PLANT ECOPHYSIOLOGY (ARSANJAN BRANCH)
Year:2013 | Volume:5 | Issue:14|Papers Count:9

In order to study the effects of using bacteria (Pseudomonas) on yield and yield components of safflower (Carthamus tinctorious L) var. IL111, an experiment was conducted during 2009-2010 at Agricultural Research Station, Faculty of Agriculture, the University of Birjand, as a randomized complete block design with 10 treatments with three replications. Treatments included different Pseudomonas fluorescent (36, 99, 169 and 187) and Pseudomonas putida (11, 41, 159, 168 and 177), along with a control (without inoculation). In this study yield, yield components, and quality characteristics (oil and protein %) were measured. Inoculation with different strains of bacteria had no significant effect on any of the plant properties; however, group comparison indicated a significant difference at 0.05 probability level in traits such as number of primary branches per plant, leaf and stem dry weight, stem diameter and seed weight, and at 0.01 probability level for fat quality measures. Most of the different bacteria strained tested caused to crop show superiority over the control plants, in terms of quantitative and qualitative traits, so the seed and oil yields increased by 25 and 50%, respectively. The plants inoculated by Pseudomonas putida strains predominated than those with fluorescence strains for all traits, except the heads per plant. The strain 177 of Pseudomonas putida caused higher leaf area index, dry matter accumulation and crop growth rate to be significantly higher than other strains. It seems that using bacteria (Pseudomonas) improves plant growth characteristics.

In order to study the effects of salt stress on morphological and physiological traits of some Glycine max (L.) cultivars, an experiment was conducted as factorial based on a completely randomized block design with three replicates in Shiraz in 2010. In this experiment the first factor was cultivars treatment: Sahar, BP and Sari JK and the second factor was salinity treatment including four levels: 0, 25, 50 and 75 mmol NaCl. The experiment soil was sandy and used the Hogland solution without nitrogen as fertilizer. Data were analyzed by SAS program procedure and means comparisons were tested by LSD in 5% level statistically. The Results showed that leaf area, shoot dry weight, root dry weight, shoot wet weight and height decreased by increasing the salinity levels. The highest leaf area in all salinity levels was for Sari JK cultivar and the lowest was for BP cultivar. By increasing salt stress, Sari JK had the most shoot and root dry weight, in the three cultivars. Results also indicated that, in shoot wet weight and height, Sari JK and Sahar cultivars were better than BP. In general, it seems that Sari JK was the best cultivar of the three against salt stress.

Salinity is one of the increasing problems in the world including a wide area of our country. In response to salinity, multiple morphological, physiological and biochemical changes can be created in plants. This experiment was carried out to investigate the effects of salinity derived from NaCl (0, 50 and 100 mM) on morphological characteristics of two corn inbred lines, MO17 and B73. The experiment was performed using sand culture method at greenhouse of Agricultural Faculty, Islamic Azad University, Sabzevar Branch during 2011-12 growing season. Experimental treatments were replicated three times lied out in a randomized complete block design with factorial arrangement. Results showed that there were significant differences between corn inbred lines for total root volume, total root area, root diameter, root dry weight, root/shoot ratio and root specific weight. MO17 genotype was superior to B73 in relation to all characteristics. Salinity stress significantly decreased total root volume, root area, root length, root dry weight, shoot dry weight and root/shoot ratio, but increased root diameter and specific root weight. Response of corn inbred lines to salinity stress showed that MO17 inbred line was more sensitive to salinity compared to B73.

Corn is an efficient crop in the living of human being. With regard to the arid and semi-arid conditions of our country and the presence of dry periods in recent years, this research was conducted in to investigate the positive role of potassium in declining the negative effects of deficit irrigation and application of suitable irrigation method. This experiment was conducted as Randomized Complete block Design on corn Plant Line- 704 single cross in form of split plots in Zarghan town in 2010. The main factor was irrigation frequency: 1. the complete irrigation during the whole growing season, 2. The alternate irrigation in every other day, except in germination and flowering stages, 3. The alternate irrigation in every other day in the whole growing season. And the minor factor was the application of potassium sulfate fertilizer in four levels (0.00, 100, 200 and 300kg.ha). The results showed that the alternate irrigation treatment of every other day except in germination and flowering stages, caused a significant increase in grain yield( 4.9318 t.ha-1), while constant irrigation of every other day did not have a significant effect on grain yield (2.6453 t.ha-1). With regard to the different levels of potassium sulfate effect on leaf-area index dry weight of the cob, number of rows in cob, number of grain in row and grain yield had a significant statistical difference. Application of 300kg potassium sulfate per hectar caused the highest leaf-area index(5.8178), cob diameter(4.437cm), dry weight of the cob(0.163gr.m), number of row per cob(14.883), number of grain per row (28.478), harvest index (23.0785%) and grain yield(4.41 t.ha-1). The interaction effect of every other day irrigation except during germination and flowering stages had the highest grain yield through the application of 300 kg potassium fertilizer per ha (5.974 t.ha-1).

