r. mehrabi

The new bread wheat cultivar Tirgan with spring growth habit type received from the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) was evaluated in 2009-10 in international Nurseries. In the cropping season 2010-11, this cultivar was cultivated in preliminary regional wheat yield trials (PRWYT) of the northern climate. In the cropping season 2011-12 in advanced regional wheat yield trials (ARWYT) Tirgan cultivar was selected with an average yield of 5.731 tha-1 compared to the average yield of the control cultivars (Morvarid and Gonbad) with 5.372 tha-1. Also, in the cropping season 2012-13 and 2013-14, in the elit regional wheat yield trial (ERWYT), yield, grain yield and other traits were investigated in four stations of the northern climate (Gorgan, Moghan, Sari and Gonbad). The average yield of this cultivar in ERWYT traits was 5.893 tha-1, and the average of the check cultivars, Morvarid and Gonbad, was 5.401 and 5.356 tha-1 respectively. Due to the acceptable resistance of this variety over several years, to fusarium head blight, powdery mildew and high resistance to yellow and leaf rusts, high and stable grain yield potential with very good baking quality compared to the control varieties, this cultivar is a good substitute for the old varieties in the plains of the Caspian coast, including the Moghan plain in Ardabil province, Golestan and Mazandaran provinces, and it can increase wheat production in the region along with other varieties and have an effective role and act as one of the tools to manage and control various diseases by increasing diversity in this fully stressed climate in terms of various diseases.

The necrotrophic fungus Parastagonospora nodorum, the causal agent of stagonospora nodorum blotch (SNB), is responsible for significant economic losses of wheat worldwide. Despite the presence of a high number of TF-encoding genes within the genome of P. nodorum, very little is known about their expression profile and their functions during cellular and biological processes. In this study, ten putative TF genes in P. nodorum isolate SN15 were selected, four of which shared homology with well-known fungal TFs involved in pathogenesis, and the other six genes were located in putative secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs). The expression profile of these candidate TF genes was investigated using both semi-quantitative and quantitative RT-PCR assays under in vitro and in planta conditions. The results revealed that six candidate TF genes exhibited the highest expression levels in the minimal media lacking both nitrogen and carbon sources as well as during the early stages of infection. These findings suggest that these six candidate TFs may play an important role in the pathogenicity of P. nodorum.

Salinity stress is a major constrain of plant growth and limiting factor of crop production in arid and semi-arid regions in the world. Wheat cultivar Barzegar is derived from the cross between an Iranian highly adapted wheat, Pishtaz cultivar and Karchia cultivar (salt tolerant cultivar from India) as female and male parents, respectively, at Seed and Plant Improvement Institute, Cereal Research Department in Karaj. Subsequent selection among segregating populations of this hybrid was done at experimental field of Yazd station. Results of yield trials and on-farm evaluations in the temperate zone showed that under salinity stress conditions (EcSoil =8-12 dsm-1 & EcWater =8-13 dsm-1), Barzegar exhibited a superior performance compared to the check cultivars Bam and Arg, and its average grain yield was 659 kg (16.5%) higher than average grain yield of check cultivars. Based on ranking method Barzegar had high stability and adaptability under saline conditions compared to the check cultivars. Under farmer's conditions trials its average grain yield was 4381 kgha-1, nearly 20% higher than average grain yield of check cultivars (3648 kgha-1). Barzegar exhibits lodging resistance and has non-shattering spikes, but has moderately resistant susceptible infection responses to rusts. However, under dry conditions of saline areas of Iran no susceptibility to these diseases is observed. Based on good agronomic performance consist of resistance to lodging and shattering, and high adaptability and stability and good quality in saline condition compared to checks (Bam, Arg and Ofogh), Barzegar released for cultivation in the saline areas (with saline water/soil) farms of temperate zone, in Iran.

The new durum wheat cultivar, Sana (line DM-93-8) was initially introduced as a breeding line through 43rd International Durum Screening Nursery (IDSN) received from the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CYMMIT) and was evaluated in Seed and Plant Improvement Institute (SPII) in Karaj. Sana was selected for further evaluations based on its high grain yield (7750 kgha-1) at the subsequent years. This line had average grain yield of 9675 kgha-1 in the regional preliminary yield trial in 2012-2013 cropping season. Line DM-93-8 had average grain yield of 6827 kgha-1 in the advanced yield trial, with no considerable difference with Dena check cultivar having grain yield of 6973 kgha-1 in 2013-2014, therefore this line was selected for the further evaluations. The regional elite yield trials were conducted in four stations of Isfahan, Karaj, Kermanshah and Neishabour in 2014-15 and 2015-16.  This line with 9025 kgha-1 had 16% higher grain yield than Dena check cultivar, with grain yield of 7779 kgha-1, and therefore was selected as superior line based on its grain yield and yield stability. Sana also has high quality of semolina, high protein content (12.2%) and high percentage of wet gluten (27%). The results of on-farm trials showed that this cultivar exhibited a 6% higher grain yield than newly released variety, Hana, as a local check in Kermanshah. Therefore, based on its high grain yield, yield stability, quality of semolina and its good level of resistance to yellow and leaf rusts, line DM-93-8 was released as a new durum wheat cultivar with the name of Sana for moderate agro-climate zone of Iran.

