جستجوی مقالات مرتبط با کلیدواژه « leaf area » در نشریات گروه « باغبانی »

Growth-promoting bacteria are among the beneficial soil microorganisms, and by improving the soil quality, they increase the growth and nutritional traits of the plant. Therefore, in order to investigate the effect of growth-promoting bacteria on the leaf surface, specific leaf surface and absorption of nutritional elements of hazelnut seedlings, a factorial experiment was carried out in the form of a randomized complete block design in the field conditions. The main factor was the origin of the seedling (at two levels: Fandoglou and Makesh) and bacterial inoculation (at five levels: P. putida, B. subtilis and E. cloaca, combination of them and Control) with three replications. Twelve seedlings were planted at a distance of 3 × 3 m in holes with dimensions of 50 × 50 × 50 cm on an area of 3240 m2 in the agricultural lands at the neighborhood of Fandoglou forest in Ardabil. The results after four years showed that the inoculated seedlings of both origins were superior in terms of all investigated traits compared to the control (un-inoculated) seedlings. The highest amount of traits was assigned to the seedlings of Fandoglou origin inoculated with the combination of all three bacteria (P. putida, B. subtilis and E. cloaca). The leaf area and specific leaf area were 53.1 and 37.7% more in the inoculated seedling compared to the control, respectively. The concentration of nitrogen, potassium, phosphorous, iron and zinc in the seedling leaf increased by 59.4, 89.5, 23.7, 45.4 and 60.6% compared to the control, respectively. Finally, it can be concluded that the planting of hazelnut seedlings inoculated with growth-stimulating bacteria (combination of the three mentioned bacteria) will have more vegetative growth.

 Today, in the commercial production of strawberries, short day cultivars  are used due to having large fruits of desirable quality. Among  the short  day cultivars available in Iranare Camarosa, Atabaki, Gaviota, Queen Aliza, Paros and McDonance, which can be cultivated at greenhouse. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles are one of the metal oxides that exist in three forms of rutile, brookite and anatase, which affect growth, enzymatic activity and photosynthesis. Reported titanium nano dioxide in the highest concentration used (11.5 mg/l) increases fruit formation  percentage, leaf chlorophyll content, vitamin C content, fruit  ripening index, fresh and dry weight of roots and shoots and yield of strawberries. In another study, it was shown that titanium dioxide treatment under drought stress can increase photosynthetic pigments, total soluble solids, vitamin C, phenol, flavonoid, anthocyanin, and antioxidant activity, and it also improved plant performance. increase the strawberry cultivar Ventana compared to the control treatment. In a research found that spraying titanium increases the biomass, fertility and quality of peach fruit. It has alsow been showed that the pomegranate size of flowers and fruits increased with using titanium nano dioxide, and this can increase the quantity and quality of Alberta peach cultivar. Foliar application of titanium nano dioxide in cucumber has been reported to increase photosynthesis  and  phenolic content  and reduce lipid peroxidation. In a research, it was shown that titanium dioxide nanoparticles increased photosynthesis rate, water conductivity and transpiration rate in tomato leaves. Despite the effect of titanium dioxide nanoparticles on the quantitative and qualitative improvement of some agricultural products, the researches conducted on strawberry plants were not complete or were only conducted on a specific variety. Therefore, with the aim of investigating and comparing the morphological and biochemical traits of some commercial strawberry cultivars under the effect of foliar spraying with titanium dioxide, the above research was conducted.
 
 This research was conducted to investigate the effect of nano titanium dioxide foliar spraying on four strawberry cultivars in the hydroponic greenhouse of the Department of Horticultural Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad in 2020-2021. Experimental treatments included 4 levels of titanium nano dioxide (0, 5, 10 and 20 mg/l) and 4 strawberry cultivars (Sabrina, Paros, Gaviota and Camarosa) with 4 replications. The research was done in a factorial manner based on a completely random design. JMP 8 software was used to perform variance analysis and compare the averages of the measured traits. Means were compared using Tukey test at 5% probability level and graphs were drawn using Excel 2010 software.
 According to the tables of mutual effects of titanium dioxide nano treatments and varieties, it can be found that the application of titanium dioxide nanoparticles had a positive effect on the desired characteristics in all four studied strawberry varieties. So that the application of different levels of titanium dioxide nano particles causes a significant increase in quantitative traits (number of leaves, leaf area, root length, fresh and dry weight of aerial and root parts, photosynthetic pigments) The yield-dependent traits compared to the control plants were found in strawberry-strawberry cultivars. Nano titanium dioxide had an effect in increasing the number of fruits and vegetative traits of all investigated cultivars, in such a way that, on the one hand, with a balanced increase in vegetative growth, and on the other hand, improving the efficiency of photosynthesis and absorption through the roots and increasing the percentage of fruit formation. , increased the yield per plant. Also, sprinkling of titanium nanoparticles on all levels caused a significant increase in juice pH, TSS, TA, vitamin C, anthocyanin, total phenol, flavonoid and in general qualitative traits compared to the control. In the treatment of nano titanium dioxide, especially at the level of 10 mg/liter, better results were observed.

According to the results, the use of Paros and Gaviota cultivars is recommended to farmers and agricultural researchers due to its high yield and good quality.

