Plant Production Technology
Year:2010 | Volume:10 | Issue:1|Papers Count:7

To evaluate the effects of different plant densities and different levels of nitrogen fertilization on morphological characters, dry flower yield, essential oil and chamazolene content of an improved chamomile cultivar (Germania (diploid)), the experiment was conducted on the base of two factor factorial completely randomized block design with three replications at the research field and experimental laboratory of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad (FUM), Iran, during, 2007-2008. The main plot was plant density at four levels, including D1=20 pl/m2, D2=25 pl/m2, D3=40 pl/m2 and D4=50 pl/m2 and the sub plot was nitrogen in the form of urea (46% nitrogen) at three levels, including N0=control (absence of fertilization), N1=10 g/m2 and N2= 20 g/m2. During the flowering period, growth indices such as plant height, anthodia diameter, dry flower yield, essential oil and chamazolene content were measured. The results showed that the increasing of plant density up to 50 pl/m2 increased flower and essential oil yield and chamazolene content, whereas the highest content of essential oil was obtained at 40 pl/m2. Urea (10 g/m2) produced maximum percent and yield of essential oil (0.77 w/w), but dry flower yield increased with highest level of urea (20 g/m2). Interaction effects of urea and plant density was significant just on the percent and yield of essential oil (p<0.05). Under the climatic conditions of Mashhah, the maximum yield of dry flower and essential oil for this cultivar were observed at 40 pl/m2 with 10 g/m2 urea fertilization.

To identification and evaluation of various traits of existing grapevine cultivars in Western Azarbaijan this research was conducted in grape collection of Dr. Nakhjavani Horticultural Research Station for three years. From bud burst to harvest time, at different phonological stages, the shoot, young leaf, mature leaf, flower and fruit characters were recorded based on IPGRI descriptor. Results of variance analysis showed the significant difference among 50 studied cultivars in all traits such as fruit set, pollen germination, bearing system, component of yield and ripening date among cultivars. High diversity in botanical characters such as leaf shape, lobe number, color of young leaf surface, petiole sinus shape, form of teeth, berry size and shape, berry skin color and vegetative growth was observed in cultivars. Based on morphological data all cultivar were grouped in six groups. In all grouping there were a close relation between cultivars of Shahroudi and Alhaghi, Khalili Sefid and Khalili Qermez, Keshmeshi Sefid and Bidaneh Qermez, Sephid Shakhshakh and Rejin, Tabarza Sephid and Tabarza Qermez, Dastarchin and Gazan Daii, Sayani and Qzl Uzum, Jigh jigha and Siyah Mamoli.

In order to evaluate effects of water salinity of irrigation on different growth stages of moldavian balm 3 sets of experiments were conducted in agricultural and Nutural Resources Center of Esfahan in 2007. In germination stage, 14 water salinity treatments (0.3 – 39 dS/m) with 4 replications were applied on seeds in germinator, In emergency stage in greenhouse and in field 8 water salinity treatments were applied. According to the results, maximum and minimum germination percent and rate were obtained in control (96 %, 14.7 seed per day) and 39 ds/m (0 % and 0) respectively. About 59 % of seeds in control and 0% in 12 dS/m were emergenced and maximum emergencing rate was 24.8 seed per day in control. In the field, maximum and minimum biological yields were 1041 and 256 gr/m2 dry biomass in control and 21 dS/m respectively. By increasing salinity from 0.3 to 21 dS/m, hieght of plants reduced from 75.7 cm to 41.9 cm and amount of essence in m2 reduced from 3.3 cc to 0.9 cc. There was no significant difference between percent of essence in various treatments. Basic components of essence (neral, geraniol, geranial, neryl acetate and geranil acetate) varied from 64.4% to 81.3%.

