Ornamental plants
M. Ayaseh; M. Kafi; M. Khansefid; M. Shokrpour; R. Naderi
Abstract
Introduction
Today, a significant factor limiting plant growth is the rising salinity of soil and water, which poses challenges to food security, ecological stability, and agricultural systems. Numerous studies indicate that salinity hampers seed germination and early plant development by inducing osmotic ...
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Introduction
Today, a significant factor limiting plant growth is the rising salinity of soil and water, which poses challenges to food security, ecological stability, and agricultural systems. Numerous studies indicate that salinity hampers seed germination and early plant development by inducing osmotic stress, ion toxicity, and oxidative stress. Utilizing salinity-tolerant aromatic plants in saline areas can effectively enhance landscapes. Therefore, cultivating valuable plant species that meet high ecological demands may be the best strategy to mitigate salinity stress in agriculture and natural resources. These species can serve as alternative crops for oil seed production, food products, fodder, and both medicinal and ornamental uses. Tanacetum parthenium, Achillea millefolium, and Zygophyllum eurypterum are examples of medicinal and aromatic herbaceous perennials with low input requirements. They can be grown for various purposes, including ornamental use in dry and saline climates, as well as in the food, perfumery, cosmetics, and medicinal industries. Successful cultivation of these valuable plants in stressful ecosystems necessitates investigating their early growth responses to salinity stress. This research aims to identify suitable conditions for the successful establishment of these plants, ultimately leading to increased production.
Materials and Methods
In order to investigate the physicochemical responses and the early growth of seedlings in the shoot and root of three plants, T. parthenium, A. millefolium and Z. eurypterum to different levels of zero salinity stress (control), 1.5, 3 and 6 dS.m-1, an experiment was conducted as factorial based on completely random design with three replications using a completely randomized design in a greenhouse under pot conditions in Department of Horticultural Science and Green Space Engineering at the University of Tehran. Seeds from three plant species—T. parthenium, A. millefolium, and Z. eurypterum—were obtained from the Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands (RIFR) in Karaj province, Iran. Prior to planting, the seeds were sterilized for one minute in a 2% sodium hypochlorite solution and then washed three times with sanitized water. The seeds were then planted in plastic pots (45, 66, and 23 cm) filled with a mixture of clay, sand, and perlite, at a depth of three centimeters, under greenhouse conditions. Sodium chloride was used to create salinity stress, exposing all studied plants to four salinity levels for a duration of six weeks. The greenhouse maintained a temperature of 20°C at night and 25°C during the day, with a relative humidity of 60-80%. All physiological and biochemical measurements were conducted after six weeks, once the plants were fully established. It is important to note that all samples were washed with distilled water post-sampling, the surface water was removed using filter paper, and samples were immediately stored at -80°C until measurements were taken.
Results and Discussion
The results of this study indicated that the concentration of photosynthetic pigments (chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, carotenoids, and total chlorophyll) decreased with increasing salinity levels, which correlated with a reduction in the growth length of both shoots and roots. The results indicated that under severe salinity stress, oxidative damage increased, leading to higher levels of fat peroxidation (MDA) and reduced cell membrane stability. This decrease in stability was linked to a reduction in photosynthetic pigments, ultimately disrupting optimal plant early growth. At all salinity levels, the total antioxidant capacity of A. millefolium leaves was greater than that of its roots. Among all three plants and salinity levels, the highest total antioxidant capacity of 78.57% was observed in the roots of Z. eurypterum under a salinity condition of 3 dS.m-1. Conversely, the lowest total antioxidant capacity, at 25.38%, was found in the leaves of T. parthenium under non-saline conditions. The results indicated that the potassium to sodium ratio at equilibrium varied significantly depending on the plant species, plant organ, and salinity concentration and the highest ratio was found in the aerial parts of T. parthenium.
Conclusions
Overall, based on the biochemical and physiological responses to salinity stress, all three plants exhibited a relatively high tolerance. However, the T. parthenium plant demonstrated the greatest tolerance to salinity stress among them. Therefore, the cultivation of these three species, which possess ornamental, aromatic, and medicinal value, can serve as a viable solution for the ecological sustainability of saline ecosystems and their integration into urban landscaping.
Acknowledgement
The authors are grateful for the scientific assistance of Dr. Behrouz Malekpour
Ornamental plants
D. Vafadari Komarolya; M. Kafi; M. Khansefid
Abstract
Introduction As urbanization and population density increase, numerous issues arise in society, including a heightened risk of contagious diseases among the population, putting society at risk and in crisis. The purpose of this study was to identify preventive factors for individuals in the community ...
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Introduction As urbanization and population density increase, numerous issues arise in society, including a heightened risk of contagious diseases among the population, putting society at risk and in crisis. The purpose of this study was to identify preventive factors for individuals in the community to avoid attending urban parks during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as to evaluate the capacity of these places to promote public health and their functionality during the pandemic.Materials and Methods Using library resources and semi-structured in-depth interviews, the research data questionnaire was obtained and for sampling and determination of sample size, simple random sampling method and Cochran formula related to unknown statistical population with error level of 0.05 were used, respectively. Then, in order to analyze the data, the first question which was prioritized was 4-1 points from the first to the fourth priority and the mean score was calculated and the same process was implemented for the second part questions, respectively. After collecting the questionnaires, the data were extracted and the frequency of each of the options in the questions was determined, then to investigate the first part question which was related to the barriers to the presence of people in urban parks during the pandemic period and should be prioritized, i.e. assigning numbers 1 to 4 based on the participants' opinions, the priority was 4 points for priority 1 score 4, priority 2 points. 3, priority 3 points 2 and priority 4 points 1 selected, After averaging the relevant score, comparing them with each other, the most important barriers were mentioned in the results section, respectively. Also, in order to investigate the questions of the second part, the first question was related to the capacity of urban parks to promote public health in pandemic conditions and should have been answered as a single choice for the very significant option of score 4, the significant option of score 3, the average score option 2 and the low-score option 1, and after the average of the relevant points and comparing it with the average capacity of the park was selected. Some of the general health promotion during pandemic were identified and mentioned in the results section.Results and DiscussionThe study revealed that the most significant barrier to people's presence in urban parks was the absence of health warning signs, with an average score of 3.1. Additionally, the capacity of urban parks to enhance public health received a very significant average score of 3.3. However, the performance of these parks during the COVID-19 pandemic was rated as poor, with an average score of 1.4. Other barriers identified to people's presence in parks include:- Non-conformity of urban parks design with pandemic conditions- Inappropriate layout of furniture in urban parks- Inappropriate shape, material and type of furniture in urban parks in terms of public healthAlso, the overall results of urban parks capacity in increasing public health and performance of these places during covid-19 pandemic are as follows:In relation to the capacity of urban parks in order to increase public health in comparison with other urban uses, the results of the survey of the received data are that out of 230 people in the study, 99 people evaluated the capacity of these places as very significant (43%), 103 significant (45%), 21 moderate (9%) and 7 (3%).In relation to how the current urban parks play a role in covid-19 pandemic compared to other urban uses, the results of the data survey are as such that out of 230 people present in the research, 5 people performed this Places were assessed as excellent (2%), 11 were good (5%), 53 were moderate (23%) and 156 were weak (70%).ConclusionOverall, it can be concluded that urban parks have the potential to significantly promote public health, but during the pandemic period, their effectiveness was limited due to various barriers. It is recommended that designers, urban planners, and health professionals work together to create multi-functional designs that address existing barriers as much as possible. This would enable people to attend urban parks during the pandemic with less concern and potentially reduce the negative consequences of pandemic outbreaks and quarantine.