 Salinity stress impairs the absorption of elements such as potassium, leads to decrease in water and minerals, or due to an increase in Na+ effects the absorption of other elements. Salinity of water and soil is one of the obstacles to the expansion of agriculture in most part of the world. Salinity causes several physiological and morphological changes in plants and affects growth and photosynthesis. Salinity stress also affects the absorption of nutrients, and finally the plants sensitivity to stress increases. High concentrations of Nacl in rhizosphere reduce the water potential and cause physiological drought stress. In addition, salinity stress can cause ion toxicity and imbalance, which can damage the plant. Salinity stress has been shown to reduce plant biomass by decreasing photosynthetic capacity and chlorophyll content. As stress increases, stomatal conductance and CO2 assimilation decrease, which both negatively impact photosynthesis and lead to a decrease in plant growth. Dianthus is an annual or perennial plant that produces velvety flowers in various colors. Due to its resistance to cold and wide range of colors, it is commonly used in landscaping. However, limited research has been conducted on the response of Dianthus to environmental stress, making it important to investigate its behavior under such conditions.

 This research was conducted at greenhouse of municipality of Khomein, Iran. The statistical design was used in the factorial experiment based on CRD. Experimental factors included salinity stress (0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 mM) and cultivars (Barbarin and Diana). After preparing the seeds, it is first disinfected using sodium hypochlorite and then planted in plastic pots containing soil, sand and manure. At the end of the experiment, morphological traits, stomatal conductance, photosynthesis rate, Na+, K+ and Na+/K+ was also examined. Gas exchanges were measured using an exchange measuring device (LCA4, ADC Bioscientific,Ltd., Hoddesdon, England). At the time of measuring gas exchanges, the temperature under chamber was 26-29 C and relative humidity was 58-62%. (stomatal conductivity is based on mmol/m2/s and photosynthesis in µmol/m2/s). To measure the concentration of Na+ and K+, the leaf first turned to ash (at 550 C). Then 5 ml of hydrochlorid was added to dissolve the sample and the volume of the filtered solution was reduced to 50 ml with distilled water and the concentration of Na+ and K+ was measured with flame meter. In order to measure the fresh weight of leaves and roots, plant components were separated. Fresh weight was recorded with a scale and then samples were placed in the oven (for 48 h) and weighted again to measure dry weight. Leaf area was measured with a leaf guuge device (A30325) and plant height and root length using a ruler. Statistical analysis of data was performed using Mini Tab and Excel software.

 Results showed that salinity stress generally affected the growth of both carnation cultivars and reduced vegetative and reproductive growth. According to the results obtained from the study, fresh and dry weight of shoot, root and leaves, root length, plant height, stem diameter, diameter and number of flower, lateral shoot number, stomatal conductance, photosynthesis rate, K+ concentration in Diana and Barbarin cultivars decreased with increasing salinity level. Na+ concentration and Na+/K+ increased with increasing salinity and these two traits were higher in Diana than Barbarin cultivar, which indicates lower resistance of Diana cultivar. The plant's first response to stress is to reduce its leaf area, which reduces the supply of photosynthetic material to the growing parts and consequently hinders growth and flowering. Salinity stress and high osmotic potential in the rhizosphere greatly affect photosynthesis as they decrease pore conductivity. Moreover, excessive absorption of Na+ can interfere with the absorption of other elements, thereby restricting plant growth. Potassium (K+) is an essential inorganic molecule that plays a crucial role in increasing plant resistance to stress. It helps in maintaining turbidity, promoting cell development, and regulating stomatal function. In this study, salinity stress affected the growth and yield of both carnation cultivars, and with increasing stress, all morphological traits decreased. This stress also reduce photosynthesis by reducing stomatal conductance and subsequently reduce other growth characteristics. Growth reduction was observed at high salinity stress concentrations in both cultivars. However, barbarin cultivar showed higher resistance than Diana

In order to investigate the effect of magnetized saline water on Meadow sage, a factorial experiment based on a completely randomized design with three replications was conducted in greenhouse conditions in 2021 at the Ferdowsi University of Mashhad. Based on the findings, the salinity (0, 30, and 90 mM of sodium chloride, respectively equivalent to electrical conductivity values of 0, 2.5, 5.25, and 7.88 dS/m) caused a decrease in leaf area, fresh weight of shoot, dry weight of shoot, chlorophyll content and increased specific leaf weight, total phenol, and antioxidant activity. The application of magnetic water (non-magnetic water, 0.6 Tesla half an hour, 0.6 Tesla once, 0.3 Tesla half an hour, and 0.3 Tesla once) reduced the effects of salinity stress on the studied traits. In general, the use of magnetic water increased the fresh weight of the shoot by 34%, the dry weight of the shoot by 45%, the leaf area by 20%, chlorophyll b by 20%, chlorophyll a by 55%, total chlorophyll by 47%, total phenolics by 158%, and antioxidant activity by 12%. According to the obtained results, as the intensity and duration of saltwater magnetization increase, the ability of magnetized water to reduce the destructive effects of salinity increases. The results showed that at high salinity levels, the field intensity of 0.6 Tesla half an hour increases the plant's tolerance to salinity stress. Saltwater magnetization technology might be a promising technique in agriculture, which, of course, needs more extensive studies.

