محمد علی بهدانی

Salinity stress is an important abiotic stress threatening the production of cotton in arid and semi-arid regions of the country and the world, which can be reduced by the proper use of organic materials. Cotton is the most important fiber product, which is widely cultivated for agricultural and industrial purposes in temperate and hot regions of more than 15 countries of the world. Although cotton is known as a salinity-tolerant plant, not only is the resistance to salinity limited in this plant, but different stages of development also show different reactions to salinity. One of the effects of stress is disturbing the nutritional balance in the plant. Proper nutrition during times of stress can partially help the plant deal with various environmental stresses. In this regard, by using fertilizers containing micronutrient elements, firstly, plant yield increases, secondly, increasing the concentration of these elements in agricultural products plays an important role in improving the quality of food consumption. Using organic fertilizers, especially organic and animal manure such as humic acid, can improve the performance and performance components of different products under stress conditions.

To study the effect of manure and humic acid on some of the physiological qualities of cotton under salt water salinity stress, an experiment was conducted as factorial split plots (factorial split plot) in which different levels of irrigation water salinity at three levels (2.5, 5.5 and 8.5 ds.m-1) as the main factor and two treatments of manure at two levels (0 and 20 t/h) and humic acid at two levels (0 and 200 gr/100 kg of seeds) as sub-factor in 4 replications in a farm located in Boshrouyeh city in 1398 years. The software SAS (V9.1) and Excel were used to analyze the data and draw the figures. Means were compared using the FLSD test at a 5% probability level.

Analysis of variance results showed that the simple effects of three experimental factors (salinity stress, manure, and humic acid) were significant on all studied traits (on the relative water content, Electrical conductivity and membrane stability, chlorophyll a and b contents, and proline content). With increasing salinity level, increased proline content (286.5%), membrane Electrical conductivity (4.2%) and carotenoids (88.79%) and decreased chlorophyll a (20.7 1 %) and b content (39.38%), relative water content (23.16%) and membrane stability (13.54%). The application of animal manure and humic acid increased the relative water content, membrane stability and chlorophyll content under stress conditions, which indicates the modifying effect of these fertilizers in reducing the adverse effects of salinity stress. The interaction effects were significant, too.

The results of this research showed that the use of water with high salinity, such as salinity of 8 ds.m-1, caused significant changes in the physiological traits of the plant, including relative leaf water content, membrane stability, membrane electrolyte leakage, chlorophylls, and proline. With increasing salinity levels, the amount of proline, membrane electrolyte leakage, and carotenoid increased, and the content of chlorophyll a and b, relative water content, and membrane stability decreased. The application of animal manure and humic acid increased the relative water content, membrane stability, and chlorophyll content under stress conditions, which indicates the moderating effect of these fertilizers in reducing the adverse effects of salinity stress. Considering the positive effects of using organic fertilizers in this experiment, it is recommended to test and investigate the use of humic acid during the growing season in addition to the use of animal manure before planting and the use of humic acid in bulk Thus, it is suggested to use humic acid and animal manure in cotton cultivation to adjust the salinity levels.

 Cotton (Gossypim hirsutum L.) has a special position as one of the most important crops in the country. Considering that salinity stress is one of the most important stresses, it threatens cotton production in arid and semi-arid regions of the country and the world, it is possible to reduce the adverse effects of salinity stress through application of organic fertilizers (manure and humic acid). In addition, Organic inputs can guarantee both agricultural production and nature conservation. The current approach is to employ the organic compounds like manure and humic acid (that are cost-effective and eco-friendly) as an appropriate substitute for chemical fertilizers.

This study was carried out to assess the effect of manure and humic acid application on some elements accumulation and ions concentrations in cotton (Gossypim hirsutum L.) (cotton leaves) under salinity stress. The experiment was conducted as a factorial split plot in the form of a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with four replications in the 2019-2020 cropping year in Beshravieh city in South Khorasan. The main plot included different levels of irrigation water salinity at three levels (2.5, 5.5 and 8.5 ds.m-1) and sub-plots consisted of a factorial combination of manure at two levels (0 and 20 t/h) and humic acid at two levels (0 and 200 gr/ 100 kg of seeds as priming). In order to measure the concentration of sodium (Na) and potassium (K) elements, it was done using a flame photometer and chlorine concentration based on the method provided by Johnson and Ulrich (1995).  In order to assess the cotton yield, the yield of two consecutive harvests were added together and was considered as the seed cotton yield of each experimental unit.

The results of the present study illustrated that the salinity stress increased Na+ and Cl- concentration in cotton leaves and consequently decreased K+ concentration. The increase of salinity stress from 2.5 to 5.5 and 8.5 dSm-1 caused a significant decrease in seed cotton yield. Manure application treatment increased Na+ (13.45%), K+ (2.67%), Cl- (18.30%) concentration in the leaves and seed cotton yield (13/90 %) compared to the no use of manure. Humic acid application treatment decreased Na+ (3.08%), Cl- (9.78%) concentration and increased K+ concentration (4.17%) and cotton yield (9/15 %) and improved the growth conditions compared to the treatment of no use of humic acid. The application of manure (before planting) and humic acid (as priming treatment) increased the seed cotton yield by improving the accumulation of beneficial elements in the leaves under salinity stress conditions.

Based on the results of this experiment, it can be concluded that the application of manure and humic acid (priming) moderated the negative effects of salinity stress on seed cotton yield. In addition, manure and humic acid can be used as an effective and alternative fertilizer in order to reduce the consumption of chemical fertilizers and salinity stress in hot and dry climates. Therefore, manure and humic acid (organic fertilizers) are recommended to be applied under (environmental stresses) salinity stress conditions to mitigate the effects of salt stress and obtain a higher seed cotton yield.

Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) belongs to the Iridaceae family, whose dry stigmas are the most expensive spices in the world and are widely used in food and pharmaceutical industries. Correct management of planting density is one of the most important factors in the formation of saffron yield. Choosing the appropriate planting density in saffron, while increasing the exploitation of this agriculture, increases the yield and reduces the period between planting and economic yield. On the other hand, gibberellins are classified as a diverse group of plant growth regulators that enhance some physiological and biochemical pathways in plants. Gibberellins are involved in many plant development processes and the improvement of some desirable traits such as increasing stem length, uniform flowering, reducing time to flowering, and increasing flower weight. Also, considering that the study of planting density factors and the simultaneous application of gibberellic acid hormone on the qualitative traits of the saffron medicinal plant has not been done, the purpose of this experiment is to investigate the effect of dense cultivation and gibberellic acid hormone on the antioxidant activity and effective substances of saffron.

To investigate the effects of gibberellic acid and plant density on the antioxidant activity and active ingredients of saffron, an experiment was conducted with a factorial arrangement based on a randomized complete block design at the Agricultural Research Station, University of Birjand during 2017-2018 growing season. Treatments consist of gibberellic acid (0 and 20 ppm) and plant density (100, 200, and 300 corms.m-2) with three replications. After the land preparation operation including initial plowing, disk, and land leveling, plots with dimensions of 1x2 meters were created. The distance between the plots was 50 cm and the distance between the blocks was 2 meters (including the irrigation ditches). Since it is important to choose a quality root for planting in order to create a high yield, healthy roots without wounds and scratches and free from any kind of disease were prepared and planted after weighing (the average weight of each root is 8 grams). Anthocyanin, phenol, antioxidant activity, safranal, crocin, picrocin, dry stigma yield, and photosynthetic pigments were measured. Data were analyzed using SAS 9.1 software and means were compared based on the Duncan test.  

