farhad moshiri

In the first part of this paper, multi-dimensional understanding of the soil and water management of agricultural lands of Honam Sub-catchment was provided by determining the 53 homogeneous soil and water management units (HSWMUs), current behavior assessment of the farmers, and the yield gap analysis. It was found that efficiency of water and fertilizer consumption in the region was relatively low. Therefore, soil and water management packages including soil fertility management, irrigation management and land degradation prevention were prepared for each HSWMUs. The method of preparation and validation steps of management packages is the subject of this paper. To transfer the achieved knowledge and technology and to evaluate and validate the recommended packages, Aliabad Agricultural Jihad Center of Lorestan was selected as an innovation platform. Scaling-up was carried out by active cooperation of multi-level local to national experts to hold a technology exhibition including management of optimal use of chemical, organic and biological fertilizers, and irrigation methods to test the research results. To this end, the selected technologies and recommendations were implemented at volunteer farmers’ fields. The pilots were separated into two treatments of farmers' conventional practice and integrated recommendation in the beet-wheat rotation. The results of the best bet showed that, on average, crop production of winter wheat increased from 5 to 7.5 t/ha and water use efficiency improved by 13%. These results were displayed to other farmers on the field day, which matched up with the time of wheat harvest. By proofing the effectiveness of the results in the farmers' fields, the soil and water management packages of the region were prepared. Despite holding workshops for farmers, results were not scaled to others. We found that the out-scaling of soil and water management packages within HSWMUs and improvement of the average yield along with the principles of sustainability is rooted in three gaps: yield, research and development, and value chain gap. In other words, the awareness and motivation of the farmers, the ability to implement recommendations, and the availability of facilities are the basic conditions for filling crop yield gap in the region. Therefore, one-year pilots are not effective enough and should be continued for several years. Afterward, the capacity building of local extensions at the Soil and Water Research Institute (SWRI) was carried out to show the different stages of preparing HSWMUs, recommendations and instructions. All data were transferred to the innovation platform in digital and printed format. Receiving feedback and to continue scaling-out under spiral proses method, a number of farmers of HSWMUs who volunteered to test the recommended packages in their farms were selected, and the pilots was designed based on participatory research. It is expected that with the establishment of long-term demonstration farms and the provision of various requirements such as the existence of various fertilizers and other agricultural inputs by the collaboration of public and private sectors, the transfer of recommendations to other farmers as well as decision makers of the sub-basin is facilitated.

This study expresses the steps of achievement to the indigenous-executive framework of integrated soil and water management at farm level through a mega project with 19 sub-projects. The projects were carried out during 2013-2020 with active participation of international, national and regional experts as well as local farmers in Honam Sub-basin, Lorestan Province, Iran. To understand the soil and water management problems for agriculture in the same homogeneous units (HSWMUs), farmlands were classified regarding physical, chemical and biological characteristics of soil, making it possible to convert soil maps into thematic maps. In this research, the fertility capability classification (FCC) method that integrates surface and sub-surface soil textures with modifieres was used. In addition, several modifieres were revised for soils of semi-arid regions and new modifieres were introduced for Irrigation Capability Classification (ICC). The required information was collected from 119 soil profiles and 101 surface soil samples in detailed scale of 1:25000 and the corresponding measurements were made. Accordingly, different data layers including detailed soil map were produced via geopedological method icluding land limitation, land suitability, and land production potential (LPP) of major crops, land degradation, location of water withdrawal, land use and agricultural cadastre of 2395 farms were prepared. To evaluate the current soil and water behavior of farmers within HSWMUs, the multidisciplinary team recorded the issues through field visits and open semi-structured questionnaire of 84 selected farmers in 24 villages who were interviewed during 2018-2019. The results showed that 23 and 30 HSWMUs that covered, respectively, 93% and 90% of the irrigated and rainfed areas were delineated on the map. Investigations showed that the sub-basin suffers from problems such as plow pan, phosphorus and zinc deficiencies, poor irrigation scheduling, and three types of farmers. Finally, recommended packages were prepared and validated for each HSWMU, which will be discussed in the part 2.

