Year:2005 | Volume:18 | Issue:(67 IN AGRONOMY & HORTICULTURE)|Papers Count:15

Almond is one of the most important nut fruit in Iran, with a production of 120000 tonns and a cultivation area of over 115000 hectars, Thus Iran is ranked 4th among almond producing countries. Kerman province is one of the most important regions of almond growing in Iran, with cultivation area 12000 hectares of almond (A. communis) orchards and 500000 hectares of other almond species. Traditionally almond is propagated by sowing seed and there is a wide range of genotypes of almond with different morphological and biological characteristics. Since 2000 a research program for selecting superior almond genotypes and wild species in the central part of Iran (Kerman province) has been carried out. In this program, almond germplasm of Sirjan and Shahrebabak area were evaluated. Characteristics of selections according to Golcans' almond descriptor (1985) were recorded. Superior seedings whit special characters such as late blooming, high yield, vigorous growth, water stress tolerance and canker resistance were selected. In this research project, we identified 3 interesting natural hybrids distinguished as: A. communis x Prunus persica, A. communis x A. elaeagnifolia, A. communis x A. scoparia. These hybrids found to have very important characteristics such as vigorous growth, water stress tolerance and canker resistance. It seems that they are desirable rootstocks for commercial almond cultivars. In this paper these 3 natural hybrids are described.

In order to evaluate grain yield potential in bread wheat genotypes in drought condition, study of relationship between quantitative traits with grain yield and selection of best genotypes for breeding program in near future 245 genotypes received from CIMMYT (Mexico) with five control genotypes were evaluated in an agment experiment in seed and plant improvement institute Karaj in 2002- 2003. Results of data analysis showed significant differences between genotypes for most of traits. Based on factor analysis via principle component basis eign values five factorsexplain 67.70% of data total variance. Also factor analysis showed length of peduncle, extrusion peduncle length, height and relevant traits to early maturity (heading and dayes to maturity) were important for selection of appropriate genotypes in drought condition.

In this study, in order to produce haploid plants for using in breeding programs and basic researches, 43 genotypes of maize (Zea mays L.) collected from the Iranian Maize Gennplasm of Plant and Seed Research Improvement Institute, consisting of inbred lines, single and three-way cross hybrids were evaluated for their and rogenetic response, using anther culture technique. Anthers having microspores at late-uninucleate of developmental stage were inoculated on different solid, semi-solid and liquid media of IMSS, N6, YP, YPm and Cl and were incubated in darkness for 4-6 weeks at 27°c. Embryo-Like Structures (ELSs) were obtained from genotypes DH5xDH7, ETH-M82, TWC605, SC709, A188, S61, K74/1 and LA12 (sweet corn). Some of which produced calli. The frequency of ELSs in the responsive genotypes varied from 0 to 12.6%; the genotypes DH5xDH7, ETH-M82 and S6l showed the highest response with 12.6,4.5 and 2 ELSs respectively at 100 cultured anthers. Potential of androgenic responses that identified in some of genotypes in this research is useful for breeding maize programs.

Nowadays, one of the most important problems in the educational programs in that rural people are not interest to take part in extention and educational activities because educational activities have not related to their needs that results in reducing interest and motivation among rural people and wasting extension staff s capital, time and energy of extension personnel.The present research using descriptive-correlation methodology was used in this study, aimed at studing the variables effecting their educational needs. According to the statistical report's the cooperative company of sericulturing, there are 52000 sericulturists throughout the Gilan province, of which 382 sericulturists were selected for this research. Research based on the Krejcie and Morgan (1970) table and using regional or cluster sampling and a questionnaires. The validity of the questionnaires determined to be 85% using Alfa-cronbach method and Spss software. Results indicated that mean age, literacy and annual income rate of the study population were 42/8 years old, 3/98 grade(between primary school and elementary) and 17103800 Rials, respectively. Also, Mean of number silkworm egg boxes, income from sericulture and record of sericulture was 4/75 boxes, 3204700 Rials and 21/91 years, respectively. The findings of the research also indicated that means of communication and participation rate were 3/51 (between moderate and high), 4/1 (between high and very high), respectively. Only 32 percent of sericulturists said that the educational courses were useful. 90 percent of them were interested to attend in educational courses. According to our findings, the best time for educational courses is winter and the best method of education is particalmethod and 54 percent of sericulturistsacquiring neede information from their frind and other sericulturists. Furthermore, 89 percent of them have visited the orther sericulturists mulberry farms.Results indicated there are positive significant relationships between communication rate, participation rate, acquiring scientifical information from extension departments, methods of acquiring information, career, the kind of mullberry farm ownership, visit of other sericulturists mulberry farms, acquiring scientific information fram radio and TV with educational needs relating to sericultures. Also, there are negative significant relationships among age, literacy, income rate, take part in educational cources, reading agazines with educational needs relating to sericulture; but there are not significant relationships between gained income from sericulture, number egg boxes, record of sericulture with educational needs. Furtheremore, based on sericulturists opinions, the best method for education was practical method. Multi-variable regression indicated variable that mulberry farm ownership, reading magazines, visiting the other sericulturists mulberry farm, acquiring the scintifical information from the extension departments of sericulturing and the main career were the main effective variables which estimated about 42% of the change of the educational needs.

