A Master’s thesis at the College of Agriculture on the effects of shading, glycine spraying, and alpha-tocopherol on the growth of Yemeni pomegranate seedlings.

The College of Agriculture at the University of Diyala has conducted a Master’s thesis defense titled “The Effects of Shading, Glycine Spraying, and Alpha-Tocopherol on the Growth of Yemeni Pomegranate Seedlings.” The study, presented by the student Raghda Akram Mahmoud Saleh, aimed to examine the impact of using saran covering, along with spraying glycine and alpha-tocopherol, on the growth of Yemeni pomegranate seedlings under the environmental conditions of Diyala Governorate.

The results of the experiment yielded the following conclusions under Diyala’s conditions: shading led to improvements in all vegetative growth characteristics of the seedlings when compared to those that were not shaded. Glycine spraying had a positive impact in enhancing the vegetative growth of the seedlings. Spraying alpha-tocopherol, particularly at concentrations of 125 mg/L and 225 mg/L, significantly improved vegetative characteristics. Specifically, spraying at 125 mg/L increased stem diameter, leaf carbohydrate content, the fresh and dry weight of the shoot system, and the dry weight of the root system. Meanwhile, spraying at 225 mg/L increased stem length, leaf area, and the content of chlorophyll and nitrogen in the leaves.

Based on these findings, the study recommends the following:
– Conduct experiments using various shading percentages during months of high light intensity and temperature to determine the optimal shading percentage for the best seedling growth.
– Perform trials using different concentrations of glycine to identify the most effective concentration for improving seedling growth.
– Apply alpha-tocopherol to fruit trees, as it has positive effects on enhancing the plants’ resilience to stress conditions.
– Combine seedling shading with alpha-tocopherol spraying during the hot months to achieve optimal seedling growth.