جستجوی مقالات مرتبط با کلیدواژه "b" در نشریات گروه "کشاورزی"

Drought stress poses a significant challenge to cumin production in Iran, particularly during the flowering and seed-setting stages. Cumin is a valuable crop with numerous medicinal properties and applications in various industries. Despite its short growing season, the economic importance of cumin makes it imperative to find ways to mitigate the effects of drought stress on seed yield. Addressing the negative effects of drought stress is crucial for improving cumin seed yield. One effective strategy is to identify drought-resistant cumin cultivars. By selecting cultivars that are more resilient to drought conditions, farmers can enhance their chances of achieving higher yields, even in challenging environments.

 This two-year study (2020-2021) aimed to assess the drought tolerance of 15 cumin ecotypes under field conditions in Karaj, Iran. The experimental design was a randomized complete block design with three replications. The ecotypes evaluated were: Tabriz, Torbat Jam 8, Afghani, Khorasan-Birjand, Yazd 7, Yazd 8, Torbat Jam 9, Khorasan Razavi 8, Pakistan, Isfahan, Hindi, Khorasan Razavi 12, Isfahan 13, Sabzevar, Torbat Heydarieh. Two treatments were applied: full irrigation and drought stress. Irrigation under full irrigation was carried out every 10 days according to soil and weather conditions, while irrigation was withheld from 50% flowering to the end of the growth period under drought stress.

 The results of this study showed that drought stress reduced the yield and yield components of cumin ecotypes but increased the essential oil content. The highest seed yield of 102.78 g m-2 was achieved by the ecotype Turbat Jam 8 under full irrigation conditions, which was statistically similar to the ecotypes Afghani, Khorasan-Birjand, Yazd 7, Turbat Jam 9, and Sabzevar under normal irrigation conditions. The lowest seed yield of 65.8 g m-2 was recorded for the ecotype Khorasan Razavi 12. These results demonstrate the differential tolerance of cumin ecotypes to drought stress and highlight the potential of Turbat Jam 8 as a drought-tolerant ecotype. The Afghani ecotype proved to be drought-resistant, showing consistent grain yield under both normal irrigation and drought stress. Conversely, the Khorasan Razavi 12 ecotype was vulnerable to drought stress, exhibiting reduced biological and grain yields under these conditions. Notably, a strong positive correlation (0.973) was observed between essential oil content and seed yield, indicating that breeding for high essential oil content could also improve drought resistance and yield. In addition to the strong correlation between essential oil content and seed yield, other correlations were observed. The amount of essential oil was positively correlated with the harvest index (0.787) and the weight of one thousand seeds (0.721). Seed yield also showed positive and significant correlations with the number of umbrellas per plant (0.396), harvest index (0.287), and the number of seeds per umbrella (0.232). No other traits showed significant correlations. Biological performance had positive and significant correlations with plant height, number of branches per plant, number of umbels per plant, number of umbels per umbel, and number of seeds per umbel. According to the result of cluster analysis based on Ward's method, the ecotypes were divided into three groups. The highest number of ecotypes was in the third group (7 ecotypes) and the second group (6 ecotypes). The Afghani ecotype formed the first group alone. According to the type of ecotypes placed in a cluster, it can be said that the ecotypes in a cluster were very similar in terms of morphological and molecular characteristics, and the Afghani ecotype was different from other ecotypes.

     Drought stress and ecotype interactions had a significant impact on plant height, biological yield, and grain yield. The variation in ecotype responses to drought stress may be attributed to genetic differences. The Afghani ecotype demonstrated strong resistance to drought, showing no significant reduction in grain yield under both normal irrigation and drought stress conditions while also achieving the highest essential oil content. In contrast, the Khorasan Razavi 12 ecotype was highly sensitive to drought stress, exhibiting markedly lower biological and grain yields compared to other ecotypes.

 The inadequacy of the results of a single study and the need to combine the findings by scientists has led to the development of methods that allow combining the results of many independent studies. (Anjomani, 2022). The genus Thymus from the mint family (Lamiaceae) has more than 215 species in the world, of which 18 species have been identified in Iran. The medicinal plant) Thymus vulgaris L. (is one of the most important medicinal plants in the world, which is used Abundant in the pharmaceutical and food industries, it has a special place among medicinal plants (Gigord et al., 1999). The results of the application of different amounts of N, P, and K fertilizers on the growth and yield of Thymus vulgaris L. (showed the highest stem height (37. 38 cm), the yield of fresher plants (42. 78 grams per plant) and the highest the percentage of essential oil was 0. 73% in combined NPK treatment (Sharaf Zadeh, 2011). Research has shown that the highest percentage and yield of essential oil (363. 0% and 277. 00 ml per plant) was obtained from the plants cultivated with Nitroxin biofertilizer, followed by Biophosphorus and mycorrhizal fertilizers, respectively. (Mohammad pour Vashvaee et al., 2014). Meta-analysis combines the information of studies, pays attention to the comparison between studies discovers new results from previous studies, and can introduce new fields of research or new research questions.

 To perform this meta-analysis, the method introduced by Cooper was used. This method has the following steps: searching and selecting studies (data collection), coding the characteristics of each study, extracting data suitable for meta-analysis, and analyzing the data. In this research, standardized mean difference and correlation coefficient were used. It has been used to determine the size of the Hedges effect (g) (Porasmeili, 2011). Since the intended benefit in this meta-analysis is the difference between the averages of the treatment group (experiment) and the control group (control), in the meta-analysis method for the effect sizes in this research, the standardized mean difference method and the correlation coefficient to determine the Hedges effect size value (g)) has been used (Pouresmaeily et al., 2011). The standard difference between the mean of the control treatment and the mean of the experimental treatment is called the effect size (g) Equation (3 (and (4(. It was used in performance between control and experimental treatments (Cohen, 1988).  (3)In this regard, M1and M2 is the average performance of experimental treatment and control treatment and , standard deviation, respectively (Cohen, 1988). ( In this regard, S1 and S2 are respectively the square root of the integrated variance of two treatment groups. If there is heterogeneity between studies, the random effect model is used. I2index is one of the important indices in determiningthe degree of heterogeneity between studies.In general, the degree of heterogeneity in the I2index is determined in the following three ways: I2≤25% indicates low heterogeneity. 50 ≤I2≤ 75% indicates moderate heterogeneity; that is, half of the total variability among effect sizes is not due to sampling error and is due to heterogeneity between studies.and I2≥ 75% indicates high heterogeneity (Higgins & green, 2011)Among more than 60 domestic studies and 28 foreign studies. The number of 15 studies that can be meta-analyzed in different subjects: "dry weight, percentage of essential oil and yield of thyme oil" were selected 102 effect sizes were ready for meta-analysis, and the rest of the studies were excluded. All the extracted data were transferred to comprehensive meta-analysis software for meta-analysis. The results reported about each of the variables were analyzed using comprehensive meta-analysis software (CMA.Version 2) developed in the United States.

 Among more than 60 domestic studies and 28 foreign studies, 15 meta-analysis studies with 53 effect sizes related to the effect of different amounts of cow manure (30, 60, and 90 tons per hectare) on dry weight, essential oil percentage, and thyme oil yield were selected and ready for meta-analysis, and the rest of the studies were excluded. The results obtained in individual studies mostly emphasize the significance and positive effect of animal manure (cow) on quantitative and qualitative yield, while meta-analysis results show that studies of the effect of 30 tons of cow manure per hectare with an effect size (0.502 g) for weight dry and (g=0.482) were positive and incremental for oil yield and were significant with 99% confidence (P≤0.01) for the mentioned traits. These studies were heterogeneous based on the I2 index for dry weight (I2= 79.48) and for oil yield (I2= 86.79), and after drawing a funnel plot and performing the Bag and Mazumdar test, it was observed that they were symmetrical and had no diffusion error. And the obtained results are recommendable. However, the characteristics of plant height and essential oil percentage are not significant, and more studies are needed. Studies on the effect of chemical fertilizers only on the increase in dry weight yield with the effect size (g = 0.614) have been positive and significant (p≤0.01). These studies were heterogeneous based on the I2index for dry weight (I2= 93.79) and after drawing a funnel plot and performing the Bag and Mazumdar test, their symmetry and lack of diffusion error were observed, and the obtained results are recommendable. However, the effect of nitrogen chemical fertilizer on the qualitative traits of essential oil percentage and oil yield is not significant. Contrary to the results of the research that declared the effect of chemical fertilizers and different levels of nitrogen to be significant on dry weight, percentage of essential oil, and oil yield, studies on the effect of biofertilizers respectively with the effect size (g = 0.789) on dry weight (g = 0.773) (g=0.593) had the most increasing and positive effect on oil yield and essential oil percentage, and it was significant (P≥0.01). These studies were heterogeneous and symmetrical based on the I2 index for oil yield (I2=83.34) and essential oil percentage (I2=77.71), and there was no diffusion error, and its results are recommendable. The results of other researchers have considered the use of organic and biological fertilizers to increase and improve the quantitative and qualitative traits of the thyme medicinal plant, and to recommend these types of fertilizers; they have preferred these types of fertilizers over chemical fertilizers, the traits that were not significant or their studies were not symmetrical in all treatments The subject needs to conduct studies with higher accuracy for recommendation

