مجله پژوهش های حبوبات ایران
سال سیزدهم شماره 2 (پیاپی 26، پاییز و زمستان 1401)

Pulse crops play important role in supplying human food needs. Lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) is probably the oldest grain legume to be domesticated and one of the most important pulse crops worldwide due its nutritional characteristics. Lentil is an integral part of dryland agriculture, mainly because of its ability to thrive comparatively well under water-limiting environments. As a result, the crop which provides protein-rich food and animal feed is largely grown under rainfed conditions. The major lentil producing countries are India, Canada, Turkey, USA, Nepal, Australia, Syria, China, Bangladesh, Iran, etc. Iran ranked fourth in area after India, Turkey and Canada and ninth in the production. The aim of any breeding program working for unpredictable and rainfed environments is to develop varieties with high and stable yields. Breeders take advantage of the selection for several traits to achieve maximum economic yield. The selection of genotypes based on indices using yield components was used by breeders for a long time. Breeders believe that obtaining a linear function for measurable traits could lead the selection of genotypes with better genetic values, but a need to include economic value and weights in this function express by many researchers. Simultaneous selection using characteristics with important and heritable economic values is more effective. Crop yield is a function of multiple variables inter-related to each other and can not be defined only by a single-variable equation. One of the most effective of these methods is boundary lines. Feiziasl et al (2003 and 2010) used this method for the first time to determine the optimum levels of plant (dryland wheat) characteristics and yield stability analysis. In this paper, “Boundary Lines” and averaging methods and are used to determine optimum levels for some traits of dryland lentil in cold areas.
 
 More than 8300 data for each trait were collected from national and international trials conducted under rainfed conditions in Maragheh, Zanjan, Ardabil and Shirvan (North Khorasan Province) DARI experiment stations 20 years (1996-2016). The traits considered in the analysis were: days to heading, days to physiological maturity, grain filling period, plant height, 100 seed weight and grain yield. The Excel software was used to develop a scatter diagram showing the relationship between each trait with grain yield in each location. Two methods were used to determine the optimum value for a given characteristic. One is based on the boundary lines method where the maximum grain yield and the optimum value for the trait considered coincide with the crossing point of the two boundary lines. “Boundary Lines” method was used to determine the maximum limits of each crop characteristic. The scatter diagram is surrounded by two regression lines, one on the left and the other on the right called boundary lines. Then Maximum yield is obtained at the intersection of both boundary lines. The other approach, called averaging method, is based on subdividing the data into two groups: high and low yielding groups.
 
The boundary lines method allowed the determination of optimum levels for days to flowering, days to physiological maturity, duration of grain filling, plant height and 100 seed weight which were 55.4 days, 92.6 days, 33.8 days, 27.8 centimeters and 5.4 grams, respectively. By averaging of high yielding group method optimums for days to flowering, days to physiological maturity, duration of grain filling, plant height and 100 seed weight characteristics were 62.0 days, 92.6 days, 30.7 days, 23.7 centimeters, 4.9 grams, respectively. These optimums were closely equivalent to those determined using the averaging method for one days to physiological maturity characteristic. But for other plant characteristics there were a lot of difference and boundary line estimated its amplitude on average 3 times wider than the averaging method. Principle component analysis (PCA) show that, the most important traits for selection of lentil varieties were days to flowering and number of days to physiological maturity. These methods could help breeders to determine the optimum and range for characteristics determining the adaptation of genotypes to given environments. Boundary lines method is more suitable for determining of characteristic’s optimum levels in comparison with the averaging method.
 
It can be concluded that, determining the optimum levels of some dryland lentil characteristics were closely equivalent in two boundary lines and averaging methods. However, in some other characteristics, the optimum levels were a lot of difference in estimating of boundary lines and averaging of high yielding groups. Because boundary lines method is considered the data distribution process and gap data in databank, therefore, its estimates in the optimum levels of the characteristics are more accurate and more realistic than the averaging of the high yielding group.