The results showed that gibberellic acid had a significant effect on different traits (P<0.05). The highest amount of phenol (629.77 mg. 100 g dry weight-1) and antioxidant (39.53%) was obtained from the gibberellic acid treatment. Therefore, the effect of gibberellic acid at the level of one percent on stigma anthocyanin was also significant and the rate of this trait was 24% higher in the treatment of gibberellic acid application than the non-application treatment. Active ingredients of saffron are influenced by gibberellic acid treatments. The highest safranal (32.5 %), crocin (140.4 %), and picrocin (58.1%) obtained from the use of gibberellic acid, and the lowest safranal (28/3%), crocin (125.1 %), and picrocin (56.6 %) obtained from control. A planting density of 300 corms.m-2 had the highest dry stigma yield. Chlorophyll a and total were increased by application of 20 ppm of gibberellic acid by 14% and 12%, respectively, compared to the control. Plant density treatments were significantly affected only on some traits of active ingredients (safranal and picrocin) at the level of one percent and the highest these were obtained from plant density with 100 corms.m-2, but it had no significant effect on other traits. 

The current study's findings revealed that the use of 20 ppm gibberellic acid had positive effects on qualitative traits of saffron and low planting density (100 corms.m-2) affected only some traits of saffron active ingredients (safranal and picrocin) and high planting density (300 corms.m-2) affected the dry stigma yield.

Environmental factors, especially temperature, are very important in the proper occurrence of saffron flower initiation stage during summer. In areas affected by heat stress, any factor that reduces the stress intensity seems to be beneficial in improving saffron reproductive growth. Corm storage under desired environmental condition is a potential strategy, when saffron is grown as an annual crop. In perennial saffron plantation, where the corms spend the flowering stage in the soil, other solutions should be considered for the proper occurrence of the flowering stage. One of these solutions is to use plant residues in the field surface to reduce the soil temperature. The presence of plant residues causes shading on the soil surface, increases the amount of sunlight reflection, reduces evaporation from the soil, regulates the moisture content of the soil, and reduces the temperature at the depth of the corm placement. Another possible solution to adjust the soil temperature during the flower initiation phase of the corm is to carry out summer irrigation, but there is not enough certainty about its usefulness. Therefore, the aim of the current experiment was to investigate the effect of storage conditions of corms, as well as the effect of summer irrigation and the application of plant residue mulch on saffron flowering.

To investigate the effect of corm storage conditions on saffron reproductive growth an experiment was carried out as complete randomized block design with seven treatments and three replicates during 2019 growing season, in Qaen, Iran. Experimental treatments were three types of corm storage inside the soil [corm planting in 5th June (A) with natural soil temperature as control, A + summer irrigation in 5th August and A + mulch application obtained from wheat residues at the rate of 8 ton ha-1)] and three types of corm storage outside the soil [Corm storage at room (ambient temperature) for three months started from 5th June + corm planting in 5th September (B), Corm storage in constant temperature (25 oC and relative humidity of ~40 %) in incubator for three months + B, three months corm storage at variable temperature in incubator (one month in 20, 25 and 20 oC) + B and corm storage in room (up to 5th August) and incubator (up to 5th September) + B.
 

Results showed that summer irrigation increased the number, length and weight of cataphylls compered to control. Corm storage outside the soil (room or incubator) reduced the weight and length of cataphylls. Control and summer irrigation treatments had no significant different in terms of flower number, flowering rate and flower yield, but were superior to other treatments in terms of all the mentioned traits, especially compared with the room storage treatment. The highest values of mean flower weight (0.37 g), flower length (7.6 cm) and stigma length (2.83 cm) were obtained in mulch application treatment. Mulch application failed to improve flower and stigma yields, despite decreasing the soil temperature during the flower initiation stage. The highest values of stigma yield were gained at control, summer irrigation and mulch application (8.07, 7.28 and 6.40 kg ha-1, respectively), which were significantly more than those obtained at room storage (3.24 kg ha-1), storage in incubator with variable temperature (3.68 kg ha-1), storage in room and incubator (3.89 kg ha-1) and storage in incubator with constant temperature (4.28 kg ha-1).
 

Overall, the passage of saffron flower initiation stage inside the soil significantly improved the flowering of the plant compared to the passage of this period outside the soil under room or incubator conditions.

The storage conditions of saffron mother corms during the summer dormancy period, including natural and pseudo-dormancy stages, can probably affect the vegetative growth and the production of replacement corms (RC), which has not received enough attention in previous scientific studies. This experiment was carried out as a complete randomized block design with seven treatments and three replicates during the 2019 growing season in Qaen, Iran. Experimental treatments were three types of corm storage inside the soil [corm planting on 5th June (A) with natural soil temperature as control, A + summer irrigation on 5th August, and A + mulch application obtained from wheat residues at the rate of 8 ton.ha-1)] and four types of corm storage outside the soil [corm storage at room (ambient temperature) for three months started from 5th June + corm planting on 5th September (B), corm storage in constant temperature (25 oC and relative humidity of ~40 %) in incubator for three months + B, three months corm storage at variable temperature in incubator (one month in 20, 25 and 20 oC) + B and corm storage in room temperature (up to 5th August) and incubator (up to 5th September) + B. The studied traits were the length, number, and weight of leaves, the number and weight of the total RC, the weight of the main RC, the average weight of RCs, and the number and yield of RCs in different weight groups. The results showed that mulch application caused the highest length and number of leaves (35 cm and 9 No per plant, respectively). Incubation of corms at variable temperatures led to a significant increase in the total weight of RC. In contrast,  incubation at constant temperature had most significant effect on the number of RC (2022 corms per m2). The highest and the lowest mean weights of RC were obtained in the mulch application (7.23 g) and incubation at constant temperature (2.22 g), respectively. Plant residue treatment (mulch) decreased the number of small RC (less than 6 g) and increased the number of RC in the weight groups of 9-12 and 12-15 g. Incubation of mother corms at variable temperatures led to an increase in the number and yield of RC weighing more than 15 g. Overall, the treatments of plant residue consumption and storage of mother corms at incubator with variable temperatures, in which 66% and 61% of the RC yield was in groups weighing more than 9 g, respectively, were the best experimental treatments in terms of improving the growth of RC.

Increasing the yield of agricultural products per unit area is very important for preparing the food needed by the growing population of the country. One of the solutions is to add fertilizers in different forms and compositions to the soil to increase crop yield and strengthen soil fertility. Far away has been common all over the world.

In order to investigate the effect of different levels of camel manure and manganese sulfate on growth and yield and yield components of Setaria italic, a factorial experiment in the form of a randomized complete block design with three replications in 2009-2010 in Abuzar well cultivated lands. Khosf city was implemented. Experimental treatments included: camel manure at three levels (0, 10 and 20 t / ha) and manganese sulfate at four levels (0, 30, 60 and 90 kg/ha).

