In order to investigate the possibility of quinoa producing in Garmsar, Iran, a factorial experiment conducted in randomized complete block design with three replications in 2018-2019 growing season at Garmsar Agricultural Research Station. The factors were planting date at three levels (March 6th, April 1st and April 6th) and the three genotypes of quinoa (Q26, Q29 and Titicaca). Results showed that the effect of planting date was significant for all studied traits except the harvest index. Also, all studied traits were significantly different in all genotypes. Titicaca planted on March 6th had the highest yield (2276 kg.ha-1).The grain yield and yield components decreased with the delaying the planting date. Compared to early plantings, Latest date, April 6th, led to reduction of all traits, especially grain yield (about 50%). The results of simple phenotypic correlation between the studied traits showed that grain yield per hectare had the highest correlation with plant yield (0.877) and then with leaf area index (0.832), panicle weight (0.815) and number of branches per plant (0.745) that was significant at the 1% probability level.

Several saffron ecotypes (Mashhad, Torbat-Jam, Torbat-Haydarieh, Gonabad, Birjand, Ghaen) were evaluated in Urmia for stigma yield and yield components using different maternal corm weights (6, 8, 10, 12 g) in 2013 cropping year. The experiment was arranged as factorial based on randomized complete block design. Analysis of variance showed that there were significant differences among saffron ecotypes and maternal corm weights with respect to all studied agronomical traits. However, there was no interaction between ecotypes and corm weights for the majority of these characters. Torbat-Haydarieh and Mashhad ecotypes, and Gonabad and Ghaen ecotypes had the highest and lowest saffron yield in the Urmia condition, respectively. The yield and yield components of saffron improved when the greater maternal corm weight was used. There were positive relationships between saffron yield and all its components. Based on the stepwise regression analysis, dried stigma weight, stigma length, fresh flower weight, dry leaf weight and leaf length were the main components of saffron yield. We can conclude that maternal corm weight has a very important role in saffron performance. Furthermore, in order to establish a new saffron cultivation, it seems essential to take into account the climate condition of areas from which the corms were selected.

In order to investigate the effective traits on yield of saffron ecotypes, a study was carried out as a split plot in time based on randomized complete block design with three replications in the research farm of Zanjan University during the growing seasons of 2013-2015. Eighteen saffron ecotypes were studied in this experiment. The traits of number of flowers, fresh weight of flowers, fresh weight of stigma, dry weight of flowers, dry weight of stigma, stigma length and dry stigma yield of saffron were measured. The results indicated that there were significant differences among all studied traits of ecotypes except for stigma length. The correlation matrix revealed that the number of flower and dry weight of stigma had a positive and highly significant correlation with dry stigma yield (r=0.99 and 0.70, respectively). Analysis of stepwise regression and path analysis showed that the traits of number of flowers, dry weight of stigma and dry weight of flowers were the most effective traits on dry stigma yield. Therefore, these traits can be used to achieve a higher stigma yield.

Identifying the constraining factors of production and yield gap is very important. Therefore; this research was performed to identify the production constraining factors of local rice cultivars. All management practices from nursery preparation to harvesting stages for 100 paddy fields of local rice cultivars were recorded through field studies, in Sari, from 2015-2016. In the CPA, the actual and calculated potential yield were 4495 and 5703 kg/ha, respectively and the gap was 1221 kg/ha. The yield gap caused by number of top-dressing variables was 324 kg/ha, equal to 27% of the total yield gap. The yield gap related to previous year of legumes cultivation was 218 kg ha-1, equal to 18% of the total yield variation. Among the 10 variables entered in the CPA model, the effects of top-dress fertilizer application and its application frequency and foliar application were remarkable, which could compensate a significant part of the yield gap (444 kg/ha, 37% of total) in the farmers’ fields by managing these variables. According to boundary line analysis (BLA) finding, actual yield mean on the basis of optimal limit related to 12 variables under study was 5369 kg/ha, with 881 kg/ha yield gap . Mean relative yield and relative yield gap for 12 variables (transplanting date, seedling age, number of seedlings per hill, planting density, nitrogen and phosphorous per hectare, nitrogen before transplanting, harvesting date, lodging problem, pest problem, diseases problem and weeds problem) were 83.64 and 16.35 kg/ha, respectively. Based on the finding, it can be stated that the model precision is appropriate and can be applied for both estimation of the quantity of yield gap and determining the portion of each restricting yield variables.

