جستجوی مقالات مرتبط با کلیدواژه « کشاورزی پایدار » در نشریات گروه « اکولوژی »

a field experiment performed to evaluate the effects of peppermint and sage intercropping with application of different fertilizer resources on the dry matter yield, essential oil content, and ecological indices under drought stress.A field experiment was carried out as a split split plot based on a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with 36 treatments and three replications . The main factor was three irrigation regimes included 25 (MAD25), 50 (MAD50), and 75% (MAD75) maximum allowable depletion (MAD) percentage of the soil available water (SAW) as normal irrigation, mild and severe water stress, respectively. The sub-factor was different planting patterns included peppermint monoculture, sage monoculture, and intercropping of peppermint + sage and also sub-sub factor were application of different fertilizer sources including no‐fertilizer as control, TiO2 nanoparticles (100 mg L−1), arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi (AMF) inoculation, and integrative application of AMF and TiO2 (AMF + TiO2).The maximum essential oil content of peppermint (1.51%) and sage (1.33%) was observed in intercropping plants with integrative application of AMF + TiO2. The essential oil content of peppermint and sage increased by 13.1 and 41.2% under mild stress in compared with normal irrigation, respectively. Also, the highest LER, K, AYL,, and monetary indices were achived in mild water stress with integrative application of AMF + TiO2. it can be concluded that the application of AMF + TiO2 in intercropping of peppermint/sage could be suggested as a sustainable strategy to increasing the quantity and quality of essential oil of both plants under drought stress conditions.

This research was conducted in order to investigate competitive ability of four rice cultivars in competition with in interference with barnyard grass.A field experiment was conducted as a factorial arrangement based on RCBD with three replications in Babolsar. Factors included rice cultivar (Tarom Hashemi, Shiroudi, Deylamani and Hasani) and and barnyard grass density (0, 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 plants m-2).The highest and lowest amount of barnyard grass biomass was observed in Tarem Hashemi at a density of 50 plants m-2 and Shiroudi at a density of 10 plants m-2 (301.3 and 68.3 g m-2, respectively). The highest and lowest biological and seed yield of rice were observed in Shiroudi at weed-free conditions and Hasni in interference with the density of 50 plants m-2, respectively. The amount of decrease in grain yield in the conditions of interference with the investigated densities of barnyard grass compared to weed-free condition are 2.6-30, 3.2-18.8, 2.8-31.5 and 5.6-30.8%. , it was in Tarem Hashemi, Shiroudi, Deylamani and Hasni cultivars, respectively.The rice yield data cultivars fitting in competition with barnyard grass densities indicated that Shiroudi cultivar had higher competitive ability than other cultivars. So this cultivar can be recommended for cultivation in paddy fields with a history of high sorghum weed infestation. The use of its higher competitive power against the weed of barnyard grass reduced the use of herbicides and minimized the harm caused by their use, and took a step towards achieving sustainable agriculture.

This study was performed to evaluate the effect of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria , trichoderma fungi and humic acid on the yield and physiological characteristics of wheat (Var. Ofogh) as a factorial experiment based on randomized complete block design with three factors and three replications at the research field of the Kashan during 2017-2018 growing season. The first factor was plant growth promoting rhizobacteria such as Azotobacter chroococcum + Azospirillum lipoferum + Pseudomonas putida (application and non-application), the second factor was two concentrations of trichoderma fungi (application and non-application) and three factor was humic acid soil application (0 and 200 kg. ha-1). The Results showed that plant growth-promoting bacteria, trichoderma fungus and humic acid led to an increase in plant height, chlorophyll a and b, grain yield and yield components of wheat. Growth-promoting bacteria, trichoderma and humic acid led to an increase of 43.8, 21.7 and 6% in grain yield compared to the control, respectively. The combined use of growth-promoting bacteria, trichoderma fungus and humic acid led to an increase in grain yield, yield components and harvest index compared to single application and control.The highest grain yield was obtained with the combined application of growth-promoting bacteria and trichoderma fungus amounting to 7466.7 kg per hectare and the highest harvest index was obtained with the combined application of biological fertilizers at the rate of 32.3%. In general, it is possible to obtain a significant grain yield increase in wheat with the combined application of plant growth-promoting bacteria, trichoderma and humic acid.

