سید نجم الدین مرتضوی

Success in tissue culture technique, especially in bulbous plants, depends on the microbial contamination control during in vitro culture. Decontamination is considered as a fundamental challenge in the technique of cell, tissue and plant organ culture. Although there are various methods for this purpose, the development of disinfection methods specific to each species is considered an important factor in the establishment and success of the tissue culture system. Applying different treatments can control the microbial contamination and consequently increase the percentage of explant survival. This plant is among the poisonous plants of pastures and the chemical compounds present in it have important medicinal effects, so that the existence of alkaloid and glycosidic compounds has been reported for it. These chemical compounds are used to treat rheumatic pains, lymphatic system diseases and also as liver cleansers. This ornamental plant also has the ability to produce pots and its export is possible in pots . Currently, in order to overcome the issues of the usual methods of propagation of this ornamental plant and to produce pollution-free plants, the use of in vitro cultivation methods in this plant has become very important. bulbes is one of the most common explants of inverted tulip tissue culture, but it often faces very high internal and external fungal and bacterial contamination. In the in vitro culture of onion plants, the existence of fungal and bacterial contaminations are one of the main problems that can affect the efficiency of this type of propagation methods. Fungal and bacterial contaminations are one of the most important problematic factors in different in vitro culture methods. Internal contamination usually appears several weeks after planting. These contaminations may not be seen externally, but they affect the growth, division and greening of small samples. Mercuric chloride is mainly used as a surface disinfectant along with sodium hypochlorite and it controls the spectrum of bacteria and fungi and increases the disinfection efficiency. The results of the study showed that mercuric chloride relatively controls the bacterial and fungal contamination of the samples, but it reduces the survival percentage of the samples in high concentration. It seems that some plants are sensitive to mercuric chloride and determining the appropriate amount of this substance plays a very important role in preparing a healthy and living specimen. Determining the duration of disinfectant treatment was also considered in various researches, so that sometimes carbendazim 1% fungicide for 20 minutes, 70% alcohol for 60 seconds, sodium hypochlorite 2.5% for 10 minutes. And 0.1% mercury chloride was used for 7 minutes to sterilize aloe vera sample. Considering the importance of plant tissue culture techniques and the need to create new protocols to reduce contamination and increase the number of healthy cultures, the main goal of this study is to create an efficient protocol for the disinfection of Fritillaria spp. onion explants in order to increase the efficiency of in vitro cultures.

 This study aimed to investigate the effect of time and different concentrations of sodium hypochlorite, carbendazim fungicide and mercuric chloride in inhibiting the contamination of inverted tulip bulbs (Fritillaria spp.) in tissue culture environment. So, an experiment was done as a completely randomized design at four replications in the biotechnology laboratory of Zanjan University during 2023. The experimental treatments consisted of 0.1% fungicide at different times (30, 25, 35 and 40 minutes), 5 levels of sodium hypochlorite (0,1, 1.5, 2, 2.5 and 3%) at different times (7, 9, 10, 12 and 15 minutes), 70% Ethanol at two different times (0,60 and 90 seconds) and mercury chloride (0,0.1 and 0.2%). Bulbs that collected from nature were transferred to the Biotechnology Laboratory of the Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Horticulture, Zanjan University and kept them in the refrigerator at 4°C for two weeks. After this period of time, the bulbs were washed with detergent and then remained in water for 30 minutes. Then they were disinfected by using the above-mentioned treatments: It should be noted that at the end of each step, Fritillaria bulbs were washed with sterile distilled water. Also, after the end of the disinfection treatments, the desired explants were cultured in MS basic culture medium. The statistical analysis of this experiment was carried out using SAS software, version 9.1. The differences between mean values were compared using Duncan’s multiple range test method at the 5% significant level (p < 0.05).

 The control of fungal and bacterial contamination, especially in relation to bulbous and bulbous plants that are in direct contact with the culture medium, is one of the basic steps in in vitro culture conditions. Applying different treatments including the use of fungicides, alcohol, sodium hypochlorite and mercuric chloride in the cultivation environment can help control fungal and bacterial contamination in the Fritillaria spp. plant.  However, the application of such treatments can have a negative effect on the regeneration potential of the explants, so it is important to choose the appropriate treatment in a way that controls the fungal and bacterial contamination and on the other hand preserves the regeneration potential of the explants. This study investigated the effectiveness of various disinfection protocols on Laleh-Avgagun onion explants. While the lowest contamination (0%) was achieved using 0.1% fungicide for 40 minutes, 70% alcohol for 90 seconds, 3% sodium hypochlorite for 15 minutes, and 0.1% mercury chloride, this treatment significantly reduced explant survival and regeneration, causing browning. Conversely, applying 0.1% fungicide for 30 minutes, 70% alcohol for 60 seconds, 2% or 2.5% sodium hypochlorite for 12 or 10 minutes respectively, and 0.1% mercury chloride effectively reduced contamination while maintaining explant survival. This optimized protocol improved the growth and regeneration ability of the explants.Therefore, in the conditions of in vitro cultivation, the use of the mentioned treatments is recommended to control contamination and optimal reproduction of the bulbs of Fritillaria spp. plant.

