JOURNAL OF CROPS IMPROVEMENT (JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURE)
Year:2017 | Volume:19 | Issue:1 |Papers Count:17

In order to study the effects of Humic acid levels and irrigation regimes on the some morphological and biochemical characteristics of Echinacea purpurea L., a pot experiment was conducted as factorial based on randomized complete block design with three replications and four experimental units at research farm of Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, during growing season of 2014- 15. The treatments were four levels of irrigation regimes (40, 60, 80 and 100 percent field capacity) and Humic acid including four levels: (0, 250, 500 and 1000 mg/kg). The results showed that irrigation regimes had significant effect on all measured properties except root length. Humic acid increased all of the growth caractristics and morphological traits in 5% level statistically, while had significant effect on total flavonoid and increased it. Interaction effect of humic acid and irrigation regimes was significant for wet and dry weight of root and shoot, total phenol and flavonoid. So, the Limited irrigation had negative effect on growth and plants increased its phenol and antioxidant component for tolerating of stress. Humic acid increased growth and yield in plants that were faced with stress.

In order to evaluate the effects of vermicompost organic fertilizers on root weight, stem weight, root length, stem length, content of photosynthetic pigments and element uptake of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium of different ecotype’s of Stachys pilifera L., a factorial based on a completely randomized design with three replications was conducted at the research greenhouse, Faculty of Agriculture, Yasouj University, during 2012. Factors were vermicompost at four levels (0, 5, 10 and 15 weight percent) and ecotype at four levels (Margoon, Loudab, Abnahr and Sepidar). The results showed that Loudab and Margoon ecotype’s had the maximum nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and chlorophyll b contents and Sepidar and Abnahr ecotype’s plants had the minimum of them. In a greenhouse experiment, 15 and 0 percent vermicompost had the maximum and minimum levels of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and chlorophyll b, respectively, as application of vermicompost by 15 percent in the above mentioned traits increased 71.43, 61.24, 33.33 and 75% compared to control, respectively. The maximum and minimum of total chlorophyll, chlorophyll-a and carotenoid contents were obtained at Loudab and Sepidar ecotype’s with 15 and 0 percent of vermicompost, respectively. In general, the results of this study showed that Ecotypes of the habitats of the lower regions better adapt to greenhouse conditions. Result Also, indicated that application of vermicompost in level of 15 percent had a significant role in improving the morph ophysiological characteristics of Stachys pilifera L. and can be used as a suitable planting bed for this plant.

In order to study the effects of water stress and municipal compost on qualitative and quantitative characteristics of Nigella sativa this experiment was conducted in 2012 at the Agricultural Research Station of University of Zabol, Iran in a complete randomized block in split plot design with three replications. Treatments included irrigation intervals: 1. Every seven days (Without stress) 2. Every nine days (mild stress) and 3. Every twelve days (severe stress) and municipal compost treatment include: without municipal compost application (control), 10, 20 and 30 tons per hectare. The results showed that the effect of water stress was significant on the biological and seed yield, proline and chlorophyll (a). Also biological yield, grain yield and chlorophyll (a) decreased in water stress condition. But proline content in leaves increased with increasing stress level. According to results highest biological yield, grain yield, essential oil percentage, proline, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll and carotenoids were obtained In municipal compost application. The Interaction between water stress and municipal compost treatments on chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll and carotenoid were significant. According to results the best treatment at the increase on seed yield and essential oil content were application 30 tons per hectares of municipal compost in Zabol weather conditions.

The white button mushroom is the world’s most widely grown culture mushroom species, that can utilize various kinds of agro industrial lingo-cellulosic waste as a substrate. selection of compost components in each region is essential factor for production of mushrooms. The objective of this study was to evaluate application of pistachio waste by utilizing as a substrate component for button mushroom production and their effects on the quality and quantity of produced mashrooms in 2013, at Tarbiat Modarres University. In this study one control (without waste), pistachio hull and shells mixed (ratio 50: 50) (PH+SH), pistachio shelling waste (PSW) and pistachio hulls (PH) were applied in three levels consisting of 25, 50 and %75 combined with substrate control in completely randomized design with four replications (40 experimental units). The results of experiments indicates that the highest yield and biological efficiency percentage was obtained from 25 and %50 of PH+SH and PSW, that the mushrooms production on this experimental substrates were more prolific than of the control substrate. In this experiment, it was found that production of substrate with the PH in compared to the control, is not suitable to yield and biological efficiency percentage. This study demonstrated that Agaricus bisporus may successfully produce from compost containing pistachio waste.