The statistical population of this study includes all operators of irrigation and drainage network of Golfaraj plain of Jolfa city with 1417 operators who were calculated through Cochran's formula and 302 operators were selected through stratified sampling and proportional assignment.The data collection tool at this stage was a questionnaire.In order to calculate its reliability, 30 questionnaires were completed and Cronbach's alpha value was 0.84, which indicates the acceptable reliability of the questionnaire.The results showed that there was a positive and significant relationship between farmers' environmental behavior and agricultural history, number of household members, amount of irrigated land, agricultural income, attitude, convergence, perceived behavioral control and intention at the level of one percent. The results of multiple regression also showed that the factors of attitude, intention, convergence and perceived behavioral control explain about 65% of the changes in the dependent variable.The results show that the factors affecting the environmental behavior of farmers are intention, environmental attitude, perceived behavioral control and convergence.Therefore, providing effective conditions and facilities for behavior, such as preparing and compiling environmental education packages to empower farmers, making TV programs to get acquainted with environmental problems, and developing supportive policies related to environmental protection. Delegating authority to local communities by creating and strengthening local organizations and institutions active in the field of agriculture and the environment improves farmers' participation in environmental issues and can provide a more appropriate platform for environmental behavior of farmers. Provide.

Wheat and maize are important and strategic crops in Iran. These crops are widely grown in the Dez catchment area. Therefore, due to climate change, recent droughts, water bankruptcy in the country, low water consumption efficiency in agriculture, and the excessive consumption of input which pose a serious threat to agriculture and food security, it is necessary to achieve a correct understanding of the sustainable production of crops in the region. Improper use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, fossil fuels, machinery causes irreversible damage to the environment. To reduce these adverse environmental effects of methods the idea of sustainable agriculture and the transformation of agriculture from high-input to low-input consumption is very important. The footprint index determines the amount of pressure on nature caused by man or other man-made systems. The carbon uptake criterion is used as a basis for assessing the ecological footprint. Ecological footprint estimates the amount of productive land needed to compensate for the environmental impacts of a particular activity by calculating resource consumption and carbon dioxide production. According to studies, each hectare of land can absorb 1.8 tons of carbon. The carbon uptake criterion is used as a basis for assessing the ecological footprint.

The method of the present study has a practical approach because it is in line with achieving sustainable agricultural development. This research was carried out in the cropping year of 2019-2020 at the Dez catchment. To determine the environmental sustainability of agriculture we used the modified ecological footprint method presented by Kissinger and Gottlieb (2012) and Guzman et al (2013). In this study, the ecological footprint was determined based on a place-oriented approach by obtaining energy consumption of the inputs, and the amount of crop and land energy. All the variables were collected in the form of a questionnaire and through interviews with 400 farmers of wheat and maize in the study area. Equivalent factors were also selected from similar studies. Independent samples t-test was performed between the two crops to determine whether there are differences in evaluation of EF.

The results of evaluating the ecological footprint method of wheat and maize cultivation in the study area at the level of one hectare were 3.50 and 4.66 global hectares, respectively. The results of the ecological footprint assessment for wheat and maize showed that both cropping systems are in an unsustainable state in terms of the environment. These systems produce 1.7 tons and 2.86 tons of excess carbon to produce wheat and maize, respectively which are more than the ecological capacity of one hectare to absorb environmental pollution. For both wheat and maize crops, nitrate fertilizer with 40.85% and 49.36%, diesel fuel with 18.57% and 17.60%, and water consumption with 14.57% and 16.31%, respectively, had the greatest impact on environmental instability in the study area. Mean comparison of the ecological footprint between the two crops showed that there was no significant difference between wheat and maize. The high ecological footprint of traditional agriculture was consistent with previous studies (Naderi Mahdei et al, 2015; Kissinger and Gottlieb, 2012; Bevec et al, 2011). Also, the important role of nitrate fertilizer and fossil fuels in increasing environmental hazards and ecological unsustainability was consistent with Fallahpour et al, (2012). It should be noted that No study was found to contradict the findings of the current study.

Both wheat and maize cropping systems were not environmentally sustainable and the total consumption inputs for both crops; chemical fertilizers, especially nitrate fertilizer and then diesel fuel have had the greatest impact on environmental instability in the study area. As a final result, the ecosystem of irrigated wheat production is more desirable than grain maize in terms of environmental sustainability, therefore, the production of both crops, especially maize, must be done with the highest accuracy and consider environmental considerations in the region.

The field experiment was to investigate the effects of crop residue management and chemical control of weeds on the depletion of nutrients by weeds and uptake of nutrients by wheat as influence of incorporation, burning and removal of residues and chemical control of weeds. This study was performed as split plots design with three replications. Treatments include management of crop residues viz: incorporated, burning and removing sesame residues; Weed control treatment viz 2,4-D+MCPA @ 1.5 lit ha-1(POE), Atlantis @ 1.5 lit ha-1(POE) and metribuzin @ 200 g ha-1(POE). The wheat cultivar was Mehregan. At the 30 DAS, the dry weight of weeds in terms of burning and removal of residue was 12.4 and 12.1 g m-2, respectively, which is much higher than the average dry weight of weeds in terms of incorporated residue. The highest amount of nitrogen depleted by weeds was related to unweeded and Atlantis under burning. The highest amount of nitrogen uptake in the grain with an average of 87.46 kg ha-1 was related to metribuzin in terms of incorporated residues, which had a statistically significant over other levels of treatments. In general, the results showed that in terms of dry weight of weeds and the amount of nutrients depleted by different components of wheat and weeds, there is a statistically significant difference between the types of residues, that return residues in dry matter weight loss and increase the competitiveness of the wheat plant with weeds is due to the provision of better growth conditions for wheat.