In order to study the effects of CO2 enrichment with changed water availability on growth and competetivness of corn against C3 and C4 crop and weeds, a greenhouse experiment was conducted at Arsanjan Islamic Azad University in 2012. The experiment was the evaluation of the effect of two CO2 concentrations (400 ppm and 700 ppm) and two irrigation treatments (control irrigation and drought) on corn, wheat, sunflower, millet and the weeds pigweed, lambsquarter, wild oat and johnson grass in monoculture and mixed culture with corn. Measured traits were leaf area, stem dry weight, leaf dry weight, shoot dry weight and plan relative yield. The results showed that CO2 enrichment increased shoot growth, leaf area and root growth of wheat, sunflower, lambsquarter and wild oat while there was no significant change in corn, millet, pigweed and Johnson grass. Drought stress reduced wheat, sunflower, corn and millet by 25.2, 30.3, 30 and 32% respectively but, in elevated CO2 concentration these values were 0, 10.3, 0 and 19.7%. In fact, CO2 enrichment reduced detrimental effects of drought on C3 and C4 plants. The results also showed that with increasing CO2 concentration, competitiveness of C3 weeds increased against corn. This means that the competition interaction of C4 crop changed against weeds in drought and increased CO2 concentration which increases C3 weeds damages on crop plants.

The aim of this study was the investigation of phonological relationship with some yield and yields component traits at different management systems in two soybean cultivars namely Gorgan 3 and Katul in Gorgan region. Therefore, 16 and 18 fields of Gorgan 3 and Katul were selected, respectively. Consequently, in each field the phonological and yield related parameters were evaluated. Generally, regression relationship showed that in each cultivar, the regression relationship of phonological stages with number of pod per plant, number of grain per meter square, shoot dry mater and grain yield was significant. However, the regression relationship between the number of days from sowing to physiological maturing with shoot dry matter in Gorgan 3 (R2= %70**) and Katul (R2= %62**) was positively significant. Moreover, the regression relationship between days from sowing to flower initialization and days from sowing to physiological maturing with grain yield was significant in each cultivar. However, this relation in Gorgan 3 was the second best linear regression (R2= %71** and R2= %80**, respectively) and in Katul was a simple linear one (R2= 69** and R2= %51*, respectively). Also, the regression relationship between shoot dry matter and grain yield in each cultivar was logarithmic and significant (P>0.01). This logarithmic relationship demonstrated 53 and 67 percent of variation in Gorgan 3 and Katul cultivars, respectively. The results of this experiment shows that by understanding the phonological and agronomical trait relationships in soybean growth cycle under field condition and by time scaling the growth stages, we can increase the yield.

In order to study the effect of sodium chloride salinity on flowering of eggplant varieties grown in the open air, a research was conducted in a completely randomized design with 10 replications. Salinity levels were used in seven concentrations of 0, 10, 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100 mM sodium chloride. Different amounts of sodium chloride were added to the irrigation water (219 mmho.cm-1). Three varieties of eggplant seedlings (Jahrom locally, Dezful slender and sweet Hindi), were prepared and planted in plastic bags containing 9 kg of dominant cultivation soil of Khonj zone. Salinity treatments were followed for 5 months. Results showed that salinity generally reduced the number of flowers per plant compared to the control treatment and delayed the flowering time but had no significant effect on the number of open flowers. Among studied cultivars based on considered characters the variety of Jahrom local was evaluated as a more salinity tolerant and the variety of Dezful slender as the most sensitive one.

One of the major factors effecting vase life and postharvest loss in cut flowers is water relation interruption due to vase solution microbial proliferation. Therefore in order to find a suitable biocide as vase solution for Polar Star roses, an experiment was conducted in completely randomized design within two parts: a) postharvest physiology of cut flower and b) vase solution microbiology. Applied treatments were aluminium sulphate (AS) (200, 400, 600 mgl-1), hydroxyquinoline citrate (HQC) (200, 300, 400 mgl-1) and calcium hypochlorate (400, 600, 800 mgl-1) and sterilized distilled water as control. In the first part, various physiological properties such as: vase life, side effects, fresh weight and solution uptake were studied while in the second part microbiological properties such as: microbial count, growth and kind were studied. Results of the physiological part indicated the beneficial effect of AS on vase life and postharvest quality which resulted a maximum vase life of 11.67 days in 200 mgl-1 AS treated flowers. The highest increase and the least decrease in flower fresh weight beside the most solution uptake were also seen in AS treated flowers. However, HQC was the most effective treatment in controlling microbial proliferation. Bacillus, Coccus and Streptomyces were the most abundant vase solution microbial contaminations. Considering longest vase life, beneficial effect on physiological properties and acceptable microbial control, 200 mgl-1 as was considered the best treatment for cut Polar Star roses.