فهرست مطالب سید حسین نعمتی

 Climate change predictions indicate that drought and extreme heatwaves will become more frequent and extreme in many regions. Drought is the main abiotic stress that severely reduces plant yield across the globe. Thus, this may have negative consequences for the agricultural soils, as it limits the availability of water and nutrients to soil microorganisms and plants that develop on these soils. To cope with this situation, the use of organic amendments is the best option. Recent studies have shown that the application of organic fertilizers can affect soil moisture and thus, mitigate the negative effect of climate change on that parameter. Organic amendments increase soil organic matter content thus improving soil physical, chemical, and biological properties, and therefore, can confer drought resistance to soils. The application of organic residues has been presented as a great strategy against soil degradation in semiarid environments. However, the interactions between organic amendments and drought in hollyhock plants are not fully known. Here, we evaluate whether the organic amendment influences the physiological traits of hollyhocks and soil properties under drought conditions.

 The experiment was conducted in the research field at Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran. The experiment consisted of three factors (cultivars, organic amendments, and drought) with organic amendments and drought having four and three levels, respectively. Drought treatments were controlled by a TDR at 80, 60, and 40% FC. The three sources of organic amendments were used cow manure, rice hull and wheat straw. Seeds were planted in cocopeat, perlite, and peat mixture trays in the greenhouse with an average temperature of 20 °C and under a photoperiod of 14 hours of light and 10 hours of darkness with a light intensity of 400 μmol-1 m2. In the 5-6 leaf stage, seedlings were transferred in pots (18 cm high and 8 cm in diameter) containing field soil. The plants were transferred to the field with four different substrates (field soil, field soil + manure, field soil + rice hull, and field soil + wheat straw) and were exposed to drought stress for one month during the flowering stage. This analysis examined both the physical and chemical properties of the soil, including changes in the macroelements nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.

 Soil nitrogen changes were significantly affected by the interactions of ecotype with drought, ecotype with the medium, and drought stress with medium. The highest nitrogen changes were recorded in Mashhad ecotype under 80% FC. Nitrogen content in amended soil had an increasing trend during the experiment, but the amount of nitrogen had a decreasing trend in soil. In all media under stress, the amount of soil phosphorus was increased and the highest amount of phosphorus was observed in soil + manure at all irrigation regimes. The highest amount of potassium in both ecotypes was observed in soil + manure. The amount of potassium in amended soils under stress significantly increased, but in all organic amendments with increasing drought stress from 80 to 40% FC, the potassium content decreased. In both ecotypes, soil salinity was increased in all culture media. Han et al. (2016) stated that the amount of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in the amended soil was higher than the substrates containing chemical fertilizer. The medium EC was alkaline at the end of the experiment and the salinity of the culture medium increased compared to the control. This study revealed a negative correlation between electrolyte leakage and dry weight in hollyhock plants. Furthermore, all measured physiological and growth parameters were significantly affected by the treatments. Notably, the Mashhad ecotype grown in soil supplemented with animal manure at 80% field capacity (FC) exhibited the highest levels of physiological traits (SPAD and relative water content) and growth index (dry weight).The application of manure + soil by providing macro elements reduces the negative effects of drought stress.

 The type of crops grown in arid and semi-arid regions should be reconsidered. Also, some plants with high water requirements should be replaced with plants with low and unexpected water requirements. Because hollyhocks are low-expected plants that grow well in drought areas, so they can be considered as suitable species for cultivation in low-input systems and can tolerate drought situations by 40% FC in amended soil.

 Mentha is one of the most important genera of aromatic plants which belongs to the Lamiaceae family. The genus of Mentha is distributed across Asia, Africa, Australia, Europe, and North America. Mentha longifolia L., also known as wild mint, is a fast-growing aromatic perennial herb. It is widely used as herbal medicine and is beneficial for the immune system and fighting with secondary infections. The essential oil of this plant is partly responsible for the decongestant, antispasmodic and antibiotic effects. Currently, much emphasis is being laid on conserving plant germplasm as valuable bio-resources. Selection between and within accessions for a high level of herbage yield and other characters requires an effective tool to be applied by mint breeders. Achieving to cultivars that are more capable of optimum producing is a breeding goal. The objectives of this study were to analyze the diversion of the agronomical traits of Mentha longifolia L. genotypes from different regions of Iran under a similar condition in order to find the superior genotypes and introduce for the domestication of this plant.

This research was performed at the research field of the Ferdowsi University of Mashhad. The field is located at 36˚15' North latitude and 59˚38' East longitude, at an altitude of 985 meters. The information related to temperature and precipitation was obtained from climate station. Soil sampling was done in the depth of 0.3 meter and physical experiments on samples were done before starting the experiment. The field was fertilized by 25 kg/ha animal manure. Seeds of 20 genotypes of M. longifolia L. were prepared from Gene Bank of Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands and a view of the wild mint genotypes distribution was presented on the map. The experiment was performed in a field with 500m2 areas in 2015-2016 growing seasons. The experiment in form of compound analysis arranged in complete randomized design with three replicates of 20 wildmint's genotypes in every replication. In each furrow, fourteen bush was totally studied, in which the distance between the two plants was 20 cm. The plot was considered 1.2 by 3 m and the distance between rows was 0.50 m. The dimension in the plots for every replication area was 3.6 m2 and the distance between blocks were 1.5 and between experimental units were 0.5 meters. Picking up was done after elimination of 0.5 meters from every side of replication. The essential oil was extracted using Clevenger type apparatus and by hydrodistillation.

Analysis of variance showed that the effect of the diversity among the genotypes on morphological, agronomical and essential oil yield parameters of wild mint was significant (P≤0.01). The results of this study showed that Mentha longifolia L. herb has a high diversity under the same culture conditions among genotypes collected from 20 regions of Iran.  Correlation result shows that vegetative organs have more effect on the essential oil content than the reproductive organs. This may be due to the distribution of essential oil accumulation and storage sites, which requires further research in this regard. The study of vegetative and reproductive characteristics suggests that the genotypes of the dry and semi-arid climates have different conditions, which may causes the separation of their genotypes compared with the other genotypes. The bi-plot, based on PC1 and PC2, reflects the relationships between the studied genotypes. The results of bi-plot of cluster analysis confirmed that genotypes were divided into two main groups based on agronomical and morphological traits.

 Finally, plants of genotype G13 belongs to Hormozgan province and then G16 genotype belongs to Khuzestan province were selected because of more biomass, more aerial part volume and also the most essential oil performance compared to the other genotypes. Desirable traits for the aerial part such as the time of flowering, leaf length, leaf width, plant height, the highest number of leaves in the stem and internode distance are important traits that should be considered. In addition, the cultivation of these genotype in order to the further production can be the great help in the domestication of this species and, given the fact that the diversity is a precursor of breeding, this research can be an introduction for future breeding operations. However, further research is needed to confirm the phytochemical superior genotypes.

