JOURNAL OF CROP ECOPHYSIOLOGY (AGRICULTURE SCIENCE)
Year:2010 | Volume:4 | Issue:13|Papers Count:8

This study was conducted to evaluate variations of phenological and morphological traits in some promising durum wheat lines. Nineteen lines were planted in a randomized complete block design with three replications in 2008. Analysis of variance showed significant differences for traits including days to 50% flowering, plant height, spike length, number of fertile and unfertile spike per m2, seed yield, 1000 grain weight, harvest index, spike diameter, awn length, flag and penultimate leaf area, number of spikelet per spike and number of seed per spike. Comparison of means showed that the lines number 17 and 11 had highest and lowest seed yield, respectively. The most phenotypic and genotypic variation coefficients belonged to seed yield. Lines based on cluster analysis, were classified into 3 groups. This study showed that 1000 grain weight, number of fertile and unfertile spike per m2, harvest index, awn length and seed yield maybe proper indices to select lines for highest seed yields.

The effects of seed priming by salicylic acid on some physiological traits of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.) cv. Parastou were investigated under water deficit conditions at podding stage. Experiment was done as a split block design with 3 replications in 2008 at Research Station of Zanjan University. Main factor consisted of two levels of irrigation (normal irrigation and deficit irrigation at podding stages) and seed priming with salicylic acid as a sub factor in 5 levels (0, 900, 1800, 2700, 3600 µM). Analysis of variance showed that irrigation and salicylic acid had significant effects on all characters. Furthermore, interaction between irrigation and salicylic acid were significant only for leaf relative water content, photosynthetic rates, content of chlorophyll a, total chlorophyll and seed yield. Mean comparisons showed that relative water content, photosynthetic rates, content of chlorophyll a and total chlorophyll and seed yield decreased due to water deficit as compared to normal irrigation, but leaf internal CO2 increased. These traits, except leaf internal CO2 were increased through primed seed priming as compared to untreated seeds. Priming of seeds with 2700 µM salicylic acid had desirable effect on all traits compared to other treatments in irrigated and water deficit conditions. Seed priming with 2700 µM salicylic acid caused higher relative water content, which protects plants against water stress. In addition to increasing chlorophyll content and stomatal conductance, photosynthetic rates of plant increased. Thus, seed priming with 2700 µM salicylic acid produced highest seed yield (4424 and 2475 kg. ha-1) in both regular and deficits irrigations at podding stage, respectively.

Because of abundance and importance of Cynodon dactylon in wheat fields a factorial experiment was conducted with three replicates to study allelopathic effects on Cynodon dactylon on wheat in 2oo7. Extract of different parts of this weed in five levels (control, leaf, shoot, root, and flower extract) and its different concentrations in 4 levels (1:5, 1:10, 1:15, and 1:20) were used to evaluate its concentration effects on seed germination, vegetative growth and seed yield of wheat. Anova showed that effect of main factor and interactions on some attributes studied were significant. All concentrations of extracts decreased germination as compared to control. But, weed root and total plant parts extracts showed highest reduction on germination. 1:5 extract concentration decreased radical and plumole length, seedling dry weight, seed and percentage of germination by 81.38, 79.37, 73.75, 97.33 and 70.31%, respectively. ANOVA in green house showed significant effect of some main factors and interactions. Increasing extract concentrations from 1:20 to 1:5 decreased significantly all attributes. Rate of reduction in plant height, spike length, leaf number, peduncle length, biomass, seed number, TKW, and yield in 1:5 concentration as compared to control were 53.88, 40.42, 52.80, 63.85, 82.84, 88.63, 76.10 and 95.84%, respectively. Base on this experiment, it can be said that Cynodon dactylon produces allelopatic chemical materials and thus decreases germination, growth and seed yield of wheat considerably.

The purpose of this study was to analyse the relationship between ecological awareness and rice-field knowledge of paddy field women in Bandar- E Anzali and sustainable agriculture criteria observation extent. The research method used descriptive-analytic that is performed relative–causal method. The population included paddy field women, over 25 years old in two region. In this research, 275 women were selected with systematic sampling method. Instruments reliability was estimated by calculating Cronbach's alpha coefficient by SPSS/win. The descriptive findings showed that the research's paddy field women have good knowledge regarding ecological awareness and rice-field. Also, they are observing sustainability criteria in farming approximately. The analytic finding showed that there exists significant difference (%1) between the mean of observing sustainability criteria in farming, level of education, kind of ownership to field-rice and kind of used seed. Also, there exists positive significant correlation (p=%99) between age, past record paddy field, the measure of social participation, paddy field annual income, ecological awareness and paddy field knowledge and observing sustainability criteria in agriculture. But there exists negative significant correlation (p=%99) between the measure of paddy field participation and number of member household and observing sustainability criteria in farming. The measure of rice production and paddy field annual income as independent variable have maximum role and rate in analyzing of dependent variable.

