A doctoral thesis in the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Engineering at the College of Agriculture at the University of Basra examined a molecular and physiological study of the role of melatonin in salt and oxidative stress in Washingtonia palms.

The thesis of researcher Amjad Hussein Kamel aimed to investigate the effect of spraying melatonin on Washingtonia palm seedlings growing under salt stress.

The thesis included a study of two factors: three levels of irrigation water and three levels of melatonin.

The thesis concluded that irrigating Washingtonia seedlings with water with a salinity of 2 dSm-1 resulted in significant superiority in most of the traits under study. Increasing irrigation water salinity levels beyond this limit led to a significant decline in most of the traits under study. Furthermore, spraying Washingtonia seedlings with melatonin improved all traits.

The thesis recommended the cultivation of Washingtonia trees in Iraq, given their aesthetic benefits, such as their use in landscaping and medians. They also have industrial benefits, such as their potential use in the wood industry, and their medicinal benefits, such as their potential use in the discovery of new medicines.

Department of Media and Government Communication / College of Agriculture