JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (JAST)
Year:2019 | Volume:21 | Issue:2 |Papers Count:20

The tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L. ) is one of the most popular and widely consumed vegetables in the world, being also the most common vegetable within the Mediterranean diet. The last few years have seen the appearance on the market of several types of agricultural plastic developed to alter the spectrum of radiation that enters the greenhouse, sometimes filtering it and, in other cases, intensifying certain wavelength bands. The objective of this study was to evaluate the production of tomato cultivated under different covers and to analyze the profitability of the yield, under each of them. A study was carried out in six tunnel greenhouses, with an area of 100 m2 each, to evaluate the effect of different types of plastic roof, with different radiation properties. The yield of tomatoes was recorded and valued economically as a function of the mean prices of the Consejerí a de Agricultura de la Regió n de Murcia (CARM) (Department of Agriculture of the Region of Murcia) of the last years and one survey of the wholesale markets network (Mercas) and farmers, in order to know the weekly prices according to the caliber. The production costs of each of the alternatives were determined and the net present value of the yield and the annualized value were obtained. The highest annualized value was obtained with the UVA100%e cover (€ 24, 856. 04 per year), followed by UV90%e and PeTc (€ 18, 931. 49 and € 16, 205. 53 per year, respectively). The LDe and Anti NIR covers provided the poorest results (€ 3, 954. 93 and € 10, 480. 40 per year, respectively).

The present study attempted to understand pro-environmental behaviours among university students in the developing country of Iran. The Value-Belief-Norm (VBN) theoretical framework was used in this study. Data were obtained from 295 agricultural students at Bu-Ali Sina University using a self-administered survey. The data were then analyzed using the Partial Least Squares approach. The structural equation modelling findings showed that the VBN theory model could effectively be applied for the prediction of pro-environmental behaviour among university students in non-Western and developing countries, which in turn affirmed the validity of this theory in intercultural settings. The variables’ causal order in the VBN theory likewise was affirmed, i. e. each individual variable had a significant relationship with the next variable throughout the causal chain. Furthermore, as hypothesized, variables mediated relationships between their antecedent and outcome variables in the causal chain. These results suggest that the VBN theory is a useful framework for understanding proenvironmental behaviours in a non-Western developing country.

Research on Organizational Citizenship Behaviour (OCB) has received a great deal of attention from researchers with the belief that empowerment in the organizations play a key role in the overall efficiency of the experts. The aim of this study was to determine relationship between organizational citizenship behaviour and empowerment. The methodological approach of this study was descriptive-correlative. The research population consisted of 177 extension experts, which was selected using randomized sampling method (n= 117). Validity of the instrument was established by a panel of experts consisting of senior faculty members and research committee advisors. Reliability analysis was conducted by using and Cronbach Alpha formula and result was 0. 88. Necessary data was collected through Podsakoff questionnaire for organizational citizenship behavior. Empowerment questionnaire was self-made. The independent variables were dimensions of organizational citizenship behaviour (altruism, courtesy, sportsmanship, conscientiousness, and civic virtue). Dependent variable was empowerment. The results showed that 0. 9, 66. 6, and 32. 5% of experts had, respectively, low, moderate, and high empowerment. Also, altruism, courtesy, conscientiousness, and civic virtue had positive significant relationship with empowerment. The results of the multiple regression analysis (stepwise method) revealed that courtesy and conscientiousness explained 41. 2% of the variations in the experts’ empowerment.

