Successful in vitro shoot proliferation and elongation of mulberry winter buds (Atsubamidori) was carried out. Vegetative winter buds obtained from field trees were surface sterilized and incubated on MS (1962) nutrient medium supplemented with different concentrations of agar (4, 6 and 8 gr/l), BA (0, 0.5,1,1.5,2.0, and 2.5 mg/l) and carbohydrates type (sucrose and fructose 30 gr/l).The pII was adjusted to 5.6±0.1 with KOH before sterilization. All cultures were maintained in an air condition room at 28˚C with 16 hr light (4000 LUX) and 8hr darkness.The result of this research indicated that the best condition for shoot proliferation and elongation was MS medium supplemented With 6 gr/l agar %3 fructose and 1mg/l BA.

The prerequisite in planning and implementing any research project is possession of preliminary and basic data and information. Phenological information is required by researchers of various poplar trees research projects. The purpose of this study was to obtain and collect such essential information. In this study the phenology of 30 Poplar clones at Karaj collection during 1997 and 1998 were studied. Factors such as anthesis, foliation, seed ripeness, defoliation, daily minimum and maximum temperature at the site were considered.The results of this study may be summarized as follows: Living activity of various poplar clones starts in the period between early Mars until late April and ends up between middle of November until late December. The time difference of few days up to few weeks exists in the appearance of various life phenomenas. Initiation date for poplar living activities at the start of growth season depends on the daily temperature. Therefore due to the fact that mean, minimum and maximum temperature of early period of growth season in 1998 was higher than relevant temperature for 1997, life phenomenas of this year appeared one week earlier than 1997. However defoliation is mostly influenced by photoperiod and minimum temperature and as a result of shortening the daylight time and dropping the temperature from middle of September up to middle of October, leaf color changes and sheding of different poplar clones starts. Furthermore time difference of the appearance of living phenomenas and period of any phenomenas in different poplar clones was shorter in 1998 compared to 1997. Investigated poplar clones were grouped based on living activities periods. These clones such as P.e.arges grandis and P.e.mariiandica with short growth periods are suitable for cold regions and clones such as P.d.69/55 and P.e.tripio with longer growth periods are suitable for planting in the warmer regions of our country.

BUllium persicum is an umbelifer growing wild on mountains of IRAN. The species found only in some natural habitate and isn't cultivated because their seeds are dormant. Some physical and chemical agents affect germination of seeds and overcome seed dormancy in plants. The purpose of this research was to found suitable treatments for breaking dormancy in Bunium persicum seeds. Different concentrations of KNO3, Polyethylen Glycol, Thiourea, NaEDTA, Gibberellic Acid (GA3), Kinetin(Kl), enzyladenin (BA), NaEDTA +BA, BA+GA3 and PEG+BA were used to release seed dormancy. In these experiments two light (Darkness and 8h light: l6h darkness) and temperature (15 and 20°c) conditions were used. There was no significant difference in germination in two light treatments but germination was occurred better in 15°C. In this condition (15°C and darkness) BA(10-5M)+ GA3(10 mgl-1 BA(10-5M)+PEG(%3), BA(10-5M), BA(10-5M) + NaEDTA (10-3 M), KI(10-5M) substantially decrease dormancy of Bunium persicum seeds. BA(10-5M)+GA3(10mgl-1) treatment showed greatest germination percentage(%96.87) and in BA (10-5M) + PEG(3%), BA(10-5M), BA(10-5M)+NaEDTA (10-3M) and KI(10-5M) treatments subsequently 89.06,76.56,64.06 and %57.8 of seeds were germinated. GA3(10, 100mgl-1), KI(10-4M) and BA (10-4 M) treatment slightly promoted Bunium persicum seed germination but applied concentration of KN03, NaEDTA, Polyethylen Glycol and Thiorea were unable to break dormancy of the seeds.  

Introduction: stress in the natural reflection of living creatures against internal and external motivations while stress hormones are secretion through cardiovascular, every production, and security systems. Some stress producing factors are muscular activities, anesthetics, surgery, starvation, water deprivation, etc. Thus, we studied effect of prenatal water deprivation stress on hormone level and sexual dimorphic nucleus in male rats. Materials and methods: In an experimental design, adult female and male Wistar rats (180 gr) acquired from Pastor institute and were coupled. Pregnant rats were divided randomly into control and experimental groups. Both groups were maintained under a controlled temperature (20±2°C) and photoperiod (13:11h, light: dark) conditions. Controlled group had food and water available ad lib, but experimental group had access to food and were deprived of water from the beginning of third week of pregnancy to the end of week. At 42 days at birth, male rats were slight anesthetic in order to prepare the blood and morphometric evaluations. Results: Plasma testosterone average level in experimental group was less than controlled groups (p<0.001), while in the comparison between experimental and controlled groups, progesterone indicates significant increment (p<0.001). There is no statistically significant regarding Estradiol level between both groups. Historical study indicated that the decreased size and number of neurons of MPO and Sch nuclei were significant in experimental compared to controlled ones.Conclusion: Prenatal water deprivation through affecting MPO and Sch nuclei, approximate inhibition of nuclei and decrease in secretion of Testosterone cause the emergence unusual sexual behavior and similar female sexual behaviors in male experimental rats in the postnatal and maturity.

