​1. PAS members have published more than 30 articles in top journals in the field.

2. Khaleel Salem Award 2024 for best published research paper:

Ziar, C., Amr, A. and Sadder, M.T. (2024) Genetic Diversity and genome structure of historic Mediterranean olives. South-Western Journal of Horticulture, Biology and Environment 15(1): 39-51.​

Mediterranean olive cultivars (Olea europaea), including the historic cultivar 'Mehras,' were analyzed using ISSR to identify and study the genetic relationships among them. Three ISSR primers (UBC-807, ISSR 810, ISSR 825) generated 784 data entries (221 for present and 563 for absent bands), which were analyzed using SPSS and Structure software. Results showed that fragment size ranged between 250 to 1700 bp. The similarity among the fourteen cultivars ranged from 10% between cultivars 'Nabali Muhasan' and 'Arbosana' up to 59% between genotypes 'Qaisi' and 'Kafari Baladi.' When primers were evaluated for their discriminating power, it was found that all of them had a value equal to 1. Moreover, the primer PIC values were 0.29, 0.31, and 0.31 for ISSR 807, ISSR 810, and ISSR 825, respectively. The constructed dendrogram showed four main clades, while Nabali Muhasan did not cluster with any. The first clade clustered included five cultivars. The second clade included four cultivars. Both the third and fourth clades included two cultivars each. The genome structure confirms the dendrogram tree.

3. Genetic map for 'Mehras' historic olive from Jordan:

he oil-producing olive cultivar Mehras from Jordan is a historical cultivar, with actively producing fruit trees reaching some 1000-year lifespans. The historical olive cultivar Mehras, from the Maysar area in the Alhashemya town of Ajloun, is considered one of the oldest genetic olive genotypes in the Mediterranean region. The reason for choosing the name Mehras instead of Romi is that the cultural heritage, especially in Ajloun, distinguishes between the size of olive trees. This research is part of a national team (National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC), University of Jordan and Jerash University) to document the genetic maps of several species and breeds of crops and animals with agricultural importance.

Several chloroplast genomes were identified and investigated from Olea species which have adapted to different habitats. In this study, we assembled the complete chloroplast genome in Mehras using next-generation sequencing. Mehras leaves were collected from Alhashemya, Ajloun and Jordan (32.365906N, 35.663445E). DNA was extracted using the total genome wizard kit (Promega, Madison, WI). The phylogenetic analysis showed that Mehras was genetically the closest to be a source of origin for the cultivated olives in Spain, Italy, and Cyprus and was included in the same genetic group (Figure 1). The results of the nucleotide sequence of the 'Mehras' genome showed that it has a unique genetic diversity at a molecular level. According to the study, significant mutations exceeding 15 million SNPs affected olive trees; nearly half a million are evident in the genetic coding regions with great influence by altering amino acids. The results of studies carried out by the NARC proved that a high percentage of oil can be extracted from Mehras olives - up to 28%, one of the highest percentages among olive varieties in the world. Mehras oil also boasts a distinctive fatty acid composition, with one of the highest percentages of oleic acid - up to 70% - compared with other varieties, in addition to the sensory properties and its distinctive fruity flavour.

There is also a strong linkage between the study outputs and archaeological discoveries which proved that the oldest human settlement ever known to contain olive trees was in the Jordanian village of 'Hadib Al Reeh' in Wadi Rum, which dates back to 5400 BC. Mehras is a genuine ancestor variety and it has survived through the ages. Its genetic fingerprint has proven its rich and unique genetic diversity among available olive genotypes around the Mediterranean basin.​

Mehras olive cultivar application is being processed by UNISCO to be recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage​

