Medicinal Plants
M. Azizi; S. Beigi; Z. Safaei; M. Mansoori
Abstract
IntroductionMedicinal plants are economical important plants that are used in traditional medicine and industry as raw or processed materials. Valerian (Valeriana officinalis L.) is one of the important medicinal plants which belong to Valerianaceae family. The valerian rhizome and roots have been considered ...
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IntroductionMedicinal plants are economical important plants that are used in traditional medicine and industry as raw or processed materials. Valerian (Valeriana officinalis L.) is one of the important medicinal plants which belong to Valerianaceae family. The valerian rhizome and roots have been considered as a valuable medicinal plant that essential oil content (between 0.1 to 2 percent) varied according to climatic conditions of production location. Valerian needs a lot of water during the growth period and enough moisture around the roots and rhizome increase root yield. Iran is situated in an arid and semi-arid region. When a plant's minimum water requirement is not met, it experiences drought stress, which can cause severe and often irreversible damage to the crop. One effective method for improving irrigation efficiency under such conditions is the use of superabsorbent polymers. These hydrocarbon-based materials can retain large amounts of water or aqueous solutions in the plant root zone, thereby mitigating the negative effects of drought stress. Their application can enhance plant growth, extend irrigation intervals, reduce water loss, and lower irrigation costs. Generally, water efficiency, dry matter production and root development, are positive reactions to the use of superabsorbent. In this regard, Stockosorb® copolymer is potassium-based nutrients that have a high ability to absorb water and nutrients and high strength polymer maintained the water has been proven. The aims of this investigation were to study the effects of Stockosorb® hydrophilic polymers, on some morphological (root dry weight and yield, leaf area), biochemical (chlorophyll a, b), physiological (electrolyte leakage, leaf relative water content) characteristics and essential oil content and yield of valerian under drought stress. Materials and MethodsThis research was conducted in field (1×1 m2) at Department of Horticultural Science‚ College of Agriculture‚ Ferdowsi University of Mashhad. The research was set out in a factorial experiment based on completely randomized block design. The Stockosorb® hydrophilic polymer at four concentrations (0, 100, 200, 300 gr/m2) and two irrigation period (6 and 10 day) with three replications were set as treatments and leaf area, root dry weight and yield, chlorophyll a, b, electrolyte leakage, leaf relative water content and essential oil content and yield were evaluated at the end of the growth period. The seeds of Valeriana officinalis were sown in protected open field for seedling production and the seedling were transplanted to the field at four-leaf stage (10 plant per plot). Stockosorb® mixed with soil, after weighing the polymers based on determined concentration. After seedling establishment, all plots were irrigated with a determined amount and equal of water. Results and DiscussionThe results showed, using Stockosorb® superabsorbent polymer be useful for water supply the plant in water stress condition. Application of this substance on some morphological, biochemical and physiological characteristics and valerian essential oil, was significant at 1% and superior to the control. According to the results obtained, Stockosorb® 300 g.m-2 with irrigation period 6 days interval, increased leaf area, root dry yield, leaf relative water content, chlorophyll a and essential oil yield. While, the highest valerian root dry weight and essential oil content were obtained with application of Stockosorb® 200 g.m-2 and irrigation period of 6 days interval. The highest electrolyte leakage was related to control and irrigation period 10 days interval and the maximum chlorophyll b was belonged to Stockosorb® 100 g.m-2 with irrigation period 10 days interval. ConclusionsSince the ultimate goal in cultivating valerian, as with other essential oil-bearing plants, is to optimize both yield and essential oil content, the findings of this study recommend the application of 300 g/m² Stockosorb polymer combined with a 6-day irrigation interval. This approach effectively mitigates drought stress and enhances all evaluated growth and yield characteristics in valerian.The highest root dry weight under drought stress was related to more accessible and preservatives water in characteristics the root zone and it found by using the middle concentrations (200 gr/m2) super absorbent polymer and irrigation period shorter (6 day). Using of mentioned treatments, according to the middle water stress, leads to increased valerian essential oil. The best root dry yield, essential oil yield, electrolyte leakage, chlorophyll a and %RWC with sufficient amounts of water and better growth conditions were achieved by application of 300 g.m-2 Stockosorb® and irrigation period 6 days interval. In general, superabsorbent polymer was able to increase irrigation period and this was evident in qualitative and quantitative results related to the valerian in the treatment of 300 gr/m2 with irrigation period 10 day and 100 g.m-2 of polymer 6 day irrigation period. The results showed that superabsorbent polymers can enhance plant performance by influencing plant metabolic processes and providing protection against environmental stresses. Their application reduces the adverse effects of stress, contributing to the preservation and improvement of the plant's economic yield.
