Iranian Journal of Seed Science and Research
Year:2016 | Volume:3 | Issue:3 |Papers Count:10

To find out the effect different priming on germination characteristics and some antioxidant enzyme activity of Echinacea purpureal, an experiment was conducted in completely randomized design with four replications in 2015 at the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Yasouj. The experimental treatments consisted of four levels of priming included of gibberellic acid 500 mg/L(12 and 24 h), potassium nitrate 29.7mM (12 and 24 h), seeds priming with distilled water (12 and 24 h), salisilic acid 200 mM(12 and 24 h) and control. In this study, means of germination time, germination rate, germination percent, Catalase and Peroxidase activity enzyme measured and evaluated. The results showed that priming treatments had a significant effect on means of germination time, germination rate, germination percent, Catalase and Peroxidase activity enzyme. Priming with gibberellic acid 500 mg/L in 12 hours was more effective to achieve the highest germination characteristics and catalase activity. The highest peroxidase activity was achieved from priming with distilled water for 12 hours. Also, the results showed that increase in priming time had a negative effect on most of the measured characteristics. Overall, priming with gibberellic acid 500 mg/L for 12 hours is recommended to improve germination and vigourous seedling production.

This experiment was performed in order to evaluation antioxidant enzymes activity in seedling induced of milkthistle primed seeds in salt stress condition. The experiment was conducted in factorial based on completely randomized design with four factors and three replications in Agricultural Biotechnology Research Institute of Iran (ABRII). These factors were included of genotype (Amol and Majar), priming (primed and non-primed seeds), stress: salinity (150 mM) and control led (nonsalinity) and time of sampling in 24 and 96 hours after sowing. The results showed the seed priming increased significantly the catalase (CAT) activity in Majar, peroxidase (POX) activity in both genotypes and ascorbat peroxidase (APX) in Amol, so that CAT activity increased in Majar primed seeds than control 96%. Priming increased POX activity in Majar 14-fold greater than Amol. Increasing CAT and APX activity were observed in primed seeds in germination stage but POX activity increasing was observed in imbibition stage. Overall, the results showed the CAT, POX and APX activity was higher in primed seeds than non-primed in salt stress condition. Priming affected CAT and POX activity in Majar greater in Amol.

Dragonhead (Dracocephalum moldavica L.) and savory (Satureja hortensis L.) are the important aromatic and medicinal plants. Their essential oil used in medicinal and food industries. The aim of this research was to determine the effects of chitosan and salinity levels on seed germination characteristics of savory and dragonhead. Therefore two experiments were conducted to investigation the effect of chitosan (0, 1 and 2%) and salinity (0, 4 and 6 ds/m) on seed germination of these two plants. Experimental design was completely randomized design with factorial arrangement of treatments with three replications. The experiments were conducted in Kurdistan University, Iran, in 2013. The results indicated that using chitosan (2%) caused the highest values of germination rate and germination percentage of dragonhead and savory, whereas salinity stress decreased the mentioned traits. Application of chitosan 1% and 2% increased root and shoot length, fresh and dry weight of shoot and root under salinity stress. Generally the most favorable interaction treatment for mentioned traits was the chitosan 1% combined with 6 ds/m salinity stress in the in both plants.

The study was conducted to investigate the effect of humic acid on germination indexes and photosynthesis pigments of medicinal plant Plantago ovata Forssk in a completely randomized design. Experimental treatments comprised the following dosage 0, 15, 30 g Li-1. Results relived that humic acid had significantly effect on germination rate and seed vigor index. The highest and the lowest germination rate, the highest and the lowest seed vigor index were measured in dose of 30 gLi-1 and the control treatment respectively, while humic acid was not effective on germination percentage and mean of germination time. Humic acid showed significant effect on radical length and dry weight (p<1%), length and pedicel dry weight, and allometric coefficient (p<5%), however seedlings were not different significantly in radical and pedical fresh weight in response to humic acid. The highest and the lowest radical length, the highest and the lowest radical dry weight, the highest and the lowest pedicel dry weight were measured in dose of 30 gLi-1 and the control treatment respectively. The highest pedicel length was related to dose of 15 gLi-1 and the lowest was observed in the control treatment. The highest allometric coefficient was obtained in 30 gLi-1 dosage. The best effect on chlorophyll pigments was obtained in dose of 30 gLi-1. The highest and lowest chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and total chlorophyll were observed in 30 and 0 gLi-1 respectively. In general, results showed that humic acid in dose of 30 gLi-1 was effective to enhancing quality of P. ovata Forssk.

