Research Article
Asma Abbasi Kashani; Ali Ebadi; Mohammadreza Fattahi; Majid Shokrpour
Abstract
Introduction: Grape (V. vinifera L.) is one of the most important crops in the world and Iran, and play a major role in the export income. According to World Food Organization statistics, the area under global cultivation has been seven million hectares and Iran ranks seventh in the world with 316,000 ...
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Introduction: Grape (V. vinifera L.) is one of the most important crops in the world and Iran, and play a major role in the export income. According to World Food Organization statistics, the area under global cultivation has been seven million hectares and Iran ranks seventh in the world with 316,000 hectares. Grape production is about 77.5 million tons and Iran is ninth in the world with production of about 2.5 million tons. Fars province is in the first place with 75,000 hectares of fertile vineyards. Qazvin, Khorasan Razavi, West Azarbaijan, Hamadan and East Azarbaijan provinces are also ranked next. Cold stress is one of the constraints on the cultivation of grapes, so prevention of frost damage is one of the important points in the world's grape areas. This damage could be due to early autumn cold and late spring in the temperate region, such as winter frost of 2007, early autumn frost of 2015 and late spring frost of 2014 and 2017. Protecting plants against the harmful effects of low temperatures in agriculture is considerable. One way to prevent frost damages is using plant growth regulators such as salicylic acid. It seems that salicylic acid plays a role in the resistance to the cold stress, and it probably contributes to the activity of antioxidant enzymes and hydrogen peroxide metabolism, so it reduces cold stress damages and increases the plant tolerance to frost. The role of salicylic acid against cold stress have been reported in various plants such as lemon, pistachio, peach, pomegranate, apricot and walnut. Studies have shown that application of salicylic acid on grape seedlings increased the resistance to thermal stresses by reducing ion leakage and decreased the peroxidation of the cell membranes. Also, SA increased the proline and soluble carbohydrates in Plukenetia volubilis seedlings. In the present study, the effects of salicylic acid was investigated on the reaction of potted seedlings of some grape varieties under the spring frost. Then shoot burn percentage, recovery, ion leakage and peroxidation of membrane lipids of seedlings were investigated after cold application. Therefore, the changes in the amount of some osmotic regulators such as proline, soluble carbohydrates, and antioxidants such as phenolic compounds were evaluated by salicylic acid and cold treatments. Materials and Methods: This research was carried out in greenhouse of Department of Horticulture Engineering of College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran, in spring 2017 on two-year potted seedlings. It was carried out in a completely randomized design with three replications to evaluate the effects of salicylic acid on reducing the damage of spring frost in some grape varieties such as Bidaneh Sefid, Perlette and Riparia species. Salicylic acid was sprayed at 0, 0.5 and 1 mM in E-L=11 on two year-old potted. After 24 hours, cold treatment was applied at 0 and -2 °C and normal temperature (as control) for 8 h. Control was in the greenhouse with natural temperature. Potted plants were transferred to the greenhouse and after 72 hours, the burn percentage was calculated. Also, recovery of the seedling was determined 20 days after the cold. Other parameters were measured such as ion leakage, malondialdehyde, soluble carbohydrates, proline and phenolic compounds. Statistical analysis and mean comparison of the results was done by SPSS and LSD test. Results and Discussion: According to the results, salicylic acid and cold treatments had significant effects on some characteristics of Vinifera species such as Bidaneh Sefid, Perlette and Riparia species. The results showed that with increasing the cold stress to -2 °C, the burned shoot percentage was increased and the grown buds percentage was decreased compared to control, and electrolytic leakage and malondialdehyde were increased at same temperature. Salicylic acid 1 mM reduced the damage to shoots and increased the recovery of seedlings. The lowest amount of electrolytic leakage and malondialdehyde were observed in 1 mM salicylic acid treated seedlings compared to non-treated. According to the results, application 1mM salicylic acid increased osmotic regulators and antioxidants such as proline, solution carbohydrates and phenolic compounds. There was a significant difference between Vinifera and Riparya species at -2 °C in some parameters such as burned shoot, recovery, ion leakage and malondialdehyde. Also, there were significant differences between Bidaneh Sefid, Perlette and Riparia species at -2 °C and 1 mM in proline, solution carbohydrates and phenolic compounds. It has been reported that salicylic acid plays a role of osmotic regulation for the cell and it can reduce the damage of frost by stimulating the hydrolysis of insoluble carbohydrates or proteins and enhancing compounds such as soluble carbohydrates, so it led to reduce the freezing point of the tissue. Increasing in soluble carbohydrates have been reported in grapes and lemon by salicylic acid spraying. Conclusions: Spring frost has damaging effects on grapevine and can lead to a lot of economic damage to gardeners. Therefore, it can be prevented by some plant regulators such as salicylic acid. The results of the present study showed that the damage caused by cold treatment in control seedlings was more than the plants that were treated with salicylic acid and concentration of 1 mM salicylic acid at 2°C had a positive effect on reduction of morphological damage severity as well as reduction peroxidation of the cell membrane. Cold tolerance of seedlings may be due to the role of salicylic acid in increasing antioxidant substances such as phenolic compounds, as well as in increasing osmotic regulators such as proline and soluble carbohydrates, thereby increasing cell sap concentration and tissue freezing point. This reduced the negative effects of low temperature and reduced cell membrane damage and electrolyte leakage and improved the recovery ability of two-year-old potted seedlings of Bidaneh Sefid, Perlette and Riparia species. So, it can be concluded that among different tested species, Riparia had the lowest percentage of shoot burn and highest recovery ability than the cultivars of Vinifera. Among the genotypes of Vinifera species, Bidaneh Sefid was the most proline and soluble carbohydrate compared to Perlette, indicating a higher adaptation to cold conditions.
Research Article
Zeinab Safaei; Majid Azizi; Hossein Arouiee; Gholamhossein Davarynejad
Abstract
Introduction: Nowadays Nigella Sativa plant is considered as a one of the most important kinds of medicine. Almost all the metabolic activities of plant cells, including the construction of active ingredients in medicinal plants, depend on water. Lack of absorbable water by plants can lead to the morphological, ...
