JOURNAL OF PLANT ENVIRONMENTAL PHYSIOLOGY
Year:2015 | Volume:10 | Issue:1 (37)|Papers Count:8

In this research total phenolic content and antioxidant activity of different parts of Bene fruit (Pistacia atlantica subsp. Kurdica) from Kurdistan province were studied. The results showed that among all the samples tested, hull extract contained the highest total phenolic content followed by shell and kernel extracts. There was a positive correlation between total phenol content and DPPH radical scavenging activity, nitrite oxide radical scavenging activity, and FRAP (Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power). The results also indicated that antioxidant activity of hull extract was significantly higher than that of shell and kernel extracts, and the highest antioxidant activity of hull extract can be attributed to higher total phenolic and flavonoid content. The results of EC50 (the extract concentration providing 50% inhibition) value showed that the hull extract with the lowest EC50 revealed good antioxidant activity. Therefore, the different antioxidant activity assays showed that hull extract with potent activity can be introduced as a source of natural antioxidant.

Several physiological problems such as abscission of inflorescence buds and fruit, incidence of blank, non-split and deformed nuts leads to diminishing yield of pistachio trees. The aim of this research was to study the effect of exogenous application of arginine on physiological disorders and yield of ‘Ahmad-Aghaei’ pistachio. Experiment was performed in a factorial randomized completely block design with 3 concentrations of arginine treatments (0, 0.5, and 1 mM) and at two separate times, one week before and five weeks after full bloom in a commercial orchard. Results showed that the positive effects of arginine were greatly depending on the time and concentrations of arginine applied. Arginine 0.5 mM decreased the bud and fruit abscission, non-split, and blank nuts effectively while it increased the split percentage, fresh weight, and yield of pistachio trees. Exogenous application of arginine had no significant effect on diameter growth and total soluble sugar content. The results of this study showed for the first time that arginine application directly or indirectly could reduce the physiological disorders in pistachio trees.

Elaeagnus angustifolia L. (oleaster) as a valuable medicinal plant has a special place in Iranian traditional medicine. With its distribution in different regions and under a variety of climatic conditions, the plant has shown to have a wide ecological tolerance. Oleaster tree which is used in the development of green space and natural resources and gardens with different ecological conditions, has various chemical compositions. This study investigates the morphological characteristics, soluble sugars and total proteins contents in the leaves and fruit of populations of oleaster at four sites of Dargaz (Chehelmyr, Gherkhghiz, Artian, and Sangsorakh). Increased salinity stress in Gherkhghiz was observed to reduce the plants growth and negativeyl affects vegetative and generative traits of the plant, such as leaf area, fruit size, seed size, ovary length, peduncle length, plant height, and leaf length. Also, based on the findings of this study, the greatest amounts of soluble sugars and total proteins were recorded in the Elaeagnus angustifolia leaf and fruit in Gherkhghiz area (Ec=4.6) and the lowest amount of soluble sugars and total proteins were observed in Artian region where the salinity level is low.

The aim of this research was to study auxin production and some photosynthesis pigments in heterocystous cyanobacteria isolated from paddy fields in western part of Mazandaran. After collecting soil samples, cyanobacteria cultures were cultivated on a typical BG110. For purification process, there were repeated sub-culturing on solidified and liquid medium, and then the strains were characterized morphologically. Results indicated that various ranges of isolated cyanobacteria had the potential to produce auxin as a main factor for improving plant growth and there were significant difference in the amount of chlorophyll and carotenoid. However, species had different potential for auxin production according to ecological diversity and genus. Maximum chlorophyll, carotenoid, and auxin was observed in MGCY520 (Nostoc muscorum), MGCY506, and MGCY379 (Microchaete tenera), respectively.

Nitrogen, Zinc, and Iron are important elements necessary for plants. The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of urea, Fe, and Zn nutrition on yield and fruit quality of Grape cultivar Asgari in Khoram Abad.  The experiment was carried out in a factorial randomized complete block design with three replications. Two Levels of urea (0 and 5 g/l),  Zinc sulfate (0 and 1.5 g/l) and four levels of Iron (Fe) (0, Fe-EDDHA application of soil 20 g/tree , foliar application of sulphate Fe 3 g/l, and chelate Fe 3 g/l) were used. Foliar application had significant effect on morphological and physiological characeristics of trees.  Urea nutrition did not affect fruit weight, but increased fruit set percentage.  Quality of fruit increased with application of urea and zinc, and Fe.  Soil application of Fe-EDDHA increased the fruit set percentage in comparison with control and foliar application of FeSo4. Findings showed the favorable effect of nutrition on growth and yield of grape cv. Asgari.

Satureja avromanica belongs to Lamiaceae and is a herb growing wild in the rural area of Belbar in Avroman (Kurdistan province), west of Iran. In this research the essential oil content and composition of S. avromanica was studied. The aerial parts of S. avromanica were collected at the stage of full flowering. The essential oils were obtained by hydro distillation method. The oils were analyzed by GC and GC/MS. The yields of essential oils were 1.4% based on the dry weight. Eleven different compounds accounted for 97.3% of the extracted essential oil of S. avromanica. Thymol (83.9%), carvacrol (5.2%), and p-cymene (3.9%) were major components.

The aim of this research was studying of the algea Anabaena sp. FS76 which seems common but unexplored ecophysiologicaly in the paddy-fields of Golestan province. The axenic culture has been inoculated in to BG110 liquid culture medium. Survival, growth, pigment compositions, nitrogenase activity and rate of photosynthesis have been surveyed at the combination of extremely limited irradiance (2 mE.m-2.s-1), different pHs (7, 9, 11) and different concentrations of carbon dioxide (extremely limited, limited, unlimited). Anabaena sp. FS76 seems an alkalophile strain. Nitrogenase activity of the cyanobacterium seems considerable at non carbon dioxide inoculation, especially interesting at pH 11. Carbon dioxide inoculation at pH 9, causes growth limitation and decrease of allophycocyanin content in phycobilisome system at low irradiance condition. Allophycocyanin content decreases at pH 11.  Difference between photosynthesis rate at this extreme alkaline condition (pH 11), seems insignificant comparing alkaline condition (pH9) and potentiality of photosynthesis apparatus seem high at both conditions.

Imbalanced macro and micro elements and proper nutrition of pistachio orchards especially in saline areas is an issue of great importance. For this purpose, an experiment was conducted as completely randomized design with three replications and treatments of Humax fertilizer, Flora fertilizer, Pars Humic fertilizer, Homi Pars fertilizer, and control in a pistachio orchard in Damghan. The measured traits included branch length, leaves number, leaf area, and trunk size. In addition, during rapid growth of the endosperm in early July, physiological parameters such as photosynthetic rate, chlorophyll fluorescence level, intensity and transpiration rate, stomatal resistance rate, stomatal conductance, leaf temperature, Chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and total leaf chlorophyll were measured. Results showed minimum number of buds in plants treated with Humax fertilizer. Also, maximum number of blank pistachios was observed in control plants while blank pistachios in the plants treated with Pars Humic fertilizer, Homi Pars fertilizer, Flora fertilizer, and Humax fertilizer showed 33, 46, 49, 64% increase, respectively. Minimum number of irregular leaf pistachios was recorded with Humax which was less than 40 percent of the control. Also, the highest leaf area, rate of photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, stomatal resistance, transpiration rate and also the lowest amount of chlorophyll fluorescence was observed in the pistachios treated with Humax.