Introduction: 

Pre-cultivated plants are types of plants that, after harvesting the economic part, the plant residuals are returned to the soil to increase the organic matter and to improve the next plant’s productivity. The use of plant residues can improve biological health by reducing the chemical inputs used in agriculture. Due to the fact that in dry areas such as North Khuzestan, the role of pre-cultivated plants and the effect of their residues on growth and performance have been studied less, this research can be done in different humidity conditions before planting the main plant, and the effects of plant residues and their role on the qualitative characteristics and organic matter of the soil and the performance of plants such as corn are promising and help farmers and researchers.

 This experiment was conducted in two neighboring farms. In each year, two experiments were conducted in a randomized complete block design with four replications in two years and two locations. Before planting corn in two fields, cultivation treatments and mixing residues of four plant species, including rice, cowpea, dill, eggplant, and fallow, were used as experimental treatments. After harvesting the pre-cultivation plant, investigate the effect of plant residues on some soil characteristics over time. In order to determine the amount of moisture stored in the soil, in two stages before planting and in the middle of the corn growing season, the percentage of soil moisture by weight was calculated. To determine the organic carbon content in the soil before planting and during the mid-growth stage of the corn plant, organic carbon was oxidized using potassium dichromate in the presence of concentrated sulfuric acid, followed by titration with semi-normal ammonium ferrous sulfate in the presence of the ortho phenanthroline reagent (Walkley, 1934). Additionally, soil nitrogen was measured in the laboratory using the Kjeldahl method (Pag et al., 1982).

In both farms, the stability of the soil grains in the second year was higher than in the first year, which is due to the placement of organic materials of plant residues in the structure of the soil grains (Koocheki et al., 2020). Soil stability increased in both farms in the second year, with the difference that the soil stability increased by 64% in WET Planting and 50% in dry Planting. In the first and second years, respectively, there was a 35 and 29% increase in soil moisture compared to the control. The results of this research showed that the positive effect of plant residues in improving the organic matter of the soil after corn cultivation in wet Planting was much higher than that of dry Planting. The rice residues increased the soil organic matter by 51 and 47% in wet Planting and dry Planting. The results of the measurement data before corn cultivation showed a significant increase in the amount of nitrogen in the soil in the second year, and this increase was 55% higher in the field with the method of wet Planting cultivation. The results of the measured data after corn cultivation in the second year showed that the amount of nitrogen in the soil increased, and the intensity of the increase in the field using the wet Planting method was 44% more than the field using the dry method.

 The results of this experiment showed that the apparent specific weight of the soil in the second year, influenced by the use of plant residues, decreased over time. The preservation of plant residues has caused an increase in the amount of nitrogen in the soil, and in wet planting conditions, the intensity of its increase has been 44% more than in DRY Planting conditions. Also, by using plant residues of dill and beans, the amount of phosphorus in the soil increased.

 Savory (Satureja hortensis L.) is an annual aromatic medicinal plantbelonging to the Lamiaceae family. Its essential oil is used widely in medicine, food, health industries, and therapeutic processes. Additionally, the essential oil is an important part of traditional medicine to treat muscle pains, indigestion and diarrhea and infection diseases. Also, the relatively high vitamin C and vitamin A content of savory may contribute to long-term health by boosting the natural state of the human immune system. Biochar is a solid material formed by high-temperature charring of biomass under anaerobic conditions. It has a large specific surface area, high porosity, and abundant nutrients, such as nitrogen, potassium, and calcium. As a result of these properties,  applying biochar as an organic soil amendment has been considered as an option to improve agricultural systems. The great potential of biochar application has also been directly reflected in plant growth and crop productivity. Biochar can potentially remediate salt-affected soils through salt sorption. Specifically, biochar sorption of Na+ in the soil solution can both reduce plant Na uptake and increase the relative uptake of Ca2+ and Mg2+. More broadly, biochar can generally enhance plant growth by improving soil properties, such as cation-exchange capacity (CEC), water retention capacity, and bulk density. Biochar can reduce fertilizer and water use by increasing the soil CEC and water-holding capacity (WHC).Using sulfur (especially in soil with low sulfur content) improves soil properties and increases plant growth and yield. The biochemical oxidation of elemental sulfur produces sulfuric acid (H2SO4), which decreases soil pH and solubilizes CaCO3 in alkaline soils to make soil conditions more favorable for plant growth. Sulfur is a part of an enzyme necessary for nitrogen absorption. Its deficiency can significantly hinder nitrogen metabolism, as sulfur and nitrogen are required to form amino acids essential for protein synthesis. Sulfur is also present in fatty acids and vitamins, playing a key role in crops' quality, taste, and aroma. Nano-fertilization is an agricultural technique that enhances crop growth, improves nutrient efficiency, and reduces fertilizer waste and costs. It promotes better crop development by providing more surface area for various metabolic reactions, thereby increasing the rate of photosynthesis and overall crop productivity while preventing biotic and abiotic stress.

 To evaluate the combined application of ecological inputs, specifically biochar and sulfur nutritional treatments, on the medicinal plant savory (Satureja hortensis L.), a split-plot experiment based on a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications was conducted over the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 growing seasons at the Research Field of the University of Gonabad, Iran. The data were analyzed using composite analysis. Different biochar levels (5, 10, and 20 t.ha⁻¹, plus a control) and sulfur nutritional treatments (common sulfur, nano-sulfur, and control) were assigned to the main and subplots, respectively.

 The results of this study showed that the highest and lowest seed number per m2 and flowering shoot weight were obtained in treatments of 20 t.ha-1 biochar and spraying of nanosulfur (with 27777 seeds per m2 and 25.67 g flowering shoot, respectively) and non-application of biochar and control (with 8024 seeds per m2 and 6.24 g flowering shoot, respectively). The results of triple interaction effects of different amounts of biochar, nutritional treatments, and cropping year showed that the highest seed yield (10.74 g.m2) and biological yield (46.91 g.m2) were observed in the first cropping year and treatments of simultaneous application of 20 t.ha-1 biochar and spraying of nanosulfur. The interaction effects of biochar and nutritional treatments showed that the highest oil was obtained in the treatment of 10 t.ha-1 biochar and soil application of common sulfur. The total phenol, flavonoid content, and antioxidant activity decreased with the simultaneous application of biochar and sulfur nutritional treatments. The highest levels of these traits were observed when no biochar was applied in combination with the nutritional treatments.

 In general, according to the findings of this research, the simultaneous application of high amounts of biochar (levels of 10 and 20 t.ha-1) and sulfur nutritional treatments, especially spraying of nano-sulfur, led to improved yield and yield components, but the qualitative characteristics of savory were reduced due to the combined use of these ecological inputs.

Removing the gap between the yield that is currently obtained by farmers and the yield that can be obtained by using the best water, soil, and crop management practices (yield gap) is the key solution to overcoming the nutritional challenge of the growing world population. Wheat has played an important role in the economy and food security of the world over the history. Considering the importance of the wheat crop in food security and human feeding, as well as the importance of Lorestan province in producing wheat crop in Iran, the current research was carried out using the modeling method in order to estimate the yield gap of irrigated wheat agro-ecosystems of Lorestan province.

