In breeding for drought tolerance, availability of precise, cheap and easy to apply selection tool is critical. The aim of the present study was to identify potential screening tools that are useful for selection of drought tolerant genotypes in potato and select drought resistant potato genotypes. The study assessed sixty clones arranged in a 10×6 alpha lattice design with two replicates in a managed stress experiment. Two irrigation treatments were applied: fully watered non-stress and terminal drought, where the irrigation water supply to the crop was withheld after 50 % flowering to induce post-flowering stress. Stress indices were calculated based on tuber yield of genotypes in both stressed and non-stressed conditions. Identification of drought tolerant genotypes based on a single index was less informative as different indices identified different genotypes as drought tolerant. Hence, to determine the most desirable drought tolerant clones rank sum of indices, correlation, and bi-plot display of the principal component analysis was employed. The indices modified stress tolerance index based on non-stressed yield, Men productivity, Geometric mean productivity, Stress tolerance index, Harmonic mean, modified stress tolerance index based on stressed yield and Yield index exhibited strong association with both yield under stressed and non-stressed yield. These indices discriminated drought tolerant genotypes with higher tuber yielding potential both under stress and non-stress conditions. Genotypes CIP-398180.612, CIP-397069.5, and CIP-304371.67 were identified as drought tolerant. These genotypes could be potentially grown both under drought prone and potential environments and these selection attributes could help to develop climate resilient potato varieties.

To examine polyamines (PAs) effect in modulating the drought induced by polyethylene glycol (PEG) in maize (Zea mays L.) seedlings (variety Khoibhutta, 8 day seedlings grown in petri dish in incubator) were subjected to 20% PEG (polyethylene glycol) followed by 20 µmol PAs, Putrescine (Put), Spermidine (Spd) and Spermine (Spm) with PEG solution for 48 hours. Sharp decrease in Relative Water Content (RWC), Chl a, Chl b, carotenoid (Car) and total pigment content was observed under drought compared to control condition, while PAs application reversed their decreasing trends. PEG significantly increased Reactive Oxidative Species (ROS) [superoxide (O2•−) and H2O2], Methyl Glyoxal (MG), Melondialdehyde (MDA) and Lipoxigenase (LOX) activity, while Pas decreased the contents considerably (except MG) as compared to those under drought. Drought increased proline content, which was further augmented in PA treatments. PAs failed to incline glyoxalase’s (Gly-I and Gly-II) activities, reduced under PEG. The activity and western blot confirmed the accumulation of Glutathione S-Transferase (GST) under drought, but PAs failed to augment the activity. Ascorbic Acid (AsA) and Glutathione (GSH) got oxidized into Dehydroascorbate (DHA) and oxidized Glutathione (GSSG) under drought but PAs effectively maintained homeostasis. Superoxide Dismutase (SOD), Peroxidase (POD), Ascorbate Peroxidase (APX), Glutathione Peroxidase (GPX), Monodehydroascorbatereductase (MDHAR), Dehydroascorbatereductase (DHAR), and Glutathione Reductase (GR) inclined in drought stressed seedlings, while Catalase (CAT) activity decreased under drought. PAs addition increased SOD, POD, GPX, CAT, MDHAR, and GR activities, but declined DHAR activity. These findings suggested important role of PAs in increasing tolerance under short term drought by modulating antioxidant effect.

Purslane (Portulaca oleracea L.) is an edible wild plant that is widely grown in the world, including Türkiye. Purslane plant, which is an important component of Mediterranean cuisine, can grow spontaneously in nature. Stress conditions can directly or indirectly affect its growth and development in the environment in which it is grown. In the current study, stress conditions of soil organic matter content, irrigation water amount and irrigation water salinity were investigated in pot experiments. The experiments were carried out in a 72 m2 greenhouse established on the Dokuz Eylül University Tınaztepe Campus. From the variables, soil organic matter was applied as 1%, 1.8% (control), 3% and 5% on a dry weight basis. 15 purslane seeds were planted in each pot and left to germinate. Irrigation water amounts were chosen as 100%, 75%, 50%, 30%, 15% of the field capacity. The last variable in the application was determined as the salinity of the irrigation water; the conductivity of the applied irrigation waters were control (tap water-about 0.5 mS/cm), 4 mS/cm, 8 mS/cm, 16 mS/cm. All pots were prepared in four repetitions and the study was carried out with a total of 320 pots. Experiments were carried out for 90 days from the first planting. In the study, it was observed that the increase in organic matter increased plant germination. Statistical evaluation was also made and the effects of irrigation water amount and salinity were also evaluated according to principal component analysis. As the field capacity decreased, decreases were observed in plant growth, but this was mostly observed at 30% and 15% field capacity. The negative effects of salinity on plant growth were observed at 8 mS/cm and 16 mS/cm values.