The results of statistical analysis of the data showed that different levels of manure and manganese sulfate and the interaction between them had a significant effect on biological yield, number of grains per panicle and grain yield. So that the highest values ​​of the above indices were observed in the treatment of manure 20 tons per hectare and 90 kg per hectare of manganese sulfate. The highest and lowest number of panicles were obtained in the treatment of 20 tons of camel manure and the application of 30 kg/ha of manganese sulfate and the control treatment without the use of camel manganese and manganese sulfate. The length of the panicle was also affected by the main effects of manure and manganese sulfate. So that the maximum panicle length was obtained in the treatment of 20 tons per hectare of manure and the treatment of 90 kg per hectare of manganese sulfate. The effect of manure levels on number of tillers per plant, number of spikes per plant and number of plants per square meter was significant, but other effects had no significant effect on these traits and the highest number of tillers per plant, number of spikes per plant and number of plants In the treatment of 20 tons per hectare of camel manure were obtained per square meter. The main effects of different levels of manure and manganese sulfate at the level of one percent probability had a significant effect on 1000-grain weight and millet harvest index, but the interaction of these factors did not have a significant effect on these traits. The highest 1000-seed weight was observed in the treatment of 20 tons per hectare of camel manure and the treatment of 90 kg per hectare of manganese sulfate. Also, the highest harvest index was related to the treatment of 20 tons per hectare of camel manure and also the highest harvest index was obtained from the consumption of 60 kg per hectare of manganese sulfate.

Finally, it can be concluded that the best treatments in this experiment were the use of 20 tons per hectare of camel manure and 90 kg per hectare of manganese sulfate. In fact, manure improves plant growth by gradually providing elements and using micronutrients. The use of manure is one of the appropriate solutions to achieve ecological agriculture that can increase agricultural production and due to the fact that most of the soils of South Khorasan province are calcareous and manganese deficient, the use of this element can be Help to remove this limitation and increase plant yield.

Water is one of the most common and at the same time the most important substance on the planet. All kinds of plants in different parts of the earth need more water than any other environmental factor. The main purpose of direct measurements or evapotranspiration calculations is the amount of water required by plants. Knowledge of the water need of plants in each region and its use in agricultural planning plays an important role in water usage. Due to the reduction of fresh water reserves in the world, accurate estimation of evaporation and transpiration and water requirement of plants seems to be important. Therefore, developing an irrigation plan and applying proper irrigation management can reduce the losses caused by water resources. The aim of the current research is to determine the evapotranspiration and plant coefficients of saffron plant and the evapotranspiration of the grass reference plant by two methods, lysimeter and FAO-Penman-Mantith, in Birjand city.
 
The research was carried out in the agricultural year of 2018-2019 in the lysimetry laboratory of the Faculty of Agriculture, Birjand city, for this purpose. The saffron plant was grown in six lysimeters and the grass reference plant in three lysimeters, in the collection of lysimetry laboratories of the Faculty of Agriculture, Birjand University. The growth period of saffron plant was divided into four initial (27 days), development (54 days), middle (40 days) and final (54 days) stages. Irrigation was done daily until the soil moisture reached the agricultural capacity. The irrigation volume was adjusted based on the soil moisture level, the reason for which was mentioned above. The start time of irrigation was determined based on soil moisture and Fc. The end of irrigation was done according to the condition and moisture content of the soil.
The average of evapotranspiration of the grass reference plant by lysimetric and FAO-Penman-Monteith methods was obtained equal to 4.32 and 4.19 mm/day, respectively, and the average of evapotranspiration of the saffron plant during the 175-day growth period was obtained equal to 2.34 mm/day. During different stages of growth, the amount of the average of single crop coefficient was estimated 0.36, 0.66, 0.86 and 0.42, respectively, and the average of dual crop coefficient was estimated 0.37, 0.67, 0.87 and 0.42, respectively. With the passage of time, the amount of evaporation-transpiration of the reference plant has increased, which can be attributed to the long day length and the increase in net solar radiation, with the increase in temperature, the amount of evaporation-transpiration also has increased, so the demand of the plant to receive water increases.
 
Observations indicated that at the beginning of the period, due to high evaporation, this coefficient was clearly obtained from their sum, but in the middle stage, due to the decrease in evaporation and the predominance of transpiration, the coefficient of vegetation in most cases was Sweating has approached and this trend of changes has been the same in all lysimeters. The value of the basic vegetation coefficient (transpiration component) gradually increased after passing through the initial stage and reached the maximum value in the middle stage. The value of the evaporation coefficient from the soil surface (Ke) is the highest after the surface soil layer is wetted by rain or irrigation. As this layer dries, the evaporation coefficient will increase. In the condition that there is no water left in the surface layer of the surface soil, the evaporation coefficient reaches zero. The two-component vegetation coefficient, which is the sum of the transpiration and evaporation components, also decreases gradually. The fluctuations seen in the graph are due to the short irrigation period.

Nutrition management in saffron cultivation is one of the important issues in the production of this valuable product. Studies have shown that the use of bio-fertilizers and nano-fertilizers can be effective in reducing the inhibitory effects of drought and salinity stress. Also nano-fertilizers have high consumption efficiency and can optimally release their nutrients at a suitable point in the root growth area. The tendency of saffron to grow in a dry climate has caused the cultivation of this plant to expand in the eastern lands of the country. Meanwhile, the lands in the east of the country often face drought and salinity problems due to low and scattered rainfall. Thus, present study was performed to investigate the effects of salinity levels, bio-fertilizer and nano-fertilizer of Fe on yield and physiological characteristics of saffron. 

Present study was performed in a farm that located in Torbat Heydarieh city, in 2018-2019. The experiment was conducted as factorial layout based on a randomized complete block design with three replications and analyzed by combined analysis in location (salinity). Bio-fertilizer was applied at four levels of zero, 500, 1000 and 1500 kg ha-1 and nano particles of Fe was applied at two levels of non-used and application of four liters per hectare. These factors were investigated in two locations with different irrigation salinity (2.29 and 4.49 dS m-1). 

The results showed that there was the highest value for dry weight of stigma in irrigation conditions with salinity of 2.29 dS m-1. In this trait, under the conditions of irrigation with salinity of 2.29 dS m-1, there was no significant difference between the application and non-application levels of nano-fertilizer of Fe; However, in the conditions of irrigation with salinity of 4.49 dS m-1, the application of nano-fertilizer of Fe compared to non-application, caused a significant increase of 32.8% for dry weight of stigma. Comparison of mean for triple interaction showed that in irrigation conditions with salinity of 4.49 dS m-1 and in all levels of bio-fertilizer, the application of nano-fertilizer of Fe compared to control increased the amount of chlorophyll b and RWC, significantly. At both salinity levels of 2.29 and 4.49 dS m-1, by increasing amounts of bio-fertilizer, the amount of carotenoids significantly increased. Also, at both salinity levels of 2.29 and 4.49 dS m-1 and all levels of bio-fertilizer, the application of Fe nano-fertilizer significantly increased carotenoids compared to conditions of non-application. In irrigation conditions with salinity of 4.49 dS m-1 and at levels of zero and 500 kg ha-1 of bio-fertilizer, the application of Fe nano-fertilizer prevented increasing of proline, significantly and prevented the occurrence of more electrolyte leakage. 