In the conventional agricultural systems, the excessive use of chemical inputs, such as chemical fertilizers, increased the agricultural productivity. Detrimental implications from intensive agricultural practices and long-term use of chemical fertilizers have been well evidenced on the environment and human health. Intercropping system and application of organic fertilizers and biofertilizers including vermicompost and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are recommended in the development of sustainable agricultural systems. The objectives were evaluating the effect of different fertilizer sources on the quantity and quality characteristics of Salvia officinalis L.

The experiment consisted of two successive phases at the Miandoab, Iran in 2019-2020. The first was cultivation of spring green manure until the soft dough stage of barley and flowering stage of hairy vetch then returned to the soil, and the second phase was cultivation of medicinal plant of sage. Two species, barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and hairy vetch (Vicia villosa), were used as green manure. In second phase, a field experiment study was carried out as split plot in time based on a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with 16 treatments and three replications. The main plot factor was eight different fertilizer sources including control (C), barley monoculture (B), hairy vetch monoculture (V), 75% V + 25% B, 50% V + 50% B and 25% V + 75% B, AMF: arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (Rhizophagus intraradices) and vermicompost. Also the sub plot factor was harvesting time (first and second harvest). In AM fungi treatments, 80 g of the soil containing mycorrhizal fungi hyphae and the remains of the root and spores was added to soil in planting times. Also, vermicompost (2 t ha-1) was applied to the soil before planting. Analysis of variance of the data and mean comparison based on least significant difference (LSD) test and interaction effect slicing of different fertilizer sources × harvesting time were carried out by using of SAS 9.3 statistical software.

The plant height, number of lateral branches, number of leaves, chlorophyll index, leaf dry weight, stem dry weight, essential oil percentage and yield was significantly affected by interaction of diffirent fertilizer sources×harvesting time. The highest of dry matter yield was achieved under AMF followed by 50% V+ 50% B. Also the highest of chlorophyll index and essential oil percentage of sage was obtained in 50% V + 50% B and first harvest. Also, the first harvesting time increased by 33.9, 10.7 and 40.7% this trait in comparison with second harvest. In addition, the maximum of essential oil yield was observed in AMF followed by 50% V+ 50% B in first harvest. Chemical analysis of the essential oil of sage demonstrated that in all treatements, cis-Thujone, 1, 8-cineole and camphor were the main dominant components. The maximum of cis-Thujone, 1, 8-cineole content was achieved in 50% V+ 50% B and second harvest. Also, the highest of camphor observed in 25% V+ 75% B treatment and first harvest. The roots of green manure plants can uptake nutrients from the lower layers of soil and transfer them to the aerial parts of plant. By incorporating green manure, the sage growth characteristics improved as a result of increasing soil microbiological processes and releasing of nutrients. Also, mycorrhizal fungus inoculation enhanced plant performance by increasing root surface area, turgor pressure adjustment, gradual availability to nutrients and water. Since essential oils are terpenoid components so that for the biosynthesis of precursor compounds (isoprenoids) such as isopentenyl pyrophosphate and dimethylallyl pyrophosphate necessary Acetyl-CoA, NADPH and ATP and mineral nutrients like N and P. Treating plots with 50% V + 50% B and AMF increase the essential oil percentage and compounds through releasing of nitrogen and phosphorus into the soil. Also, the higher morphological traits, essential oil percentage and yield in the first harvest than the second harvest can be attributed to longer growing period and optimal growth conditions (day length, sunlight, ambient temperature).Treating plots with green manure and AMF improve the morphological traits, quantity and quality of sage essential oil through adjustment the soil chemical properties. According to the quantity and quality indicators, application of 50% V+ 50% B as green manure and AMF can be suggested as an efficient and eco-friendly agricultural strategy in sage cultivation.