Camelina (Camelina sativa) is an important oilseed crop from the Brassicaceae family. This plant is important due to its industrial, health and food applications, and the cultivated area of this product is increasing, and important features of this plant. It can be attributed to the low need of this plant for inputs and high resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. A factorial experiment in the form of a complete block design using SAS statistical software of the seeds of two varieties of Camelina (Sohail and Line 69) in terms of the effect of foliar spraying of micronutrients iron, zinc, manganese and the combined treatment and the control treatment immediately after closing After the formation of 50% of the seeds, foliar spraying was done and it was investigated during 3 repetition. The images prepared from Camelina plant embryos were evaluated and checked and the results of image analysis were compared with the results of the germination . The results of this experiment showed that the seed of line 69, which had the minimum cotyledon length, the minimum embryonic axis length, the minimum seed length and the maximum seed width in the combined foliar spraying treatment, had the minimum ratio of the embryonic axis length to the seed length, the minimum cotyledon length ratio It is related to the seed length and the minimum seed length to width ratio that the smaller size of the seed in line 69 has led to a decrease in the percentage and speed of germination .

Sweet pepper is a rich source of essential vitamins and minerals. On the other hand, pepper fruit contains high levels of antioxidants and beneficial substances such as vitamin C, carotenoids and phenolic compounds. It also contains high concentrations of potassium. These compounds has nutritional and antioxidant capacity. Sweet pepper originated from the tropical region, which is sensitive to cold. Therefore, it is necessary to know the defense mechanism of the pepper plant against low temperatures. In this study, the effect of foliar application of salicylic acid and vermicompost on different cultivars of sweet pepper under cold stress has been studied.

The experimental design was a factorial split-plot experiment in a randomized complete block design with three replications in a greenhouse located in Mashhad in the crop year 1396 and 1397. Cultivation was performed hydroponically. The main factor of temperature treatment had two levels [9 ± 2°C (cold stress) and 23 ± 2°C (optimum)] and the sub factor consisting of two sweet pepper cultivars (green, yellow) and Different amounts of Salicylic acid (The dose of 0 μmol salicylic acid was used as control group, 200, 300 μmol) and vermicompost). Sampling of the plants at the end of the growing season, to measure the physiological characteristics and quality were randomly.

The results showed that there was no significant difference between different cultivars in most traits except vitamin C, beta-carotenoids and lycopene. Maximum dry matter (17.2g), TA (13.6 g l-1) in non-stress cold treatment, and soluble solids (5.03 brix),, carbohydrates(174.5 mg g-1), and anti-activity Oxidation (90.3%)  were obtained in cold stress treatment. Damage due to cold stress destroyed the structure of many membrane lipids and resulted in an increase in the amount of antioxidant compounds. Soluble solids are known to be key components in increasing cold resistance. An increase in the amount of soluble solids in winter is part of the plant's adaptation mechanism to cold. The highest yield of fruit per plant(740 g) was obtained in non-cold stress treatment plus salicylic acid 300 μmol. Because salicylic acid in plants improves yield and yield components. Maximum of flavonoids (159.4 mg g-1) was obtained in salicylic acid 200 μmol. Flavonoids are a large group of phenolic compounds in plants that increase their production in environmental stresses by increasing the activity of PAL enzyme. On the other hand, the use of salicylic acid as a stressor causes the production of a wide range of flavonoids. The highest amount of beta-carotene and lycopene were obtained in cold stress treatment, yellow cultivar, and salicylic 300 μmol. Decreased content of carotenoids under stress can be due to oxidation by active oxygen and damage to their structure. Increased photosynthetic pigments under SA treatment indicate the protective effect of this growth regulator on photosynthesis and photosynthetic pigments of stressed plants. Maximum vitamin C was obtained in cold stress treatment (140.7 mg 100 g-1, yellow cultivar (134.7 mg.100g-1), and salicylic 300 μmol (142.52 mg.100 g-1).

According to the results, the of the present study show that use of salicylic acid foliar application modulates the effect of cold stress on the physiological and functional parameters of sweet pepper so that SA can improve cold tolerance by regulating the activities of apoplastic antioxidative enzymes. Therefore, it is suggested that due to sudden changes in temperature due to climate change and the destructive effects of temperature stress, especially cold, on plants, more and more complete research should be done to identify the effects of these stresses and ways to deal with them.

Soil salinity is one of the most important abiotic factors that has an adverse effect on plant growth. Despite the difference in salt tolerance among different varieties and species of roses, saline soils contain a significant concentration of salt, which can damage rose species in green spaces irrigated with saline water. This research was conducted in order to investigate the effect of different levels of pistachio tree biochar on some biochemical properties of rose, based on a factorial experiment with a 3x4 arrangement and a completely randomized design with four replications. This research included two factors: biochar at four levels (no application, 25, 50 and 100 gr per 1 kg of potting soil) and salinity from sodium chloride salt at three levels (0, 75 and 150 mM). The results showed a decrease in petal anthocyanin as well as an increase in proline and total phenol following the increase in salinity. However, the use of biochar in the amount of 3 kg at a stress of 75 mM increases petal anthocyanin, potassium, and the ratio of potassium to sodium by 1.17, 1.02, and 1.26 times, respectively, and decreases proline, total phenol, and sodium, respectively. It was found to be 0.87, 0.41 and 0.81 times higher compared to the control treatment. 75 mM salinity increases carbohydrates, antioxidants, and flavonoids by 1.03, 1.02, and 1.02 times, respectively, and decreases calcium and iron by 0.92 and 0.71 times, respectively, compared to the control (no use). from Biochar) On the other hand, biochar at the level of three kilograms caused a significant decrease in flavonoids by 0.99 times and an increase in iron by 1.22 times compared to the control. In general, it can be said that three kilograms of biochar had a significant effect on reducing the negative effects of salinity stress resulting from irrigation on rose plants. For this reason, the use of biochar in order to reduce the adverse effects of salinity stress in salinity-sensitive plants, including roses, and considering the expansion of saline lands in the world and especially in Iran, is important and plays a significant role in compensating for the resulting damage. Therefore, it is suggested that it be tested on a larger scale (farm level) as well as other stress factors such as cold, heat and drought.

