Growing vegetables
Majid Amiri roudan; Mohammad Reza Hassandokht; Davood Sadeghzadeh-Ahari; Amir Mousavi
Abstract
Introduction
The use of natural and artificial mulches to reduce evaporation from the soil surface and retain moisture is one of the best measures to make optimal use of limited water resources and increase crop yields. Optimal production of plants in sandy soils has been challenged due to their ...
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Introduction
The use of natural and artificial mulches to reduce evaporation from the soil surface and retain moisture is one of the best measures to make optimal use of limited water resources and increase crop yields. Optimal production of plants in sandy soils has been challenged due to their low capacity in water retention and also production of plants in arid and semi-arid regions due to water shortage and drought stress. Water scarcity is increasing as a result of global warming, and attention is being paid to the methods that lead to water storage. Therefore, it is necessary to increase water consumption efficiency with new technologies. One of the new methods of water retention in the root zone is the use of a water retaining layer below the soil surface. By preserving water and elements in the root zone and creating a stable environmental state, it increases local production and economy by reducing soil erosion and groundwater pollution. Also, due to limited water resources, it is necessary to seek solutions to conserve water and increase water use efficiency. Mulch is considered as one of the best ways to retain water in the soil and reduce soil evaporation. Therefore, in this study, the application of impermeable soil layer on morphophysiological and biochemical traits of eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) was investigated using date leaf mulch under deficit irrigation stress.
Materials and Methods
This study was conducted in Roudan, Hormozgan, Iran. Main plot includes deficit irrigation stress in three levels (100, 70,40 % of plant water requirement), sub-plot includes mulch in two levels (date leaves and no mulch) and sub-sub-plot includes impermeable layer in three levels (0, 100, 120 cm). Eggplant seeds of the local variety Rudan were planted in the seedling tray and transplanted when the seedlings were about 15 cm long or 5-6 leaf stage. Shortly after transplanting the seedlings to the field, daily irrigation was performed. CROPWAT software was used to calculate 100 % of the water requirement. Stress was applied using drippers with lower flow rate or reduced irrigation hours and by installing water meters.
Results and Discussion
The results showed that the highest plant height (78 cm) belonged to date palm mulch, layer impermeable at depth of 120 cm and 100% water requirement. The use of date palm mulch and impermeable layer, especially the impermeable layer, has led to an increase in the number of leaves and fruits in the eggplant. The highest number of leaves (189) belonged to the treatment without mulch and with an impermeable layer of 120 cm soil depth in 100 % water requirement and the lowest (75.13) belonged to the treatment without mulch and impermeable layer in 40 % water requirement. The highest number of fruits belonged to the treatment without mulch and impermeable layer at depth of 120 cm and 100 % water requirement and the highest amount of dry matter (12.5%) belonged to the treatment of date palm mulch and impermeable layer at depth of 120 cm and 100 % water requirement and the lowest (1/9%) belonged to date palm mulch without impermeable layer and 70% water requirement. The results showed deficit irrigation stress reduced the amount of chlorophyll a, b and total in eggplant. The use of date palm mulch and impermeable layer in water requirement of 70 and 40 % has increased the amount of chlorophyll, which seems to be used in case of water shortage, reduce the adverse effects of dehydration and prevent the destruction of chlorophyll in eggplant. The highest amount of total chlorophyll belonged to the 100 % water requirement, without the use of date palm mulch and impermeable at depth of layer 120 cm. The highest amount of proline in this study belonged to treatment without date palm mulch, application of impermeable layer at depth of 0 cm and water requirement of 40 % and the lowest belonged to the treatment of date palm mulch, application of impermeable layer at depth of 120 cm and 100 % water requirement. The highest amount of eggplant water use efficiency was obtained in 40 % water requirement, use of date palm mulch and impermeable layer at depth of 120 cm. The results of this study also showed that deficit irrigation stress reduced fruit yield in eggplant and the use of date palm mulch and impermeable layer also increased eggplant yield. This increase in fruit yield is especially noticeable in the use of date palm mulch and impermeable layer at depth of 120 cm.