Growth-reducing factors play a key role in significantly reducing seed germination, reducing plumule length and radicle length growth, reducing seed vigor index and reducing seedling length. The most important of these factors are biological and non-biological stresses that several studies have reported have a significant effect on reducing seed germination. In Iran, chickpea cultivation is usually rainfed (about 92%), the seeds use the moisture stored in the soil and in this case the seeds are exposed to drought stress. Exposure to drought stress will eventually lead to reduced germination, improper posture, reduced plant yield. Water potential is the most important factor in seed germination and its reduction directly affects the physiological processes of germination and indirectly affects seed growth and nutrient reserves. In modern agricultural methods, the use of organic fertilizers to improve seed tolerance to stress conditions is recommended. One of these biological and organic fertilizers is compost and vermicompost. The use of vermicompost in addition to adding to the soil can be in the form of adding vermicompost extract (tea compost) to the soil. The unique properties of vermicompost extract are: 1. Contains beneficial aerobic microorganisms such as Azotobacter, 2. No anaerobic bacteria, fungi and pathogenic microorganisms, 3. High water holding capacity, 4. Humic acid (these substances have it has similar effects to growth regulators and hormones), and 5. Contains macro and micro nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, copper, manganese, iron and zinc. Due to the problem of drought and water shortage in many parts of the country, especially Khuzestan province, the use of modern agricultural methods to increase the yield and yield of crops is essential. The main purpose of this study was whether the use of compost tea can play a role in improving the negative effects of drought stress on the germination stage of chickpea seeds?
 
A factorial layout based on a completely randomized design with three replications was conducted at Khatam Al-Anbia University of Technology in Behbahan. The first study was four levels of tea compost such as of 0, 5, 15, 25 and the second treatment was drought stress caused by polyethylene glycol, which included levels of -0.3, -0.6 and -0.9 MPa. In each petri dish, 35 chickpea seeds of Adel cultivar were placed and then the experimental units were numbered based on the studied treatments. Daily examination of petri dishes was continued for 14 days and germinated seeds were harvested from experimental units 15 days after the start of the experiment to measure germination parameters. Characteristics such as percentage, rate and vigor germination, seed vigor index, endosperm consumption, seedling length, plumule and radicle length, plumule and radicle dry weight were measured.
 
The results of this study showed that the application of compost tea had a positive and significant effect on all indices of chickpea seed germination, so that the results related to the simple effects of this application showed that the use of 5, 15 and 25% levels of compost tea significantly increased radicle dry weight, plumule dry weight and endosperm consumption. Under drought stress treatment, the results showed that in all germination and growth indices with increasing stress intensity from -0.3 MPa to -0.9 MPa had a significant decrease. In the study of the interaction effects of compost tea and drought stress, it was observed that in non-stress conditions, the levels of compost tea used (5, 15 and 25%) significantly increase germination rate, germination vigor, vigor index seed, radicle length and seedling length were compared to the control treatment. Under stress conditions of -0.3 MPa, all levels of compost tea caused a significant increase in seed vigor index, germination percentage, rate and germination vigor compared to the control and also in these conditions, 15 and 25 levels were able to significantly increase plumule length and seedling length relative to control. Under -0.6 MPa stress, levels of 15 and 25% of compost tea caused a significant increase in germination percentage and germination vigor, seed vigor index, plumule length and seedling length. Under stress conditions of -0.9 MPa, application of compost tea levels (5, 15 and 25%) in comparison with the control treatment significantly increased germination percentage, germination rate, radicle length, plumule length and seedling length. Under these conditions, 15 and 25% of compost tea also significantly increased germination vigor compared to the control treatment.
 
According to the results of this study, application of compost tea (vermicompost extract) at levels of 15 and 25% in conditions where chickpea seeds are exposed to drought stress, is recommended.

Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.) as one of the important beans, has 20-25% protein and is a protein supplier that is needed by humans and plays an important role in this regard. Increasing yield per unit area is one of the most important factors for increasing production. Humic acid is a natural organic polymer compound that results from the decay of soil organic matter, peat, lignin, etc., which can be used to increase the product and its quality. One of the important benefits of using humic acid is the ability to chelate various nutrients such as potassium and magnesium and other elements to overcome the lack of nutrients. Humic acid also creates more space for water to penetrate through physical modification and improved soil granulation. Nanotechnology as a leading science in solving problems and issues of agriculture has well proven its place in agricultural sciences and related industries. Potassium is the most suitable cation with a capacity to activate plant enzymes because in addition to its high concentration in the cell and its amount in nature, this cation has an extraordinary mobility inside the plant. Therefore, the present study was conducted to investigate the effect of combining humic acid and potassium nano-chelate fertilizer on the characteristics of cowpea in Ahvaz.
 
