Journal of Soil Management and Sustainable Production
Year:2015 | Volume:5 | Issue:2|Papers Count:14

Background and Objectives: Soil scientists have developed different mathematical equations and indices to be able to quantify soil development and to organize soil data. Soil properties will change during the soil development, which some changes can be made in the form of mathematical relationships as soil development indices. In this regard, soil morphological characteristics and laboratory data; have been considered by some researchers. Besides, attention to soil micromorphology as a method which can be associated with evidence relating to the sequence of pedogenic events and the processes which are not detectable by laboratory and field data, provided other developmental indices. The amount and distribution of extractable forms of iron in the soil profile are also indicated the stage and degree of soil development. The main objective of the present research was the comparison of different soil development indices (including forms and ratios of iron, magnetic susceptibility, color indices and modified Harden Index) related to different soils located on Kerman-Baft transect.Materials and Methods: Eight pedons on different geomorphic surfaces were selected during field studies. All genetic horizons of selected pedons were sampled and were transported to the laboratory for physical and chemical tests as well as magnetic susceptibility studies. The magnetic susceptibility of prepared samples in both high (chfbulk) and low (clfbulk) frequencies was measured by a Bartington magnetometer in soil science laboratory of Isfahan University of Technology. Finally, the percentage of frequency-dependent magnetic susceptibility (%cfd) was measured. In addition, undisturbed samples were taken from a number of horizons for soil micro morphological studies. The thin sections prepared for soil micro morphological studies were studied and interpreted based on Stoops guidline (2003) using a HP polarizing microscope.Results: Moving from Kerman toward Baft in the studied transect, due to increasing trend of elevation, more humidity was observed. That is why, pedogenic processes were also increased and iron forms and ratios showed this development trend regardless of local conditions. Due to effect of parent material lithology on soil minerogenic magnetic susceptibility, no significant relationship between this property and soil development indices was found. Correlation of various forms of Iron with three color indices of Harst, Torent and Alexunder showed that Harst Index was better than the other two indices for the study area. Moreover, since the parent materials of different pedons were not the same, the modified Harden Index was not adopted with soil development trend.Conclusion: Regarding the relationship between evolution and the age of the soil with various forms of iron, increasing the crystalline iron oxides from soil profile number 1 (dry climate) to soil profile number 8 (moist climate), represents a further evolution of soils.

Background and Objectives: Soil compaction is one of the most prevailed limitations for crop growth and yield. The use of organic matters as fertilizer on agricultural soils can reduce the effects of soil compaction and provide the nutrients for the plants. On the other hand, organic matter and water deficits are common in most soils of Iran. Increasing organic matter of soils by application of farmyard manure (FYM), sewage sludge compost (SSC) and municipal solid waste compost (MSWC) can improve physical, chemical and biological properties of soil and increase water use efficiency (WUE) and plant growth. Therefore, this study was done to evaluate the effects of FYM, SSC and MSWC on the growth characteristics and WUE of corn at different levels of soil compaction.Materials and Methods: A factorial experiment was carried out in a randomized complete blocks design with three replications at Agricultural Research Station of University of Tabriz in 2012. The first factor was the source and amount of organic fertilizer (FYM, SSC and MSWC and each of organic fertilizers at three levels of 0, 15, 30 g/kg soil) and the second factor was two levels of soil compaction (1.2 and 1.7 g/cm3). Ten kilograms of dry soil were poured into special PVC pots with internal diameter of 15.2 cm and corn (Zea mays cv. Single cross 704) seeds were cultivated. During growth period leaf relative water content (RWC), amount of water used and leaf chlorophyll index and at the end of growth period WUE, plant dry matter, leaf length and width, stem diameter and plant height were measured.Results: The results showed that application of all three types of organic fertilizers at both levels of soil compaction caused an increase in plant dry matter, leaf length and width, stem diameter, leaf chlorophyll index, RWC and WUE and the maximum of these characteristics was obtained by application of 30 g organic fertilizers/kg soil. Soil compaction caused a decrease in WUE, plant growth and above mentioned characteristics except number of leaves per plant.Application of organic fertilizers and increasing their levels reduced the negative effects of soil compaction on corn growth characteristics and WUE; so that at the soil compaction level of 1.7 g/cm3, the corn growth in the 30 g of each fertilizer/kg soil was greater than the 15 g of them/kg soil.Conclusion: Soil compaction reduced corn plant growth and WUE. The negative effects of soil compaction on corn growth characteristics can be reduced by application of FYM, SSC and MSWC. In general, in order to increase WUE and corn growth, application of 30 g of FYM or SSC or MSWC per kg soil can be recommended at similar (compacted and non-compacted) conditions.

