JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURE
Year:2006 | Volume:8 | Issue:1|Papers Count:8

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of Municipal waste compost leachate (MWCL) on Capsicum annum plant and chemical properties of a clay loam soil with five ratios of MWCL to irrigation water (0, 20, 40, 60 and 100 percent) treatments each with three replications by using a completely randomized factorial design under greenhouse condition. Electrical conductivity, organic matter and concentration of available nutrients of N, P, K, Ca and Mg in soil increased with increasing percentage of MWCL, but pH of the soil was decreased. Increased concentrations of MWCL caused drastic decreases in plant growth. The MWCL of 100 percent treatment caused the seedlings to be died off. The treatment with 20 percent MWCL increased plant fresh and dry weight, fresh and dry weight of green chili. Plant content of N, P and K increased with increasing concentrations of MWCL. The use of 20 percent MWCL seems to cause increasing green chili yield. An application of high concentrations of MCWL to soil is not recommended due to increase of EC of soil solution.

West Azerbaijan province is the major producer of sugar beet in Iran. To reach the goals of self-sufficiency in the country and competitiveness in the market, increasing the production of sugar beet in this province through enhancing the efficiency of producers could have an important contribution. The purpose of this research was to measure the efficiency of sugar beet producers in West Azerbaijan. By selecting a random sample of sugar beet producers in this province, interviewing, and the questionnaire, the necessary data was collected. To measure the efficiency of sample producers, Frontier stochastic parametric approach was used. The results showed that mean efficiency of sample sugar beet producers was 69.5 percent, which ranged from 15.9 to 100 percent. The results indicate that with the available resources and technology there is a high potential to increase sugar beet production in the province. To determine policy measures for enhancing the efficiency of sugar beet producers there is a need for more detailed study, especially on the factors influencing the efficiencies.

The use of fertilizers in agriculture is a potential source of environmental pollution especially in water quality and soil resources. The study of effective factors on water and nutrient transport through soil profile is helpful for nutrient management to minimize adverse impacts on environment and nitrate leaching below root zone. In this study, for assessing the nitrate transportation below the root zone, measurements were done by spectrophotometer method. A field site was conducted under corn production in a cultivation period of 2003. The DRAINMOD-N model was used to simulate nitrate transportation. This model is calibrated by adjusting nitrification, denitrification rate constants to reach the best fit between measured and predicted data. Results indicate that predicted nitrate concentration by model was close to measured nitrate concentration. The correlation between measured and predicted data was significant in one percent level. Results and scenarios indicate that the model can be used as a tool-to manage environmental pollution in irrigated areas.

In order to analyze the effective factors contributing to land fragmentation, required data were collected by questionnaire from 151 farmers who were selected through a stratified random sampling design from 12 villages of Ramjerd yek subdistrict of Marvdasht Country. Factor analysis was used to identity explanatory factors of land fragmentation. The variables of natural-farming, socio-cultural, Economic and physical factors explained 73.5 percent of variation of the agricultural land fragmentation. Regression analysis showed the household average annual income, per capita arable land, size of land rented by household, labour force of household, family size, number of crop planted by household and size of land rented out explained 75.5% of the variation.

Most sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) cultivars are self-incompatible and have problems of fertilization and fruit set. To produce commercial crops they need compatible and suitable pollinizers. The compatibility of "Zarde Daneshkadeh", "Protiva", "Sorati Lavasan", "Haj- Yosefy" and "Meshkin Shahr" cultivars..with "Shoa-o-saltaneh" as seed parent studied in a randomized complete block design (RCSD) with three replications. The compatibility of various pollens on "Shoa-o-saltaneh", studied with two methods of controlled pollination and observation of pollen tube growth with fluorescence microscopy. The results of the controlled pollination method showed that "Meshkin Shahr" and. "Protiva" cultivars are compatible and "Zarde Daneshkadeh", "Sorati Lavasan" and "Haj- Yosefy" are incompatible. The mean of fruit set in "Shoa-o-saltaneh" cultivar using pollen grain of "Zarde Daneshkadeh", "Protiva", "Sorati Lavasan", "Haj-Yosefy" and "Meshkin Shahr" were 0, 4.2, 0.2, ,0.4 and 15.7 percent respectively. The results show that sweet cherry cv. "Shoaosaltaneh" is a self-incompatible cultivar (fruit set =0) and it needs compatible and suitable pollinizers for fruit set. The microscopic examination of pollinated flowers showed, that pollen tube of "Meshkin Shahr" cultivar reached to the ovary in 96 hours after pollination.. These observations confirm the results from field controlled hybridization.

The effect of levels of nitrogen on growth and nitrogen uptake patterns and grain protein quality of grain sorghum was investigated by two experiments which were conducted at Pakdasht- Tehran in 2003. In a completely randomized design with three replications, grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) hybrid H-726 was grown under greenhouse conditions using water culture technique. The first experiment included a standard culture solution with 88ppm nitrogen level and the second experiment consisted of various nitrogen levels (17.5, 44, 88, 220 and 440ppm) in culture solution. The total fresh weight of plant and nitrogen uptake pattern increased linearly until plants reached the hard dough stage and then decreased. Sorghum plant had two peaks of absorbing nitrogen in vegetative and in reproductive period of growth (four weeks before and after heading stage). Fresh weight, dry matter of plant, grain yield and crude starch decreased significantly and total nitrogen content in the plant parts, nitrogen uptake, crude protein and prolamin increased significantly by increment of nitrogen application. The major protein in grain constituted of glutelin followed by prolamin at any level of applied nitrogen. Effect of different levels of nitrogen was not significant on crude fat and crude ash of grain. The significant positive correlation coefficient of albumin with globulin and glutelin with total extractable protein were the highest (r = 0.99). The correlation between crude protein and grain dry matter was negative and high (r =-0.73).

To study the stability and adaptability of grain yield and genotype x environment interaction, 19 promising triticale lines/varieties were evaluated in Moghan, Mashhad and Zabol Experimental Stations during 2001 to 2003 cropping seasons. The experimental design in all the locations and years was completely randornized block design with three replications. Combined analysis of variance carried out over locations and years. The place x year and genotype x place x year interactions were significant (P<1%). There was not significant difference between genotypes. The different stability methods were used to identify stable genotypes in this research. The results of analysis on grain yield using parametric method of Eberhart and Russell (1966), stability of variance and Ecovalance indices (Shukla, 1972 & Wricke, 1962), environmental variance (Si2), coefficient of determination (R2), coefficient of variation (C.V.) and non-parametric method of rank (based on Rand SDR parameters) showed that genotypes No. 4, 12, 14, 17 and No. 11 were stable and high adaptable genotypes. The genotype No. 4 with high mean yield (6382kg/ha), the lowest deviation of regression (S2di=0.05, bi=1.08), the lowest stability of variance (si2=0.01), the lowest Wricke ecovalance (Wi=0.24), the highest R2 (96.7%), the lowest standard deviation of rank (SDR=1.72) and low environmental variance (Si2=1.25) and coefficient of variation (C.V%=17.52) was determined as the most stable genotype.