In the present research, increasing the salinity from 2.29 to 4.49 dS m-1 caused a significant decrease in dry weight of saffron stigma. However, in the conditions of applying irrigation with a salinity of 4.49 dS m-1, the application of iron nano-fertilizer caused a significant increase in dry weight of stigma compared to its non-application. With increasing amounts of bio-fertilizer in both irrigation conditions, the amount of chlorophyll a also increased. In addition, in irrigation conditions with a salinity of 49.4 dS m-1 and at all levels of bio-fertilizer, the application of iron nano-fertilizer significantly increased the amount of chlorophyll b and RWC, compared to the conditions without its application. Also, in irrigation conditions with salinity of 4.49 dS m-1 and at the levels of zero and 500 kg ha-1 of bio-fertilizer, the application of iron nano-fertilizer significantly prevented the increase of proline and in the same conditions and at all levels of bio-fertilizer, it prevented to do more electrolytes leakage. Based on these results, in order to achieve higher yields in saffron cultivation, irrigation with less saline water is recommended and in case of irrigation with salinity of more than 4.2 dS m-1 in saffron cultivation, the use of iron and bio-fertilizers is recommended to improve the physiological characteristics.

In recent years, due to the excessive consumption of agricultural inputs, especially chemical fertilizers and common methods of crop production, problems have arisen that have led to more attention to sustainable agriculture.Zeolite is one of the natural minerals that also has nutritional value and can be considered a step towards achieving sustainable agriculture.

In order to investigate the effect of type and amount of zeolite on the yield of common millet, an experiment was conducted in the crop year of 2017-17 at the research farm of the Faculty of Agriculture of Birjand University. This factorial experiment was performed using randomized complete block design with 3 replications. Experimental treatments included two types of calcium and potash zeolites in two forms of powder and granules, which were considered at two levels (5 and 10 tons per hectare) with a control treatment without zeolite. In this study, common millet (Pursu) was used for cultivation.

Number of clusters per plant: Analysis of variance of data showed that the effect of treatment on this trait was not statistically significant at the level of 5% probability. However, the control treatment had fewer clusters than the potassium powder and granular treatments of 10 tons per hectare and the calcic powder and granule treatments of 10 tons per hectare. Also, the control treatment had more clusters than the calcium granular and powder treatments of 5 tons per hectare and the potassium granular and powder treatments of 5 tons per hectare. Comparison of the average effect of zeolite content on the number of clusters per plant showed that increasing the application of zeolite from 5 tons per hectare to 10 tons per hectare caused a significant increase in the number of clusters per millet plant at a probability level of 5%.
Thousand-grain weight: Analysis of variance of 1000-grain weight data as a treatment, to compare with the zeolite control treatment showed that the effect of zeolite treatment on millet 1000-grain weight was significant at 5% probability level. The results of factorial analysis of variance showed that the simple effect of zeolite type on 1000-grain weight was significant at 5% probability level. But the simple effect of zeolite content as well as the interaction effect of type and amount of zeolite on this trait was not significant.
Grain yield: The results of analysis of variance of grain yield data to compare treatments containing zeolite with control treatment without zeolite showed that the effect of zeolite treatment on grain yield was significant at the level of 1% probability. The results of factorial analysis of variance showed that the simple effect of zeolite content at 1% probability level and the effect of type and amount of zeolite at 5% probability level on grain yield were significant. But the simple effect of zeolite type had no significant effect on this factor. The results of comparing the average amount of zeolite on grain yield showed that increasing the amount of zeolite increased millet grain yield at a probability level of 5%.
Water use efficiency: The results showed a significant effect of zeolite treatment on water use efficiency at a probability level of 1%. The results of variance for water use efficiency showed that this trait was significantly affected by the simple effect of zeolite content and the interaction between type and amount of zeolite at 5% level but the effect of zeolite type on it was not significant. The results of comparing the average amount of zeolite on water use efficiency showed a statistically significant difference between the application of 5 and 10 tons per hectare of zeolite at the level of one percent.

The results showed that the application of different types of zeolite caused a significant increase in 1000-grain weight and number of grains per panicle at a probability level of 5% and grain yield, water use efficiency at a probability level of one percent compared to control treatment (no application of zeolite). Increasing the application of zeolite from 5 to 10 tons per hectare significantly increased the number of spikes per plant, number of seeds per spike, 1000-seed weight, biological yield, grain yield and water use efficiency. Therefore, with the optimal using of this fertilizer, the effects of drought stress on plants are somewhat reduced and it is recommended for using in dry areas.

Proper plant density and emphasis on high density cultivating patterns and mother corm weight during the first years of cultivation to achieve high yield and reduce the length of the operation cycle of saffron farms, should be considered by farmers. The effects of plant density and mother corm weight on flower yield and growth characteristics of saffron were evaluated under field conditions. Treatments were three levels of plant density (100, 200 and 300 per m2) and three mother corm weights (0.1- 4, 4.1- 8 and 8.1- 12 g). The experiment was designed as factorial arrangement based on randomized complete block design with three replications at the Research station of Faculty of Agriculture University of Birjand during growing season of 2016-2017. The results indicated that plant density and corm weight had significant effect on the fresh weight of flower, fresh yield of flower, dry yield of stigma and fresh weight of leaf. There were significant different between some characteristics (fresh yield of flower and dry yield of stigma) by interaction plant density and corm weight treatments, so that, the highest fresh yield of flower and dry yield of stigma were obtained (9.88 and 2.41 kg/ha, respectively), from corm weight with 8.1-12 g and plant density with 300 corm/m2, and the lowest were observed from corm weight with 0.1-4 g and plant density of 100 corms per m2. The highest fresh weight of leaves and flower were obtained from 8.1-12 g and 300 corms per m2. Also, the highest and lowest attributes of flower were observed from corm weight with 8.1-12 g and 0.1-4 g, respectively. It was found that corm weight had significant effect on leaves characteristics (length, fresh weight and dry weight of leaf, chl a, chl b and total chl), so that the highest these attributes were obtained from corm weight with 8.1-12 g. In general, the use of corm weight 8.1-12 g and plant density 300 corms per m2 had an effective role in increasing the yield of saffron.

To investigate the effects of foliar application of Acadian seaweed extract® and Biomix poultry manure® on qualitative traits and secondary metabolites of saffron, an experiment was conducted as a factorial arrangement based on a randomized complete block design with three replications in the city of Ferdows the during growing season of 2017-2018. Experimental treatments included four levels of Acadian seaweed extract® (0, 1, 1.5, and 2 kg. l000 L-1 water) and four levels of liquid Biomix poultry manure® (0, 2, 4 and 6 L. l000 L-1 water). Measured traits included phenol, anthocyanin, crocin, picrocrocin, safranal, and fresh and dry stigma yield. Results showed the effect of treatments was significant on the studied traits. So that saffron stigma picrocrocin in treatment of 2 kg. l000 L-1 Acadian seaweed extracts® was 26% more than the control. Liquid poultry manure® also had a significant effect on secondary metabolites of saffron, so that saffron stigma picrocrocin in treatment of 6 L. l000 L-1 Biomix poultry manure® was 24% more than the control. Interaction between Acadian seaweed extract® and Biomix poultry manure® had a significant effect on anthocyanin, crocin, safranal, and phenol content. The highest increase was observed in 2 kg. l000 L-1 Acadian® and 6 L. l000 L-1 Biomix poultry manure®. Also, the use of seaweed extract® had a significant effect on stigma yield, so that the yield of fresh stigma (13%) and dry stigma (20%) in the treatment of 2 kg. l000 L-1 seaweed extracts® was higher than the control. According to the results of this study, the use of seaweed Acadian® (2 kg. l000 L-1 water) alone or in combination with Biomix poultry manure® (6 L. l000 L-1water) can play an important role in enhancing the yield and quality characteristics of saffron.

Millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) is a ,warm-season grass with a growing season of 60–100 days. It is a highly nutritious cereal grain used for human consumption, birdseed, and/or ethanol production. Millet ranks sixth among the world’s most important cereal grains, sustaining more than one-third of the world’s population. Millets are generally among the most suitable crops for sustainable agriculture and food security on marginal lands with low fertility. Millet crops are grown on marginal lands and under low-input agricultural conditions, situations in which major cereal crops often produce low yields. Foliar application of Zn brings the greatest benefit in comparison with addition to soil where they become less available. Generally, Micronutrients are essential for plant growth and play an important role in balanced crop nutrition. Micronutrients are as important to plant nutrition as primary and secondary nutrients, though plants do not require as much of them. 

To study the effect of cow manure (CM: 0, 10, 20, and 30 ton ha-1) and zinc sulfate (ZS: 0, 60, and 90 kg ha-1) application on common millet (Panicum miliaceaum L.) growth and yield, a factorial experiment based on a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications was conducted in the research field of University of Birjand, Iran, in 2018 growing season. In addition, a chemical fertilizer (NPK) treatment was considered in each block, and its effect was compared with 12 other combination treatments based on a randomized complete block design.  The studied traits were plant height, number of tillers per plant, 1000-grain weight, grain yield, biological yield, harvest index, and seed zinc content. The software SAS (V9.1) and Excel were used to analyze the data and draw the figures. Means were compared using the FLSD test at a 5% probability level. 

Analysis of variance results showed that the simple effects of both experimental factors were significant on all studied traits, but none of the interaction effects were significant. Application of 60 kg ha-1 of ZS improved all growth and yield parameters of millet, while the highest zinc content in the seed was obtained by applying 90 kg ha-1. The highest seed and biological yields (2227 and 7940 kg ha-1, respectively) were obtained by 60 kg ha-1 of ZS application, which was 36 and 6.6% higher than the control treatment (no-fertilization), respectively. All studied traits showed an increasing trend with increasing the amount of CM consumption, so that their highest values ​​were obtained when 30 tons ha-1 of CM was applied. Seed yield (2564 kg ha-1) at the highest CM level was 138% more than the control treatment and ultimately led to a 14.4% increase in the harvest index. 

Millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) is a cereal plant cultivated for its grain, mostly in Asia and North America. It is a warm-season grass with a short growing season and low moisture requirement that is capable of producing food or feed where other grain crops would fail. Chemical fertilizer treatment (NPK) also improved all traits related to plant growth and yield compared to control as well as some other fertilization treatments. Modifying the physical properties of the soil and the availability of nutrients for millet plants can be a major reason for the increased yield and growth of the plant. Also, the results showed that consumption of zinc sulfate at 60 kg.ha-1 increased yield and yield components of common millet, but consumption of 90 kg.ha-1 of this fertilizer reduced the studied traits. In addition, the results of this experiment showed a significant difference between four levels of manure so that the highest grain yield of studied millet was obtained from 30 tons per hectare of manure. According to the test results, it can be stated that the application of zinc sulfate at a rate of 60 kg per hectare increased the yield and yield components of millet and therefore is introduced as the desired amount of fertilizer to achieve ideal yield.

In order to investigate the effect of salinity levels, bio fertilizer and nano fertilizer of Fe on quantitative and qualitative characteristics of saffron, a factorial experiment was conducted as a combined analysis in location by a randomized complete block design with three replications. Bio fertilizer was applied at four levels of zero, 500, 1000 and 1500 kg ha-1 and nanoparticles of Fe was applied at two levels of non-consumption and application of four liters per hectare. These factors were investigated in two locations with different irrigation salinity (2.29 and 4.49 dS m-1). The results showed that there were the highest values for traits of weight of flower, number of flowers, dry weight of stigma and weight of stigma + style in irrigation conditions with a salinity of 2.29 dS m-1. In the mentioned traits, under the conditions of irrigation with salinity of 2.29 dS m-1, there was no significant difference between the application and non-application levels of nano fertilizer of Fe; However, in the conditions of irrigation with salinity of 4.49 dS m-1, the application of nano fertilizer of Fe compared to non-application, caused a significant increase of 35.5, 33, 32.8 and 34.1% of these traits, respectively. Comparison of mean for triple interaction showed that at both salinity levels of 2.29 and 4.49 dS m-1, in the absence of bio fertilizer, the application of nano fertilizer of Fe could significantly increase the amount of crocin. However, in the application of different levels of bio fertilizer, the application of nano fertilizer of Fe reduced significantly the amount of crocin. The highest amount of safranal was observed in salinity of 4.49 dS m-1 and in the treatments of application of 500 and 1500 kg per hectare of bio fertilizer and application of nano fertilizer of Fe as well as non-application of bio fertilizers and nanoparticles of Fe. Irrigation with salinity of 4.49 dS m-1 in bio fertilizer levels (except for 500 kg ha-1) caused a significant increase in picrocrocin. In generally, it seems that for achieving higher yields, irrigation with less saline water and in case of irrigation with water by more than salinity of 4.2 dS m-1, the use of nano fertilizer of Fe to moderate the effects of salinity is recommended.

This research was conducted to determine the effect of sulfur and cattle manure on yield and amino acids of two Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) varieties.

The experiment was done by a factorial experiment in randomized block design with 3 replications in 2016 and 2017 at Kerman Agricultural and Natural Resources Research Center. The treatments consisted of powdered sulfur at four levels (0, 2, 4 and 8 ton.ha-1), Cow manure at two levels (0 and 20 ton.ha-1) and Jiroft-13 and Jiroft local varieties.

The results showed that the number of capsules per plant in the second year was higher than the first year and the number of seeds per capsule in the second year was lower. Also, the leaf phosphorus content in the second year was higher than the first year. The number of branches, number of capsules per plant, 1000-grain weight, grain yield and Methionine in 20 ton.ha-1treatment of cow manure was higher than the control. The effect of sulfur treatment on yield, yield components, seed oil, Leaf phosphorus, Methionine and Cysteine were significant and according to the significance of the interaction between cow manure and sulfur, the highest grain yield (1353.28 Kg.ha-1) was obtained from of 20 Ton.ha-1 treatment of cow manure and 8 ton.ha-1of sulfur. The Jiroft-13 variety had higher oil seed, grain and biological yield than Jiroft local variety.

According to the experiment conditions, more desirable results can be obtained using 20 ton.ha-1 manure, with lower rates of sulfur.