In order to increase the quantitative and qualitative yield of Yaghooti grapes and transfer the technical knowledge of pruning to farmers the experiment was conducted in the Sistan region.  This research was conducted as a factorial experiment based on a randomized complete block design with three replications. Four levels of balance pruning intensity including; control or local custom, 60+10, 40+10, and 20+10 considered as the first factor, and four levels of green pruning intensity including; control or local custom (G1), pruning of green branches from above eight leaves on the last cluster (G2), pruning of unproductive branches + green branches from above eight leaves on the last cluster (G3) and pruning of branches without fruit from the bottom + unproductive branches + green branches from above eight leaves on the last cluster (G4) considered as the second factor. The balance pruning 20+10 increased the relative water content (RWC), bearing coefficient and soluble solids (SS) by 9.8, 44.6 and 13% compared to the control, respectively; while the traits of leaf area, fruit juice acidity (FJA) and the number of days to maturity (NDM) decreased by 13.6, 12.8 and 17.3% compared to the control, respectively. In addition, pruning of G4 increased the RWC and SS by 11.2 and 12% compared to the control, respectively; but decreased the traits of leaf area, FJA and the NDM by 19.7, 5.3 and 19.2% compared to the control, respectively. Interaction of balance pruning 20+10 and G4 led to increase the bud break, cluster coloring and yield by 33, 38.6 and 14.2% compared to the control, respectively. In general, the results showed that balance pruning 20+10 along with pruning of G4 increased yield by 47.4% compared to the control.

 Cyclamen persicum is a genus of Primulaceae family and is a winter pot plant that can be marketed within seven months under proper growing conditions. In recent years, the rapid development of lighting technology has increased the use of several types of LED lamps because of their efficient roles to generate visible light via a lot of wavelengths. Application of some plant growth regulators (PGRs) like GA3 is well-known as an environment-friendly growth regulatorwhich is extensively employed to increase the productivity and and changing the phenotypic features of several ornamental plants.

 In this experiment, cyclamen large red flower seeds, i.e. the Halios series, were planted in early May, and then kept in a dark and cool greenhouse for one month. After germination and the emergence of cotyledonary leaves, transplants exposed to two levels of the LED light spectrum for 4 months consisting of the ratios of 70:20:10 and 40:40:20 via white:red and blue with the same intensity 100 µmol/m2/s subjected to a 16-hour photoperiodic conditions. At the end of the third month of growth, GA3 was sprayed on the leaves at four concentrations of 0, 20, 40, and 60 mg/l three times around the experiment. NPK fertilizer with a ratio of 10-52-10 was then applied once a week and a ratio of 20-19-19 fertilizer until the roots were fully established. Afterwards, the leaf area was measured using Digimizer version 5.4.3 software, in which the flowering date was calculated from of transferring time the plants of each treatment under light. In the following, chlorophyll and carotenoid contents were measured using Lichtenthaler and Wellburn method. Leaf soluble sugar was measured using the Oregon method and the chlorophyll fluorescence indices were measured using FluorPen FP 100.

 According to the results, the highest leaf number of cyclamen seedlings in the treatment of 40:40:20 was equal to seven, whereas the highest leaf area (9.8 cm2) observed under the light treatment of 70:20:10. the blue LED light can affects on differentiation of leaf mesophilic cells as well as the development of intercellular spaces, and the red light affects the production of a plant hormone so-called Meta-Topolin, which stimulates cell division and leaf expansion. Here, it should be noted that adding white LED light to the composition spectrum increases both growth and photosynthesis because of its deeper penetration into the plant canopy. The maximum root length was achieved at a concentration of 60 mg/l GA3 equal to 5.1 cm. It should be mentioned that GA3 is effective to increase the growth of cells in different parts of the plant (such as roots) by stimulating mitotic division. The closest date to cyclamen flowering time (90 days) was obtained in 70:20:10 treatment. . The highest amount of chlorophyll b was achieved from the interaction of light treatment 40:40:20 and concentration of 0 mg/l GA3 equal to 0.35 mg/g. Results showed that the red light is needed for the photosynthesis, whereas the blue light is needed for chlorophyll and chloroplast synthesis, stomatal opening, and photomorphogenesis. The highest amount of leaf soluble sugar of cyclamen seedlings was achieved from the interaction of 40:40:20 and the concentration of 0 mg/l GA3 equal to 0.53 mg/ml. Carbohydrates mostly accumulate in the leaves under blue light, whereas the red light can cause them to accumulate by preventing the transferring the photosynthetic products from the leaves. Among chlorophyll fluorescence indices, the highest VJ index was obtained from 40 mg/l GA3 concentration equal to 0.51. VJ was measured from the first light pulse, in which its increase via increasing the performance of the photosynthetic apparatus reveal the ability of seedlings to make better use of environmental conditions applied to produce more carbohydrates as well as to enhance the growth quality. The highest values of φ-E0 and Ψ-0 indices in GA3 0 treatment were 0.44 and 0.54, respectively, indicating that increasing them improves the performance index of the photosynthetic apparatus. The external GA3 increases only the amount of chlorophyll and soluble protein content in the leaves of some plants, and interferes with the greater light reflection, chlorophyll fluorescence and eventually the performance of photosystem II. In this regard, the highest amount of ABS/RC index was observed in the interaction of 40:40:20 and concentration of 60 mg/l GA3 equal to 2.27, which is equal to increasing the performance index of photosynthetic device. During the plant growth, the use of monochromatic LED light compared to the full visible spectrum or red + blue lights would lead to creating some defects in the electron transport chain.

 An increase in PI (Plant Photosynthetic Performance Index) means that the plant is operating under conditions of normal photosynthesis. In general, an increase in this index indicates the ability of seedlings or mature plants to make better use of environmental conditions to produce more carbohydrates and improve growth quality. The relationship between increasing the amount of chlorophyll b, leaf soluble sugar and ABS / RC index all in 40:40: 20 treatment while confirming this correlation, shows that since most of the light absorption by chlorophyll is in the red and blue light spectrum. 40: 40: 20 is better than 70: 20: 10 with more red and blue light. The effect of light of any quality or GA3 at any concentration on the qualitative traits of seedling or adult plant growth is directly related to plant genotype and no specific effects can be determined for them. The use of complementary LED light may in some respects lead to a further increase in the quality of Cyclamen seedlings, but it is only reasonable to use them if it compensates for other production costs, including electricity consumption. Finally, chlorophyll fluorescence indices are also independent of each other in terms of their effect on the performance of the photosynthetic apparatus.