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Introduction: Nowadays Nigella Sativa plant is considered as a one of the most important kinds of medicine. Almost all the metabolic activities of plant cells, including the construction of active ingredients in medicinal plants, depend on water. Lack of absorbable water by plants can lead to the morphological, physiological and biochemical changes, including decrease of cell swelling and growth and thus reduction of leaf area and plant height, stomatal closure and photosynthesis restriction, increase in the soluble compounds for regulating the osmotic pressure, reduction of nutrient absorption and ultimately reduction of crop production. The use of anti-transpiration compounds is considered as a promising tool for the regulation of transpiration in respect of water conservation at an optimal level, where the strategies such as the use of anti-transpiration compounds have the potential for transpiration regulation. The aim of the present study is to improve the biochemical characteristics of medicinal plant N. sativa by anti-transpiration compounds under drought stress conditions. Materials and Methods: The research was done using a split plot experiment based on a randomized complete block design with three replications. The irrigation intervals (8 and 16 days) in main plots and anti-transpiration compounds of chitosan (0.25, 0.5 and 1 %), Plantago psyllium mucilage (0.5, 1 and 1.5 %) and Arabic gum (0.25, 0.5 and 0.75 %) were put in subplots with three replications. The distance between the main plots in each block and distance between the two blocks were also assigned as 100 cm and 200 cm, respectively; so that the moisture content of a plot had no effect on the adjacent plots. Anti-transpiration compounds were sprayed simultaneously with applying drought stress till the flowering stage once a week at sunset. Phenolic compounds, proline, chlorophyll, carotenoids, essential oil were measured. Results and Discussion: The results showed that there were significant differences between treatments in all studied traits. The best rate of the measured traits was observed at 8-day irrigation interval and chitosan treatment. The results obtained from the study showed that the effect of irrigation intervals and anti-transpiration compounds on the measured traits were significant. The best rate of the measured traits was observed at 8-day irrigation interval and chitosan treatment. The amount of phenolic compounds, proline, chlorophyll and carotenoids increased at 16-day irrigation interval, in which the increase is considered a type of drought tolerance mechanism. Different levels of anti-transpiration compounds decreased the chlorophyll, carotenoids, phenolic compounds, proline, essential oil percentage and yield. Conclusion: The important processes, including nutrition, photosynthesis, stomatal opening and closure and growth are all influenced by water. Plants are constantly living in tension and develop morphological and physiological changes in the structures and compositions and chemical processes for coping with this tension. In this study, it was observed that the level of phenols, proline, chlorophyll and carotenoids would increase at 16-day irrigation interval, where the increase is considered as a drought tolerance mechanism. The anti-transpiration compounds also led to the significant changes in terms of all the studied traits compared to the control, indicating the effectiveness of theses natural compounds. As the above compounds are natural and biodegradable, as well as safer and less expensive than other chemical anti-transpiration compounds, they can serve as a good alternative to the chemical compounds. Cognition and expertise in water relations of plant and drought stress tolerance is considered as the main program in agriculture and the ability to withstand this stress is of great economic importance.
Research Article
Shahabedin Ahooi; Ladan Ajdanian; Seyyed Hossein Nemati; Hossein Arouiee; Mehdi Babaei
Abstract
Introduction: In the past decades, chemical fertilizers are used by farmers have numerous environmental impacts, including various types of water and soil contamination, and cause many problems to human health and other organisms. Sustainable agricultural policy and sustainable agricultural development ...
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Introduction: In the past decades, chemical fertilizers are used by farmers have numerous environmental impacts, including various types of water and soil contamination, and cause many problems to human health and other organisms. Sustainable agricultural policy and sustainable agricultural development have prompted experts to make greater use of soil organisms to meet the plant's nutritional needs, and that is why the production of biofertilizers began. Biological imbalances in the field of sustainable agriculture can be attributed to the fungi of myoderma and its species. According to various studies, it seems that this microorganism having high ability to compete for food and space, and the establishment of spores in the environment and in particular soil around the roots of most crops and non-farm and can induce plant resistance not only reduces pathogen agents Vermicompost is a microbiologically rich, nutrient-rich, organic modifier that is produced by the interaction between earthworms and microorganisms during the decomposition of organic matter. This type of organic fertilizer contains the waste of certain species of earthworms as a result of alteration, conversion, and relative organic residues as they pass through the digestive tract of these animals. Research has shown that vermicompost has a positive effect on growth, crop development, and crop yield. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of different amounts of vermicompost and different concentrations of Trichoderma Bi isolate on different properties of celery. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted to investigate the effects of Trichoderma and vermicompost as a biofertilizer promoting growth in research greenhouse at the Ferdowsi University of Mashhad with an average daily temperature of 15-27 °C and relative humidity of 40-70%. The present study was a factorial experiment based on a completely randomized design with three replicates as a pot experiment under no-tillage conditions in the greenhouse. The first factor consisted of four concentrations of Trichoderma harizianum isolate Bi: zero percent (control), 5%, 10%, and 15% volume of 50 liters of water consumed. The second factor also included four vermicompost treatments: zero percent (control), 25 percent, 50 percent, and 75 percent pot volume. Celery seeds were sown in transplant trays. The transplants were ready for transfer to the main litter after 10 weeks. The pots used were of plastic-type with a span diameter of 20 cm and a height of 25 cm. The plant media consisted of a mixture of 20% cocoon and 80% perlite, the roots of which were easily separable. After full harvest of plants at the commercial size, when a complete set of petiole sets was created (40 days after transplanting) morphological traits including the fresh and dry weight of roots and stems, a number of leaves, stem diameter, stem and root lengths were evaluated. The dry and dry weight of plant root was measured using a digital marking scale and with an accuracy of 0.01 g. Dry weight was determined after placing the specimens in the oven at 72 ° C for 48 hours. Also, the stem diameter was measured using a caliper machine with 0.01 mm accuracy. Root and shoot lengths were measured separately in the laboratory by a ruler in cm. Chlorophyll a, b and carotenoids were read at 663 nm, 653 nm and 470 nm for absorption by spectrophotometer, respectively. Data were analyzed using JMP8 software and ANOVA was performed using the LSD test at 5% probability level. Charts were drawn using Excel 2013 software. Results and Discussion: The results of this study showed a positive and optimal effect of combined vermicompost and Trichoderma fungi. The highest shoot dry weight (49.23 g), leaf number (46), stem diameter (15 mm) and chlorophyll and carotenoid were observed in the effect of vermicompost and Trichoderma fungi compared to the control treatment. The main stem length (77.20 cm) was affected by the fungus with a 10% concentration at the highest rate compared to other treatments. Also, 50% vermicompost treatment had the highest root length (36.66 cm). The highest chlorophyll a was observed at 75% vermicompost interaction at 15% fungi concentration (10.02 mg / g fresh leaf weight). Application of vermicompost in the culture medium and application of Trichoderma fungus extract resulted in improved growth and yield. As can be seen in the results, the best treatment was 15% and 75% vermicompost, respectively. They can be used to improve plant growth and function. Many researchers believe that mainly isolates of Trichoderma produce biochemical stimuli to stimulate plant growth or reduce the inhibitory effects of certain compounds, biological and chemical toxins. According to available reports, the application of vermicompost with 30% volume in ornamental Lilium increased leaf area, fresh and dry weight of plant and plant height. So, fresh and dry weights of bean stem under vermicompost application significantly increased compared to the control treatment, which is in line with the results of this study. However, the researchers believe that the wet and dry weight gain of the plant body if used with vermicompost is probably due to the high amount of humic acids in this biofertilizer. Conclusion: Based on the results of this study and other studies on vermicompost as an enriched fertilizer with numerous growth enzymes and hormones, as well as Trichoderma, it can be concluded that the use of bio-fertilizers plays an important role in the production of high-quality products. Also, the effect we find depends on the concentration used, but in the end, even their application at the lowest concentration compared to the control treatment increased growth and morphological characteristics of the plant. Overall, the results of this study showed that, in the case of the studied species, the combination of vermicompost and Trichoderma had a significant advantage over their separate application, and considering the superiority results of most traits at the time of application of these two together. Therefore, a combination of Trichoderma and vermicompost based on the results (concurrent use of 15% fungus extract and 75% vermicompost) is recommended to improve plant growth and yield.