The current research was conducted in 6 locations in Lorestan province, Iran (Aleshtar, Aligudarz, Borujerd, Khorramabad, Kuhdasht, and Pol-e Dokhtar). To evaluate the APSIM-wheat model for the Chamran cultivar, some independent field experiments were used under different treatments, including planting date, irrigation, and nitrogen regimes. nRMSE, d-index, and MBE indices were used to evaluate the crop model. Then, the management, soil, and climate data of the studied locations were collected. To find the most optimal sowing date, an initial simulation experiment set was performed. After obtaining the optimal sowing date for different locations, the attainable yield (85% of the potential yield) was simulated. Finally, from the difference between attainable yield and actual yield, the total yield gap for the locations was obtained. Also, the contribution of different management practices, including nitrogen, irrigation, and other reducing and limiting factors, was calculated from the total yield gap. In the current research, OriginPro software was used for all statistical analysis and drawing of figures.

The results of the model calibration showed that the APSIM-wheat model was able to simulate the days to flowing, biomass, and grain yield accurately. The normalized root mean square error for days to flowering, biomass, and grain yield was 5.13, 5.29, and 7.87%, respectively. The model validation results of the model also showed that the model simulates the grain yield well (10.3%). In the initial simulation, the best production potential (8433 kg ha-1) was related to the October 15 sowing date. Attainable, water-limited, and nitrogen-limited yields were equal to 7179.2, 6302.7, and 4212.5 kg ha-1 in Lorestan province. Across different locations, the water-limited yield ranged from 1.4722 to 2.7448 kg ha-1, followed by attainable yield (from 6537.5 to 7982.7 kg ha-1) and nitrogen-limited (from 2.2 3850 to 4414.5 kg ha-1). The total yield gap of irrigated wheat in Lorestan province was equal to 4177.5 kg ha-1. The results also showed that, in general, throughout the studied locations and years, the contribution of nitrogen, water, and other reducing and limiting factors in Lorestan province was equal to 69, 22, and 10% of the total yield gap. There were many changes among different locations in terms of the total yield gap in Lorestan province so it varied from 2661.8 kg ha-1 (Pol-e Dokhtar) to 5608.4 kg ha-1 (Aligudarz). In terms of yield gap due to water limitation, the highest amount was related to Pol-e Dokhtar (31%), and the lowest value was related to Khorramabad city (14%). For the yield gap caused by nitrogen limitation, Aligudarz had the largest share (77%), while the lowest share of this limitation was obtained for Khorramabad (59%). The maximum share of the yield gap caused by other limiting and reducing factors was also recorded in Khorramabad (27%), while its lowest value was calculated in Aligudarz and Aleshtar (without restrictions).

In general, the total yield gap of irrigated wheat in agro-ecosystems of Lorestan province is equal to 59%. Also, the results revealed that the largest share of the total yield gap is related to the lack of optimal application of nitrogen management (time of nitrogen application), and if the optimal management of nitrogen fertilizer is applied, the total yield gap will be significantly reduced at all studied locations in Lorestan province.

Sustainable agriculture refersp to the correct management of agricultural resources that, while meeting changing human needs, and preserve the quality of the environment and the capacity of water and soil resources. Among the components of sustainable agriculture, we can mention the agroforestry system, integrated pest management, crop rotation, and intercropping. The purpose of intercropping is to find plants that have the least competition with each other and use the available resources more effectively. The purpose of this research is to the effect of intercropping of Roselle on the quantitative and qualitative traits of borage under foliar application of iron fertilizer and to determine the best ratio of intercropping to achieve the highest yield and the highest level of land equivalent ratio.

This research was carried out in the educational research farm of the Faculty of Agriculture of Zabol University in the agricultural year of 2014-2015. The experiment was carried out as a factorial in the form of a randomized complete block design with three replications. The treatments examined in this research include foliar spraying of sulfate fertilizer as the first factor in three levels including |(no foliar application or control, 3gr.l-1 and 6gr.l-1) and eight levels of intercropping including (pure Roselle, pure Borage, 75% Roselle + 25% Borage, 75% Borage + 25% Roselle, 50% Roselle + 50% Borage, 50% Roselle + 100% Borage, 100% Roselle + 50% Borage, 100% Roselle + 100% Borage were as the second factor. Both plants were planted at the same time at the end of March in 2×2 plots, where the distance between the planting lines was 50 cm, the distance between the rows was the same, but the density was different in each row. Irrigation was done according to the needs of the plants, weeding and thinning during the growth period and weeding was done by hand during three stages. Wagner's method was used to measure the amount of anthocyanins. The criterion for evaluating intercropping was using the land equivalent ratio. At the end, data analysis will be done using SAS version 9.1 software, and a comparison of means will be done using Duncan's test at the 5 % level.

Results showed that the interaction effects of foliar application, iron, and intercropping were significant on the anthocyanin and mucilage content of borage. Additionally, the simple effects of foliar application of iron were significant on the number of flowers per stem, stem height, number of sub-branches, biological yield, and harvest index. The effects of intercropping were significant on the number of flowers per stem, anthocyanin content, mucilage content, stem height, number of sub-branches, economic yield, and harvest index. The comparison of means effects of different intercropping systems showed that the highest biological yield (1412.8 kg.ha-1) was obtained from the intercropping system of 75% Roselle + 25% borage. In addition, the comparison of means effects of different intercropping systems showed that the highest amount of economic yield (49.68  kg.ha-1) was obtained from the treatment of pure borage cultivation. Comparison of means showed that the highest percentage of mucilage with an average of 0.0713% from the foliar treatment of 6gr.l-1 of iron sulfate in the conditions of pure borage cultivation, and the lowest percentage of mucilage was obtained with an average of 0.0280 from the control treatment (no application of iron sulfate fertilizer + 100% Roselle + 50% borage). The highest land equivalent ratio (2) was obtained from intercropping of 100% Roselle + 50% borage harvest.

According to the results obtained in the present study, the effects of foliar application of iron and intercropping systems had significant effects on yield and yield components of borage. By increasing the foliar application of iron improved growth traits and yield. The highest proportion of LER obtained was from 100% Roselle+ 50% borage, which indicated superior cropping compared to pure crop. This superiority is probably due to the better use of mixed components of growth resources such as light, water, and nutrients compared to pure crop.

Common millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) belonging to the family Gramineae is a warm-season grass with a growing season length of 60–100 days. It is specially adapted to hot summers in the tropics and high altitudes, where the growing season is short, and the soil is poor in fertility. Among grain crops, common millet has the lowest water requirement and can grow on any type of soil except coarse sand. Therefore, appropriate management of common millet is necessary to maximize yield and yield components. Organic matter is one of the most important constituents of soil, significantly affecting the availability of nutrients and improving the soil's physical, chemical, and biological properties. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of different levels of municipal waste compost and orange waste compost on vegetative, reproductive growth, and yield of common millet.

The experiment was designed as a factorial arrangement based on a randomized complete block design with three replications under field conditions in Gonabad during the growing season of 2018. Treatments were three levels of municipal waste compost (0, 7.5, and 15 t.ha-1) and three levels of orange waste compost (0, 7.5, and 15 t.ha-1). The measured indices including vegetative characteristics (plant height (cm), number of tillers per plant, plant dry weight (g.plant-1), number of leaves per plant, panicle height (cm)) and reproductive characteristics (seed yield per plant (g), 1000-seed weight (g), seed yield, biological yield (kg.ha-1) and harvest index). Finally, the experimental data were statistically analyzed using the SAS program ver. 9.1 and comparison of means was performed by LSD test at 5% probability level.