The reaction of 21 tomato varieties and genotypes to alternaria blight were evaluated in greenhouse and field conditions. Genotypes and varieties were inoculated with of this pathogen artificially in both experiments. After inoculation, disease characteristics such as disease index, area under disease progress curve (AUDPC), percent of dried flower and yield in the field and disease index, percent of infected leaves and surfaces of blight on leaves in greenhouse were recorded. Results of greenhouse experiment showed that varieties and genotypes including Super 2270 King stone, Kallgi and 8403 had the least infection to disease. On the other hand, Imperial variety and 8406 genotype exhibited the highest amount of infection. Varieties in the field experiment, including Super 2270, King stone, Early urbano VF, and 8402 genotype, showed the least infection and genotypes like 8405, 8406, 8407 and Peto early ch variety had the highest amount of infection. In both experiments Super 2270, King stone and Early urbano VF varieties were found resistant to be this pathogen, but 8402 genotype was resistant only in the field and 8403 genotype and Kallgi variety were resistant only under greenhouse condition. Soria variety showed a considerable disease spot in both experiment but could produce the highest means of yield about 91. 64 ton/ha. in the field, compared to other varieties and genotypes. Hence it is assumed to be the tolerant variety.

Alfalfa is one of the most important crops that are infested by Sitona species in Iran. Adults and larvae of Sitona spp. feed on foliage and root of legumes and cause serious damages on them. Collection of adults of this genus during 2003-2004 years from alfalfa fields of eleven localities in East Azarbaidjan Province, Sitona puncticollis Stephens was found to be the dominant species. To estimate of damage of this species, 100 pots of common alfalfa cultivar (Ghara yonje) were sowed and after 2.5 months. Fifty pots were infested with eggs of S. puncticollis and the rests were maintained as control. After two months, length of stem and roots and their dry and fresh weights were measured in 30 infested and 30 uninfested pots. The data of infested and uninfested pots were compared by T- test. Results showed that there were significant differences (P<0.01) between all measured traits in infested and uninfested pots.

Nowadays widespread researches are being done on bedding material in crop production. Bedding materials, including soilless beds, perlite, coco peat and wood chips may affect crop quality and quantity. Thus, suitable bedding material should be used. Because, cost of these materials is high in strawberry production local substrate with low cost can be used. A greenhouse strawberry cultivar (Fragaria ananassa cv. European) trial was performed at research greenhouse of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad in cropping season of 2004-2005. The experimental design was complete randomize block with four replication. The treatments were (1) Perlite (2-5 mm), (2) Coco peat (3) Wood chips and (4) Wood chips and Perlite (1:1 W). In general, plants grown in Coco peat substrate improved vegetative growth parameters like dry and fresh weight (gp-1), chlorophyll index and number of leaves (np-1). While, the effect of perlite on yield (gp-1) and number of fruit (np-1) were not significant as compared with wood chips (p≥0.5), and even wood chips improved total soluble solids (TSS). On the other hand mixed wood chips and perlite, as bedding material did not have promising effect on vegetative and reproductive growth of strawberry.

This research was conducted to evaluate the effects of cotton seed roasting (125OC for 15 and 30 minutes) on its gossypol content, chemical composition, in vitro CP digestibility, ruminal dry matter (DM) and crud protein (CP) degradability. Degradation kinetics of DM and CP were determined according to in situ procedure with three ruminally fistulated Taleshi bulls. Roasting cotton seed had no effect on chemical composition of feed samples (P>0.05; roasting at 125OC for 15 and 30 minute decreased free gossypol by 17. 5 and 21. 3%, respectively (P<0.05). Although, roasting at 125OC for up to 15 and 30 minute decreased the degradation rate of CP (P<0.05) but it had no effect on effective rumen protein degradability of roasted cottonseed compared to untreated cottonseed (P<0.05). Electrophoresis results indicated that roasting at 125OC for 15 and 30 minute did not alter the disappearance pattern of protein subunits in cottonseed. The result showed that, although roasting decreased the free gossypol content of cottonseed but it was not effective at decreasing its effective rumen protein degradability.