Plant Productions
Year:2015 | Volume:38 | Issue:2|Papers Count:10

It is important to determine ways to increase flower quality, flowering period and some other characters related to bedding plants performance. Thus, a CRD-based factorial experiment was conducted in Research Fields of Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman. The seeds of marigold used in this experiment were sown in pots on 20th Farvardin 1391. Spray was applied at 4 stages over the experiment period using thiamine (0 and 100 mg L -1), ascorbic acid (0 and 100 mg L -1) and benzyl adenine (0 and 200 mg L -1) solely or in combination with five replications. The results indicated that the highest total fresh weight, shoot and root dry weight were obtained in the combined treatments of the chemicals with an increase of 100%, 101% and 170% compared to control, respectively. Meanwhile, the highest flower number, flower diameter and flower longevity were gained also in the combined treatments of ascorbic acid, thiamine and benzyl adenine which increased to 1.52, 1.25 and 0.67- fold in comparison with control, respectively. The findings of this research showed that the highest photosynthetic pigment and reducing sugars were found in the combined treatments

In order to study of effect irrigation deficit and cultivation method on some quantitative and qualitative characteristics of potato cultivars, an experiment was carried out in split-split plot using randomized complete block design with three replications in the experimental field of Department of Agronomy and Plant Breeding, Shahid Chamran University of at Ahvaz, during the 2011-2012 cropping season. Experimental factors included cultivation method at two levels: furrow and flat cultivation as main plot, irrigation method at two levels: full furrow irrigation and alternate furrow irrigation as sub-plots and cultivars of Ramus, Santeh, Cosima and Agria as sub-sub plots. Based on the design of the study, for performance treatments in flat cultivation, furrows were made in plot. The results showed cultivation methods had a significant difference on tuber yield, water use efficiency and percent of tuber starch. The furrow cultivation method caused a significant increase with tuber yield 1435.24 g/m2 and water use efficiency 7.67 kg/m3. The highest tuber yield (1519.6 g/m2) was produced by Agria and the lowest tuber yield (821.5 g/m2) was produced by Ramus. Among irrigation methods, full furrow irrigation by tuber yield (1228.64 g/m2) had no significant difference with alternate furrow irrigation by tuber yield (1129.89 g/m2). But method of alternate furrow irrigation by water use efficiency 8.4 kg/m3 was better with full furrow irrigation. The use of an alternate furrow irrigation is recommended with higher water use efficiency and had no significant effect on tuber yield. Therefore, based on the results, it seems that Agria and Santeh cultivars in the furrow cultivation using alternative irrigation to achieve the appropriate yield and qualitative characteristics with high water use efficiency was suitable in Ahvaz climatic conditions.

In order to study the effect of drought stress and soil compaction on corn growth an experiment was carried out in 2012 at Safi Abad Agricultural Research Center. The treatments were arranged in split plot in a randomized complete block design with three replications on 704 single cross hybrid corn. Drought stress was considered as the main plot at 4 levels (irrigation after 75, 95, 115 and 135 mm evaporation from A pan), and soil compaction was as the subplot at 4 levels (no traffic congestion, mild with four times, the average density with 8 times and the intensity density with 12 times of tractor traffic). Based on the results, the drought and soil compaction stresses affected many of the traits. The effects of drought and soil compaction were statistically significant on stem diameter, root deep, number of brace roots per plant, root and shoot dry weight, harvest index, number of ear bearing plants at harvest and grain yield characteristics. The effect of soil compaction stress was significant on root dry weight and reduced it. Only the effect of drought stress was significant on chlorophyll and protein characteristics. Brace roots growth in soil compaction stress conditions was stimulated and was higher than drought conditions. But grain yield was not affected by increasing the number of brace roots. Increase in soil compaction prevented root growth to depth. Conversely, the drought stress cause increased root growth to depth. Stresses weakened maize stem diameter with constant process. The constant processes were observed in reduction of shoot and grain yield dry weight by application of stresses. The drought stress more than soil compaction can affect chlorophyll and protein content of grain. This indicates the important role of water in the field. Drought stress was able to reduce the harvest index, but soil compaction in the most severe condition can reduce it. Both stresses reduced the number of ear bearing plants.