The current research aimed to explore application of social network theory toward sustainable aquaculture system through Institutional Scientific Collaboration Network study conducted by interviews with key informants and follow-up organizational surveys at Alborz Watershed scale. The study was descriptive and explanatory, using social network analysis as a most analytical tool to systematically describe certain aspects of the social diversity and complexity of institutional scientific collaboration network. The needed data for social network analysis related to scientific collaborations in the form of research and scientific consulting, technical support, and implementation of joint project networks and was collected through a questionnaire. Research results revealed that the number of central actors in research and scientific consulting network was less than the other two networks. In this study, some powerful organizations such as the Institute of Ecology of the Caspian Sea and Shahid Rajai and Shahid Bahonar Reproduction Center had satisfactory research and scientific consultancy cooperation, as well as technical support for joint projects with other organizations, such as the Provincial Department of Fisheries, and Research Center for Agriculture and Natural Resources, which reflected dynamics of the organizations in the network. These three organizations can play a key role in the distribution of information, knowledge, and intersectoral cooperation among different institutions and can take responsibility of this process. If so, these organizations can develop a sustainable aquaculture in the basin of the Alborz Dam, based on scientific principles and in an interactive and dynamic path and, consequently, activate the implementation of projects and conducting scientific and executive studies by these organizations within the network. Although the approach is developed and tested using empirical social network data in the basin of Alborz watershed, the results can generally be useful for other regions and scales as well. Also, research finding could help in improving sustainable management through strengthening of intuitional scientific collaboration network and providing better understanding of the scientific needs and real interactions of diverse actors.

In this study, two widely used artificial intelligence techniques, i. e. Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS), were applied for global solar radiation (GSR) prediction in Isfahan Province, Iran. Different sets of meteorological data were used as inputs to specify the best set of inputs. Relative humidity and precipitation had an unfavorable effect on radiation prediction, while the number of days, sunshine duration, minimum temperature, maximum temperature, daylight hours and clear-sky radiation were effective parameters to determine GSR. Using the mentioned parameters as inputs, 6-5-1 architecture had the best performance without overtraining. In ANFIS models, ' triangular-shaped' had the highest performance amongst different types of membership functions. Resulted correlation coefficients and errors showed that ANN was generally better than ANFIS for this purpose.

The purpose of this research was to predict and optimize the fish biodiesel characteristics using its permittivity properties. The parameters of biodiesel permittivity properties such as έ , dielectric constant, and ε ″ , loss factor at microwave frequencies of 434, 915, and 2, 450 MHz, were used as input variables. The fish biodiesel characteristics, as Fatty Acid Methyl Ester (FAME) content and flash point at three different levels of reaction time 3, 9, and 27 min and catalyst concentrations 1, 1. 5, and 2% w woil-1, were selected as output parameters for the models. Linear Regression (LR), the Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP), and the Radial Basis Function (RBF) as the methods of Artificial Neural Networks (ANN), and the response surface methodology were compared for prediction and optimization of FAME content and flash point. A comparison of the results showed that the RBF recorded higher coefficient of determination at frequency of 2, 450 MHz as 0. 999 and 0. 988 and lower root mean square error as 0. 009 and 0. 023 for FAME content and flash point, respectively. The optimum condition was obtained using RSM by FAME content of 89. 88% and flash point of 152. 7° C with desirability of 0. 998.

The inhibitory activity of Pistacia eurycarpa Yalt. Essential Oil (EO) toward Aspergillus flavus (PTCC: 5004) was evaluated by agar dilution method and vapor phase method. For the first method, the EO was added to agar medium to obtain concentrations of 0, 5, 000, 6, 000, 7, 000, 8, 000, 9, 000, and 10, 000 μ L L-1. For the vapor contact assays, uncovered inoculated potato dextrose agar plates and maize plates were placed inside airtight containers whose headspace was saturated by EO vapor. The results showed that at agar dilution test, the EO completely inhibited the growth of the tested mold at ≥ 10, 000 μ L L-1. In vapor contact method, mycelia growth was inhibited 60. 87% in PDA plates and no growth was observed within twenty days of incubation in maize plates.

Froriepia is one of the Apiaceae genera. Only one species of this genus (Froriepia subpinnata L. ) has been reported in Iran. In most parts of the North of Iran, young and pristine leaves are applied as stuffing in the preparation of various local foods. Despite wide applications of this medicinal plant, previously little research has been done on it. In this investigation, chemical compositions and antimicrobial activity of wild and cultivated Froriepia subpinnata essential oils were evaluated and compared. Applying GC and GCMS, 53 components were registered in cultivated plant essential oil with major components-myrcenone (27. 40%), limonene (18. 60%), terpinolene (14. 70%), and totarolone (7. 35%), while 72 constituents were identified for wild plant essential oil with myrcenone (36. 95%), limonene (13. 62%), terpinolene (11. 04%), and β-pinene (7. 69%) as the major constituents. The antibacterial and the antimycotic activities of these oils were tested against six bacterial and fungal strains. The Gram-positive bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus, was most susceptible with MIC values 1-2 μ g mL-1. The study results demonstrated that the main compounds were the same in the wild and cultivated plants essential oils. Also, it seems that cultivation only influences the essential oil yields, while the essential oil composition remains mostly constant.

