JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (JAST)
Year:2019 | Volume:21 | Issue:5|Papers Count:23

A new and optimized protocol, here called 6hDNA (i. e. a genomic DNA obtained by a six-hour extraction method), has been developed based on the traditional Cetyl-TrimethylAmmonium Bromide (CTAB) method. It allows a fast and easy isolation of genomic DNA from plant species, especially from those with high polyphenol and polysaccharide contents. Co-precipitation of polysaccharides was avoided by adding higher concentrations of selective precipitants of nucleic acid, CTAB 3% (w/v) and sodium chloride (NaCl) (1. 42M). PolyVinylPyrrolidone (PVP) 1% (w/v) was applied to remove polyphenols as PCR inhibitors. Proteins were degraded by treatments of chloroform: isoamyl alchol (24: 1) and phenol: chloroform: isoamyl alchol (25: 24: 1) and removed by centrifugation from plant extracts. The yield of total DNA from leaves of Vitis vinifera, Citrus sinensis and Olea europaea ranged from 42 to 980 ng μ L-1 with A260/A280 ratio values between 1. 6 and 2. 06. The purity and integrity of the obtained DNA guarantees successful downstream applications including PCR and microsatellite markers. The use of lyophilized plant material and the reduced time of the total procedure make this new 6hDNA protocol more convenient when compared to the most common DNA isolation protocols, such as: “ Doyle and Doyle” , “ Lodhi” , “ Li” , or those using the DNAzol reagent and the Nucleospin Plant Minikit.

This study aimed at characterizing the livelihood of communities in term of their assets and opportunities and identifying and describing the corresponding market segment(s), as well as devising a suitable marketing strategy that would ultimately lead to more effective community engagement. A socio-economic questionnaire was designed to elicit basic numerical data on olive production, and marketing system of olive and olive oil, and agricultural practices. The study was conducted during 2014-2015 for 155 farmers, distributed in four sub-governorates in Karak Governorate. Research findings and SWOT analysis shows that the Jordanian Olive Sector in general, and Karak Olive Sector in particular, has a good potential to grow and expand further, particularly in light of recent developments that the sector has undergone and the modernization of olive oil presses. However, the sector has a number of weaknesses that are restricting it from realizing its growth potential. Key weaknesses are related to fragmentation of the sector, labor availability, skills and work-ethic issues, marketing and branding, packaging, warehousing, lack of coordination with the olive oil presses as well as limited financial and management planning know-how. Finally, study of the enterprise budget of olive crop showed that the rate of olive oil production per hectare reached 650 kg, the average price was US$ 5. 5 kg-1, the Gross margin was US$ 200 ha-1, with US$ 692 net profit.

Digital inclusion is a way to empower people through Information Communication Technologies (ICTs), but the existing digital divide due to differential access to ICT tools, low digital literacy and lack of sustainable usage is the greatest hindrance to digital inclusion. Considering these facts, this study aimed at finding a suitable location specific strategy to bridge the digital divide. The study was conducted in Nasik and Varanasi districts of Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, respectively. Thirty stakeholders were selected from both districts from Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) or Farm Science Centers and line departments having frequent interaction with clientele and basic knowledge about ICT tools and services useful in agricultural information delivery. Strategic statements were prepared using previous literature, experience from different programs in India and abroad, and expert suggestions. These were graded into hierarchies and stages and were compared pairwise. Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) was used as a decision making tool to select best alternatives to bridge the digital divide.

