Studies on propagation and breeding on artichoke

The present study was conducted during the period from 2006 to 2011 at the Experimental Station of the Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University Giza Governorate, Egypt. It included two separated experiments, the first experiment on evaluation the effect of seed scarification and soaking in som chemical compounds on seed germination, plant growth, head yield and its quality in 2006/2007 and 2007/2008 seasons. The second experiment aimed to produce globe artichoke hybrids in 2009/2010 and 2010/2011 seasons. In the first experiment, seeds of globe artichoke, Green Globe cv were used in this experiment. The used treatments in these trials were water for 4 days at temperature of 4 ºC the water was changed each 24 hrs, mono potassium phosphate at 1 % for 10 hrs, mono potassium phosphate at 2% for hrs, ethephone at 50 g/L for 30 min, ethephone at 100 g/L for 30 min, kinetin at 50 ppm for 5 min, kinetin at 1.00 ppm for 5 min in addition to scarificati treatment all these treatments were compared with the control treatment. The results indicated that best percentage of seed germination, speed of germination, number of leaves per seedlings, vegetative growth, had characteristics, edible part characteristics and inulin percentage were observed with seeds treated by kinetin at 100 ppm for 5 min, compared with control, and other treatments. In the second experiment the four cultivars viz., Green Globe, Asio Opal, and Bil were cultivated in three separated groups. Three methods of pollination were used to differentiate between autogamous and allogamous plants. As follows: hand self-pollination (group 1), cross pollination under control with honey bee insects under net clothes (group 2) and artificial cross pollination. Crosses between these cvs were made by diallel mating design (group 3). The results indicated that best vegetative growth, head characteristics edible part characteristics and inulin percentage were observed with the hybrids of Asio x Bil, Opal x Bil, and Bil x Asio.