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sur le développement des zones arides et semi-arides

Titre : Beta macrocarpa Guss. in Tunisia : nutritional properties, in-situ investigations, and ex-situ conservation, with prospects for organic agriculture

Auteur : Abdelkefi, Fatma

Etablissement de soutenance : Istituto Agronomico Mediterraneo di Bari (IAMB) - Centre international de hautes études agronomiques méditerranéennes (CIHEAM)

Grade : Master of science : Mediterranean organic agriculture 2021

Résumé
The aim of this study is to valorise and preserve the Tunisian Beta macrocarpa taxon. This species is an endangered Mediterranean crop wild relative (CWR). The valorisation of this taxon entails the determination of nutritional and functional properties of the plant’s edible parts. Therefore, soil and plants samples have been collected from three different bioclimatic sites in Tunisia : Enfidha (Centre), Kerkennah island (South) and Sijoumi (North). The proximate composition analysis showed that Beta macrocarpa shoots collected in Sijoumi had the highest carbohydrates, crude fibres contents as well as the highest energetic value. Analysis of minerals revealed that plants sampled in Kerkennah displayed the highest mineral accumulation, especially as regards Na, K, Ca and Mg. Based on the functional properties analysis, Kerkennah proved to be the site with the highest polyphenol and flavonoid contents and the highest antioxidant activity . The research was further completed with ex-situ conservation of some B. macrocarpa accessions. To that end, seeds were collected in August 2021 in Sijoumi, and their germination ability was tested before storage at the INRAT seed bank.

Présentation (IAMB Library)