
The College of Agriculture at Basra University organized a seminar on "The Impact of Irrigation Water Salinity on Cucumber Plant Characteristics and Yield." The seminar, presented by researcher Ahmed Mohammed Abbas, aimed to identify the cucumber varieties most resistant to salinity, and to examine the effects of different levels of irrigation water salinity on chlorophyll levels, carbohydrate content, water content percentage, plant height, number of leaves, yield, and other plant characteristics. The seminar also covered the various stages of salt stress caused by high salinity levels in irrigation water, starting with osmotic stress, which leads to what is known as physiological drought, and ionic stress resulting from the accumulation of sodium and calcium, which in turn leads to secondary stress or increased production of free radicals, ultimately causing damage to cell components. (Public Relations and Media Unit/College of Agriculture)