This study was carried out to determine the possible heavy metal accumulation in fruits and leaves of Zivzik pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) grown in two different roadside orchards located in Pirinçli and Kapılı villages of Siirt province, Turkey. Leaf and fruit samples were collected from trees located at 0, 50, 100 m distances from the main roads. Plant samples were analyzed for cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb) and chromium (Cr) concentrations. The Co, Ni, Cd, Pb and Cr concentrations of fruit samples collected from Pirinçli village were ranged from 0.082 to 0.238 mg kg⁻¹, from 1.160 to 1.559 mg kg⁻¹, from 0.087 to 0.179 mg kg⁻¹, 0.326 to 0.449 mg kg⁻¹ and 0.606 to 1.054 mg kg⁻¹, respectively. The Co, Ni, Cd, Pb and Cr concentrations of fruit samples from Kapılı village were between 0.085 and 0.137 mg kg⁻¹, 1.042 and 1.123 mg kg⁻¹, 0.037 and 0.076 mg kg⁻¹, 0.277 and 0.520 mg kg⁻¹ and 0.762 and 0.932 mg kg⁻¹, respectively. Heavy metal concentrations of leaf samples from Pirinçli village varied from 0.191 to 0.227 mg Co kg⁻¹, 2.201 to 3.547 mg Ni kg⁻¹, 0.051 to 0.098 mg Cd kg⁻¹, 0.535 to 0.749 mg Pb kg⁻¹ and from 1.444 to 2.017 mg Cr kg⁻¹. Similarly, the heavy metal concentration of leaf samples from Kapılı villages were between 0.213 and 0.217 mg Co kg⁻¹, 2.160 and 2.511 mg Ni kg⁻¹, 0.058 and 0.114 mg Cd kg⁻¹, 0.579 and 0.676 mg Pb kg⁻¹ and 1.688 and 1.518 mg Cr kg⁻¹. The Co, Ni and Cr concentrations in fruit samples collected from 0, 50 and 100 meters to the main road in Pirinçli village were at statistically significant level, while only Ni concentration in leaf samples collected from 0, 50 and 100 meters to the main road was at significant level. In contrast, heavy metal concentrations in fruit and leaf samples collected from 0, 50 and 100 m to the main road in Kapılı village were not statistically significant level.

Siirt fıstığı, antepfıstığı meyvesinin yöreye has bir çeşididir. Yöredeki birçok ailenin geçim kaynağı olan bu meyvenin üretim faaliyetlerinin nasıl yürütüldüğü büyük önem taşımaktadır. Bu çalışma, Siirt ilinde bulunan antepfıstığı üreticilerinin sahadaki üretim davranışlarını araştırmak amacıyla yürütülmüştür. Çiftçi Kayıt Sisteminde (ÇKS) kayıtlı olan fıstık üreticisi sayısı baz alınarak 99 üretici ile anket çalışması yapılmıştır. Üreticilerin eğitim durumu, sahip oldukları arazi varlığı, aile nüfusu, borçlanma durumları, toprak işleme teknikleri, toprak verimliliği durumu, sulama durumu, yetiştiriciliği yapılan çeşitler ve bahçelerde kullanılan tozlayıcı çeşitler gibi fıstık yetiştiriciliğinde uygulanan tüm işlemlerin nasıl yapıldığı ile ilgili temel sorular sorularak üreticilerin geleneksel hale gelmiş mevcut üretim alışkanlıkları tespit edilmeye çalışılmıştır. Çalışmamıza katılan üreticilerin, %30.3’ünün 30-39 yaş aralığında olduğu, %26.26’sının lise mezunu olduğu, %61.62 oranında ailede tarım dışında çalışanların olduğu, ortalama %24.4 dekar (da) alanda sulu tarım yapıldığı, ortalama ağaç yaşının 8.02 olduğu, ortalama %39.05 dekar (da) alanda kuru tarım yapıldığı belirlenmiştir. Ayrıca üreticilerin %61.6’sının borcunun olduğu, %75.5’inin toprak analizi yaptırmadığı, %63.3 oranında arazi verimliliğinin normal olduğu, üreticilerin %37.8’inin tozlayıcı çeşit kullanmadığı ve yine üreticilerin %73.7’sinin yapay tozlama uygulaması yapmadığı belirlenmiştir.