The results showed that with increasing use of municipal waste compost as well as orange compost in soil, plant height, dry weight and grain yield and harvest index increased. The highest amount of municipal waste compost (15 t.ha-1) and orange waste compost (15 t.ha-1) increased the plant height by 15.8 and 11.8 percent, respectively, compared to control. The reason for the increase in plant height due to the use of organic materials is due to the improvement of the chemical and physical properties of the soil, the increase in the storage capacity of nutrients, and the preparation of the ground bed for better root growth in the soil. The maximum dry-weight plant was obtained in the treatment of municipal waste compost (15 t.ha-1) and orange waste compost (15 t.ha-1). The nitrogen present in organic fertilizers enhances vegetative growth, and the high potassium in these fertilizers, in addition to accelerating cell division and directly affecting vegetative growth due to its role in the production of carbohydrates and proteins and the concentration of cell sap, increases the dry weight of the plant. The highest seed yield was observed at the level of 15 tons per hectare of municipal waste compost, with a 60.2% increase compared to the control, and at the level of 15 tons per hectare of orange waste compost, with an increase of 37.4% compared to the zero level. Also, the simple effect of municipal waste compost and orange waste and the interaction of two treatments on grain weight per plant, 1000-seed weight, biological yield, and harvest index were significant. The highest seed weight per plant was obtained from the highest levels of municipal waste compost and orange waste (15 t.ha-1 + 15 t.ha-1). The highest 1000-seed weight and biological yield were observed in the treatment of municipal waste compost (15 t.ha-1) and orange waste compost (15 t.ha-1). Also, the highest harvest index was related to the treatment of municipal waste compost (15 t.ha-1) and orange waste compost (7.5 t.ha-1). Probably, the availability of more nutrients for the plant has led to an increase in the production of photosynthetic materials for the seeds and, as a result, an increase in their weight.

The results of this study showed that municipal waste compost and orange waste compost had a significant effect on the yield and growth characteristics of common millet. Thus, results showed that municipal waste compost (15 t.ha-1) and orange waste compost (15 t.ha-1) had a strong impact on the yield and growth characteristics of common millet under field conditions.

Among the approaches that have received attention in recent years to sustain agroecosystems is the identification and employment of traditional/indigenous/local knowledge and strategies of smallholder farmers around the world to solve the basic challenges of these ecosystems regarding food production. In this regard, the role and function of biodiversity as the main component of indigenous knowledge is of particular importance. At the same time, with the expansion of new agricultural solutions, the use of these farmers' approaches has decreased over time and, in some cases, has completely disappeared. Therefore, this study was conducted with the aim of identifying the indigenous methods used in the agricultural ecosystems of the Sabzevar region and their role in increasing biodiversity. Biodiversity loss has been a major concern to humans, especially during the last quarter of the previous century. Nowadays, various efforts to protect agricultural biodiversity are emerging that seem not enough. Biodiversity in agricultural ecosystems causes effective control of weeds, pests and diseases and greater resistance to changing environmental conditions and leads to better management of agricultural systems and increased food security. Additionally, biodiversity is carefully managed and nurtured to interface with hydrological and nutrient cycling to provide for ecosystem resilience, food security and diversity, and risk minimization. Although potentially less important in the short term, biodiversity, encompassing variation from within species to across landscapes, may be crucial for the longer-term resilience of ecosystem functions and the services that they underpin. Accordingly, in this research, the methods employed by local farmers to increase biodiversity were investigated.
In order to evaluate the usefulness of indigenous knowledge for assessing trends in biodiversity, a case study was undertaken in two counties, Sheshtamad and Sabzevar, in Razavi Khorasan province. This involved the use of participatory rural appraisal (PRA) techniques, including semi-structured interviews and transect walks. To study local methods employed by farmers, 453 farmers were interviewed and questions were asked to the farmers about the number of crop species and the amount of use of methods to increase biodiversity such as rotation, fallow, mixed cropping, etc.
The results showed that agricultural systems in these areas have shifted from livelihood systems to market-based systems. Local farmers in these areas used a variety of methods such as using different crops from different families, intercropping, rotation, fallow, seed exchange, integration of livestock with cropping and horticulture to increase diversity in their farms. The main common products in these two cities were plants such as wheat, barley, cotton, alfalfa and pistachios. Most of the plants used in the cultivation pattern of farmers in these cities were related to plant families such as Poaceae, Fabaceae, Malvaceae, Asteraceae, Cucurbitaceae, Amaranthaceae and Rosaceae, which had a different contribution in the cultivation pattern of the studied villages. There was a significant difference between the villages, districts and two counties in terms of the plant species and plant families used. In all the studied villages, farmers employed more than one method to increase the diversity of their farms. The fosterage of livestock and horticulture plus to cropping in these agroecosystems led to greater economic security for farmers, in particular in adverse weather conditions. In general, the results showed that rural development has led to a reduction in the use of traditional knowledge/local methods only in limited cases, and the employing of local methods in some cases has increased the net income of farmers from wheat farming systems.
The results approved that the farmers in these areas used different crops from different families and groups and also used methods such as intercropping, rotation, integration of livestock with cropping, fallow and seed exchange to increase the biodiversity in the three levels of species, function and ecosystem in the agroecosystems of these regions. Increasing biodiversity in agroecosystems is very important and significant issue, especially in arid and semiarid areas, because improved biodiversity in these areas can increase food and economic security to some extent. Diversification could become an essential tool for sustaining production and ecosystem services in croplands, rangelands and production forests.

Water stress is one of the main factors in crop growth in arid and semi-arid regions of the world, which limits the grain yield of the safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.). To increase the soil fertility and yield of crops, it is necessary to pay sufficient attention to the use of biomass of organic matter, especially crop residues, and its conversion to biochar. This research aims to evaluate the biochar application produced from cotton and wheat residues under late-season water stress in the south of Fars province (Darab) on photosynthetic pigments, enzyme activity, yield components, and yield of safflower.
In order to investigate the biochar application and water stress on the amount of photosynthetic pigments, enzyme activity, and yield of safflower, a field experiment was laid out as split plots in the form of randomized complete block design with 3 replications in the 2019-2020 growing season. The experimental factors include the irrigation regime as the main factor in two levels (optimal irrigation and cutting off irrigation after the flowering stage), and the secondary factors were fertilizer treatment as subplot including control (without fertilizer), consumption of 3 tons of biochar from wheat residues per hectare, consumption of 3 tons of biochar from cotton residues per hectare, consumption of 150 kg of urea per hectare + 50 kg of triple superphosphate per hectare, consumption of 112.5 kg of urea per hectare + 37.5 kg of triple superphosphate per hectare, consumption of 112.5 kg of urea + 37.5 kg of triple superphosphate + 3 tons wheat biomass per hectare, and 112.5 kg of urea + 37.5 kg of triple superphosphate + 3 tons of cotton biomass per hectare. In this research, chlorophyll a and b, total chlorophyll, catalase, and peroxidase activities, yield components, and yield of safflower were calculated.
The results of the experiment showed that the measured traits were significantly affected by the irrigation regime and fertilizer treatment. Under cutting-off irrigation after the flowering stage, the fertilizer treatment of 112.5 urea + 37.5 phosphate + 3 tons of wheat biochar per hectare increased 55 and 40% chlorophyll a and total chlorophyll compared to the control, respectively. Water stress increased the carotenoid content, catalase, and peroxidase enzymes. The highest amount of catalase and peroxidase enzyme activity was obtained in the control under cutting-off irrigation after the flowering stage, which increased by 48 and 38%, respectively, compared to the control under optimal irrigation. The number of seeds per capitule and the number of fertile capitules per plant in the treatment of 112.5 urea + 37.5 phosphate + 3 tons of cotton biochar under water stress conditions increased by 8.8 and 19.51%, respectively. Also, under water stress, the application of 112.5 urea + 37.5 phosphates + 3 tons of cotton biochar improved and increased the relative content of leaf water, biological capitules yield, and grain yield compared to the control by %53, %22, and %34, compared to control, respectively.
Results showed that in both of the irrigation regimes, application of 3 tons of cotton or wheat biochar alone can increase the biomass and grain yield compared to control. Overall, the application of 112.5 urea + 37.5 phosphate + 3 tons of cotton biochar under water stress conditions improved the relative water content of the leaves, the number of seeds per capitule, the number of fertile capitule per plant, and finally, biomass and yield of safflower. With respect to water shortage under late season in southern parts of Fars province, and in order to decrease the detrimental effects of water stress, farmers can use the biochar of cotton combined with reduced dosage of urea and triple superphosphate fertilizers.

Following population growth and increasing demand for food, agricultural systems have been considerably altered across the world. Nonetheless, the majority of these changes have been accompanied with many consequences by reason of focusing on economic growth and ignoring the relation between humans and environmental wellbeing. Thus, it seems that any future increase in food production should be done in a sustainable way which considers various issues. Based on this viewpoint, understanding the importance of diverse women’s roles and addressing gender equality are indisputable preconditions for achieving sustainability in the agriculture sector. Women significantly affect the welfare and sustainability of farmer households through numerous tasks assigned to them by societies. However, women do not have the same rights as men in access to productive resources because of gender-based norms. Although the sustainability of agricultural systems has been evaluated by many researchers, they rarely used gender-based analyzes in their assessments. Hence, we aim to determine women’s participation in various agricultural systems and evaluate the impact of women’s activities on the sustainability of agroecosystems in Iran by using a comprehensive approach.