In order to evaluate the effect of irrigation interval on vegetative growth and seed yield of grass pea and hairy vetch, a field study was conducted as split plot with randomized complete blocks design and four replication in research farm of Vali –e– Asr University of Rafsanjan. Main plots were irrigation levels including 40, 60, 80 and 100 mm evaporation from evaporation pan class A and sub plot were crop species in two levels as grass pea and hairy vetch. Result showed that 66 days after sowing (two weeks before flowering) leaf relative water content (RWC) of grass pea and hairy vetch significantly reduced by increased irrigation regime from 40 mm, however there were no significant differences between 60, 80 and 100 mm. Also, plant leaf area and biomass of both crops were reduced by increased irrigation regime. While grass pea had higher leaf area than hairy vetch, both crops had similar biomass. Finally, yield and yield components of both crops decreased by irrigation interval, although grass pea had always higher yield components and seemed to be more drought tolerant. Results suggested that both crops well tolerated increased irrigation interval and were suitable for forage production if harvested at flowering, however, grass pea was better for grain production.

Seed size has been known role as one of the important and effective traits on yield, growth and development in many field crops. In order to study the effect of chickpea genotypes seed size on drought tolerance an experiment carried out as split-split plots based on randomized complete blocks design during three cropping seasons (2010-2013). Drought stress levels as main plots were one time irrigation at planting, two and three times (each one after one month from planting date) and four chickpea genotypes ("Arman", "Azad", "ILC 482" and a "landrace from Turkey") were in sub plots and three seed sizes (large seeds with>8 mm, medium seeds with 6-8 mm and small seeds with less than 6 mm in diameters) were in sub plots. Date to flowering and maturity, grain filling period, growth vigor (in start of flowering and maturity stages), plant height, one hundred seeds weight, dry biomass and grain yields were noted and analyzed. Drought tolerances of seed sizes and genotypes evaluated by using of different stress tolerance indices (Stress Susceptibility Index, Stress Tolerance Index, Tolerance Index, Mean Productivity Index and Geometric Mean Productivity Index) and based on grain yields and with using from traits ranking method. Results showed that the highest grain yields belonged to medium and large seed sizes (900 kg ha-1). In conclusion and based on drought tolerance indices and traits ranking method, "Azad" cultivar was tolerated to drought stress. The small and large seeds were susceptible and tolerated to drought stress, respectively.

This experiment was carried out to study of the effects of seed size and seeding date on phenological, morphological and agronomic characteristics of faba bean under rainfed conditions in Gorgan. The experiment was conducted using Barakat cultivar at the research field of Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences in 2013-2014 growing season. The experimental design was a split plot in a randomized complete block design with four replications. Planting dates (26 Nov., 19 Dec., 2013 and 11 Feb. and 10 Mar., 2014) and seed size (small, medium, large) were arranged in main- and sub-plots, respectively. According to the results, emergence rate of seeds planted in 26 Nov. and 10 Mar. was higher than the other two planting dates, and the emergence rate of small and medium seeds was more than large seeds. Also, time to maturity was 190 days on November planting date. Time to maturity was decreased with delay in planting date, and reduced to 86 days on March planting. The results showed a significant reduction of the number of branches per plant, number of pods per plant, number of seeds per pod and 100-seed weight which led to reduction in green pod and grain yield with delay in planting, respectively. Based on the results of this experiment, to achieve further yields of faba bean under rainfed conditions in Gorgan, early planting and use of larger seeds for planting is recommended.

The effect of different weed control methods on weeds dry weight and yield of maize (Zea mays L. cv. SC500) was evaluated during 2012 growing season at the Research Farm of Bu-Ali Sina University. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design and replicated four times; comprising of six treatments including hand weeding, straw mulch, colorless plastic, black plastic, herbicide application and control (weedy check). The effect of treatments on the parameters of weeds dry weight, grain yield and yield components of maize such as number of grain rows ear-1, number of grain plant-1 and grain weight was significant. In comparison with control treatment, straw mulch significantly increased yield components of maize. The highest grain yield (9363 kg ha-1) and the lowest value (with 43.44% reduction) were observed at straw mulch and control treatments, respectively. Also, the highest (940.92 g m-2) and the lowest weeds dry weight (with 88.51% reduction) were achieved at control and black plastic treatments, respectively. However, grain yield and weed dry weight values were the same at the treatments of straw mulch, colorless plastic, and black plastic. In general, due to environmental risks of polyethylene plastics application in agriculture, straw mulch was considered as the best treatment that it could increase maize yield and provide effective weed control.