Research Article
Mitra Mohammadi Bazargani
Abstract
Introduction: The phytochemical and biological properties of medicinal plants depend on the climatic conditions of the area under development, the growth stage, genetic factors and other factors. Therefore the study of the wild flora in the geographical areas with different climatic conditions ...
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Introduction: The phytochemical and biological properties of medicinal plants depend on the climatic conditions of the area under development, the growth stage, genetic factors and other factors. Therefore the study of the wild flora in the geographical areas with different climatic conditions is important. It has been proved that the extract of Epilobium has high antioxidant capacity, which is associated with a high concentration of flavonoids content. Studies on five species of Epilobium genus (E. parviflorum schreb., E. roseum schreb., E. tetragonum L., E. montanum L., E. angustifolium L.), had shown that E. parviflorum had the highest antioxidant capacity among studied species. The occurrence of E. parviflorum in wide range of altitudinal zones in Iran makes it as ideal species to study the variation of antioxidant capacity among ecotypes. The present study aims to screen Epilobium parviflorum ecotypes (n=16) of Iran in terms of antioxidant capacity (AOX). Materials and Methods: Total phenol content (TPH), Total flavonoid (TFL), antioxidant capacity (AOX) and anthocyanin content (ACY) were measured by Folin- Ciocalteu, flavonoid-aluminum chloride (AlCl3), Ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and the differential PH methods, respectively. Regression analysis was used for studying the relationships between antioxidant capacity, altitude and latitude. The Pearson correlation coefficient was used to determine whether there is a linear relationship between variables. Results and Discussion: There was a high correlation between total phenol content and total flavonoid in ecotypes (r = 0.7, P = 0.002, n = 16). There was a positive and significant correlation between AOX content with TPH (r = 0.71, P = 0.002, n = 16) and also between AOX with TFL (r = 0.73, P = 0.001, n = 16). According to several studies, high antioxidant capacity has been attributed to high concentrations of flavonoids and phenols, which is consistent with the results observed in this study. The results also showed that the Iranian E. parviflorum ecotypes had considerably TFL, TPH and AOX content as compare to previous reports on E. parviflorum (in other country) and also other Epilobium species. Principal component analysis showed that the two main components explained 87.87% total variation. The high contribution of the two first components suggested a considerable correlation between three phytochemical traits, the contribution of the first component alone was 62.13% and the portion of the second component was 25.74%. In the first component, TFL, TPH and AOX were with coefficients of 0.78, 0.77 and 0.88, respectively. The high contribution of the two first components had a significant relationship between three phytochemical traits. The ecotypes of E. parviflorum were clearly separated based on the first principal component. Ten ecotypes had a correlation with the first main component (PC1) shown by TFL, TPH and AOX. Among them six ecotypes had a positive correlation (r> 0.6) and 4 ecotypes had a negative correlation (r> 0.6) with the first main component (PC1). Thus, out of the 16 ecotypes of E. parviflorum in Iran, six ecotypes including EPP3, EPP6, EPP8, EPP10, EPP13 and EPP9 had the desired content of TFL, TPH and subsequently antioxidant capacity, most of which belonged to the Zagros and crossroad of Zagros and Alborz mountains. The ecotypes that did not have the desired content of TFL, TPH and AOX (negative correlation with the first main component, PC1) mostly belong to the Alborz Mountains. The highest levels of TPH, TFL and AOX capacity were observed for the Sangan ecotype with values of 1761, 32.64 mg/g DW and 93.50 mM/g DW, respectively, and the lowest was observed in Kaleybar ecotype. Out of 16 ecotypes, 6 ecotypes had the desired content of TFL, TPH, and subsequently AOX, most of which belonged to the Zagros and crossroad of Zagros and Alborz Mountains. Regression analysis showed no relation between AOX capacity with altitude (R2 = 0.04) and also with latitude (R2 = 0.14). Conclusion: This research is the first study that screens AOX capacity by including multiple ecotypes (n=16) from E. parviflorum species to evaluate intra ecotypes phytochemical variation for E. parviflorum. We found positive and significant correlation between TFL, TPH and AOX. We did not find any significant correlation between TFL, TPH content and AOX capacity of E. parviflorum with altitude above sea. Our results also showed Iranian E. parviflorum ecotypes (especially Sangan ecotype, EPP10) have considerably TFL, TPH and AOX capacity compared to previous reports. The results of this study indicate that there is a remarkable variation among Iranian E. parviflorum ecotypes for the studied traits, which can be used to carry out breeding programs and protection of germplasm.
Research Article
Mehdi Mehran; Hossein Hosseini; Hossein Akbari; Alireza Hatami; Alireza Safaei
Abstract
Introduction: One of the important factors in the succeeding the medicinal plant cultivation is the use of appropriate fertilizers. Plants grown with appropriate fertilizers have more secondary metabolites than those that grown in the usual system. On the other hand, there is increasing concern about ...