To explore answers to our research goals, a specific questionnaire was utilized, and its validity and reliability were approved by experts and the Cronbach’s alpha test, respectively. We used the purposive sampling method to identify townships and villages and applied the simple random sampling technique to select farmer households. Based on different methods and the results of pre-test surveys, 930 farmer households were considered as the appropriate sample size in this study. Because there are different climatic conditions, agricultural products and subcultures in Iran, this study was carried out in all 31 provinces of Iran to cover differences between regions. The sustainability of farmer households was assessed by applying 15 indicators. Then, scores attained by farmer households were simplified to define three principal thresholds for sustainability: unacceptable (scores≤ 1.5), limited (1.5 <scores≤ 2.5), and good (2.5 <scores). Women’s different activities in market-oriented (male-dominated) agricultural systems were ranked by the Friedman test. The correlation between women’s participation in male-dominated farms and the sustainability of farmer households was determined based on the Tao B. Kendall correlation coefficient. Moreover, the effect of women’s participation in female-dominated agricultural systems (home gardens) on the sustainability of farmer households was assessed by the independent samples t-test.

Results disclose that the majority of rural women are pushed back from market-oriented (male-dominated) agricultural systems, especially from cash crop and fruit production systems. Nonetheless, women continue to play a significant role in subsistence (female-dominated) agricultural systems, with 44.1% of them having home gardens. Our findings reveal that farmer households do not experience the good threshold of sustainability, but households whose women have home gardens succeed in gaining higher scores of sustainability than other farmer households. Home gardens, compared with male-dominated farms, put the minimum pressure on the environment because of their reliance on renewable energy inputs. In economic and social dimensions, women meaningfully improve the sustainability of their households by producing different crops and fruits in home gardens. Farmer households with home gardens are able to offer a wider variety of products for sale, make more profit, and even have better savings and liquidity. Home gardens can also increase women’s economic ability, which subsequently improves the food security, health and education of children. Women positively affect the sustainability of farmer households by participating in male-dominated farms. Nonetheless, women’s participation in these systems is not as effective on the sustainability of farmer households as their participation in female-dominated agricultural systems (home gardens).

Conclusion:

 Our findings indicate that women’s agricultural activities influence the sustainability of farmer households in a positive way. Therefore, we suggest that experts and policymakers address issues affecting the agriculture sector through a gender lens. Because, the marginalization of rural women from the agriculture sector means the transformation of rural women from economically active actors into consumers with a different lifestyle, which undoubtedly puts a lot of pressure on the economy, both locally and nationally. It will also lead to numerous environmental and social consequences.

Medicinal plants are one of the most valuable resources in Iran's wide range of natural resources, which can play an important role in society's health, job creation, and non-oil exports if they are scientifically recognized, cultivated, developed, and exploited properly. Iran is considered one of the world's best regions in terms of climate, geographical location, and medicinal plant growth, and it has been a source of production and consumption of medicinal plants in the past. Lemon balm is generally used in traditional medicine to treat digestive problems, pain, and mental disorders. Drought stress is one of the most serious and widespread problems that limit plant productivity because it negatively affects plant physiology. The effects of drought stress depend on the duration, intensity and stage of growth and the genetic tolerance capacity of plants, which can reduce the growth of plants. It causes a change in morphological and physiological structures and the pattern of biomass distribution or even death.

To study the effect of foliar different growth stimulants on the growth characteristics and essential oil of balm at different levels of drought stress, an experiment was carried out in the crop year 2021. The experiment was a split plot based on randomized complete blocks with four replications, where different levels of irrigation include irrigation after 80, 60, and 40 percent of the field crop capacity (FC) in the main plots and foliar application of different growth stimulants including control, melatonin, amino acid, and folic acid were placed in sub-plots. In this research, total chlorophyll, dry matter yield, relative water content, phenoline content, soluble sugars, essential oil content, essential oil yield, total phenol, and flavonoid were measured. The data obtained from the experiment was analyzed using SAS.9.4 software. The obtaineds averages were statistically compared using Duncan's method (LSR) and at the five percent probability level.

The results of variance analysis of the data showed that the effect of irrigation and foliar spraying on growth stimulants on all investigated traits were significant at the probability level of 1%. There was a significant difference between the interaction treatments in terms of chlorophyll content, proline content, essential oil percentage, essential oil yield, and flavonoid content at the probability level of one percent and in terms of relative leaf water content, dry matter yield, soluble sugars content and total phenol content at the probability level of five percent. The results showed the highest chlorophyll content (2.25 mg g-1 FW), relative leaf water content (88.12 percent), and dry matter yield (793.79 kg ha-1) was recorded in melatonin foliar application and irrigation of 80% of FC treatments. Also, the highest essential oil content (0.81%) and essential oil yield (6.46 kg ha-1) were observed in treating foliar application with melatonin under the irrigation treatment of 60% FC. This study allocated the highest total phenol content to melatonin foliar application at 40% of the FC conditions. In this study, 40% FC irrigation treatment increased the flavonoid content by 29.90% and 93.23%, respectively, compared to 60% and 80% FC. Furthermore, foliar application of melatonin, proline amino acid, and folic acid increased the flavonoid content compared to the control treatment by 17.64, 23.35 and 32.35%, respectively.

In this study, melatonin foliar application in all three irrigation conditions increased essential oil yield compared to the corresponding control. Under irrigation and foliar spraying of melatonin, the synthesis of secondary metabolites and essential oil has been accelerated and produced the maximum yield of essential oil. Therefore, foliar spraying of melatonin and mild water deficit stress can be recommended to achieve maximum economic yield in Lemon balm.

The application of various inputs, such as pesticides and chemical fertilizers, has been one of the most significant factors negatively impacting the sustainability of agricultural systems. To accurately assess the value of agricultural ecosystem services, both the positive and negative aspects of agricultural systems must be taken into account. In the past three decades, the emergy analysis has been developed for assessing environmental policies and resource quality based on the dynamics of complex environmental and economic systems. Emergy analysis can be used to evaluate the sustainability of agriculture. By definition, emergy is the amount of direct or indirect solar energy required to produce a good or service. By converting all forms of energy, resources, and services into a single unit, the solar emjoule (sej), emergy analysis can assess the interdependence of economic, social, and environmental factors. The production of three important oil crops of Sistan, including rapeseed, safflower, and sesame, was investigated using emergy and economic analysis techniques to evaluate the ecological health and productivity of the use of inputs in the production of oil crops in Sistan.

This research was conducted at the level of Sistan's oil plant production systems in the Northern provinces of Sistan and Baluchistan. This research used questionnaires and face-to-face interviews with the owners of small ownership systems to determine the input consumption and performance of these systems. According to their service life, the annual input energy flow in the form of structural facilities, buildings, machinery, and materials used in the systems was calculated. The RUSLE model was used to assess water erosion. Inputs are divided into four categories to analyze production systems: renewable environmental resources (R), non-renewable environmental resources (N), purchased renewable resources (FR), and purchased non-renewable resources (FN). After calculating all input and output flows, the raw data for each of the production systems was multiplied by their unit emergy value in Joules, grams, or Rials, according to Iran's conditions. This study utilized transformity, the renewable emergy ratio (R%), the rmergy yield ratio (EYR), the rmergy investment ratio (EIR), the rnvironmental loading ratio (ELR), the emergy sustainability index (ESI), the emergy exchange ratio (EER), and the emergy index of product safety (EIPS).