In this study, the effect of different factors such as air temperature (16oC and 20oC ), kind of bedcover(sand and black plastic), water temperature (5, 10 and 50oC) and light and darkness were investigated on germination of Persian cyc1amen (Cyelamen persicum mill.) seeds. Trial was done according to completed random design with ten treatments and three repetitions and data were recorded for germination percentage, germination rate, the length of petioles, number of expanded leaves, number of leaflets and leaf area. Each unit in growth chamber and greenhouse was included pots with 5cm in diameter and contained 50 seeds of Cyclamen premium. The obtained data after 23 days analy zed and results showed significant differences between all factors. DCM treatment (Darkness, air temperature 16oC, and cover combined with hot water 50oC) was chosen as best treatment and LCc treatment (light, air temperature 20ºc without any cover and cool water 5ºc) was the worst treatment in seed germination. When plantlets were transferred to the greenhouse evaluated and DCc (darkness, air temperature 16 ºc and cool water 5ºc) and DCW (darkness, air temperature 16ºc and hot water 50ºc) withoutany significant differences in number of expanded leaves were the best treatments, but plantlets in DCc treatment showed lower leaf area. LTW (light, air temperature 20ºc and hot water 50ºc), LCM (light, air temperature 16ºc and sand cover) and LCW (light, air temperature 16 ºc and sand cover and hot water 50ºc) without any significant differences were the worst treatments after transferring the plantlets to greenhouse.

In vitro conservation of germplasm is one of the best methods of plant gene pool storage. Application of this method is important for conservation of high economic and medicinal value plants and for plants that are becoming exctinct. Melia azedarach L. has high economic value, because of its high wood quality. Embryonic axes of Persian lilac (Melia azedarach L.) were encapsulated into calcium alginate capsules with sucrose (0.75M) and salicylic acid (0,50, 200µm). Viability of encapsulated embryonic axes were studied in two conditions of cryopreservation in liquid nitrogen or preservation for 4 months at 4°c In both cases 200µm salicylic acid enhanced significantly the percentage of viability of encapsulated embryonic axes. Non-encapsulated embryonic axes did not survive after liquid nitrogen treatment. But the percentage of viability of encapsulated embryonic axes increased to 71% with 200µm SA. Also, in cold conditions, viability increased considerably from 33% in control embryonic axes to 83% in treated with 200µm SA embryonic axes. Comparison of embryonic axes viability showed that encapsulation with SA is more effective in retaining viability of embryonic axes preserved in cryopreservation than cold preservation.

A considerable amount of wheat is lost during the production and consuming process in Iran. Therefore, die first step to control of losses is cslimation oftlie amount of losses and recognizing die factors affecting them. In this research, 68 samples were selected and surveyed wheat harvest with combines in 2001. The results showed that the average wheat loss in Fars province during the harvesting process was about 4.81% of total product.! he highest amount of losses (68%) was related 10 the head of combine. The natural losses, seive and straw walker losses, threshing cylinder losses, and quality losses had taken the next places respectively. Effective factors the total losses of wheat during the harvest were; Planting dale, land fragmentation each faimer, the farmer knowledge about combine, age of the combines, Planting method, speed of (liereel, height of the cutter bar, yield and training of combine operator. Grain losses during the transportation process was 0,081% of total product. This losses was affected by transportation distance. The cost of wheat losses in harvesting and transportation process in 2001 was about 179 billion Rials in Fars Province.