In order to investigation of influence drought stress and salinity stress on photosynthetic pigments and concentration of elements of Mentha piperita L and influence foliar spraying of selenium, an experiment of split in time and with three replications was performed in research greenhouse in Torbat-e Jam region, Iran and in during 2020, including three levels of Salinity (S1=0, S2=50 and S3=100 mmol NaCl), three levels of irrigation (I1=100, I2=75 and I3=50 percent of water requirements) and two levels of selenium (0 and 5 mgrperlit Na2SeO4). results showed that with increasing level of drought and salinity stresses, chlorophyll a, b and total and carotenoids decreased. Also, foliar spraying of selenium (5 mgr/lit Na2SeO4), respectively, 5/53, 6/10, 7/59 and 8/10 percentage was added to chlorophyll a, b and total and carotenoids in Mentha piperita L plant. Investigating effect of drought and salinity stresses on the concentration of elements in Mentha piperita L plant showed that with increasing level of drought stress from I1 to I2 and I3 , concentration of iron respectively, 6/61 and 68/59, concentration of zinc respectively, 9/09 and 181/8, concentration of sodium respectively, 26/39 and 62/93 and concentration of potassium respectively, 11/91 and 12/77 were added and with the increasing of salinity stress from S1 to S2 and S3, from concentration of iron, respectively, 19/94 and 27/81, and from concentration of zinc respectively, 87/10 and 83/57 percentage decreased and concentration of sodium from 8/45 to 21/87 and 123/67 mg/gr increased respectively. Also, with increasing level of salinity stress from S1 to S2 and S3, concentration of potassium respectively, 2/17 percentage increased and 21/55 percentage decreased. results showed that selenium is effective in reducing the effects of salinity and drought stresses and on photosynthetic pigments and concentration of elements in Mentha piperita L plant.

Drought and salinity stress are the most important limiting factors for plant growth. Selenium has been introduced as one of the useful elements against the destructive effects of stress. To the investigation of influence salinity and drought stress on water productivity and some characteristics of Mentha piperita L in the presence of selenium, an experiment on the split in time was performed in the Torbat-e Jam region, Iran in 2020, including two levels of cut (cut1 and cut2), three levels of irrigation (including full irrigation (100% of water requirement) = I1, I2=75% I1 and I3= 50% I1), three levels of Salinity (0, 50 and 100 mmol NaCl) and selenium factor in 2 levels (0 and 5 mg/l Na2SeO4). The result showed that fresh and dry weight, plant height, the number of leaves per plant, and the number of nodes decrease under salinity and drought stress. Generally fresh and dry weight, plant height, number of leaves per plant, number of nodes, Essential Oil percentage, and water productivity in the first cut was more than in the second cut. Also, foliar spraying of selenium (5 mgr/lit Na2SeO4) increased the above characteristics and also increased plant resistance against salinity and drought stress. The result showed with increasing salinity and drought stress respectively water productivity increased and decreased. the result showed that the percentage of essential oil increased by applying mild stresses in the form of deficit irrigation and then by applying intense stress, the percentage of essential oil decreased. Also result showed that the use of saline water in the conditions of drought stress caused intensification of reduction in fresh and dry weight, number of nodes and percentage of essential oil.

As the population grows and cities expand, the demand for more green spaces has also increased. Grass is widely recognized as one of the most important ground covers in the world. However, the development of green spaces is hindered by a severe shortage of water resources and challenges associated with managing and maintaining grass. The composition of trees and plants may cause to inhibitory or stimulation effects on crops, called allopathic effects. Therefore, understanding the allopathic effects is important to determine appropriate methods of cultivation and product management to prevent interference of allopathic substances in the growth and production of products.
 This study was performed in two separate experiments as a factorial based on completely randomized design at Ferdowsi University of Mashhad. In the first experiment, the effect of three different levels of plant residue powder (zero, 0.46 and 1 g) of three types of trees (Pine, Silk and Chinaberry) on germination and growth of Lolium prenne and Festuca arundinaceae grasses with four replications in the greenhouse was investigated.  The second experiment, the effect of 5 ml of aqueous extract prepared from plant residues of the mentioned trees on germination and growth of the mentioned grasses in three replications in the laboratory was investigated. At the end of both experiments, some of morophology traits (weight, length, germination index) were measured. Minitab software was used to analyze the data obtained from both experiments.
 According to the analysis of variance table of the first experiment, the results show that the simple effect of grass treatment on plant and root length, fresh weight, germination percentage and rate are significantly different. In the simple effect of treatment the quantity of plant residues, all traits have a significant difference. Also, in the simple effect of treatment of plant residue kind, plant length, root length, fresh and dry weight, germination percentage and rate were significantly different. Interaction grass and the quantity of plant residues treatment and the interaction of grass and kind of plant residues treatment, all measured traits had a significant difference. The interaction triple treatments plant length, root length, dry weight, germination percentage and rate differences were observed. Therefore, in the interaction triple treatments, the most and least plant lengths were observed related to the treatment of Lolium grass with 0.46 gr of Pine residue powder and the treatment of Festuca with 1 gr of Chinaberry residue powder. Also, the most and least root lengths were related to Lollium grass with 0.46 gr of Pine plant residue powder and Festuca grass with 1 gr of Pine plant residue powder. In the triple of dry weight the most amount was related to Festuca with 1 gr of Chinaberry residue powder and the least was related to Lolium control. The most and least germination percentages belonged to the control Festuca and lollium with 0.46 gr of pine plant residue powder respectively, and in the trait of germination rate, the most amount belonged to the control Festuca and the least to the control lollium has been observed. The results of the second experiment demonstrated a significant difference in all measured traits including grass treatment, plant length, fresh and dry weight, germination percentage and rate, and simple effect of plant extract. Moreover, the interaction of grass treatment and plant residue extract showed significant differences in root length, plant length, fresh weight, dry weight, and germination rate and percentage. Comparison of the mean interaction of grass treatment and type of plant residues revealed that the control Festuca had the highest plant length, while Lolium with Silk residue extract had the lowest. The longest and shortest root lengths were observed in control Lolium and Lolium with Silk residues, respectively. The highest and lowest fresh weight were recorded in Lolium control and Lolium grass along with Silk residue extract, respectively. For the dry weight trait, the highest amount was related to the treatment of Lolium grass with pine residue extract, while the lowest dry weight was observed in Festuca grass and Lolium grass with Silk residue extract. In terms of the germination percentage trait, control Festuca and Festuca with pine residue extract had the highest germination percentage, while Lolium with Chinaberry residue extract and Lolium with Silk residue extract had the lowest.  The most and least germination rates belonged to Festuca control and Lolium with Chinaberry residue extract. From these discussions, it can be concluded that the allelchemicals in the powder extract of plant residues have had a significant effect on the yield of these two grasses and have reduced growth and germination. Decreased germination due to allelopathic stress can be due to different abnormalities in metabolic activity, seed saturation potential, death of some dividing cells and embryonic abnormalities.
 Based on the results of both experiments, it can be concluded that Chinaberry and Silk trees have a stronger allelopathic effect compared to Pine. Additionally, the performance of both grasses in response to residues and extracts containing allelochemicals was slightly different. For instance, in the second experiment, the impact of Chinaberry extract reduced plant length by 28%, root length by 89%, dry weight by 16%, germination percentage by 75%, and germination rate by 85% compared to the Festuca control treatment. Similarly, the effect of Chinaberry extract on Lolium grass resulted in a 96% reduction in plant growth, 97% reduction in root length, 98% reduction in wet weight, 50% reduction in dry weight, 89% reduction in germination percentage, and 89% reduction in germination rate compared to the Lollium control treatment.

