A Master’s thesis at the College of Agriculture, University of Kirkuk, examined “The Role of the Microscopic Structure of Plant Parts in Salt-Stress Tolerance of Cucurbit Crops Using Tissue Culture Techniques.”
The thesis, submitted by Shakhawan Mohammed Ahmed Hamad, aimed to propagate cucumber and melon using tissue culture techniques and evaluate the effects of different types and concentrations of cytokinins on the initiation and multiplication of shoots from growing apices.
The study also sought to produce and evaluate pumpkin rootstocks with improved tolerance to salt stress, as well as grafting shoots produced through tissue culture of cucumber and melon onto pumpkin rootstocks.
The study concluded that sodium hypochlorite or commercial bleach at different concentrations and exposure durations can be used to sterilize the growing apices of cucumber and melon plants. It also demonstrated the feasibility of propagating cucumber and melon using tissue culture techniques and confirmed the potential of pumpkin as a suitable rootstock.