Background and Objectives: Application of sewage sludge as a cheap and waste material is increasing for supporting plant essential elements especially in the soils of arid and semiarid regions. The results of various researches have shown that application of sewage sludge increased the content of organic carbon (OC), N, P and K in soil and plant and the yield of grain and straw in wheat, barley and corn plants. The effect of sludge on the improvement of above cited attributes mostly depends on the origin (urban or industrial) and used rate of sludge and also plant type. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the effects of Ardabil municipal sewage sludge at the used rates on some macronutrients and heavy metal concentrations in soil and plant and also some agronomic traits of wheat.Materials and Methods: The examined soil and sludge were prepared from a bare land in Ardabil plain and waste-water refinery of Ardabil city, respectively. The pot study was carried out as a randomized complete block design with 5 treatments and 4 replications. Treatments were: zero (control), 30, 60, 120 and 180 tons of air-dry sludge/ha. Spring wheat was sown in pots (diameter 20 cm and height 25 cm) then the soils were incubated at the temperature of 22±4oC and moisture of 60 to 80 percent of field capacity for 100 days. The yield of grain and straw and also the concentration of N, P and K were determined in wheat components at the end of growth season. Also, the values of soil electrical conductivity (EC), OC, N, P, K, Pb, Cr, Ni and Cd were measured according to the standard methods.Results: The results showed that application of sludge at the rates of 30 to 180 tons/ha significantly increased OC (21.94 to 176 percent), total N (81 to 310.34 percent), extractable P (16.7 to 123 percent) and extractable K (5.34 to 117.8 percent) in the soil under growth of wheat. The concentration of N, P and K in grain increased significantly in 180 tons/ha treatment about 36.04, 112.34 and 86.64 percent compared with control, respectively. Sewage application increased grain yield and wheat growth indices such as shoot dry weight, height and grain weight and leaf area. The effect of sludge application rates on the concentration of Pb, Cr, Ni and Cd was not significant in soil.Conclusion: The best improving effect of sludge on soil and plant attributes was obtained for 120 and 180 tons/ha treatments and significant difference was not observed between these treatments. Therefore, with consideration of the high EC of used sludge, the 120 tons/ha treatment can be recommended as suitable application rate for improving chemical quality of the soil. Conducting field experiments is necessary for confirming the results of this study especially with different soils and plants.

