This comprehensive article critically analyzes the advanced biotechnological strategies to mitigate plant drought stress. It encompasses an in-depth exploration of the latest developments in plant genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics, shedding light on the complex molecular mechanisms that plants employ to combat drought stress. The study also emphasizes the significant advancements in genetic engineering techniques, particularly CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing, which have revolutionized the creation of drought-resistant crop varieties. Furthermore, the article explores microbial biotechnology’s pivotal role, such as plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) and mycorrhizae, in enhancing plant resilience against drought conditions. The integration of these cutting-edge biotechnological interventions with traditional breeding methods is presented as a holistic approach for fortifying crops against drought stress. This integration addresses immediate agricultural needs and contributes significantly to sustainable agriculture, ensuring food security in the face of escalating climate change challenges.

This study comprehensively explored the micropropagation and rooting capabilities of four distinct lavender genotypes, utilizing culture media with and without 2 g/L of activated charcoal. A systematic examination of varying concentrations of BAP for micropropagation and IBA for rooting identified an optimal concentration of 1 mg/L for both BAP and IBA, resulting in excellent outcomes. Following robust root development, the acclimatization of plants to external conditions achieved a 100% survival rate across all genotypes. In addition to the conventional techniques employed, integrating machine learning (ML) methodologies holds promise for further enhancing the efficiency of lavender propagation protocols. Using cutting-edge computational tools, including MLP, RBF, XGBoost, and GP algorithms, our findings were rigorously examined and forecast using three performance measures (RMSE, R², and MAE). Notably, the comparative evaluation of different machine learning models revealed distinct R2 rates for plant characteristics, with MLP, RBF, XGBoost, and GP demonstrating varying degrees of effectiveness. Future studies may leverage ML models, such as XGBoost, MLP, RBF, and GP, to fine-tune specific variables, including culture media composition and growth regulator treatments. The adaptability and ability of ML techniques to analyze complex biological processes can provide valuable insights into optimizing lavender micropropagation on a broader scale. This collaborative approach, combining traditional in vitro techniques with machine learning, validates the success of current micropropagation and rooting protocols and paves the way for continuous improvement. By embracing ML in lavender propagation studies, researchers can contribute to advancing sustainable and efficient plant propagation techniques, thereby fostering the preservation and exploitation of genetic resources for conservation and agriculture.

Amaç: Bu çalışmada moleküler markörler kullanılarak çerezlik kabaklarda (Cucurbita pepo L.) saflık düzeylerinin tahmin edilmesi amaçlanmıştır.Yöntem ve Bulgular: Dominant ve kodominant moleküler markör teknikleri (simple sequence repeats, SSR ve inter-simple sequence repeats, ISSR) yardımıyla S0 (hiç kendileme yapılmamış), S1, S2 ve S3 kademesindeki kabakların saflık düzeyleri ile heterozigotluk arasındaki ilişki tahmin edilmiştir. SSR analizleri sonucunda CMTp182 ve CMTm66 primerlerinde ortalama PIC değeri (0.9) ve gen çeşitliliği (0.10) belirlenmiştir. ISSR analizleri sonucunda HVH(CA)7T, HVH(TCC)7 ve BDB(CA)7C primerlerinde en yüksek ortalama PIC değeri (0.4) bulunmuş olup gen çeşitliliği sırasıyla 0.61, 0.67 ve 0.86 olarak tespit edilmiştir. Bu çalışmada kullanılan markör verimliliğinin bir ifadesi olan PIC değerleri karşılaştırıldığında SSR primerlerinin ortalama PIC değeri 0.57 bulunurken, ISSR markörlerinin ortalama PIC değeri ise 0.2 olarak hesaplanmıştır. Saflaşma çalışmalarında SSR primerlerinin yüksek polimorfizm göstermeleri nedeniyle daha etkin olduğu saptanmıştır.Genel Yorum: Yapılan analizler sonucunda farklı kademeler (S0, S1, S2 ve S3) arasında heterozigot bant sayısı giderek azalan bir eğilim göstermiştir. En fazla heterozigot bant sayısı S0 kademesinden ve en az heterozigot bant sayısı S3 kademesinden elde edilmiştir. Bu durum saflaşma oranı arttıkça heterozigot bant sayısının azaldığını göstermektedir. Başarılı bulunulan primerlerin saflık düzeyi belirleme çalışmalarında kullanılabileceği sonucuna varılmıştır.Çalışmanın Önemi ve Etkisi: Bitkilerde saf hatların elde edilmesi ıslah çalışmaları için çok önemli bir etkendir. Çerezlik kabakta hibrit tohum üretiminde saf ebeveynlerin kullanılması önemlidir ve bitkilerde saflık düzeylerini tahmin etmenin pratik bir yolu bulunmamaktadır. Arazide tohumlardan elde edilen bitkiler arasındaki morfolojik özellikleri dikkate alarak genetik açılım olup olmadığı anlaşılabilmektedir. Moleküler markörlerin ebeveynlerin saflık düzeylerinin belirlenmesinde kullanılabilirliğinin belirlenmiş olması önemlidir.

Lavender is an important perfume, cosmetic and pharmaceutical plant worldwide because of its high quality and quantity essential oil content. Besides, it is an important ornamental plant with pleasant fragrance and beautiful vegetative pattern in bush form. In seed propagation, there are some problems such as low germination times and germination rate. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of some selected osmotic conditioners on lavender seeds. Osmotic conditioning (OC) was performed in seeds with methyl jasmonate (MeJA) (1.0 mM) and seaweed ( Ascophyllum nodosum ) extract (1:500 seaweed extract) at 20°C for 1 and 2 days. After the treatment, seeds were characterized for germination tests at 25°C. Germination indexes of the seeds, germination rates and mean germination time were determined. Seaweed treatment for 1 and 2 day applications and MeJA treatment for 2 days significantly increased the germination rates in lavender seeds compared to the control. In addition seaweed 2 day treatment and MeJA 2 day treatment also increased the germination index. In conclusion, this study indicated that both MeJA and seaweed treatments had positive effects on germination parameters studied in lavender seeds.