tools for precise characterization of their lines.
They already have collected morphological data on the
lines. Agribiotech Genotyping Team collected DNA samples
from the trial area of Selcuk University Campus and stored
them in our ultrafreezers. Next, under the leadership of
Dr. ADA, an institutional proposal was submitted to finance
the expenses of the work. On April the 1st., 2015, the
institute has given its final decision on the proposal and
the agreement was signed to fulfill the requirements of
the proposal.
Agribiotech Bulletin is edited by: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Erdoğan Eşref HAKKI
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Agribiotech Lab Chronicle
SCIENCE INFO
20 Nisan 2015
Cephalaria syriaca in Anatolian Biodiversity
Anatolia is a rich country in terms of biological diversity.
Its biodiversity potential becomes even more apparent
with ongoing new species identifications programs
nationwide and genotypic variations recorded consistently
in recent literature.
Cephalaria is one of the richest genera within
Caprifoliaceae family which hosts many widely known
plant species in Turkey. While there are 94 known
Cephalaria species in the world, 41 taxa out of them are
present in our country, 25 of which are endemic to this
geography. Accordingly, the rate of endemism is 60.9%.
Usage of Cephalaria syriaca
Cephalaria syriaca
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Angiosperms
Eudicots
Asterids
Order: Dipsacales
Family: Caprifoliaceae
Genus: Cephalaria
Schrad. ex Roem. & Schult.
Species: C. syriaca
!
The name of Cephalaria
Schrad. ex Roem. & Schult.
originates from the Greek
word kephale (head). Its
species have flowers
densely arranged on the
floral receptacle in the
form of a head.
!
C. syriaca seeds are rich in
α-Linolenic acid (ALA), an
essential omega-3 fatty
acid, but also good
provider of antioxidants.
Cephalaria syriaca Schrad. is also known as ‘pelemir’ or
‘acımık’ in public, in Turkey. This species spreads all over
the Anatolia. It is also partially in cultivation in Central
and South Anatolia. The seeds of the plant are mixed into
bread wheat flour to retard its rancidness. Fatty acid
composition of its seeds indicates that it is a good oil seed
plant. Some studies are showing that after mixing C.
syriaca seeds with wheat it increases the protein content
of the wheat flour. This oil plant is also considered as
animal feed. Another area of utilization of the plant is
associated with its saponin content, a constituent which is
an expensive industrial ingredient showing also some
antibacterial properties. The distinctive feature of this
plant from important industrial plants such as sunflowers
and cotton is related to its cultivation potential in semiarid regions and its tolerance to cold stress.
Focus of our Studies on C. syriaca
!Despite the pelemir is known as a weed in wheat growing
fields, this plant has certain significant features in its
seeds while there is no adequate studies yet focusing
especially on its molecular screening.
In this study, Agribiotech research team will use molecular
characterization tools to fingerprint C. syriaca genotypes
collected from Sivas region in Anatolia and are currently
under breeding process for variety development. Breeding
lines will be characterized via dominant marker systems
with the newly acquired finance from Selcuk Univeristy
Research Funding System (BAP).
!
Agribiotech Bulletin is edited by: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Erdoğan Eşref HAKKI
2
Agribiotech Lab Chronicle
SOCIAL PROGRAMS
Prof. Samofalova found the
opportunity to visit the historical or
cultural places like Sille and the Museum
of the Great Turkish Philosopher
MEVLANA. Some snapshots on the soil
structure of the region were also taken
during field trip.!
20 Nisan 2015
ACADEMIC EXCHANGE PROGRAMS
Our University is enrolled in numerous International and
National exchange programs. April 2015 activities
undertaken through some of these programs;
ERASMUS is the leading program targeting EU countries. Our
faculty has connection with numerous European universities
(Germany, Italy, Austria, Greece, Poland etc.) and exchanges
faculty and students for short or long term using this
popular EU program.
German Professor lecturing our undergraduate students
‘Kısır’ party and Pizza day of
Agribiotech Lab in April
Event financed by our classical breeder
colleague Prof. Önder TÜRKMEN,
silver allie of Agribiotech lab, was
magnificent.!
Prof. Dr. Rüdiger ANLAUF
from
Hochschule
Osnabrück University of
Applied Sciences has given
a lecture to our 4th year
students on ‘Agriculture
and Land Use in Germany’.
H e c om p a re d G e rm a n
Agricultural systems with
the Turkish applications.
Graduate level thesis of two German students were started,
conducting field studies at salt lake region of Konya. Two
German graduate students continuing their research
activities in our department through ERASMUS program.
MEVLANA is a well accepted national program targeting
Non-EU countries including China, India, Russia etc.
Procedure of the exchanges is similar to Erasmus but a
different office, Mevlana Coordination Office,
is
empowered for this program. Again it target academic staff
and student exchanges both at home and abroad.
Khalfan, !
a father of two sons, from Tanzania,
completed his MSci thesis on ‘Effects of
application of phosphorus and TKİHumas (Humic acid) on yield and quality
of dry bean’. As a very genial scholar of
Turkish government he successfully
completed his thesis this month in our
department. We wish him all success in
his future career.!