Growing vegetables
R. Azarmi; Y. Hosseini
Abstract
Introduction
Cucumber is one of the important greenhouse vegetables in Iran and the world. This product, in Iran, has the largest area under cultivation in comparison with other greenhouse vegetables, and according to the statistic in 2020, the Office of herbs, vegetables and ornamental plants ...
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Introduction
Cucumber is one of the important greenhouse vegetables in Iran and the world. This product, in Iran, has the largest area under cultivation in comparison with other greenhouse vegetables, and according to the statistic in 2020, the Office of herbs, vegetables and ornamental plants Ministry of Agriculture, the greenhouse cucumbers area under cultivation in Iran is 15000 ha. Cucumber is the product of warm and temperate season (with mild winters) and is very sensitive to adverse environmental conditions and even rare changes in soil moisture content will have a significant adverse effect on its growth and yield. Cucumber root is shallow, it is fibrous, and its shallow root causes its sensitivity to drought so that its main root penetrates 5–10 cm in heavy soil and 20-30 cm in light soils. This plant has an extensive and almost thin root system that has the possibility of expansion in a wide range horizontally, and, therefore, it can produce mass root, at the depth of 30 cm. In order to study the effect of grafting and water stress on morphological characteristics greenhouse cucumber (Cucumis sativus L), an experiment was conducted as complete randomized block design with three replications.
Materials and Methods
This research has been carried out in the city of Pars-Abad, Ardabil province, Iran. The longitude of Pars-Abad is 47°55ʹ E, latitude is 39°38ʹ N, and its height distance sea level is 32 meters. This research was done in the greenhouse of the Moghan Agriculture and Natural Resources Faculty in a complete randomized block arranged in split plot with three replications. To determine the characteristic curve of soil moisture, soil samples was selected and the weight moisture percentage at pressures of -0.3, -5, -10 and -15 bar, which include the important potential of the soil, was determined by using Pressure plate’s apparatus and soil moisture characteristic curve was mapped and soil parameters characteristic curve was determined. this study, the main factor included water stress in three levels of 90, 60 and 40% field capacity and the secondary factor included three rootstocks of Shintoza cucurbits (Cucurbita moschata × Cucurbita maxima), Flexi Fort cucurbits (Cucurbita moschata × Cucurbita maxima, cucumber varieties Nagen 972 (Cucumis sativus L.) self-grafted and check (ungrafted) cucumber varieties Nagen was studied as a scion. In this study, the grafting method of hole insertion was used as the best grafting method for Cucurbitaceous.
Results and Discussion
Duncan test results showed that with increasing stress, the diameter of the main root, at the rootstocks of Shintoza and Flexi Fort, increased almost twice as much as the control. The results showed an approximately 3 times increase in the yield, at the rootstocks of cucurbits at different levels of stress and it had a significant positive relationship at 1% level with the length, diameter and weight of root. The highest yield related to the Flexi Fort rootstocks was obtained 2.99 kg per plant in the water stress condition 90% of field capacity and then Shintoza rootstocks ranked second with 2.617 kg per plant, at 60% water stress. The maximum water use efficiency related to Shintoza rootstocks was at 32% and Flexi Fort rootstocks, Nagen and control, were respectively 30, 22 and 36% of Potential evapotranspiration.
Conclusion
The results showed that, with increasing water stress, unlike the control, which was associated with decreasing linear trend of yield, Treatments with cucurbits grafting at Shintoza and Flexi Fort rootstock, faced with increased water stress, from 40 % to 90 % of field capacity by minor reducing of product. This can be due to increasing root uptake parameters such as length, weight and length of the main root in these Treatments. Correlation analysis showed a significant relationship at **P<0.01 level between a percentage of roots and yield. The results in all applied water stress also showed a high yield of grafted treatments about three times more than the control. Reducing the yield sensitivity factor in cucurbits Treatments, causes the plant could maintain its performance in irregular watering that encounter the plant with tension. The high water use efficiency in cucurbits Treatments shows that it is possible to perform economic optimization in the production based on water consumption scarcity of water.