The total supporting emergy for rapeseed, safflower, and sesame production systems was calculated to be 7.28E+16, 4.75E+16, and 3.55E+16 sej.ha-1.yr-1, respectively. In all three studied production systems, wind emergy was the largest source of free environmental input. In all three studied systems, environmental non-renewable inputs accounted for the largest portion of total emergy input, which was 83.42 percent for rapeseed, 80.11 percent for safflower, and 84.4 percent for sesame. The high proportion of nonrenewable inputs in this study for all three production systems demonstrated the vulnerability of Sistan's landscape cultivation systems as a result of the obvious lack of water, severe soil erosion, and contamination of agricultural lands. The total amount of purchased inputs for rapeseed, safflower, and sesame production systems was estimated to be 1.14E+16, 8.78E+15, and 5.40E+15 sej.ha-1.yr-1, respectively. Nitrogen and phosphorus chemical fertilizers comprised the largest proportion of purchased inputs in all three systems.The transformity for rapeseed, safflower, and sesame production systems, respectively, was 3.88E+06, 3.76E+06, and 2.48E+06 sej.J-1. The higher transformability of the rapeseed production system was due to the lower input utilization efficiency of this system compared to the safflower and sesame systems. The values of the saffron system's environmental sustainability indices (ESI and ESI*), renewable energy ratio (%R), environmental loading ratios (ELR and ELR*), and modified investment ratio (EIR*) indicate that this system is more sustainable. The lower health of rapeseed and sesame systems based on emergy indices was primarily due to the large proportion of input emergy related to organic matter losses and soil erosion, which are nonrenewable environmental resources. The economic analysis revealed that the sesame production system generated a higher profit-to-cost ratio and net profit than the safflower and rapeseed systems.

This study demonstrated that emphasizing practical solutions in the comprehensive management of production ecosystems, particularly through the protection of soil organic matter and the prevention of erosion, can significantly enhance their ecological health.

Seed aging reduces the quality and quantity of agricultural production by reducing quality, viability, and irreversible seed vigor over time. Researchers are increasingly interested in seed aging, which is a serious problem in agriculture. To reduce damages caused during aging, various pretreatment techniques have been studied, including chemical compounds, growth regulators, and antioxidants. Sowing seeds in low osmotic potential osmotic solution is one method of slowing seed aging by osmopriming them. To reduce the negative effects of seed aging, biostimulants such as seaweed extract are used. In order to investigate the effect of seaweed extract on the quantitative and qualitative yield of soybean, an experiment was conducted in the two years of 2018 and 2019 in the research farm of Shahrood University of Technology.

The experimental treatments involved the acceleration of aging in two groups: normal seeds and aged seeds. Additionally, seaweed extract was applied at four different levels: control, seed pre-treatment with a seaweed extract concentration of 0.3%, foliar spraying with a seaweed extract concentration of 0.3%, and a combination of seed pre-treatment and foliar spraying with a seaweed extract concentration of 0.3%. This was conducted as a factorial experiment, employing a randomized complete block design with three replications. A sample of DPX was collected from the Mazandaran Agricultural Research Center. A controlled storage room was used to maintain the seeds at a temperature of 14-17°C and relative humidity of 30-40%. The seeds were harvested the same year as the experiment. In order to apply accelerated aging, the seeds were kept for 72 hours at a temperature of 41°C and relative humidity of 95%. Foliar spraying was done at the beginning of flowering (R1).

 The results showed that accelerated aging decreased the mean daily emergence and germination index by 61.39 and 42.08% compared to the control. The pretreatment of soybean seeds made them more responsive to external stimuli and counteracted stress conditions before they emerged as seedlings. When the seeds were pretreated with seaweed extract, the mean daily emergence and seed germination index increased. The weight of one hundred seeds and the number of pods per plant decreased by 11.64 and 11.38% compared to the control. The combined application of seed pretreatment and foliar spraying in normal and aging conditions had the highest hundred seed weight and the number of pods per plant. In protein-rich crops, seaweed biostimulants can increase protein production. Pretreatment of normal and aged seeds with seaweed extract increased by 1.48 and 1.61 percent of seed protein. In order to improve soybean germination percentage, protein, and seed yield, ellagic acid and seaweed extract should be used individually or combined. Accelerated aging caused a 32.69% decrease in seed yield compared to normal conditions. The combined application of pre-treatment and foliar spraying of seaweed extract had the highest seed yield, which increased by 87.85% compared to the control. Seed aging likely caused a reduction of seed yield by reducing the mean daily emergence, leaf area index, and 100-seed weight. There are three main characteristics (mean daily seedling field emergence, the number of pods per plant, and 100-seed weight) that can explain 85.96% of seed yield variability based on the coefficient of explanation. An analysis of causal connections between seed yield and 100-seed weight showed that seed protein content directly affects seed yield. By increasing the number of pods per plant and the weight of 100 seed, soybean seeds yield may be enhanced by using seaweed extract.

With its powerful antioxidant properties and anti-aging properties, seaweed extract minimizes the effects of aging on aged seeds. Finally, within the scope of the research, it is possible to suggest the use of pre-treatment and foliar spraying with seaweed extract to increase seed yield and protein percentage in normal and aged soybean seeds.

Maize (Zea mays L.) ranks first in terms of forage production among forage plants by producing about 490 million tons of fresh and silage forage in the world. Chemical fertilizers are used to increase crop yields and provide human food, but reduce soil organic matter content and, in the long run, pose a serious environmental risk, resulting in contamination of arable soils and surface and groundwater. Organic manures reduce the harmful effects of chemical fertilizers by producing humus and increasing the activity of the soil microbial community. Utilization of non-chemical resources such as farmyard manure in combination with chemical fertilizers can lead to soil fertility and increase yield and crop quality because combined fertilizer systems can provide most of the plant's nutritional needs by increasing the absorption efficiency of nutrients in crops. Considering the importance of organic manures and their combination with chemical fertilizers, this experiment was conducted in order to investigate the effects of different levels of poultry manure, chemical fertilizer, and their combination on yield, yield components, and maize forage quality.

The research was carried out in the research farm of Kurdistan University located in Dehgolan County, Kurdistan Province, Iran in the crop year 2017-2018. The experiment was performed in the form of randomized complete blocks with three replications. Experimental treatments included different levels of pelleted poultry manure in combination with chemical fertilizers: Figure 2. T1: no fertilizer (control), T2: 1250 kg of poultry manure + zero kg of recommended chemical fertilizer, T3: 1250 kg of poultry manure + 25% of the recommended chemical fertilizer, T4: 1250 kg of poultry manure + 50% recommended chemical fertilizer, T5: 2500 kg of poultry manure + zero kg of recommended chemical fertilizer, T6: 2500 kg of poultry manure + 25% of recommended chemical fertilizer, T7: 2500 kg of poultry manure + 50% Recommended chemical fertilizer, T8: 5000 kg of poultry manure + 0 kg of recommended chemical fertilizer, T9: 5000 kg of poultry manure + 25% of recommended chemical fertilizer, T10: 5000 kg of poultry manure + 50% of chemical fertilizer Recommended, T11: 100% recommended chemical fertilizer. In this experiment, traits such as plant height, 1000-seed weight, biological and grain yield, seed nitrogen, starch, oil contents and forage quality were measured.

The results of the analysis of variance showed that the plant height, grain yield, biological yield, grain nitrogen, starch and oil contents, and oil yield were affected by fertilizer treatments at a probability level of 1%. The index harvest of maize was significant at the level of 5% probability. The number of plants per square meter and 1000-seed weight were not affected by fertilizer treatment. The highest plant height (241.2 cm), number of ears per plant (1.2 ears), 1000-seed weight (26.99 g.m-2), seed yield (12.76 tons per hectare) and biological yield (26.42 tons per hectare) were observed in the treatment of 5000 kg of plated chicken manure + 50% of the recommended chemical fertilizer. The highest percentage of fodder silage protein (12.58%) and silage ash (10.32%) was observed in the treatment of 2500 kg of plated chicken manure + 50% of the recommended chemical fertilizer. The highest percentage of insoluble fibers in neutral detergent was observed in the T6 and T8 treatments, and the lowest percentage of insoluble fibers in neutral detergents was observed in the T10 treatment. The highest and lowest percentages of insoluble fibers in acidic detergent were in the T2, T4, and T3 treatments, respectively. According to the results of the present experiment, the combination of chemical fertilizer with different amounts of chicken manure has reduced the consumption of chemical fertilizers, and in addition to saving on the consumption of fertilizer and the resulting costs, the harmful effects on the environment have also been reduced, and the condition of the soil in terms of fertility in the long term, the percentage of soil organic matter will improve.

 The results of the experiment showed that combined fertilizer treatments were superior compared to pure chemical fertilizer and pure poultry manure treatments, improved the yield and yield components of maize and caused a reduction in chemical fertilizers consumption. Chemical fertilizer treatment provided acceptable yield only at high levels.