In order to the effects of elements zinc, boron and sulfur on quantitative and qualitative agronomic characteristics of rapeseed var. Hyola 401, an experiment was conducted in Rice Research Institution of Iran, Rasht province in 2010. A field experiment with completely randomized block design was performed with eight treatments in three replicates. Treatment consisted of control, Zn, B, S, Zn+S, Zn+B, B+S, and S+B+Zn. Sulfur treatment was added at the rate of 100 kg ha-1 before sowing; Boron was added as Borax (Na2B4O7, 10H2O) at the rate of 1.5 kg ha−1, and zinc was added as Zn 15% EDTA at the rate of 1.5 kg ha−1 to the soil. Analysis of variance showed that the effects of treatments on siliques total number at plant, grain number at siliques thousand-seed weight and seed yield were significant (P<0.01). Minimum grain oil and seed yield were obtained from control treatments and the highest seed yields were obtained from S+B+Zn treatments. The maximum oleic acid (229.6 mg g-1) and linolenic acid (27.14 mg g-1) were obtained from B+Zn+S treatment. Maximum of linoleic acid (55.55 mg g-1) were obtained from B+Zn treatment. Maximum stearic and palmitic acid was obtained from B+Zn and S+Zn treatments which were 6.527 and 15.47 mg g-1, respectively. The highest erucic acid content was (0.878 mg g-1) at control treatment. Based on the results, application of B, S and Zn fertilizers with NPK fertilizer can help increase the yield and yield components in rapeseed

In order to study the effects of different cover crops in suppressing weed growth, an experiment based on the randomized complete block designs was carried out in the agricultural research station of Mohaghegh Ardabili University in 2012-2013 growing season with four replications. Treatments included fall rye (Secale cereale), spring vetch (Vicia villosa), and berseem clover (Trifolium alexandrium) along with the control treatment. Some traits of weeds and cover crops were measured 60 days after cropping (cover crops flowering) and 90 days after cropping (one month after cover crops were clipped from the ground level). Results of the analysis of variance showed that in two stages of sampling, plant density, crop height, fresh weight and dry weight of cover crops had significant differences. Fall rye, spring vetch and berseem clover decreased the density of common lambsquarter (Chenopodium album) compared with control about 69, 81 and 88 percent and dry weight of this weed in the second sampling about 73, 96 and 93 percent, respectively. Evaluation of the phonology weeds during the first sampling showed weeds were in vegetative phase along with the winter rye and spring vetch but were in the flowering phase accompanied by berseem clover, like control. In the second sampling stage, all three cover crops suppressed the growth of the weeds and kept them in the vegetative stage. For the bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis), percentage of decrease in density compared with control was about 77, 55 and 9 percent and dry weight loss was measured to be 78, 61 and 33 percent, respectively. Effect of the three cover crops on the control of the bindweed was lower than that of the Common Lambs quarter. This higher competitive potential against cover crops probably is due to the reserving organs. Cover crops of fall rye and spring vetch were the most suitable crops to weed control in the first stage, after control and Berseem clover was distinguished as the non-suitable one.

In order to study the effects of ascorbic acid as an important antioxidant reducing salinity damage, an experiment was conducted on two Althernantera genotypes (“Entire leaf” and “Undulated leaf”) at research greenhouse of Shahid Chamran University in 2013. Concentrations of 0, 0.5 and 1 mM of Ascorbic acid were sprayed weekly on plants grown under 0, 30, 60, 90 mM NaCl. The experiment was carried out factorially based on a randomized complete block design with four replications. Plants were grown hydroponically using Hoagland’s solution.Salinity significantly affected all morphological (plant height, plant diameter and leaf area), physiological (electrolyte leakage, relative water content, fresh and dry weight) and biochemical (chlorophyll, proline and anthocyanin content) characteristics. StemLength in “Entire leaf” genotypereached from 100% to 28% and “Undulate leaf” genotype from reached 100% to 50%. Application of ascorbic acid decreased electrolyte leakage in plants treated with high NaCl concentrations. The lowest electrolyte leakage and the highest chlorophyll content were found in plants treated without NaCl (control) and 0.5 mM ascorbic acid. The highest leaf relative water content was found in control plants treated with 1 mM ascorbic acid. The highest proline content was found in plants treated with 90 mM NaCl and 1 mM ascorbic acid. The highest anthocyanin content was found in plants treated with 90 mM NaCl and 0 mM ascorbic acid. The results showed that Alternanthera is relatively resistant to salinity. “Entire leaf” cultivar was more resistant than “Undulate leaf” genotype. According to the results, ascorbic acid could increase salinity resistance.

Combination of classical breeding with molecular marker-assisted selection speeds up the development of new breeding lines. Lack of appropriate restorer varieties, the low number of suitable lines and their narrow genetic base are fundamental problems in hybrid rice production. This study was performed with the aim of identification and selection ofplantswithrestorefertility genes in segregating populations of rice. Therefore study of nucleus genome of selected lines was conducted along with molecular studies for the identification of restorer lines in two convergent populations of rice Nemat × Pajohesh // IR58110 × Pajohesh and Nemat × Pajohesh // IR60819 × Pajohesh and two populations of Pajohesh × IR60819 and IR58110 × Pajohesh. The experiments were followed for two years and the results showed that the lines R5, R7, R9, R28 and R45 had desirable performance in the pollen and spicklet fertility test. Molecular analysis performed on selected lines and genotypes showed that the markers RM171, RM3148, RM1 and RM258 presented good banding patterns. Therefore, the lines R3, R5, R7, R9, R18, R25, R27, R28, R29 and R45 were identified as positive at least for two markers representing similar patterns torestorercheck (IR50). Thus, the results of pollen and spikes fertility tests and molecular studies demonstrated that lines R5, R7, R9, R28 and R45 are potential restorers. Further studies in future generations of theselinescanbe used as desirable lines inhybrid seed production.