In order to evaluate the effect of compilation of the humic acid and nano-potassium fertilizer on physiological, morphological and yield characteristics of cowpea (Vigna sp.) in Ahvaz, a factorial study was conducted in Ahvaz city in the year 2020 based on a randomized complete block design with four replications. Experimental factors included humic acid at three levels: zero (control), 2 and 4 liters per hectare and levels of potassium nano-chelate fertilizer as soil application at 3 levels including: zero (control), 2 and 4 kg ha-1 in Ahvaz region. Field preparation included plowing, disks and leveling. After preparation of the field, nitrogen and phosphate fertilizers were mixed with the disk machine at a depth of 15 cm. Nitrogen from the source of urea (46%) was 50 kg nitrogen per hectare and phosphorus fertilizer from the source of triple superphosphate at a rate of 80 kg/ha P (48%) was used. Statistical analysis was performed using SAS 9.2 and comparing of the means was based on LSD method at 5% probability level.
 
The experimental results showed that the effect of different levels of potassium and humic acid nanoclate on grain yield, number of seeds per pod, number of pods per plant, 100-seed weight, biological yield and protein percentage were effective and affected these traits. The highest grain yield of 4 kg/ha potassium nanoclate and 4 liters/ha of humic acid at the rate of 226.29 g/m2 (which was not statistically significant with the treatment of 4 kg/ha potassium nanoclate and 2 liters/ha of humic acid) It was found that compared to the non-application of humic acid and potassium nanochlate, it showed a 25% increase. In general, application of 2 liters per hectare of humic acid and 4 kg per hectare of potassium nanoclate can be recommended to increase the yield and percentage of protein in cowpea plant. Due to the persistence of photosynthetic tissues, humic acid increased plant yield and also increased plant yield through positive physiological effects such as the effect on plant cell metabolism and increasing leaf chlorophyll concentration. Potassium nano-chelate leads to improved plant growth conditions and cell division and the production of hydrocarbons and proteins and its rapid transfer to the grain, which increases grain weight and thus increases grain yield.
 
According to the results of this study, it was found that the application of two factors, humic acid and potassium, in plants do not have an inhibitory effect on each other, grain yield and protein percentage. Therefore, these two factors together increase the functional components. Therefore, due to the lack of potassium in the arable soils of Khuzestan, it seems that the use of nano-chelate potassium and humic acid at the rate of 4 kg per hectare and 2 liters per hectare, respectively, is a suitable solution to increase the yield and protein content of cowpea with suggested paying attention to the reduction of environmental pollution caused by the application of fertilizers in the soil.

One way to create sustainability and maintain the health of the agricultural ecosystems is to use intercropping. There are many reports on the effect of intercropping on population decline and increasing weeds diversity. In a study at all intercropping ratios, the dry weight of weeds was lower than the monoculture of two species of Sweet Corn and Mung Bean (Gholi Nejad et al., 2018). It was also reported that in intercropping, weed diversity increased compared to monoculture, but biomass decreased (Patience et al., 2013). Abadian et al, (2014) also showed that cowpea in additive intercropping with basil, reduced the population and biomass of weeds compared to monoculture of basil. This study was designed and conducted with the aim of studying the effect of relay triple intercropping of Sugar Beet with Chickpea and Mung Bean on density, dry weight and biodiversity of weeds in Mashhad weather conditions.
 
This experiment was conducted based on a randomized complete block design with three replications at the Research Farm of Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad during the growing season of 2015-2016. Treatments were 25% Chickpea (Mung Bean)+75% Sugar Beet, 50% Chickpea (Mung Bean)+50% Sugar Beet, 75% Chickpea (Mung Bean)+25%, Sugar Beet and monoculture of Chickpea (Mung Bean) and Sugar Beet. Legumes varied depending on the growth season, at the end of winter, Chickpea was intercropped with Sugar Beet and after harvesting Chickpea, Mung Bean was replaced by chickpea as a thermophilic plant in the late spring in the same rows of chickpea planting. During the growing season, composition of weed species together with weed density and dry matter were measure at 2 time before and after closing the canopy in randomly sampled 1×1 m2 quadrates. Using the species frequency Margalef richness index and several diversity indices including Shannon-Weiner and Simpson’s index were calculated for each treatment.
 