Introduction:

Rice is a staple and valuable grain that is the main source of food for over 50 percent of the world's population after wheat (Lopez et al., 2019; Jabran and Chauhan, 2015). Rice production should increase by over 50 percent by 2050, which can be realized by improving its cultivars and applying sound agronomic management practices (Esfahani et al., 2005; Asadi et al., 2016). Nitrogen (N) is a key macroelement that is decisive for plants, but it is deficient in most farms. N fertilizer is applied chemically, organically, and biologically (Moslehi et al., 2015).

This research was conducted as a factorial experiment based on a randomized complete block design with three replications at two sites at the experimental farm of Islami Azad University of Lahijan (the village of Tustan) and Kateshal farm in 2018-2019. The study site (Lat. 36°55' N., Long. 45°20' E. (first location) and Lat. 37°21' N., Long. 50°18' E. (second location)) has a temperate and humid climate with a 10-year mean annual precipitation of 1150 mm (Guilan Meteorological Quarterly, 2020). Table 1 presents the meteorological data of the region during the experiment. Before the experiment, the physical and chemical characteristics of the soil at the study site were measured in the laboratory of the Water and Soil Department of Rice Research Center. The experimental factors included organic, chemical fertilizer, and control as the three levels of the first factor and urban waste compost, biochar, and Azolla, and control as the four levels of the second factor. Statistical analysis of data, data conversion, and drawing of graphs and charts were done using SAS 9.2 and Excel 2010 software. The averages obtained were statistically compared with each other using Tukey's test and at the probability level of 5%.

The simple effects of the chemical, organic, and organic nutritional systems were found to be significant (P < 0.01) on grain yield. Based on the comparison of data means for both research farms, the highest grain yield of, on average, 3699 kg/ha was obtained from the treatment of chemical fertilizer and biochar, and the lowest one of 2209 kg.ha-1 (40% lower than its maximum counterpart) from the control (unfertilized) treatment. Among the subplots, the biochar treatment was the most effective, and the control (unfertilized) was the least effective in this trait. The treatments that were fertilized with chemical N fertilizer produced more panicles per plant than the treatments that weren’t. Among the sub-plots, the highest number of panicles per plant was related to the biochar treatments under no-fertilization, ecological, and chemical conditions, and the lowest number to the control (unfertilized treatment). The plants treated chemically and ecologically in the presence of biochar were the tallest, growing to a height of 127 and 124 cm, respectively, whereas the lowest plant height was 108 cm, related to the control (unfertilized plants).

The use of organic fertilizers alone or in combination with chemical fertilizers, in addition to improving the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of rice, has a positive effect on the sustainability of production and preservation of the environment. The results of this research showed that the application of nitrogen fertilizer and biochar, in addition to optimizing the application of fertilizer, increased the yield of rice. It was also found that the consumption of biochar caused an increase in traits related to grain yield. The role of biochar was evident in the significant change of the studied traits of Hashemi rice in the main treatments (control, ecological, and chemical). Therefore, it is recommended to use biochar along with chemical fertilizer in order to maintain yield, prevent biological pollution and increase soil and rice fertility.

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.

Agriculture plays an essential role in providing food, and in order to achieve sustainability in the agricultural sector, resources must be used in the best possible way. In order to achieve the maximum possible yield, it is necessary for the crop plant to use the environmental factors, water, nutrients, light, and carbon dioxide, with the maximum possible efficiency. The maximum use of the required factors for growth is achieved only when the plant community exerts maximum pressure on these factors. In general, intercropping is one of the ways to achieve sustainable agriculture, with higher yields without increasing agricultural inputs, absorption, and environmental factors productivity. Researchers for the intercropping of corn and mung bean have reported that the mixed cultivation systems used environmental resources more effectively compared to the sole cropping of corn and mung bean. For this reason, nowadays, many plants, especially legumes, are cultivated in an intercropping form due to their ability to fix nitrogen. Due to the lack of resources regarding the effect of planting direction on plant yield, this study was conducted in order to evaluate resources and soil nutrients by changing the planting direction and replacing the intercropping system of the sunflower with cowpea.

This research was conducted in the field of the Agricultural Research Station of Zabol University during 2015-2016. The experiment was performed as a split-plot based on a randomized complete block design with three replications at the Research Farm of the Agricultural Research Institute of Zabol University.  The main factor was two levels of planting direction (North-South and East-West), and the secondary factor was intercropping system in five levels, including (100% pure sunflower), (100% pure cowpea ), (50% sunflower + 50% cowpea ) (25% cowpea  + 75% sunflower) and (75 % cowpea  + 25%sunflower) were considered. Data for studied traits were measured as follows: radiation, temperature, volumetric humidity, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, and the land equality ratio.  Statistical analysis including, analysis of variance and mean comparisons (least significant difference (LSD) test at the 5% level), were applied to evaluated traits.

The maximum absorption of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) was in the east-west cultivation direction (77.90%) compared to the north-south treatment, which was 24.6% more than the north-south direction. The analysis of variance indicated that the cultivation direction and intercropping systems on the amount of phosphorus in the soil after harvest were significant at 1% probability level. The comparison of means treatments showed that the amount of phosphorus in the soil in the direction of east-west cultivation was 15% higher compared to the direction of north-south cultivation.The highest amount of soil potassium was obtained in the east-west treatment and the intercropping system of 50% sunflower plus 50% cowpea (24.7 ppm). The lowest amount of soil potassium (16.15 ppm) was obtained in the treatment of east-west cultivation and the intercropping system of 75% sunflower plus 25% cowpea. The relative advantage of intercropping is expressed by the land equivalent ratio. The increase in the ratio of equal land per unit shows the relative usefulness of intercropping compared to sole cropping of each of the mixed components. The comparison of means of the intercropping system showed that among the treatments, the mixture of 75% sunflower plus 25% cowpea had the highest land equivalent ratio (2.54).

It seems that in order to maintain humidity make maximum use of limited water resources, and obtain high yield, the intercropping system of 75% sunflower plus 25% cowpea and planting direction the prevailing wind of the region (east-west) should be suitable for this region and regions with similar climate and windy conditions.

Barley is the fourth most important cereal in the world and is considered one of the least expected crops that has adapted and distributed globally due to its resistance to salinity. The growing world's population has expanded the cultivated domain, which caused the utilization of extravagant chemical fertilizers in modern agricultural cropping systems. This approach has not been cost-effective and has caused severe environmental damages like contaminating the underground water and creating unusual salinity in the fields. Therefore, it seems to be essential to replace risky approaches with eco-friendlier methods. In addition, with increasing environmental stress as a result of climate warming, we need to understand better ways to reduce environmental stress for the sustainable production of barley. Mycorrhiza has been introduced as an essential portion of agricultural ecosystems because of its positive effect on the soil texture, growth, and productivity of almost all host plants. This trend is attributed to reduced chemical fertilizer demands. Mycorrhiza enhances the water relations under stress conditions, water and nutrient uptake by augmenting the hyphae network. In this study we aimed to investigate the role of mycorrhizal inoculation in alleviating the detrimental effects of salinity stress on barley. Our hypotheses were: (i) mycorrhizal inoculation can alleviate the detrimental effect of stress at low to medium levels but not at high levels of salinity, and (ii) there is an interaction effect of low levels of salinity and arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis lead to higher the performance of barley.

In order to evaluate the effects of Funneliformis mosseae mycorrhiza on morphological, biochemical and yield of barley, one experiment was conducted in research farm of School of Agriculture, Shiraz University. Field experiment was a split-plot in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Factors included salinity levels (0.4, 4, 8 and 12 dS m-1) as the main factor and the mycorrhiza (with and without) was applied as sub factor.  Data were analyzed by using SAS 9.2 software and the means were separated using LSD test at 5% probability level.