Today, agricultural systems are considered as the center and main axis of all activities related to the development of sustainable agriculture in Iran. Obviously, the more efforts to expand the sustainability of the exploitation systems of the regions, the better the situation will be in terms of reducing energy loss, production costs, increasing performance and conserving resources, and preventing waste. From an ecological point of view, the per capita consumption of energy and materials used in agriculture has increased faster than population growth, so that the continuation of this process endangers the health, sustainability and well-being of society and causes the destruction of ecological resources. For this reason, any exploitation of nature should be done after evaluating the resources and within the capabilities and capacities of the environment. Recognizing the problems and bottlenecks of the specialized tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) cultivation system in Golestan province as well as formulating appropriate solutions to solve the environmental problems of tobacco cultivation is of great importance in the sustainable development of this product. Ecological footprint is a valid indicator for assessing the sustainability of agricultural products. This index makes it possible to calculate the amount of pressure that humans exert on environment to produce crops. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to study the environmental impacts of tobacco cultivation due to the importance of environment and sustainable agricultural.

In this study, the environmental sustainability of two types of greenhouse tobacco (Virginia) and dry shade (Barley) was evaluated. The statistical population of this research is tobacco growers, Flue-Cured tobacco and Air-Cured tobacco in Golestan province. The statistical sample size was estimated to be about 160 people using Cochran's formula. The data collection tool was a questionnaire that was randomly distributed and completed among 100 Flue-Cured tobacco farmers and 60 Air-Cured tobacco farmers in 2019. To assess the environmental effects, the ecological footprint index was used. For this purpose, the ecological footprint was calculated based on the type of field operations in two parts: direct and indirect footprint.

The results of the study indicated that the total energy consumption for the production of Air-Cured tobacco was 97327 MJ/ha. Electricity with 44.72% had the largest share in energy consumption followed by nitrogen with 16.69% and diesel with 16.61%. The total energy consumed to produce one hectare of Flue-Cured tobacco was 73,184 MJ, electricity has largest share followed by diesel. Indirect ecological footprints were calculated for, Flue-Cured tobacco and Air-Cured tobacco 1.16 and 1.54 gha, respectively. In Air-Cured tobacco Electricity with 38.19% nitrogen fertilizer with 18.67% and diesel with 18.58% have the greatest impact on ecological footprint.  The results show the total ecological footprint (direct and indirect) Air-Cured tobacco (4.05) and Flue-Cured tobacco (3.67) equivalent to the global hectare (gha). The results of ecological footprint studies in both types of tobacco indicate that the highest environmental impact resulting from crop production is related to electricity input. In the Flue-Cured production process, the electricity consumption is related to the water pump (electric wells) and the greenhouse (fan for ventilation), but in the Air-Cured tobacco, it is only related to the water pump consumption.

Sustainability indicators are a tool that can be used to raise the awareness of tobacco growers about the environmental effects of their actions. According to the results of this study, the use of electricity, water, fertilizer and diesel inputs has the greatest impact on ecological instability, so proper management of the use of these inputs is a necessity, such as the use of appropriate technologies, fertilizer use according to plant needs. Reducing the intensity of tillage by using appropriate machinery and paying attention to climatic conditions as well as increasing the awareness of tobacco growers with the help of educational-promotional activities can be effective in reducing the consumption of inputs and optimal use.

The purpose of this study was to identifying the different types of vegetable growers' values in Kermanshah and determining those effect on the behavior of safety vegetable production.

A researcher-made questionnaire in three sections was the main tool of this study which its reliability and validity were confirmed using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient and Content Validity Ratio (CVR), respectively. The One-Way Anova analysis, Correlation statistic, and regression analysis were used to achieve to the research's aims. Data were analyzed using Statistical Program for Social Sciences (SPSS) and Excel 2013 software.

The results showed that vegetable growers can be classified into three groups in terms of safety vegetable production behavior: ecological, moderate and conventional. There was a statistically significant difference between their values types at the level of 0.01% error. There was a significant relationship between their different types of values and their safety vegetable production behavior, expected of economic values. Regression output identified that tree types of values including of theoretical, social, and religious in total predicted 26.1% of variances of vegetable growers’ behavior to product safety vegetable.

Apart from the governmental organization reflections to deal with unsafety vegetable production in agricultural sector, vegetable growers’ values play a fundamental role in safety vegetables production. Therefore, considering them in planning processes in relation to agriculture sector can significantly contribute to the safety products and consequently the community health.

The need for assessing the relationship between productivity and sustainability is being become more and more visible due to the key role of productivity improvement in development process. Conservation of production resources and paying attention to sustainable agriculture operations are the next important issues.

To achieve the objective of this research, Kendrick Productivity Index and Senanayake approach were used for measuring the productivity and evaluating the sustainability of wheat cultivation operations, respectively. Finally, factors affecting on the agricultural sustainability were identified using a regression model. Furthermore, the required data and information were collected with filling the 271 questionnaire forms farmers Saqqez County during 2020-2021. .