The sustainable livelihood approach was introduced as a sustainable rural development approach in the late 1980s with the aim of poverty alleviation in the rural communities. This approach has offered a broad framework for assessing the various dimensions of sustainability. An important component of this framework is livelihood capitals in a way that it is not possible to achieve sustainable rural livelihood with no regard to the livelihood capitals and assets in rural areas. Thus, the purpose of this descriptive-analytic survey research was zoning the villages of the Central District of Dena County in terms of the sustainability of livelihood capitals. The statistical population of this study was 2500 rural households in the Central District of Dena County, of which 300 households were selected using cluster random sampling method with appropriate allocation based on Krejcie and Morgan’ s table. The research instrument was a researcher-made questionnaire whose face validity was confirmed by a panel of experts, and its reliability was confirmed in a pre-test and calculating Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Findings of the research showed that, in most studied villages, 3 capitals (social, physical, and human) were above the average and 2 capitals (financial and natural) as well as the total capital was less than average. Additionally, there was a gap and heterogeneity between the villages in terms of social, human, natural capital as well as financial capital, whereas there was a homogeneity in terms of physical and total capital as well. Besides, the most studied villages were potentially unsustainable in terms of financial and natural capital, average level in terms of human and physical capital and total capital, and potentially sustainable in terms of social capital. In addition, cluster analysis to categorize villages indicated that 9, 4, and 7 villages were categorized as non-privileged, semi-privileged, and privileged, respectively. Furthermore, the result of Analysis Of Variance (ANOVA) indicated that there was a significant difference between three categories of villages in terms of social, physical, financial and natural capital, and total capital. Therefore, non-privileged and semi-privileged villages should be given more consideration by planners, who need to pay more attention to regional planning than general planning.

After parturition, inflammation of the reproductive tract in cows is common because of bacterial contamination of the uterine lumen. To investigate the beneficial effects of dietary Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) supplementation on health status mediated by change in pro-and anti-inflammatory cytokine genes expression, endometrial samples were collected from Holstein cows with similar parturition date and reproductive records. From day 21 before calving to day 42 after calving, cows were fed isonitrogenous, isocaloric, and isolipidic diets that differed only in the source of fats. Cows were fed diets supplemented with palm oil as control group (saturated FA; n= 8), and CLA for the treatments, and the rate of each fat in any diet was 75 g d-1. CLA-supplemented diet was provided with a mixture of trans-10, cis-12 CLA and cis-9, trans-11 CLA isomer. Rumen protected CLA provided 10 g d-1 each of trans-10, cis-12 CLA and cis-9, trans-11 CLA isomers. Uterine endometrial biopsies were collected at days 21 and 42 after calving and were prepared to determine pro-inflammatory [including Tumor Necrosis Factor-α (TNFα ), InterLeukins (IL-1, IL-6, IL-8) and InterFeron-gamma (IFN-γ )] and antiinflammatory [interleukin 10 (IL-10)] cytokine genes expression. Results showed that dietary CLA supplementation decreased the expression of IL-1 and IL-8 at days 21 (respectively, 1. 8 and 3. 9 fold) and 42 (respectively, 4 and 104 fold) postpartum and increased expression of IL-10 at days 21 and 42 (respectively, 9. 7 and 2. 5 fold). The TNFα expression significantly decreased in day 21 in CLA groups compared with palm (2. 5 fold). There was no difference between groups for IL-6 expression. IFN-γ expression decreased in day 21 (3. 0 fold) and, conversely, increased in day 42 (2. 5 fold) in CLA group compared to palm. Our results showed that, during transition period, dietary supplementation with CLA reduced inflammatory processes via inhibiting proinflammatory cytokines and stimulating anti-inflammatory cytokines.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of the immunostimulant Immunobeta® on egg production and oxidative stress parameters, influenced by the environmental conditions in free range laying hens. A total of 81 laying hens and 9 cocks (Tetra Super Harco) were divided into three groups: group 1 (control) without supplementation; group 2 with 0. 2%, and group 3 with 0. 4% Immunobeta® as a dietary supplement. The laying period (19-55 weeks of age) was divided into three sub-periods depending on the ambient temperature – cold (from November to March 2015, from 19 to 37 weeks of age), thermoneutral (April and May 2016, from 38 to 46 weeks of age) and hot period (June and July 2016, from 47 to 55 weeks of age). Immunobeta® supplementation dose dependently improved the average egg production and mean egg weight, and in 0. 4% dose treatment significantly reduced the feed conversion ratio for the entire laying period. Immunobeta® supplementation influenced the blood oxidative stress parameters, decreasing significantly the lipid peroxidation level during the cold period, increasing the glutathione level in hens supplemented with 0. 4% dose in all periods, regulating the catalase activity during the hot period, and increasing glutathione peroxidase activity during the thermoneutral and hot periods. In conclusion, addition of Immunobeta® to the diet reduced the oxidative stress induced by thermal stress and enhanced the performance of free range laying hens.

