jalil shafagh-kalvanagh

In order to evaluate the effect of mycorrhizae on the physiological characteristics and yield of medicinal plant ‘Dragon’s head’ under different irrigation regimes, a 2-year (2014 and 2015) split plot experiment was conducted based on randomized complete block design with three replications at the Agricultural Research Field of Shahid Beheshti college of Urmia. Treatments were irrigation after 40, 80, 120 and 160 mm of evaporation from pan class A as main plots and mycorrhizae (Glomus intraradices, G. versiformisand control) as sub plots. The effects of irrigation and mycorrhizae on the leaf chlorophyll (a, b and total), carotenoid, superoxid dismutase and malon dialdehyde were not significant. The highest total soluble carbohydrates (110.7 µmol/g fresh weight) and yield of essential oil (2.258 kg.ha-1) were respectively obtained from irrigation after 120 and 80 mm of evaporation. The maximum number of pod per plant (19.34), 1000-seed weight (3.081 g) and seed yield (589.7 kg.ha-1) belonged to inoculated plants (G. intraradices). The greatest number of nod per pant (12.5) and stem diameter (1.16 mm) were obtained from mycorrhizal (G. intraradices) plants irrigated after 80 mm of evaporation. The highest harvest index (26.84 %) and betaine glycine (51 µmol/g fresh weight) were respectively observed in irrigation after 80 and 160 mm of evaporation in mycorrhizal plants (G. versiformis). In conclusion irrigation of for 80 mm of evaporation from pan class A due to lower water use and higher performance in mycorrhizal Dragon's head plants was recommended.

Medicinal plants are used for human health and creating diversity in agricultural ecosystems and have impact on the weed control. In this context, an experiment in order to evaluate the yield and yield components of lallemantia in intercropping with anise was carried out. The research was conducted as factorial experiment based on randomized complete block design. The first factor was weed control (Free of weeds and weed infested) and the second factor included three levels of intercropping as slight increase in the direction lallemantia with ratios of 20% lallemantia and anise favorable density ,40% lallemantia and anise favorable density and 60% lallemantia and anise favorable density and monocropping of both species. The results showed that planting pattern effect on weed dry weight was significant at the 5% level. Also intercropping 20: 100 (lallemantia – anise) and Free of the weed was the most suitable treatment. The highest grain yield in monocropping under weed Free condition was obtained. In all intercropping, LER and RVT were higher than both monocropping. It should be noted that the lallemantia even with weedy condition could produce yield economically.

Nowadays, application of intercropping and biofertilizers play an important role in sustainable agriculture. Thus, in order to evaluate the effect of application of chemical and biological fertilizers on purslane/dragon’s head intercropping, a factorial experiment was conducted on the basis of completely randomized block design with three replications at the Agricultural and Environmental Research station of Hamadan in 2015. The first factor had five levels, including purslane monoculture, dragon’s head monoculture, and purslane/dragon’s head intercropping with ratios of 100:25, 100:50, 100:75 (purslane:dragons’head, respectively). The second factor had four levels, including no application of fertilizers and application of nitrogenous chemical fertilizer (urea), nitroxin biofertilizer inoculation and combination of 50% urea nitroxin inoculation. Results showed that intercropping increased relative chlorophyll of the both species. The highest seed yield of dragon’s head (172.80 g.m-2) was recorded in monocultured dragon’s head with the application of 50% urea nitroxin inoculation. Fertilizers increased seed mucilage yield in dragon’s head. The highest mucilage yield (3.04 g.m-2) was also observed in 50% urea nitroxin inoculation. Evaluation of relative yield total (RYT) and land equivalent ratio (LER) showed that intercropping of 50% dragons’ head 100% purslane and 50% urea nitroxin inoculation had more efficient compared to other treatments.