In order to investigate effects of different fertilizers on reduce negative effects of drought stress in chicory (Chicorium intybus L.), manure and poular fertilizers, Nano potassium and potassium sulfate were used on morph ophysiological characteristics of chicory under drought stress. This experiment was carried out in a factorial plot based with a randomized complete block design in three replications at the Agricultural Research farm of Zabol University in 2014-2015. Water stress treatments included 60, 90 and 120 mm water evaporation from evaporate pan class assigned to the first plots and different types of fertilizers included manure and poular fertilizers were applied at 30 ton/ha, and nano potassium (27 percent) and potassium sulphat were applied 10 and 150 kg. Results showed that drought stresses were decreased the growth characteristics significantly, while application of different fertilizers were decreasing the negative effects of drought on growth characteristics, especially two organic fertilizers are effective on reduce the negative effects of drought. Also, the highest plant height, flower diameter, flower number, lateral branches, flower yield and shoot yield were obtained at manure fertilizer treatments. Strong stress was showed the lowest content of chlorophyll a and b significantly, but carotenoids and anthocyanin are increases. Application of manure fertilizer improve a / b chlorophylls, and carotenoids significantly under drought stress. So the highest anthocyanin obtained at Nano potassium treatment. Different fertilizer treatments have had significant effects on antioxidant enzymes activities in comparison with control treatment.

This experiment was conducted in order to investigate morphological and physiological responses of Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) to salinity and silicon application in horticultural science department at the University of Zanjan in 2015. The salinity levels (0, 40 and 80 mM NaCl) and sodium silicate (0, 0.75 and 1.5 mM) were applied in complete nutrient solutions. Salinity reduced root and shoot growth, visual turf quality, leaves chlorophyll and potassium content, whereas electrolyte leakage, proline and sodium content increased with increasing salt concentration in nutrient solution. Silicon application ameliorate adverse effects of salinity in all factors except in potassium content and this effect was more pronounced in 80 mM NaCl. Although there was no significant difference between 0.75 and 1.5 mM sodium silicate in visual turf quality, root growth and chlorophyll content, altogether, application of 1.5 mM silicon had better results to increase salinity tolerance in Kentucky bluegrass, suggesting that higher concentrations of silicon must be evaluated.

Strawberry is sensitive to salt stress. In order to study the effects of putrescine treatments on reducing harmful effects of NaCl salt stress in strawberry, this experiment was conducted as factorial in frame of RCBD design at Shahed University in 2015. NaCl treatments were applied at 0, 25 and 50 mM through root in hydroponic medium on ‘Camarosa’ cultivar. Putrescine treatments were also applied at 0, 1.5 and 3 mM as foliage spray during growth period in 4 times at 15 days intervals. The results showed that, NaCl treatment especially at 50mM, reduced shoot length, shoot fresh and dry weight, root fresh and dry weight, leaf number, leaf chlorophyll content, fruit number, fruit fresh and dry weight, yield and titratable acidity, and increased anthocyanin and total soluble solid content. Salt stress had no effects on the root length. Application of 1.5 and 3 mM putrescines reduced harmful effects of salt stress, so that increased more mentioned characteristics under salt condition and reduced total soluble solid content. According to the results, putrescine, in both 1.5 and 3 mM, is good strategy for resolving the limitation of salt stress in strawberry production.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of different local climates on grain yield (GY) and yield components (YC) of two different rice cultivars (cvs. ‘Tarom Hashemi’ and ‘Shiroudi’) and also to quantify the relationships between GY and YC with the average of weather temperature (T, °C) and solar radiation (SR, MJ m-2 d-1) during the growing season of rice. Three field experiments were conducted separately based on the randomized complete blocks design with four replications, at the paddy fields of Babolsar, Amol and Polesefid cities in northern Iran in 2014. The results indicate that the effect of different local climates were statistically significant on GY, the number of panicles, length of panicle, weight of panicle, total number of grain in each panicle and the number of filled grain (P<0.01). In all traits, the values related to Polesefid were lower than both Amol and Babolsar which can be resulted in lower T and SR during the rice growing, especially in the reproductive stage. Decline in T and SR due to increasing in the above mean sea level were cased a decrease in GY and biological yield of both cultivars (about 10-25 percent, depending on the cultivar). In addition, GY was affected by decrease in T more than SR. Consequently, the results shown that we simply can quantify the variation in GY in both cultivars under different local climates and also can calculate a possible reduction in GY due to the delay in transplanting.

Fertilizer management is one of the most important factors in successful cultivation of medicinal plants. Meanwhile, identification of eco-friendly and suitable fertilizers could have favorable effects on quantitative and qualitative indexes of plant. For this purpose, an experiment was conducted based on factorial in a completely randomized design with two factors, nano phosphorus for foliar application (0, 2 and 4 g.l-1) in three stages and vermicompost (0, 5 and 10 percent by weight of pot soil), in Sari agricultural sciences and natural resources university with three replications in 2014. Results indicated that all traits such as number of flower per plant, fresh and dry flower yield, essential oil percentage, essential oil yield and kamauzolen percentage were affected by different fertilizer treatments. So that the highest number of flower per plant, fresh and dry flower yield and essential oil yield was obtained with using 2 g.l-1 nanophosphorus+10 percent vermicompost and the lowest amount were related to control. The maximum essential oil percentage (4.46 percent) was obtained by applying the highest levels of fertilizer (4 g.l-1 nanophosphorus+10 percent vermicompost) that increased 43 percent compared to the control. Also, kamauzolen percentage was the highest amount in control (15.9 percent) which positioned in the same statistical level with 2 g.l-1 nanophosphorus+5 percent vermicompost (15.43 percent).