Torabi wheat cultivar introduced to iranian wheat breeding program through an international nursery from CIMMIT (28th SAWSN) in 2010 and was evaluated under terminal drought stress implemented from the flowering stage in 2010-2011 cropping season. Then in 2011-2012 cropping season it was tested in the preliminary regional wheat yield trial under terminal drought stress in Karaj and was selected based on its average grain yield of (4878 kgha-1) compared to the average grain yield of (3939 kgha-1) Parsi check cultivar. This cultivar was further studied in the advanced regional wheat yield trial in the temperate regions of the country during 2012-2013 and with average grain yield of 6634 kgha-1 under drought stress condition compared to 6073 and 6768 kgha-1 yields of check cultivars Parsi and Sirvan, respectively, was selected for evaluation in the adaptability and yield stability. The average grain yield of Torabi (line M-92-20) in adaptability experiment during the years 2013-2015 under drought stress conditions was 6516 kgha-1 compared to 6110 kgha-1 of Sirvan check cultivar and 5697 kgha-1 of Parsi check cultivar and also its total grain yield mean was 3% higher than the average grain yields of all genotypes. Due to the resistant reaction of the line M-92-20 to stripe and leaf rust diseases, as well as the early maturity and very good bread making quality, this line was selected for evaluation in the on-farm trials in farmer’s fields. Overall in farmer’s fields, this line had grain yield mean of 8637 kgha-1 under normal irrigation, and 5672 kgha-1 under water deficit conditions compared to the average yield of check cultivars with 6150 kgha-1 under optimal conditions and 5104 kgha-1 under water deficit conditions.

Leaf rust is one of the most important rusts diseases of wheat in the world, and its potential impact on wheat yield losses has always been considered significant in many regions. Identifying and using resistance genes against fungal diseases in wheat genetic resources is one of the most effective approaches to introduce new sources of resistance to improved commercial wheat cultivars. In this study, 82 bread wheat landraces and commercial cultivars from different parts of the world were evaluated under field conditions and by using molecular markers assay. In the field nursey, 56 genotypes showed susceptible reaction, 22 genotypes were moderately susceptible, and four genotypes showed resistance or immunity to leaf rust. Reactions varied from moderately susceptible to immunity in different genotypes such as genotypes originated from Iran, Nepal, Pakistan, Turkey, and India. Most of these genotypes were landraces which indicates the importance of studying wheat genetic resources. The results of the Lr34 molecular assay using csLV34, caSNP4 and caSNP12 markers were identical, and showed the same pattern of resistance allele in six genotypes. In molecular assay, cultivars from Iran with CIMMYT origin and genotypes from India and Turkey had effective alleles of Lr34 gene. The observed genetic diversity and frequency of genotypes with resistance genes in this study can be useful to enhance germplasm for leaf rust resistance in bread wheat breeding programs in Iran.

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of different levels of Echinacea (Echinacea purpurea) methanol extract on the growth performances (final weight (FW), daily growth ratio (DGR), feed conversion rate (FCR), voluntary feed intake (VFI) and protein efficiency ratio (PER) and some of hematological parameters (hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit (Hct), red blood cell (RBC) and white blood cell (WBC) of grey mullet (Mugil cephalus). The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with 360 of larvae (with average weight of 0.75±0.03g) in 4 treatments: control group without using Echinacea extract, an another groups (treatment 2, 3 and 4) the amounts of this extract were 50,100 and 200 g/kg food. The highest FW (4.22±0.11g), DGI (1.72±0.50%) and the lowest FCR (0.95±0.05) and VFI (1.77±0.05%), were observed in treatment 4. But treatment 4 in all of these growth parameters did not show a significant difference compared with treatment 3 (P> 0.05). After 60 days, treatments 3 and 4, showed significantly higher RBC, WBC, Hb and Hct than those fed the control diet. Finally, the present results suggest that diet containing 100 and 200 g kg-1 extract could improve growth and hematological parameter of M. cephalus.

An unknown mortality was occurred in some ponds of a farm in an area of Kohgiloyeh-&-Boyerahmad province. Three ponds showed the highest mortality rate, about 5 to 20 dead fish were reported daily for 45 days. Afflicted fish have darkening in the skin and swimming near surface or at the floor of pond and swam unmatched with flock. Some fish showed hemorrhages around and within the oral cavity and exophthalmia occasionally. About 45 moribund rainbow trout were sampled for dissection and bacteriological examination. Kidney, liver and spleen of the fishes were examined for the detection and identification of bacteria causative agent of disease in rainbow trout. They cultivated aseptically on different media (Blood Agar, Tryptic soy Agar, TCBS Agar and MacConkey Agar). All fish have been infected and suffered septicemia. A type of gram's negative bacteria was responsible of infection and mix infection was not confirmed. The bacterium was being able to grow on Mac Conkey agar. It was a bacterium very similar with Yersinia ruckeri which induced infection. Detection was based on clinical finding and bacteriological laboratory results so using of some confirmation methods such as FAT or PCR would be recommended strongly.