The highest range of weeds relative density was obtained in the first stage of sampling for Lamb's Quarters (29.81-68.1%) and in the second stage of sampling for Prostrate Pigweed (22.45-43.96%). The highest weed density at first and second sampling was observed in monoculture of sugar beet with 178 plants per square meter and the ratios of 75% chickpeas (Mung Bean)+25% sugar beet with 84 plants per square meter. Also, the highest biomass of weeds in the first and second stages of sampling was observed in monoculture of chickpeas (Mung Bean) with 48.72 g/m2 and the monoculture ratios of sugar beet with 40.49 g/m2. The highest Margalef species richness index was observed in 75% Chickpea (Mung Bean)+25% Sugar Beet and 25% Chickpea (Mung Bean)+75% Sugar Beet with 2.83 and 4.29 in the first and the second stages of sampling, respectively. The highest Shannon-Wiener diversity index was observed in 75% Chickpea (Mung Bean)+25% Sugar Beet and 50% Chickpea (Mung Bean)+50 % Sugar Beet with 0.6 and 0.76 in the first and the second stages of sampling, respectively. Finally, the highest Simpson’s diversity index was observed in 75% Chickpea (Mung Bean)+25% Sugar Beet and 50% Chickpea (Mung Bean)+50% Sugar Beet with 0.68 and 0.796 in the first and the second stages of sampling, respectively.
 
In relay triple intercropping ratios through more shading and space, the conditions for weed growth became more difficult and intercropping ratios reduced their growth. So that in total in two sampling dates, the highest density and biomass of weeds were observed in the monoculture ratios of sugar beet and the monoculture ratios of chickpeas (Mung Bean). In general, with the increase of plant diversity in the agricultural ecosystems, fewer ecological niches have been provided to weeds, which reduces the number and density of weed species. The best cultivation ratios to increase the diversity and species richness of weeds in the first sampling date was 75% chickpeas (Mung Bean)+25% sugar beet and in the second sampling date was 50% chickpeas (Mung Bean)+50% sugar beet. Based on this conclusion, intercropping can be mentioned as an effective tool to increase biodiversity and reduce the density and biomass of weeds.

Mixed cultivation is part of the crop rotation program and a suitable solution for weed control, especially in low-income agricultural systems. The usefulness of intercropping compared to sole cultivation in weed control is due to the deprivation of weeds in the use of resources and higher yield usefulness. By creating diversity through intercropping, the stability of cropping systems increases. In such systems, optimal conditions are created for pest management, nutrient rotation, resource utilization, and increased yield. Therefore, the need to use ecological principles such as intercropping to increase the productivity of arable land seems necessary. After cereals, legumes are the second most important source of human food and have a special place among crops. These plants have an effective role in increasing soil fertility and reducing greenhouse gases due to their coexistence with nitrogen-fixing bacteria. They are one of the most important grain legumes in the world. In 2017, the global area under bean cultivation (Vicia faba L.) is estimated at 2.463 million hectares and its global production is estimated at 4.840 million tons. The area under cultivation and its production in Iran in 2017 has also been reported to be 217.28 thousand hectares with a production of 17.882 thousand tons. The present study aimed to compare single cultivation and incremental bean mixture in a mixed bean cultivation system (barley-bean) concerning the yield of each plant and the rate of weed suppression.
     
This research is carried out at the research farm of the Faculty of Agriculture, Islamic Azad University, Shushtar Branch, with a geographical location of 32 degrees and 3 minutes north and 48 degrees and 50 minutes east and an arid and semi-arid climate, with an average rainfall of 321.4 mm and an average temperature. The annual minimum and maximum were 9.5 and 46.3 °C, respectively. Treatments included sole and mixed cultivation of barley (Valfajr cultivar) and beans (Barakat cultivar). In sole cultivation, barley density of 400 plants per square meter and bean density of 20 plants per square meter were considered based on the recommended seed amount. Treatments included sole and mixed cultivation of barley (Valfajr cultivar) and beans (Barakat cultivar). In sole cultivation, barley density of 400 plants per square meter and bean density of 20 plants per square meter were considered based on the recommended seed amount. In mixed cultivation, barley density was fixed (400 plants per square meter) and bean density was determined as a percentage of net cultivation including (12.5, 25, 37.5, 50, and 62.5%). The research was conducted based on randomized complete blocks with four replications based on the incremental method in the mixed system in the 2009-2010 crop years.
 