The results revealed that the mean productivity of wheat production factors for the study area is 14.88. Also, application of Senanayake approach showed that the farmers were classified as: I) very unstable (1.84%); ii) unstable (15.13%), iii) moderately stable (65.31), iv) stable (16.24%), and v) very stable (1.48%). Further assessments using estimation by a regression model demonstrated that some variables e.g., level of education, cooperative memberships, the method of production, type of supplied seeds and total productivity have significant effect on sustainability of agricultural operations.

There is a positive relationship between total productivity factors and the index of agricultural operations sustainability. Thus, a set of action plans which will increase the productivity (including efficiency improvement and changes in scale as well as technology) due to economic efficiency, amplifies the motivation of wheat farmers to follow the principles of sustainable agriculture.

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

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

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

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

Water deficit or drought stress is one of the critical abiotic stresses and limiting factors in the productivity of plants, especially in arid and semi-arid regions. In these conditions, the nutrient use efficiency by plant decrease due to the lower mobility of these elements. The application of bio-fertilizers is one of the most important and sustainable strategies for soil fertility management and plant nutrition; in addition to reducing chemical pollution, improves plant growth conditions. The application of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), as bio-fertilizer improves plant nutrients and water uptake and enhances plant resistance to stress conditions leading to improving plant growth and productivity. The objectives were evaluating the effect of different fertilizer sources (chemical fertilizer and AMF as biofertilizer) and harvesting time on the quantity and quality characteristics of peppermint under drought-stress conditions.

To evaluate the effects of different fertilizer sources and harvesting times on the quantity and quality of essential oil in peppermint (Mentha piperita L.) under drought stress conditions, a field experiment was carried out at the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Maragheh, Iran, in 2019. The study followed a split-split plot design based on a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with 36 treatments and three replications. The first factor included three irrigation levels: irrigation after depletion of 30% available water as control, depletion of 50% of available water as mild stress, and depletion of 70% of available water as severe stress. The sub-factor included different fertilizer sources, including control (C), 100% nitrogen fertilizer (NF), arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (Rhizophagus intraradices) (AMF), 75% NF + AMF, 50% NF + AMF, and 25% NF + AMF. The third factor was harvesting time (first and second harvest). The distance between rows was set to be 4 m, with a plant density of 10 plants per m2. In AM fungi treatments, 80 g of the soil containing mycorrhizal fungi hyphae and the remains of the root and spores (1000 g spore.10-1 g soil) was added to the soil during planting. The aerial parts of peppermint were harvested at 50% flowering stage on the first and second harvests. The data were analyzed using analysis of variance and mean comparison based on the least significant difference (LSD) test with SAS 9.3 statistical software.                                                                                                                          

The results showed that plant height, number of nodes per plant, number of leaves per plant, number of lateral branches per plant, SPAD index, dry matter yield, essential oil content, and yield were significantly affected by the interaction of fertilizer sources x irrigation levels, harvesting time, and harvesting time x irrigation levels. The highest and lowest values of morphological characteristics, leaf greenness, dry matter yield, and essential oil yield of peppermint were achieved under non-stress conditions with the application of 75% nitrogen fertilizer + AMF and severe water stress without fertilization, respectively. The maximum (2.4%) and minimum (1.2%) of essential oil content were observed under mild water stress fertilized with 75% nitrogen fertilizer + AMF and severe water stress without fertilization, respectively. The main essential oil compounds were menthol, menthone, 1,8 cineol, and menthofuran. The highest menthol and menthone content were recorded under mild water stress fertilized with 75% nitrogen fertilizer + AMF and non-stress conditions fertilized with 25% nitrogen fertilizer + AMF. The first harvest showed higher values of morphological characteristics, dry matter yield, essential oil content, and yield compared to the second harvest due to the longer growth period and better growth conditions in the first harvest.

The results demonstrated that the plant height, the number of nods per plant, number of leaves per plant, the number of lateral branches per plant, SPAD index, dry matter yield and essential oil yield decreased significantly with increasing stress levels. In contrast, the application of AMF reduced the adverse effects of water stress, so that in severe water stress conditions (irrigation after depletion of 70% available water), individual and integrative application of AMF with nitrogen fertilizer increased the mentioned traits when compared with control. In addition, the mentioned traits in the first harvest increased by 127.8, 194.6, 159.8, 147.7, 17.7, and 37.9% in comparison with the second harvest. Also, the essential oil content of peppermint is enhanced with increasing water stress to mild stress. So, the essential oil content in mild stress increased by 11.4 and 39.7%, respectively, when compared with non-stress and severe stress. The highest essential oil yield was achieved at the first harvest with the integrative application of 75% NF+ AMF. Also, the major essential oil compounds of peppermint (menthol) was recorded in mild stress integrated with 75% nitrogen fertilizer+ AMF. Generally, considering that the economic purpose of cultivating medicinal plants is extracting the maximum content of secondary metabolites, and since the productivity of peppermint essential oil increased significantly by the integrative application of 75% nitrogen fertilizer+ mycorrhiza in mild stress, it can be suggested as a superior treatment.