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Introduction: One of the important factors in the succeeding the medicinal plant cultivation is the use of appropriate fertilizers. Plants grown with appropriate fertilizers have more secondary metabolites than those that grown in the usual system. On the other hand, there is increasing concern about soil interrelated environmental problems such as desertification, soil degradation, loss of fertility and erosion. So, the use of suitable fertilizer for plant growth is very important. Geranium (Pelargonium graveolens) oil is widely used as a floral substitute of the rose scent, due to its smell very similar to rose, being therefore one of the most valuable natural materials for the cosmetic and perfumery industries. Geranium oil is obtained from steam distillation of the flowers or green foliage of Pelargonium graveolens or some of its hybrids. Geranium oil is sometimes listed on the label of supplements promoted for athletic performance, weight loss, and body building. Sometimes it is used for nerve pain (neuropathy), depression, diarrhea and various skin conditions or to help with healing. Also, geranium oil is likely safe when taken by mouth in food amounts. Analyses of phytochemical profile of geranium oil included the major constituents such as citronellol, citronellyl formate, geraniol and isomenthone. The aim of this study was to evaluate the compounds of geranium essential oil in treatment of three types of fertilizers including organic, chemical and compost fertilizer. Materials and Methods: In order to investigate the effects of organic, chemical and compost fertilizers on chemical composition of essential oil of geranium, an experiment was conducted at Barij research farm, Kashan, Iran, in 2015 as factorial layout based on a randomized complete block design with three replications. Treatments included; organic fertilizer at one level (3 tons/ha), chemical fertilizer as urea at two levels (75 and 100 kg/ha), compost fertilizer as plant debris at two levels (15 and 20 tons/ha) and control (no fertilizer). The aerial parts of the treated geranium were collected during stage of flowering in October, and their essential oils were obtained from Clevenger apparatus, and after dehydration were analyzed by GC device. The GC analysis was carried out using Varian 3800 GC, equipped with a CP-Sil 8 fused silica capillary column (60 m × 0.32 mm i.d., 0.25 µm f.t.); carrier gas, Helium; flow rate 1.0 ml/min; split ratio, 1:50 and using a flame ionization detector. The column temperature was programmed at 50 °C heated to 250 °C at a rate of 3.0 °C/min, then kept constant at 250 °C for 20 min; injector temperature, 230 °C; detector temperature, 250 °C. Also, plant height, number of branches per plant, average fresh weight of the plant, maximum fresh weight of the plant and plant yield were measured. Data analysis was done by SPSS Statistic 17.0. Results and Discussion: The results showed that treatment with different fertilizers had no significant effect on essential oil percentage. In the cultivation of aromatic herbs, despite the percentage of essential oil, the type and composition of the essential chemical composition is also important. So, the chemical compounds of essential oils obtained from different treatments were studied. Citronellol (44.5%-56.6%), citronellyl formate (12.2%-18.3%), geraniol (2.2%-7.6%), and isomenthone (1.9%-6.1%) were found as four major components in essential oil of geranium. However, it’s found that the amount of citronellol (51.94%) reach to the highest level in the essential oil obtained from germanium treated with compost fertilizer at level of 15 tons/ha. However, other treatments had no significant effect on other compounds of essential oil. Several studies indicate that the use of compost on land may soil parameters and improve several plant and which would make compost an interesting option for soil restoration purposes, as well as take advantage of its fertilizer properties. Other potential benefits of compost application are enhanced nutrient availability for plants, improved biological activity, and the suppression of soil borne diseases. Moreover, many authors have reported higher yields with compost application and better quality of the harvested crops. Also, no significant differences among geranium for plant height, number of branches per plant, average fresh weight of the plant, maximum fresh weight of the plant and plant percentage were observed. Conclusion: The results point to the beneficial effects of a compost fertilizer at level of 15 tons/ha as alternative nutrition systems on the growth characteristics. So, in addition to reducing costs, can be achieved high quality essential oil.
Research Article
Abbas Joulani; Yavar Sharafi; Javad Sabbaghpour Heris
Abstract
Introduction: Sour cherry (Prunus cerasuc L.) is one of the most important stone fruit of Rosaceae family which have a high nutritional value. Based on FAO statistics, Iran was ranked the 3rd to 6th among the main sour cherry producer countries in the world. Most of the sour cherry cultivars are self-compatible, ...
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Introduction: Sour cherry (Prunus cerasuc L.) is one of the most important stone fruit of Rosaceae family which have a high nutritional value. Based on FAO statistics, Iran was ranked the 3rd to 6th among the main sour cherry producer countries in the world. Most of the sour cherry cultivars are self-compatible, but self-incompatible cultivars have been reported currently. Allotetraploidy of sour cherry complicates the self-incompatibility segregation in the progeny, so this studies have been less accomplished in Iran. The sour cherry is an allotetraploid species which possibly stand up as a result of usual hybridization between the dwarf cherry P. fruticosa and sweet cherry P. avium. Similar to other species of the Prunus, the phenomenon of gametophytic self-incompatibility (GSI) happens in sour cherry. It prevents self-fertilization and facilitate fertilization with pollen of other genotypes within same species. Self-incompatibility consists of arresting pollen-tube growth in the pistil if the pollen tube contains the same S-allele that is present in the pistil. The phenomenon of self-incompatibility in plants of Rosaceae family is controlled by two genes at the S-locus. The specificity of the pistil is encoded by a gene responsible for the synthesis of the ribonuclease protein (S-RNase), whereas the specificity of the pollen is controlled by the gene encoding an F-box protein (S-haplotype-specific F-box protein – SFB) 3a). The tightly linked genetic unit of the pistil S-allele (SRNase) and pollen S-allele is called S-haplotype. Materials and Methods: In the present study, pollen-pistil compatibility relationships among some sour cherry cultivars and selected genotypes were investigated by controlled pollination and pollen tube penetration by fluorescence microscopy. Cultivars were include ‘Meteor’, ‘Mont Morency’, ‘Majarestani’ and ‘Mahalli’ so, genotype1 were selected. After controlled pollination fruit setting was studied and the pollen tubes growth along the style was studied using fluorescent microscope. Crosses were selected based on synchronized flowering time among cultivars and genotypes and included ‘Mont Morency’ × ‘Meteor’, ‘Meteor’ × ‘Mahalli’, ‘Meteor’ × ‘Majarestani’, ‘Meteor’ × ‘Genotype 1’, ‘Mont Morency’ × ‘Mahalli’, ‘Mont Morency’ × ‘Majarestani’, ‘Mont Morency’ × ‘Genotype 1’, ‘Mahalli’ × ‘Majarestani’, ‘Mahalli’ × ‘Genotype 1’ and ‘Majarestani’ × ‘Genotype 1’, respectively. For each cross, 2 branches were randomly selected in female cultivars in winter. On each branch, including 30 floral buds at ‘balloon stage’ were tagged and bagged to prevent the entrance of any foreign pollen. On the day of anthesis, ready-to-dehisce anthers were collected from male cultivar, maintained on a moist filter paper in petri plates at 4 ºC in refrigerator till they dehisce. Pollens from these anthers were used as a source of male gametes later. Once stigma turned receptive, cross-pollination treatments were carried out in the field as designed scheme for 12 successive days. After every 24 hrs. up to 120 hrs. post-pollination, 12 pistils per treatment were fixed in FAA (formaldehyde/glacial acetic acid/70% alcohol in the ratio of 1:1:18) for 24 hrs. Followed by washings with water to remove traces of alcohol, if any, and cleared in 5% KOH at 60 ºC for fluorescence microscopy. Staining regime, as described in Sabbaghpour et al. (2020) the number of pollen tubes in the upper and mid-parts of the style and in the ovary was employed to enable visualization of the pollen germination on the stigma. Percentage of pollen germination was determined as the proportion of pollen grains that germinated on the stigma to the total number present on a scale of 100. Pollen tube number at three levels was calculated as an average of 5 (n=10). For an easy understanding of growth pattern of pollen tubes inside the style and ovary, the stylar portion, which measures 1.8 ± 0.07 cm on an average, was divided into two parts: the middle and the base. A single, longitudinal incision was then carefully given on one portion of the style using a fine needle and made wide open. Pollen tubes inside the style were critically observed under fluorescence microscope at 100x magnification. Number of them was carefully recorded and data generated for different experimental sets. Results and Discussion: Results showed that maximum pollen tube number penetrated to the ovary and final fruit set were observed in cross ‘Mahalli’בMajarestani’. Also, minimum pollen tube in the ovary and final fruit set were observed in ‘Meteor’בMahalli’ and ‘Meteor’בGenotype 1’ crosses. Conclusion: Based on the obtained results cross-incompatibility was not observed among the studied cultivars and genotypes. Therefore, they could be planted in the sour cherry breeding programs and orchards establishment based on their blooming time.