In this work, performance of a newly designed hybrid dryer was investigated. Drying was done with the support of solar energy to microwave conveyor dryer. By using collector, which was designed with semisphere shape for having high efficiency from solar energy, hot air was produced and moved through the tunnel with velocity of 3 m s-1 and by using 0. 7, 1 and 1. 4 kW microwave support, drying behavior of 5, 10, and 15 mm zucchini slices were examined. At the end of drying process, drying time, color changes of dried products, energy consumption, collector efficiency, and modelling of drying were determined. Considering the time required for drying the zucchini slices until reaching 10± 1% (wb) moisture content and electrical energy consumption values, the most suitable results were obtained from 1 kW microwave power, air velocity of 0. 245 m min-1, and 5 mm zucchini slice thickness, corresponding to total energy of 1. 143 kWh. The collector efficiency was calculated as 24. 3%, under the environmental conditions of our study.

Meat products are highly perishable and require protection to maintain their quality. Bioedible films incorporated with essential oils have recently received attention due to their benefits as AntiMicrobial (AM) active packaging. The aim of this study was to evaluate the physico-mechanical properties and antimicrobial activity of Isolated Soy Protein (ISP) film containing Peppermint Essential Oil (PEO) on shelf life and sensory quality of raw hamburger. The ISP film incorporated with PEO at 1, 2, and 3% (v/v) were prepared by solvent casting method. The results showed that the incorporation of PEO caused a significant decrease and an increase (P< 0. 05) in tensile strength and elongation-at-break, respectively. Increment of thickness, Water Vapor Permeability (WVP), and decline in moisture content was recorded as the amount of oil increased (P< 0. 05). In addition, Lightness/darkness (L*), Whiteness Index (WI), and redness/greenness (a*), and yellowness/blueness (b*) increased, while the total color difference (Δ E) decreased by adding PEO. PEO-incorporated film (at 3% v/v) exhibited higher inhibitory activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and lower for Salmonella enterica using disc diffusion method. Microbial analysis and pH measurement of raw hamburger covered with ISP-PEO film showed no inhibitory effect against test bacteria when applied on raw hamburger, whereas the inhibited total bacterial growth exceeded the acceptable limit until the end of refrigerated storage. This film was able to prolong the shelf life of hamburger for up to 7 days. Therefore, this new antibacterial film has considerable potential to be used as meat packaging material.

In the present research work, the potential probiotic properties of Lactococcus lactis KMCM3 and Lactobacillus helveticus KMCH1 isolated from raw camel milk and traditional fermented camel milk (Chal), respectively, were studied. The probiotic properties of isolates that were investigated included the hemolysis, antibiotic resistance, antibacterial features, resistance to low pH and bile salts, survival under simulated GastroIntestinal Tract (GIT) conditions, adhesion ability to hydrocarbon, and their autoaggregation and co-aggregation rates. None of isolates exhibited hemolytic activity. They were susceptible against tetracycline, penicillin, ampicillin, chloramphenicol, erythromycin and vancomycin. Lac. lactis KMCM3 and L. helveticus KMCH1 retained their viability at pH 3. 0 (8. 68 and 8. 6 log cfu mL-1, respectively), 0. 3% w/v bile salts (8. 23 and 8. 58 log cfu mL-1, respectively) and under simulated GIT conditions (8. 31 and 8. 46 log cfu mL-1, respectively). Both of these isolates inhibited the growth of E. coli, S. aureus, L. monocytogenes, B. cereus and S. enterica subsp. enterica serovar Typhimurium with MIC values of 6. 25 to 25 mg mL-1. In addition, They exhibited an ability to adhere to hydrocarbon (xylene), and possessed a high auto-aggregation and co-aggregation rate (more than 40%).