Background and Objectives: Knowledge about soil spatial variation in terms of measured pedodiversity offers the possibility to estimate the quality and variance within a soil map.Diversity indices and abundance distribution models are statistical tools, which ecologists have applied for decades for analyzing the intrinsic regularities of various ecological entities. In this study, relationships among soils evolution, landscape and geomorphic surface and pedodiversity index and pedodiversity index–area relationships were investigated in a part of Bam district in Kerman province.Materials and Methods: The studied area is located in the south-east of Iran, between 58o4’7” to 58o28’8” E longitudes and 28o52’1” to 29o9’9” N latitudes. The major landscapes included alluvial fans, coalescing alluvial fans (bajada), playa, mountain and hills. The soil moisture and temperature regimes of this area, according to Soil Survey Staff (2010), were Aridic and Hyperthermic, respectively. Pedodiversity index was computed at different taxonomy hierarchical levels (from order to family in Soil Taxonomy classification) and geomorphic hierarchical levels (landscape, landform, lithology and geomorphic surface) using appropriate indices including abundance, the Shannon diversity and O’ Neill indexes.Results: The soils in the study area were classified according to Soil Survey Staff (2010), in two soil orders of Entisols and Aridisols and eight great groups including: Calcigypsids, Haplosalids, Torriorthents, Haplocambids, Haplogypsids, Haplocalcids, Calciargids and Petrocalcids. The results of study indicated that diversity indices such as Shannon and O' Neill indices of the level of classification hierarchy increased because species richness has increased dramatically. Also diversity and richness indices with time from the old bajada to the younger bajada increased. That indicated the age of geomorphic surfaces affected soil development and soil diversity in the study area increased. Results also showed that pedorichness increases with the area of geomorphic surfaces. A logarithmic function gave a good fit for sample areas Conclusion: The results of this study showed that all the processes involved in the evolution of landforms, affected soils development directly or indirectly. Study of soils in different landforms indicated that soil formation and their properties are affected by geomorphic position.The results of diversity indices showed the level of classification and geomorphic hierarchy increased. Our results showed that increasing entropy versus time indicates the realm of divergent pathway of pedogenesis in studied region. Increase soil diversity and richness based on geomorphic and classification hierarchy confirmed that the studied soils had a nonlinear dynamic system.

Background and Objectives: Nowadays, in developing countries like Iran, a lot of engineering, agricultural and natural resources projects are done and the common part of all of these project is their quaternary media. Quaternary sediments have occupied most of the agricultural and natural resources of Urmia plain. Recognition of physicochemical and mineralogical properties of these soils is essential to optimum and stable use of these lands.Materials and Methods: This study was done in quaternary sediments in Urmia plain in West Azerbaijan province. The study area has been located on Quaternary sediments and physiographically, this area is a part of a river alluvial plain with a gentle slope toward Urmia Lake. The mean annual precipitation and temperature of this area are 345.37 mm and 10.83oC respectively and its soil moisture and temperature are dry xeric and mesic respectively. In this study eight soil profiles in quaternary sediments in the North West Urmia were dug and described and classified using standard methods and their physicochemical and mineralogical properties were determined using standard methods.Results: In this study, eight soil profiles in Quaternary sediments in the north east of Urmia plain were investigated. Results showed that due to sequential soil erosion and sedimentation processes these soils have little thickness and evolution which have resulted on their classification as Mollisols and Inceptisols. Consecutive erosion-deposition and soil forming processes at different wet and dry periods have been led to the formation of calcic horizons and sedimentary layers to the depth of 300 cm. These buried horizons reflect climatic variations during quaternary in which in the wetter periods the dissolution and translocation of carbonates and in the drier periods, precipitation and accumulation of carbonates have been taken place. The texture of these soils varied from light to heavy and their clay content increased with soil depth, their organic carbon content decreased with soil depth. The cation exchange capacity of these soils showed a clear relation with organic carbon, clay content and clay mineralogy. Clay mineralogical studies revealed smectite, kaolinite, illite, chlorite and vermiculite as dominant clay minerals in the study area. Illite, cholorite and kaolinite mainly inherited from the parent materials; while the presence of vermiculite was attributed to pedogenic processes. Smectite was also found to have three origins of inheritance, neoformation and transformation and its abundance was increased with depth. The origin of smectite in the buried horizons was attributed to the illite transformation. According to the heavy moisture demand on illite weathering, the occurrence of this process can be associated with more humid condition during the past climate.Conclusion: The study of physico-chemical and mineralogical properties of soils on quaternary sediments of Urmia plain revealed that the processes of erosion-precipitation and pedogenesis have been taken place consecutively and the climate of this area has been changed during quaternary.