Research Article
Hassan Farhadi; Mohammad Mehdi Sharifani
Abstract
Introduction: Iran, is the largest producer and exporter of pistachio (Pistacia vera L.), among the major pistachio producing countries in the world including USA, Turkey, Italy and Greece. Due to the altered nature of the pistachio, the high yield of the pistachio is due to the fact that the ...
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Introduction: Iran, is the largest producer and exporter of pistachio (Pistacia vera L.), among the major pistachio producing countries in the world including USA, Turkey, Italy and Greece. Due to the altered nature of the pistachio, the high yield of the pistachio is due to the fact that the environment is quite suitable and fertility of the female flowers is high. As the edible and consumable part of this fruit is its kernel, it is essential for brain formation, pollination and inoculated. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of artificial parent pollination of Integrima species on seed properties obtained by crossing with ‘Fandoghi’ pistachio cultivar and also to compare the effects of Integerrima pollen with domestic pistachio pollen on the quantity and quality of pistachio fruits and seeds. Materials and Methods: The experiment was conducted as factorial based on randomized complete block design with three replications in one of Astan Qods Razavi pistachio gardens in Bardsaskan-Anabed city, 297 km from Mashhad during 2018-2019. Experimental treatments included two pollinator methods (spray and brush) and five flour-pollen combinations. Each replicate had one tree and five branches that were selected from each tree with at least three to four flower buds. Four of them were controlled for pollination and one branch was considered for negative control. The branches were insulated by two-layer bags. The fruits were harvested in late summer and some quantitative and qualitative traits were measured. Results and Discussion: Analysis of variance showed that the effect of flour-pollen blend on fruit formation of ‘Fandoghi’ cultivar in the first stage was significant (p≤0.01), but there was not a significant difference between the simple effect of their pollen and the interaction of their mixture and pollen (p≤0.05). The amount of fruit formation in the second stage showed a significant difference with respect to the simple effect of flour-pollen blend (p≤0.01) but there were no significant differences between the mixture and pollinator for simple and their interaction effects (p≤0.05). All of the simple and interactions effects of variations were significant (p≤0.01) on the final stage of fruits shape of ‘Fandoghi’ cultivar. Fruit loss was significantly (p≤0.01) affected by simple effect of flour-pollen blend, but there was no significant difference (p≤0.05) of simple and interaction effects of their pollen between blend and pollen variations. None of the simple and interaction effects of variations were not significant on wet weight of fruit. No significant difference was observed between the effect of pollen and pollen interactions between the mixture and their pollen, and the effect of simple mixture of flour-pollen show significant (p≤0.01). The effect of pollen and flour-pollen mixture on dehiscent was significant (p≤0.01), but the interaction of pollen in the mixture was not significant. Correlation coefficients of traits under evaluation showed that there was a significant positive and negative correlation between different traits, so that the highest positive and significant correlation (88%) was observed between the second stage and the final stage of fruit formation.
Research Article
Yahya Selahvarzi; Someyeh Sarfaraz; Mohsen Zabihi; Maryam Kamali
Abstract
Introduction: Drought is known as one of the most important factors limiting the growth and production of plants in urban landscape. Drought has limited production of 25% of the world's agricultural lands. Water allocated to the landscape irrigation has high value and should be used optimally ...
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Introduction: Drought is known as one of the most important factors limiting the growth and production of plants in urban landscape. Drought has limited production of 25% of the world's agricultural lands. Water allocated to the landscape irrigation has high value and should be used optimally with high efficiency. Soil texture is a classification instrument used both in the field and laboratory to determine soil classes based on their physical texture. Soil texture can be determined using qualitative methods such as texture by feel, and quantitative methods such as the hydrometer method. Soil texture has agricultural applications such as determining crop suitability and predicting the response of the soil to environmental and management conditions such as drought or calcium (lime) requirements. Soil texture focuses on the particles that are less than two millimeters in diameter which include sand, silt, and clay. Soil texture affects the water content and drainage ability of soils. This is because texture controls the nature of soil pores, i.e. the voids or spaces between the mineral particles in a clay soil. For example, there are many minute pores or micro pores between the tiny clay particles. Being small, they tend to retain water but to exclude air. As a result, clay soils are prone to drain poorly and to become waterlogged. By contrast, sandy soils are dry soils. On the other hand, application of new techniques to maintain soil moisture is essential. One of these techniques for increasing soil water retention is use of natural moisture absorbing materials such as zeolite. Zeolites are one of the new and effective substances to improve the soil water retention and preserve water and minerals in the soil. Zeolites contain elements such as potassium, calcium, sodium, silicon, aluminum, magnesium, iron and phosphorus that can be considered as the best dietary supplement and fertilizer and play an important role in the utilization and production of the most agricultural products. Ligustrum vulgar L., belongs to the Oleaceae family, is native to warm regions, European and Asian countries including Iran. This plant is one of the most widely used perennial plants in the landscape spaces. This study was designed to investigate the effects of drought stress and soil texture on growth and some qualitative and quantitative traits of the Ligustrum vulgare. Materials and Method: In order to investigate the effect of zeolite and soil texture on quantitative and qualitative traits of Ligustrum vulgare under drought stress, a factorial experiment was conducted based on completely randomized design with three replications, in the greenhouse of Agricultural Faculty, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad in 2019. The treatments consisted of four types of soil texture (100% soil, 100% sand, 80% soil + 20% zeolite, 80% sand + 20% zeolite) and three levels of irrigation (25, 50 and 100% field capacity). Plant height, number of leaves, number of lateral branches, maximum root length, root volume, shoot and root dry weight and length of lateral branches were measured in each pot. Physiochemical traits such as relative water content, electrolyte leakage and photosynthetic pigments were also measured. Statistical analysis of data was analyzed by JMP8 software. Graphs were plotted using excel and all mean comparisons were performed by LSD test at p < 0.05%. Results and Discussion: According to the results, decreasing irrigation levels reduced vegetative traits such as fresh weight and dry weight. Relative water content also decreased, but ion leakage increased by decreasing irrigation levels. The highest stem fresh weight (18 g), root fresh weight (29 g), total fresh weight (56 g) and total dry weight (20 g) were observed in soil + zeolite, and the highest leaves fresh weight, root volume and plant height were obtained in soil and soil + zeolite treatments. The lowest root volume was observed in sand and zeolite treatments which had no significant differences. In addition, ion leakage was lower in the treatments containing zeolite than the other treatments. The highest amount of SPAD (72) and chlorophyll b (31.5 mg / g fresh weight) were observed in sand + zeolite treatment and 25% field capacity. According to the results, it seems that soil and soil + zeolite in low irrigation conditions were more suitable environment for growth of Ligustrum vulgare and sandy bedding would reduce plant growth in normal conditions as well as under drought stress.