The present study examined the light wavelengths effect on the diapause percentage of progeny and energy reserves of maternal generation in sexual and asexual Trichogramma brassicae that had been reared under different light wavelengths before oviposition. Photoperiod has a maternal effect on the diapause induction in Trichogramma wasps; however, the light wavelengths effect on their diapause has not been studied. In this study, we reared the maternal generation of both strains under five light wavelengths including blue (455~475 nm), green (515~535 nm), orange (585~595 nm), red (620~630 nm), and white (5, 000~10, 000 K), and allowed 24 hours old females to oviposit in Ephestia kuehniella eggs. The diapausing generation was placed at 10° C and absolute darkness for two months. The results showed that Wolbachia infection and light wavelengths had significant effects on the diapause percentage and energy reserves of T. brassicae, excepting glycogen contents. The maximum and minimum diapause percentage was observed under green and white light in asexual, and under white and green light in sexual strain. The data showed that the sexual strain had lower lipid and protein levels than the asexual strain, except when exposed under white light. The diapause percentage in the sexual strain was higher than in the asexual strain under all light wavelengths, and the reaction of parasitoids toward light wavelengths was different in the two strains. Therefore, Wolbachia can cause a different reaction to light wavelengths in both diapause percentage and pattern of the parasitoid. These results should be considered to improve mass-rearing and long-term storage of this parasitoid.

The sawfly fauna (Hymenoptera: Symphyta) was studied in Hyrcanian Forests. The specimens were collected using Malaise traps during March to November 2016. Thirtyseven species of Symphyta were obtained from forest areas in Golestan and Mazandaran Provinces. Among them, five species were recorded for the first time from Iran: Fenella minuta (Dahlbom, 1835), Hoplocampa chrysorrhoea (Klug, 1816), Nematus glaphyropus Dalla Torre, 1882, Macrophya ribis (Schrank, 1781) and Phylloecus niger (M. Harris, 1779). The genus Fenella is newly recorded from Iran. General discussion is given for the sawfly fauna of Iran.

Waterlogging and drought are severe constrains that limit maize seedling growth in tropical and subtropical regions. It is significant to determine the differences in morphological and physiological responses of maize to drought and excess soil water, with a view toward better breeding and field management. In the present experiment, different levels of soil water availability were initiated at the one-leaf (V1) stage of two maize cultivars (Denghai9 and Yidan629): Control (CK), Severe Drought (SD), Light Drought (LD), Severe Waterlogging (SW), and Light Waterlogging (LW). The results indicated that waterlogging had more discernible impact on the seedling growth of both cultivars than drought stress. The Relative Growth Rate (RGR) of shoots and roots, along with root length, volume, and surface area were all markedly decreased in both cultivars under waterlogging stress. The malondialdehyde content increased significantly in roots and leaves under waterlogging treatment. In both cultivars, SuperOxide Dismutase (SOD) was mostly activated in roots and leaves at the three-leaf (V3) stage by waterlogging stress, while the Catalase (CAT) activity apparently increased under drought stress. The activity of Peroxidase (POD) distinctly enhanced in both cultivars under drought and waterlogging stress. Ascorbate Peroxidase (APX) showed constant activity with prolongation of waterlogging stress, and Glutathione Reductase (GR) activity notably increased in roots under waterlogging conditions at the six-leaf (V6) stage. We concluded that SOD, POD, APX, and GR were the most important antioxidant enzymes under waterlogging conditions, whereas CAT and POD appeared to play key roles under drought stress.