Distinguished Russian
Soil Scientist
Prof.
Iraida SAMOFALOVA has
introduced the
Agricultural potential of
Perm Region in Russia
and the Perm State
Agricultural Academy
using Mevlana Program.
A considerable interest to Russian agricultural system was
presented by the 4th year students of Soil Science and Plant
Nutrition Department while Prof. Samofalova was lecturing.
Last semester our department hosted a Russian graduate
student, Alexandra CECHENEVA, via Mevlana program.
Agribiotech Bulletin is edited by: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Erdoğan Eşref HAKKI
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Agribiotech Lab Chronicle
Agribiotech Lab Chronicle
20 Nisan 2015
19 Nisan 2015
PROFILE OF AN EMINENT PLANT BREEDER IN SELCUK UNIVERSITY
NEWS & VIEWS
NEWS & VIEWS
Scientific Paper
Scientific
Manuscript Paper
entitled 'Oxidative
Manuscript
entitled
Stress Responses
in Watermelon
'Oxidative
Stress
(Citrullus lanatus)
as Influenced
by Boron Toxicity
and Drought'
Responses
in Watermelon
by
Mehmet
Hamurcu,
Tijen
(Citrullus lanatus) as
Demiral, Erdogan Esref Hakki,
Influenced by Boron
Önder Turkmen, Sait Gezgin and
Toxicity
and Drought' by
Richard W. Bell has been
Mehmet
Hamurcu,
Tijen
accepted for
publication
in the
Demiral,
Erdogan
Esref
journal “ZemdirbysteAgriculture”.
Hakki,
Önder Turkmen, Sait
Gezgin and Richard W. Bell
Presentation
has
been accepted for
Wheat physiologist Dr. Marta de
publication in the journal
SILVA from CIMMYT Global
“Zemdirbyste-Agriculture”.
!
Wheat Program presents on
‘Physiology as tool to wheat
TULIP
TIME
breeding’
on FOR
AprilANATOLIA
27th.
!
Our
National
flower
‘TULIP’
TULIP
TIME FOR
ANATOLIA
,Our‘ LNational
A L E ’ i nflower
Tu r k‘TULIP’,
ish,
returned
home
and
gained
‘LALE’ in Turkish, returned home
and prestigious
gained its prestigious
its
place it
p
l
a
c
e
i
t
d
e
s
e
r
v
e
s. Many
deserves. Many activities
activities
are
organized
are organized in Konya, in
a
Konya,
a
sweet
home
for
‘lale’.
sweet home for ‘lale’.
Konya provides 80% of lale
Konya provides 80% of lale
requirement of Turkey.
requirement of Turkey.
PROFILE OF A PLANT BREEDER IN SELCUK UNIVERSIT
Who is Prof. Dr. Önder
Who is Prof. Dr. Önder
TÜRKMEN ?
TÜRKMEN ?
Prof. Dr. Önder TÜRKMEN
Prof. Dr. Sait GEZGİN was
was born in Selendi,
born in Balya, Balıkesir, in
Manisa, in 1967. He is
1960. He is married and he
married and he has four
has four children. He
children. He acquired his Bachelor's degree from Atatürk
acquired his Bachelor's
University, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of
degree from Atatürk
Horticulture, in 1988. He received his MSci degree in 1991
U n i v e r s i t y, F a c u l t y o f
and his PhD degree in 1997 from Yüzüncü Yıl University in
Agriculture, Department of Soil Science and Nutrition, in
Van. He continues his academic carrier as a Professor in the
1984. He received his MSci degree in 1987 and his PhD
Faculty of Agriculture in Selçuk University since 2011. He is
degree in 1991 from Selçuk University. He continues his
the Head of the Department of Horticulture. He is lecturing
academic
carrier as a Professor in the Faculty of Agriculture
on topics like ‘Breeding in Horticulture’, Vegetable Seed
in
Selçuk
since and
2002.‘Proposal
He is thePreparation
Head of the
Sector
andUniversity
Certification’
in
Department
of
Soil
Science
and
Plant
Nutrition.
Horticulture’, a course topic he really is deeply involved.
!
Prof. Dr. Türkmen has recently extended his breeding
activities by diversifying his funding agencies. More
specifically, he acquired national level research finance
from the Ministry of Industry through SANTEZ projects as
well as from TUBITAK, the leading research support agency
in Turkey. Considering his main focus recently is applied
sciences, in his field of speciality its meaning is
collaboration with the private companies in seed
improvement programs. Hence, a number of proposals were
succeeded under the leadership of Prof. Türkmen at the
private company targeted TEYDEB programs of Tübitak.
Pumpkin breeding and F1 hybrid tomato and mellon
breeding supports were started recently with the aid of
these national programs.
!
This issue of the chronicle was prepared with the help of
Sündüz ONBAŞI, a MSci student in Agribiotech lab.
Agribiotech Bulletin is edited by: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Erdoğan Eşref HAKKI
Agribiotech Bulletin is edited by: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Erdoğan Eşref HAKKI
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