Background and Objectives: Application of organic amendments such as spent mushroom compost has received significant attention due to achieving sustainable production and healthy yield. Considerable amounts of spent mushroom compost are produced in mushroom production. Application of this byproduct from sustainable agriculture standpoint especially in organic matter deficient soils such as Iranian soils is important. Therefore, this greenhouse research was conducted in a sandy soil to investigate washed and unwashed spent mushroom compost effects on vegetative growth properties and macroelements (N, P, K and Ca) uptake in lettuce(lactuca sativa L. cv Syaho).Materials and Methods: This research was carried out based on completely randomized experiment with five replications. Experimental treatments were 0 (control), 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50% of washed and unwashed spent mushroom compost (SMC) in a sandy loam soil. Some physicochemical properties and bioavailable concentration of macroelements were measured before planting in all treatments. After growing period, lettuce was harvested and growth properties such as plant height, leaf number and surface, chlorophyll content and stomatal conductance of leaves, dry and wet weight and macroelements concentration in lettuce were measured. Comparison of mean analysis was done by SPSS software.Results: Washed and unwashed spent mushroom compost addition increased organic matter, electrical conductivity, total nitrogen and bioavailable concentration of P, K, Ca and Na in a sandy soil in comparison with control. Increasing organic matter content is one of the main advantages of organic fertilizers because of improving soil quality and consequently crop production in organic matter deficient soils of arid and semi-arid regions. Results showed that application of SMC in soil had significant effect (P£0.01) on lettuce growth properties and N, P, K and Ca content. Maximum and minimum amounts for most properties were obtained in 30% washed spent mushroom and control, respectively. Leaf analysis results showed that macroelement concentrations have been reached close to optimum level due to application of SMC.Conclusion: Application of spent mushroom compost improved growth, yield and nutritional quality of lettuce in comparison with control because of increasing organic matter content and bioavailability of macroelements. Orthogonal comparison showed that washed spent mushroom compost in comparison to unwashed one had significant effect on measured parameters (P<0.01). Therefore, washed spent mushroom compost can be used as a suitable amendment with low salinity to improve nutrient supply characteristics and increasing soil fertility in arid and semi-arid region. Our results showed that washed spent mushroom compost can be used to produce organic lettuce and supply its nutrient requirement to some extent without using chemical in greenhouse condition.

Background and Objectives: In recent years, decrease in depth of Urmia Lake and remain of vast saline areas has resulted in higher increase of salinity threat in agricultural lands around the Lake. The aims of this study were 1- Investigation of the spatial changes in soil salinity using the Bayesian Maximum Entropy method (BME); 2- prediction of the boundary between saline and agricultural lands; and 3- Assessment of the uncertainty involved with salinity boundary prediction in South Urmia Plane, North West of Iran.Materials and Methods: The research was done on a grid of 500 m, but in areas with high salinity changes, samples were taken from each 250 m. the study area contained an area of approximately 5000 ha of lands in western shores of Urmia Lake, south of Urmia Plain in west Azerbaijan Province. Soil samples were gathered in autumn 2009 and repeated in spring 2010.Electrical conductivity of soil samples were measured twice, once in the field, using a portable EC meter in 1: 2.5 soil to water ratio and again in the laboratory. Field measured soil salinity was considered as soft data and laboratory measurements as hard data. Two third of the samples for autumn were used for modeling and prediction and the rest were used for validation. ME and MSE criteria were used for comparison of the results. Prediction error variance resulted from BME equations, was used for assessing the uncertainty of the soil salinity boundary prediction.Results and Conclusion: Results revealed that there was a significant relation between field and laboratory measurements of soil salinity and among compared models, linear method with least mean absolute error and least bias error of 0.37 and -0.72 respectively, was chosen as best fitted model. Then for each sampling campaign best covariance model was fitted and model parameters were calculated. Cross-validation results showed that BME method with ME and MSE equal to 0.42 and 0.33 for autumn 2009 and 0.2 and 0.64 for spring 2010 respectively, had a high accuracy in spatial prediction of soil salinity, considering that only probabilistic type soft data was used. A sharp boundary was detected between salty and non-salty lands in the area and the BME method had a high ability in predicting the uncertainty involved with boundary predictions. Monitoring soil property variation such as salinity is sometimes limited because it is costly and requires time to gather necessary hard data. BME method has shown potential for using soft data in cases that hard data are not readily available.

