ابراهیم روحی

Vetches are especially important due to their resistance to cold and water-deficient stresses, and due to the high amount of crude protein and detergent fibers, they have the same nutritional value as alfalfa and clover. Planting vetch can increase soil nitrogen due to the symbiosis of its root nodes with Rhizobium bacteria. No-tillage reserves more moisture in the soil than other tillage systems. No-tillage and reduced tillage significantly increase mycorrhizal fungi in soil compared to conventional tillage. Increased leaf area index (LAI) and dry matter in plants under reduced and no-tillage systems have been observed, too. Also, increases in chlorophyll concentration, decreases in canopy temperature, increases in plant height and improvements in forage quality in plants under a no-tillage system have been reported. This experiment evaluated the effects of different types of tillage on morpho-physiological traits related to yield and quality of vetch forage to protect the soil and select the best tillage system.

This experiment was carried out in Saral Rainfed Agricultural Research Station located 55 km north of Sanandaj county, Kurdistan province, in the west of Iran. The effects of reduce tillage (RT), no-tillage (NT) and conventional tillage (CT) systems were evaluated on rainfed vetch in rotation with wheat during two years (2018-02019). Sowing date was 18 and 9th of October in the two experimental years respectively. All sampling of rhizobium nodules, relative leaf water content, leaf area index, chlorophyll and carotenoids, chlorophyll fluorescence, canopy temperature, enzymes, proline, hydrogen peroxide, malondialdehyde, leaf soluble proteins and carbohydrates, leaf elements took place in early seed filling stage. The combined (2-year data) analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed using SAS software by the general linear model (GLM). The means value were compared using Duncan’s range test at P ≤ 0.05.

In this study, the yield of dry forage in reduced and no-tillage systems increased by 14 and 24%, respectively, compared to CT. A significant relationship (R = 0.75*) was obtained between the relative leaf water content and dry forage yield. According to the results, vetch in the no-tillage system had the highest percentage of colonization (30.16%), the number of fungal spores (179.8), and rhizobium nodes (12.16) on the roots. The high symbiosis of mycorrhizal fungi in RT and NT compared to CT was probably due to higher water uptake and higher RWC. In the present study, vetches under the NT system probably had higher chlorophyll a and b concentration due to more moisture and higher nitrogen and phosphorus in leaves. The results showed that the tillage treatments had significant effects on the activity of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which was directly related to the amount of plant moisture and antioxidant enzymes. The lowest activity of enzymes was in vetches under a no-tillage system. 

In this experiment, reduced and no-tillage systems increased yield compared to conventional tillage. Significant increases in relative leaf water content and canopy temperature difference were observed in different types of tillage. Chlorophyll content and carotenoids in plants grown in the conventional tillage were lower than in reduce and no-tillage systems. The percentage of colonization, sporulation of mycorrhizal fungi, and the number of rhizobium nodes were higher in no-tillage system. The levels of antioxidant enzymes, hydrogen peroxide, malondialdehyde, and proline increased in CT compared to RT and NT. Types of tillage in rainfed conditions due to biological and structural changes in the soil cause positive morpho-physiological changes and forage quality in rainfed vetch seem to be effective in increasing yield and improving growth conditions.

Kamal, is a new winter bread wheat cultivar developed by the national rainfed bread wheat breeding program for the cold and temperate dryland areas of Iran. New cultivar created by crossing between Sbn//Trm/k253 and 88Zhong218//Ctk/Vee/3/Kvz/Gv//Prl in Maragheh Research Station. Kamal was selected from segregating population from F2-F7 in Maragheh (2002-2008) based on agronomic characteristics. Based on results, Kamal grain yield means in preliminary and advanced regional yield trail was 2234 and 1719 kgha-1, respectively. Results of elite trail in cold and moderate research stations (2012-2015) showed that the grain yield mean of Kamal was 2120 and means of Azar2 and Ohadi cultivars were 2066 and 2083 kgha-1, respectively. Kamal cultivar in East Azerbaijan province was compared with conventional control cultivars in the farmer fields for 3 years and the results showed that the average grain yield of Kamal and checks were 2604 and 2230 kgha-1 respectively. Kamal is a winter type variety with time to heading of 143 days, 67 cm plant height, 40, gr. 1000 kernel weight, 11.4% protein content, 20 ml Zeleni numer, 41 degree of hardness, 27% wet gluten and 15 unit of gluten index. Results revealed that Kamal cultivar is tolerant to cold and drought stresses, with suitable earliness, and good bread quality but susceptible to yellow rust and leaf rust, this xultivar way and released in 2019 under the name of Kamal for cold and moderate cold dry areas of Iran.