Conclusion
It seems that the impermeable layer and date palm mulch have reduced the negative effects of water stress on the plant, increased fruit yield and water use efficiency and reduced the effects of stress.
Khosro Parvizi; Mohammad Reza Hassandokht; Bita Azad
Abstract
Introduction: The advantages of plastic mulches have been known in production of agricultural crops. Their capability have been demonstrated to help nutrition uptake, precocity and yield of fruit trees, and decreasing of aphid population as viruses pest vectors. It is also demonstrated some advantages ...
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Introduction: The advantages of plastic mulches have been known in production of agricultural crops. Their capability have been demonstrated to help nutrition uptake, precocity and yield of fruit trees, and decreasing of aphid population as viruses pest vectors. It is also demonstrated some advantages of plastic mulch on some traits in potato such as increasing growth rate, yield and number of medium tuber size. Also, the effects of combined use of straw, chopped and polyethylene as well as different levels of irrigation (60, 80, 100, 120% water requirement) on yield and water use efficiency in potato have been investigated. In previous studies, it is concentrated on the effect of the special type of plastic on growing aspect of potato and there is no comparative assessment between different types of the mulches. So that in this research we evaluated the responses between types of plastic mulches.
Material and Methods: this research was conducted under field conditions. A factorial experiment was designed based on randomized complete block design with three replications. The experimental treatments consisted of mulch in five levels (clear, white, black, double layer and control (without mulch)) and two cultivars (Agria and Sante). Each plot was designed in 4 m2. For every plot, ridges were divided into complicated double rows with 50 × 150 centimeters wide. Irrigation tapes were placed between every duplicated row. Water requirement was calculated through corrected evapotranspiration (ETo) by Penman-Monteith equation with considering 90% water use efficiency. During the growing season some characteristics such as requirement time to 80% emergence, tuberization time, plant height in flowering time, number of stems and leaf area have been measured. Harvesting time was recorded along with measurement of tuber weights. Total yield was measured by random selection of one m2 in each plot. Harvested tubers were separated based on three sizes; edible tuber (large tuber), average tuber and small tuber size. Tow-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) of data was carried out using SAS software and means were compared byDuncan’s Multiple Range Test at probability level of 5%
Results and Discussions: The results of the experiment showed that application of plastic mulch and cultivar had significant effect (P≤ 0.01) on most of growing traits. Effect of cultivar and plastic mulch had no significant different on tuber dry matter. Mean comparison of 80% emergence date, number of main stem, growth duration, ranking of tubers size and total yield showed significant effect between cultivars and plastic mulches. Sante cultivar with clear mulch reach in shortest time to 80% emergence (11.3 days) and tuberization time (46.46 days). Significant difference between polyethylene mulches in emergence date is due to the effect of mulch characteristics on soil temperature and moisture. Consequently, soil microclimate would be changed and growth habits of potato plant inclined to suitable responses. Clear plastic mulch had highest plant height and number of main stem compared to other mulches and control treatment. Leaf area also affected by mulches; so that four types of plastic mulches had more leaf area comparison to control. Significant effect of mulch treatments on leaf area can be related to conservation of moisture and reduction of water stress. Meanwhile, increasing of uptake and transferring of mineral nutrient can be promoted growth rate. All this reaction can increase leaf area in plastic mulch treatments. Totally, application of plastic mulches could improve growth rate, growth duration and total yield of potato.
Conclusions: The result of this research showed that polyethylene mulch can obviously increase growth rate as well reduce growth duration. Also, plastic mulch can significantly increase total yield and positive reaction effect on tuber size. Different types of plastic mulches showed different responses on growth traits and total yield. It seems clear mulch be more capable in the most traits and total yield compared with other plastic.
Davood Sadeghzadeh Ahari; Mohammad Reza Hassandokht; Abdolkarim Kashi; Ahmad Amri
Abstract
Introduction: Fenugreek (Trigonella foneum-graecum L.) has been cultivated in vegetable farms at the most parts of Iran. It is an annual crop belonging to the Leguminosae family. It originated from west Asia and Iran and cultivated at mostly in European, Asian and African countries, presently. With distinguished ...
