Moringa is a sole genus of Moringaceae family with 13 species distributed in the tropical and sub-tropical regions. Among them, Moringa peregrina is one of the species which has wide range of traditional, nutritional, industrial, and medicinal values. The plant parts are used in folk medicine for many human health care purposes including diabetes, wound healing, disinfectant, fever, constipation, muscle pains, slimness, burns, labor pain, hypertension, malaria, stomach disorder, asthma, skin problems, and to expel a retained placenta. In addition to medicinal value, M. peregrina has cultural, spiritual, and religious connections with the native people of Arabian Peninsula. M. peregrina plant parts were tested for many pharmacological activities viz, antioxidant, anti-microbial, anti-diabetic, anti-spasmodic, hypertension, hepatotoxicity, lipid lowering activity, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and memory disorders. Few active molecules belong to the class isothiocyanate, flavonoid, triterpenoid, phytosterol, polyphenol, and glycoside were also isolated, identified and reported for anti-microbial, anti-oxidant, anthelmintic, anti-mutagenic, neuroprotective, anti-cancer, anti-hypertensive, anti-diabetic, anti-infective, anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory, herbicidal, lipid lowering potential, anti-trypanosomal, and cytotoxic activities. So, the aim of the present review is to provide comprehensive information from recognized sources on the traditional uses, pharmacological efficacy and phytochemistry of the desert medicinal plant, M. peregrina. The information provided in this review will be very useful for further studies to develop novel therapeutic drugs.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has a unique experience in greening the desert. Huge efforts have been done to create green spaces across the country including afforestation and urban landscaping. Most of the landscaping designs were inspired from western landscapes comprises mostly of exotic species, which do not reconcile with the environmental conditions of the UAE. The intensive use of exotic species in artificial vegetation, high water requirements for the UAE greenery, coupled with water shortages and salinity, are causing major environmental and ecological challenges.  Fortunately, the UAE hosts a unique flora and fauna that show remarkable adjustment to harsh weather conditions. Here we emphasize the use of native plants due to their potential to develop landscapes in saline and water shortage conditions, leading to reduced water usage for landscaping. The preservation of native biodiversity of the UAE will be an added benefit. In this article the main aspects of the UAE landscaping efforts, with the associated water resources using native plants in landscaping, problems in promoting native plants in landscaping and possible solutions are discussed.

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Nine (9) different date palm ( L.) cultivars from UAE, which differ in their flower timings were selected to determine the polymorphism and genetic relationship between these cultivars. Hereditary differences and interrelationships were assessed utilizing inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) and directed amplification of minisatellite DNA region (DAMD) primers. Analysis on eight DAMD and five ISSR markers produced total of 113 amplicon including 99 polymorphic and 14 monomorphic alleles with a polymorphic percentage of 85.45. The average polymorphic information content for the two-marker system was almost similar (DAMD, 0.445 and ISSR, 0.459). UPGMA based clustering of DAMD and ISSR revealed that mid-season cultivars, Mkh (Khlas) and MB (Barhee) grouped together to form a subcluster in both the marker systems. The genetic similarity analysis followed by clustering of the cumulative data from the DAMD and ISSR resulted in two major clusters with two early-season cultivars (ENg and Ekn), two mid-season cultivars (MKh and MB) and one late-season cultivar (Lkhs) in cluster 1, cluster 2 includes two late-season cultivars, one early-season cultivar and one mid-season cultivar. The cluster analysis of both DAMD and ISSR marker revealed that, the patterns of variation between some of the tested cultivars were similar in both DNA marker systems. Hence, the present study signifies the applicability of DAMD and ISSR marker system in detecting genetic diversity of date palm cultivars flowering at different seasons. This may facilitate the conservation and improvement of date palm cultivars in the future.

Abstract. In the present study, a field experiment was conducted to study the effect of some organic fertilizers on four varieties of tomato viz., Sadia F1, Isabella F1, Lelord and Sun cherry for its growth, yield and fruits sensory. A total of 64 plots were prepared with the dimension of 3 m 2 x 4 m 2 and each plot was applied with recommended doses of organic fertilizers. The results on the growth parameters of the studied tomato varieties showed that the chicken manure had the significant effect on plant height and root length of Isabella F1, leaf area of sun cherry, root fresh and dry weight and of Lelord, leaves fresh and dry weight of Sadia F1. Whereas, shoot fresh and dry weight of Isabella tomato variety was increased when treated with mixed manure. Agro fish pellet treatment had increased the stem diameter of Isabella F1 significantly. The number of flowers and fruits of sun cherry tomato variety were increased when treated with agro fish pellet. Agro fish also influenced the fruits number in Sadia F1 and fruit yield of lelord followed by Isabella F1 respectively. The sensory evaluation of the fruits of studied tomato varieties revealed that chicken manure had good result on the overall quality of the fruits of Sadia F1 and Sun cherry. Agro fish pellet and mixed manure has influenced the overall quality of Isabella F1 and Lelord variety tomato fruits.