Considering the importance of cultivating rainfed oil plants and the possibility of introducing them in rotation with wheat, in the present study, the reactions of the morpho-physiological traits of safflower (Carthamus tinctorius) in response to different types of tillage in rainfed conditions were evaluated. The experiment was conducted based on a randomized complete block design with three replications at Saral Rainfed Agricultural Research Station of Kurdistan during 2017-2019 seasons. The treatments were no-tillage, reduced tillage, and conventional tillage systems. The results of this experiment showed that the types of tillage caused changes in the morpho-physiological traits of the safflower. The highest yield (796 kg/ha) was obtained from no-tilllage system, which showed an increase of 24.8 and 40 percent compared to reduce tillage and no-tillage, respectively. In the no-tillage system, relative water content (69%), chlorophyll (2.01 mg/gr fresh weight of leaves) and leaf area index (2.8) were respectively higher than reduce tillage and conventional tillage. The highest amount of catalase and superoxide dismutase enzymes (0.085 and 0.72 units mg protein per minute, respectively) was observed in the leaves of plants cultivated by conventional system. In conventional tillage, the root colonization and sporulation were decreased significantly compared to the other two tillage systems. Finally, the physiological and biochemical traits related to yield in no-tillage and reduce tillage showed a more favorable and stable situation than conventional tillage.

One of the main production challenges of rainfed wheat is its instability. It seems that the main reasons for this instability are the weakness of genetic diversity and weak operation of agrotechnical methods causing its performance to fluctuate constantly. In order to evaluate genetic diversity and impact of the penetration coefficient of new wheat cultivars in the rainfed areas of Kurdistan province, a study was conducted by developing demonstration farms during the three cropping years 2015-2016 to 2017-2018. For this purpose, the newly released wheat cultivars were transferred to the lands in two cold and moderate cold regions in the form of demonstration farms and were evaluated along with the conventional or local cultivars using common agronomic practices based on instructions of experts. The results showed that during three consecutive years with different climatic conditions in terms of precipitation and temperature, Varan cultivar with grain yield of 1736 kgha-1 and 23% increase in yield, had a significant advantage over Sardari (local check) with grain yield of 1406 kgha-1. Other best cultivars were Baran, Ouhadi, Homa and Azar 2 with grain yield of 1664, 1549, 1496 and 1482 kgha-1, respectively, with grain yield advantages of 18, 10, 6 and 5% compared to Sardari. In moderate cold region, where Azar 2 cultivar is often cultivated, Varan, Rizhav, Ouhadi, Baran and Parav cultivars had mean grain yields of 2820, 2322, 2196, 2196 and 2193 kgha-1, respectively with 42, 17, 11, 11 and 11% increase in grain yield compared to Azar 2 as the local check cultivar with the grain yield of 1983 kgha-1. Therefore, Varan and Baran varieties are recommended for cultivation in cold regions and Varan, Reijaw (in low altitude regions), Ouhadi and Baran are recommended for cultivation moderate the cold regions of Kurdistan province.

Water deficit is one of the abiotic stresses that has many adverse effects on crop growth and yield. Understanding the mechanisms of the effect of drought stress on the plant plays an important role in managing different irrigation regimes to deal with adverse environmental conditions and improve crop yield management. Quinoa as a nutritious crop has attracted particular attention in recent years. In arid and semi-arid conditions, quinoa can be successfully cultivated in marginal soils, indicating that quinoa is an unpredictable plant. Today, agriculture needs to increase production per unit area, despite the limited water resources. To achieve the best results from the cultivation of each crop, careful and calculated management is required. Irrigation intervals are one of the most critical strategies that can improve water use efficiency.

An experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of irrigation intervals and amounts on the quinoa's physiological traits and yield at the University of Kurdistan research farm, located in Dehgolan plain. The experiment was arranged in a split-plot scheme based on randomized complete blocks design with three replications. Four irrigation intervals (4, 8, 12, and 16 days) were considered the main factor, and four irrigation levels (100%, 75%, 50%, and 25% of plant water requirement) were considered secondary factors. Giza1 cultivar, which was obtained from the Seed and Plant Improvement Institute, was used for cultivation. Relative water content, membrane stability index, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll, carotenoid, carotenoid/total chlorophyll ratio, biological yield, grain yield, and harvest index were measured.

The relative water content of quinoa was decreased when the irrigation intervals increased. The highest decrease (13.87%) was observed in the irrigation interval once every 16 days compared to the control. The highest Relative water content was observed in the control treatment, while there were no significant differences between control and 75% water requirement treatments. The smallest (72.74%) and greatest (81.06%) membrane stability index were observed in 25% crop water requirement and control treatments. The highest chlorophyll a (10.68 mg.g-1 in dry weight), chlorophyll b (3.7 mg.g-1 in dry weight), and total chlorophyll (14.38 mg.g-1 in dry weight) content were observed in 100% crop water requirement with a 4-days interval, which was not significantly different from a 75% crop water requirement treatment with 4-days interval. The smallest (2.82 mg.g-1 in dry weight) and greatest (3.72 mg.g-1 in dry weight) carotenoid content were observed in 25% crop water requirement and control treatments. However, there were no significant differences between control and 75% crop water requirement treatment. Increasing the irrigation interval from 4 to 8 days reduced the biological yield and grain yield by 50.80% and 44.84%, respectively. The highest biological yield (4237 kg.ha-1) and grain yield (1602.6 kg.ha-1) were observed in the control treatment, which was not significantly different with 75% crop water requirement. The lowest (43.94%) and highest (50.78%) harvest index were obtained in the irrigation intervals of 4 and 16 days, respectively. Plants that were irrigated every 4 days at 25% of the plant water requirement had the highest water use efficiency (0.63 kg m-3). Among irrigation amount treatments, the highest harvest index was observed in 25% water requirement. Increasing the irrigation intervals increased the grain protein content so that the 16-days irrigation interval treatment had the highest protein content, although it was not significantly different from the 12-day irrigation interval. The lowest grain protein content was observed in the control treatment, which was not significantly different with a 75% crop water requirement treatment. Drought stress reduced the relative leaf water content, membrane stability index, chlorophyll content, leaf carotenoids, biological yield, harvest index, and quinoa seed yield.

The results of the present study showed that despite the negative effects of drought stress on some physiological parameters, quinoa plant showed good relative resistance against water shortage, so that by providing just 25% of crop water requirements 812 kg.ha-1 could be achieved, which is considerable compared to many crops. Due to the fact that irrigation by 75% of plant water requirement did not reduce grain yield compared to control conditions, so this treatment can be used to irrigate the plant.

In order to investigate the effect of seed inoculation with Azotobacter and, urea and manure on yield and protein content of rainfed wheat, an experiment was carried out with two levels of manure including M0 (without manure) and M15 (15 ton per hectare) and ten fertilizer treatments with different application methods of urea and seed inoculation with Azotobacter. Experimental treatments on Azar2 variety included T1=Check (without application of urea), T2=Total of urea in autumn, T3=Total of urea in spring, T4=Half of urea in autumn + Half of urea in spring, T5=Half of urea in autumn + spraying of urea in spring, T6=Inoculation of seed with Azotobacter, T7=(T2+T6), T8=(T3+T6), T9=(T4 +T6), T10= (T5+T6) as subplots. The experiment was carried out with three replications in fallow-wheat rotation as split-plot in a randomized complete block design at Ghamloo Research Station. Results showed that the effect of manure on biological yield, grain yield, and thousand kernel weight (TKW) was significant at 1%, 1%, and 5% probability levels, respectively. The effects of urea treatments on biological yield, grain yield, and TKW were all significant at 1% probability levels. Interaction effects of manure and fertilizer treatments on biological yield, grain yield, and TKW were not significant. Mean comparison of different traits on Duncan multiple range tests, indicated that grain yield of T4, T8, T3, T2, T5, T9, T7, and T10 compared with check increased significantly (p<0.05) as 845, 833, 759, 755, 678, 657, 670 and 622 kg. ha-1, respectively, and all were in one statistical group. T6 did not differ relative to the check. Interaction effects of manure and fertilizer treatments on grain protein content were significant (p<0.05). Mean comparison of the main effect of different fertilizer treatments were indicated that except for treatment 6, other treatments compare with check were increased grain protein content but this increase was significant (p<0.05) only for T8. Generally, result indicated that for rainfed wheat, the best application time of total urea was in autumn; and in the conditions of using half of urea in autumn, foliar application of urea (5%) in spring (tillering stage) as a plant nitrogen supplement can be recommended.