The seed germination of most species of Passiflora is unknown, and the long period of natural or induced dormancy causes irregular germination in them, which makes its commercial use difficult. The present research is aimed at investigating mechanical treatments including removal from the tip of the seed, removal from the bottom of the seed and chemical treatments including water at 35 degrees Celsius, gibberellic acid, normal vinegar, potassium nitrate, sulfuric acid, cow's milk and natural lemon juice in the germination of two species of amaryllis. It was done as a completely randomized design in three replications. The results showed that the difference between the treatments was significant. Potassium nitrate, gibberellic acid and cow's milk treatments caused an increase in P. edulis by 81.4, 79.5 and 77.2 percent respectively and in P. cearulea by 82.28, 63.33 and 81.66 percent respectively. Germination percentage. In the P.edulis species, potassium nitrate, gibberellic acid and cow's milk treatments were 75, 72.5 and 69.45%, respectively, and in the P.cearulea species, these treatments were 63.14, 12.66 and 8.61%, respectively, the speed Improve germination. This improvement was also observed in the traits of seed germ index, root length, stem length, leaf length and width, leaf area, fresh and dry weight of shoots and roots, and the amount of total antioxidants. Therefore, pre-germination treatments such as potassium nitrate, gibberellic acid and cow's milk can increase the germination potential and increase the use of this plant in breeding fields and for ornamental, medicinal and food purposes

Parsley (Tagetes erecta) is an important bedding plant of asteraceae family. Environmental stresses, especially salinity stress in agricultural soils are increasing. Therefore, it seems necessary to find a suitable solution to reduce the effects of soil salinity and the possibility of cultivation in these types of soils. Meanwhile, growth-promoting bacteria are one of the important options as a factor to deal with these stresses. This research was carried out with the aim of the effect of growth stimulating bacteria as biofertilizers in making parsley plant resistant to salt stress. In order to investigate the effect of the application of growth-stimulating bacteria on reducing the effects of salinity stress in orange parsley, a research was conducted in the greenhouse of the Faculty of Agriculture of Zanjan University in 2022. This research was conducted as a factorial experiment in the form of a completely randomized design with treatments, three levels of salinity stress (0, 4 and 8 decisiemens) and three levels of Bacillus bacteria (control, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus velezensis) in three replications, which in total It formed 27 experimental units. Morpho - physiologycal traits include: plant height, flower diameter, number of flowers, plant fresh weight, plant dry weight, root fresh weight, root dry weight, total chlorophyll, antioxidant, ion leakage percentage, peroxidase enzyme, proline, sodium, potassium and The ratio of sodium to potassium was calculated.Results. The results of this research showed that the effect of salinity stress as well as the effect of bacteria on all traits was significant. The interaction effect of salinity in bacteria was significant in some traits such as fresh and dry weight of roots, diameter and number of flowers, leaf ion leakage percentage, total chlorophyll, peroxidase enzyme, proline, sodium and potassium percentage and sodium to potassium ratio. Based on the results of the comparison of averages, due to salinity stress, plant height, fresh and dry weight of shoot and root, diameter and number of flowers, chlorophyll, potassium percentage decreased significantly and in contrast to the characteristics of flower ion leakage percentage, peroxidase enzyme level, Proline, anthocyanin and antioxidants, sodium and the ratio of sodium to potassium increased. Also, the use of bacteria moderated the negative effects of salinity stress and by increasing the amount of proline, anthocyanin, antioxidant and increasing the amount of potassium, it led to the improvement of growth conditions in 8 and 4 deci siemens per meter salinity stress. Among the bacteria that were used, Bacillus subtilis showed a better response than Bacillus velezensis in ornamental parsley and reduced the effect of salt stress. The results of this research showed that salinity induced negative effects on the morphological, physiological and biochemical characteristics of ornamental cabbage. Growth promoting bacteria reduced the negative effects of salinity stress through direct and indirect mechanisms. Among the bacteria that were used, Bacillus subtilis showed a better response than Bacillus velezensis in ornamental parsley and reduced the effect of salt stress. In other words, at high levels of salinity stress, the damage caused by salinity stress can be prevented by using growth-promoting bacteria.

This study systematically investigates the physiological responses of Physalis alkekengi to diverse conditions of salinity stress (0, 50, 100, and 200 mM NaCl), coupled with the application of selenium (Se) nanoparticles at concentrations of 25 and 50 mgl-1, as well as silicon (Si) nanoparticles at concentrations of 100 and 200 mg.l-1. The experiment involved a thorough examination of many characteristics connected to biomass, such as antioxidant enzyme activity, fatty acid composition, and elemental content. This analysis was conducted at varying levels of salinity and with the addition of nanoparticles. The findings revealed that exposure to salt stress has a detrimental effect on both plant development and fruit output, leading to changes in vegetative and morphological characteristics. The utilization of Se and Si nanoparticles had a significant alleviating impact on stress caused by salinity. The correlation matrix analysis revealed complex correlations among the examined parameters, emphasizing the interrelated responses of P. alkekengi to environmental stressors and nanoparticle interventions. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) revealed the hidden patterns and connections between variables, highlighting the significant influence of biomass-related features, antioxidant enzymes, and fatty acid content on the observed variability. The results of this study enhance our knowledge of the physiological processes that regulate P. alkekengi's reaction to high salt levels. Additionally, it offers valuable information on the possible beneficial impacts of Se and Si nanoparticles in reducing the negative consequences of salinity stress. The study's comprehensive breadth increases its relevance to future research focused on optimizing growth circumstances and strengthening the resistance of P. alkekengi in demanding situations.

