فصلنامه پژوهش های تولید گیاهی
سال بیست و سوم شماره 2 (تابستان 1395)

Iran is renowned as one of the olive origins in the world; therefore, characterizing and conserving the existing genotypes compared to exotic cultivars and organizing these genotypes are of critical importance. One of the most important factors in successful cultivation of olive trees is the identification and selection of suitable cultivars for each geographic region to produce oil with appropriate quantity and quality. This study was conducted to evaluate the genetic diversity of 12 native and exotic olive cultivars using morphological traits and to select the compatible cultivars for Gorgan region. The study was carried out using a completely randomized design with three replications, in which the quantitative and qualitative morphological characteristics were measured according to the procedure of International Olive Oil Council. The maturity index of fruit was measured according to a standard method suggested for olive. The oil was extracted using soxhlet method and the percentage of oil was recorded in both dry and fresh matters. For quality assessment of the oil, the oil also extracted using centrifugation method. The results suggested that there was a huge diversity among the selected cultivars and genotypes based on morphological characteristics. Cluster analysis could be utilized as a powerful tool to screen and classify the genotypes. The cluster analysis based on the morphological quantitative data, showed that the cultivars were classified in three groups and each group contain the genetically similar genotypes which were different from the genotypes in other groups. There were also several subclusters suggesting considerable diversity within each group. There were some significant correlations among the measured characteristics. For instance there was a positive correlation between the fruit weight and the leaf length and width. The results showed that the cultivars had considerable variation in the oil percent in dry and fresh weight. In the next stage, the oil quality of four selected oil cultivars including Zard, Balady, Leccino and Arbequina were analyzed. The highest amount of chlorophyll (1.16 mg/kg) and carotenoid (0.718 mg/kg) were related to Leccino. The highest amount of peroxide value (11.33 meq o2/kg oil) was also in Leccino, while the lowest one (7.8 meq o2/kg oil) was observed in Zard. The highest amount of spectrophotometric index K232 was in Arbequina and no significant difference was observed among the cultivars in amount of K270. There were not any significant differences among the cultivars in acidity. Analysis of fatty acids indicated that Balady had the highest percent of oleic and linolenic acid (78.06% and 0.513%, respectively). The highest percent of palmitic acid was in Zard (19.1%) and the percent of linoleic and estearic acids were not significantly different. According to the results, Balady cultivar showed higher oil quantity and quality compared to other three cultivars and is suitable for cultivating in the region.

Active coal is applied in tissue culture media as the absorbant of phenolic compounds and toxic materials; but no research has been done regarding its direct application like spray on plants. Application of this material as the carbone source is based on researches done by sucrose; which had highly positive effect on plant growth and development. Thus; a hypothesis was brought that applied active coal could be absorbed by charged particles on the plant surface, a portion via cuticle and others via stomata, then entered into carbon fixation cycle. The aim of this study was to investigate the application of active coal in order to increase stevia plant required carbon during photosynthesis beside the other carbon dioxide sources. Since this plant possesses high supply of carbohydrate which prepares suitable system for such researches, it was selected for application of mentioned treatments.
In order to investigate the effect of different concentrations of active coal on some photosynthetic attributes of Stevia, an experiment was carried out in a factorial based on Randomized Complete Blocks Design (RCBD) with four replications. Evaluated treatments consisted of different concentrations of active coal solution of 0, 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6 percent. Thus, the mentioned material was diluted in solvents such as methanol 15%, borric acid 3 ppm, acetic acid 1 ppm and distilled water. Treatments were sprayed on plants with intervals of 10-day until plants start flowering stage. Chlorophyll fluorescence components such as min fluorescence under dark acclimated condition (Fo), max fluorescence under dark acclimated condition (Fm), variable florescence (Fv), min fluorescence under light acclimated condition (Fo'), max fluorescence under light acclimated condition (Fm'), electron transport rate (ETR), maximum photochemical quantum yield of photosystem (Fv/Fm), chlorophyll a, b and total chlorophyll were measured at beginning of flowering. Additionally, the leaf dry matter and stevioside content of the leaves were also measured.
Results showed that application of active coal as a source of carbon is possible; and different concentrations of active coal in different solvents are significantly effective on all of the recorded parameters. Based on means comparison analysis, the most optimum amount of photosynthetic parameters were related to concentration 0.6% of active coal; while other concentrations placed in next orders. Also, the highest and the lowest optimum photosynthetic parameters were recorded in the solvents methanol (15%) (M), boric acid (3 ppm) (B), acetic acid (1 ppm) (A) and distilled water (control; C); respectively. Also, different solvents (p
Finally, it can be concluded that application of active coal with its appropriate solvent could decrease the obsulute plant requirement to carbon source existing in the environment or to be substituted. The applied result of this research is that application of mentioned treatments could increase the absorbed carbon by plant. Increase of absorbed carbon might be oxidized and intered the photosynthetic cycle in plant, and no increase of atmospheric carbon would be occurred.