Persian walnut (Juglan regia L.) not only in Iran, but also in all over the world is known as an important horticultural crop. Walnut kernels are rich source of functional compounds with a high nutritional value. In the present study, thirteen cultivars and superior genotypes of walnut, include ‘Chandler’, ‘Lara’, ‘Vina’, ‘Pedro’, ‘Ser’, ‘Damavand’, ‘Jamal’, ‘RDM’, B21, K72, Z53, Z60, Z67 were harvested during 2013. Several pomological characteristics and fatty acid profiles of walnuts were analyzed after drying. Average weight of fruit and kernels are varied between 7.6-16.20g and 3.8-8.7g, respectively in different cultivars. The oil contents were varied from 54.4 to 72.1 percent. The results showed that the unsaturated fatty acid (UFA) compounds are prevalent in walnut oils by more than 90 percent of total fatty acids. Linoleic acid was the major fatty acid reaching the maximum value of 67.3 percent (cv. Z60) followed by oleic (18.3-34.2), linolenic (3.1-14.0 percent), palmitic (6.3-8.5 percent) and stearic (2.8-4.3 percent) acids, respectively. The protein content ranged from 12.6 to 19.6 percent. The highest amounts of kernel and oil percentages were detected in B21 and ‘RDM’ respectively. Also, the highest amount of protein percentage was reported for ‘Jamal’. Also, high rates of poly unsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) were shown in Z53, Z60 and ‘Chandler’. Moreover, the highest amounts of UFA to saturated fatty acids (SFA) were detected in ‘Jamal’, Z67, Z53 and K72.

In order to study of the effects of vermicompost and chemical phosphorous fertilizers on quantity and quality of John’s wort, an experiment was conducted as factorial experiment based on randomized complete blocks design with three replications at Shahed University in Tehran during two years 2011-2012. Treatments were phosphorous fertilizer (0, 100 and 200 kg.h-1) and vermicompost (0, 5 and 10 t.h-1). Agronomic characteristics were including plant height, flowering shoot yield, biological yield, hypericin yield and harvest index. There was significant difference in vermicompost and phosphorous fertilizer treatments and Interaction between them at one percent level. The maximum hypericin yield and flowering shoot yield was obtained by applying 200 kg.ha-1 phosphorous fertilizer and 5 ton.h-1 vermicompost and 200 kg.ha-1 phosphorous fertilizer and 10 ton.h-1 vermicompost, respectively. It seems that chemical phosphorous fertilizer and vermicompost can increase quantity and quality yield in John’s wort medicinal plant.

Weeds identification and distribution is one of the most important basics in their management, so the weeds of chickpea fields in rain-fed areas of Maragheh, North west Iran, were systematically sampled and the traits of species distribution, life cycle, canopy, species diversity and similarity indices were studied. Convolvulus arvensis, Cardaria draba, Sophora alopecuroides, Acroptilon repens, Tragopogon graminifolius, Euphorbia helioscopia, Geranium tuberosum and Falcaria vulgaris showed high frequencies among weeds. Also diversity, uniformity and dominance of weed population were evaluated via Shannon-Wiener index and similarities and differences between various regions based on species diversity were evaluated by using Sorensen and Jaccard indices. Among the studied areas, the highest and lowest richness index was belonged to Khodajo (44 species) and Khorma Zard (28 species), respectively, whereas, the regions had equal Shanon-Winener diversity index. Tragopogon graminifolius, Convolvulus arvensis and Galium tricornutum with relative dominance indices of 38.82, 32.92 and 28.39 respectively, were detected as dominant weeds in Maragheh chickpea fields.

To evaluate the efficiency of zinc and cadmium on the Fe and Cu uptake and some physiological indices in Trifolium Alexandrinum, an experiment was carried out using Factorial Design based on Randomized Blocks with four replications. The experiment factors included four levels of Cd (0, 25, 50, 100 mg/kg soil) and four levels of zinc (0, 25, 50, 100 mg/kg soil) in greenhouse conditions in Agriculture and natural resource faculty greenhouse located in Mola Sani 40 km north of Ahwaz in 3 November 91-92. Carmel variety was used in this study.