The present study was conducted to study the effect of different concentrations of Bacillus subtilis on morphophysiological traits of flowers and coriander in two saffron ecotypes in order to determine the appropriate concentration of bacteria.

A factorial experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design with three replications in the research farm of Zanjan University. Experimental treatments: the first factor of five levels of different concentrations of bacteria(zero, 102, 105, 106, 108 ) and the second factor consisting of two ecotypes (Natanz, Zanjan) were considered.

Different concentrations of bacteria showed a significant effect on all morphophysiological traits measured. The main effect of ecotype also showed a significant effect on the traits at the level of one and five percent, except for the fresh weight traits of stigma, chlorophyll. Based on the results of analysis of variance, bilateral interaction (year × ecotype, ecotype × bacterium) and tripartite interaction (bacterium × year × ecotype) on flower yield and phosphorus content of saffron leaves were significant. Among the ecotypes, Natanz ecotype showed more than Zanjan ecotype in fresh and dry weight of pistachio and its diameter (16.29, 10.99 g and 19.71 mm, respectively).

Considering the effects of Bacillus subtilis on saffron ecotypes, it can be concluded that saffron ecotypes showed different reactions to biofertilizer due to their differences and different growth characteristics. According to the results, the greatest effect of Bacillus subtilis on morphophysiological traits was observed at a concentration of 108 cfu / ml.

Tulipa is one of the most important bulbous plants in the world which is highly distributed in many parts of our country. This research was conducted to explain the correlation of canonical functions between morphological and phytochemical traits of two species of wild tulips: Tulipa montana var. montana (with red flower) and T. montana var. chrysantha (with yellow flower) collected from the altitudes of Qeydar city of Zanjan province. Measured phytochemical traits were phenol, flavonoids and antioxidants of flowers and bulbs and chlorophyll a in both varieties of tulip, morphological traits such as petal length, bulb diameter, fresh weight of plants, plant height and the height of rhizome. Data analysis was performed to determine the correlation relationship and Wilks' Lambda, Pillai's Trace, Hotelling-Lawley Trace and Roy's Greatest Root tests were used to define the relationships between variables. The results of this study showed that three functions were only fitted between four canonical functions and the highest special value was 224 and it belonged to Roy's Greatest Root. Three first canonical variables of morphological traits fit 91% of the canonical correlation between variables which this rate of correlation is higher than phytochemical traits. The highest percentage of fitness (0.76%) in morphological traits was belonged to the first canonical function; which shows the first canonical function fit the canonical correlation relationships in morphological traits better than others. Also, comparison of two types of traits in red and yellow tulips showed that morphological traits can establish a significant relationship with the canonical correlation better than phytochemical traits. Analysis of canonical correlation equations displayed that the amount of phenol in bulb and petal flavonoid decreased with a coefficient by reduction in petal length. Also, the amount of phenol in petal, flavonoid in bulb and antioxidant in petal enhanced by reduction of petal length. Phenol in tulip bulbs and antioxidant amount of petal showed a direct correlation with tulip bulb diameter. Also, reduction in tulip height reduced the amount of petal and bulb’s phenol, bulb flavonoid and petal’s antioxidants, while the content of petal flavonoids increased significantly. Based on the result of this study, researcher will select the best plant according to their ultimate goal of producing or collecting wild tulips, considering the relationship between morphological and phytochemical traits.

In order to evaluate the effect of salicylic acid and humic acid on some morph-phytochemical characteristics of Echinacea, a factorial experiment was conducted based on randomized complete block design with three replications. The first Factor was salicylic acid at four levels (0, 100, 200, 400 mgl-1) and the second factor was humic acid at four levels (0, 100, 200, 400 mgl-1). The results showed that salicylic acid application significantly increased the plant height, number of lateral branches, leaf relative water content, phenol and flavonoid, also decreased leaf ion leakage. Humic acid application significantly increased (p≤ 1) plant height, number of branches, total chlorophyll, leaf relative water content, phenol and flavonoid content, and decreased leaf ion leakage. The results of the research showed that the foliar application of 400 mgl-1of salicylic acid with 100 mgl-1of humic acid improved the measured traits.

A factorial experiment was conducted based on randomized complete block design with three replications in Zanjan University (during 1396-97 and 1397-98). Salicylic-acid (control, 50, 100 and 150 mM) and methyl-jasmonate (control, 50, 100 and 200 μM) treatments were sprayed on Echinacea plants (four plants per plot) in the first and second years (two stages, 20 days interval). The results showed that salicylic-acid and methyl-jasmonate have a significant effect on vase-life of flower, leaf-area, fresh and dry weight of roots, chlorophylls a and b and catalase and peroxidase. Also, the highest vase-life of flower was obtained in treatment of 100 mM salicylic-acid and 200 μM methyl-jasmonate and the highest fresh and dry weight of roots and leaf-area were obtained in treatment of 100 mM salicylic-acid and 100 μM methyl-jasmonate. The highest relative water-content of petal and catalase were obtained in treatment of 100 mM salicylic-acid and 100 μM of methyl-jasmonate (first year) and in treatment of 100 mM of salicylic-acid and 50 μM of methyl-jasmonate (second year). The amount of peroxidase was also high in treatments of 100 mM salicylic-acid and 200 μM methyl-jasmonate (first year) and 100 mM salicylic-acid and 100 μM methyl-jasmonate (second year). The highest amount of chlorophyll a in both years and chlorophyll b in the first year were in 100 mM salicylic-acid and 50 μM methyl-jasmonate treatment. Also, the highest amount of total-chlorophyll was obtained in 50 mM salicylic-acid and 200 μmol methyl-jasmonate (first year) and 100 mmol salicylic-acid and 50 μM methyl-jasmonate treatment (second year).