The bioactive compounds of barberry such as water-soluble vitamins are used in medical and food industries. In this study, the effect of different extraction conditions and various process conditions were studied on water-soluble vitamins profile. The extraction conditions included varieties (species) are of fruits (B. integerrima: A, B. vulgaris: P), solvents (Water: W, Ethanol: E), light (Presence: L, Absence: T), pH (3 and 1. 5), and temperature (25 and 50º C). The process conditions included heating (95 and 80° C), chilling (ref 1, 2 months), freezing (con), microwave (mic) and gamma irradiation (γ at doses of 0. 5, 1, 2. 5, 5, 7. 5, 10 kGy). The highest and lowest amounts of water-soluble vitamins in various extracts of different extraction conditions were respectively as follows: vitamin C in AWL1. 550 (highest) and PEL350 (lowest); B5 in PWL1. 550 and AEL1. 525, AWL1. 550; B6 in AWT350, and AEL1. 550; B1 in PET350 and PET1. 550; folic acid in AET350 and PWT350; biotin in AEL350 and AEL1. 550; B2 in AET350 and PWL350 extracts. The highest and lowest amounts of water-soluble vitamins in various process conditions were respectively as follows: vitamin C (Acon 460 (highest), Aref1 146. 87 (lowest), Pcon 242. 96 (highest), Pmic 21. 52 (lowest)), B5 (Aγ 0. 5 2919. 18, A95 1312. 42, Pγ 10 3110. 88, Pref2 1051. 52), B6 (Acon 36. 30, Aγ 7. 5 21. 04, Pγ 10 12. 70, P95 8. 73), B1 (Acon 2113. 00, Aref2 965. 09, Pcon 2298. 15, Pγ 10 217. 76), folic acid (Aγ 0. 5 1700. 38, Aγ 10 947. 11, Pcon 104. 78, Pγ 10 in B. vulgaris after processing was not found), biotin (Amic2267. 58, Aγ 101404. 63, Pcon324. 72, Pγ 2. 5118. 33), and B2 (Aγ 0. 5586. 43, Aγ 10274. 34, Pcon297. 19, Pγ 106. 79).

Byssochlamys fulva is a heat-resistant fungus whose growth causes significant economic losses since it is mostly implicated in the spoilage of processed fruits (e. g., apple juice). Essential oils have received an increasing attention for use in food products to prevent mold growths. In this study, the ultrasonic emulsification method was employed to prepare Zataria multiflora Boiss. Essential Oil (ZEO) and Carum copticum L. Essential Oil )CEO) based NanoEmulsions (NEs) separately using a mixture of components including Z. multiflora and C. copticum oils, each as an organic phase, as well as the surfactant Tween 80 at a ratio of 1: 4 v/v. The Z. multiflora NanoEmulsion (ZEO-NE) formulated with a droplet diameter of 19. 42± 1. 66 nm and a PolyDispersity Index (PDI) of 0. 377 and the Carum copticum NanoEmulsion (CEO-NE) with a droplet diameter of 15. 13± 0. 56 nm and a PDI of 0. 253 was found to remain stable for more than 9 months at 25 ° C. The in vitro evaluation revealed that the the ZEO-NE at a concentration of 5 μ L mL-1 and CEONE at 25 μ L mL-1 gave rise to inhibition effects of 84. 23± 0. 006% (P< 0. 05) and 86%± 0. 012 (P< 0. 05) against B. fulva, respectively. The in situ assessment of the nanoemulsions in apple juice revealed a significant (P< 0. 05) reduction in the inoculated fungal population. Results indicate that the ZEO-NE and CEO-NE can be used as antifungal compounds in beverages.