An important characteristic of foliage plants is the production of enough lateral or basal shoots. Among the most commonly used branching-inducers are gibberellic acid (GA3) and N6-benzyladenine (BA) which are synthetic cytokinins that have been shown to increase shoot number in some plant species. The aim of this research was studying the effects of synthetic branching agents on a foliage plant. The effects of GA3 and BA on Ficus benjamina plant was evaluated under greenhouse condition. Plants were treated with foliar application of GA3 and BA at 0, 100 and 200 mg L-1. The plants that were treated with GA3 and BA at 200 mg L-1 showed the highest number of leaves and plant height. Foliar application of 200 mg L-1 GA3 + 200 mg L-1 BA increased photosynthetic pigments. The highest rate of soluble carbohydrates and reducing sugars were belonged to 200 mg L-1 GA3 and 100 mg L-1 GA3 + 200 mg L-1 BA, respectively. Results indicated that application of 200 mg l-1 of GA3 + BA significantly promoted morphological growth, chlorophyll and carotenoid content, reduced sugars and soluble carbohydrates in F. benjamina.

To evaluate the effect of different levels of nitrogen and phosphorous on some physiological and morphological traits of golden rod (Solidago canadensis L.) a split plot experiment carried out based on randomized complete block design with three replications in Research Farm of Shahrekord University. Nitrogen fertilizer at four levels of (0, 50, 100 and 150 kg/ha) as main factor and phosphorous fertilizer at three levels (0, 50 and 100 kg/ha) were used as subsidiary factor. Results showed that different levels of nitrogen, phosphorous and their interactions had a significant effect on growth indices such as shoot fresh and dry matter, leaf area and flower flavonoid content. Also, nitrogen and phosphorous application showed a significant effect on flowering time and flowering duration. Increasing in nitrogen and phosphorous levels, caused early flowering and increased flowering period in treatments as the best results observed in 150 kg/ha accompanied with 100 kg/ha of nitrogen. Generally, in order to obtain the maximum growth indices in same conditions, application of nitrogen in 150 kg/ha with phosphorous in 100 kg/ha can be suggested for golden rod cultivation as an ornamental and medicinal plant.

The present study was aimed to evaluate the effect of organic fertilizers of folic acid and amino acids (glycine and glutamic acid) on the plant resistance to stress and yield of cucumber under deficit irrigation conditions. The study was carried out as a factorial in randomized complete blocks with 3 replications. The first factor was fertilization at four levels as control, 200 mg/l folic acid, amino acid glycine and glutamic acid (6 liters per ha), and folic acid + amino acids (glycine and glutamic acid). The second factor was irrigation interval (3, 5 and 7 days). The results showed that an increase in irrigation interval caused a significant reduction in plant dry and fresh weights, internode length, root and shoot lengths, stomatal conductance and chlorophyll contents. Furthermore, combined use of folic acid and amino acid and 7 day irrigation interval increased root length, internode length, leaf area, chlorophyll a and relative leaf water content by 159, 46.9, 84.7, 138 and 36%, respectively, when compared with the control at the same irrigation interval. In addition, a 70% increase in plant fresh weight and 84% increase in fruit weight were observed in irrigation interval of five days and combined treatment of amino acid and folic acid. In general, it can be concluded that the combined application of amino acids and folic acid improved the morphophysiological characteristics of cucumber under deficit irrigation conditions, while it was not effective in improving yield and fruit production with the seven-day irrigation interval.

In this research, the effect of different concentrations of micro- and nanoparticles of silicon dioxide (20, 40, 60 and 80 milligrams per liter) and two methods of foliar and root application on some growth and yield characteristics of strawberry (cv. Camarosa) were investigated. This research was carried out as a factorial experiment based on a completely randomized design with three replications at Bu-Ali Sina University in Hamedan. Growth characteristics including leaf number, leaf area, petiole length and diameter, plant height, root length, fresh and dry weight of aerial parts, fresh and dry weight of root, amount of silicon in aerial parts and yield components including fresh weight of fruit, fruit volume, fruit number and yield were measured. The highest number of leaves, leaf area, plant height, root length, fresh and dry weight of canopy, fresh and dry weight of root were observed in root application of 60 mg L-1 of nano-silicon with 24.33 leaf, 210.09 cm2, 31.66 cm, 49.70 cm, 70.33 and 13.04 g, 39.22 and 4.43 g amounts, respectively, which showed significant differences with control treatment. Among all treatments, the highest yield (233.23 g fruit per plant) was observed in root application treatment of 60 mg L-1 nano-silicon, which was significantly different with all the treatments of foliar application of micro-silicon and control (no application of silicon).

