IRANIAN JOURNAL OF DRYLAND AGRICULTURE
Year:2020 | Volume:9 | Issue:2|Papers Count:7

Potassium as a key element in environmental stress conditions, had fundamental role in plants growth and development. Under water deficit stress conditions, absorption of this element decreases. For this purpose, to evaluate changes in physiological parameters and grain yield of dryland wheat (Baran, Homa, Hashtrood) with application of different levels of potassium sulfate (control, 75 and 150 kg/ha), a factorial experiment based on randomized complete block design (RCBD) with 3 replications was conducted during 2017-18 and 2018-19 growing sessions. Accumulation of potassium (K) increased in varieties by application of potassium sulfate so that, maximum K content was recorded in Hashtrood than other varieties. Also, relative water content, chlorophyll content and NDVI of Hashtrood was more than others. Relative water content and chlorophyll content index of all varieties was increased by application of 75 kg/ha potassium sulfate. Stomatal conductance of Hashtroud by application of 75 kg/ha potassium sulfate was more than Baran and Homa. Photochemical efficiency of PSII and photosynthesis efficiency of studied varieties by application of 75 kg/ha potassium sulfate was higher than other treatments and as a result, grain number, weight and yield was improved. Based on the results, application of the 75 kg/ha potassium sulfate by improving plant tolerance to the water stress, could increase grain yields under dryland areas.

In order to evaluate the effects of Nitrogen and Potassium on Rainfed-wheat performance a factorial experiment based on RCBD with three replications was conducted at the Dryland Agricultural Research sub Institute for two years and in two crop rotation (wheat-wheat and chickpea-wheat) systems. Experimental factors includes 1-application of nitrogen at four levels N1: without nitrogen, N2: 80 kg/ha urea at planting + 3% urea foliar application, N3: 80 kg/ha urea at planting + 1 liter/ha foliar application of Royal Amine and N4: 80 kg/ha urea at planting time + 40 kg/haas top dressing, and 2-potassium application in four levels, K1: withoutpotassium, K2: 1 % potassium chloride K3: 1 liter/ha Royal Potassium and K4: 50 kg/ha of potassium sulfate. The results showed that in both wheat-wheat and chickpea-wheat rotations, the highest grain yield was obtained from Royal amin fertilizer treatment by 1554. 5 and 1670. 5 kg/ha respectively which compared to the control, they increased by 17. 3% and 14. 53%, respectively. However, there was not significant differences with urea top dressing treatment. The highest biological yield was recorded about 7105 kg/hafor Royal Amine and Royal Potassium treatments. Therefore, application of new nitrogen and potassium fertilizers forms such Royal Amine and Royal Potassium at the end of stem elongation stage could improve the wheat performance in cold temperate rainfed conditionswhile reducing environmental hazards.

Using an appropriate breeding method for genetic improvement of quantitative traits mainly depends on the nature of gene action and heritablity. In order to estimate genetic parameters for agro-physiological traits in rapeseed, a generation mean analysis was counducted using the following three crosses; Opera×Dalgan (C1), Parade×Dalgan (C2) and Licord×RGS003 (C3). The parents, F1, F2 and BC1, BC2, RF1, RF2, RBC1, and RBC2 generations were studied for 13 traits. The parents and segregating populations cultivated under drought stress in a randomized complete block design with three replications at Dryland Agricultural Research Institute, Sararood, during 2016-2017 croping season. The results showed significant differences among ten generations for all traits including days to maturity (DM), plant height (PH), silique per plant, silique length (SL), seed per silique, 1000-seed weight, leaf water content, chlorophyll content, electrolyte leakage, leaf temperature, plant yield, seed oil content (SOC) and harvest index in three crosses, indicating genetic differences between the parental genotypes. The highest level of best-and midparent heterosis was observed in F1 (229 and 300%, respectively) and RF1 (255 and 322%, respectively) generations for plant yield in C3. In addition to the additive-dominance model, mean generation analysis and joint scale test showed that epistatic effects are important for all the traits except silique length. The broad-and narrow-sense heritability of the traits in the crosses ranged from 0. 26 to 0. 98 and from 0. 08 to 0. 67, respectively. This study revealed that dominance variance has the most important genetic effect in controlling of all the studied traits except for DM and SL in three crosses, PH in C1 and C2, and SOC in C2 and C3.

Biofertilizers play a fundamental role in sustainable agriculture and salicylic acid reduces the harmful effects of stress. Rainfed farming of chickpeas in western Iran is often under drought stress. In order to investigate the effect of foliar application of salicylic acid (non-application, 0. 5 and 1 millimolar) and biofertilizers (non-application of biofertilizers, biosuperphosphate bacteria, biosulfur bacteria, Rhizobium bacterium, and mycorrhizal fungus) on yield of two chickpea cultivars (Bivanij and Azad) a factorial experiment based on randomized complete block design with three replication was conducted in two years (2016-2017) in Kermanshah under rainfed conditions. The studied traits were number of pods per plant, number of empty pod per plant, number of seeds per plant, 100 seed weight, fertile pod, grain yield, dry matter yield, and harvest index. The results showed that triple interaction of cultivars × salicylic acid × biofertilizers had a significant effect on all traits except number of seeds per pod. Bivanij cultivar had the highest grain yield (in the first and second year were 1821 and 1875 kg. ha-1, respectively), dry matter yield (in the first and second year were 4076 and 4414 kg. ha-1, respectively) and number of seeds per plant (18. 8) in 0. 5 mM Salicylic acid and Rhizobium bacterium. Application of Salicylic acid and biofertilizer could be recommended in rainfed farming of chickpea to increase drought tolerance, yield, and reduce chemical fertilizer application resulting in sustainable agriculture.