Shortage of water in arid and semiarid regions of the world can reduce growth and production of medicinal and aromatic plants, especially Mentha species. In order to evaluate response of mint species to water deficit stress, an experiment was carried out using a completely factorial-randomized design with five replications at College of Agriculturae, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran. The factors studied included three mint species (peppermint ‘Mentha×piperita’, wildmint ‘Mentha longifolia’, spearmint ‘Mentha spicata’) that were exposed to four levels of irrigation treatments (control (100%), 80%, 60% and 40% of field capacity (FC)). in this study in 100% of FC spearmint’ green area was 50% more than 80% of FC, while in wildmint and peppermint mentioned parameter in control treatment were 2.5 and 2 times more than 80% of FC, respectively. However no difference observed between 100 and 80% of FC on aboveground to underground dry matter ratio in spearmint, but this parameter in control treatment of wildmint and peppermint were 50% more than 80% of FC. Results showed that growth of all three species were significantly decreased when soil moisture reduced to lower than 100 of FC, but peppermint and wildmint were more sensitive than spearmint to depletion of soil water during growing season.

In order to evaluate of Abscisic acid, Paclobutrazol and Uniconazole hormones effects on the Egyptian broomrape (Orobanche aegyptiaca. Pers) control and growth indexes of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.), a glasshouse experiment was conducted in CRD design with four replications. Treatments consisted of Abscisic acid in 4 levels (1, 3, 5 and 7 mM), Paclobutrazol in 2 levels (0.1 and 0.01 mM) and Uniconazole in 4 levels (1, 2, 3 and 4 mM) and two control treatments of weed free and weed infested treatments, respectively. The results eliminated that Results showed that the treatments of Abscisic acid (5 and 7 mM), Paclobutrazol (10-4 and 10-5 mol) and Uniconazole (3 and 4 mM) decreased significantly broomrape nodules on the tomato roots, number of stems and broomrape shoot dry weight. But in the case of tomatoes traits, Paclobutrazol treatment in both concentrations of 0.1 and 0.01 mM reduced shoot dry weight, plant height and leaf area of tomato and produced the lowest leaf area ratio and specific leaf area compared with the control treatment (without broomrape). In general, it can be concluded that Abscisic acid (5 and 7 mM) and Uniconazole (3 and 4 mM) hormones had better results in the control of broomrape and lower limit of tomato growth and about Paclobutrazol, despite the favorable effect on broomrape control but in terms of decreasing treatments of tomato it is better tested at low concentration.

In order to evaluate the tolerance of pistachio some cultivars to salinity a pot experiment was carried with 2 factors including cultivar and salinity in the year 2013. The cultivars were Ghazvini, Shah Pasand, Akbari, Khanjari, Jandaghi, Italiyayi, Fndoghi 48, Sabz Pesteh Tohg, Ahmad Aghayi, Rezaie Zood Res, Mousa Abadi, Ebarahimi, Kaleh Ghochi and Badami Zarand. The salinity was applied in five levels including 0, 2.4, 4.8, 7.2 and 9.6 g/l of sodium chloride with electrical conductivity equal to 0.5, 4.9, 9.8, 14.74 and 19.8 ds/m, respectively). Results revealed that in all of the studied cultivars, branch height, branch diameter, number of total leaves, percentage of green leaves, fresh and dry weight of leaves, shoots and root, relative humidity content, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and total chlorophylls, reduced when salinity level increased. But, percentage of necrotic leaves, percentage of downfall leave, root/shoot fresh and dry weight ratio, relative ionic percentage and cell membrane injury percentage were increased. Overall, Ghazvini was found to be the most tolerant cultivar to salinity stress (14.75 ds/m) among the evaluated cultivars. In contrast, Mousa Abadi and Rezaie Zood Res were the most sensitive cultivars to salinity stress.