4. Development of novel tomato lines tolerant to salinity:

Sadder, M.T., Ali, A.A.M., Alsadon, A.A. and Wahb-Allah, M.A. (2025) Long-term salinity-responsive transcriptome in advanced  breeding lines of tomato. Plants 14(1): 100.​
 Soil salinity and the scarcity of freshwater resources are two of the most common environmental constraints that negatively affect plant growth and productivity worldwide. The tomato (Solanum lycopersicum Mill.) plant is moderately sensitive to salinity. The identification of salinity-responsive genes in tomato that control long-term salt tolerance could provide important guidelines for its breeding programs and genetic engineering. In this study, a holistic approach of RNA sequencing combined with measurements of physiological and agronomic traits were applied in two advanced tomato breeding lines (susceptible L46 and tolerant L56) under long-term salinity stress (9.6 dS m−1). Genotype L56 showed the up-regulation of known and novel differentially expressed genes (DEGs) that aid in the salinity tolerance, which was supported by a high salt tolerance index (81%). Genotype L46 showed both similar and different gene families of DEGs. For example, 22 paralogs of CBL-interacting kinase genes were more up-regulated in L56 than in L45. In addition, L56 deployed more SALT OVERLY SENSITIVE paralogs than L45. However, both genotypes showed the up-regulation of ROS-detoxifying enzymes and ROS-scavenging proteins under salinity stress. Therefore, L56 was more effective in conveying the stress message downstream along all available regulatory pathways. The salt-tolerant genotype L56 is genetically robust, as it shows an enhanced expression of a complete network of salt responsive genes in response to saline conditions. In contrast, the salt-susceptible genotype L46 shows some potential genetic background. Both genotypes have great potential in future breeding programs.

5. Development of Atriplex hedge for zero-landscaping:

Hedge performance was assessed based on the:

1. Stable shape period of trimmed plants (minimal management index (MMI)). MMI refers to the level of maintenance or intervention required to keep hedges healthy and well-shaped without over-pruning or damaging them but with the  least amount of pruning necessary to maintain the hedge's form, health, and growth.

2. Ability of the trimmed plants to show new growths (trimming stress mitigation).

In this study we came with MMI equation that takes into consideration the following factors:

• Frequency of pruning: Hedged areas may need to be pruned at least once a month, depending on the type of hedge and growth rate, but minimal management might suggest pruning only when necessary.
• Cutting intensity: Minimal pruning would involve only removing dead or diseased wood, and lightly trimming the edges to maintain shape, rather than drastic cutting back.
• Health and growth monitoring: Minimal management could also imply that instead of regular or aggressive pruning, the hedge is simply monitored to ensure it's growing healthily and only pruned when essential.
• Water Inputs: Accounts for irrigation needs in two dimensions:
• Quantity: The volume of water required by the plant species. Higher water needs correspond to higher water input.
• Quality: The plant's tolerance to low-quality or saline water. Greater tolerance reduces water input.
• A weighted score could integrate these sub-factors to calculate water input.
  
   The proposed equation is:
  
  MMI = ( F + I + H + W) / 4
  
   Where,
  
  F (frequency) would range from 0 (no pruning, minimal maintenance) to 1 (frequent pruning, maximal maintenance).
  
  I (cutting intensity) would range from 0 (minimal cutting, minimal intervention) to 1 (aggressive cutting, maximal intervention).
  
  H (health monitoring) would range from 0 (no monitoring) to 1 (continuous, detailed monitoring).
  
  W (Water input or irrigation factor) by including W, the index becomes more adaptable to regions or situations where water resources and costs significantly influence hedge maintenance. For example:
  
  A species with high water requirements and low tolerance for poor-quality water would have a higher W, thus elevating M, indicating higher management needs.
  
  Conversely, a drought-tolerant species capable of thriving with brackish water would have a lower W, leading to a lower M, indicating lower management needs.
  
  This approach allows for balanced biological and resource-related factors in hedge management decisions.
  
  The irrigation factor W might itself be a composite metric:
  
  W = ( Q_w + Q_q  ) / 2
  
  Q_w : Water quantity score (e.g., scaled 0–1, where 0 = low water need and 1 = high water need).
  
  Q_q : Water quality tolerance score (e.g., scaled 0-1, where 0 = tolerant to saline water and 1 = requires high-quality water).
  
   
  
  For (W), the data is listed for both A. leucoclada and A. halimus along other major plant hdge species.
  
   
  
  Table 6. Comparison for irrigation factor of water input (W) between Atriplex spp (this study) and major hedge plant species.
  
   

For A. halmus plants trimmed to spherical shapes, the shapes were not maintained and were decomposed into uneven "dome" shape in few weeks. The major cause was the branching growth habit of A. halimus plants. Nonetheless, this output gave the potential of new shape; the dome shape but also wavy hedge can be achieved. On the contrary, A. halimus plants trimmed into box shapes (a cube or a rectangular) maintained their shapes for several weeks, supported by the branching growth habit in A. halimus plants. ​