Wild plants supply food and shelter to several organisms; they also act as important sources of many nutrients and pharmaceutical agents for mankind. These plants are widely used in traditional medicinal systems and folk medicines. The present study analyzed the nutritional and proximate composition of various compounds in selected wild plants available in the UAE, viz., Chenopodium murale L., Dipterygium glaucum Decne., Heliotropium digynum Asch. ex C.Chr., Heliotropium kotschyi Gürke., Salsola imbricata Forssk., Tribulus pentandrus Forssk., Zygophyllum qatarense Hadidi. The predominant amino acids detected in the plants were glycine, threonine, histidine, cysteine, proline, serine, and tyrosine; the highest quantities were observed in H. digynum and T. pentandrus. The major fatty acids present were long-chain saturated fatty acids; however, lauric acid was only present in S. imbricata. The presence of essential fatty acids such as oleic acid, α-Linoleic acid, and linolenic acid was observed in H. digynum, S. imbricata, and H. kotschyi. These plants also exhibited higher content of nutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins, fats, ash, and fiber. The predominant vitamins in the plants were vitamin B complex and vitamin C. C. murale had higher vitamin A, whereas vitamin B complex was seen in T. pentandrus and D. glaucum. The phosphorus and zinc content were high in T. pentandrus; the nitrogen, calcium, and potassium contents were high in H. digynum, and D. glaucum. Overall, these plants, especially H. digynum and T. pentandrus contain high amounts of nutritionally active compounds and important antioxidants including trace elements and vitamins. The results from the experiment provide an understanding of the nutritional composition of these desert plant species and can be better utilized as important agents for pharmacological drug discovery, food, and sustainable livestock production in the desert ecosystem.

Prosopis cineraria (L.) Druce is a keystone tree species in the arid and semi-arid regions of West and South Asia, with critical ecological, cultural, and conservation significance. In the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and other regions of the Arabian Peninsula, this beneficial tree is called Ghaf. Despite its importance, genomic resources and population-level diversity data for the tree remain limited. Here, we present the first comprehensive population genomics study of Ghaf based on whole-genome resequencing of 204 individual trees collected across the UAE. Following Single-Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) discovery and stringent filtering, we analyzed 57,183 high-quality LD-pruned SNPs to assess population structure, diversity, and gene flow. Principal component analysis (PCA), sparse non-negative matrix factorization (sNMF), and discriminant analysis of principal components (DAPC) revealed four well-defined genetic clusters, broadly corresponding to geographic origins. The genetic diversity varied significantly among the groups, with observed heterozygosity (Ho), inbreeding coefficients (F), and nucleotide diversity ($\pi$) showing strong population-specific trends. Genome-wide fixation index F_ST scans identified multiple highly differentiated genomic regions, enriched for genes involved in stress response, transport, and signaling. Functional enrichment using Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), and Pfam annotations indicated overrepresentation of protein kinase activity, ATP binding, and hormone signaling pathways. TreeMix analysis revealed gene flow into one of the genetic clusters from both others, suggesting historical admixture and geographic connectivity. This work provides foundational insights into the population genomic profile of P. cineraria, supporting conservation planning, restoration strategies, and long-term genetic monitoring in arid ecosystems.

SUMMARY: Solanum pimpinellifolium , a wild relative of cultivated tomato, offers a wealth of breeding potential for several desirable traits such as tolerance to abiotic and biotic stresses. Here, we report the genome and annotation of S. pimpinellifolium ‘LA0480’. The ‘LA0480’ genome size (811 Mb) and the number of annotated genes (25,970) are within the range observed for other sequenced tomato species. We developed and utilized the Dragon Eukaryotic Analyses Platform (DEAP) to functionally annotate the ‘LA0480’ protein-coding genes. Additionally, we used DEAP to compare protein function between S. pimpinellifolium and cultivated tomato. Our data suggest enrichment in genes involved in biotic and abiotic stress responses. Moreover, we present phenotypic data from one field experiment that demonstrate a greater salinity tolerance for fruit-and yield-related traits in S. pimpinellifolium compared with cultivated tomato. To understand the genomic basis for these differences in S. pimpinellifolium and S. lycopersicum , we analyzed 15 genes that have previously been shown to mediate salinity tolerance in plants. We show that S. pimpinellifolium has a higher copy number of the inositol-3-phosphate synthase and phosphatase genes, which are both key enzymes in the production of inositol and its derivatives. Moreover, our analysis indicates that changes occurring in the inositol phosphate pathway may contribute to the observed higher salinity tolerance in ‘LA0480’. Altogether, our work provides essential resources to understand and unlock the genetic and breeding potential of S. pimpinellifolium , and to discover the genomic basis underlying its environmental robustness.

Since the dawn of agriculture, crop yield has always been impaired through abiotic stresses. In a field trial across five locations worldwide, we tested three abiotic stresses, nitrogen deficiency, drought and salinity, using HEB-YIELD, a selected subset of the wild barley nested association mapping population HEB-25. We show that barley flowering time genes Ppd-H1, Sdw1, Vrn-H1 and Vrn-H3 exert pleiotropic effects on plant development and grain yield. Under field conditions, these effects are strongly influenced by environmental cues like day length and temperature. For example, in Al-Karak, Jordan, the day length-sensitive wild barley allele of Ppd-H1 was associated with an increase of grain yield by up to 30% compared to the insensitive elite barley allele. The observed yield increase is accompanied by pleiotropic effects of Ppd-H1 resulting in shorter life cycle, extended grain filling period and increased grain size. Our study indicates that the adequate timing of plant development is crucial to maximize yield formation under harsh environmental conditions. We provide evidence that wild barley germplasm, introgressed into elite barley cultivars, can be utilized to improve grain yield. The presented knowledge may be transferred to related crop species like wheat and rice securing the rising global food demand for cereals.