Apple is the most important horticultural crops that is allocated large share of world trade in agricultural products. Principles of sustainable fruit production systems are based on optimal use of natural resources (light, water, soil fertility) where the input (labour, energy, fuel, other material) and output (yield) are well balanced and the resources remain renewable. In such a system the minimizing of environmental polluting input (fuel and agrochemicals) is essential (4). Fruit orchards can be considered as artificial ecosystems converting the energy of photosynthetic active radiation (PAR) into edible, marketable fruits for human consumption (7).The core of this system is the bio-factory of leaves driven by the absorbed PAR. Several data support that the light interception is the basic factor for the modern orchard systems, albeit further factors as LAI, the spacing the trees, training and pruning systems, the species specific fruiting wood development, rootstocks also influence the orchard efficiency (7). Therefore, in this study, the effect of three different systems (V shape, HighTech and Cordon) was investigated on qualitative and quantitative traits as well as fruit skin color and concentration of nutrition element of fruit two cultivar ‘Gala’ and ‘Delbarestival’
Material and In order to evaluate the types of training systems on qualitative and quantitative traits as well as fruit skin color and concentration of nutrition element an experiment was carried out with two factors including cultivar and training systems in 2013. Training systems including (V shape, HighTech and Cordon) and cultivars were ‘Gala’ and ‘Delbarestival’.
Result and The results showed that types of training systems can affect on apple fruits quality and quantity and concentration of nutrition element. Fresh and dry weight of leaves (1.47 and 0.51 gr) and leaf area (4767.2 mm2) in training systems of HighTech was higher than two other systems. The highest rate of fruit set was observed in training systems of HighTech (14.67%) and V shape (13.07%) whereas the highest rate yield and yield efficiency was observed in training system of Cordon (13.42 kg/ha and 0.88 kg/cm2) and High tech (11.23 kg/ha and 0.69 kg/cm2) , in respectively. Fruit tissue firmness and fruit skin a* value and concentration of phosphor, potassium, calcium in fruits of cultivar ‘Gala’ in each three training system were significantly higher than cultivar ‘Delbarestival’. The result indicated that rate of fruit set (13.6%5), rate of yield (14.49 kg/tree) and yield efficiency and (0.93 kg/cm2), weight fruit (123.06 gr) and rate of EC (1.21) in cultivar ‘Gala’ were significantly higher than rate of fruit set (10.86%), rate of yield and yield efficiency (7.13 kg/tree and 0.53 kg/cm2), weight fruit (101.63 gr) and rate of EC (1.01) in cultivar of ‘Delbarestival’.
Generally, results of investigations qualitative and quantitative traits as well as skin color of fruit and concentration of nutrition element showed that cultivar ‘Gala’ in training systems HighTech and V shape and cultivar ‘Delbarestival’ in training systems High-tech and Cordon produced fruits with more quality favorite than other system, in respectively.

In order to investigate the effect of nitrogen fertilizer on tea yield and yield components in supplemental irrigation and rain fed conditions an experiment was conducted at Feshalam Tea research station in Fouman (Guilan) during (2008-2010). In this study, line-source irrigation technique and the strip plot experiment on randomized complete block design was used. Six levels of nitrogen, zero, 100, 200, 300, 400 and 500 kg ha-1 (N0 to N5) from urea as the main plots and five contiguous irrigation levels consist of full irrigation (I4), deficit irrigation (I1, I2, I3) and no-irrigation (I0) in four replications as sub-plots were arranged. The results showed that supplementary sprinkler irrigation and nitrogen fertilizer increased the number of harvested shoots in the months of water shortage during growing season. Full irrigation (3424 m3) with less nitrogen uptake increased dry matter of tea shoots. The highest yield (3928 kg ha-1 of made tea) was obtained with consumption of 200 to 300 kg N ha-1 under full irrigation condition and the lowest yield (788 kg ha-1 without irrigation and fertilizer. Application of 100 to 200 kg N ha-1 produced the highest yield (1672 kg ha-1) in rainfed conditions.

In order to quantify and simulate the response of lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L.) plants to cadmium (Cd) concentrations in the soil, a pot experiment was conducted using completely randomized design (CRD) with three replicates during 2014. The treatment consisted of twelve Cd concentrations from 0 to 300 mg kg-1 of Cd in the soil which was mixed with the experimental soil before planting. Lemon balm seeds were sown in pots containing different concentrations of cadmium. After eight weeks, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, SPAD value and finally morphological characteristics and fresh and dry weights of plant organs were measured. The results showed that response of vegetative and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters in lemon balm to Cd concentrations described by either linear (five parameters) or segmented (14 parameters) models. Vegetative traits, SPAD value and some chlorophyll fluorescence such as Fv/Fm, Fv/Fo and Y(II) decreased while Fo, Y(NPQ) and Y(NO) increased when Cd concentration increased in the soil. Lemon balm was more sensitive to lower concentration of Cd. The most studied parameters of lemon balm such as shoot fresh and dry weights, Fo, Fv/Fm and Fv/Fo reflect a sharp slope in lower Cd concentrations at the range of 0 to 75 mg kg-1 of Cd and then changed with a slight slope. In conclusion, lemon balm plants are tolerant to 175 to 200 mg kg-1 of Cd in the soil, however, its dry matter accumulation was decreased up to 50% when Cd levels in the soil was nearly 30 mg kg-1.