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Introduction: Fenugreek (Trigonella foneum-graecum L.) has been cultivated in vegetable farms at the most parts of Iran. It is an annual crop belonging to the Leguminosae family. It originated from west Asia and Iran and cultivated at mostly in European, Asian and African countries, presently. With distinguished of feeding and medicinal values, low needs to soil conditions and its width adaptability to cultivation in different regions, the range of fenugreek cultivation areas have been extended from America to India. In most parts of Iran there is limiting possibilities for cultivation of horticultural and agricultural crops for the reason of limiting water harvesting and unsuitable rainfall distributions. There is no doubt that introduction of new crops for such conditions could increase variation of crops production and stability of farming systems. Plants landraces have been created in thousands of cultivation years under different climatologically and local cropping systems. They are evolved by natural and artificial selection under environmental conditions where they were grown and there have accumulative adaptive genes for tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses and are the most precious materials in starting of breeding programs. Germination phase is the most important period that guaranties the growth and establishments of crops. One of the basic activators of germination starters is water and limiting of it (drought) is the most important retardant of seed growth during germination period under field condition. Fast germination and emergence of seedling from soil and high preliminary growth rate has been known for one of the drought escape mechanisms for most crops such as chickpea, lentil and bean. In breeding programs of crops, using in vitro method is one of the most used methods in germplasm selection for drought tolerance. This study carried out under laboratory condition in order to evaluate some Iranian fenugreek landraces reactions to drought stress.
Materials and Methods: In order to evaluate the Iranian fenugreek landraces reactions to drought stress induced by Poly Ethylene Glycol 6000, twenty fenugreek landraces originated from different parts of Iran were used in this study. The experiment was conducted at Maragheh experimental station of the Dry land Agricultural Research Institute (DARI) under laboratory condition, with a factorial experiment based on randomized complete blocks design and three replications. The stress levels were zero (di-ionized water),-2, -4,-6 and -8 bar. Fifteen normal and health seeds from each landraces were cultivated in petridishes and stayed under fixed temperature (25±1 degree of centigrade), 12 hour day/night for fourteen days. Seedling characteristics (seed germination percentage, root and stem lengths, ratio of stem length to root length, root and stem fresh weights, ratio of stem fresh weight to root fresh weight, root and stem dry weights) were noted. Data were analyzed by MSTAT-C software and comparisons of noted traits means done by Duncan’s Multiple Range Test at 5% probability level. In order to distinguish tolerant and susceptible genotypes, landraces ranked by using of Sarmadnia et al.,(1988) and Kafi et al.(2005) methods, and with using of the main traits such as seed germination percentage, root and stem lengths, root and stem fresh weights, root and stem dry weights.
Results and Discussion: Results showed that, drought stress levels had significantly affected on all study traits (seed germination percentage, root and stem lengths, ratio of stem length to root length, root and stem fresh weights, ratio of stem fresh weight to root fresh weight, root and stem dry weights). The differences among landraces were highly significant in all traits except in primary root dry weight. The most visible differences among the genotypes in germination percentage monitored at less than -4 bars. Based on ranking of genotypes with seven main studied traits (seed germination percentage, root and stem lengths, root and stem fresh weights, root and stem dry weights), Kashan and Neyshaboor were the most tolerant and Rey and Khash were the most susceptible landraces among the studied genotypes at germination and seedling growth stages.
Conclusion: It could be concluded that, there are differences among the Iranian fenugreek landraces in case of reaction to drought stress at germination and seedling growth stages that shows suitable diversity among them. Moreover, using from less than -4 bar drought stress levels recommended for screening and selection of drought tolerance fenugreek genotypes. Also, it is recommended attention to Iranian fenugreek landraces and using the hidden potentials of them same as drought tolerance and resistance. It is suggested protection of them as a precious genetically resources in gene bank.