Three different sources of Iranian wild almond (Amygdalus scoparia from Beyza, Fars Province, A. scoparia from Borazjan, Bushehr Province, and A. hausknechtii from Firouzabad, Fars Province) were evaluated for their amino acid compositions and protein nutritive quality attributes. Hydrophobic and acidic amino acids were the most abundant amino acids found in the seed protein. When compared to the (FAO/WHO)-recommended essential amino acid pattern for an adult, lysine, sulphur amino acids (methionine+cysteine) and histidine are considered the first, the second, and the third limiting amino acids, respectively, in the protein obtained from the wild almond sources. Also, the protein and energy values of the studied wild almonds were lower than those of the domestic almond. Wild almonds were also found to be rich sources of minerals; particularly calcium, zinc, and phosphorous. Wild almonds also had higher levels of phenolic compounds and antioxidant activities than those of the domestic almond. Furthermore, amygdalin, a cyanogenic glycoside mainly found in the fruits and seeds of Rosacea family, was obtained at significantly higher levels in the wild species (6. 5-7. 2%, wet basis) when compared to that in the studied domestic almond (0. 9%, w/w). Overall, the results of this study show that there is a great potential for the application of wild almonds in the food industry.

Chlorpyrifos is widely used to control various insect pests on greenhouse cucumbers in Iran. In this study, the effects of the household processing such as washing, peeling, and refrigeration storage on the reduction of residue levels in cucumbers were investigated in different groups. Samples were collected at 1 hour to 14 days after application of chlorpyrifos and analyzed to determine the content of chlorpyrifos. Analysis was carried out by the QuEChERS method using GC-NPD. Residue levels in samples throughout a period of 14 days showed a gradual and significant (P< 0. 05) decrease in contents of chlorpyrifos. The half-life (t1/2) of chlorpyrifos applied to cucumbers was 1. 9 days. Chlorpyrifos was detected in concentration ranges of 0. 02-4. 73 mg kg-1. Household processing, such as washing, peeling and refrigeration storage, was effective in reducing the residue levels. Peeling was the most effective way to reduce residues in the cucumbers. Obtained results showed that a waiting period after chlorpyrifos application and household processing are required for safe consumption of cucumber.

The main goal of the current study was to isolate and characterize endospore-forming soil bacteria that produce parasporal crystalline proteins against larvae of Lepidoptera insects during stationary phase of growth. Two different methods were applied for the isolation of spore-forming strains. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) was used for the characterization of cry gene content of the isolated strains and 16S rRNA sequencing was carried out to identify bacterial strains. Efficiency of the isolates as insecticide was evaluated in a bioassay experiment using insect's larvae. Regarding presence of parasporal inclusion crystals and SDS-PAGE patterns, 10 bacterial strains were isolated from about 200 soil samples. Analysis of crystal-spore mixtures with SDS-PAGE showed a broad range of proteins with molecular weight between 11-230 kDa. Data from PCR analysis indicated that only two isolates (RIPI6 and RIPI18) may contain cry3 gene. Isolate RIPI21 and reference strain (Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki) were positive for cry1 gene. 16S rRNA gene sequences of all isolates showed at least 96% sequence match with B. thuringiensis strains deposited in the GenBank. The results of bioassay experiments showed the efficacy of strains RIPI7, 10 and 22 on killing of larvae of both Anagasta kuehniella Zeller and Plutella xylostella Curt. It is concluded that there are some bacterial candidates for biological control of major agricultural pests in north of Iran.

In this study, biochemical responses of three common bean genotypes were investigated under three levels of water deficit (75, 50 and 25% FC) at pre-flowering stage. The results showed different effects of drought stress on photosynthetic pigments, total carotenoids, Electrolyte Leakage (EL), Relative Water Content (RWC), lipoxygenase enzyme activity, lipid peroxidation (MDA), total soluble proteins, proline and Abscisic Acid (ABA) content in K-S-31167, GE-288 and NAZ genotypes. Our results showed different patterns in antioxidant enzymes activity including Catalase (CAT), Guaicol PerOxidase (GPOX) and Ascorbate PerOxidase (APX) in K-S-31167 as drought tolerant, GE-288 and NAZ as semi tolerant and sensitive genotypes, respectively. Results showed that drought stress response in common beans is highly genotype dependent.