Background and Objectives: Nitrogen (N) is considered as one of the active elements in nature due to its transformation and mobility processes in heterogeneous soil system. Ease of accessibility and significant effects on crop yield, N-fertilizers consumption rate is high. However 30-50 percentages of applied N can be leached and contaminate water resources and hence endanger environment and human health. Previous studies showed significant positive relationship between applied N-fertilizers rate and nitrate (N-NO3) concentrations in shallow groundwater resources. One of the agricultural management systems which can affect soil N mobility is crop rotation system. Rotation system can affect significantly N use efficiency and N uptake by plants since different crops (in rotations) have various absorbing abilities and N requirements. Previous studies compared the amounts of N-NO3 leaching in maize monoculture and maize-grass rotation systems, demonstrated that the rotation system can reduce leaching by 5 to 10 times compared with the monoculture system. Therefore a field experiment was conducted to study the effects of crop rotation on mineral N-form mobility in soil profile.Materials and Methods: A split factorial (in the form of complete random blocks) experimental design was conducted in the field with three replications to evaluate the effects of three common rotation systems on N-NO3 and N-NH4 mobility through the soil. The main factor was common rotation system in Khuzestan province including wheat-corn, wheat-fallow, rice-what. The rotations were started five years ago in the experimental site on permanent plots (each with the area of 5´10 m2). Subfactors were sampling depth (0-30, 30-60, 60-90 cm) and sampling time (seven times after crop planting). In each crop rotation, soil samples were taken from three mentioned depths after each irrigation or rainfall using an auger. In total, soil samples were taken at seven times. Soil samples were analysed for total soil N using Kjeldal method. The concentrations of N-NO3 and N-NH4 were measured by distillation method. Mean measured data were analyzed with Duncan’s mean comparison using MSTATC software, while the Excel was used to draw figures.Results: The results showed that N-NO3 profiles were significantly (P<0.05) different in the rotation systems. N-NO3 concentration in wheat-corn rotation (26.59 mg kg-1) was significantly (P<0.05) higher than the other two rotations. While wheat-rice rotation had the least N-NO3 concentration (6.38 mg kg-1). The highest variation was observed in wheat-corn rotation which shows higher N mobility in this rotation. Rotation type had no significant (P<0.05) effects on N-NH4 profile. However concentration of N-NO3 was more than N-NH4 in the all rotations. The presence of summer fallow in rotation could increase N-NO3 upflux in soil profile due to high evapotranspiration.

Background and Objectives: Salinity is the most common environmental stress which have endangered successful crops production. The vast cultivated areas in Iran are located in arid and semi-arid parts and these plants are subject to adverse environmental conditions, hence to increase plants tolerance to environmental stresses mostly due to exceeding soil salts mineral is important in terms of yield losses. Biological methods based on soil useful microorganisms’ potentials in creating symbiosis relationship to plants can increase crops yields per unit area by changing their genetic structure, improving their cultivation in saline, dry soils or biotic and abiotic stresses. This research investigate the potential of Rhizobium leguminosarum b.v. phaseoli bacteria to improve growth, nutritional status and increase antioxidant enzyme activities (catalase and peroxidase) of common bean (Akhtar cultivar) in salinity stress condition.Materials and Methods: The greenhouse experiment was conducted as a factorial design in completely randomized with three replications by using the sterile sand-perlite (2: 1 v/v) as a culture substrate at three levels of salinity of S0, S1 and S2 (0, 35 and 70 mM sodium chloride, or 0, 3 and 6 ds/m, respectively) in soilless research center located in Isfahan university of technology.Results: The results showed that salinity stress decreased plant growth, regardless of microbial treatment and stress level. The inoculated plants with rhizobium bacteria had greater shoot and root biomass than the non-inoculated plants at all salinity levels. Salinity stress decreased antioxidant enzyme activity catalase and potassium and nitrogen concentrations of shoot and increased antioxidant enzyme activity peroxidase sodium concentration of shoot, particularly in non-inoculated plants with rhizobium bacteria. At salinity levels of S1 and S2, antioxidant enzyme activity catalase of inoculated plants with rhizobium bacteria about 196% and 259% and antioxidant enzyme activity peroxidase about 93%, 73% and 7% was increased than the non-inoculated plants, respectively. Inoculation of rhizobium bacteria at salinity levels of S1 and S2, resulted in increasing potassium concentration about 84% and 10% and decreasing sodium concentration about 50% and 70%, respectively. Also, the inoculated plants with rhizobium bacteria had higher nitrogen concentrations at S0 and S2 compared to the non-inoculated one. Shoot phosphorous concentration of inoculated plants with rhizobium bacteria was higher about 55% than the non-inoculated plants.Conclusion: In general, inoculation of common bean (Akhtar cultivar) with Rhizobium leguminosarum b.v. phaseolibacteria in this research, can serve as a useful method for alleviating deleterious effects of salinity stress.