Medicinal plants in the world are very important and currently the demand for medicinal herbs is on the rise due to higher requirement of products need in the pharmaceutical, health and food industry. Therefore, the assessment of various systems of plant nutrition is one of the important needs of agricultural planning in order to achieve high yield with high quality, especially in medicinal plants. Manure increase soil fertility and improves the growth and yield. This experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of planting density and single or combined application of cow manure (CM) and chemical fertilizers (CF) on growth, yield and pigment content of Isabgol (Plantago ovata Forsk).

In order to evaluate the effects of different levels of fertilizer on isabgol (Plantago ovata Forsk) an experiment was arranged as factorial based on a randomized complete block design with three replications at Sarayan Faculty of Agriculture, University of Birjand, during 2017. Experimental factors were included: Fertilization treatments consisted of single (40 ton.ha-1 CM and 40 kg.ha-1 CF from the source of NPK) and combined (40 ton.ha-1 CM + 20 kg.ha-1 CF and 20 ton. CM + 40 kg.ha-1 CF) application of organic and chemical fertilizers along with a control treatment (no-fertilizer) which were evaluated at three levels of density (20, 40 and 60 plants.m2). Measurements of chlorophyll a, b, carotenoid and SPAD: Firstly, 0.1g samples were taken from the collected leaves. Subsequently each sample was extracted by 80% acetone and put in the centrifuges with rotation speed of 6000 per minute for 10 minute. Absorbance using a spectrophotometer at wavelengths of 470, 647, 663 nm was measured. Also, chlorophyll index was measured by manual chlorophyll meter. Measurements of Yield and yield components: In the sampling stage (full flowering stage), 3 plants of cultivation lines were harvested with respect to the elimination of marginal effects. After measuring plant height, the plants were cut from above the soil, immediately weighed (fresh weight) and then the samples were placed in separate bags and after drying in an oven at 72°C for 48 hours, the leaf weight, total dry weight and grain yield of each sample were measured. Finally, Statistical analyses were carried out by ANOVA, with  least significant difference test (LSD) at 5% probability level for subsequent pairwise comparisons.

 The results indicated the significant effect of treatments on plant dry weight, biological yield, seed yield and chlorophyll b content. The highest biological and seed yields (2080 and 806.6 kg.ha-1, respectively), were obtained from planting density of 60 plants m2, while the highest leaf chlorophyll content was gained from 20 plants m2 treatment. The effect of fertilizer resources on all traits (except plant dry weight) and interaction effect of experimental factors on all studied indices were no-significant. The plant showed an appropriate adaptation to low nutritional and its maximum yield was obtained when at least 60 plants.m2 was used.

Based on the obtained results, it could be concluded that isabgol is a low-input medicinal plants in terms of nutrient requirements. Therefore, it seems that the application of fertilizer resources in crops which are located prior to isabgol in a rotation and availability of remaining nutrients can provide the nutritional requirements of this plant. Moreover, consider to open canopy of the plant even when the plant density was 60 plant.m-2, it seems that more densities must be considered in future studies.

The effects of applications of gibberellic acid hormone (GA) and mother weight corm on antioxidant activities and components of saffron were evaluated under field conditions. Treatments were tow levels of gibberellic acid (0 and 20 ppm) and three mother corm weights (0.1- 4, 4.1- 8 and 8.1- 12 g).The experiment was designed as factorial arrangement based on randomized complete block design with three replications at the Research station of Faculty of Agriculture University of Birjand during growing season of 2016-2017.Traits including antioxidant activity, anthocyanins, phenols, crocin, picrocrocin and safranal of saffron. The results indicated that treatments had significant effect on antioxidant activity of stigma and petals. The highest antioxidant activity (39.5%) was found in gibberellic acid, but corm weight had no effect on this trait. Also, the highest anthocyanins (Stigma and Petal) was recorded from corm weight 8.1-12 g (1.31 and 0.96 mg / 100 g dry weight) and the lowest was obtained from corm weight 0.1-4 g (1.039 and 0.679 mg/100 g dry weight, respectively). Although, gibberellic acid treatment had no effect on the anthocyanins of petal. Total phenol increased with the use of gibberellic acid, the highest phenol (0.627 mg /100 g dry weight) was obtained from corm weight 8.1-12 g and the lowest was obtained from corms weight 0.1-4 g. The highest levels of safranal (32.56 %) and picrocrin (58.19%) were observed from gibberellic acid treatment. Also, the interaction between gibberellic acid and corm weight was significant on crocin content .The highest crocin (152.6%) was obtained from corm weight of 8.1-12 g and gibberellic acid. The beneficial effects of the use of gibberellic acid and high corm weight on the improvement of biochemical traits and effective saffron substances

Saffron is a sterile triploid plant which is propagated by a daughter corms from the mother corm, thus improving its agronomic characteristics has been limited using conventional plant breeding. Tissue culture technology is a useful tool to improve crop characteristics. The purpose of this research is to find the appropriate protocol for the induction of callus in parts of saffron corms. A factorial experiment was carried out with plant growth regulators 2,4-D and BAP, at three levels (1, 2 and 3 mg/L) each, with 5 replications in a completely randomized design. The control samples had no any kind of growth regulator. These results indicate that MS culture medium supplemented with 2 mg/L 2,4-D and 2 mg/L BAP was the best culture medium for callus growth and formation. The purpose of this study was to achieve a suitable protocol for inducing embryogenic callus and indirect regeneration in saffron. To achieve this, an experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with four replications using two growth regulators of 2,4-D, 0.5 mg/L, and BAP at three levels of 3, 4 and 5 mg/L. Observations showed that there were no significant differences between treatments. Then, these calluses were sub-cultured into two different levels of MS medium (half-strength MS and complete MS) without ABA with 3% and 6% sucrose, and with 1 mg/L ABA. The factorial experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with 6 replications to examine embryo development. The results showed that the best medium for embryo development was complete MS medium containing 1 mg/L ABA. Finally, in order to growth and differentiation, these calluses were transferred to a MS medium with 6% sucrose. The observations indicated that calluses in full MS medium containing 1 mg/L ABA, showed the best reaction to regeneration.

Guar (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba L.) is a plant from the legumes family. Guar gum is obtained from endosperm in guar seeds. Guar gum is used in many industries such as pharmaceutical and food industries, paper, mining, oil and drilling, textiles, and explosives industries. Modeling is a method that is widely used in predicting plant growth stages and determining the required thermal units in each growing stage, especially germination.Considering the important therapeutic and industrial uses of guar and the lack of sufficient information and reports to determine the cardinal temperatures of this plant, this study aimed to investigate the effect of temperature on germination traits and early seedling growth and predict the cardinal temperatures (minimum, optimal and maximum) of germination for this plant.

This research was carried out at the Seed Sciences and Technology Laboratory of Agricultural College of Sarayan, the University of Birjand in 2017. Experiments were carried out in a completely randomized design with 8 levels of temperature treatments (5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, and 40°C), with 5 replications. Germination percentage, daily germination speed, mean daily germination, plumule length, root length, and seedling length were calculated. Cardinal temperatures of germination were calculated using regression analysis with the aid of the proposed models (logistic, two-way, quadratic, and third-order polynomials) using germination speed. The data were analyzed using SAS software and the comparison means were done by Duncanchr('39')s test at a probability level of 5%. Sigma Plot software was used to plot the germination rate against temperature graphs (for fitting different models).