Research Article
Mehdi Moradi; Hamid Reza Roosta; Ahmad Estaji
Abstract
Introduction: Iron is an essential element for plant growth which is involved in many plant processes such as photosynthesis and activating enzymes involved in mitochondrial and photosynthetic electron transfer. Iron (Fe) deficiency is a common disorder affecting plants in many areas of the world, and ...
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Introduction: Iron is an essential element for plant growth which is involved in many plant processes such as photosynthesis and activating enzymes involved in mitochondrial and photosynthetic electron transfer. Iron (Fe) deficiency is a common disorder affecting plants in many areas of the world, and is chiefly associated with high pH, calcareous soils. Plant Fe deficiency has economic significance, because crop quality and yields can be severely compromised. Deficiency or low activity of iron in the plant causes chlorophyll is not produced in sufficient quantities and the leaves are pale. The decrease of chlorophyll leading to the reduction of the plant food processor and finally the yield is reduced. Iron fertilizers are grouped into three main classes: inorganic Fe compounds (soluble ones such as FeSO4·7HO), synthetic Fe chelates [such as ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) and ethylenediamine-di (o-hydroxyphenylacetic acid) (EDDHA)] and natural Fe-complexes (humates and amino acids). Iron could be applied in different chemical forms, including chelates and inorganic Fe salts. To our knowledge, no published data for tomato growing under hydroponic conditions have assessed the effects of application methods and different sources of Fe Fertilizer on plant yields, growth and nutritional condition. Therefore, this work was carried out to study the effect of FeSO4, Fe-EDTA, Fe-EDDHA and Fe-DTPA as a foliar spray and root-applied on the growth, yield, physiological characteristics of tomato plants under hydroponic system. Material and Methods: Regarding to the role of application methods and Fe sources on the absorption of this element and the process of photosynthesis and plant growth, a factorial experiment was carried out to determine the best methods of application (add to nutrient solution and foliar spray) and iron fertilizer (FeSO4, Fe-EDTA, Fe-DTPA and Fe-EDDHA) for growth and physiological characteristics of tomato in hydroponic system with three replications. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed using the SAS program. If ANOVA determined that the effects of the treatments were significant (P ≤0.01 for F-test), then the treatment means were separated by Tukey range test. Result and Discussion: The results indicated that the plant height, dry and fresh weight affected by the application methods and iron fertilizer, so that the maximum and minimum plant height, and dry and fresh weight were obtained in application of Fe-EDTA to nutrient solution and foliar application of FeSO4, respectively. Mohammadipour et al., (2013) reported that by applying nano-chelate fertilizer of iron, iron sulfate, Fe-EDTA and Fe-EDDHA by two methods of foliar application and root-applied (soil) of Spathiphyllum plant, a significant difference between the types of fertilizer and application method were used. So that the maximum height and dry weight of the plant were obtained in Fe-EDDHA fertilizer treatment to the root application. The root and leaf Fe concentration affected by source of iron and the method of application so Fe-EDTA added to nutrient solution and foliar application had the highest amount of Fe in the root and leaf, respectively. Cu, Mn, Zn and some macro elements such as; Mg and P also influenced by the type of fertilizer and method of application. Roosta and hamidpour (2013) showed that the foliar application of Fe-EDDHA under aquaponic and hydroponic conditions increased the amount of K, Mg, Fe and decreased the concentration of Zn, Cu and Mn compared to the control treatment in tomato plants. Current experiment results showed that the maximum chlorophyll content (a, b and total) and maximal quantum yield of PS II photochemistry (Fv/Fm) and performance index (Pi) values of young and old leaves were found with Fe-EDTA in nutrition solution and the highest carotenoids and sugar soluble content were found in FeSO4 in nutrient solution and foliar application, respectively. Roosta and Mohsenian (2012) reported that there was also a linear relationship between leaf-Fe and chlorophyll content in pepper. The application of inorganic Fe salt (FeSO4) and Fe-chelates (Fe-EDDHA and Fe-EDTA) on pepper plants increased Chl a content in leaves of these plants compared to the control. Additionally, several investigations have described the beneficial effects of foliar Fe. Iron deficiency caused a significant reduction in the amount of chlorophyll a, b, total and carotenoids of pea (Iturbe-Ormaetxe et l., 1995). Conclusion: Based on the results, Fe-EDTA and Fe-EDDHA had the highest significant effect on vegetative growth of tomato, respectively. Thus, at neutral pH of nutrient solution as occurred in this experiment, application of Fe-EDTA in nutrition solution is suitable than the other source of iron fertilizer for tomato growth.
Research Article
Hossein Nastari Nasrabadi; Seyyed Farhad Saber Ali
Abstract
Introduction: Melon (Cucumis melo L.) is one of the most important vegetables in Cucurbitaceae family and one of the most important economic crops in the Torbat-e Jam city (Longitude: 60 ̊48', latitude: 35 ̊31', altitude: 928 m). Growth and yield of agricultural crops are affected by biotic ...