Drought is known as one of the most important factors limiting the growth and production of plants in urban landscape. Drought has limited production of 25% of the world's agricultural lands. Water allocated to the landscape irrigation has high value and should be used optimally with high efficiency. Soil texture is a classification instrument used both in the field and laboratory to determine soil classes based on their physical texture. Soil texture can be determined using qualitative methods such as texture by feel, and quantitative methods such as the hydrometer method. Soil texture has agricultural applications such as determining crop suitability and predicting the response of the soil to environmental and management conditions such as drought or calcium (lime) requirements. Soil texture focuses on the particles that are less than two millimeters in diameter which include sand, silt, and clay. Soil texture affects the water content and drainage ability of soils. This is because texture controls the nature of soil pores, i.e. the voids or spaces between the mineral particles in a clay soil. For example, there are many minute pores or micro pores between the tiny clay particles. Being small, they tend to retain water but to exclude air. As a result, clay soils are prone to drain poorly and to become waterlogged. By contrast, sandy soils are dry soils. On the other hand, application of new techniques to maintain soil moisture is essential. One of these techniques for increasing soil water retention is use of natural moisture absorbing materials such as zeolite. Zeolites are one of the new and effective substances to improve the soil water retention and preserve water and minerals in the soil. Zeolites contain elements such as potassium, calcium, sodium, silicon, aluminum, magnesium, iron and phosphorus that can be considered as the best dietary supplement and fertilizer and play an important role in the utilization and production of the most agricultural products.Ligustrum vulgar L., belongs to the Oleaceae family, is native to warm regions, European and Asian countries including Iran. This plant is one of the most widely used perennial plants in the landscape spaces. This study was designed to investigate the effects of drought stress and soil texture on growth and some qualitative and quantitative traits of the Ligustrum vulgare.

In order to investigate the effect of zeolite and soil texture on quantitative and qualitative traits of Ligustrum vulgare under drought stress, a factorial experiment was conducted based on completely randomized design with three replications, in the greenhouse of Agricultural Faculty, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad in 2019. The treatments consisted of four types of soil texture (100% soil, 100% sand, 80% soil + 20% zeolite, 80% sand + 20% zeolite) and three levels of irrigation (25, 50 and 100% field capacity).
Plant height, number of leaves, number of lateral branches, maximum root length, root volume, shoot and root dry weight and length of lateral branches were measured in each pot. Physiochemical traits such as relative water content, electrolyte leakage and photosynthetic pigments were also measured. Statistical analysis of data was analyzed by JMP8 software. Graphs were plotted using excel and all mean comparisons were performed by LSD test at P<0.05%.

According to the results, decreasing irrigation levels reduced vegetative traits such as fresh weight and dry weight. Relative water content also decreased, but ion leakage increased by decreasing irrigation levels. The highest stem fresh weight (18 g), root fresh weight (29 g), total fresh weight (56 g) and total dry weight (20 g) were observed in soil + zeolite, and the highest leaves fresh weight, root volume and plant height were obtained in soil and soil + zeolite treatments. The lowest root volume was observed in sand and zeolite treatments which had no significant differences.  In addition, ion leakage was lower in the treatments containing zeolite than the other treatments. The highest amount of SPAD (72) and chlorophyll b (31.5 mg / g fresh weight) were observed in sand + zeolite treatment and 25% field capacity. According to the results, it seems that soil and soil + zeolite in low irrigation conditions were more suitable environment for growth of Ligustrum vulgare and sandy bedding would reduce plant growth in normal conditions as well as under drought stress.

number of sub leaves (leaves on sub-branches), number of internodes on main stems, number of lateral stems, spike length on the main panicle, number of spikes, number of flowers per panicle, fresh and dry weight of aerial parts, fresh and dry weight of roots, root length, leaf area, internode length, total phenol content, total flavonoids content, antioxidant activity, total sugar content and chlorophyll quality were measured. The results of the analysis of variance showed that the studied treatments had a significant effect on all traits except the number of main leaves, the number of internodes on main stems, and root length. The means comparison showed that with increasing the concentration and period of colchicine application, height of aerial parts, internode length, the number of flowers per panicle, and total sugar content decreased and spike length on the main panicle and total phenol content increased. Based on the results of flow cytometric analysis, the mean genome size was 0.73 pg in plants treated with colchicine at a concentration of 0.4% for 48 hours, while the mean genome size in the control plants was 0.55 pg. Plants in other treatments showed a mean genome size of 0.57. In general, the results of this experiment showed a positive response of L. stricta to colchicine for the induction of polyploidy and the possibility of using this method in the future breeding of this plant.

Yaghooti grape (Vitis vinifera L.) is an important variety in Iran and also it is the most important horticultural product of Sistan region. This variety is of interest for economical aspect. Because continuous drought in Sistan region has been a serious threat to the grape production, local farmers have to manage the problem by reducing the volume and irrigation intervals. The canopy plays a key role in radiation energy capture via photosynthesis apparatus, water use as regulated by transpiration, and microclimate of ripening grapes and also grape yield, quality, vigor, and the prevention of grape diseases. Since vines has high vegetative growth makes them compete with the reproductive growth, therefore vines be pruned every year.

In order to evaluate the effects of irrigation regime and green pruning on some physiological traits and fruit yield of Yaghooti grape, the present research was conducted in the research and extensional garden of Zahak city during 2017-2018. An experiment was carried out in the form of a split plot based on randomized complete block design with three replications. Three irrigation regimes of 100, 75 and 50 percent of the grape water requirement based on the potential evapotranspiration of grape and green pruning with three levels including the control plot or the local practice of not green pruning (P1), pruning the green branches starting from the sixth leaf above the last grape bunch (P2) and pruning the green branches starting from the sixth leaf above the last grape bunch along with green pruning of the green branches without fruit and pruning the unproductive brunches (P3) were allocated to main and sub-plots, respectively. ‘Yaghooti vines were 8 years old and trained as a traditional system. The vines were spaced 3 × 3 m. Water requirement of grape was determined according to the FAO method using data from a Class A evaporation pan. The analysis of variance for each variable was performed with the PROC GLM procedure in SAS 9.4. Multiple linear regression was used to determine the relationships of leaf relative water content, proline, soluble sugars, relative membrane permeability, chlorophyll index, and leaf area to fruit yield.