The net crop yield of each plant was higher compared to its mixed crop. The highest barley yield 2496 kg/ha was observed in sole cultivation. By increasing the ratio of beans in intercropping from 12.5 to 62.5%, barley grain yield decreased from 93 to 73% compared to its sole crop. The highest yield of beans was obtained in its net cultivation with 2621 kg/ha. A comparison of cultivation mixing treatments showed that by increasing the ratio of beans in mixed cultivation from 12.5 to 62.5%, bean seed yield increased from 12 to 48%. Although the grain yield of crops in the mixture was lower compared to their net cultivation, the total productivity of the land in mixed cultivation improved as a result of the higher parity ratio of the whole land. The average values ​​of land parity ratio were obtained from 1.05 to 1.23 in different ratios of barley and bean intercropping. This means that the net cultivation of each plant requires 5 to 23% more land to produce the same yield compared to mixed cultivation, which indicates that the efficiency of land use in mixed cultivation is higher than in sole cultivation. The effect of different crop ratios on dry weight and weed density was significant compared to sole barley at the 1% probability level. The highest and lowest dry weight of weeds with 71 and 47 g/m2, respectively, were related to sole barley and the ratio of 62.5: 100 (beans: barley). However, the comparison of weed dry weight in different proportions of intercropping showed no significant difference.
 
Mixed barley and bean farming can be economically and environmentally promising in most parts of Iran, with high population density, small farms and limited income. In this study, despite the decrease in barley yield due to the increase in the ratio of the associated crop (beans) to barley, intercropping was more productive according to the results of total grain yield and land parity ratios.

 

Considering the development of cultivation and production of legumes and the importance of genetic studies in plant breeding, identifying the genetic potential of these plants is very important. Knowledge of genetic diversity and relationships between genotypes is important for understanding available genetic variability and the potential to use it in breeding programs. According to previous studies on lentils, it was found that improving the yield potential per unit area can be one of the important criteria for increasing the production of this plant. Increasing the yield per unit area is possible mainly by modifying and creating high-yielding cultivars, improving the characteristics and increasing the quantitative and qualitative potentials. Breeders and plant physiologists believe that in order to be more productive in improving compatible cultivars in areas with limited water resources, recognizing the agronomic traits affecting grain yield under stress conditions will be of great importance; Therefore, indirect selection based on physiological traits has been proposed as a complement to the selection of cultivars with high yield potential. Considering the different reactions of photosynthetic indices under stress conditions, it is important to know the genotypic diversity of photosynthetic indices under culture conditions and their relationship with grain yield. Despite numerous studies on the role of physiological traits in drought tolerance in crops, recent studies on lentils, especially in Iran, are limited. This study was designed and carried out with the aim of determining genotypes with desirable physiological and yield traits and the relationship between these traits and photosynthesis under rainfed conditions.

 

In order to study the photosynthetic and yield parameters of lentil plant in rainfed conditions, selected advanced lentil lines with control cultivars were studied in a randomized complete block design with 3 replications in Khodabandeh dryland research station in Zanjan Province in two cropping seasons 2018 to 2020. Physiological traits included photosynthesis per unit leaf area, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate, photosynthetic activated radiation, sub stumatal CO2, leaf temperature, photosynthetic water use efficiency, mesophilic conductivity and water use efficiency. Plant height, 100-seed weight, number of pods and yield (kg/ha) were also measured for each genotype in each plot. Analysis of variance and comparison of means were performed using Duncan's test at 5% probability level. Finally, correlation analysis and stepwise regression analysis were performed with the variables of photosynthesis rate and total yield.