In order to evaluate integrated management of biofertilizer and chemical fertilizer on quantitative and qualitative indices of sesame, an experiment was conducted in college of Agriculture in Saveh Azad University during 2011. The experiment design consisted of three randomized complete blocks in a factorial arrangement. Investigated treatments were including fertilizer and cultivar. Integrated fertilizer treatments consisted without fertilizer and without inoculation (control), application of chemical fertilizer (based on soil analysis) and without inoculation, seed inoculation with Pseudomonas fluorescens + Azotobacter chroococcum + without triple super phosphate and urea, seed inoculation with Pseudomonas fluorescens + Azotobacter chroococcum + 75% triple super phosphate and urea, seed inoculation with Pseudomonas fluorescens + Azotobacter chroococcum + 100% triple super phosphate and urea. Investigated cultivars were including Varamin 2822 and Yellow light. Results showed Varamin 2822 was higher in the most of investigated characteristics in compared to other cultivar. The results of experiment showed integrated management biofertilizer and 100% chemical fertilizer has the desired effect on yield and qualitative characteristics.

Soil and water resources pollution with heavy metal such as cadmium reduced their germination and growth. Appropriate parental plant nutritional plays a major role in the creation of seeds with better ability germination. The germination response of parental plants seed treated with different sources fertilizer to cadmium toxicity was evaluated as factorial experiment in completely randomized design with four replications. The treatments were consisted of three levels of seed produced from grown parental plant under different nutritions (Broiler litter, chemicals fertilizer, no fertilizer amendment) and four concentrations of cadmium (20, 40, 60 and 80 mg/L Cd) plus control. In this experiments germination percentage and rate, shoot length, root length, shoot dry weight, root dry weight and seed vigor index were investigated. The results showed that with increasing concentrations of cadmium, indices of germination were reduced in fertilizer treatments. Broiler litter treatment was considered as best treatment to improve all germination parameters. Germination percentage in broiler litter did not follow a specific trend and germination rate coefficient only for chemical fertilizer had a significant regression equation. But shoot length, radicle length, radicle dry weight and seed vigor, decreased in the form of quadratic trends. Shoot dry weight was only reduced in the form of quadratic trend in the chemical fertilizer. Radicle length was the most sensitive parameter to cadmium toxicity in comparison with other parameters, because it was decreased in comparison with all treatments, with a slope steeper. In summary, It can be concluded the quality of seeds fed with organic fertilizer is more than the chemical fertilizers for grow in soils with higher risk of cadmium contamination, which its show the superiority of seed production in organic conditions.

Drought stress is one of the most important factors in reducing the growth and yield of lentil plants under rain-fed condition. This study was performed to determine germination percent and rate, germination vigor and mean time, consumed andosperm, vigor index, plumule length and dry weight, radicle length, area, volume, diameter and dry weight lentil cultivars under drought stress, a factorial experiment done based on completely randomized design with four replications in 2015 at research Lab for plant physiology of Khatam Alanbia University of Behbahan. Treatments consisted of lentil cultivars (Gachsaran, Kimiya, Ziba and Robat) and drought stress in four levels (0, -0.3, -0.6 and -0.9 MP). Results showed that under non-stress, Robat cultivar compared to other cultivars was superior in all traits. Under -0.3 and -0.6 MPa, Robat and Gachsaran cultivars germination rate, mean germination time, germination vigor, plumule length, radicle dry weight and seed vigor was higher than the Kimiya and Ziba cultivars. Lentil cultivation done under rain-fed conditions and use of drought tolerant cultivars for planting to enhance product and yield is essential. This study suggests that the use of Robat cultivar instead of the cultivars used in rain-fed condition.