Effect of Bacillus subtilis (0, 102, 105, 106, 108 cfu/ml) was studied on saffron (Crocus sativus L.) ecotypes Natanz and Zanjan during 2017-2019 via a factorial experiment based on randomized complete blocks design in three replicates. Number of leaves per corm, average length of leaves, flowers, petals and sepals, stigma fresh and dry weights, fresh and dry flower yield, number of flowers per plot, total phenol and anthocyanin in petals and the amount of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium were measured. All morphophysiological were significantly affected due to B. subtilis treatment. The highest and the lowest fresh and dry weight of stigma was observed in 108 cfu/ml (41.44 mg and 7.13 mg) and no treated samples (32.91 mg and 6.14 mg), respectively. The maximum stigma fresh and dry weight was observed in Natanz ecotype. The highest amount of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium was recorded in 108 cfu / ml (5.55 %, 2061ppm 66.75 and 7540.8 ppm, respectively) and the lowest in control (3.25 %, 1314.42 ppm and 4339.8 ppm, respectively). The highest amount of nitrogen and phosphorus was observed in Zanjan ecotype. According to the results, utilizing the B. bacteria in a proper concentration as a bio fertilizer can be considered beneficial towards optimal growth indices in saffron.

 Phalaenopsis is one of the beautiful and commercial species of orchid family that there is little research on its medicinal properties. Phalaenopsis orchids can be grown outdoors in warm, humid conditions that are damp but not wet, in a location that is shady but bright. Since the introduction of orchid meristem culture in 1960, branching in micro-propagation methods develop based on using two clearly different culture schemes. It have been used from medicinal properties of orchids for anti-rheumatic, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-cancer, anti-seizure, diuretic, nutrient protection, relaxation, anti-aging, wound healing, hypoglycemia, anti-tumor, antimicrobial, antibacterial, anti-oxidants and anti-diarrhea.
 The purpose of this study was to evaluate the canonical correlation between morphological and phytochemical characteristics of five phalaenopsis orchid varieties: Nottingham, Bucharest, Andorra, Memphis, and Dubrovnik. Micro-propagation of orchid seeds was performed after sterilization of capsules by bleach and ethanol. Leaf and root organs of 5 orchid varieties were harvested from Chen medium in Institute of Agricultural Research, University of Zabol, on 2020. The sliced samples were dried in an oven at 50 °C for 72 hours, after separating the leaves and roots of each variety. The powdered leaves and roots of each variety (5 g) were separately immersed in 50 ml of ethanol for 24 hours at room temperature. Then the extracts were placed on a shaker at room temperature at 120 rpm.
 The results showed that the first two canonical variables were significant and third variable was not significant. The first canonical variable has the highest special value of 65.83 and the second and third canonical variables have 4.59 and 0.10 special values, respectively. According to this research the first canonical variable with the highest special values, square of canonical correlation and the most cumulative percentages should be studied in all morphological and phytochemical characteristics. Significant canonical correlation in morphological characteristics fit 94% of the total variance of physiological variables, while significant canonical variables in phytochemical characteristics fit 100% of the variance of phytochemical characteristics. Due to the fact that phalaenopsis orchid flower has many leaf and root wastes, the findings of this study show that due to the medicinal properties of this plant, we can reduce the waste of this plant in greenhouses and production centers of this flower. In this study, the amount of phenol, flavonoid and antioxidants were determined. Also the relationship between morphological and phytochemical traits showed that this plant has medicinal properties. The lowest number of leaves belongs to Memphis variety and the highest number of leaves belongs to Nottingham variety, among the studied varieties. Therefore, it can be concluded that the roots are longer and shorter in orchid varieties with white (Nottingham) and purple (Memphis) flower respectively. Also, the second focal variable of root trait with the highest coefficient had a negative correlation with the number of leaves and root length, which shows that in the second correlation of the number of leaves and root length, the number of roots will decrease. In the second focal variable, the number of roots had a positive focal correlation with leaf length. That is, the closer we get to the second center of correlations between morphological traits, the more direct and positive becomes the relationship between root number and leaf length traits.
 According to the results and high percentage of fitness in phytochemical characteristics, it can be concluded that phytochemical traits can more precisely express the correlation between the traits. Also it showed significance of canonical correlation between two variable groups, the relationship between phytochemical and morphological traits of five varieties of phalaenopsis orchid. In general, the results of this study showed orchid varieties have high phenolic and flavonoid compounds and have the highest restraint power of free radical in canonical correlation, and they can be used as medicine. In this study, it was found that Phalaenopsis orchid varieties had phenolic content and good antioxidant capacity relatively and there was a high positive correlation between morphological and phytochemical traits and enhanced with adding the plant's length or number of leaves containing phytochemical compounds. Also, according to the results of this study and similar findings in other research, it was found that the production of secondary metabolites of orchids and other plants under the influence of genetic and environmental conditions can affect the production and amounts of chemical compounds and medicinal performance of plants.