Background and Objectives: Increased soil dryness of hillsides and lands around the gully causes the aggravation of the gully erosion which leads to the desertion of the environment. Soil moisture contents are various in different soil depths, gully positions and in various land uses.These are fundamental for ecosystem sustainability in arid and semi-arid area. Therefore, understanding the behavior of soil moisture in dry and critical periods is necessary for gully erosion management based on biological conservation and restoration of vegetation around the gully. The aim of this study is to analyze the variations in the loess soil moisture around the gully with increasing distance from the gully during the dry season in the dominant land uses.Materials and Methods: In this research two typical gullies were chosen, one in abandoned dry farming land and another in the rangeland. Gullies with general characteristics (depth, width, length, land slope, watershed area and vegetation cover) similar to other gullies in the area were selected for determining the index gully. Soil samples were taken from the land around the headcuts, 50% of the length and the end of the gully at the wall locations and 200 and 500 cm away from the edge of the gully and from two different depths; surface (0-30 cm) and subsurface soil (30-100 cm) in summer (from July to September 2012; once every fifteen days) and soil moisture of samples were determined.Results: The statistical results showed that the soil moisture content increased with distance from the edge of the gully (a distance of about 2 meters from the gully) in the rangeland. In other words, the evaporation of soil moisture is influenced by the gully wall and its surface soil at less than 2 meters distance from the gully. Also, in the abandoned farming dry land the surface soil moisture increased with distance from the edge of the gully, but the slope of this change was not as high as in the rangeland. The subsurface soil moisture content is higher near the gully wall than a distance further away in the abandoned farming dry land, but this decreasing trend was not as remarkable as in the rangeland.Conclusion: The results of this study revealed that gullies seriously exacerbate loss of soil moisture content around their domains. Therefore, it can be concluded that rangeland of loess land plays an effective role to prevent soil moisture evaporation which is the result of the gully erosion.

Background and Objectives: Use of improvement factors are one of the routine methods in the production of medicinal plants. Zinc (Zn) and Copper (Cu) are micronutrient and improvement factors increased plant growth in low concentrations. While high concentrations of these elements as a limiting factor, can cause adverse symptoms on the plants cultivation of medicinal plants in soils contaminated with heavy metals such as Cu and Zn are recommended due to the lack of transfer of these elements into secondary metabolites. The effect of heavy metals and micronutrients on field crop and vegetables was studied extensively, but behavior of medicinal plants in such conditions has not been studied well. Since the deficiency and toxicity of Cu and Zn is visible in the country, so in this study uptake of micronutrient and macronutrient by medicinal plant were studied in soil with deficiency and toxicity of Cu and Zn under greenhouse conditions.Materials and Methods: Three levels of Copper (0, 5 and 25 mg/Kg) and three levels of zinc (0, 10 and 50 mg/Kg) and combination of all the above levels, were used as treatments in a factorial experiment based on completely randomized design with three replications.Results: According to the results, the maximum value uptake of Cu (317.4 mg pot-1) and Zn (1818.27 mg pot-1) in shoots was obtained in Cu25Zn10 and Cu5Zn50 treatment, respectively. The maximum values uptake of Fe and Mn (3674.12 and 1537.41 mg pot-1) and P and K (21.88 and 380.52 mg Pot-1) in shoots was revealed in Cu5Zn10 treatment. The highest values uptake of Cu, Zn, Fe and Mn in root (281.33, 1802.85, 18744.4 and 1235.68 mg pot-1, respectively), P (22.56 mg pot-1) was observed in Cu25Zn50 treatment and K (115.94 mg pot-1) in Cu5Zn50 treatment.Conclusion: The results showed that pennyroyal herb has the high ability to absorb and transfer elements to shoots. Considering that pennyroyal have aspects fresh and spicy, so use of pennyroyal grown in soils contaminated with Cu and Zn due to uptake and transport of these elements in shoot would be required with caution. Combined treatment with low levels of Cu and Zn created the greatest uptake of K, P, Mn and Fe in shoot. But combined treatment of higher levels of these elements were proven to have negative interactions between the Cu, Zn, Fe, Mn, P and K. Then their application should be done carefully with each other.