Due to the benefits of integrated pest management and its environmental approach, this method is now strongly emphasized as one of the components of sustainable agricultural development. The main purpose of this study is to determine the factors affecting the adoption of integrated pest management practices in apple orchards in Urmia.

In this study, the Poisson regression model and generalized form were used and the required data was collected through a questionnaire from apple farms in Urmia county. For this purpose, using proportional stratified random sampling method, information of 350 apple orchardists was gathered.

Estimates of the generalized Poisson model showed that environmental perspectives index, levels of education, income, membership of local cooperatives, apple cultivation area, participation in advanced courses in apple production, knowledge of IPM and the years of IPM adoption has a positive and significant impact on the extension of IPM practices. In contrast, the index of difficulty in the adoption of integrated pest management practices has a negative and significant effect.

The results confirm that gardeners pay special attention to agricultural sustainability and environmental protection when conducting IPM projects. Therefore, the Ministry of Jihad-Agriculture can support the development of the sustainability of the local agriculture by raising awareness of integrated pest management practices among farmers and providing targeted training as well as increasing the adoption of this method.

The Study's objective is to determine the optimal irrigation water allocation for wheat, barley, weed, and sorghum crops in the Sistan region.

The current research, using nonlinear multi-objective programming (MOP), aimed to maximize net profit while minimizing irrigation water use, risk taking, fertilizer and pesticide consumption in the Sistan region through an optimal cropping pattern. The data for the study were gathered by reviewing agricultural statistical yearbooks,

The findings of this study indicate that the Sistan region's current cropping pattern is not optimal. Continued use of this pattern will result in problems such as water scarcity and environmental pollution as a result of excessive chemical input consumption. The area under cultivation of some crops decreased, while others increased, with the goal of maximizing gross profit while minimizing irrigation water, fertilizer, and chemical pesticide consumption, as well as risk, which is motivated by product revenue and input usage. It is proposed, based on the findings of this study, to increase the proportion of water in products that earn more money per cubic meter of water consumed.

According to the findings of this study, it is necessary to prioritize environmental goals, which include reducing the use of chemical inputs in crop pattern optimization. Along with selecting an appropriate model and making the best use of available water and land resources, using the model can be an effective step toward increasing profits and mitigating environmental impacts.

Cereal production systems in Iran are often associated with high costs and low productivity, improper use of inputs causes irreversible damage to the environment. Efficient farm management is one of the most important issues in achieving sustainable performance. This study aimed to determine and compare the ecological sustainability of two production ecosystems of irrigated wheat and grain maize using emergy analysis.

This research was carried out in the cropping year of 2019-2020 in Dez catchment. Interviews were conducted with 400 farmers of wheat and maize based on a questionnaire to collect data on production processes in farms. In this study, the emergy analysis method was selected to measure the sustainability of the desired agricultural products. Finally, the sustainability of the systems was evaluated using the value of emergy indicators.

The total emergy inputs for the irrigated wheat and maize production ecosystems were 1.60347E+16 and 2.54883E+16 sej ha-1 per year, respectively. The results indicated the production of both crops is in an environmentally unsustainable condition, and of all consumption inputs; chemical fertilizers, especially nitrate and phosphate, and then diesel have the most impact on environmental unsustainability in the study area.

As a final result, the ecosystem of irrigated wheat production is more desirable than grain maize in terms of yield, renewability, and environmental sustainability, and wheat production in the region is the superior system for achieving sustainability compared to maize production.

A field experiment was carried out based on a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with 8 treatments and three replications in two successive stages in the Miandoab city, Iran during 2019 and 2020. The results showed all studied traits except harvest index were significantly affected by different fertilizer sources. The highest number of grain per pod, 1000 grain weight, seed, and biological yield of rapeseed were obtained with the application of chemical fertilizer without significant difference with a green manure of 50% P+ 50% B. In addition, the maximum oil content and yield were obtained in green manure of 50% P+ 50% B followed by 75% P+ 25% B. Chemical analysis of the rapeseed oil demonstrated that in all treatments, oleic acid, linoleic acid, and palmitic acid were the main dominant components. So that, the highest (92.43%) and lowest (83.37%) of oleic acid were achieved in 50% P+ 50% B and control treatments, respectively. Also, the highest of (6.07%) linoleic acid was observed in vermicompost treatment. While the highest percentage of palmitic acid (92.43%) has belonged to green manure treatment of 25% P+ 75% B. Generally, the maximum (92.61%) and minimum (88%) of unsaturated fatty acids were achieved in 50% P+ 50% B and 25% P+ 75% B green manure treatments, respectively. Considering that the greatest amount of soil nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium were obtained by application of 50% P+ 50% B green manure.