The Phalaenopsis orchid is the most popular genus of Orchidaceae family with high marketability due to its butterfly shape and attractive flowers. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of cultivar, explant type, plant growth regulators and culture medium on in vitro propagation of Phalaenopsis orchid. Experiment was conducted using 4 combined treatments of benzyladenine (BA) and indolebutyric acid (IBA) (BA 2 and 4 mg L-1 with IBA 0.5 and 1 mg L-1), 2 culture media (MS and Chen), 2 types of explants (leaf and stem), and 5 commercial cultivars of Phalaenopsis orchids. The findings revealed that the studied factors had significant effects on leaf and root primordia initiation, number of protocorms, and number of leaves and roots. Among the investigated cultivars, 2 cultivars: Nottingham and Dubrovnik showed earlier leaf and root primordia initiation. Two treatments including BA+IBA (2+0.5 mg L-1 and 2+1 mg L-1), and Chen culture medium showed faster primordia initiation significantly different from the other treatments. Leaf explants produced more protocorm than stem explants. The highest number of protocorms was belonged to Nottingham cultivar, and the treatment of BA+IBA (2 to 1 mg L-1) on Chen culture medium. The number of leaves and roots of in vitro plantlets were significantly affected by various factors so that, Dubrovnik had more leaves and the Nottingham had more roots than the other cultivars. The highest number of leaves was observed in BA+IBA (2+0.5 mg L-1) treatment, while the highest number of roots was belonged to BA+IBA (2+1 mg L-1) treatment. Comparing the media, Chen medium showed more positive effects on leaf and root number than MS medium. The results of this study indicated that the success of regeneration of Phalaenopsis cultivars in vitro is influenced by the characteristics of the cultivar, medium, and plant growth regulator treatments. Nottingham cultivar and leaf explant showed better regeneration rates in vitro. Increasing the concentration of BA from 2 to 4 mg L-1, increased the time required for leaf and root primordia initiation and prolonged the in vitro cultivation period.

The quality and quantity of lily cut flowers depend mostly on the composition of growing media. To evaluate the effect of two sources of the palm peat substrate (the palm trunk: Prepared from the trunk of the date palm; the palm tree: Prepared from all parts of the date palm) on plant growth traits related to cut lily flower, a factorial experiment arranged in a completely randomized design with three replications. The impact of eleven root growing media consisted of mixtures of palm peat, cocopeat, and perlite on two cultivars (‘Tiber’ and ‘Candy Club’) were evaluated under hydroponic conditions. The results showed that the stem diameter, the time of flower emergence, buds length, leaves relative water content (LRWC), leaves and petal's electrolyte leakage (LEL and PEL), bud visual quality, and quality index criteria were as more in the ‘Candy Club’, but SPAD1 and bud diameter characters were higher in the ‘Tiber’. The highest amount of chlorophyll a, b, and total, SPAD1, SPAD3, stem diameter, bud diameter, and quality index were observed in control (80% cocopeat + 20% perlite), which was not significantly different from some palm trunk, and reused cocopeat substrates. The higher value of LRWC, bud length, and carotenoid was observed in 20% palm trunk treatment, while the higher flower longevity occurred in 60% palm tree treatment. 80% reused cocopeat treatment was showed the highest number of bulblets, SPAD2, and time to harvest. The lowest amount of LEL, harvest time, and time of flower emergence was observed in the control. Various cultivars differently respond to growing media, and palm trunk and reused cocopeat could replace a part and, or whole of expensive imported cocopeat. The palm trunk substrates were superior to the palm tree substrates, but there was a low advantage of control than the palm trunk substrate.

Lilium ledebourii is a native and endangered rare species in Iran. It requires a cold period for proper growth and flowering. This experiment was performed to investigate the effects of cold storage on changes of endogenous abscisic acid (ABA), indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), gibberellic acid (GA3), sucrose, fructose, glucose, and total saponin during dormancy of Lilium ledebourii bulbs. The bulbs of lily were stored at 1 or 7 ºC, for 0, 30, 60, 90, and 120 days, and after each period removed from storage and analyzed using HPLC system. The results indicated that, cold storage at 1 ºC for 120 days decreased the levels of ABA while, 7 ºC in the same duration increased its content, slightly. The levels of IAA increased at 1 ºC storage, while remained almost constant at 7 ºC. Cold treatment at 1 ºC increased the levels of GA3, while storage at 7 ºC caused slight decrease in its content. Sucrose and fructose concentrations increased in both temperatures during the storage, while minor reduction in glucose content was observed. Storage at 7 ºC for 120 days induced the highest content of total saponin. The magnitude of changes in hormones and soluble sugars measured at 1 ºC was greater than that at 7 ºC.

