Iranian Journal of Horticultural Science and Technology
Year:2004 | Volume:5 | Issue:2|Papers Count:8

Extracted juice and gel from aloe leaves (Aloe barbadensis Mill.) contain effective compounds which are widely used in medicine and sanitation industries. Propagation of aloe by common method (offset) is very slow, making its mass propagation impossible in a short time. An experiment was conducted to investigate aloe micropropagation using 20 different culture media. After 60 days. Some variables such as propagule number, medium browning rate, regeneration time and growth of explants in all different media were investigated. Results showed that in average 8 media produced 5.33-10:67 propaguel per explant. These superior culture media with 1.67-3 browning rate (about half browning) were selected from pre-proliferation tests. Besides, shoot regeneration in selected media was started 15-20 days after culture. According to the results, these media are ultimately recommended for mass propagation of this plant.

Experiment was conducted on in vitro propagation of a natural apricot x plum hybrid in Faculty of Agriculture of Tabriz University during 2000 and 2001 to produce clonal rootstocks with cold resistance potential and using them in northwest cold regions of Iran. In establishment stage, better growth and more successful establishment of single-node explants were observed on M1 and WPM media, compared to MS medium In proliferation stage, in vitro shoot-tip explants were used and a high shoot multiplication rate was observed on WPM medium containing 1mg L-1 BAP.  Shoots 3 cm were length successfully rooted in WPM medium, using different concentrations of IBA and NAA and the highest rooting percentages were obtained using 2.2 and 6.5 mg L-1 of NAA and IBA, respectively.Plantlets were successfully acclimatized in the greenhouse under the mist system.

In order to evaluate the effects of curing, fungicide and type of packaging on decay and quality of 'Valencia' orange (Citrus sinensis L.) Osbeck, fruits were injured and inoculated with emulsion of Penicillium italicum Wehmer spores. Half of the inoculated fruits were kept at 36°C and 80% RH for 3 days, and the rest fruits were dipped in imazalil solution (1000 mg L-1). Then, fruits of each treatment were indivisually sealed and/or container lined with low density polyethylene film and stored at 6°C and 85±5%RH for 4 months. Wrapping and cold storage significantly reduced weight loss of cured fruits better than cold storage alone. Container lined fruits had less weight loss than individually sealed ones. Curing and fungicide treatments, effectively reduced fruit decay.- Comparison between liners and sealings as well as between prestorage treatments regard to total acid and soluble solids showed similar trends.

This study was accomplished to determine the effect of magnetic field on lettuce seed germination and its growth in Faculty of Agriculture of Tehran University in 2002. A preliminary experiment was conducted with different magnet diameters and 100 lettuce seed in four replications. Results showed that magnet with 2.5 teslametere intensity had significant effect, therefore, was selected for next study. The seeds were treated in petri dishes and were kept in growth chamber. The seeds imbibed and germinated more rapidly under magnet treatment. In magnet treatment seed germination percentage, radicle length, leaf area, seedling root fresh weight and seedling shoot fresh weight were significantly higher than control.

Citurs fruits have a distinct economic importance in Iran and research effort to increase both quality and quantity of these fruits is valuable. Attempt has been made in this study to increase the percentage of successful micrografting. Micrografting is one of the advanced ways for production of virus-free citrus plants. Micrografting of 'Washington Navel' orange on sour orange, lime, Poncirus, 'Troyer' citrange, citromelo and 'Flying Dragon' was investigated. The highest grafting precentge was obtained on 'Troyer' citrange rootstock (40%), Also, sour orange resulted in a reasonable grafting percentage (33.3%), whereas poncirus was not successful. Rootstock fitness for micrografting 20 days after seed sowing had also remarkable results. Nearly 81.8% of 'Troyer' citrange seedlings were ready to be grafted, while only 50.8% of Poncirus seedlings were ready at the same time. 'Flying dragon' had the least grafting percentage (6.7%). Stem diameter at graft union was also different among the rootstocks. 'Troyer' citrange with the mean stem diameter of 1.7mm. performed the best, wherease lime had the lowest stem diameter (1.12 nun.). It can be concluded that 'Troyer' citrange gave the best result in percentage of grafting success, due to suitability for grafting and good stem diameter in graft union and can be recommended as the best rootstock for micrografting.