The aim of the present study is the application of the genetic algorithm model for optimizing the cropping pattern in form of a multi-objective model in the normal and dry climates of Goharbaran area in Sari. In this regard, at first, the optimal products composition, maximum economic water productivity, minimum water consumption, minimum consumption of chemical fertilizers from different rice cultivars have been determined. At second, results were compared with the current conditions in the region.In this study, the method of genetic algorithm with respect to the conditions of different aquatic years has been used to achieve this goal. A multi-objective planning model has been used to achieve integrated economic and environmental management. The data of the present study were collected through the Jihad Agricultural Organization and Mazandaran Regional Water Company in the 2019-2020 crop year. Matlab software has also been used to estimate the resultsThe results show that the suggested pattern of the genetic algorithm in these climate conditions superior to the current model of the region and shows more appropriate achievement of study objectives. The optimal pattern in normal climate conditions will be improved in economic goal, ecological goal, and environmental goal by 16%, 3.5%, and17.5%, respectively. Also, in dry climate, the economic goal increases by 17%, the ecological goal decreases by 22% and the environmental goal decreases by 20% compared with the current cultivation pattern of the region.

Agriculture plays a central role in countries' food and economic security, and population growth has increased dependence on it. The Nazluchai basin is one of the important areas for agriculture in Iran, and improper land use has destroyed water and soil resources in the area. One way to improve this situation is land suitability assessment. Land suitability analysis is a multi-criteria decision-making process based on a spatial information system. On the other hand, various systems analyze descriptive and spatial data. However, the Geographic Information System is one of the best methods to acquire, edit, process, and manage data quickly, accurately and simultaneously in large volumes. However, this system also has limitations in decision making. Therefore, the integration of geographical information system with Multi-Criteria Evaluation methods, including Analytical Hierarchy Process, has been proposed as a land suitability assessment method. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate the ecological suitability for irrigated farming in a part of Nazluchai with an area of ​​23314 hectares using multi-criteria evaluation within the analytical hierarchy process and geographical information system.

At first, the parameters affecting the ecological land suitability for irrigated farming were identified, and the necessary data were collected and mapped using Geographic Information System. The criteria and sub-criteria were weighed based on expert opinions within Analytical Hierarchy Process. The homogeneous units were prepared by combining the sub-criteria standardized maps. The main limiting criteria in this study, including a slope less than 8% and a water quantity less than 3,000 liter/ha/year, were involved in the Boolean logic analysis. The ecological land suitability map for irrigated farming was generated using the Linear Weight Combination method and was classified into unsuitable, marginally, moderately, and highly suitable classes.

In the current land use map, 46.4% of the area was used for irrigated cultivations, 32.2% for range-dry farming on slopes above 30%, 12.6% for dry farming on slopes of 12-30%, and 0.8% was allocated to dry farming in areas with a slope less than 12%. Rocky and bare lands also cover 8% of the area. The matrix of the main criteria includes the landform, climate, soil, and water resources. Water resources have the highest weight for irrigated farming, and climate and soil are in the next rank. According to experts, the most important sub-criteria for assessing land suitability for irrigated farming are water quantity, temperature, texture, and soil fertility. Therefore, water resources are one of the most important and limiting resources to agriculture development in the basin, affecting other ecological resources. The ecological suitability map showed that 28.2% of the study area is the best area for irrigated farming, i.e., highly suitable class, 16.4% is moderately suitable class and 8% is marginally suitable class. 47% of the study area was classified as unsuitable for irrigated farming. In ecological suitability and current land-use maps, there is about 11% mismatch, and in 89% of the area, current land use is compatible with the ecological suitability of the study area. The results also show that integrating remote sensing, spatial information systems, analytical hierarchy processes, and weighted linear combinations is useful and effective for assessing land suitability and land-use planning.

This study is an important and useful regional guide for agricultural land planning. In order to prevent degradation, land suitability assessment, and optimal management, based on the principles of land-use planning using such new techniques and technologies, can be a fundamental solution for the relevant organizations. It is important to resolve environmental problems and create the conditions for sustainable development.