To study the effects of the bulb storage conditions on the growth and bulb production of lily, a factorial experiment based on a completely randomized design with two cultivars (the Tiber and Donato), three storage temperatures (-2 °C, 4 °C, and ambient temperature), and three storage durations (4, 8, and 12 weeks) was performed. Bulb sprouting percentage, days to bulb sprouting, number of leaves, leaf area, bulb weight, propagation rate, plant height, stem diameter, days to bud emergence, number of buds, bulb size, and number of scales were evaluated. The results showed that the lowest number of days to bulb sprouting and days to bud emergence, the highest bulb sprouting percentage, plant height, stem diameter, leaf area, bulb weight, bulb size, and propagation rate were observed in Donato cultivar. Tiber cultivar showed the highest number of buds, number of leaves, and number of scales. The minimum number of days to bulb sprouting and days to bud emergence, the highest bulb sprouting percentage, bulb weight, bulb size, number of scales, and propagation rate obtained by storing the bulbs at 4 °C for 12 weeks. In conclusion, 12 weeks storage of the bulbs at 4 °C was the best condition for propagation of two studied lily cultivars.

 Lily (Lilium spp.) is one of the most beautiful and popular ornamental bulbous plants that belongs to the Liliaceae family. Lilies (Lilium spp.) belong to one of the six more important genera of bulbous flowers, which is the fourth most famous plant in the world after Rose, Dianthus, and Chrysanthemum. The genus Lilium comprises more than 100 species, which are mainly distributed in the northern hemisphere. These species are taxonomically divided into seven sections, including Martagon, Pseudolirium, Lilium, Archelirion, Sinomartagon, Leucolirion, and Oxypetalum. It has been suggested that early removal of Lily buds should enhance Lily bulb yield. Disbudding improves the process of bulb development through its influence on the accumulation and transport of carbohydrates in Lily bulbs. In several studies, the effect of bud removal on vegetative characteristics and propagation of Lily bulbs including cut flower length, leaf area, size and weight of the bulb, number, and size of bulbs, number, and size of scales have been reported. With considering the importance of Lily bulb production in the country and the lack of current research on new Lilium hybrids, including various Oriental and OT hybrids, this study was conducted to investigate the effect of cultivar and disbudding on the vegetative characteristics of Lily flowers and its effect on production and multiplication of Lily.

 To study the effect of cultivar and disbudding on the growth and bulb production of Lily, a factorial experiment in a completely randomized design with two cultivars (the Tiber and Donato), and three disbudding items (D0= No disbudding, D1= Disbudding at the stage of bud appearance, and D3= Disbudding at the stage of 3 cm bud length) was conducted in three replications. This research was carried out in hydroponic greenhouses in Dehaghan city, Isfahan province, in an area with a longitude of 51˚, 61´ E, 31˚, 96´ N, and 2004 m mean above sea level. Temperature, humidity, and light intensity inside the greenhouse during the growing period was 15-25 ℃, 50-70 percent, and 20-30 kilolux, respectively. Evaluated characteristics included the plant height, stem diameter, number of leaves, leaf area, number of buds, bulb weight, number of the scale, scale size, number of bulblets, and propagation coefficient.

 The results showed that cultivar and disbudding (Except stem diameter) significantly affect all evaluated traits, while their interaction had a significant impact on bulb weight, bulblet number, propagation coefficient, bulb size, and scale size. In the Donato cultivar, plant height, stem diameter, leaf area, bulb weight, bulb size, scale size, number of bulbs, and propagation coefficient were 32.9%, 6.9%, 35.3%, 40.9%, 14.2%, 70.1%, 77.9%, and 8.2%, respectively higher than Tiber cultivar, while in the Tiber cultivar, the number of leaves and number of scales was 12.5% and 54.9%, respectively higher than the Donato cultivar. The highest plant height and leaf area were observed in non-disbudding treatment. However, the shortest stem and the smallest leaf were observed in disbudding at the stage of bud appearance and disbudding at the stage of 3 cm bud length which was 10.1% and 9.4%, respectively less than the non-disbudding treatment. By disbudding at the stage of bud appearance, the maximum number of scales, the heaviest bulb, the largest bulb, and the maximum scale size was measured that increased by 11.3%, 91.2%, 23.3%, and 39.2%, respectively compared to the non-disbudding treatment, while the lowest value of mentioned traits was recorded with non-disbudding treatment. By applying bud removal treatments up to the third level, the number of leaves, the number of bulbs, and propagation coefficient increased by 2.7%, 37.0%, and 3.6%, respectively, compared to the non-disbudding treatment, although there was no statistically significant difference between disbudding at the stage of 3 cm and disbudding at the stage of bud appearance. On the other hand, the lowest value of these traits occurred in the non-disbudding treatment. In the Tiber cultivar, the highest bulb weight, bulb size, and scale size were obtained by disbudding at the stage of bud appearance, which showed an increase of 93.5%, 24.0%, and 53.9%, respectively, compared to the non-disbudding treatment. Furthermore, in the Donato cultivar, disbudding at the stage of bud appearance significantly increased bulb weight, bulb size, and scale size by 89.4%, 22.8%, and 31.5%, respectively, compared to the non-disbudding. Also, the highest bulblet number and propagation coefficient in this cultivar were obtained by disbudding at the stage of 3 cm bud length, which increased 58.3% and 0.7%, respectively compared to the non-disbudding treatment.

 In general, it can be concluded that the Donato cultivar has a significant advantage in most of the evaluated traits over the Tiber cultivar, which can be attributed to the genetic distance between different Oriental and OT hybrids. Disbudding at the stage of bud appearance, if the end of the branch is not damaged, was the most appropriate treatment for replanting, production, and propagating of Lily bulb.