Damask rose (Rosa damascena Mill. ), belonging to the Rosaceae family, is a unique species. One of the major and popular growing regions of Damask rose is Kashan and its rose essential oil has unique scent and global reputation. The aim of this study was to compare the variation that naturally exists in quantity and quality of essential oils in different populations and selection of the best population. Unfortunately, there is inadequate information about flower oil yield of different populations of R. damascena from different regions of Kashan. Therefore, flowers of R. damascena Mill. were collected from fifteen important rose oil production regions of Kashan, Iran. The chemical composition of essential oil was analyzed by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. As a result, based on the dendrogram obtained from cluster analysis of chemical component data, fifteen R. damascena populations were grouped into three clusters. A total of fifty-five compounds were identified and quantified by GC– MS analysis in the rose oil. The essential oil contents (w/w) were ranged from 0. 0020% to 0. 0190% after isolation in Clevenger apparatus. The major components of the oil contained limonene (0. 4– 12. 8%), 2-phenylethyl alcohol (1. 0– 1. 3%), citronellol (16. 2– 57. 8%), geraniol (0. 9– 14. 1%), methyleugenol (0. 5– 2. 5%), heptadecane (0. 8– 3. 0%), 1-nonadecene (2. 1– 7. 5%), nonadec-9-ene (14. 9– 30. 2%), eicosane (1. 0– 3. 3%), heneicosane (5. 8– 18. 6%), tricosane (0. 9– 5. 2%), and pentacosane (0. 3– 2. 1%). The essential oil of Josheghan was considered to have a high quality in terms of richness in citronellol, geraniol, and 2-phenylethyl alcohol monoterpenes and has good potentials as antioxidant and strong fragrance in cosmetic and pharmaceutical industry.

Most cassava farmers in Africa rely solely on manual means of harvesting root and tuber crops due to low level of mechanization. Evaluating the energy required in harvesting cassava and soil properties could guide farmers’ decision on stress-free harvesting options and practices. Experiments were conducted at the University of Ibadan (UI) and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) to establish the relationship between energy required in harvesting cassava and soil physical properties. The experiments were laid out in a randomized complete block design with four replications. Salter suspended scale model 235 was used to take energy measurements, while data collected were subjected to analysis of variance at α = 0. 05. Mean yields from the two locations showed that variety TMS 97/0162 had the highest tuber mass (50, 450 kg ha-1) followed by varieties TMS 30572, TMS 98/0505 and TMS 98/0510 (32, 200– 26, 500 kg ha-1) and least by TMS 99/2123 (8, 000 kg ha-1). There was a positive relationship between cassava yield and work done (R2= 0. 21) at both locations, suggesting that yield affects the energy requirement in cassava harvesting. Soil moisture content showed a negative relationship with work done (R2= 0. 52 and 0. 24 at UI and IITA, respectively), indicating that increase in soil water reduces the force of harvesting. Also, soil bulk density had a negative relationship with work done (R2= 0. 19 and 0. 06 at UI and IITA, respectively). Energy required for harvesting cassava planted on coarse-textured soils could be reduced under high soil moisture content and bulk density conditions.

This study aimed to study the effect of different color combinations of LED light on the quantity of primordia, the formation of the fruiting body, and the yield of bioactive ingredients produced in solid culture C. militaris. The results show that appropriate color combinations and light intensities of Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs) can significantly increase the quantity of primordia, promote the formation of fruiting bodies, and increase the yield of bioactive ingredients (cordycepin, adenosine, mannitol, and polysaccharides) in solid culture of Cordyceps militaris. LEDs have several advantages such as small size, long lifespan, fast response time, high efficiency and stability, and the ability to emit a narrow wavelength range of monochromatic light from a cold source. Our results show that both red and green-LEDs can shorten the period of primordia appearance. Red-LED increased the number of primordia and biological efficiency and red and blue LED combinations increased the biomass of the fruiting body. A light intensity of 1, 000 Lux resulted in the fastest appearance of primordia, and the highest average fruiting body biomass and biological efficiency. Under different red and blue LED combinations, the highest amounts of cordycepin, adenosine, mannitol, and polysaccharide in the fruiting body of C. militaris were 15. 63± 0. 72 (100 Lux), 23. 17± 1. 22 (1, 000 Lux), 19. 84± 0. 84 (300 Lux), and 28. 69± 1. 52 mg g-1 (1, 000 Lux), respectively. Appropriate color combinations and intensities of LED light can significantly increase the quantity of the primordium, promote the formation of the fruiting body, and increase the yield of bioactive ingredients produced in solid culture C. militaris.