 The results showed that the effect of different temperature levels on the percentage, speed and mean seed germination was significant (P <0.05). According to the results, the lowest values for percentage, speed, and average germination were obtained at 5, 10, and 40°C, and the highest germination speed was observed at 15 °C and also the highest percentage of germination and average germination was observed at 35°C. The results of the effect of different temperature levels on seedling growth showed that the effect of temperature on the seedling length, stem, and root length was significant (P <0.01), so that the lowest values related to seedling length, plumule, and radicle was found at 5, 10 and 40°C, and the maximum seedling and plumule length were 30°C.

Quantification of the gauge seed germination reaction to different temperature levels was carried out using four dual-functions, logistic, quadratic and triple polynomials. The second-order multitasking regression model, based on the coefficient of explanation (R2) and the amount of deviation, had a suitable and significant fit with the data related to germination rate against the independent temperature variable. Based on the parameters of the model, the optimum temperature was obtained at 26.05°C and the minimum and maximum temperature of guar germination were calculated to be 6.09 and 40°C.

Due to the sensitivity of saffron yield and its effect on climatic parameters and nonlinear properties of plant functions, in this research, saffron yield prediction was considered. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ability of the support vector machine simulation model (lssvm) and genome genotype programming model (GenXproTools5.0) to predict saffron yield based on meteorological data (minimum temperature, maximum temperature, precipitation, evaporation and relative humidity, Performance one year ago) on a seasonal scale between 1992 and 2006. The best model was selected based on R2, RMSE and MAE assessment criteria. The results showed that in both scenarios, in the H scenario (average winter temperature, mean precipitation in autumn, winter rainfall average, winter evaporation average, yield one year ago), better results were obtained from saffron yield. In the LSSVM model, combinations with the Liner kernel function had more accurate results. But between lssvm model and GEP model, GEP model had higher R2 and lower RMSE and MAE. The R2, RMSE and MAE ratios in this model under the H-scenario in education section were 0.60688, 0.43265 and 0.46432 respectively. In general, the GEP model had more accurate results in saffron yield estimates than the LSSVM model.

Many activities during production, processing, trade and consumption of saffron (Crocus sativus L.) in Iran, are based on indigenous knowledge. Most share of saffron production in the country is obtained from small fields with family cooperation and using local environmental friendly inputs and technologies. Accordingly, a cosidarable part of saffron produced in Iran is close to the principles of organic farming, but in terms of rules and standards related to this production system, it is considered only as a quasi-organic product. Organic farming is a comprehensive production system that focuses on the quantitative and qualitative aspects of agricultural product during the production cycle (from farm to fork), as well as issues such as justice, social relations, soil health and the rights of all macro and mico organisms. Based on this definition and considering the principles and methods which are used for saffron production in Iranian agroecosystems, it is possible to create a targeted procrdure for its organic production, by perparation a standard. The preparation of this standard, while increasing farmers' incomes, will lead to maintaining and increasing Iran's share of the global market of this valuable medicinal plant. In this article, for all stages of saffron production cycle, using the results of scientific researches on saffron, as well as international, regional and national standards related to organic production, a set of general principles, suggestions (recommendations), requirements and notes are provided. The recommendations are mainly suitable for increasing the quantitative yield, while higher quality of saffron can be achieved by observing the proposed requirements. The guidelines proposed in this paper, besides improving the quantity and quality of the product, will also ensure the other objectives and rules related to organic farming. In the current proposed program, issues related to agronomy (corm production and selection, land selection and preparation, planting, soil nutrition, irrigation, control of biotic stresses, etc.), breeding, harvesting and post-harvest (flowers carrying and storage; separation, drying, grading, packing, labeling and storage of stigma) as well as processing and legal issues have been considered.

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of foliar application of Acadian seaweed extract and Biomix liquid poultry manure on vegetative growth, corm, and yield of saffron. The experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design with three replications in the city of Ferdows city during the 2017-2018 growing year. Experimental treatments included four levels of Acadian seaweed extract (0, 1, 1.5, and 2 kg. l000 L-1 water) and four levels of liquid Biomix liquid poultry manure (0, 4, 5, and 6 L. l000 L-1 water). The results showed a significant effect of treatments on the studied traits, such as maximum number of flowers (99.50 N. m-2), fresh yield of flowers (33.34 g.m-2), dry weight of saffron stigma (0.341 g. m-2), dry leaf weight (0.592 g plant-1), and leaf length (63.75 cm) obtained in 2 kg. l000 L-1 seaweed extract. Besides, the results showed a significant effect of liquid poultry manure on flower number and yield (94.250 N.m-2 and 32.285 g. m-2, respectively), leaf length (60.66 cm), fresh and dry leaf weight (0.74 and 0.46 g.m-2, respectively), and total weight of replacement corm (37.02 g.m-2). Also, the least amount of the mentioned traits were observed from the control treatment. The interaction between these two fertilizers was also significant in fresh and dry leaf weight and the total and average diameter of replacement corm. Thus, fresh and dry leaf weight (210% and 273%, respectively) were highest in the treatment of 2 kg. l000 L-1 of seaweed extract and 6 L. l000 L-1 of liquid poultry manure. Moreover, total and average diameter of replacement corm (33% and 50%, respectively) were highest in the treatment of 2 kg. l000 L-1 of seaweed extract and no liquid poultry manure. According to the results of this study, the use of Acadian seaweed extract (2 kg. l000L-1 water) alone or in combination with Biomix liquid poultry manure (6 L. l000 L-1 water) can play an important role in enhancing the vegetative growth, corm, and yield of saffron.

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of different rates of vermicompost manure on biochemical characteristics and active ingredients of saffron based on a randomized complete block design with different vermicompost rates (0, 5, 10, 15t/ha) as treatments in three replications. According to the results, vermicompost had a significant effect on picrocrocin (taste), safranal (perfume) and crocin (color) of content of Saffron. The highest picrocrocin and safranal were gained in 15 t/ha of vermicompost (with 37.88% & 17.06%, respectively) and these lowest were observed in control (with 25.78% & 8.5%, respectively). Also, 10 and 15 t/ha vermicompost, caused 60% increasement in crocin content compared to control. Although petals phenol content was not significantly affected by vermicompost rates, but anthocyanin and antioxidant content of petals were significantly affected. As the highest anthocyanin, content was gained from 10 t/ha of vermicompost (16.43mg/100g) and the lowest was obtained from control (8.34mg/100g). Also the highest antioxidant content of petals was observed in 10 t/ha vermicompost (34.90%). In general, the results of this study showed that the use of vermicompost at the rates of 10 and 15 t per ha can improved the amount of active ingredients of saffron.