Use of fertilizers is important in agricultural production. In particular, it is more focused on organic fertilizer that increases yield and quality of crops and is not harmful to environment at the same time. In this study, the effect of bacterial biofertilizers on yield and some quality parameters were analyzed in two tomato cultivars (Solanum lycopersicum L., cv. Cevahir F1 and Pala F1) in greenhouse conditions. Three different concentrations (1, 3, and 5 gL-1 and control i. e. un-inoculated) and two different bacterial fertilizers including A: Azotobacter spp. (1×109 CFU), and B: mixture of Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus megatarium (1×109 UFC) were evaluated in a completely randomized design with 3 replications. The treatments were applied one week after planting of the seedlings. The solutions were given to the root zone of the plant and repeated 3 times at intervals of 10 days. Average fruit weight, fruit number per plant, fruit weight per plant, plant height, fruit width and length, total soluble solid, pH, ascorbic acid, chlorophyll content, dry matter yield and mineral content were evaluated on tomato. The effects of treatments were found significant on plant growth parameters. Bacterial fertilization increased yield and other parameters in all treatments. Besides, the effects of treatments were significant on mineral content of tomato fruits.

Mowing is important in maintaining quality of the turf. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of Nitric Oxide (NO) on tall fescue after mowing, and provide theoretical basis for molecular breeding of turf grass. In our study, exogenous NO significantly increased the relative growth rate compared to the control. The higher relative growth rate was associated with higher activity of Peroxides (POD), SuperOxide Dismutase (SOD), Catalase (CAT) and Ascorbate Peroxidase (APX). Expression of CuZn-SOD, CAT-A, and APX4 increased in roots treated with NO after mowing. In addition, exogenous NO significantly increased the concentration of Indole-3-Acetic Acid (IAA), Gibberellic Acid (GA), Cytokinin (CK) and Abscisic Acid (ABA) compared to the control, which likely linked to an increase in Nitric Oxide Synthase (NOS)-like activity and endogenous NO release in tall fescue roots. These results suggested that mowing increased NOS-like activity, leading to elevated endogenous NO levels. NO might act as a signaling molecule, increasing plant hormone content, as well as up-regulating gene expression and enhancing the activity of antioxidant enzymes, thereby protecting against injuries caused by mowing and promoting re-growth of tall fescue.

In order to assess the effect of water-deficit stress on the activity of antioxidant enzymes and agro-physiological attributes of maize, a split-plot field experiment was conducted with three replications based on the randomized complete block design. Three levels of irrigation (well-watered, intermediate and severe water-deficit stress) and four maize families including 10 genotypes were considered as the main and sub factors, respectively. Post treatment, the electrophoretic analysis of three enzymes in maize leaves including SuperOxide Dismutase (SOD), Catalase (CAT) and Peroxidase (POX) was carried out on 8% horizontal acrylamide gel. Moreover, agro-physiological attributes such as MalonDiAldehyde (MDA), H2O2, chlorophyll index (SPAD), Relative Water Content (RWC), and grain yield were measured. Concomitantly with increasing intensity of waterdeficit stress, the activity of most isozymes and the contents of MDA and H2O2 increased while POX2 activity, chlorophyll index, RWC, and grain yield decreased. Under intermediate stress, POX1 isozyme in Lia0688 line (233%) and, under severe stress, POX2 isozyme in AR68 hybrid (201%) showed higher increase compared with the well-watered treatment. Overall, POX1, SOD2, CAT isozymes and MDA, chlorophyll index, and RWC were identified as suitable traits. Based on enzyme activity and agro-physiological attributes, SC706 and TWC647 hybrids were superior to the other genotypes and expressed higher tolerance to water deficit stress. Moreover, among parental lines, MO17, B73 and Lia0688 were promising, although Lia0688 and MO17 were more tolerant lines and showed better performance compared with the line B73 and other lines under wellwatered and stress conditions.