In order to investigate the herbicide resistance of red root pigweed to some registered herbicides in sugar beet fields in four inmportant sugar beet plantation regions (Khorasan, Khosestan, Isfahan and West Azarbaijan), a fiels experiment was carrioud out in randomized complete block design using factorial experiment with three replications. Treatment consisted of three biotypes of pigweed including two susceptible to resistance and one suseptible to herbicide and three herbicide tratments including Pyramin, Bethanal A-M and not used herbicide as check. Due to peculiar genetics and morphological characteristics of each biotype in each region, experiment of each region was analyzed seperately. The results showed that there is no significant difference between suspected and susceptible biotypes in viewpoint of herbicides effect. Mean comparison indicated that the effect of Pyramin, Bethanal AM and control on member and biomass of both pigweed biotypes was the same. It was concluded that pigweed was not yet resistant to registered herbicides and inappropriate control of this weed could be probably refereed to some other factors such as quality of herbide used and incorrect decision for herbide dose, time and method of application.

Matricaria recutita is one of the most important cultivated medicinal herbs, particularly in Europe. This study was carried out in order to evaluate morphological, phenological and essential oil variation on fourteen genotypes derived from Esfahan, Arak, Ahwaz, Ardabil, Kerman, Tehran, Shiraz regions. Fourteen genotypes cultivated in complete randomized block design with three replications in Fozveh research farm, Esfahan agriculture research center. Fifteen characters of morphological, phenological and essential oil were measured. Analysis of variance of traits showed significant differences among genotypes for all character except for fresh weight per flower. Coefficient of genotypic and phenotypic variation of number of flower per plant, fresh and dry weight plant and essential oil was higher than other studied character. The highest and the lowest heritability broad sense was belong to number of days to 50 percent flowering and number of days to stem, respectively. Essential oil varied from 0.24% in Kerman genotype to 0.57% in genotype of Shiraz. Cluster analysis divided the genotypes into 6 cluster, each of which having 5, 4, 2, 1, 1 and 1 genotypes. The clustering pattern of the genotypes revealed that geographic diversity was not related to agronomic diversity. These results could be useful in choosing genotypes for intercrossing to develop improved cultivars.

In this research 220 rhizobial bacteria were isolated from two lentil dry land farming flat plains of Moghan and Koohin, and then they were tested in vivo and in vitro to assurance of 184 purified strains of rhizobium leguminosarum biovar vicial (lentil). BTB +YMA culture media with different levels of salinity by NaCl (10, 20 …50dS/m) was used in saline tolerance test of rhizobial lentil symbiosis strains. Among 184 rhizobial strains, 101 strains were completely sensitive (EC=10 dS/m) and 25 strains were very tolerant and 10 strains were super strains which were completely tolerant to salinity. The number of Koohin flat plain grown rhizobial strains in salinity levels of 10 to 50 was respectively 55, 51, 50, 27, 29 while for Moghan flat plain, these numbers were as 46,42, 21, 8 and 6. Altogether Koohin flat plain rhizobacteria were more high saline tolerant than Moghan flat plain rhizobacteria. Drought tolerance test of rhizobial strains was performed in PEG 6000 +YMA culture media. The drought level was evaluated based on optical density of bacterial suspension in this test. Drought tolerance of rhizobacteria were grouped in 4 levels of completely tolerant, tolerant, sensitive and completely sensitive by optical density of OD<0.3, OD=0.3-0.4 OD=0.4-0.5, OD>0.5, respectively. Among 10 super strains(very completely tolerant) which are thoroughly tolerant, 6 super strains of Moghan flat plain and 8 super strains of Koohin flat plain were selected. At last we hope that the super strains (salinity and drought) in this step of research can be used in later greenhouse studies.

The response of potato plantles derived from tissue culture to nitrogen and jasmonic acid adding under hydroponic condition was studied in a factorial experiment based on a complete randomized design. The study was carried out in a research green house.  Experimental treatments included 3 levels of nitrogen (0, 50 and 100 mg/l of culture media) from the source of ammonium nitrate and 4 levels of jasmonic acid (0, 1, 5 and 10 mM) in three replicates. Total number and weigh of minitubers; average weight of minituber; plant height and number of leaves; and harvest index were studied. The results showed that the highest total number and weight of minituber, average weight of minituber, and harvest index obtained from the treatment of 50 mg nitrogen plus 5 mM jasmonic acid. Also the highest plant stem and leaf number obtained from the treatments of 50 mg nitrogen without jasmonic acid and 100 mg nitrogen plus 1 mM jasmonic acid respectively. The lowest number and total weight of minituber and leaf number, belonged to the treatment of 1mM jasmonic acid without nitrogen.