Several methods have been proposed to analyze the interaction of genotype in the environment. In this research 16 selected durum wheat lines with two check cultivars (Dehdasht, Seimareh) were evaluated in randomized complete block design experiment with three replications in four regions of Iran including Gachsaran, Gonbad, Khoramabad and Moghan during three cropping seasons 2013-2016. Combined ANOVA indicated significant effect of year, location, genotype, year×location and genotype×year×location interactions at 1% probability level on durum wheat grain yield. Screet test indicated the first four principal components had high contribution of GEI, so that the PC1 and PC2 was explained 26. 60% and 15. 33% of GEI variation. Mosaic plot revealed that 20. 76% of total sum of squares is illustrated by genotype sum of squares and 79. 24% by genotype×environment interaction sum of squares. Heat-map plot was also indicated G1, G3, G6, G15 and G16 had high grain yield in many of environments. The polygon view of biplot indicated G10, G5, G6, G7 and G4 were as stable genotypes to the tested environments according to the closest distance to biplot origin, while G8 and G12 was not adaptable to any environments. The simultaneous studying of the effect of genotype and GE interaction by average tester coordinate view of biplot illustrated that G15, G13 and G6, in addition to high grain yield, were also more stable than other genotypes. Ideal genotype view of biplot indicated G15, G13, G16, G2 and G6 were as most desirable genotypes. In conclusion, G15, G13, G3 and G6 with high mean yield and stability performance can be used in selection/ recommendation process of cultivar.

A considerable fraction of the decline in quality and quantity of crop production in the arable land is attributed to drought stress and deficiency of trace elements, especially zinc and iron. To investigate the effect of foliar application of zinc and iron nanoparticles in low irrigation conditions on biochemical and physiological traits of safflower (Sina cultivar), an experiment was conducted in the form of split plots based on a randomized complete block with three replications in 2016 at Maragheh University. Different irrigation levels (90, 75, and 50% of field capacity) as the main factors and the application of zinc and iron nanoparticles (Non-application of nanoparticles, 30 and 60 mM Nano-Iron, 30 and 60 mM Nano-Zinc) as the sub-factors were considered. According to the results of the analysis of variance, the simple effects of low irrigation treatment and application of nanoparticles and their interaction were significant for most of the studied traits. The highest amount of indole acetic acid with 454. 7 and the highest amount of cytokinin with 355. 7 ng/gFW were recorded in 60 mM nano zinc application at irrigation in 90% field capacity. The highest levels of gibberellin with 146. 6 and 154. 8 ng/gFW were observed in 60 mM nano zinc application at irrigation in 90% field capacity, respectively. The highest amount of grain protein with 24. 11% was obtained in non-foliar treatment under irrigation of 50% of field capacity. Also, the highest yield of safflower with 1366 kg/ha was observed in the application of 60 mM nano-zinc with irrigation at 90% of field capacity. According to the results of this study, the application of 60 mM of nano-zinc was able to improve the growth and yield of safflower under stress, which shows the undeniable role of zinc in increasing the resistance of crops to environmental stresses.

To investigate the effect of seed priming treatments on grain yield and it’ s components in three bread wheat cultivars (“ Rijaw” , “ Sardari” and “ Karim” ), two years field experiment were conducted at the Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center (Kermanshah) in 2015-2016 and 2016-2017. Seed priming treatments included, gibberellic acid 100 mg L-1, 24-epiprasinolide 1 mg L-1, potassium chloride 100 mmol L-1 and polyethylene glycol (PEG4000) (-2. 3 and-2. 9 bar), aqueous zinc sulfate 0. 1 and 0. 3% by weight-volume, 2 and 4 g urea L-1, ascorbic acid 100 mg L-1, one surface of hydropriming with distilled water and a control treatment. The results showed that the highest grain yield was obtained from “ Rijaw” and 4 g L-1 urea (2801. 4 kg ha-1). The highest biological yield was related to the Sardari and 4 g urea L-1 treatment (8206. 7 kg ha-1). The maximum 1000-seed weight (39. 5 g) was obtained from Sardari and 0. 3% (w/v) zinc sulfate. There was a positive and significant correlation between grain yield and 0. 3% hydrated zinc sulfate, 4 g L-1 urea and 100 mmol L-1 potassium chloride, 100 mg L-1 ascorbic acid and 2 g L-1 urea, respectively. In this study, based on the results of grain yield and its components, treatments of 4 g urea L-1, zinc sulfate 0. 3%, ascorbic acid 100 mg L-1 and potassium chloride of 100 mmol L-1 were recommended as appropriate seed priming treatments for similar dryland conidtions.