Artemisia annua L. is an important medicinal plant used as an original source of artemisinin for treating malaria. Although there is a wide distribution of A. annua in Hyrcanian Areas (Mazandaran, Guilan, and Golestan Provinces in N Iran), no considerable effort has been made for diversity assessment. In this study, morphological, phytochemical, and molecular characterization of A. annua accessions in this area were assessed using 4 quantitative characteristics (height, fresh weight, dry weight, and trichome density), artemisinin content, and 15 ISSR primers. Using these traits, a high level of morphological, phytochemical and molecular diversity was revealed among A. annua accessions in the provinces (populations) of Hyrcanian Areas. At inter-population level, the highest value of artemisinin was observed in Mazandaran Province. Moreover, significant correlation between artemisinin content and trichome density was observed that could be useful for indirect selection of artemisinin yield in different accessions of A. annua. In addition, fifteen ISSR primers generated a total number of 222 amplified bands, consisting of 177 and 45 polymorphic and monomorphic loci across the 60 accessions, respectively. These results indicate that ISSR-PCR is a reliable tool for fingerprinting A. annua at the intra-population level. Our results altogether are valid contributions for gene bank management and Artemisia annua breeding programs.

Treated wastewater could be a valuable source of water for recycling and reuse in arid regions. Two one-year field experiments were carried out to determine the effects of municipal treated wastewater on seed yield and seed heavy metals content of safflower cultivars, in Research Farm of Yazd Municipal Wastewater Purification Station, during 2015 and 2016. The experiments were arranged as split plot based on a randomized complete block design with three replicates. Irrigation treatments were in the main plot, consisting of three irrigation strategies (irrigation with only treated municipal wastewater, irrigation with treated wastewater/fresh water alternatively, and irrigation with only fresh water) and three safflower (Carthamus tinctorius) cultivars (Sofeh, Isfahan native, and Goldasht) in the subplots. Results showed that yield and yield components increased by treated wastewater treatment compared to the other irrigation treatments. Application of treated wastewater caused increase in safflower grain (40%) and biological (9%) yield as compared to fresh water treatment. Treated wastewater application led to accumulation of trace elements (Fe, Mn, Cu, Cd and Pb) in safflower seeds; however, the content of all the metals were below the permissible limits recommended by World Health Organization.

Low Molecular Weight Glutenin Subunits (LMW-GS), encoded by GLU-3 loci located on the short arm of homologous chromosomes of wheat, play an important role in the bread making quality. Some of the most important gens for quality are located on the D genome, which are interesting in wheat breeding programs. In addition to the bread wheat (Triticum aestivum), some species of Aegilops including Ae. cylindrica, Ae. tauschii, Ae. crassa, Ae. juvenalis, and Ae. vavilovi carry D genome. In this study, the phylogenetic relationship among Aegilops species with D genome and bread wheat has been studied based on the sequence of low molecular weight glutenins loci. The results indicated a great diversity for these loci. Presence of several numbers of common protein bands among species suggested a close relationship and high genetic flow among species. Three primers for the LMW-GS proteins were able to reveal the relationship between the species. The results showed a close relationship among bread wheat (T. astivum) and Ae. tauschii species. Ae. crassa species is more distant from bread wheat. Also, the results indicated a close relationship between the Ae. cylindrica, Ae. juvenalis, and Ae. vavilovi. A great diversity of LMW-GS in wild relatives and close relationship between these species and wheat suggest them as a potential source of genes for wheat breeding programs.

In this study, the antagonistic activity of 1, 000 bacterial isolates from different areas of Iran and two isolates of Pseudomonas fluorescens: CHA0 and UTPf5 were individually assayed against two isolates of Fusarium solani and two isolates of F. oxysporum that cause potato dry rot in Mashhad, Iran. Using in vitro dual culture plate technique, most of the tested isolates significantly reduced mycelia growth of Fusarium spp. on PDA after 7 days of incubation at 25oC, compared to the untreated control. Thirty bacteria isolates with the most inhibition and P. fluorescens CHA0 were selected for experiments on potato tubers. All isolates were tested on tuber of potato cultivar Agria under in vivo conditions. There was no significant difference between rot diameter by P. fluorescens CHA0 and the infected control, but other isolates reduced dry rot development after 21 days of incubation at 25-27oC, as compared to the untreated control. However, three isolates, namely, VUPf40, VUPf44, and VUPf506 that belong to the P. fluorescens species were the most effective. Talc-based formulation of these three effective bacteria and P. fluorescens CHA0 were assessed for their in situ efficacy against potato dry rot development, caused by F. solani FPO67, on treated tubers compared to the control. The formulation of these bacteria significantly decreased dry rot development, but only P. fluorescens VUPf506, with 79. 8% reduction of fungi development, and 18. 57% prevalence, was the most effective in reduction of potato dry rot in natural conditions. Based on these results, P. fluorescens VUPf506 can be considered as a promising alternative to chemical fungicides.