Water scarcity particularly in arid and semi-arid areas has been threatening food security for millions of people. Considering that Iran is located in an arid and semi-arid zone and crop production is not possible without irrigation management. In areas where crops are irrigated management and proper planning are necessary for optimal use of water. Due to the quantitative and qualitative decline of groundwater resources, it is essential to optimize water use in agriculture. One of the methods to optimize water use in agriculture, especially in arid regions, is to use yield-water-salinity functions. Also, Selenium has been introduced as one of the useful elements against the destructive effects of salinity and water stresses. Peppermint with the scientific name Mentha piperita L is one of the medicinal and aromatic plants whose essential oil has many medicinal, food, cosmetic and health uses. Given that salinity stress and drought stresses are serious issues and problems in arid regions, in such conditions, it is very important to predict crop performance under drought and salinity conditions.Therefore, this study was performed for the prediction of Mentha piperita L yield and the determination of optimal production function under salinity and water stress conditions in a research greenhouse in the Torbat-e Jam region.One of the other innovations of this research is the investigation of the effect of selenium on these production functions and also on water productivity, with the assumption of increasing plant tolerance against salinity and drought stress.An experiment of the split in time was performed in a completely randomized block design with three replications including two levels of cut (cut1 and cut2), Salinity factor in 3 levels (0, 50, and 100 mmol NaCl, three levels of irrigation (including full irrigation (100% of water requirement) = I1, I2=75% I1 and I3= 50% I1), and selenium factor in 2 levels (0 and 5 mg/lit Na2SeO4).To properly establish the plants, the plants were irrigated every other day for two weeks after the transfer of the rhizomes, then as soon as the emergence of new leaves, the pots were treated with sodium selenate (Na2SeO4) in the form of foliar spraying with concentrations of 0 and 5 mg/l, foliar spraying was done three times every other day, and 24 hours after the last foliar spraying, plants under other treatments (salinity and drought stress) were placed. Salinity treatments were added to the pots from the lowest amount and higher concentrations were added gradually over several days. To determine water requirement was used Class A evaporation pan and water treatments were applied based on it. To calculate the water requirement, plant coefficients of peppermint were determined for the initial, development, and middle growth stages, respectively, 0.69, 1.03, and 1.27. 30 days after the application of salinity stress and drought stress, the first cut was done, for a more detailed investigation, the second cut was done 45 days after the first cut.Yield data of Mentha piperita L (yield of two cuts gathered for better estimation together), once in the presence of selenium and once in the absence of selenium were fitted to different production functions including simple linear, Cobb-Douglas, quadratic, and transient models and the optimum one was determined after sensitivity analysis. The results showed that the coefficient of determination (R2) for estimation of the yield in the presence of selenium by quadratic, transcendental, simple linear, and Cobb-Douglas functions were 0.986, 0.981, 0.946, and 0.897, respectively. In the absence of selenium these coefficient were 0.998, 0.995, 0,959 and 0/871, respectively. According to the results of this research, the quadratic production function is recommended as the optimal production function for the yield of Mentha piperita L in the presence and absence of selenium in the Torbat-e Jam region. Therefore, to optimize the agricultural water consumption for the peppermint plant, it is suggested to use the quadratic production function in this region. Also, the results of the statistical parameters show a higher accuracy of the fitted function in the absence of selenium than in the presence of selenium.Also, the results showed water productivity in the presence of selenium was 17.81% higher than its value in the absence of selenium. It can be concluded that Selenium increases water productivity.

In this experiment, we investigated impacts of various LED light qualities, including 100% red, 100% blue, 70% red + 30% blue, and 100% white with the same light intensity 75±5 µmol m-2 s-1 for 30 days on the growth and mineral element concentrations in grafted onto ‘Maxifort’ rootstock and non-grafted tomato seedlings. Photoperiod, temperature, and relative humidity of the growth chamber were maintained at 16 h, 25/21±2 °C (day/night), and 95%, respectively. Results showed that the maximum of plant height was obtained in non-grafted seedlings under 100% R light. The maximum of stem diameter was obtained under 100% B and 70% R:30 %B treatments. The maximum of root fresh weight was obtained under 100% W and 70 % R:30 %B treatments, while the maximum of root dry weight was obtained under 70 % R:30 % B light treatment. The maximum of leaf area, shoot and total dry weight were obtained in non-grafted seedlings under 70 % R:30 % B light treatment. In addition, non-grafted seedlings under 100% R treatment had the highest P concentration. The maximum of K was obtained in grafted seedlings under 100% B, 100% R and 70 % R:30 %B light treatments and non-grafted seedlings under 100% W and 70 % R:30 % B light treatments. Grafted seedlings under 100% B had the highest Ca concentration. In addition, the maximum of Mg was obtained in non-grafted seedlings under 100% W treatment. Collectively, our results showed that combination of 70% red and 30% blue light and as well as the use of a powerful rootstock like ‘Maxifort’ could promotes plant growth and mineral element concentrations for tomato seedlings.

 Pear (Pyrus communis L.) is one of the major fruit trees in the world which grown in temperate zones. In pear breeding program the bigger fruit size with better quality as well as market acceptability are usually in interest. In fruit trees, the size and yield of fruit are closely depended on cultivar and rootstocks. The variations of nutrient uptake, water use efficiency, photosynthesis performance, and resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses have been reported among different combinations of cultivars and rootstocks. Therefore there is a close relation between cultivar and rootstock with yield and quality of produced fruits. In recent years the semi dwarf clonal rootstocks of pear including OH×F, Pyro and FOX series have received more attention. However the performance of these rootstocks varies depending on scion cultivar, climatic condition, soil type, and planting system.

 This experiment was conducted to assay the growth characters and fruit yield of Dargazi and Louise Bonne (Beyrouti) grafted onto PyroDwarf and OH×F69 rootstocks at the Orchard of Astan Quds Razavi, Mashhad, Iran (36°17' N, 59°36' E; altitude. 985 m) during 2018-2019 and 2019-2020. The experiment in both consecutive years was done as a factorial in the base of randomized complete blocks with four replications. The studied cultivars were grafted onto PyroDwarf and OH×F69 rootstocks in late spring 2016. The used water was pit water with 695 µSiemens/cm EC and pH 7.17. Evaluation of plant growth was carried out at the end of the season. The studied traits were included tree height, internode length, vertical and horizontal growth of shoots in the current season, trunk diameter above, below and in the grafting line, leaf area, shoots angel and the number of sucker per tree. These characters were assayed in three trees per each replication. The trunk diameter at the below and above the grafting line was calculated according to trunk circumference that was measured at 10 cm above and below the grafting point. Leaf area in each tree was assayed with area measuring device. Flowering characteristics (start blooming and end of bloom) were determined. Fruit ripening season was also recorded. Yield of trees was assayed by weighting of produced fruits in each tree with a digital scale. The combined analysis of obtain data was conducted by SPSS and differences among means of data were determined by Duncan's multiple ranges test at P≤0.05. The reported data was the mean of two studied years.