The results of the experiment showed that salinity decreased yield and vegetation traits, including plant height, number of tillers per plant, number of spikes per plant, number of seeds per spike, 1000-grain weight, grain yield, and biological yield. All the measured traits in plants inoculated with mycorrhizal fungi were higher than the non-mycorrhizal plants. The inoculation of plants in most cases improved the effects of stress; i.e., inoculation under high salinity stress (12 dS m-1) increased SOD by 5.7%, CAT by 8.0%, K concentration by 30.8%, K/Na ratio by 131.1%, plant height by 8.1%, number of spikes per plant by 9.4%, number of grain per spike by 6.6%, 1000-grain weight by 4.2%, grain yield by 20.2%, and biological yield by 11.0% compared with non-inoculation plants. Also, Fayaz and Zahedi (2021) reported that mycorrhizal inoculation could promote the growth and salt tolerance of wheat cultivars by improving osmoregulation and antioxidant enzyme activity and reducing the Na+/K+ ratio.

In this experiment, inoculation treatment alleviated the high salinity stress (12 dS m-1) effects in most cases and raised the grain yield and K+/Na+ ratio up to 20.2 and 131.1%, respectively, compared with non-inoculation plants. The results from this experiment showed that Funneliformis mosseae fungi inoculation could promote the growth and salt tolerance of barley by improving antioxidant enzyme activity, and ion homeostasis. In summary, the use of Funneliformis mosseae could reduce salinity damages by improving the physiological and biochemical responses of barley. This study highlighted the potential role of Funneliformis mosseae inoculation, in particular with native strains, as an innovative and eco-friendly technology for a sustainable crop-growing system in arid and semi-arid areas.

Vetches are especially important due to their resistance to cold and water-deficient stresses, and due to the high amount of crude protein and detergent fibers, they have the same nutritional value as alfalfa and clover. Planting vetch can increase soil nitrogen due to the symbiosis of its root nodes with Rhizobium bacteria. No-tillage reserves more moisture in the soil than other tillage systems. No-tillage and reduced tillage significantly increase mycorrhizal fungi in soil compared to conventional tillage. Increased leaf area index (LAI) and dry matter in plants under reduced and no-tillage systems have been observed, too. Also, increases in chlorophyll concentration, decreases in canopy temperature, increases in plant height and improvements in forage quality in plants under a no-tillage system have been reported. This experiment evaluated the effects of different types of tillage on morpho-physiological traits related to yield and quality of vetch forage to protect the soil and select the best tillage system.

This experiment was carried out in Saral Rainfed Agricultural Research Station located 55 km north of Sanandaj county, Kurdistan province, in the west of Iran. The effects of reduce tillage (RT), no-tillage (NT) and conventional tillage (CT) systems were evaluated on rainfed vetch in rotation with wheat during two years (2018-02019). Sowing date was 18 and 9th of October in the two experimental years respectively. All sampling of rhizobium nodules, relative leaf water content, leaf area index, chlorophyll and carotenoids, chlorophyll fluorescence, canopy temperature, enzymes, proline, hydrogen peroxide, malondialdehyde, leaf soluble proteins and carbohydrates, leaf elements took place in early seed filling stage. The combined (2-year data) analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed using SAS software by the general linear model (GLM). The means value were compared using Duncan’s range test at P ≤ 0.05.

In this study, the yield of dry forage in reduced and no-tillage systems increased by 14 and 24%, respectively, compared to CT. A significant relationship (R = 0.75*) was obtained between the relative leaf water content and dry forage yield. According to the results, vetch in the no-tillage system had the highest percentage of colonization (30.16%), the number of fungal spores (179.8), and rhizobium nodes (12.16) on the roots. The high symbiosis of mycorrhizal fungi in RT and NT compared to CT was probably due to higher water uptake and higher RWC. In the present study, vetches under the NT system probably had higher chlorophyll a and b concentration due to more moisture and higher nitrogen and phosphorus in leaves. The results showed that the tillage treatments had significant effects on the activity of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which was directly related to the amount of plant moisture and antioxidant enzymes. The lowest activity of enzymes was in vetches under a no-tillage system. 

In this experiment, reduced and no-tillage systems increased yield compared to conventional tillage. Significant increases in relative leaf water content and canopy temperature difference were observed in different types of tillage. Chlorophyll content and carotenoids in plants grown in the conventional tillage were lower than in reduce and no-tillage systems. The percentage of colonization, sporulation of mycorrhizal fungi, and the number of rhizobium nodes were higher in no-tillage system. The levels of antioxidant enzymes, hydrogen peroxide, malondialdehyde, and proline increased in CT compared to RT and NT. Types of tillage in rainfed conditions due to biological and structural changes in the soil cause positive morpho-physiological changes and forage quality in rainfed vetch seem to be effective in increasing yield and improving growth conditions.

Intercropping reduces the application of chemical pesticides to control pests and weeds, reducing the environmental risks associated with chemical pesticide application (Himmelstein et al., 2017). Biochar is a soil amendment because of its potential to retain water and nutrients, prevent nitrogen leaching, increase soil fertility, and improve plant growth (Fang et al., 2018; Munoz et al., 2016). Other benefits of vermicompost are increased stability of soil resources, maintenance of production, reduction of environmental pollution, and increased soil biological activity too (Demir, 2019). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the quality of forage turnip (Brassica rapa var. rapa) leaves in different intercropping ratios of forage turnip and basil (Ocimum basilicum) using biochar as soil amendment and vermicompost.

A biennial study was conducted on the quality performance of forage turnip (Brassica rapa var. Rapa) in the form of split-plot factorial in a randomized complete block design with three replications in the research farm of Islamic Azad University of Karaj in two years (2018-2019). The treatments of this study include: intercropping in four ratio (100% forage turnip (monoculture), 90% forage turnip + 10% basil, 80% forage turnip + 20% basil, 70% forage turnip + 30% basil), in main plots, and vermicompost in two levels (15, 18.5 ton.ha-1) and biochar in two levels (No consumption and 5 ton.ha-1) which was placed in subplots. The forage turnip cultivar was PacFB05. In this study, Photosynthetic pigments were measured by the Arnon  (1967) method, membrane permeability (Ferrat and Loval, 1999), relative moisture content (Bertin et al., 1996), soluble leaf sugars (Sheligl, 1986), catalase (Dazy et al., 2008) and soil respiration (Isermeyer, 1952). Using SAS software (Ver.9) for data analysis of a two-year experiment and analysis of means was done with Duncan’s test in significance at 5% probability level. Excel software was used to plot the graphs.

The results of this study indicated that by increasing the ratio of basil in intercropping, the quality traits of forage turnip leaves increased. Consumption of biochar and application of vermicompost at the level of 18.5 ton.ha-1 increased the quality of forage turnip leaves. The highest chlorophyll a ((17.52 mg.g-1Fw), chlorophyll b (8.76 mg.g-1Fw) total chlorophyll (26.38 mg.g-1Fw), carotenoids (6.91 mg.g-1Fw), relative water content (59.54%), of soluble sugars (69.43%), catalase (0.018 micromole Fresh weight/min) were due to the interaction of (70% forage turnip + 30% basil) × vermicompost 18.5 ton ha-1 × application of biochar. The highest value of membrane stability index was related to 100% forage turnip × vermicompost 15 ton ha-1 (4.85 (mol.ml-1.s-1)). The highest amount of soil respiration is associated with the interaction of vermicompost 18.5 ton.ha-1 × 70% forage turnip + 30% basil with value of 0.28 (micromole.gsoil-1.hour-1)), interaction of biochar ×70% forage turnip + 30% basil (0.32 (micromole.gsoil-1.hour-1)), and interaction of vermicompost of 18.5 ton.ha-1 × biochar 0.31 (micromole. g soil-1.hour-1). Due to the potential of biochar (water and food retention and prevent of nitrogen leaching) it can increase the availability of water and nutrients for the plant, which leads to increased photosynthesis of the plant and thus the quality of forage turnip leaves (Akhtar et al., 2015; Hammer et al., 2015). Vermicompost increases soil organic matter and the uptake of zinc, copper, iron, phosphorus, potassium, and nitrogen in soil. The presence of these elements in the soil and their absorption by the roots increases vegetative growth and leaf production in the plant, which causes the level of light absorption, photosynthetic level, the formation of hydrocarbons in the leaves, and the resulting growth also increases leaf quality (Theunissen et al., 2010).

The results of this study indicated that the application of vermicompost ​​18.5 ton ha-1 and biochar increased forage turnip quality, which is due to the availability of water and nutrients for forage turnip. The best intercropping ratio was related to 70% forage turnip + 30% basil, which can be said to be due to the increase in the percentage of basil and the competition of plants for better use of intercropping components of growth sources such as light, water, and food.