Bu araştırmada, Mardin ili Artuklu ve Kızıltepe ilçelerinde doğal olarak yetişen, yöre iklimine adapte olmuş, üstün kalite özellikli yerel nar genotiplerine ait pomolojik özelliklerin belirlenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Araştırmada 18 genotip üzerinde çalışılmıştır. Çalışma sonucunda; meyve ağırlığının, 207,3-689,5 g; meyve boyunun, 65-95,8 mm; meyve eninin, 72,8-108 mm; kaliks uzunluğunun, 12,1-17,9 mm; kaliks yarıçapının, 9,15-22,5 mm; toplam dane ağırlığının, 84-400 g; 100 dane ağırlığının, 25,3-49,4 g; dane randımanının, %40,5-78,4; meyve suyu hacminin ise 78-296 ml arasında olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Ayrıca SÇKM, %15-18; titre edilebilir asit miktarı %0,06-0,69 ve pH’ nın %2,38-3,49 arasında olduğu belirlenmiştir. Bunların yanında genotiplerin kabuk alt zemin rengi, kabuk üst zemin rengi, çekirdek sertliği, meyve tadı, dane rengi, odacık sayıları, odacıkların görünümü, daneleme kolaylığı ve meyve posa ağırlıkları tespit edilmiştir. Tartılı derecelendirme yöntemine göre altı genotipin üstün özellik gösterdiği ve ümitvar olduğu kanaatine varılmıştır.

In this study, morphological and pomological characteristics of Salakhani, local variety of Iraq and Zivzik (Punica granatum L.), local variety of Siirt, were compared. Salakhani variety, which is one of the well-known pomegranate cultivars in Halabja region, has been cultivated for centuries in this region, North of Iraq. Zivzik variety is considered to be one of the important local varieties in Siirt province in the South East of Turkey. Salakhani variety was collected from their natural area in Halabja and Zivzik variety was collected from Zivzik Village in Şirvan. This is the first study comparing both varieties in point of pomological and morphological features. Our study has shown that two varieties are similiar on account of some features on the other hand are also different with regard to some properties. In addition to that the study showed Salakhani has more bigger fruit size and with soft seed than Zivzik pomegranate; conversely, Zivzik cv. has also very juicy fruit and high quality of fruit juice compare with Salakhani. This study has shown the superior characteristics of these two varieties can be the subject of different breeding studies in developing new pomegranate varieties.

The aim of this study was to determine the pomological and morphological characteristics of pomegranate genotypes grown in Çermik and Dicle districts of Diyarbakır province. As a result of the study carried out on 10 genotypes; fruit weights were found between 198.8 and 366.0 g, seed hardness of the fruit was medium-hard in eight genotypes, hard in two genotypes, aril yield ranged from 58.1 to 70.0% and fruit juice volume was between 63.9 and 135.7 ml. The upper peel color was purple in four genotypes, pink-red in two genotypes, orange-red in one genotype and orange in three genotypes. The bottom peel color is orange-red in seven genotypes and orange in three genotypes. Aril color was dark purple in three genotypes, purple in two genotypes, medium red in two genotypes and pink-red in three genotypes. The acid content was found to be between 0.65 and 1.21% and the amount of total soluable solid (TSS) varied between 15.0 and 21.0%. It was concluded that all 10 genotypes were promising and these genotypes showed superior characteristics.

Three species of genus Asparagus native to Lake Van Basin of Turkey were analyzed using internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and cpDNA trnL intron sequence. Furthermore, these species were screened for their antioxidant activity and total phenolic and flavonoid contents. Phylogenetic analysis based on ITS data revealed two clades: the first clade consisted of Asparagus persicus and Asparagus officinalis, and clade II consisted of Asparagus palaestinus. Similarly, phylogenetic analysis using trnL intron sequence revealed two clades. In term of total phenolic content and total flavonoid content, the highest value were measured for acetone extract of Asparagus persicus sample No. 2 and Asparagus persicus sample No. 6, respectively. The highest antioxidant activity using FRAP assay was found for Asparagus persicus sample No. 3. We concluded that these species could be useful for increasing genetic diversity among cultivated species and for breeding.