Calla lily (Zantedeschia spp.) is one of the monocotyledonous ornamental plants that is famous as pot plant and cut flower in the world. In the present study, in order to investigate indirect regeneration, different explants of calla lily cv. Orania were used in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD). In order to produce callus, explants of tuber buds, meristem, shoot-tip from tissue cultured plantlets and thin cell layer of stem were cultured on MS medium with different concentrations of BAP and NAA as treatment combination. Afterwards, the effect of using amino acid L-glutamine and adenine sulfate on increasing the shoot induction percentage was investigated. The highest percentage of callus formation (73.3%) was obtained from meristem explant on the MS medium containing 1 mg L-1 BAP along with 1.5 mg L-1 NAA. Due to the good quality of calli induced from the meristem explants, this explant was transferred to MS medium containing BAP, adenine sulfate and L-glutamine for regeneration. Highest regeneration percentage (78.3%), highest average number of shoots (13.4) and average shoot length (51.6 mm) were obtained on the media containing 1 mg L-1 BAP with 20 mg L-1 adenine sulfate and 300 mg L-1 L-Glutamine. Considering that calla lily is a recalcitrant plant in tissue culture, adding 500 mg L-1 activated charcoal to the rooting medium containing 0.25 and 0.5 mg L-1 IAA increased both rooting percentage and number of roots per plantlet. Furthermore, using amino acid L-glutamine (300 mg L-1) and adenine sulfate (20 mg L-1) increased the quality and number of plantlets produced from regeneration. Regenerated plantlets with proper length were transferred to the MS medium containing 0.5 mg L-1 IAA with 500 mg L-1 activated charcoal as rooting medium with the highest percentage of root induction (88.3%). Rooted plants were adapted (more than 70%) successfully in the perlite and cocopeat mixture (1:1) under greenhouse condition.

Phalaenopsis is an important genus of orchids that is grown for economical production of cut flower and potted plants. The objective of this study is the evaluation of correlation between morphological and physiological traits of self and cross-pollination of 5 varieties of Phalaenopsis orchid. Some morphological traits were measured: Capsule length (CL), capsule volume (CV), weight of seeds in capsule (WSC), full weight of capsule (FWC) and empty weight of capsule (EWC) and physiological traits: Time to first pollination symptom (TPS), time to capsule swelling (TCS) and capsule ripening (CR). The results showed that correlation (canonical r) was 0.91 in first pair canonical variables; second and third pair canonical variables had correlation 0.68 and 0.30, respectively. The first canonical variable in physiological traits revealed 66.1% variation of physiological variables. Special values were 0.820, 1.388 and 4.850 for Wilks' Lambda, Pillai's Trace and Roy's Greatest Root, respectively. Canonical correlation was significant for physiological and morphological characteristics in all statistical tests. The first canonical variables in physiological characteristics had positive correlation with TCS and TPS, so it was resulted that if TCS was fewer, TPS and CR characteristics were fewer.  In pollinated varieties, the lowest TCS belonged to Nottingham× Nottingham and Bucharest × Nottingham; and the most CR belonged to Dubrovnik× Dubrovnik and Memphis× Dubrovnik of pollination states; Therefore, it can be concluded that white and yellow female parent require fewer and more days for capsule swelling respectively.

Gladiolus is cultivated as a high-value ornamental plant in the worldwide and it has the highest cultivation area and the highest level of underground organs imports in Iran. In this study, in order to investigate indirect regeneration of Amsterdam and Advance Red cultivars an experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with three replications. For callogenesis, bud sprout (apical section), corm slices (middle section) and basal plate (bottom section) explants of corm with 1 cm2 dimensions were cultured in MS medium with different concentrations of Picloram, Dicamba, BAP , kinetin, NAA and 2,4,5-T. At the regeneration stage, different concentrations of TDZ and GA3 were combined with Proline and Glutamine amino acids. Based on the results, in the medium containing 1 or 2 mg L-1 of Dicamba, the bud sprout explant showed the highest callogenesis (77.77% and 75.91% in Amsterdam and Advance Red, respectively). The highest percentage of regeneration (81.11% and 75.57% in Amsterdam and Advance Red, respectively) and the highest number of shoots (23.69 and 20.19 in Amsterdam and Advance Red, respectively) were obtained in 1 mg L-1 TDZ + 0.5 mg L-1 GA3 + 200 mg L-1 Proline + 200 mg L-1 Glutamine. The highest percentage of rooting (84.41% and 82.50% in Amsterdam and Advance Red, respectively) were produced in MS medium supplemented with 2 mg L-1 IAA + 500 mg L-1 activated charcoal. Produced plantlets from indirect regeneration were successfully adapted in greenhouse condition.