Saffron as the most precise agricultural and pharmaceutical product of the world has a specific place in industrial and export products of Iran. Nowadays, Iran is the largest producer and exporter of saffron in world and up to 93.7% of production of this valuable commodity belongs to Iran. Despite the antiquity of saffron cultivation and added value of this product compared to other current crops of Iran, fewer shares of new technologies are dedicated to saffron and its production is mainly based on indigenous knowledge.In thispaper, multiple models are employed to evaluate and develop the performance of KStar and LWL in order to get an estimate on production yield of saffron based on climate parameters. Thecalibration and evaluation of models are obtained from the statistics of crop yield and climate factors betweenyears 1988–2017. In order to evaluate the employed models, the following statistical criteria were used: Coefficient of Determination (R2), Mean Absolute Error (MAE), Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) and Nash- Sutcliffe (NSE). From among the proposed models, the KStar model is in the e-scenario with an R2 of 1.00, MAE and RMSE of 0.00 and NSE of 1.00, which has good accuracy in estimating production yield of the saffron plant. This precision of the KStar model has made it easy to estimate performance of saffron in different areas of the country based on the data available at different stations.

Oil seeds had an important role in supplying food, heat and pharmaceutical needs. Today oil seeds are considered as the strategic agricultural products in the world.  Providing of essential elements for crops, especially micro-nutrients play an important role in increasing the quality of produced food and improving community health. Sulfur is one of the essential elements required for plants, which has been underestimated in recent years. In oil seeds, sulfur plays an important role in seeds quality and growth. These plants usually need more sulfur for suitable growth and higher yield. Synthesis of some essential proteins and vitamins in crops has been faced difficulty due to sulfur deficiency. The addition of organic matter with sulfur in soils with high acidity is an appropriate option for reducing acidity and dissolving the required elements of crops.

The limiting factors in crop production are high soil pH and its effect on availability of nutrients and also organic matter shortages. This research was conducted at Kerman Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center to determine the effect of sulfur and cattle manure on quantitative and qualitative characteristics of sesame varieties (Sesamum indicum L.) in a factorial experiment with completely randomized block design with 3 replications in 2016. The treatments consisted of powdered sulfur at four levels (0, 2, 4 and 8 t.ha-1), Cow manure at two levels (0 and 20 t.ha-1) and included two Jiroft-13 and Jiroft local varieties. After soil preparation the cultivars were planted on the rows with 50 cm distance. Grain yield, Harvest index, Oil and Protein Content, phosphorus and leaf sulfur content of sesame varieties were measured at the end of the growing season.

The results indicated that the highest level of sulfur (8 t.ha-1) except for harvest index caused a significant increase in the investigated traits compared to the control treatment. The interactions of Cattle manure and sulfur were significant on some traits and the highest grain yield belonged to the Jiroft-13 cultivar in the highest level of sulfur and Cattle manure. The Jiroft-13 cultivar had the highest grain oil and protein content and harvest index as compared to Jiroft local variety. Effects of sulfur and Cattle manure treatments on grain oil and protein were significant and the highest amount was observed in combined application of sulfur and manure. Application of sulfur increased the concentration of this element in sesame leaves and also due to local reduction of soil acidity, it had a significant effect on increasing phosphorus uptake. The results indicate that the integrated use of sulfur and cattle manure as an ecological solution in order to increase growth and quantitative and qualitative production of oil crops, especially in alkaline soils could be considered.

In general, the results of this study indicate that sulfur application had a significant effect on the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of sesame varieties and soil improvement. Application of cattle manure improved physical and chemical properties of soil, resulted yield increase and provided the sulfur oxidation conditions. In alkaline soils, animal fertilizers can be used to release phosphorus and fixed micronutrients. Considering the positive effect of sulfur on soil pH reduction and increasing accessibility to phosphorus and micronutrients, consumption of this substance with animal fertilizers, will make each one more effective. Large amounts of sulfur are produced in the country's oil and gas industries which can play an important role in increasing the quality of oilseed crops. According to the experimental conditions and the obtained results in the absence of cow manure, using 8 t.ha-1 of sulfur is recommended. However, under application of 20 t.ha-1 of cow manure, while using lower levels of sulfur, favorable results can be obtained.  Jiroft-13 had a higher yield than local variety and is recommended for Kerman climatic conditions.

Medicinal plants are valuable resources that they can play an important role in the health of the community, employment, increasing non-oil exports and preventing the genetic erosion of valuable species. The increasing tendency towards herbal medicine in the treatment of diseases, whether globally or internally, makes it unavoidable the necessity of medicinal plants cultivation in agroecosystems. Isabgol (Plantago ovata Forssk.) is an annual herbal medicinal plant from Plantaginaceae family, which about 25℅ of its seed weight is mucilage. It has originated from arid and semi-arid areas and is used widely in traditional and industrial pharmacology. The seeds of isabgol contain fatty oil, carbohydrates, proteins, mineral element and particularly mucilage which has many medical applications. Low water requirement and short growth period, makes this plant suitable for planting in semi-arid areas such as Khorasan. However, to the best of our knowledge, so far, the adaptability, growth, and yield of this plant have not been fully investigated in this area. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of plant density and single or combined application of cow manure (CM) and chemical fertilizers (CF) on yield and yield components of the isabgol.

This experiment was arranged as a factorial layout based on a randomized complete block design with three replications at Sarayan Faculty of Agriculture, University of Birjand, Iran during 2017. Fertilization treatments consisted of single (40 t.ha-1 CM and 40 kg.ha-1 CF from the source of NPK) and combined (40 t.ha-1 CM + 20 kg.ha-1 CF and 20 t.ha-1 CM + 40 kg.ha-1 CF) application of organic and chemical fertilizers along with a control (no-fertilizer) which were evaluated at three levels of density (20, 40 and 60 plants. m-2). The measured traits included number of spikes per plant, spike weight, spike length, number of seeds per spike, 1000-seed weight, biological yield, seed yield, harvest index, mucilage percentage, mucilage yield, and seed swelling factor. Data analysis was done using SAS 9.2 and means were compared using FLSD test at a 5% level of probability.

Among all studied traits, the only simple effect of fertilizer application on seed and mucilage yields and the simple effect of plant density on seed yield was significant. Seed yield increased when plant density was enhanced, so that, this index was 459, 504 and 673 kg.ha-1 for planting densities of 20, 40 and 60 plants.m-2, respectively. Fertilizers' application in all levels of density decreased the seed yield. The highest seed yield belonged to non-fertilizer application and 60 plants.m-2 with 806.6 kg.ha-1, and the lowest amount of this index was obtained in 40 t CM + 20 kg CF at density of 40 plant m2 with 272.2 kg.ha-1. In terms of mucilage yield, except the treatment of 20 t CM + 40 kg CF which increased this index by 14%, other fertilizer treatments had no-significant different with control. Considering that the most traits related to yield and yield components of isabgol did not affect significantly fertilizer resources, it can be stated that these plants are suitable for low-input production systems. Therefore, it seems that the application of fertilizer resources in crops that are located prior to isabgol in rotation and availability of remaining nutrients can provide the nutritional requirements of this plant.

However, our findings of the response of isabgol to fertilizer application were different from the results of many previous studies on it, which reported that the use of cow manure in isabgol production, not only does not reduce seed and mucilage yield but also improved them. Probably, the amounts of fertilizers used in the current study have been higher in the plant requirements. Therefore, doing complementary studies with lower levels of fertilizers can be recommended.