It is foreseen that there may be a water crisis in the next years due to global climate change, the need for food with the increasing population and the need for fresh water. Due to the scarcity of freshwater resources and the difficulty in access to quality water, water resources should be used in the most efficient way. Water conservation is of great importance in regions where water is scarce. The water harvesting method, which allows rainwater to be collected, stored and reused could be applied in various ways. In this study, water harvesting methods and techniques aiming to develop a strategy that will provide maximum benefit from rainwater in arid and semi-arid areas are discussed.

Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) is used to determine dry and humid periods according to the cumulative probability method at different time scales. . In this study, the rainfall data between the years of 1980-2018 belonging to of Kayseri Meteorology Station was simulated by CLIGEN stochastic climatic data generator. SPI indices calculated by using observed and simulated precipitation were evaluated with the statistical methods at the time scales of 3-, 6-, 9- and 12- months. The SPI values of 3-, 6-, 9- and 12- month which are observed and simulated with CLIGEN are close to each other and the performance of the model is very high in calculating the SPI values of these time series. However, as the time period increased, the model's representative ability decreased.

Drought is one of the most harmful abiotic stresses affecting the development and yield of the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). The current climate change and the resulting increased drought will worsen the negative impact of water stress on the plant. The powder of orange peel and cauliflower waste were added as soil supplementation at rates of 7 and 15 g/pot to pots of Phaseolus vulgaris L. under different drought conditions. The growth and physiological analysis were estimated after flowering period of common bean. In the pots where drought will be applied, irrigation was stopped for 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 days during the flowering period and irrigation was performed again after water stress application. To measure moisture percentage of pots, first dry pots were weighed and after irrigation, their moisture variation in terms of percent was measured during stress from 2 to 10 days. The highest plant height was obtained from control. Leaf area decreased significantly despite the application of different powder, especially after 4 days of drought conditions. The highest root fresh and dry weight, raw ash were observed under control with the application of 7.5 g orange peel powder. Shoot dry weight decreased as the number of days exposed to drought increased, and the application of 15 g orange peel and cauliflower powder gave the highest results compared to control conditions. The highest dry matter was obtained from the application of 7.5 g and 15 cauliflower powder in the absence of drought. It has been revealed that as the duration of exposure to drought increases, the value decreases and plant powders are effective in increasing this value. Chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and total chlorophyll values decreased significantly with drought, and the highest value was obtained from control conditions, followed by 15 cauliflower powder applications.

This study was conducted to investigate the relationship between the recent increase in the frequency of drought conditions and Root-Crown Rot (Fusarium pseudograminearum, Fusarium culmorum) in rainfed wheat growing areas of Central Anatolia. In 2018, the experiment was established in the greenhouse of Konya Bahri Dağdaş International Agricultural Research Institute using 25 registered wheat varieties in a randomised block split-plot experimental design with 4 replications. Irrigation levels (100% field capacity and 50% field capacity) were designed as main plots, inoculation (+ and -) as subplots and varieties as sub-subplots. In the study, the response of the cultivars to inoculation under artificial drought conditions was evaluated by measuring Crown Score (CR), Lesion Length (LL), Number of Diseased Leaves from outside to inside (NDL) and Plant Height (PH) from five plants in each pot. Statistically, the differences between inoculation, irrigation, NDL and LL were found to be significant at P<0.0001 level, while the differences between varieties were found to be significant at P<0.001 level for the CR parameter. On the other hand, when the interactions were evaluated for the NDL parameter, the differences were found to be significant at P<0.0001 level for all three interactions of cultivar*inoculation, cultivar*irrigation and cultivar*inoculation*irrigation. When the effect of reduced water application intended to be used in resistance breeding was evaluated for 25 different varieties under Fusarium culmorum inoculation, there was an increase in CR from 41,7% (Gerek-79) to 487,5% (Altay-2000), NDL from 7,14% (Kirgiz-95) to 200% (Alpu-2001), LL from -36,84% (Karahan-99) to 283,33% (Altay-2000) and in PH reduction from 12,41% (Seval) to 32,22% (Kirgiz-95). The results showed that drought-stressed plants were already weakened and therefore more easily and severely infected by pathogens. According to these results, it has been determined that it is very important for the region to obtain resistance to drought and crown rot diseases, which have such an obvious relationship, in breeding studies.

Drought and thirst are among the most important problems in today's world where water resources are depleted more rapidly due to global warming and climate change. The use of plant species with high water needs in landscaping causes an increase in the need for irrigation and more water consumption. For this reason, the need for xeriscape design in landscape areas has increased in recent years. The aim of this study is to examine and evaluate the xeriscape landscaping in Selcuk University Alaeddin Keykubat Campus in line with the xeriscape principles. As a result of the examinations, it was determined that the xeriscape design areas in the campus were generally created in accordance with xeriscape principles.