 The obtained results showed the variation in growth and bearing properties of different combinations of Beyrouti and Dargazi cultivars with PyroDwarf and OH×F69 rootstocks throughout the studied years. The analysis variance showed the significant effect of year, cultivar and rootstock on growth characteristics of pear tree. Also the interaction effects of cultivar and rootstock were significant on tree growth response with exception of internode length. The most studied parameters showed a significant increasing during the two consecutive years. During the studied years the height and width of pear trees were increased up to 10.44 and 14.54%, respectively and the trunk diameter was increased by 10%. According to obtained results the growth of Dargazi cultivar was higher than the Beyrouti cultivar. The effect of OH×F69 rootstock on growth increasing of studied cultivars was prominent than PyroDwarf regards to tree height, shoot length and internode length. However the highest trunk diameter and leaf area density of both cultivars was found in PyroDwarf rootstock. Although the time of blooming and fruit ripening of each cultivar was not influenced by the rootstock but the bearing characters were varied between the Dargazi and Beyrouti cultivars. The highest yield of pear fruit was obtained in Dargazi cultivar and grafting onto PyroDwarf rootstock significantly enhanced the fruit yield in both cultivars.

 The rootstocks have a key role on growth and yield of pear trees as well as their responses to abiotic stress. Rootstocks through influencing the physiological characteristics of grafted scions regulate the quantity and quality of produced fruits. The results of present study showed the variation in growth and bearing properties of different combinations of Beyrouti and Dargazi cultivars with PyroDwarf and OH×F69 rootstocks throughout the studied years. The PyroDwarf rootstock greatly reduced the tree growth and enhanced fruit yield of both Dargazi and Beyrouti cultivars. According to the obtained results the PyroDwarf rootstock is recommended for Dargazi cultivar to reach the highest pear fruit yield under similar environmental condition of present study.

Trichoderma and vermicompost are important factors in improving and indirect growth stimulants in a variety of crops and orchards. This study is a factorial experiment based on a completely randomized design, under soilless cultivation conditions in the greenhouse, with 4 concentrations of Trichoderma harizianum isolate Bi: 0% (control), 10%, 20%, and 30% by volume of 60 liters of water and two levels of vermicompost: Control (no use of vermicompost) and 50% of pot volume (cocopeat and perlite (2:1)) with 6 replications were established by studying the effect on morphological properties of lettuce cultivar (Green Tower Mi). The highest weight of stem, leaf, and root based on the results of the 10% fungus concentration treatment was observed at the highest levels of 363.75 g, 325.08 g, and 26.35 g, respectively. Also, in the application of vermicompost, the heavier stem fresh weight (377.41 g), leaf fresh weight (348.87 g), and root fresh weight (24.11 g) had the highest weight compared to non-application. The highest number of leaves (36), stem diameter (20.64 mm), and leaf area (211.25 cm-2 g) were observed in fungal treatment with a concentration of 10%. The antioxidant activity of lettuce treated with vermicompost increased by 25.34% compared to the control. Therefore, with the positive effect of vermicompost and Trichoderma on the growth properties of lettuce, the use of these two treatments in planting this plant is recommended. Also, because there was no significant difference between the high levels of the fungus, it is possible to achieve the desired result with fewer savings and costs, even with a concentration of 10% fungus.

The selection of elite parents and hybrids could be used for the genetic improvement of quantitative and qualitative traits in breeding programs of vegetables. In order to genetic evaluation of quantitative and qualitative traits of tomato lines, half-diallel crosses were performed among eight lines C.JPS3, S.2274, H.1370, K.2274, S.L, C20, Primoga and A13012. The obtained hybrids along with parents were planted in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Traits including fruit shape index, no. of locules, fruit firmness index, brix, titrable acidity, pH of fruit juice, no. of inflorescence per plant, no. of flowers per inflorescence, no. of fruits per plant, average fruit weight and yield were measured. Parent K.2274 had the highest values of general combining ability (GCA) for the yield, number of fruits per plant and fruit firmness. The highest specific combining ability (SCA) was observed in C20xC.JPS3 and A13012xK.2274 cross for the average fruit weight, respectively. Among parents and hybrids, parent H.1370 and Primoga × H.1370 hybrid had the highest yield. The highest relative heterosis percentage for no. of fruits per plant, average fruit weight and yield were observed in A13012 × Primoga, C20 × C.JPS3, and Primoga × H.1370 crosses, respectively. Role of over-dominance and dominance effects were more than the additive effect in controlling of yield, no. of fruit per plant, titrable acidity, and brix. However, the additive effect was effective in the control of average fruit weight.

The Hollyhock (Alcea rosea) is a summer flowering biennial plant that is native to China and belongs to the Malvaceae family. It is one of the most valuable ornamental plants, whose 36 species are cultivated in Iran. It is an increasing garden escape, especially in urban areas, and is usually found at foot of walls, in ruderal areas, and in cracks of pavements and old walls. Also, it is sometimes seen on riverbanks (for instance on dikes of the river Maas), dumps or road- and railway banks. Alcea rosea has been used as an herbal plant in folk medicine for treatment of different diseases such as common cold and cough. This plant is antiphlogistic, astringent, demulcent, diuretic and expectorant. Drought is the most significant environmental stress in agriculture worldwide, and improving yield under drought is a major goal of plant breeding. Seed germination and early seedling growth are potentially the most critical stages for water stress. When subjected to drought stress, plant metabolism is interrupted or inhibited by increasing reactive oxygen species (ROS) and lipid peroxidation, resulting in reduced germination, weaker root and shoot growth and even mortality. Plants have evolved oxygen-scavenging systems consisting of non-enzyme antioxidant metabolites, such as proline and various antioxidant enzymes including superoxide dismutase, peroxidase and catalase.

In order to examine the effect of drought stress on germination indexes, various antioxidant enzyme changes and non-enzyme antioxidant metabolites in Alcea rosea, an experiment was conducted in complete randomized design with three replications. The drought stress treatment was conducted in five levels with osmotic pressures 0, -2, -4, -6, and -8 bar and with using PEG (Poly Ethylene Glycol 6000) on two ecotypes of Alcea rosea (ecotype 1= Mashhad and ecotype 2= Tehran). The seeds are at first sterilized with hypo chloride sodium for two minutes and then washed superficially three times with distilled water. 25 seeds were transferred to a glass petri dish with 10 cm diameter, and for the duration of the experiment, 5 ml solution with different levels was added to each petri dish. After 14 days at 25±1 ºC temperature, the number of geminated seeds in each day was counted and recorded. In the first part of the experiment, after the end of the germination period, the following growth parameters were measured: germination percentage, germination rate, root and shoot length, and the fresh weight of seedling. In the second part, the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT), malondialdehyde content, lipid peroxidation in terms of malondialdehyde (MDA) content, and proline index were measured.