By reducing water consumption from 100 to 75% of grape water requirement, leaf relative water content, fruit juice acidity, chlorophyll index, leaf area and fruit yield decreased 10.1, 6.5, 8.6, 11 and 18.8%, respectively and also proline, soluble sugars and relative membrane permeability increased 67.3, 8.75 and 44.84%, respectively. The P3 treatment compared to control induced an increase in relative leaf water content, chlorophyll index, and fruit yield by 14.7, 12.2 and 25%, respectively as well as a reduction in proline, soluble sugars, relative membrane permeability, fruit juice acidity and leaf area index by 18.34%, 12.1%, 6.8%, 8.3% and 21.3%, respectively. Also the results indicated that providing the 100% of the water requirement combined with pruning the green branches starting from the sixth leaf above the last grape bunch in combination with green pruning of the green branches without fruit and pruning the unproductive brunches (P3) caused the highest grape fruit yield (7797 kg ha-1). Also the interaction effect of meeting 75% of the water requirement and the green pruning had the same result as that of meeting 100%of water requirement under no green pruning conditions. In other words, the green pruning could result in saving 25% of water used by the grape cv. Yaghooti without reducing fruit yield. The multiple linear regression analysis indicated that proline and leaf area were the most important traits impacting fruit yield in Yaghooti cultivar.

Reducing the water potential of vine causes different responses. The most important are a decrease in number cells of fruit, vegetative growth, leaf area, relative leaf water content, chlorophyll content, fruit yield, and increase in the compatible osmolytes. The growing shoots are a strong sink for the consumption of photosynthetic materials. The above mentioned effect causes an increase in the branch overgrowth and its overshadowing. All this factors compete with vine fruit production. So, green pruning and removal of apical dominance eliminates a strong place of nutrient absorption. In other words, green pruning results in a greater accumulation being used by flowers and fruits, causing sufficient light penetration into the crown and reducing evapotranspiration, leading to an increased water consumption and fruit yield.

Environmental stresses such as deficit irrigation and ultraviolet radiation can influence plant growth and development. Among the environmental variables, ultraviolet radiation is an important factor in plant response to other stresses, such as deficit irrigation. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of ultraviolet B radiation (UV-B), irrigation stress and combined effects of UV-B radiation and deficit irrigation on the morphological and biochemical responses of two basil species. Five treatments of UV-B radiation duration (0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 minutes per day) as well as four irrigation levels (100, 75, 50 and 30% of field capacity), two green and violet types of basil, based on a factorial experiment in a completely randomized design, were considered. Results indicated that the effects of duration of UV-B radiation, drought stress and basil type as well as their interaction on morphological and biochemical responses of both basil types were significant. At the highest level of UV-B radiation (i.e., 20 min/day), the measured traits such as photosynthetic pigments decreased by 18.2%, stem height by 11.2% and root length by 10.1% as compared to control, and the other traits such as leaf thickness increased significantly by 32.3%, malondialdehyde (MDA) content by 7.6%, anthocyanin by 40.6% and proline content by 19.1% as compared to control. While leaf area, number of leaves, root and shoot dry weights were firstly increased by radiation duration and then were reduced as compared to control. Five-minute irradiation treatment increased the stem dry weight (5.8%), leaf area (9.3%) and number of leaves (10.0%) as compared to the control. Deficit irrigation stress had 46.3% greater effect than UV-B radiation in reducing the measured basil characteristics. Simultaneous use of UV-B radiation and deficit irrigation prevented the reduction of growth factors due to low irrigation stress, indicating a synergistic state.

To evaluate the effect of different culture media on growth indices of Pelargonium ×hortorum “Maverick Star” in plug culture, a greenhouse experiment was carried out based on a completely randomized design with seven treatments and four replications. The treatments were seven different substrates including peat moss (100%), cocopeat (100%), peat moss + cocopeat (60%+40%), peat moss + cocopeat (50%+50%), peat moss + cocopeat (40%+60%), peat moss + perlite (50%+50%) and cocopeat + perlite (50%+50%). At the end of the experiment, growth indices such as root volume, root fresh and dry weights, plant height, stem diameter, shoot fresh and dry weights, number of leaves, leaf area, leaf chlorophyll content and flowering time were evaluated. Results showed that most of the measured traits were significantly affected by the culture medium. The medium containing 100% peat moss had the best effect on the evaluated traits and the weakest results on most of the traits were observed in 100% cocopeat substrate. Results also showed that adding peat moss to other culture media made some positive changes in most of the measured traits.

In order to investigate the interaction effects of humic acid and nano-calcium chelate on Gerbera jamesonii cv. Dune, an experiment was performed as factorial based on a completely randomized design with two factors and three replications in hydroponic conditions. First factor was included: humic acid in 4 concentrations of 0 (control), 500, 1000, and 2000 mg L-1 as drench and the second factor: nano-calcium chelate at 4 concentrations of 0 (control), 1, 2, and 3 g L-1 as foliar application. Indices such as number of leaves and leaf area, fresh and dry weight of inflorescence, vase life, time of bud to floral anthesis, flower longevity, and antioxidant enzymes activity were measured. Results showed that humic acid and nano-calcium chelate in comparison with the control increased the activity of antioxidant enzymes such as catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, and guayacol peroxidase about 7, 6, and 7 times, respectively. Vase life and flower longevity were affected by application of humic acid and nano-calcium chelate compared to the control as showed a 57 and 31% increasing, respectively. Flower diameter and flower stem diameter showed 20% increasing compared to control. With increasing the concentration of nano-calcium chelate, leaf area increased. The number of leaf was increased only with increasing the concentration of humic acid. Generally, application of both humic acid and nano-calcium chelate was effective on improving some characteristics of gerbera and approximately 2000 mg L-1 humic acid and 2 g L-1 nano-calcium chelate were more effective.

  Sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) is a worldwide used vegetable, which is an excellent source of ascorbic acid and has high antioxidant capacity against oxidative damage caused by free radicals. Ascorbic acid (AsA) is a water-soluble vitamin that plays a key physiological role in scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS), and enzyme cofactor. In recent years, the application of exogenous AsA has received much attention for use as a biologically safe compound for postharvest quality maintenance of many horticulture crops. Calcium is an essential micronutrient that plays a vital role in maintains cell wall stability, integrity and determining the fruit quality. To our knowledge, however, little information is available regarding the effect of ascorbic acid and calcium lactate on pepper fruits. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the foliar application of ascorbic acid and calcium lactate on growth, yield and fruit quality of sweet peppers. To study the effect of foliar application of calcium lactate (Ca) and Ascorbic acid (AsA) on growth, yield and fruit quality of sweet pepper, the field experiment was carried out from June to September 2016 at Research farm of faculty of Agriculture, at the University of Zanjan, Iran. Pepper plants (cv. California Wonder) were cultivated by applying conventional farming practice for growing in open air conditions. 210 plants (30 plants for each treatment) were selected for uniform size and fruit load, and were sprayed three times (0, 15, 30 days after full bloom) with an aqueous solution containing different concentrations of Ca (0, 0.5, 1 and 1.5 g L-1) and AsA (100, 200 and 300 mg L-1). Each treatment was carried out with three replicates. Pepper fruit were harvested at commercial maturity stage, and transferred to the laboratory on the same day. Leaf area was recorded whit measurement leaf area (DELTA-T DEVICEC LTD, ENGLAND). After fruit harvested, plant length was measured. Fruit was weighted after harvest to determine mean fruit weight. The fruit number per plant and fruit yield per plant was measured to determine of total yield. The total yield expressed in kg ha–1. Flesh firmness was determined with penetrometer (model Mc Cormic FT 32), using an 8 mm penetrating tip. Results were expressed in kg cm-2. The pH values of solutions were monitored with pH meter. TSS was measured in the extract obtained from three fruit of each replicate with a digital refractometer Atago PR-101 (Atago Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan) at 20◦C. Total ascorbic acid content was expressed as mg per 100 g of juice. Antioxidant activity was measured using the free radical scavenging activity (DPPH) and calculated according to the following formula:  RSA%= 100(Ac-As)/Ac. Statistical analyses were performed with SPSS software package v. 20.0 for Windows, and means comparison were separated by Duncan’s multiple range tests at p < 0.05. The results showed that foliar application of AsA had significant effects on growth and fruit yield. The highest fruit yield (897.1 g plant-1) was achieved at 300 mg L-1 AsA that had no significant difference with 200 mg L-1 AsA. Foliar application of AsA markedly increased vitamin C content, and also the highest value of total soluble solid (5.7 °B) was recorded from 300 mg L-1 AsA. Ca had no significant effects on growth and fruit yield but significantly improved fruit firmness. The highest fruit firmness (2.13 and 2.16 kg cm-1) was obtained from 1 and 1.5 g L-1 Ca. The maximum antioxidant activity was achieved with application of 300 mg L-1 AsA and 1.5 g L-1 Ca. The fresh sweet peppers were an important source of ascorbic acid for human consumption. AsA significantly increased the amount of vitamin C in the plum and sweet pepper fruits. Foliar treatment of Ca increased vitamin C content. Increasing vitamin C content in fruits after treatment with Ca could be related to inhibiting action of calcium on the activities of ascorbic acid oxidase that use ascorbate as a substrate. The results indicated that treatment of Ca produced fruits with higher firmness compared to control and other treatments. Firmness and resistance to softening can be increased by the addition of Ca, due to interaction of calcium with pectate acid in the cell wall to form calcium pectate and retarding polygalacturonase activity. Differences in the percentage of TSS content at the time of harvest indicated the AsA and Ca effects on carbohydrate accumulation in fruits, which had different potential on respiration rates and consequently storability of plants. The exogenous application of AsA and Ca in sweet pepper plants indicated that treatments had significant effects on ascorbic acid content of sweet peppers. The antioxidant activity has positive correlation with total phenolic content, flavonoids and content of ascorbic acid. The results of our research indicated that per-harvest foliar application of AsA increased plant growth, fruit number and weight. Also, AsA and Ca treatments improved fruit quality attributes including vitamin C, fruit firmness, TSS and antioxidant activity. These results suggest that AsA and Ca treatments, especially AsA 300 mg L-1 and Ca 1.5 g L-1, may be proposed to improve fruit quality.

In order to evaluate quantitative and qualitative yield of some flax cultivars and accessions(Linum usitatissimum L.), an experiment was conducted at research farm of Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz based on randomized complete block design with 12 treatments and 3 replications. Treatments were six cultivars (Golda, Oliozon, RH2, Lirina, Livia and Uanda) and six accessions (Ardebil1, Ardebil2, Ardebil3, Ardebil4, Karaj and Hamedan). The measured traits were plant height, branch number, leaf area, capsul number, seed number per capsul, seed yield, oil content and composition. There were significant differences between cultivars and accessions for all measured traits. Ardebil4 and Ardebil3 had the highest capsul number and the minimum value was recorded in Golda and Livia. The highest and the lowest seed yield were observed in Ardebil4 and Livia, respectively. The highest oil percent was recorded in Hamedan, Ardebil4 and Ardebil3 while the lowest amount was obtained in Golda. Lirina and RH2 had the highest and the lowest amounts of alpha-linolenic acid, respectively. The highest and the lowest amount of linoleic acid were recorded in RH2 and Karaj, respectively.Overall, Ardebil3 and Ardebil4 with higher seed yields, oil percentage and rich source of alpha-linolenic acid may be the best accessionsfor cultivation in Ahwaz conditions. However, more investigation is needed.