This study was laid out to study the effect of accelerate aging duration on enzymatic and nonenzymatic antioxidant activity and biochemical characteristics of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) seeds in Islamic Azad University, Boroujerd branch, at 2015 summer, that laid out in completely randomized design with four replications. Treatments included 5 accelerated ageing days (control and 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 days). Results of analysis of variance showed that effect of ageing on germination percentage, electrical conductivity, soluble sugar, soluble protein, proline, acid ascorbic, catalase, peroxidase and ascorbat peroxidase enzymes were significant. Mean comparison results showed that, increase of ageing duration decreased germination percentage of barley seeds but, Malondialdeid, H2O2 content and electrical conductivity were increased. Soluble sugar and soluble protein were increased until 3 and 2 aging days respectively then decreased. With increasing of aging levels until two days proline content increased then decreased but, ascorbic acid production procedure was decreasing and ascorbic acid production in 1-4 ageing days was more than control. Ageing changed catalase, peroxidase and ascorbat peroxidase amount. With increasing of aging levels until 3 days catalase activity increased and until 2 days peroxidase and ascorbat peroxidase activity were increased then decreased. Lower ageing levels induced enzymatic and non-enzymatic damaging less than higher ageing levels but, with increasing of accelerated ageing until 5 days reactive oxygen species accumulation over come on these antioxidant systems. In this condition seed damage increased that laid to decrease of vigor and seed germination percentage.

Egyptian spinach (Corchorus olitorius L.) and Asian spiderflower (Cleome viscosa L.) are two of most important weeds in Khouzestan province corn fields. This experiment was conducted to quantifying the effect of osmotic and salt stress on germination of these weeds. In order to describing effect of reduced water potential on germination of these weeds solutions were prepared with osmotic potentials of 0, -0.2, -0.4, -0.6, -0.8 and -1.0 MPa by dissolving appropriate amounts of polyethylene glycol 6000 in distilled water. Also, Water solutions with salinity of 0, 50, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300, 400 and 500 mM were prepared by dissolving NaCl in distilled water. The hydrotime constant (qH), the base or threshold water potential (yb(0)) and the median base water potential (yb(50)) of these weeds were as follows: C. viscose (14.30 MPa h, -1.32 and 0.89 MPa) and C. olitorius (11.85, -1.13 and -0.88 MPa), respectively. Threshold response of 50% maximum germination reduction to salinity of C. viscose and C. olitorius were 246.80 mM and 217.00 mM, respectively. Totally, seed germination of C. viscose and C. olitorius were partially tolerate and tolerant to osmotic stress and salinity, respectively.

Iran with annual precipitation of 252 mm (one-third of the world’s average precipitation) is known as the most arid and semi arid regions of the world. Drought effects coupled with the increasing of population and the development of industrial activities has led to the intensification of desertification. Due to lack of fodder in the country, increasing cultivation area of grasses and legumes in rangelands and dryland farming systems is priority for livestock nutritional requirements. In sustainable agriculture, the forage varieties not only have high yielding, but also their seed production is a great important and it is one of the most important goals in breeding improved new varieties. Therefore, the high-yielding and palatable forage varieties have to potential to produce higher seed to increasing cultivation areas of degraded rangelands and inefficient dryland farming. Here in Iran, in many rangeland rehabilitation projects, Rangers and farmers use the seeds of wild species with low performance for cultivation. This is due to insufficient seeds quantities of improved verities. The seeds of such species usually have dormancy, low germination and heterogeneity in the field establishment. In this paper the published data of the grasses adaptation and their seed production mainly in Iran are reviewed and causes of their poor establishment is discussed. For pasture stability, the strategies of using composite variety by mixing the seeds of various outstanding populations are suggested. To overcome the low seed germination and vigority, appropriate solutions of seed processing using new technologies such as priming is presented.