The ecotype, drought treatments and their interaction had significant effects on growth parameters (germination percentage, germination rate, radicle and plumule length, and seedling fresh weight), as well as physiological and biochemical parameters (SOD, POD, CAT, MDA and proline). The highest germination parameters were recorded at Mashhad ecotype. Germination percentage and germination rate were severely affected by drought. Maximum percentage of germination (36) was recorded at control group followed by 32.1 at -2 bar and -4 bar PEG treatments in ecotype 1. Germination percentage in two ecotypes further declined to 33% at -8 bar compared to the control treatment. In both ecotypes, plants had the highest germination rate in control media (zero osmotic potential) but germination rate decreased significantly by decreasing water potential. Germination rate of control seeds of ecotype 1 was 11.7, while that of ecotype 2 was 8. 3. Germination rate in two ecotypes further declined to 56% and 38 %, at -8 bar compared to the control treatment, respectively. Ecotype 2 displayed a significant reduction in radicle and plumule length compared to the ecotype 1. Generally, the radicle and plumule length decreased significantly in relation to the drought stress caused by PEG. Ecotype 2 in -8 bar PEG treatment had the highest (41 and 32%) decrease in radicle and plumule length compared to the control temperature. In two ecotypes (Mashhad and Tehran) of Alcea rosea, increasing PEG concentrations resulted in a decrease in fresh and dry weights. Water absorption is the first germination stage. Due to the probable resistance of the ecotype one, water absorption rate is higher, and as a result, the percentage and rate of germination have increased. Ecotype 1 exhibited higher leaf SOD activities in response to -2 bar compared to -8 bar, but the SOD activities in ecotype 2 showed a general increase trend with increases in the PEG concentration. Drought stress resulted in lower antioxidant enzyme activities (POD) in leaves of both ecotypes compared to that observed at the control treatment, but the activity of CAT increased with the increase of drought stress. In both ecotypes, exposure to -8 bar resulted in significantly higher leaf MDA activities. Plants exhibited higher proline in response to -8 bar treatment compared to the control. By increasing the PEG concentration from control to -8 bar, proline content increased about 90 percent. In this experiment, drought stress reduced the rate and germination percentage and delayed subsequent plant deployment. When plants are subjected to drought stress, their metabolism is interrupted or inhibited by increasing reactive oxygen species (ROS) and lipid peroxidation, resulting in reduced germination, weaker root and shoot growth and even mortality. The recent experiment showed that the activity of two superoxide dismutase and peroxidase enzymes decreased with increasing drought stress, and the activity of the catalase enzyme increased; this is in agreement with the results reported by other studies. On one hand, the increase in the activity of the catalase enzyme indicates that it is perhaps the most important enzyme involved under drought condition, which increased over the course of 14 days. On the other hand, limiting the activity of enzymes and increasing the amount of proline showed that increasing the resistance to drought stress in the plant depends on the accumulation of contaminating substances such as proline.

Due to the higher resistance of the ecotype 1 and increase in water absorption, the percentage and rate of germination were increased. If water absorption is disturbed by the seed, the germination activity is slowly applied and the later growth of the roots will decrease the germination rate. Therefore, it seems that Mashhad ecotype with increase of catalase and proline has the highest drought tolerance compared to the other ecotype at germination stage. There was a significant correlation between germination percentage with SOD and POD.

Many plants grown at low temperature exhibit different adaptation strategies involving physiological, ecological and morphological processes. Solanum lycopersicum L. is affected by cold stress at all stages of growth; however, wild tomato species such as S. habrochaites  rapidly  improve after exposure to the cold stress through various changes in physiological processes. In this study, the short-term stress method was used for rapid screening and cold tolerance selection of tomato lines instead of long-term stress at 4 °C.

This study was carried out as a factorial experiment based on completely randomized design with three replications at Ferdowsi University of Mashhad Iran in 2018. Experimental factors included two levels of cold stress (0 and 2 °C) and three tomato lines (LA1777, LA3969 and LA4024). In the study, electrolyte leakage, MDA, anthocyanin, phenol, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl DPPH, total soluble carbohydrate content, the maximum efficiency of photosystem II and the activity of the three antioxidant enzymes CAT, POD, and APX were measured.

According to the results of this experiment, LA1777 line showed the lowest leaf wilting after  exposure to low temperatures. There was a significant difference between these lines in terms of electrolyte leakage. Under cold stress conditions, lowest electrolyte leakage and malondialdehyde (MDA) were obtained from wild line LA1777 that compared to sensitive line LA4024. LA1777 and electrolyte leakage at LA4024 at 0 and 2˚C were 14 and 11% higher than LA1777, respectively. Inhibition of DPPH radical activity of tolerant line LA1777 were higher than sensitive line LA4024 at 0 and 2 °C (43 and 45% respectively). Anthocyanin content of LA1777 and LA3969 lines were 49% higher than LA4024 at 0 °C. Under cold stress, the activity of the three antioxidant enzymes CAT, POD, and APX significantly increased in wild line LA1777, indicating better hydrogen peroxide scavenging system. After cold stress, LA1777 and LA3969 had the highest maximum efficiency of photosystem II, respectively, in light-adapted conditions (F'v / F'm), which may be due to higher cell membrane stability. The results showed that instead of long-term cold stress at 4˚C, the short-term stress method can be used for rapid screening of tomato lines for cold tolerance selection. Assessment of physiological parameters such as chlorophyll fluorescence, electrolyte leakage, MDA level, DPPH radical scavenging, catalase, peroxidase and ascorbate peroxidase enzymes showed that these indices can be used to detect cold stress and to quantify the stress in tomato lines.

Based on our data, we conclude that this short-term stress method is a useful method for rapid assessment of tomato chilling tolerance. The physiological parameters used in this study showed adequate difference between tomato lines.

The genus of African violet is the most common genus known among the plants of Gesneriaceae family. This genus has beautiful leaves and flowers that are zygomorph. African violet (Saintpaulia ionantha) is a famous ornamental plant due to its various colors and shapes that an excellent model system for in vitro regeneration studies because of its tissue culture amenability.Besides the importance of this plant in plant production industry and increasing need for new plant varieties with desired traits, more studies for creating African violet with new features by increasing the ploidy level under the in vitro conditions were not done until now. Polyploidy is a widespread phenomenon in the evolution of flowering plant and a key in plant speciation and diversification. Polyploid plants have been used in plant breeding programs for developing superior varieties and restoring the fertility of interspecific or intergeneric hybrids. Polyploidy in ornamental crops were successfully obtained under in vitro conditions. The chemical colchicine can be used as the most effective substance to obtain polyploid plants. In vitropolyploidization has number of advantages such as treatment of more plants with less material, control of test conditions, lower toxicity of chemicals and high success rate. This study with the aim of polyploid induction was carried out by different concentrations of colchicine at various periods under in vitro conditions.