The high nutritional value of quinoa and its ability to grow under adverse environmental conditions have led to an increase in the area under cultivation globally. Quinoa has attracted particular attention in recent years due to its ability to grow under adverse environmental conditions and its high nutritional value.  Water scarcity stress is one of the non-bioenvironmental stresses that has destructive effects on crops' development and yield. Morphological, physiological, and biochemical reactions of plants to water deficiency depend on several factors, including stress intensity, duration of stress, and plant growth stage. Increased proline content, glycine betaine, total carbohydrates, and decreased yield under water stress conditions have been reported in various quinoa studies. The low cost of growing quinoa and its relatively high price, on the one hand, and the need for low water and adaptation to difficult climatic conditions, on the other hand, have made quinoa cultivation very economical. Due to the lack of water resources in different parts of the country and the fact that few studies have been done on quinoa cultivation in our country, the present study was conducted to investigate the effect of different irrigation regimes on some biochemical parameters and quinoa yield.

An experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of irrigation intervals and amounts on the quinoa's physiological traits and yield at the University of Kurdistan research farm, located in Dehgolan plain. The experiment was arranged in a split-plot scheme based on randomized complete blocks design with three replications. Four irrigation intervals (4, 8, 12, and 16 days) were considered the main factor, and four irrigation levels (100%, 75%, 50%, and 25% of plant water requirement) were considered secondary factors. Giza1 cultivar, which was obtained from the Seed and Plant Improvement Institute, was used for cultivation. Traits such as the content of proline, glycine betaine, soluble carbohydrates, insoluble carbohydrates, catalase activity, peroxidase activity, and grain yield were studied. Data analysis of variance was performed using SAS 9.1 statistical software, and means were compared using the Duncan test at 5% probability level. Excel software was also used to draw the graphs.

The effect of irrigation intervals and levels were significant on all studied traits. The study results showed that by reducing the plant's available water and increasing the irrigation intervals, the amount of proline, glycine betaine, soluble carbohydrates, insoluble carbohydrates, peroxidase activity, and catalase activity were increased, but the grain yield was decreased. Increasing the irrigation intervals from 4 to 8 days did not significantly affect grain yield, but increasing the interval to 12 and 16 days reduced grain yield by 24.4 and 44.8%, respectively. The highest grain yield was observed at full irrigation treatment (1866.5 kg.ha-1) but there was no significant difference with the treatment of 75% of the plant water requirement. The rate of yield reduction in the treatment of 25% of plant water requirement compared to the control was about 56.5%.

The results showed that quinoa produced acceptable levels of yield even under severe drought stress, i.e., when the irrigation interval increases or the water availability decreases. Based on our results, one reason for this is stress reduction mechanisms by the quinoa plant, such as increasing the content of compatible osmolites and increasing antioxidant enzymes' activity.

The effect of tillage methods on the quantitative and qualitative yield of rainfed wheat cultivars in different seed rates under a fallow-wheat rotation system during three cropping seasons (2017-1999 to 2009-2010) at Saral Research Station was studied. A strip split plot design based on RCBD with three replications was used. Conventional Tillage, CT(tillage with moldboard in spring followed by disk harrow in summer), Minimum Tillage, MT(Stubble cultivator after harvesting in summer) and No Tillage, NT(direct planting without soil disturbance) as horizontal, rainfed wheat cultivars(Azar 2, Baran and Sardari) as vertical and different seed rates(300, 350, 400 and 450 seeds per square meter) were considered as subplots. The results showed CT compares with MT and NT, increased grain yield by 22% and 21%, respectively. Wheat cultivars did not affect grain yield, significantly. The seed rate of 350 grain per square meter produced more grain yield than other treatments. Apart from the interaction of year × tillage, none of the interactions were significant. There was no significant difference between cultivars and seed rate in terms of protein percentage, but the effect of tillage was significant at 1% level, so that the highest and the lowest amount of grain protein was found in CT(12.72%) and MT (11.59%), respectively. The response of wheat cultivars to seed rate and tillage in the wheat-fallow system was not significantly differed. Due to the long fallow period and the reduction of residues on the soil surface followed by sharp decline in yield, conservation tillage is not recommended.