Nowadays, in vitro techniques are proposed for commercial and rapid propagation of Phalaenopsis species. The present study aims were investigating the quality of seed germination of 5 cultivars of Phalaenopsis orchid, and correlation of their traits in the culture medium. The study was conducted using the green and ripe seeds in terms of 5 cultivars of orchid as Dubrovnik, Memphis, Andorra, Bucharest and Nottingham in a factorial experiment based on a completely randomized design. The capsules were formed using self-pollination of flowers in each cultivar. The green seeds were harvested at the stage of completely formed capsules and the ripe ones were harvested at the stage of initial browning of the capsule shell. The seeds were cultured on Chenchr('39')s culture medium. The number of germinated and non-germinated seeds were counted 18-33 days after their culture. The following factors were measured for each treatment: germination percentage, germination rate, germination index, mean daily germination, mean germination time and coefficient of germination rate. Correlation coefficient of %98 between the measured characteristics indicated a significant correlation between germination rate and germination index. The results of cluster analysis that was conducted based on all the measured germination characteristics showed the maximum mean distance between clusters; ultimately, that separated into two groups at Euclidean distance of 1.25 which Dubrovnik and Memphis cultivars were classified in the first group and Andorra, Bucharest and Notingham cultivars were classified in the second group. The key characteristics in separating cluster among the groups were considered to be germination percentage, germination rate, germination index and mean germination time. Discrimination function analysis test confirmed the grouping among the cultivars in a 100% manner. Both Hoteling-Lawley Trace as well as Roychr('39')s Greatest Root tests showed the highest value of 5.23 to confirm the grouping. It is concluded that using cluster analysis and correlation coefficient Notingham had the highest value in germination factors based on the germination percentage, germination rate and germination index which were regarded as key traits for the breeding programs.

Water deficit is a major limiting factor for turfgrass management in arid and semi-arid regions. This experiment was conducted in order to investigate morphophysiological responses of Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.) to water deficit stress and application of sodium nitroprusside and salicylic acid. The experiment was carried out based on completely randomized design with four replications. First factor included three water deficit stress levels (40, 70 and 100% of soil available water), and four levels of second factor were salicylic acid (SA) (2 mM), sodium nitroprusside (SNP) (500 µM), 2mM SA + 500 µM SNP and control (distilled water). Water deficit reduced shoot growth and relative water content. Whereas root growth, chlorophyll content, electrolyte leakage, total phenol, leaves antioxidant capacity and proline content increased with decreasing soil available water. Results showed that application of sodium nitroprusside and salicylic acid ameliorate adverse effects of water deficit in Bermuda grass by increasing leaves antioxidant capacity and proline and chlorophyll content as well as reducing electrolyte leakage and this effect was more noticeable in combined application of sodium nitroprusside and salicylic acid.

Salinity is one of the greatest environmental challenges facing plant growth and development in the 21st century. Salicylic acid (SA) is a phenolic compound and signal molecule involved in the regulation of plants responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. This greenhouse experiment was conducted to determine effects of SA application on Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) responses to salinity stress. The three salinity levels (0, 40 and 80 mM NaCl) were applied in nutrient solutions, and foliar SA treatments (0, 1 and 2 mM) were applied at 2-weeks intervals. The study was carried out as a factorial experiment based on completely randomized experimental design with four replications. Salinity reduced root and shoot dry weight, visual turf quality, leaf chlorophyll and potassium content, whereas electrolyte leakage, proline and sodium content were increased with salt concentration in nutrient solution. Salicylic acid application ameliorates adverse effects of salinity in all factors and this effect was more pronounced in 80 mM NaCl. In terms of root dry weight, leaf sodium and proline content as well as electrolyte leakage, SA application at 2 mM had better results than 1 mM. These results suggest that further studies are required to find proper SA application rate in different salinity levels.

This experiment was conducted in order to investigate morphophysiologycal responses of bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.) to water deficit stress and sodium nitroprosside application in horticultural science department at the University of Zanjan in 2015. Three soil available water levels (40, 70 and 100%) and sodium nitroprosside (0, 250 and 500 micromolar) were applied in a factorial experiment based on completely randomized design with four replications. Water deficit reduced leaves relative water content and shoot growth whereas, root growth, root to shoot ratio, leaves antioxidant capacity, electrolyte leakage, proline, total phenol and chlorophyll content increased with decreasing soil available water. Sodium nitroprosside application ameliorate adverse effects of water deficit in bermuda grass by increasing leaves antioxidant capacity, proline, and chlorophyll content as well as reducing electrolyte leakage and this effect was more pronounced in 500 micromolar, suggesting that higher concentrations of sodium nitroprosside must be evaluated.

This experiment was conducted to determine morphological and physiological responses of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) at the germination and early seedling growth stage to drought stress and sodium nitroprusside (nitric oxide donor) application in horticultural science department at the University of Zanjan in 2015. Turfgrass seeds were soaked for six hours in 0 (distilled water), 200, 400 and 600 micromolar of sodium nitroprusside solutions, and for drought stress treatments, germination and early seedling growth was done over the water potential range of 0 (distilled water), -1, -4 and -8 bar by polyethylene glycol. Generally, decline in water potential reduced seed germination percentage, root and shoot length, leaves chlorophyll and carotenoids content, whereas electrolyte leakage and proline content increased with decreasing of water potential. Sodium nitroprusside application at 400 and 600 µM ameliorate adverse effects of drought stress in all factors. However, in all water potentials, 600 µM treatment had no significant difference with control plants in electrolyte leakage, whereas 400 µM treatment reduced electrolyte leakage. Leaves proline content increased with decreasing water potential. Besides, treated plants with sodium nitroproside had more proline than untreated plants.
In conclusion, among different investigated sodium nitroprpside concentrations, treated plants with 400 µM sodium nitroproside showed the best results.