Background and Objectives: Iran is an arid region and crop production systems must adapt to this climate. Water is the main problem limiting yield improvement. In order to save soil moisture, some materials such as crop residue, mulch plants, waste and other synthetic materials like super absorbent hydrogel can be used. Super absorbent hydrogel are highly hydrophilic due to low cross-links in their structure and retain much water. In order to investigate the effects of different combinations and amounts of chemical, biological and organic manure in presence of water absorbent materials on some phenological, morphological and yield of soybean, a field study was carried out in a factorial experiment based on randomized complete block design with three replications.Materials and Methods: This investigation was carried out in 1391, in the village Alang, located 4 km in the east north of the town Kordkuy (Latitude 36o50’ N, Longitude 54o08’ E). The climate of the region is warm and humid and the soil texture is silty clay loam. Some chemical characteristics of the soil were EC=1.4 ds/m, pH=7.3, %O.M=1.1, B.D=1.5 g/cm3, %F.C=27.3, %N=0.11, P2O5=6.5 ppm and K+=200 ppm. In this experiment two levels of super absorbent polymer namely Aquazorb such as control and 50 kg/ha and 10 different combination and amount of chemical, vermicompost and prolific phosphorus 2 were applied. Treatments without applying any fertilizer (Control), 100 percent chemical fertilizers (B1), 50 percent of chemical fertilizers and bio- fertilizers inoculation (B2), 50 percent and 6 tons of vermicompost (B3), 50 percent of fertilizer and 12 tons of vermicompost (B4), inoculated with bio-fertilizer and 6 tons of vermicompost (B5), inoculated with bio-fertilizer and 12 tons of vermicompost (B6), 6 tons of vermicompost (B7), 12 tons of vermicompost (B8) and inoculated with bio-fertilizer (B9), respectively. Flowering duration, day to maturity, plant height, number of nodes per plant, the height of the first node, number of secondary branch, % seed oil, % seed protein and plant yield were measured.Results: The results indicate that inoculation with bio-fertilizers and 50% chemical fertilizers (NPK) recommended in the presence of superabsorbent polymers (B2), had the highest yield (4100 kg/ha) and the control treatment had the lowest performance. Similarly, in many traits of yield components, B5 and B6 treatments had the largest amount of data that demonstrate the positive impact of the integration of bio-fertilizers and vermicompost on them.Conclusion: The use of bio-fertilizers on soybean yield had a positive impact and increase performance. In this study, reduction the consumption of chemical fertilizers via replacing with some of organic and biological fertilizers in presence of hydrophilic polymers, was observed to increase soybean yield significantly.