In order to produce wheat lines with high tolerance to drought and cold stresses, Sadra variety was generated by a cross between Sardari (male) and promising line Azadi/Azar (female) in Maragheh research station. Results of studies in the cold and moderate cold research stations showed that the grain yield means of Sadra, Azar2 and Sardari cultivars were 2394, 2332 and 2214 kgha-1, respectively, so that grain yield of Sadra was 8% and 3% higher than Sardari and Azar2 check cultivars, respectively. Sadra has a good adaptability to different climatic conditions, so that the new cultivar possess a great potential to be more productive during years with higher precipitation. According to the results, the mean grain yield of Sadra, Azar 2 and Sardari cultivars under optimal rainfall conditions were 3330, 3045 and 2522 kgha-1, respectively. Sadra cultivar has good general adaptability and grain yield stability, winter growth habit, high tolerance to cold and drought stresses, date to heading of 137 days, plant height of 80 cm and 1000 kernel weight of 35 gr. One of the most important characteristics of Sadra is its bread-making quality, so that Sadra with Zeleni number of 33, protein content of 11.3%, hardness of 47, wet gluten content of 30, gluten index of 50 and SDS sedimentation volume of 55 has a great bread-making quality. Based on its high yield potential and other appropriate agronomic characteristics, Sadra cultivar was released for cultivation in the cold and moderate cold dryland conditions of Iran.

Release of new wheat cultivars with good characteristics such as high yield performance and resistance to diseases for specific regions under rainfed condition is an essential task for sustainability of wheat production. Saein was generated by crossing between: Azar2 and 87Zhong291 (with facultative growth type, high yield performance, good thousand kernel weight and resistance to diseases) in 1999-2000 in Maragheh Research Station. Grain yield means of Saein and Azar2 (as check cultivar) during 2006-2013 cropping seasons in Maragheh Research Station were 2601 and 2493 kgha-1 under rainfed condition and 3529 and 3223 kgha-1 with a supplementary irrigation at the sowing time, respectively. Results showed that Saein had also a specific adaptability in Ardabil regions and grain yield means of Saein (new cultivar), Ohadi and Azar2 (as check cultivars) in Ardabil were 1604, 1267 and 1355 kgha-1, respectively. Results of an on-farm study, in the farmer field in Ardabil province, showed that grain yield means of Saein and Azar2 during 2013-2014 cropping season were 2307 and 2275 kgha-1, respectively. The new cultivar is resistant to yellow rust, resistant to moderately resistant to leaf rust and also resistant to common bunt and dwarf bunt as well as resistant to cold damage, lodging and seed shuttering. New cultivar has winter growth type, white grain color, 76 cm plant height and 33 gr 1000 kernel weight. Based on its good characteristics, this line was released as a new wheat cultivar with the commercial name of Saein in 2015 and was recommended for cultivation in rainfed regions in Ardabil province, in the cold dryland areas in the north west of Iran and also in areas with the potential of supplementary irrigation.

Chickpea (Cicerarietnum) as the third most important grain legume in the world is not only an important source of feed but also improve soil fertility by adding nitrogen. This study was aimed to assess the variability of morphological trait, to estimate PCV, GCV, heritability, and expected genetic advance of quantitative traits of Chickpea. The genotypes were planted in a randomized complete block design with two replications. PCA analysis showed first four factors justified almost near to 78.3 percent variance among studied characters. Cluster analysis via Ward method classified all enotypes in three groups and the highest genetic distance wasobserved between cluster 1 and cluster 3. It is shown that the seed yield (0.88) trait has the highest PCV and GCV. The highest heritability was found for 100- seed weight (0.88), number of day to flowering (0.83) and plant height whereas high heritability coupled with high genetic advance was found for seed yield. So seed yield can be the most important criteria for selection parental lines in breeding programs. Also in regard to the highest genetic distance between cluster 1 and cluster 3, genotypes of two clusters could be used for intercrossing to develop improved cultivars.