Jujube (Ziziphus jujube) is widely cultivated in Southern Khorasan province. The tree is adapted to arid and warm regions. This study was conducted as factorial experiment based on a randomized complete blocks design with three replications. In this study, gibberellic acid (GA3), naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) and 6 - benzyladenine (BA) each with five concentrations (0, 20, 40, 60, 80 ppm) alone and in combination with each other were sprayed at three different times full bloom, full bloom 50 days after full bloom and 50 days after full bloom on jujube. The results showed that the spray at full bloom and full bloom 50days after full bloom caused significant increase in fruit size (length and diameter), fruit weight, yield and total soluble solids compared to spraying in 50days after full bloom. Applying concentrations above 40 ppm with GA3, NAA and BA NAA GA3 caused significant increase in fruit size (length and diameter), fruit weight, yield and TSS compared to the control (0 ppm) and all BA concentrations. Foliar spraying plant growth regulators had not significant effect on the other chemical properties of fruit (vitamin C, pH, acidity and the amount of carotenoids).

An investigation was performed in a commercial orchard in Shiraz to study the effect of time of application of CuSO4 and streptomycin on quality and seedlessness of grapevine (Vitis vinifera L. cv. ‘Siyah-e-Shiraz’). The experiment was Conducted as Completely randomized block design with 3 replications. Plants were treated with 25 mgl-1 CuSo4. 5H2o and 200mgl-1 streptomycin 2,4 and 6 days before full blooming. 50 mgl-1 GA3 was applied 10 days after full blooming. Results indicated that both CuSO4 and streptomycin increased parthenocarpy compared with untreated control. Streptomycin and CuSO4 6 days before full blooming plus GA3 produced the highest rate of seedlessness (84%). Both CuSO4 and streptomycin reduced the number of seeds, cluster weight, berry weight, length and diameter of the berries compared with untreated controls. GA3 increased weight of seedless berries, vitamin C and total acid contents unsignificantly.

In present research the effects of four levels (0، 0. 5، 1، 2 mM) of each of salicylic acid and putrescine treatments on the quality improvement of Granny Smith apple fruit were studied. Factorial experiment in randomized complete block with three replications on 16 trees، eighteen years in researcher station of agriculture university of Tehran was designed. For this purpose the trees were sprayed with the treatments solutions in three stages including; immediately after full bloom، 45 days after full bloom، and 116 days after full bloom (two weeks before harvesting). After harvesting، three or four fruits were assigned for each sample and immersion into the treatment solutions for 30 min، packed، and moved to 1±0. 5º C temperate and 85-90% relative humidity storage. Samples each 45 days in 5 stages exited from storage and evaluated for fruit weight loss، firmness، total soluble solids (TSS)، treatable acidity (TA)، (TSS/TA) and pH. The results showed، in to storage time fruit weight loss in treated fruits significantly (p)

An increasing world population and the competitive nature of the stone fruit market, particularly nectarines [(Prunus persica var. nectarine)], demand the selection of fruit with high quality attributes, flavor, and a wide range of maturity. Information on this subject is limited at the present time. In search of superior nectarines, a trial was conducted to study growing degree days (GDD), full bloom and harvest dates, fruit quality attributes, and yield of 11 yellow-fleshed nectarines under the high desert conditions of southwest Idaho in the northwestern region of the United States; these factors were studied over a span of 5 years. The average response analyses results over these years revealed that ‘Fantasia’ and ‘Honey Kist’ bloomed earlier, while A28.082 and ‘Summer Fire’ bloomed later than other cultivars. ‘Diamond June’ and ‘Honey Kist’ were the earliest cultivars to harvest and needed 110 and 114 days between full bloom and harvest, respectively. On average, ‘Sparkling Red’ and A28.082 were harvested after the second half of September, and the periods between bloom and harvest for these cultivars were 161 and 166 days, respectively. The difference between the earliest and latest cultivars for full bloom dates was only 4 days or 26.7oC GDD, while the range for harvest dates was 57 days or 943.7oC GDD. Considering all factors evaluated in this project, ‘Honey Kist’ is suitable as an early cultivar. ‘Summer Grand’ would be a good choice as a yellow-fleshed cultivar with moderately high soluble solids concentration (SSC), while ‘Fantasia’ would be an excellent choice for a yellow-fleshed cultivar if fruit appearance, large size, and high yield are the main objectives of nectarine production during the period of late-August to early-September. A28.082 was a good choice for planting as a very-late maturing yellow-fleshed cultivar. It had attractive fruit color, high fruit SSC, a high number of fruit per tree and large fruit size, and hence high yield.

Control of floweing time in apricot trees is very important where spring frost damage is of high risk. Application of plant growth regulators during autumn has been suggested for controlling bloom date. This experiment was conducted during 1999-2001 to examine the effects of application of different concentrations of ethephon and gibberellic acid (0,50, 100,200,300 mglit-1 in 3 dates (end of August, September, and October) on delay of flowering in apricot Shahroudi cultivar. A factorial experiment was laid out in completely randomized-block design with 3 replications. Compared to the control, results showed that 100 mglit-1 of ethephon applied at the end of October, delayed full bloom approximately 3 days (2000) and 7 days (2001). Gibberellic acid applied at 300 mglit-1 at the end of August, delayed full bloom about 5 days (2000) and at the end of September, 10 days (2001). During both years, application of gibberellic acid and ethephon at the higher concentrations resulted in a lower percentages of flower opening and fruit set.