Background and Objectives: Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) is an annual plant, from monocotyledons and Gamopetalous order and Pedaliaceae family. Sesame is a valuable oil seed which has 45 up to 62 percentage of oil due to the condition and variety. This oil is so durable because of a phenolic antioxidant compound called Sesamol. Rhizobium bacteria like plant growth promoting rhizobacteria are capable of improving and increasing non-legume plant growth and yield through growth promoting mechanisms like Indole-3-acetic acid hormone production, siderophore production and also increase of the solubility and uptake of nutrients, particularly phosphorus. Therefore, the present study was performed to evaluate some of the plant growth promoting characteristics of Synorhizobium meliloti bacteria and assess their ability to increase the growth and improve the nutritional condition of sesame as a non-legume plant.Material and Method: A greenhouse experiment was conducted in order to evaluate the effect of some of Synorhizobium meliloti isolates on growth and nutrients uptake in sesame. Firstly, all of the isolates were examined for IAA and siderophore production and their ability to dissolve insoluble mineral phosphates. Then, 5 superior isolates based on IAA and siderophore production and also solubilization of insoluble mineral phosphates were selected and used with a control treatment in a completely randomized design with four replications. Several sesame seeds of same size were selected and then surface sterilized for greenhouse experiment. The five Kg plastic pots were filled with sandy loam non-sterile soil with low salinity (EC=1.4 dS.m-1) and low available phosphorus (5 mg.kg-1).15 sesame seeds were planted in each pot. The seeds were inoculated with 500 mL of bacterial suspension (population: 108cfu.g-1) after cultivation.The plants were cut from the crown and the length, shoot and root dry weight were measured in blooming phase. The phosphorus, iron, zinc and copper concentration were then determined in shoot.Results: The results related to dissolution of mineral phosphorus showed that all of the isolates had the ability to solubilize Tricalcium Phosphate in sperber medium and the highest phosphorus solubilization was related to SR18 isolate (139 mg.ml-1). Also isolates SR3 and SR32 produced the highest amount of siderophore. The results of greenhouse experiment demonstrated that the tested isolates could increase sesame shoot dry weight compared to the control. This augmentation was significant in SR3, SR16 and SR18. Most of the tested isolates also could increase nutrient uptake in sesame shoot but the only isolate which could significantly increase shoot nutrient uptake including P, Zn, Cu and Fe in comparison with control was SR18.Conclusion: To summarize, the selected isolates which could produce IAA, siderophore and solubilize poorly soluble inorganic phosphates had the ability to raise sesame growth factors (shoot and root). Among all of the isolates, SR18 was the most effective on growth factors and nutrient uptake in sesame.

Background and Objectives: Wind is an important erosive force in deserts, where limited cover of vascular plant material offers little soil-surface protection. Erosion and sediment from soil surfaces occurs when wind forces exceed soil threshold friction velocity. Soils with physical or biological crusts usually are more resistant against wind erosion. Filamentous morphology and physiological characteristics of fungal crust leading to soil particles bind to each other and form resistant aggregates causing wind erosion control.Materials and Methods: This study was conducted by the aim of investigating the effect of Trichoderma harzianumon wind erosion control of a sterile sandy soil as factorial in a completely randomized design under two inoculation treatments (inoculated with Trichoderma harzianumand non inoculated), two moisture treatments (80% FC and dry) and three times treatments (15, 30 and 45 days). After passing each time treatment, penetration resistance, microbial biomass carbon, respiration and some physical properties of soil was measured. The development of fungal hyphae between the particles and the soil aggregates surface was determined using scanning electron microscopy. Finally after doing all measurements, the treatment with maximum penetration resistance were selected and the sample was prepared for wind tunnel testing.Results: The results showed that by increasing the period of experiment from 15 to 45 days under 80% FC moisture, penetration resistance from 2.85 to 4.5 kg/cm2, bulk density from 1.49 to 1.55 gr/cm3 increased significantly. Electrical conductivity, microbial biomass carbon and respiration of soil demonstrated increasing trend. However soil pH decreased because of increasing fungus growth and also its acidic metabolites exudates. Scanning electron microscope images showed the well development of fungal hyphae between particles and aggregates surface. The samples with highest penetration resistance (45 days treatments under 80% FC moisture) were placed in wind tunnel and showed no erosion at speed of 12 meters per second.Conclusion: The present study indicates Trichoderma harzianum can increase soil resistance against wind erosion by development of hyphae and thus bind soil particles together to form larger aggregates. Therefore soil crust can be considered as a useful agent to prevent wind erosion particularly in the deserts with low plants.