The awareness and conception of the genetic diversity in faba bean (Vicia faba) accessions are important for the enforcement of degree addressed to their usages and conservations. The aim of this work was to estimate the genetic diversity and population structure in Iraqi faba bean using SSR markers for utilization in crossing and variety development. To assess genetic variation and population structure among faba bean accessions, 25 microsatellite loci were exerted. The analysis of diversity indices in the set of faba bean accessions examined here showed that the microsatellites were informative for genotype characterization. In total, 72 polymorphic alleles were exposed to an average of 2. 88 per locus and three unique alleles were detected. The average of PIC, gene diversity, marker index, resolving power and Shannon diversity was 0. 513, 0. 569, 1. 671, 2. 173 and 0. 830, respectively. The patterns detected in the dendrogram and PCA divided 19 accessions into five distinct clusters with different levels of sub-grouping within the cluster. High-level genetic differentiation within a population or group (83%) was significantly greater than that among groups or populations (17%), as planned by Analysis Of Molecular Variance (AMOVA). The model of clustering, based on the analysis of STRUCTURE software, identified four groups genetically dispersed. These findings have additional importance in faba bean breeding as well as maintenance programs.

Plant microRNAs (miRNAs) play important roles in plant development and responses to biotic and abiotic stress. Recently, there is clear evidence that miRNAs are involved in host-virus interactions. By using stem-loop RT-PCR, an expression levels change of thirteen miRNA belonging to six miRNA families targeting leaf development and morphogenesis were analyzed upon Tobacco Mosaic Virus (TMV)-tomato infection. Compared to mock plants, significant changes in relative expression levels of nine miRNAs were observed. The miR319c-5p showed the highest statistically significant increase in accumulation at 15 days post-inoculation. At all time points tested, miR159, miR164a-3p, miR164a-5p, miR166c-5p and miR319c-5p were up-regulated while miR160, miR319a, miR319b, miR319c-3p were down-regulated in most cases. Our data could provide new insights into the role of miRNAs in tomato-TMV interaction and in developing efficient strategies for improving tomato resistance against viral infection.

Acceptable estimation of reference Evapotranspiration (ET0) values by the Penman-Monteith FAO (PM FAO) equation requires accurate solar radiation (Rs) data. Rs values could be estimated using the Angstrom’ s radiation model. The aim of this study was to determine the as and bs coefficient (as Angstrom’ s parameters) for the Ardabil plain as an arid and cold region. Angstrom’ s radiation model and PM FAO equation were calibrated for the study area, by optimizing the as and bs parameter using Generalized Reduced Gradient (GRG) method. Measured Rsdata were collected from the Ardabil Synoptic Station and measured ET0 data were determined using three lysimeters that were installed at the Hangar Research Station. Calibrated results showed that optimized as and bs values were 0. 117 and 0. 384, respectively. Compared to the original models, errors including RMSE, AE and RE values were decreased and fitted parameters including R2 and regression line slope (m) were improved in the calibrated models. The GMER values for the original models showed that Angstrom’ s radiation model overestimated the Rs values and PM FAO equation underestimated the ET0 values. Locally calibrated models estimated Rs and ET0 values better than the original one. Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency coefficient (NSE) values proved that Rs and ET0 estimation by the original models were not satisfactory, but were acceptable in the case of the calibrated models. However, calibration of Angstrom’ s radiation model and PM FAO equation is necessary for each region.