In order to evaluate the effect of humic acid and vermicompost on yield and yield components of three wheat cultivars in tropical regions, an experiment was conducted in the research station of Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Iran in 2012-13. The experiment was carried out as factorial based on randomized complete blocks design with three replications. The treatments included vermicompost at three levels (no use, application of 5 tons per hectare and 10 tonnes per hectare), humic acidat two-level (without and with foliar application of 1.5 lit. ha-1) and wheat cultivarsin three levels, Chamran and Virinac (bread wheat), and Behrang (durum wheat) varieties. Soil application of vermicompost and foliar spray of humic acid improved the measured characteristics by 5-15 and 6-11%, respectively. Concurrent Application of these fertilizers increased the effect of those organic fertilizers on wheat traits. But the highest seed thousand weights (51.73 g), grain yield and biological yield, respectively were (881.74 and 1984.2 g. m2) and the highest number of days to heading (92.00 days) and hectoliter weight (837.24 g.lit-1) was obtained from foliar application of Chamran cultivar with humic Acid and soil application of vermicompost (10 T/ha). The highest protein content (13.97%) was also obtained from vermicompost (10 t ha) and foliar application of humic acid on Behrang cultivar. It could be recommended that application of humic acid and vermicompost for wheat cultivar nutrition is probably asuitable alternative for chemical fertilizers.

Apple trees are self-incompatible like some of the other Rosaceous fruits. In apple, the self-incompatibility system is gametophytic and controlled via one locus with several alleles. In this study, 22 apple cultivated genotypes were investigated using specific allele amplification by polymerase chain reaction with 18 special primers. In 14 cultivars, including Malake Lobnan (S23S24), Golab Esfahan, (S1S24), Golabe Nori Maragheh (S4S23), Atlasi (S1S20), Vasatres Ghermez (S4S18), Abasi Deraz Kharv (S1S7), Shali Akhlomad (S1S23), Abasi Gerde Kharv (S23S26), Ghasemshahi (S1S23), Golmakani (S3S23), Kado Sib Akhlamad (S1S26), Oganji Kharv (S1S26), Khoshei Kharv (S1S23) and Alimarei Avalres (S1S23), both of the alleles were identified, but in 8 cultivars including Winesap (S19-), Prime Gold (S23-), Bell de Anvar (S4-), Mahalli Sheikhi Zoodres (S1-), Khoje Torbat (S1-), Roein Esfaraien (S1-), Mahalli Kharv (S1-) and Oughan Shirvan (S1-) only one allele was distinguished. To amplify allele S1 in Iranian cultivars three different primers were applied. In some cultivars, no band was distinguished and in some other cultivars only non-specific bands were found. The primer MdS1SpF amplified the S1 allele in 7 cultivars, FTC168 in 5 cultivars and FS1 in 11 cultivars. In three cultivars, including Mahalli Sheikhi Zoodres, Ghasemshahi and Alimarei Avalres, all the three primers were able to amplify the S1. The results showed that cultivars like Kado Sib Akhlamad and Oganji Kharv and Shali Akhlomad, Ghasemshahi, Khoshei Kharv, and Alimarei Avalres are corss-incompatible.

High level of sodium chloride is known to be the most widespread cause of saline soil environmental stress in dry and semi dry lands that ceases growth and yield of crop species. An experiment was conducted to examine the effect of potassium nitrate on certain morphological and physiological characteristics of two tropical lawn, Cynodon dactylon and Paspalum vaginatum, under salt stress through 1390-91at the Research Farm Station of Horticultural at the Shahid Chamran University, Ahvaz. Plants were treated with four different concentrations of potassium nitrate (0, 5, 10, 15 ml) and four different concentrations of sodium chloride (0, 4, 6, 8 des/m). Results of this experiment showed that salinity significantly effects growth parameters at the probability level of 1%. It was observed that when salt stress increased, the saline soil significantly reduced leaf length and width, LAI, length and diameter of stem and stolon, fresh and dry weight of shoot and root, RWC and chlorophyll content, whereas proline and electrolyte leakage increased due to accumulation of salt within the soil. Amung (KNO3) treatments, application of l0 ml was recognized as the best treatment that (p≤0.01) showing positive interaction effect on the plant cheracters except total chlorophylls and leaf area.