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Introduction: Melon (Cucumis melo L.) is one of the most important vegetables in Cucurbitaceae family and one of the most important economic crops in the Torbat-e Jam city (Longitude: 60 ̊48', latitude: 35 ̊31', altitude: 928 m). Growth and yield of agricultural crops are affected by biotic and abiotic environmental stresses. Cold stress can be one of the most important environmental factors reducing crops yield. Cold acclimation in plant is a complex process involving many morphological, physiological and biochemical changes, including a significant reduction in tissue hydration during cold hardening. Melatonin (MEL, N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine) is a conserved substance, which has been discovered in all living organisms, from bacteria to mammals. MEL regulates the growth of root, shoot, and explant, activates seed germination and rhizogenesis, and delays leaf senescence. In addition, the most frequently mentioned functions of MEL are related to various abiotic stresses such as drought, radiation, low/high temperature, heavy metals, and salinity stresses. Materials and Methods: In order to investigate the effect of PEG priming and melatonin on cold stress resistance of melon seedlings, a factorial experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with three replications in Torbat-e-Jam University. In this experiment polyethylene glycol 6000 was used to produce drought stress at three levels (0, 0.18 and 0.58 MPa) and melatonin was used at two levels (0 and 200 μmol). When melon seedlings were at 4 leaf stage, the amount of polyethylene glycol was added to the irrigation solution for a week and to prevent drought stress, drought stress was increased for 3 days and increased one third of the required concentration daily. Recovery was performed for three days after drought stress and during this period melatonin was added to the irrigation solution at the required concentration. Seedlings were then exposed to cold stress (T0: non-stress and T1: cold conditions). Control plants were kept in greenhouse conditions. Results and Discussion: Comparison of the mean results showed that there was an increasing trend in proline production by increasing drought stress. The highest amount of proline (0.80 µmol g-1 FW) was recorded at the highest level of drought pretreatment with no melatonin and without cold stress (D2M0T0), and then a decreasing trend in proline production was observed. The results showed that melatonin significantly increased leaf relative water content compared to the control. Interaction effects of drought pretreatment and temperature showed that there was a trend of decrease in relative water content by increasing drought pretreatment. Ghanbari and Sayyari (8) reported that drought pretreatment stress maintains relative water content of tomato seedlings under cold stress conditions. Drought pretreatment significantly reduced the amount of chlorophyll a and total chlorophyll. The results showed that the highest levels of drought pretreatment stress (D2) and melatonin (M1) maintained chlorophyll a under cold stress conditions. Results showed that the amount of chlorophyll b was decreased by drought pretreatment stress, but it increased by melatonin application in all compounds. Based on the results, it was found that only simple effects of treatments at 1% of probability level had significant effects on soluble sugars content. Comparison of the mean simple effects of drought pretreatment showed that under drought stress the amount of soluble sugars increased significantly and the highest sugar content was recorded at the highest drought stress level. The amount of soluble sugars in plants under cold stress also increased significantly. Melatonin application also significantly increased the amount of soluble sugars. Kabiri et al. (19) reported that the use of melatonin increased soluble sugars in Moldavian balm seedlings under osmotic stress which is similar to this study results. It was found that melatonin significantly increased phenolic compounds under stress conditions and significantly decreased electrolyte leakage.
Research Article
Ali Hasani; Mohammad Hadi Khosh Taghaza; Mohammadtaghi Ebadi
Abstract
Introduction: Drying of medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) is a widely spread method offering physico-chemical stabilization by taking away part of the moisture content, producing different products with different qualitative properties and economical value. The main purpose of MAPs drying is ...
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Introduction: Drying of medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) is a widely spread method offering physico-chemical stabilization by taking away part of the moisture content, producing different products with different qualitative properties and economical value. The main purpose of MAPs drying is to extend product shelf life, minimize packaging requirements and reduce shipping weights. Drying is used to stop the growth of microorganisms and preserve the quality of MAPs. There are different drying methods and their suitability can be determined by energy efficiency, drying time, preservation of active substances and other quality properties of the product, depending on market demand. Therefore, determining a suitable drying method to achieve higher active substances in medicinal plants is very important. Advantages of infrared drying include high efficiency of conversion of electrical energy into heat, a suitable alternative source for thermal energy, and uniform heating of the product surface. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of infrared drying on drying time and the qualitative characteristics of sumac fruit (total color changes, total phenolic content, organic acids, and vitamin C). Material and Methods: Sumac fruits (from the forests of Sardasht city in West Azerbaijan Province, Iran) were used after complete separation from clusters and additional parts for drying and performing the desired treatments. In this research, an infrared dryer was used to dry the sumac sample which was made by the Department of Biosystems Engineering of Tarbiat Modares University. For this study, a factorial experiment was performed based on a completely randomized design. In this experiments, three levels of radiation intensity (0.2, 0.3 and 0.5 watts per square centimeter) and three levels of air velocity (0.5, 1 and 1.5 meters per second) were used. The sample tray inside the dryer was connected by a rod to a digital scale at the bottom of the dryer. The scale had a computer connection port that could measure and record the weight of the fruits continuously during drying. To determine the initial moisture content, 3 samples (50 g) were placed in an oven at 105 °C and after three hours, the samples were taken out of the oven and weighed, and finally the moisture content of the product was calculated on wet basis. The initial moisture content of sumac fruits was approximately 17%. Drying was continued until the product reached a moisture content of 7%. Drying time and quality characteristics of sumac fruit (color changes, total phenolic content, organic acids, and vitamin C) were measured. Colorimeter (Hunterlab, Color Flex model, USA) was used to check the color changes of sumac fruits during drying and the total color changes ( ) compared to the fresh sample were calculated. To measure the total phenolic content, Folin-Ciocalteu phenol reagent was used by a spectrophotometer (Samsung, Smart Spec Flus model, South Korea). Titration method was used to measure vitamin C and organic acids. Finally, based on all the mentioned parameters, the optimization was performed by Design Expert software (version 10) and the best score was obtained based on the utility index. Results and Discussion: The results showed that the intensity of infrared radiation and air velocity had a significant effect on the studied characteristics except total phenolic content. The minimum and maximum drying times were obtained at the highest and lowest infrared intensities and air velocities, respectively. Increasing the infrared intensity and subsequently increasing the temperature had a negative effect on the total color changes, organic acids and vitamin C, so that the least total color changes and the highest amount of organic acids and vitamin C were obtained by reducing the intensity of infrared radiation. The lowest total color change and the highest amount of organic acids were obtained in the treatment of 0.2 W cm-2 × 1.5 m s-1 and the highest amount of vitamin C in 0.2 W cm-2 × 1 m s-1 and 0.3 W cm-2 × 0.5 m s-1 treatments, respectively. The values obtained from the optimization parameters for the studied indicators (drying time, total color changes, organic acids, and vitamin C) showed that the best point for drying of sumac fruit was the infrared radiation intensity of 0.3 W cm-2 and air velocity of 0.5 m s-1. In this treatment, the highest utility index obtained by software was 0.71. Conclusion: Infrared drying reduced the drying time of sumac fruit compared to traditional drying methods (shade and sun drying). In addition to reducing the drying time, infrared drying was a suitable method for preserving the phytochemical properties and color changes of sumac fruits.
Research Article
Ebrahim Ganji Moghadam; Hamid Rahnemoun; Mahboobeh Zamanipour
Abstract
Introduction: Iran is the fourth largest apricot producer in the world. It is important to know the level of genetic diversity in breeding programs. Local genotypes are important because they are environmentally friendly and have beneficial genes in breeding programs. Therefore, this study was conducted ...
