Iranian Journal of Crop Sciences
Year:2019 | Volume:21 | Issue:1|Papers Count:6

Maize is one of the most important grain and forage plants that has a unique role in the food and feed, especially poultry feed. To study the genetic effects, genes act and identify the best hybrid combination for morphological traits, experiment was carried out in diallel cross layout using 19 parents at Gorgan Agricultural Research Station, Iran in 2013. The progenies were planted in three replications at two locations; Gorgan-Araghi-Mahaleh and Gonbad Agricultural Research Stations, Iran in 2014. The datas for days from emergence to silking, days from silking to physiological maturity, number of row. ear-1, grain yield, plant height and number of grain. ear-1, analysis of variance performed in each location separately and then combined analysis was performed. The significant General Combining Ability (GCA) and Specific Combining Ability (SCA) for most plant traits showed that both additive and non-additive effects were involved in controlling traits and dominance degree greater than one also indicated the over-dominance of genes in controlling these traits. For all plant traits, low narrow sense heritability and a greater amount of dominance of variance indicated that dominance effects were more important in genetic control of plant traits. Result showed that, to improve the traits such as days from silking to physiological maturity and number of row. ear-1, selection cannot be taken and hybridization based criterias seems to be more beneficial.

To study the effect of fertilizer and planting pattern on chickpea and linseed plant traits in dryland farming, a field experiment was conducted in factorial layout based on randomized complete block design with three replications in Naqadeh, Iran during growing season of 2016-2017. Treatments were included six substitutive cropping patterns; sole cropping of chickpea, sole cropping of linseed, 1 row chickpea: 1 row linseed, 2 rows chickpea: 2 rows linseed, 4 rows chickpea: 2 rows linseed, 2 rows chickpea: 4 rows linseed and four fertilizer sources: control (without fertilizer; Control), 100% chemical fertilizers (NPK), biofertilizers (Azoto Barvar1+ Phosphate Barvar2+ PotaBarvar2+ Sulfur Barvar1) and vermicompost (10 t. ha-1). Results showed that the effect of intercropping patterns and fertilizer sources on seed yield, biological yield, oil content and oil yield of lineseed and seed yield, biological yield, number of nodules and protein content of chickpea were significant. The highest seed yield of both species was obtained from sole cropping (linseed 945 and chicpea 629 kg. ha-1), but the mean seed yield of each crop in the same unit area was higher than sole cropping (linseed 161. 5 and chickpea 128. 5 kg. ha-1). The oil content of linseed (6. 6%) and protein content of chickpea seed (20. 2%) were higher in intercropping compared to sole cropping. Fertilizer resources, especially vermicompost, increased the plant traits of both species compared to control. The maximum LER (1. 55) was obtained from 4 rows of chickpea + 2 rows of linseed in control (without fertilizer application) treatment that means 55% of profitability of intercropping compared to sole cropping. According to the objectives of sustainable agriculture concerning elimination in chemical inputs application, intercropping pattern of 4 rows of chickpea + 2 rows of linseed, without fertilizer application, was more suitable in this experiment.

In order to evaluate the effect of seed priming and application of cytokinin and auxin on grain yield of wheat cv. Chamran, an experiment was carried out in Agriculture Faculty of Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Iran, during 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 growing seasons. Experiment was carried out in a factorial arrangement based on randomized complete block design with three replications. Treatments included seed priming (hydropriming and control) and plant growth regulators application (nine cytokinin and auxin application levels at 1 and 2 weeks after anthesis). Results showed that hydropriming treatment significantly increased grain yield about 8% compared to control (7030 and 6507 kg. ha-1, respectively). Application of cytokinin and auxin had positive effects on photosynthesis and soluble proteins content of flag leaf. In addition number of endosperm cells was increased in these treatments. The highest effect on increasing source strength was observed in application of cytokinin in both times of foliar application. Grain filling rate was significantly higher (1. 79 mg. day-1) in cytokinin-cytokinin foliar application. Grain yield in foliar application of cytokinin-cytokinin (7891 kg. ha-1) was 24. 7% higher, compared to control (application of water in both times). Interaction of seed priming and plant growth regulators application was not significant for any evaluated traits. Results of this experiment showed that seed priming caused increase in number of spike. m-2. Foliar application of auxin and cytokinin also may increase grain yield of wheat by enhancement of physiological source and sink strength.