The best treatment for the shoot regeneration and proliferation was MS medium with 2 mg/l BA after optimizing the tissue culture process. The study performed as follows: plantlets grown under in vitro in proliferation stage were treated with colchicine. The experiment was carried out in a 2-factorial manner based on a completely randomized design and factors were colchicine concentration at 0.02, 0.05, 0.1% and treatment duration for 18, 24, 48 hours. Evaluated characters of regenerated plants were as follows: plantlets survival percentage (the first month, the second month and the third month), morphological traits (include leaf number, petiole length, leaf length, leaf width, petiole diameter, leaf thickness and variation in form, vein, tip and margins leaf), reproductive traits (flower diameter (mm), number of petal, number of flower in inflorescence, height of inflorescence (mm)), microscopic epidermal cells in samples of diploid and tetraploid and ploidy levels. Assessment of flow cytometery was also used for all of the treated plants with colchicine and some diploid control plants and were expressed in the form of the percentage of diploid, mixoploid and tetraploid plants of African violet.

Results indicated that tetraploidy induction successfully was changed different morphological and cytological characteristics. Plantlets of treated with 0.02% colchicine in all three times only survived after three months, and with increasing treatment time, plantlets survival percentage was reduced. Thus 0.02% colchicine treatment for 24 hour found effective in inducing in vitro culture polyploidy of African violet. Comparison of the leaves of tetraploid with diploid plants indicated that the leaves of tetraploid plants in length and width were bigger than the diploid ones. The selected tetraploid plants showed a more compact shape than the control plants. Other results revealed that the treated plants with colchicine showed delayed growth. The assessment of microscopic indicated that the epidermal cells of tetraploid were larger than diploid. The results of flow cytometery evaluation showed that with increasing duration of colchicine, the number of diploid plants reduced and were added to mixoploid and tetraploid plants. Most plants were mixoploid.

The results of this study showed that the diploid and tetraploid plants indicated significant differences in term of morphological traits like leaf number, petiole length, leaf length, leaf width, petiole diameter, leaf thickness and variation in form, vein, tip and margins leaf, reproductive traits like flower diameter, number of petal, number of flower in inflorescence and also size of epidermal cells and flow cytometery evaluation. These differences can be suitable criterion for separating diploid and polyploid plants from each other. Generally, the combination of tissue culture methods and tetraploidy induction can be used as a rapid strategy for achieving new forms and properties of regenerates in vitro on African violet.

In order to investigate the effect of drought stress on physiological responses of Alcea rosea plant in greenhouse at two growth stages, a factorial experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with three replications. The experiment factors included two ecotypes (Mashhad and Tehran), five moisture levels (80 (control), 70, 60, 50 and 40% Field Capacity) at two growth stages (seedling and elongation stem). After applying drought stress at two growth stages, SPAD, electrolyte leakage, relative water content, proline, malondialdehyde, enzymes activity of leaf and total dry weight were measured. The highest relative content of leaf water (88.2%), total dry weight (36 g), and the lowest electrolyte leakage (6.23%) were recorded in Mashhad ecotype under 80% FC treatment at stage of stem elongation. In both ecotype, with increasing drought stress, the amount of proline had a rising trend at two stages. Also, the highest amount was recorded in ecotype Mashhad under 40% FC treatment at stage of stem elongation. In both ecotypes, the highest activity of malondialdehyde was observed in 40% FC treatment at seedling stage (11.9 and 11.4 nmol g-1 FW, respectively). In the ecotype of Mashhad and Tehran, with increasing drought stress from 80 to 40% FC at stage of stem elongation, the activity of the superoxide dismutase enzyme increased, from 49.9 to 1.98, and 1.91 U mg protein, respectively. The activity of ascorbate- peroxidase increased, when plants were under severe drought stress. There was a positive and significant correlation between chlorophyll index and relative water content with total dry weight of the plant. The results of this experiment showed that compared to two ecotypes, Mashhad ecotype compared to Tehran has more tolerance to water shortage.

Biochar is a new environmental technology that can be used to reduce the accumulation of soil contamination. To evaluate the effects of biochar of cutflower glayolon growth characteristics and the accumulation of heavy metals of lead and cadmium in lettuce, a factorial experiment as a completely randomized design with four replications was conducted and amount of glayol biochar at three levels (0, 5, 10 g/kgsoil), cadmium (0, 10, 20 mg/kg soil) and lead (0, 300, 600 mg/kg soil) were tested. The results showed that the highest amount of lettuce traits including leaf area, height, fresh and dry weight of shoot and fresh and dry weight of root were found at the rate of 5 g glayol biochar /kg soil. Increment of glayol biochar levels from 5 to 10 g/kg soil decreased all mentioned traits. Application of 5 g biochar /kg soil of at the highest concentrations of lead and cadmium decreased the concentration of lead and cadmium in the plant (shoot+root) up to 27.38 and 21.87 %. The highest rate of biochar, lead and cadmium reduced growth traits, and increased the uptake of lead and cadmium in plant tissues and their concentrations in soil. In fact, glayol biochar (5g /kg soil), because of high specific surface area, adsorbed lead and cadmium on their surfaces and cause to reduce the absorption of these two elements and improved growth characteristics in lettuce.

The need for improving heat tolerance of plants is increasing because of global warming. In order to investigate of foliar-applied salicylic acid (SA) on the growth and ornamental traits of common marigold (Calendula officinalis L.) under heat stress, a pot experiment was conducted in a factorial experiment based on randomized complete block design with four replications in 2015. Experimental treatments were consisted of two cultivars of calendula (‘Candyman’ and ‘Zen’) and four concentrations of SA (0.25, 0.5 and 1 mM, and control). The results showed that foliar application of SA under heat stress, improved most characteristics of all studied morphological characteristics with the exception of plant height, leaf number, days to first flower and flower dry weight. According to the results, among all concentrations, the highest mean in most of traits was obtained from foliar application of 0.25 mM SA. Compared to the control conditions, application of 0.25 mM solution of salicylic acid increased leaf area (21%), fresh and dry shoot weight (15% and 16%, respectively), flower number (42%), flower longevity (19%) and flower fresh weight (43%). The interaction effect between cultivar and concentration of treatment was not significant for all measured traits.