Eremopyrum (Ledeb.) Jaub. & Spach, tribe Triticeae Dumort. and sub tribe Hordeinae Dumort., includes annual species. This central Asian - Mediterranean element is capable of hybridization with other genus of this tribe. In the present study 64 quantitative and qualitative morphological traits of vegetative and reproductive parts of 24 accessions of this genus from Iran were evaluated. Results of character evaluation were collected and analyzed by SPSS ver 9.1. Factor analysis, principal component analysis and cluster analysis by ward method were done for all populations. Qualitative traits as spike shape, hairs of spike, glume and lemma hair frequency had the most important role in Eremopyrum variation. On the other hand lemma awn length, upper glum length, lemma hair length, upper and lower glum awn length were the important quantitative traits in this genus. Due to diagnostic characters an identification key for Eremopyrum in Iran was provided.

Meristem establishment is one of the important steps of in vitro propagation. A successful establishment of meristems, assures promising proliferation. Meristem establishment is influenced by many factors. Because of importance of lranian cultivars and lack of enough reports on meristem culture, this study was conducted to choose the best combination of culture medium in meristem establishment of two Iranian cultivars Bidaneh Sefid and Shahroodi during 2003-2004. In the first trial, establishment of three sizes of Bidaneh Sefid cultivar meristems (≤0.2, 0.3, 0.5 mm) were investigated on MS medium supplemented with 0.5 mg/l BA. In second trial, the effects of medium combination and time of culture, were investigated. The trial was done according to complete random design with three factors and three replications and the data were recorded regarding to the number of plantlets capable for proliferation, growth rate of meristems and the length of plantlets obtained from meristems after one month. The results showed significant differences between the primary size of meristems and the number of meristems and establishment capacity but, there was no differences in length of plantlets. The best results were obtained as 0.5 BA medium for Bidaneh Sefid cultivar and 1.0BA+ 0.1IBA in Shahroodi cultivar both in the second half of June. So in order to have success in meristem culture, it is necessary to select proper hormonal combination to abtain the best formulation and the best time for culture.

Salt stress is considered as one of the most important abiotic factors limiting plant growth and yield in many areas of the world. lt has been shown that vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) fungi can alleviate this deficiency. The effects of VAM inoculation on growth and mineral nutrition of Pistacia vera L. in salt stress condition were studied. Plants were grown in a sterilized, low-P sandy soil with Glomus etunicatum inoculum (12 spore/g soil) in greenhouse. RLC % (Root Length Colonized) was higher in control plants than treated plants with different salt concentration. Shoot and root dry weight and also leaf area of mycorrhizal (M) plants were higher than nonmycorrhiza (NM) ones in both control and salt stressed plants. P, K, Cu and Zn content were higher in M than NM plants in control, low and medium salinity conditions but concentration of Na was lower in arial parts of the M plants. Results showns a higher tolerance of inoculated pistachio to the salt stress and more growth.

In order to study of Hordeum distribution, during 2003 - 2004, different parts of Fars province were surveyed and 80 habitats of various species were recognized. For species identification, plant samples were collected from all habitats and finally 7 species named H. geniculatum , H. bulbosum , H. vulgare , H. spontaneum , H. glaucum , H. distichon and H. violaceum were identified. In laboratory, seed germination and pretreatment, fixation, hydrolysis and staining stages had done. Genomic analysis including the length of each chromosome, long and short arms length, long to short arm ratio, and chromosome volumes were determined. Considering the chromosome numbers, they were categorized into two groups: 2n = 2x = 14 (including 4 species) and 2n = 4x = 28 (including 3 species). Chromosomal study of H. geniculatum, H. distichon and H. violaceum are reported for the first time from Iran. Karyotypic formula showed that, the diploid species were 7m and tetraploids were 12m+2sm. According to the karyotypic symmetry, all species were in the lA class. To find the relationships between the species, 41 morphological and 5 chromosome characteristics were studied by using cluster analysis with average method. The results showed that the highest similarity was between H. spontaneum and H. distichon with 46% and the lowest was between H. violaceum and H. bulbosum with 15%.

In this research, two of the most important biochemical characters such as total lipid and fatty acids combination in several seeds of different cultivars of colza (Brassica napus L.) were considered. In this research, extraction and measuring percentage of total lipid by soxhlet method and combination of fatty acids in seeds by Gas Chromotography were determined. The results often cultivars were compared with each other statistically. The highest percentage of oil was (44/46%) in Hyola 401 and least amount was (40/03%) in Eureka. Also 8 types of fatty acids were observed that includes, palmetic, palmitoleic, oleic, linoleic, linolenic, arachidic, eicosenoic and erosic acids. The most amount of the important fatty acids, oleic and linoleic were determined in the Navajo (72/57%) and Shiralee (12/44%) respectively. Also erosic acid was not observed in the Navajo extract.