Identify the indices of leaf growth and development and study of phyllochron in commercial cultivars of sugarcane with the aim of better management of agricultural practices is very important. A field experiment was conducted in Amir Kabir Agroindustry in the south of Khuzestan, Iran in 2015-16 in randomized complete block design with three replications. The sugarcane cultivars included; CP69-1062, CP57-614 and CP73-21. Results showed that phyllochron was influenced by the characteristics of the cultivars and the leaf emergence rate in the CP57-614 cultivar was maximum and CP69-1062 and CP73-21 cultivars were in the next rank, respectively. CP73-21, although had more growth and developmental stability, but was not equal in number and leaf area with other cultivars. Significant correlation observed between leaf area and active leaf number in sugarcane cultivars, but CP69-1062 had higher correlation coefficient than others. With temperature drop in autumn and winter, the growth and development of the leaves decreased and the highest sensitivity was observed in the CP57-614 cultivar. CP69-1062 produced the highest stem yield but in terms of quality characteristics, CP73-21 and CP57-614 cultivars were superior. Considering the differences in sugarcane cultivars, the use of information obtained from the growth stages and leaf development of sugarcane cultivars may lead to accurate management of field based on the characteristics of each cultivar and increase the productive use of inputs to produce optimal yield.

To evaluate radiation use efficiency and weed control, this experiment was conducted in two locations in Ahwaz, Iran, in a randomized complete block design with 14 treatments and four replications in 2016-2017. Treatments included: Sole sugarcane, Sole soybean, Sole cowpea, Sole soybean+rhizobium, Sole cowpea+rhizobium, Sole sugarcane+mycorrhizal, Intercropping sugarcane with cowpea, Intercropping sugarcane with soybean, Intercropping sugarcane with cowpea+rhizobium, Intercropping sugarcane with soybean+rhizobium, Intercropping sugarcane+mycorrhiza and cowpea, Intercropping sugarcane+mycorrhiza and soybean, Intercropping sugarcane+mycorrhiza and soybean+rhizobium, Intercropping sugarcane+mycorrhiza and cowpea+rhizobium. Results showed that radiation use efficiency in intercropping treatments was superior than sole cropping and the highest radiation use efficiency (1. 9 g. Mj-1) and also the highest LER (2. 06) and the highest stem yield of sugarcane (112. 8 t. ha-1) was obtained in sugarcane+mycorrhiza and cowpea+rhizobium treatment. Weeds were well controlled without application of herbicides in intercropping treatments. Light extinction coefficient (K) for cowpea and soybeans was significantly different in two locations, but there was no significant difference for sugarcane. The highest LAI for cowpea (4. 6) and the lowest K (0. 427) were observed in the sole cowpea+rhizobium. The highest K for sugarcane (0. 473) was obtained in sole cropping and the highest K for cowpea (0. 595) was obtained in intercropping with sugarcane. Results of this experiment showed that the synergistic effects of mycorrhiza and cowpea and sugarcane on evaluated characteristics were positive, therefore the use of mycorrhiza and rhizobium and intercropping of legume crops improved soil fertility, land and radiation use efficiency. In addition, weeds were effectively controlled in intercropping treatments.

The use of nitrogen fertilizer has a key role in enhancing agricultural productivity worldwide. In order to achieve an effective approach to enhance nitrogen use efficiency in rice, a field experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design with three replications and 13 treatments on Shiroudi, a high yielding rice cultivar in Rice Research Institute of Iran (Amol) in 2015 and 2016. Treatments were included: N0: Without N fertilizer (Control), N1: split application of 115 kg. ha-1, (N2, N3), (N4, N5) and (N6, N7) application of 115 and 57. 5 kg. ha-1 N from Sulfur Coated Urea (SCU), Urea Super Granule (USG) and Ammonium Sulfate (AS) sources, respectively. Nitrogen nanofertilizer+ 50% of recommended N fertilizer (N8), application of Azospirillium, Azotobacter and Azospirillium + Azotobacter (N9, N10 and N11), farmers nitrogen fertilizer practice (115 kg. ha-1 from source of urea) (N12). Results showed that the effect of nitrogen fertilizer treatments on grain yield, dry matter, harvest index, grain and straw N content, total N uptake, N harvest index and all N use efficiency indices were significant. The highest grain yield (7869 kg. ha-1) was obtained from N6 (115 kg. ha-1 N from source of ammonium solfate). The highest rates of PFP (136. 2 kg. kg1), AEN (38. 1 kg. kg-1), REN (90. 8 %), PEN (42 kg. kg-1) and IEN (54. 2 kg. kg-1) were obtained from N5 (USG) treatment. Based on the results of this experiment, deep placement of USG fertilizer due to higher N uptake may led to reduce N losses and has relative advantage campared to other N fertilizer sources in rice production.