Woolly poplar aphid, Phloeomyzus passeriniii Sign., is considered to be a major insect pest of poplar trees in Iran. This aphid causes serious injury to poplar trees in Hamadan province. In this study, stable population parameters of woolly poplar aphid P. passerinii were evaluated in growth chamber on twelve poplar clones of four species namely, Populus alba (p.a), Populus nigra, Populus del/oides and Populus x euramericana. A poplar cut from each clone was infested with a single newly born aphid, and the reproductive processes were recorded in a controlled condition 21± 1 Celsius, 60-70% RH, and photoperiod of 16:8 (L: D). Subsequently, the experiment was carried out with 18 replications and the aphid fecundity and death rate was recorded until the end of lifespan. Thereafter, stable population parameters were calculated on each clone. The aphids could not reproduce on a number of clones including, P. alba 58/57, P. deltoides 72/51 and P. euramericana 214, showing the immune response in these clones. Intrinsic rate of increase (rm) (0.38) and net reproductive rate (Ro) (62.72 nymph per female) on p.n 56/72 was higher than remaining clones. The rm on p.n 47/13, p.n 56/32, p.n 74/1 and p.n 75/2 were about 0.26-0.34, and the varied within 23.67- 41.00, which these clones were semi susceptible. However, rm and R0 on the resistant clone (p.d missoriensis) was 0.03 and 1.39. Other stable population parameters of the aphid such as gross reproductive rate, mean generation time, doubling time, intrinsic death rate, intrinsic birth rate and finite rate of increase were also calculated on different clones.

In order to evaluate the different photoperiod and temperature sensitive pre-flowering phases in two cumin landraces a reciprocal transfer experiment from photoperiod 8 h to 16 h and vice versa under two different day/ night temperatures 20/10 and 30/20 °C was conducted. Two model including Ellis and Adams were used to analyse the data and to quantify the duration of different developmental phases. The results indicated a high probability for variation in phototermal responses among the cumin landraces of Iran. It was found that photoperiod sensitivity in Azarshahr is greater than Mashhad landrace. In addition it was found that temperature affects on the timing of different developmental phases. This is one of the main causes of errors in phonological models. Different behavior of temperature sensitive and insensitive phases provides the possibility of testing the hypothesis about the role of different gene groups in general developmental processes. It was clear that the temperature sensitivity for photoperiod genes of Azarshahr landrace is higher than Mashhad landrace. These results would contribute to better understanding of variation in photoperiod and temperature sensivity in cumin as well as optimization of phonological models.     

This research was carried at The University of Reading in 1999. The aim was to estimate the effects of 18 hd-1 (long-day, LD) and 12 hd-1 (short-day, SD) light exposure duration of plants before bolting or flowering on time to bolt and flower in two bolting susceptible (BSG, IC1) and bolting resistant (BRG, SAXON) genotypes of sugar beet. So, two experiments were conducted. The experiments were carried in a glasshouse containing two compartments. The photoperiod in compartments one and two was adjusted to 18 hd-1 and 12 hd-1, respectively. In the experiment one, the aim was to determine duration from root replanting to bolting and flowering. So, plants were exchanged from LD to SD and vice versa at 0, 8, 21, 33, 40, and 47 days after root replanting. In the experiment two, the aim was to determine the duration from bolting to flowering. So, at first step we let all the plants bolt in the LD and then they were reciprocally exchanged from LD to SD and vice versa at 0, 8, 16, 24, 40, and 30 days after bolting. Results showed that BSG responded to LD from root replanting whereas BRG had a longer photoperiod-insensitive pre-inductive phase. The resistant genotype plants did not bolt even after 180 days. When BSG plants were exposed to SD after bolting all of them eventually flowered. This results indicated that by the time of bolting, photoperiod requirement for flowering was also fulfilled, whereas BRG needed further inductive photoperiod after bolting to flower. Therefore, bolting and flowering are two independent phenomena and they require different LD cycles. BSG is a quantitative LD plant in which bolting and flowering occur sooner in LD than in SD. However, very resistant genotypes (e.g. Saxon) showed a more or less obligate requirement for LD and did not bolt in 12 h photoperiod within 180 days after root planting. So, it is suggested that sensitivity to day-length seems to be a good selection tool to reduce the tendency for bolting in plant populations.

A completely randomized experimental design was conducted to evaluate the effect of dietary astaxanthin on egg astaxanthin content as well as fertilization rate in Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) brood stocks .Different levels of astaxanthin in fish diet containing 0.07, 12.46, 33.33, 65.01 and 92.91 mg/kg constituted the treatments. Brood fish were reared under artificial photoperiodic system for a six-month period till sexual maturation, then prepared for artificial propagation. Homogenous sperm of four males (to avoid poor sperm quality they had been fed with diet supplemented with astaxanthin at a rate of 33.33 mg/kg) were used for fertilization. Female broods produced eggs containing astaxanthin, ranging from 2.035 to 29.79 mg/kg. There were significant differences observed among treatments as regards egg astaxanthin content (p<0.05). Although there weren't significant differences among experimental treatments as regards fertilization rate (p>0.05) but there was a significant difference observed as compared to control group (p<0.05). A significant regression relationship was observed between egg astaxanthin content and fertilization rate (p<0.05) that demons trated the positive effect of egg astaxanthiri content on egg fertility and also confirmed the hormone like role of astaxanthin in fish fecundity.

To determine the effects of photoperiod on reproductive characteristics of Indian meal moth, Plodiu interpunctella Hubner, induding oviposition period, percentage of egg hatch and reproduction rate, the insect was reared on three pistachio cultivars (Fried and Fresh) under 12L:12D, 8L:16D and 16L:8D photoperiods under laboratory conditions of 25t1 0C,65±5% RH. The results showed that 12L:12D photoperiod, and also feeding on pistachio cultivar of Fandoghi, in comparison to other cultivars, Kalleh-ghochi and Ahmad-aghaie increased adult female reproductivity rate. Also fried pistachio caused reduction in egg deposition, development and total reproductiion of Inidan meal moth.