Embryo culture of hybrid seeds that are not able to germinate for any specific reason as well as sweet cherry hybrid seeds with germination problem is one of the methods used in fruit trees breeding programs. Embryo cultures are widely applied in stone fruits breeding programs especially in inter specific hybridization and crosses with early ripening parents. Some sweet cherry hybrid seeds have less than 1% germination, so this research was carried out in order to explore the possibility of embryo culture and rescue of two sweet cherry cultivars. Sweet cherry cultivars used were late ripening `Zard-Daneshkade’ and early ripening `Silej-Delamarka’. Embryos obtained from seeds of `Zard-Daneshkade’ from controlled hybridization (`Zard-Daneshkade’ × `Siah Mashhad’) and from open pollinated `Silej Delamarka’. The embryos were sterilized and then cultured on MS medium. The germination of embryos started from those embryos sampled 3 and 6 weeks after full bloom in `Silej Delamarka’ and `Zard-Daneshkade’ respectively. The growth of embryos was suitable when embryos were treated with 40 days and 60 days cold treatment on the immature and mature embryos respectively. Results showed that while germination of mature seeds in `Silej-Delamarka’ cultivar was 0% by conventional seed culture methods, the embryo culture successfully increased germination up to 30 and 60 percent on the embryos sampled 21 and 28 days after full bloom respectively. In addition, embryo culture of `Zard-Daneshkade’ cultivar, increased germination up to 60% in embryos sampled 42 days after full bloom and the maximum germination of 95% was obtained from embryos sampled 56 days after full bloom. Note that the germination of mature seeds via conventional method was 26.6%.

Davana (Artemisia pallens Bess), belonging to Asteraceae family, is an important aromatic crop of South India. The field experiment was laid out in randomized randomized complete block design (RCBD) with 6 replication during winter season 2018-2019. The 35 days old seedling were transplanting to the main field with spacing of 30 cm × 30 cm in order to investigate the influence of different growth stages on the essential oil content and major chemical composition of davana. The essential oil content found to be varied from vegetative stage (0.12%) to full blooming stage (0.25%). The major component davanone was found to be higher at before anthesis followed by anthesis stage (full blooming stage) and gradually decreased from early initiation of seed set stage to seed maturing stage. However, the amounts of other major constituent of davana oil like (E)-ethyl cinnamate and bicyclo germacrene increased from the vegetative stage to the seed maturing stage. Significant interaction effect observed between chemical content and different stages. Based on the experimental results full blooming stage is ideal for harvesting and it was also confirmed with the normal practice of farmers harvesting the crop.

Thymol and carvacrol are two valuable secondary metabolites which are importance in medicinal use. This study aimed to investigate the effect of different harvesting times (pre blooming, 50% in blooming and 100% in blooming) on quantity and quality of T. armeniacus and T. lancifolius essential oil in pot experiment by using a completely randomized design in three replications during 2015 from Shahrekord University. The aerial parts of plants were collected in three times and the essential oils were extracted by hydro distillation (Clevenger apparatus) and were analyzed by using GC/MS. . The results were showed that in full blooming stages of plants had the highest of essential oil yield. The highest content of thymol (62%) was obtained in pre blooming and citronelol (30%) in 50% and full blooming of T. lancifolius. The highest carvacrol (44-45%) were obtained in 50% and full blooming stage of T. armeniacus, respectively. In conclusion, the variation species and harvesting times of plants were affected on quality and the function of essential oils.

At the time of harvest and postharvest, some parameters like tissue firmness, tissue color and fresh weight are altered which affect the visual quality of fruit as well as intensifying the physiological disorders. This study was performed with the aim of determining the effect of calcium spraying time and sources on some quantitative, qualitative and postharvest characteristics of ‘Elberta’ peach cultivar. In this experiment, CaCl2 (0.5 and 1%),Ca(NO3 2 (0.5 and 1%) and Calcium Chelate (0.1 and 0.2%) were sprayed once, 50 days after full bloom (pit hardening stage) and three times spraying starting at 50 days after full bloom with two-week intervals. Experiment was performed as randomized completely block design with 11 treatments and five replications. After harvest, peach fruits were stored at 4ºC and 90±2% relative humidity. The results showed that both concentrations of CaCl2 (0.5 and 1%) as three times spraying increased the fruit firmness (at harvest and postharvest stages) and reduced the tissue browning (25%) and water loss (11%) in comparison to the control after two weeks of cold storage. It is concluded that repeated calcium spraying, may result in improving the growth parameters as well as the postharvest characteristics of peach fruit.

Alternate bearing is a phenomenon in some varieties that after high yielding year (On year) which fruits are very small and non marketable, flowering decrease significantly and yield will decrease so much that harvest costs is more than grove income occasionally. This bearing cycle that is usually biennial, has high severity in Unshiu mandarin as an important commercial citrus variety of Iran specially in Mazandaran province and can cause severe losses for citrus producers and citrus industry. In this study for decrease of fruitlet density in "on years" and regulating of crop production in continuous years, an factorial experiment was conducted on 18 years old Unshiu trees grafted on Poncirus rootstock in RCBD with three replications. In this four year's study, which was conducted in Kotra Citrus Experiment Station situated in Tonekabon city, effects of tree spraying with NAA on fruitlet thinning was evaluated. Surveid factors were NAA concentrations (200, 300 and 400 mg/L) and time of tree spraying (30 and 50 days after full bloom) and obtained results were compared with check (unsprayed)trees. Results showed that tree spraying with 400 mg/L at 30 days after full bloom can cause significant differences with check trees and can decrease fruitlet density at high yielding years significantly and improve crop quality on off years.