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Introduction: Iran is the fourth largest apricot producer in the world. It is important to know the level of genetic diversity in breeding programs. Local genotypes are important because they are environmentally friendly and have beneficial genes in breeding programs. Therefore, this study was conducted with the main purpose to investigate the characteristics of phenology, morphology and pomology of six promising apricot genotypes in order to determine the best genotypes in Khorasan Razavi Province condition. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted to evaluate characteristics of six selected genotypes (‘190’, ‘269’, ‘414’, ‘464’, ‘390’ and ‘177’) compared to ‘Ordubad-90’ (as a control) with the aim of assessing their compatibility in Khorasan Razavi climatic conditions in a randomized complete block design with three replications, at Golmakan Research Station during the 2017-2019. These genotypes were selected randomly from the Azerbaijan apricot populations around 15 years ago and were undergoing preliminary studies in the main habitat and collecting and experimental orchards. During the research period, all genotypes were completely uniform in terms of environmental conditions and garden management. Quantitative analysis of variance was performed using SPSS software and comparison of means using Duncan's multiple range test at a probability level of 1%. Results and Discussion: Results showed that significant differences between genotypes in terms of flowering dates and fruit ripening. So that, Genotypes of ‘269’ were the earliest (19 March) and ‘190’ were the most late flowering (27 March) and, in the terms of fruit ripening time, genotype of ‘177’ were the earliest (third decade of May) and genotype of ‘190’ were the most late (second decade of July). Also, genotype of ‘414’ had the highest height (302.57 cm), crown width (278.03 cm), trunk cross section (42.75 cm2), annual vegetative growth (58.98 cm) and size index (8.76 m). These results are consistent with the findings of Nejatian and Arzani (2002) and Mesbahi et al. (2014) on a relatively significant diversity in the morphological characteristics of the studied genotypes. There was direct correlation between fruit size and stone size, so that, the highest fruit weight (65 g), stone weight (3.49 g) and kernel weight (1.93 g) was in genotype of ‘414’. This result is agreement with Asma and Ozturk (2005) who reported that there are direct correlation among fruit weight, stone weight and kernel weight in the studied apricot genotypes in Turkey. The highest acidity content (0.67%) belonged to genotype of ‘177’, the highest pH (4.97) was in genotype of ‘390’ and the highest yield (20.66 kg) was in genotype of ‘190’. The obtained results are consistent with the results of Rahnemoon et al. (2005) on the existence of a significant difference between the mean percentage of sugar and the content of total organic acids. Accordingly, with the increase of soluble solids during fruit ripening, the amount of total acid decreased, which is consistent with the results of Asma and Ozturk (2005). Also, there was a significant negative correlation between flowering time and yield at the level of 1% (-0.704). These results are consistent with the findings of Piir et al. (2017). The results of principal component analysis showed that PC1 factor with 47.06% of the total changes indicates fruit weight, stone weight and core weight, which can be called the factor of pomological traits. PC2 factor with 19.63% of the total changes indicates height, crown width and trunk cross section, which can be called the factor of morphological traits. PC3 factor with 15.14% of the total changes indicates the chemical properties of the fruit. The PC4 factor with 7.62% of the total changes indicates the time of beginning of flowering, the number of days from the full blooming stage to fruit ripening and yield, which can be called the factor of phenological traits. These four combinations accounted for about 89.45% of the total variation, and the other variations included a slight variation. These results are comparable to the results of Janatizadeh et al. (2011) regarding cultivars in Shahroud city. Conclusion: Genotype of ‘177’ is recommended because of its early ripening. Also, genotype of ‘144’ due to large fruit size, genotype of ‘190’ due to late ripening and high yield compared to ‘Ordubad-90’ (control) are recommended.
Research Article
Mehdi Bagheri; Iman Roohollahi; Sasan Aliniaeifard
Abstract
Introduction: Management of rose plant structure plays an important role in flower production throughout the year and determines the amount of rose plant life span and influence plant development and quality of cut flowers (length, diameter and weight). In the past, roses were planted in a row, and their ...
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Introduction: Management of rose plant structure plays an important role in flower production throughout the year and determines the amount of rose plant life span and influence plant development and quality of cut flowers (length, diameter and weight). In the past, roses were planted in a row, and their structure was in the form of long vertical hedges, with annual pruning often involving, disbudding and pinching. Rose growers tend to bend non-producing shoots to increase light absorption and build more photosynthetic assimilates and increases the quality of the produced cut flowers. In this study was investigated for proper management of pruning of cut rose bud with an emphasis on degrees of shoot bending. Materials and Methods: The cutting's media were prepared from a combination of Cocopeat and Perlite at 50% equilibrium. The cuttings were planted in two-meter-long boxes 18 cm apart. From day 4, nutrient solution was injected into the substrates. Nutrient solution volume per plant was 550 ml per day, which was injected 11 times into the culture medium. In order to select the best plant structure architecture for producing the highest quality of the cut flowers, a factorial experiment was conducted based on a completely randomized design with two shoot pruning and bending treatments. During the bending process to increase the accuracy of the experiment, two bent shoots were counted for all cuttings, six days after bending treatment the dormant buds were activated in the primitive part of the stem and began to grow. Pruning of the buds was done in two levels of 50% pruning and without pruning. 45 days after bud removal, flower shoots were harvested, and samples were transferred to the laboratory for post-harvest evaluation. Chlorophyll and carbohydrate concentration, photosynthesis index, physiological, morphological and photosynthetic parameters were measured as well as vase life trait. Results and Discussion: Pruning of buds at 1% probability level was important on carbohydrate content and bending at 5% probability level on carbohydrate and vase life. Furthermore, the interaction between the two pruning treatment and bending at 1% probability level was significant on the carbohydrate content and vase life. In general, it could be concluded that by bending the shoots, the light penetrates into the plant structure, which ultimately increased photosynthesis and the amount of carbohydrates in flower buds. It could be concluded from the observations that bent shoots with appropriate angles could consume their carbohydrates for bud flower production. In other words, bending branches plays the role of factories which task is to deliver the photosynthetic production in the bending branches to the flower branches that are the most important consumer. The results showed that bending of branches (45 and 90 degree), with increasing light absorption and making more photosynthetic assimilates and changing their flow from bent branches to shoots, caused their proper growth and 30% increasing in the fresh and dry weight traits. The diameter of the bud and the length of the flower shoot increased post-harvest quality of the cut flower. Furthermore, the interaction of bud pruning and bending had a positive effect on carbohydrate content of flower shoots. On the other hand, the vase life were evaluated, which showed that the bending 45 degree had the highest vase life (22.5) and 120 degree had the lowest vase life. At treatment 120 degree (lowest postharvest survival), non-pruned treatments showed longer vase life (16 days) and lower pruned treatments after harvest (13.5 days). It also showed the highest fresh weight, dry weight, peduncle diameter and flower length are 45 degree. No significant difference was observed in the photosynthesis rate of a bent branch near the bed and vertical branches above the bed. By bending the branch at the right angle, it made the bent light branch more efficiently utilized and maintained its photosynthetic rate, although bending stress, at the high levels and in the manufacture of carbohydrates and other products. Photosynthesis for helping the plant eventually gained more carbohydrates from its vertical branches (flowering), and increasing carbohydrates will lead to a relative increase in quality, bud diameter and flower length and eventually vase life of the cut flower. Conclusion: The results of the bending treatment showed that the accuracy of the bending time and degree of 45° and 90° subsequently resulted in an increase in the quality of production.