Plant growth and production models are great tools to study variation of irrigation and fertilizer application and those impact on plant performance. Due to the fact that applying different scenarios of fertility and irrigation in field conditions is time consuming and costly, the use of plant models is a good solution for simulating and estimating the crop yield in different conditions. The accuracy of the results obtained from the simulation models depends on the accuracy of the data required by the model and if the input data is measured and determined accurately, the model will be applicable in different conditions after calibration and validation. Due to the great effect of using different types of chemical and organic fertilizers on plant growth and yield, it is necessary to compare and evaluate changes in wheat yield using chemical and organic fertilizers in order to improve soil and water productivity. Considering the different management scenarios of fertilizer use in DSSAT application model and the role of fertility in plant performance and also that the efficiency of this model in simulating plant performance in different management scenarios of chemical and organic fertilizer application is not clear, so in this regard the efficiency of DSSAT application model In order to simulate wheat grain yield in different application of fertilizer (chemical-organic) in order to increase yield and recommendations were studied and evaluated.

This research was carried out in the research farm of Karaj Soil and Water Research Institute at 35 and 50 north latitude and 55 and 30 degrees east longitude. In terms of climate, this region is one of the hot and dry Mediterranean climates with hot and dry summers and cold winters. 4 fertilizer application treatments in a randomized complete block design in 3 replications including control, without fertilizer application (T0), application of chemical fertilizers (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) based on soil test (T1), application of 20 tons per hectare of waste compost with fertilizer application Chemical nitrogen at 75% and phosphorus and potassium at 50% recommended based on soil test (T2), application of 20 tons of waste compost fertilizer (T3) were considered. In this regard, 4 plots with an area of ​​200 square meters were selected and after tillage operations including plowing,  disc and land preparation, wheat was cultivated. The aim of this research was to investigate the efficiency of the DSSAT model in simulating wheat yield under different management conditions of chemical and organic fertilizer application.

Results showed that measured and simulated wheat grain yield in the control treatment (without fertilizer application) were 2.3 and 2 tons per hectare, respectively, and the corresponding measured and simulated values in chemical fertilizer application (NPK fertilizer application based on soil test) were 3.9 and 4.2 tons per hectare respectively. In terms of compost application at a rate of 20 tons per hectare, the average simulated and measured grain yield was about 3.1 and 2.9 tons per hectare, respectively. Flowering and ripening phonological time of wheat were 192 and 227 days after sowing, respectively, which is in close agreement with the simulated values, which are 190 and 230 days, respectively. RMSE, NRMSE, EF and d of DSSAT model for grain yield were 0.38, 0.13, 0.57 and 0.93, respectively, which indicates the high and appropriate performance of DSSAT(CERES) model in simulating wheat grain yield in different conditions of fertility managements based on application of chemical and organic fertilizers.

Due to the fact that applying different scenarios of fertility and irrigation in field conditions is time consuming and costly, so the use of plant models is a good solution for simulating and estimating the crop yield in different conditions. The results of the statistical indices showed that the appropriate performance of DSSAT model in simulating wheat grain yield in different conditions.

In congruence with the idea of sustainable development, integrated soil fertility and plant nutrition management has received global attention. The challenges facing soil fertility and plant nutrition in Iran include low soil organic carbon and nutrient contents, imbalanced plant nutrition, low nutrient efficiency, ineffective soil fertility system, environmental stresses, non-efficient fertilizer application, and inadequate knowledge transfer to users. Under these conditions, recommending proper fertilizers will be a multi-faceted and complex task. The development of a framework that incorporates all the factors involved into a single management package is the prerequisite to the integrated soil fertility and plant nutrition management as a smart system for applying an optimal assortment of chemical, organic, and biological sources of nutrients well adapted to environmental and local conditions and aimed at optimized exploitation of inherent soil capacities in a cropping system while sparing negative effects on soil ecological services. The desired integrated management system must be capable of duly accounting for all the components including plant variety; chemical, organic, and biological fertilizers; cropping system; climatic and soil conditions; and socio-economic parameters. The present study introduces the following three steps to achieve an integrated management system: 1) participation of all the stakeholders in the design, prioritization, implementation, and monitoring processes; 2) integrated use of chemical, organic, and bio-fertilizers in terms of amounts, timing, and method of application well adapted to the nutritional requirements of the plant varieties grown in the established cropping system with due consideration of environmental stresses; and 3) dissemination of localized knowledge and know-how of the integrated management system with the help of local extensionists and volunteer farmers from a pilot farm for replication and achievement of the expected outcomes in other farming sites.