Conventional tillage can reduce infiltration and hydraulic conductivity by disrupting macrospore networks and increasing bulk density, porosity, water use efficiency, and soil organic matter. Conservation tillage is one of the practices of crop residue management on the soil surface. Reduced tillage is one of the conservation systems that amount remain crop residues on the soil surface. Reduced tillage has some benefits, including higher soil organic matter, soil moisture maintenance by reducing evaporation, better penetration of water, and controlling water and soil erosion. Excessive use of chemical fertilizers caused serious environmental issues globally, such as reduction of plant diversity, instability of economic yield, increased pest, and disease damages, and intensification of soil erosion. These increasing concerns regarding the negative impacts of these systems on the environment and human health suggest that more effort is needed to develop sustainable agricultural systems. The application of vermicompost and biofertilizers is regarded as one of the promising approaches to increasing crop productivity. Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is mainly cultivated as a rainfed crop, and water stress often affects both productivity and yield stability. The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the impact of different tillage systems and the application of vermicompost and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on the growth, yield, and economic efficiency production of Cicer arietinum L.

A field experiment was carried out as a split plot based on a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with 12 treatments and three replications at Firuzabad, Kermanshah, Iran, in 2019. The main factor was different tillage systems, including conventional tillage (moldboard plowing+ disking, tillage depth 25–30 cm- CT), reduced tillage (chisel plowing- tillage depth 15 cm- RT), and no-tillage (NT), and the sub factor was four different fertilization treatments (C: control, AMF: arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (Funneliformis mosseae), VC: vermicompost (at 1.5 t/ha), AMF+ VC: arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi+ vermicompost). In AM fungi treatments, 80 g of the soil containing mycorrhizal fungi hyphae and the remains of the root and spores (1000 g spore.10-1 g soil) was added to the soil during planting times. Also, vermicompost (1.5 t ha-1) was applied to the soil before planting.

The Results demonstrated that the highest seed yield (116 g.m-2) and protein yield (24.2 g.m-2) was achieved in reduced tillage with the application of AMF+ VC. Also, reduced tillage increased the seed yield and protein yield by 19.6 and 17.1 %, respectively, when compared with CT. Different tillage systems and applications of vermicompost and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi significantly impacted the number of pods per plant, plant height, number of lateral branches per plant, number of main branches per plant, and biological yield. The highest mentioned traits were obtained in reduced tillage and with the integrative application of AMF+ VC. Moreover, the application of AMF+ VC increased the number of pods per plant, plant height, and biological yield by 37.2, 35.2 and 19.7%, respectively, in comparison to control. The highest pod total weight (155.8 g.m-2), harvest index (40.5%), and seed protein content (21.2%) were obtained through integrative application of AMF+ VC, and the lowest these traits were reached in control. Based on the economic values, the best treatments were RT+ C, CT+ C, AMF+ RT, and AMF+ CT, respectively, with the highest net income and Marginal rate of return.

Overall, the results of this experiment showed that there was a significant difference between tillage systems. The highest number of pods per plant,  plant height, number of lateral branches per plant, number of main branches per plant, biological yield, total pod weight, seed yield, and protein yield were achieved in reduced tillage that increased by 26.4, 16.8, 27.4, 28.6, 10.9 19.6 and 17.1 %, respectively when compared with conventional tillage.  Also, integrative application of AMF+ VC increased harvest index, 100 seed weight, biological yield, seed yield, and seed protein content by 16.7, 21.1, 19.7, 40.1, and 21.8%, respectively, when compared with control. The highest values of the seed yield and protein yield were obtained in reduced tillage with the integrative application of AMF+ VC. In contrast, based on the economic values, the maximum marginal rate of return was achieved in reduced tillage without fertilizer, conventional tillage without fertilizer, reduced tillage+ AMF, and conventional tillage+ AMF, respectively.

Agricultural sector development without sustainability attitude has led to many problems. Sustainability has three dimensions: economic, social and environmental. Over time, increasing agricultural production has led to the overuse of natural resources and therefore, destruction of the environment. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to measure agricultural sustainability using a composite index.

For this purpose, firstly 35 economic, social and environmental indicators were gathered for 30 Iranian provinces. Then agricultural sustainability was measured using the Morris, the Mc-Granahan, and the principal component analysis methods.

The results showed that Khorasan Razavi, Fars, Isfahan, and Khuzestan provinces have higher agricultural sustainability than other provinces. Also, in the economic dimension: Khorasan Razavi, East Azerbaijan, and Isfahan provinces; in the social dimension: Fars, Mazandaran, and West Azerbaijan provinces; and in the environmental dimension: Gilan, South Khorasan, and Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari provinces; are more sustainable. In addition, Qom, Bushehr, and Sistan and Baluchestan provinces have the lowest economic and social sustainability. As well, Qazvin and Bushehr provinces have the lowest level of environmental sustainability.

Findings showed that unsustainable provinces are weak in socio-economic indicators; especially in seeds, fertilizer applications, use of modern irrigation systems, and appropriate agricultural methods. Therefore, it is necessary to invest in the infrastructure of these indicators to upgrade agricultural sustainability.