Choosing the best covering material for the greenhouse roof is a very important factor influencing the quantity and quality of light entering the greenhouse. Some vegetative and reproductive traits and biochemical characteristics of two tomato cultivars (‘Synda’ and ‘Melody’) grown in some greenhouse units roof-covered with four covering materials (glass, plastic, polycarbonate and corrugated polyethylene) were investigated for autumn cultivation in the Research Greenhouses of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad. This experiment was designed in a split plot (main-plot: greenhouse cover; sub-plot: cultivar) based on a completely randomized design. The highest to lowest radiation rates were recorded in corrugated polyethylene, glass, plastic and polycarbonate covers, respectively. The ANOVA results showed that vegetative, reproductive and biochemical traits were significantly affected by greenhouse cover, cultivar, or greenhouse cover × cultivar interaction. Raising the plant health index through increasing the stem diameter and decreasing plant length was influenced by the amount of the irradiation provided by greenhouse covers; it was significantly higher in the corrugated polyethylene and glass covers rather than the plastic and polycarbonate ones. The maximum numbers of days from transplanting to flowering stage were obtained in the corrugated and glass covers (35.5 and 35 days, respectively) for the ‘Synda’ cultivar, and in glass cover (32.2 days) for the ‘Melody’ cultivar. The lowest fruit ripening (60 days) was observed in the ‘Melody’ cultivar under the corrugated polyethylene cover, while the highest value (80.25 days) was recorded in ‘Synda’ cultivar under the polycarbonate cover. Fruit production was the highest in the ‘Synda’ cultivar under corrugated polyethylene (6503.6 g/plant) and glass (6337.3 g/plant) covers, while ‘Melody’ under plastic and polycarbonate covers (1314.2 and 1027.1 g/plant, respectively) showed the lowest amount. According to the results of this experiment, from an economic point of view, based on Net Present Value (NPV) and Internal Rate of Return (IIR) factors, the greenhouse cultivation of ‘Synda’ cultivar under glass cover is recommended in Mashhad climatic conditions.

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.
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.
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.
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.

The growth and development of tomato seedlings (Solanum lycopersicum L.) are drastically inhibited under water stress. Putrescine (PUT) is involved in water stress tolerance. However, very limited information is known concerning the effects of exogenous application of PUT on plants including tomato. This experiment was carried out to study the application of putrescine on some physiological and biochemical factors of tomato under the water stress. Plants were exposed to three water conditions: 100 % (ET0) as well- watered treatment (or control), 75 and 50% of ET0 as a water stress treatments. Foliar applications of PUT were applied at 0.5 and 1 mgL-1 while control plants were sprayed with distilled water. Drought stress significantly impaired the plant growth and productivity, and reduced leaf area, plant height, fruit yield at 50% ET0 compared to control treatment. Also antioxidant enzymes such as SOD, PPO, and CAT were increased by increasing the water stress conditions. The application of PUT improved the growth characters, plant height, fruit yield, and leaf area under water stress. Furthermore, PPO content and CAT and SOD enzyme activities were also improved by applying PUT. The results of this study indicated that foliar application of putrescine in proper level may act as elicitor to trigger physiological processes and induce valuable metabolites biosynthesis, which may compensate the negative impacts of drought stress on plant biomass, quality and quantity.

Rose is one of the most important ornamental plants which nowadays holds the first top position in production and export of cut flowers due to its beautiful and colorful flowers. The quantity and quality of rose cultivars depend on environmental and nutrition. Pre and post-harvest application of plant growth regulators is one of the common methods for quality improvement of this flower. Therefore, in the present study, cut ‘Black Magic’ rose flowers were treated at pre harvest with spermidine (0, 50 and 100 mgl-1) and with salicylic acid (0, 50 and 100 mgl-1) during postharvest. Consequently, postharvest quality from various point of view such as internal polyamine content, activity of free radical enzymes (such as superoxide dismutase, catalase and polyphenol oxidase) and destructive lipid oxidation (malondialdehyde content) were studied. Results indicate that foliar application with spermidine and with salicylic acid increases petal soluble protein content, improves the activity of superoxide dismutase, catalase and poly phenol oxidase in the petals of cut ‘Black Magic’ rose flowers. Activity increment of enzymes that are involved in oxidative stress, decreased lipid peroxidation and consequently, they decreased malondialdehyde content as destructive biomarker. Internal polyamines such as spermine, spermidine and putrescine were also significantly affected by spermidine and salicylic acid application.

In order to evaluate the effects of medicinal plants (Thymus vulgaris L., Rosmarinus officinalis L., Lavandula angustifolia Mill., Mentha piperita L.) with melon intercropping on pests control and fruit yield in melon, and to reduce the use of chemical pesticides, a factorial experiment was performed based on a completely block randomized design with three replications in 2017. Experimental factors included two melon cultivars ("Khatoni" and "Khaghani"), chemical control and four medicinal plant species (thyme, rosemary, lavender, and peppermint) that were cultivated as additive intercropping among melon bushes. The ANOVA results showed that the effects of cultivar on weevil (Acythopeus curviostris) population, number of healthy and damaged fruit and fruit weight, the effects of intercropping on weevil, whitefly and aphid population, number of healthy and damaged fruit and fruit weight, and the interaction effects of two factors on weevil and aphid population and number of healthy and damaged fruit were significant at 5% probability level. Based on the results of the experiment, chemical control had the greatest effect on pest population control in both melon cultivars. Among the intercropping treatments, peppermint had the greatest effect in reducing the weevil population in both melon cultivars. Moreover, intercropping of "Khatoni" with peppermint and "Khaghani" with peppermint, lavender, and rosemary had positive effects on reducing the aphid population. However, intercropping of both melon cultivars with all four medicinal plant species had no effect on whitefly population control. Based on the results of this study, and in order to keep the sustainability of crop ecosystems, intercropping of melon with some medicinal plants such as peppermint can be considered to reduce the population of some pests on melon.

Biochar reduces the bioavailability of a wide range of pollutants, especially heavy metals (HMs).To evaluate the effects of waste biochar of cutflower rose on growth characteristics and accumulation of lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) HMs of in lettuce, a factorial experiment, based on completely randomized design, with four replications was conducted. The amount of rose biochar at 3 levels (0, 5 and 10 g/kg), Cd at 3 levels (0, 10 and 20 mg/kg) and Pb at 3 levels (0, 300, 600 mg/kg) were tested. Results showed that the highest amount of leaf area, fresh and dry weight of shoots, and root volume were observed at 5 g/kg level of rose biochar. Increasing the rose-biochar level from 5 to 10 g/kg decreased all traits except height and diameter of shoots. Application of 600 mg/kg Pb decreased the number of leaves, fresh and dry weight of the shoots, fresh and dry weights of roots, and root length by 6.92, 13.38, 18.04, 22.44, 12.66 and 8.61%, respectively, compared to the control treatment. The highest amount of fresh and dry weight of shoots and root volume was observed in 5 g/kg rose biochar and 300 mg/kg Pb treatment, and the least amount of all of the abovementioned traits was observed at the highest levels of biochar and Pb. Increasing the level of biochar from zero to 5 and 10 g/kg and 20 mg/kg of Cd reduced the loss of root Cd by 92.9 and 24.17 percent, respectively. In fact, rose biochar (especially at 5 g/kg level) has improved the lettuce growth characteristics by reducing the bioavailability of Pb and Cd in the soil.