Climate change is a major threat to sustainable development and food security due to the impact of greenhouse gases of the Earth's atmosphere, especially in arid and semi-arid regions of the world such as Iran. Carbon sequestration in soils and plant ecosystems is one way to overcome this problem. Organic carbon content in soil is three times higher than carbon in all plant tissues and twice as high as atmospheric carbon. In this study, the effects of crop production and manure and straw application on carbon sequestration were evaluated, based on some soil physical and chemical properties. Soil samples (n = 308 in total) were collected from the surface depth (0-30 cm). Soil properties such as soil texture, pH, electrical conductivity, organic carbon, bulk density, carbon sequestration and etc. were estimated. Data were analyzed using SPSS software. Descriptive statistics, mean, standard deviation, etc. were used to determine the distribution of specimens. Stepwise regression was used to present the model. Analysis of the results showed the significant relationship between carbon sequestration and all soil properties, except sand. Soil carbon sequestration in the third crop year (onion) increased from 4.84 to 5.68 kgm-2. In the onion crop grown in the third year after wheat, straw produced by organic fertilizer increased by 30% and organic fertilizer by 70%. Finally, carbon sequestration was mapped for both crops using locomotor data and Arc map software.

Phosphorus deficiency is one of the most important problems in calcareous agricultural soils of arid and semi-arid regions. This study was conducted to investigate the phosphorus uptake and activity of acidic and alkaline phosphatase enzymes in three types of soils with different levels of available phosphorus (Qazvin1, Qazvin2 and Dizan) treated with 50 mg/kg phosphorus by using sheep manure, municipal solid waste compost and triple superphosphate under greenhouse conditions in 2015 as a completely randomized design with three replications. The results showed that the acidic and alkaline phosphatase activity in Dizan were significantly higher than other studied soils. The alkaline phosphatase activity was more 2.7 times than acidic phosphatase in the soil. The influence of municipal solid waste compost on acidic and alkaline phosphatase enzymes activity were 82.3 and 62.1 p- Nitro phenol (µg/g-1dwt h-1) and 52.6 and 87.6 p- Nitro phenol (µg/g-1dwt h-1) higher than sheep manure and triple superphosphate treatments respectively. The results of soil and fertilizers interaction showed that, acidic phosphatase enzyme activity in municipal solid waste compost and triple superphosphate were more than sheep manure in Dizan soil sample. The phosphorus uptake by plant was 34.3, 20.9 and 65.7 % in Dizan treated soil sample with sheep manure, municipal solid waste and control respectively. In Dizan soil residual phosphorus after harvest of wheat in triple superphosphate treatment was 33.3, 61.7 and 72.4 % compared to sheep manure, municipal solid waste compost and control, respectively. According to the results the maximum phosphatase enzyme activity was obtained in treated calcareous soil with municipal waste compost.

Due to growing population and the major role of wheat in producing energy and protein for population, there is a need for new approach in farm management. This approach can help agricultural producers to identify changes in the farm and manage them in order to increase crop yield and productivity. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of different levels and sources of silicon application on the dry-matter production, concentration and nutrients uptake by seven wheat cultivars in the greenhouse research station of the Soil Sciences Department of the University of Tehran. This study was conducted in a completely randomized design with a factorial arrangement with two factors including silicon at six levels (control, potassium silicate with application levels of 200, 400 and 1000 Mg of silicon from the potassium silicate source per kilogram of soil, and silicon nanoparticles with application levels of 50 and 100 mg kg-1 soil) and wheat cultivars (Gonbad, Shirodi, Shiraz, Mahdavi, Marvdasht, Bahar and Parsi) with three replications. The results showed that the application of silicon in various levels and sources, wheat cultivars and their interaction on potassium concentration in shoot and the total amount of phosphorus and potassium in the shoot were significant (p≤0.01). Also, the concentration of silicon and potassium in the shoot of different wheat varieties were the highest in the case of application of silicon nanoparticles at different levels of potassium-silicate which ranged from 0.14-0.32 and 0.16-0.76%, respectively. The average total amounts of silicon, phosphorus and potassium uptake by the shoot also increased by increasing silica-potassium application which ranged from 0.12-5.08, 0.43-1.16 and 8.7-14.2 %, respectively. Therefore, considering the role of silicon in the nutrients uptake, its use, along with the planting of higher-uptake cultivars, could help to improve wheat growth.

