Master’s Degree Awarded to Mr. Osama Yahya Al-Damashqi in Horticulture and Its

Technologies
Mr. Osama Yahya Ahmed Al-Damashqi was awarded a Master’s Degree in Horticultural Science and Technology for his thesis titled: A Study of Some Factors Affecting Micropropagation Potato (Solanum Tubersum L.) CV Baraka, which was submitted to the Department of Horticulture and Its Technologies, Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment– Sana’a University. The MA defense was held on Tuesday, June 30, 2026.

The MA Viva-voce Committee, which was formed based on a resolution issued by the Graduate Studies and Scientific Research Council, consisted of the following:
# Committee Members Designation Position
1 Assoc. Prof. Mansour Hassan Al-Dhubaibi Internal Examiner Chair
2 Assoc. Prof. Hassan Abduljabbar Al-Dubai Main Supervisor Member
3 Assoc. Prof. Mansour Ahmed Abu Hatem External Examiner Member

The thesis aimed to develop a scientific protocol for the micropropagation of the ‘Berka’ potato cultivar by investigating several factors affecting the success of plant tissue culture. These included obtaining virus-free plant materials using the ELISA test, evaluating the efficiency of different surface sterilization agents and exposure periods for sprout buds, examining the effects of various concentrations of gibberellic acid on the in vitro vegetative growth of plantlets, and comparing the effects of semi-solid and liquid media on the growth of single-node cuttings.
The findings revealed that tuber testing using the ELISA assay confirmed that the examined samples were free from the six major potato viruses. Surface sterilization using a 10% sodium hypochlorite solution for 10 minutes produced the best results in obtaining healthy and growing cultures. The study also demonstrated that the effect of gibberellic acid on plantlet growth varied according to the concentration used. While the liquid medium proved superior in increasing shoot length, the semi-solid medium was more effective in increasing the number of shoots and nodes.
The study recommended conducting virus diagnostic tests on tubers before implementing micropropagation programs, adopting sterilization with a 10% sodium hypochlorite solution for 10 minutes, and using a concentration of 1.0 mg/L of gibberellic acid when the objective is to increase the number of nodes. It also recommended the use of agar-free liquid media in micropropagation programs due to their favorable results and lower production costs.
The findings of the study represent valuable scientific outputs that can contribute to the development of local potato seed production programs and reduce dependence on imported seed potatoes, thereby enhancing the productivity of one of Yemen’s most important food security crops.
The defense session was attended by a number of academics, researchers, students, colleagues, and the researcher’s family.