An emerging field of nanotechnology in recent years is the use of nanoparticles and nanomaterials in agricultural systems which is due to their excellent mechanical, electrical, optical, surface properties, crop protection and nano-fertilizers. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is a class of nanoparticles which widely used in the food industry, cosmetics, papers, pharmaceuticals, plastics and industrial raw materials. The widespread industrial application of TiO2 is due to its white pigment, ultraviolet blocking property, and chemical features commonly used to alleviate pollutants concentration in water, soil and air. Owing to its increasing use in the industry, a large part of TiO2 residues are released into the environment, and currently, TiO2 nanoparticles are being considered an emerging environmental contaminant. However, there have been a number of studies reporting beneficial effects of TiO2 on growth and physiological traits of crops. It has been postulated that the TiO2-induced improvement of crop growth is not merely related to the promotion of photosynthesis; other biochemical processes especially nitrogen metabolism are also involved in this event. Ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) is a widely used as a chelating agent, i.e., the chemical is able to sequester metal ions such as Ca2+ and Fe3+. EDTA is used as nitrogen source for doping of TiO2 nanoparticles which improves TiO2 photocatalytic features. The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of TiO2 nanoparticles and EDTA on growth indices and biochemical parameters in spinach (Spinacia oleracea). For detailed evaluation of treatment effects, different concentrations of TiO2 nanoparticles were sprayed on spinach leaves and the samples were collected in a time course.

A factorial experiment was carried out in the form of completely randomized design (CRD) with three replications. Soil samples were taken before cultivation of spinach (S. oleracea) seeds (Var VIROFLAY) and analyzed for nutrients’ concentration. Treatments include different levels of TiO2 (T1=0, T2=0.05mg/l and T3=0.1mg/l) and two concentrations of EDTA (E1=0 and E2=130mg/l) sprayed on spinach plants in research greenhouse of agriculture faculty, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad. Aqueous solutions of nanoparticles were treated by ultrasound for 10 min to enhance homogeneity. The solutions were sprayed on the plant at six- leaves stage. The plant samples were taken before reproductive phase for measurement of biochemical parameters. Nitrogen content of plant samples was measured by PDV 500 Macro- Kjeldahl device; Potassium content was determined by 310c flame photometer; phosphorus concentration in plant samples was measured by spectrophotometer model 2100. Chlorophyll and carotenoid contents were measured by the method proposed by Lichtenthaler (1978). For analysis of growth parameters, plant samples were taken a week after TiO2 treatments and leaf area, shoot fresh/dry weight, stem length, internode length, root area, root fresh/dry weight and total root diameter were measured.

Application of 0.05mg/l of TiO2 nanoparticles without EDTA resulted in 13.5% and 9.48% increase in nitrogen and protein; respectively, however by increasing nanoparticles to 0.1mg/l, nitrogen and protein content in the treated plants were respectively reduced to 21% and 19.57% of those of control group (p<0.01). Phosphorus content of the treated plants was decreased in both concentrations of TiO2 with the higher reduction in 0.1mg/l of TiO2. Potassium content showed a 6.63% increase by applying 0.05mg/l of TiO2; however, by increasing TiO2 to 0.1mg/l, potassium content was decreased to 12%. EDTA increased nitrogen and protein content by 5.95% and 1.9%, respectively; however phosphorus and potassium contents were reduced by 8.7% and 5.65%, respectively. Interaction of 0.05mg/l TiO2 and 130mg/l EDTA resulted in increasing nitrogen, protein and potassium content (14%, 6.8% and 15%; respectively) and reduction of phosphorus (19.9%). Application of 0.1mg/l TiO2 and 130mg/l EDTA decreased significantly nitrogen, protein, potassium and phosphorus to 25.44%, 26.75%, 39.22% and 27.8%; respectively. Interaction of TiO2 and EDTA increased dry/fresh weight, diameter and total area of spinach plants. Our results are in agreement with those reported by others. Spinach shoot dry and fresh weights were enhanced by application of 0.05mg/l TiO2; while stem length was increased at both 0.05mg/l and 0.1mg/l TiO2 significantly. Interaction of TiO2 and EDTA was also followed by increasing in growth parameters. This finding is according with the results reported by other authors. These contradictory results suggest that effects of TiO2 on plant growth and physiology don’t follow a clear-cut trend and other factors may play important roles in this story.

In this study, we investigated the influence of TiO2 nanoparticles on growth and biochemical properties in spinach. In general, the results indicated that application of 0.05mg/l of TiO2 has a significant promoting effect on the studied traits. Increasing TiO2 concentration to 0.1mg/l was followed by negative effects that may be attributed to poisonous effect of extra-concentration of this nanoparticle on DNA replication, enzymatic activity and cell proliferation. Coincidence of NR activity and growth changes supports the crucial role of nitrogen metabolism in mediating TiO2 effects on spinach growth. More notably, application of EDTA enhanced positive impacts of the nanoparticles. This synergy may be due to the fact that EDTA acts as an N-source and improves photocatalytic properties of TiO2 nanoparticles.