Knowledge of soil phosphorus mineral forms is important in soil fertility and plant nutrition. This study was conducted to evaluate of mineral P fractions with addition of triple superphosphate fertilizer and wheat cultivation in incubation and greenhouse conditions. Incubation test was performed in three soil types: Dizan, Qaznin1 and Qaznin2 with various amounts of available P which in each soil 50 mg kg-1 P used from triple super phosphate. Soil's P fractions including: Ca2P, Ca8P, AlP, FeP, OP and Ca10P were measured at 0, 45 and 90 days of incubation based on a complete randomized block design with three replications. Results showed that soil type effect on fixation of mineral P under incubation conditions and Dizan soil ranked in the first place. In this soil, Ca2P: 67.5 and 73.8%, Ca8P: 74.5 and 59.7%, AlP: 31.9 and 50.3 %, FeP: 47.9 and 63.7%, OP: 50.7 and 60% and Ca10P: 62.8 and 69% were more than Qaznin1 and Qaznin2, respectively. By addition of 50 mg kg-1 P from TSP, concentrations of Ca2P and Ca8P increased in all soils and more in Dizan. The highest concentrations of Ca2P, Ca8P, AlP, FeP and OP achieved by T45 and Ca10P by T90 times. Greenhouse trial was conducted on three soils mentioned with 50 mg kg-1 P used from triple super phosphate and cultivated with wheat based on a complete randomized block design with three replications. The concentration of mineral P was higher than other soils under wheat cultivation in Dizan. Comparison of mineral P fractions under incubation and greenhouse conditions proved a reduction in P concentrations for Ca2P: 30.63, Ca8P: 12.1, AlP: 7.17 and FeP: 3.33 mg kg-1. The amount of P fixation forms (Ca2P) had an obvious decrease in association with wheat planting in the greenhouse.

Due to the vital role of phosphorus as an effective element in plant cell metabolism, it is considered as an important macro-nutrient for plants. Introducing new cultivars of plants that take up and use phosphorus efficiently can reduce financial and environmental cost of phosphate fertilizers. Rapeseed as an important oilseed crop is widely grown around the world, including Iran. This greenhouse experiment was conducted to determine relative use or acquisition efficiency of seven winter rapeseed cultivars (Talaye, Okapi, L72, Gabriela, Karaj, Brutus, Elvis) in deficiently (0 mg P kg-1 add to soil with 4.6 mg Olsen P kg-1 ) and adequately supplied P condition (80 mg P kg-1 add to soil). Shoot and root dry weight, leaf area, root volume, P and Ca uptake in root and shoot and P efficiency was measured and compared. The rhizobag technique was used for accessing rhizosphere soil. Based on the results, cultivars such as Gabriela with higher P uptake efficiency produced more biomass in phosphorus deficiency condition. There was significant variation in PE among the cultivars ranging from 0.25(Elvis) to 0.62 (Gabriela) and PACE ranged from 0.16 (Elvis) to 0.47 (Gabriela) and PUI (g2 SDW mg-1 P) ranged from 0.12 (Elvis) to 0.38 (Gabriela). Interaction effect of soil type (rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere) and P rate on soil pH was significant. It seems that P efficiency and biomass production in these cultivars was primarily due to their acquisition efficiency of P and Ca with larger root system and increase in P mobility and uptake from the soil and P use efficiency was in the next order of importance at P stress environment.

This study was conducted to evaluate the release of Phosphorus available by application of organic and chemical fertilizers in three soils with different values available phosphorus: very low (S1), low (S2) and medium (S3), in each soil applied 50 mg of phosphorus per kg of soil from sheep manure, municipal solid waste compost and triple super phosphate. The amounts of phosphorus were measured at the time of 1, 3, 7, 14, 28, 40, 60 and 90 days. The results showed that the impact of the application of phosphorus fertilizer source was different on changes in available phosphorus in the S1 during the incubation period. Even though phosphorus availability with the use of triple super phosphate was higher than municipal waste compost and sheep manure, but these differences are significantly reduced over time. In S1, differences in phosphorus concentrations with the use of triple super phosphate and sheep manure at the beginning of the period was 11.01 and the end of incubation was 0.50 mg kg-1. These amounts with the use of municipal waste compost were 15.87 and 1.30 mg kg-1. In S2, sheep manure was able to released available phosphorus at the end of incubation and was a suitable substitute for chemical fertilizer to supply phosphorus for the soil. Phosphorus released from triple super phosphate fertilizer was 12.88 mg kg-1 of period time. With the use of sheep manure, was 12.70 mg kg-1 of incubation. Phosphorus released in S3 with triple super phosphate was 25.51mg kg-1 at the beginning of period and 19.08 mg kg-1 at the end of the incubation time. These values for sheep manure were 17.45 and 11.63 mg kg-1 and municipal waste compost 8.24 and 8.86 mg kg-1 respectively. In the greenhouse phase, plant total phosphorus concentration was larger amount than other treatments in S2. So that the ratio to treatment with sheep manure, 28.7% of municipal solid waste compost, 15.7% and compared to the control, increased 21.2%.