The current study investigates the effects of different levels of nutrient and Fe foliar application on stigma and flower yield of saffron. A field experiment was conducted as a factorial layout based on complete randomized block design with three replications at the Agricultural Research Station, the Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran in 2012-2014. The experimental factors included chemical fertilizer (NPK) at three levels (0-0-0, 30-15-30, 60-30-60 kg. ha-1), vermicompost at two levels (0, 4 t. ha-1), humic acid at two levels (0, 5 kg. ha-1) and two levels of Fe foliar spraying concentration (0, 0. 08 μ mol). The number of flower, fresh and dry weight of stigma and flower yield were determined for two years. The results of analysis of variance revealed that the studied experimental factors had a significant effect on quantitative traits of saffron flowers and stigma. There was a significant difference between the chemical fertilizer levels on flower number and stigma dry weight. The highest flower number (165. m-2) and stigma dry weight (1. 16 g. m-2) were obtained in the NPK fertilizer (60-30-60) treatment. Moreover, the interaction between chemical fertilizer and other factors was significant and led to the improvement of the number of flowers and stigma dry weight per unit of area. Stigma dry weight increased in vermicompost, humic acid and Fe foliar application compared with control (3. 3 1. 3 and 2. 7 percent, respectively). However, two-way interaction of factors did not affect the number of flower. m-2. In addition, the three-way interaction of humic acid, vermicompost and chemical fertilizer significantly affected stigma dry weight. m-2. Four-way interaction of all studied factors including year, vermicompost, chemical fertilizer and Fe foliar spraying were significant on flower dry weight and stigma fresh and dry weight per unit area when compared with control (p≤ 0. 05). Quantitative traits of flower and stigma in the second year improved in comparison with the first year. The interaction effects between year and chemical fertilizer was significant on the traits that were studied.

In recent decades, drastic land use changes in Golestan province caused to reduce a substantial amount of Hyrcanian forest. To investigate the changes, land cover maps produced using Landsat satellite imagery classification of sensors TM from 1984, 2012 and 2016 respectively used as input data in Land Change Modeler (LCM) to predict land cover changes in 2030. In order to assess the accuracy of modeling, statistics of relative performance characteristic (ROC), ratio Hits/False Alarms and figure of merit was used. In continue to investigate the role of land use changes in water yield as one of ecosystem services was discussed. The results show the accuracy of artificial neural network with the ROC equal to 0. 949, the ratio Hits/False Alarms equal to 57 percent and the figure of merit is equal to 11 percent. Land use change modeling results showed that from 1984 to 2012, The most prominent changes were related to reduction of forest cover. This process modeling using artificial neural network showed, from 2016 to 2030 forest cover will be reduced about 30361 hectares. The results of water yield study showed that runoff in the area, particularly in the East and North East area has increased. This increase in the amount of runoff occurred as a result of land use change on forest ecosystems to agriculture. Results of this study improve our understanding of hydrological consequences of land-use changes, and provide needed knowledge for effectively developing and managing land-use for sustainability and productivity in the Gorgan-rood watershed.

In order to investigate the effects of high corm planting density and applying manure on flower and cormyields of saffron (Crocus sativus L.), a field experiment was conducted at Research Station, Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran, during growing season of 2010-2011. A completely randomized block design with three replications and 20 treatments was used. The experimental treatments were all combination of different planting densities of corm (100, 200, 300 and 400 corms.m-2) and different levels of manure application (0, 40, 60, 80 and 100 t.ha-1). Results of variance analysis showed that corm planting density and manure application rates had significant effects on flower number, fresh and dried flower and stigma+styleyields of saffron. In addition, mentioned characteristics of saffron significantly affected by interaction effects of corm planting density × manure rate. Based on the results, fresh and dried flower yields of saffron significantly increased by increasing planting density up to 400 corms.m-2. In addition, on planting density equal to 400corms.m-2, increasing manure up to 80 t.ha-1 had significant effects on fresh and dried flower yields of saffron.However, the responding saffron to manure was decreased by reducing corm planting density. Therefore, it seems that appropriate manure application rate depends to corm planting density.

Saffron (Crocus sativus L. ) is a perennial stemless herb of the Iridaceae family. It is a triploid plant and sterile geophyte that propagated by replacement corms. It has long been known that the relative levels of plant hormones and growth regulators control dormancy, germination and emergence. In order to evaluate the effect of different chemical regulators and their concentrations on flower and stigma yield of saffron in without soil conditions (hydroponic conditions), an experiment was conducted as factorial layout based on a randomized complete block design with three replications at the Agricultural Complex of Fadak during 2014. Three chemical regulators at four concentrations such as Gibberellic acid (GA3), (0, 5, 20 and 40 mg. l-1), Chlorocholine chloride (CCC) (0, 100, 200 and 300 mg. l-1) and Naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) (0, 100, 200 and 300 mg. l-1) were considered as treatments. Studied traits were fresh weight of flower, stigma length, fresh weight of stigma, dry weight of stigma and flower number in October and December (as the first and second harvests, respectively). The results showed that the effect of concentration was significant (p≤ 0. 01) on flower yield indices at the first harvest. Flower yield indices were significantly affected by growth regulators and concentrations at the second harvest (p≤ 0. 05). By increasing concentration of growth regulators declined fresh weight of flower, flower number, stigma length, fresh weight of stigma and dry weight of stigma. The highest stigma length and flower number were observed for CCC with 0. 34 cm and 3. 41, respectively. It is concluded that plant hormones have considerable role in dormancy prolongation and flower yield indices of saffron.