In recent years, spelt (Triticum aestivum (L. ) ssp. Spelta) has become an added-value alternative crop to modern wheat. Spanish spelt constitutes a unique separate gene pool from central European germplasm. The availability of spelt Doubled Haploid (DH) production protocol is a great advantage to speed up breeding programs. This is the first study evaluating the ability of DH plant production, by anther culture, of five Spanish spelt landraces and three F5 lines derived from Spanish spelt x bread wheat crosses. Two central European commercial varieties were also included in the analysis. DH plants were obtained from all material with the exception of one F5 line. The Spanish spelt landraces produced more embryos/100 anthers (73-166. 3) than the two European varieties (8. 6-22. 2). The main bottleneck in the Spanish germplasm was the high number of albino plants regenerated, with percentage of green plants lower than 13% in three of the landraces. Nevertheless, up to 15. 6 and 1. 8 green plants/100 anthers were obtained from the Spanish and the central European germplasm, respectively. A great variation in the percentage of spontaneous chromosome doubling was obtained, with 4 lines producing around 80% and 2 lines less than 15%. The ovary genotype used for anther co-culture is a critical factor to increase the efficiency of the system. Bread wheat ‘ Caramba’ ovaries increased almost 6 times the number of green plants as compared to spelt landrace ‘ BG-1987’ ovaries. This study shows that DH plants can be produced efficiently from Spanish spelt to be used in breeding programs.

Since water pumping stations supply most of the water for irrigation schemes and consume considerable percentage of energy in some countries, performance evaluation of these facilities, especially in relation to irrigation management, is essential. Therefore, definition and determination of some indices could be effective for evaluation process, planning for future, and optimal use of water and energy. Since there is no typical method for the assessment of irrigation pumping systems in the literature, in the present study, some evaluation indices in the areas of operation and maintenance, management, energy, and economic performance of the irrigation pumping stations are introduced. Some irrigation pumping stations in Khuzestan Province (Iran) and energy-water relations of these projects were evaluated based on the proposed integrated approach. According to the results, the first step in evaluating the performance of these facilities is the establishment of a system for monitoring and recording the information. Evaluation of the operation and maintenance of these pumping stations shows the average status. Therefore, the weakest parameters, i. e. required hydraulic equipment, periodic monitoring of hydraulic parameters and security against water hammer, have to be strengthened and pumping stations be equipped properly. It was also shown that to achieve the ideal management of the case studies, the profitability of operating company should be improved. Besides, due to high energy loss in irrigation pumping stations (up to 49% in this study), use of equipment for reducing energy consumption and proper selection of pump and electromotor should be a priority in the design and management phases. The required power of electromotor is overestimated by at least 25%.

This study was conducted in field conditions to determine the response of cabbage to four different irrigation levels, from 2015 to 2016. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design. Plots were irrigated using a drip irrigation system and the irrigation interval was fixed as 4 days for all treatments. Evaporation was determined by Class-A pan. Six organic acids (ascorbic, tartaric, lactic, citric, malic and oxalic) were identified and quantified by HPLC-UV. White cabbage yields were significantly increased by water applications, but deficit irrigation produced negative results. Maximum amounts of ascorbic, lactic, tartaric and malic acids were found in the low water content treatment, while reducing sugar and total sugar increased in the full irrigation treatment. In the study, supplying different amounts of irrigation water caused changes in the growth and quality of white cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. cv. Capitata). When water stress in cabbage production exceeded more than 30%, the yield and, especially, the quality of cabbage decreased significantly. The results revealed evidence that different soil moisture content in the root depth affected the yield, organic acids, and sugar content.