 

The results showed that there was a significant difference in photosynthetic active radiation, leaf temperature, photosynthetic water use efficiency, mesophilic conductivity, water use efficiency, 100-grain weight and yield between two years of experiment. The studied genotypes showed significant differences in leaf temperature, photosynthesis, plant height, 100-seed weight and yield, which indicated the high genetic diversity of these genotypes in terms of these traits. The interaction effect of genotype per year was not significant in all studied traits, which shows that the trend of changes in these traits between genotypes during the two years was the same. Among the studied genotypes, G5 genotype is a genotype with superior agronomic characteristics that can be recommended as a cultivar with high yield potential. Photosynthesis rate showed a significant negative correlation with leaf temperature and significant positive correlation with transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, mesophilic conductivity, water use efficiency and 100-grain weight. 100-seed weight showed a significant negative correlation with leaf temperature and a significant positive correlation with stomatal conductance, photosynthesis, mesophilic conductivity and water use efficiency. These results show that drought and lack of water in the soil have the greatest effect on reducing photosynthesis and plant yield at different phenological stages (seedling, flowering and podding) of the plant. Finally, regression analysis showed that stomatal conductance and sub stumatal CO2 explained the changes in photosynthesis.

 

The results showed that for lentils, two traits of stomatal conductance and sub stumatal CO2 concentration may explain the changes in photosynthesis. Genetic diversity is very important for crop breeding and higher diversity of genotypes provides a better chance of producing a variety of desirable cultivars. The observed genetic diversity in traits can help select superior genotypes based on phenotypic expression and can be used in breeding programs to improve economically important traits. Finally, among the studied genotypes, G5 genotype was found to be a genotype with superior agronomic characteristics that could be recommended to the farmers to improve lentil yield.

Nitrogen fertilizers are commonly used to increase economic performance in corn production. However, it should be noted that nitrogen added to the soil in crop ecosystems is not fully available to the plant and may be leached. In this context, many studies have investigated various crop production methods to improve soil health and reduce soil nitrogen losses. Crop rotation and no-till may be an appropriate method to improve soil health and increase soil organic carbon and total nitrogen. In this experiment, it was assumed that growing faba beans in rotation with forage corn and applying sustainable agriculture can greatly reduce the need for nitrogen fertilizer in corn and increase nitrogen use efficiency compared to monoculture corn. The objective of this experiment was to determine the appropriate plant density of faba bean and its effect on crop rotation with forage corn, and to evaluate the nitrogen fertilization efficiency of corn.
 
A two-year experiment was conducted in 2018-2019 as a factorial experiment based on a randomized complete block design with three replicates at the research farm of the Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, university of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran. The experimental treatments were different plant densities of faba bean (25, 35, 40 and 80 plants m-2) and different nitrogen (N) fertilizer rates (0, 100, 200 and 300 kg ha-1) in forage corn. Shadan cultivar of faba bean was planted in this experiment and it was harvested manually at the physiological maturity stage. The corn variety was the single cross hybrid 201, which was planted at the density of 80000 plants ha-1 in the residue rows of faba bean. Nitrogen fertilizer (as urea) was applied three times at the V5 stage of corn. Three corn plants were harvested at the milk stage and then oven dried at 70 °C for 72 h and weighed. Traits studied in this experiment were include grain yield, 100-grain weight, harvest index, biological yield and weed control efficiency in faba bean and fresh and dry forage yield, protein yield, nitrogen recovery efficiency, nitrogen agronomic efficiency and nitrogen productivity in forage corn. Statistical analysis of data was performed using SAS 9.4 software, and significant differences between treatment means were tested using the Duncan's Multiple Range Test at P < 0.05.
 
Faba bean
The highest grain yield was obtained at plant density of 80 plants.m-2, 100-grain weight, and HI were observed at plant densities 40 plant.m-2 and the densities of 80 and 40 plants had the highest Reduction percentage in dry weight of weeds and biological yield. It seems that an increase in plant density, especially at the beginning of the growing season, results in complete coverage of the soil with plants and reduces the competitive ability of weeds. In addition, with higher plant density, solar radiation on the plant canopy increases, so less light is available for weeds and the germination rate of weed seeds decreases. The result of cultivation shows higher competitive power and the results were obtained.
Corn
Our results showed that using faba bean in rotation with forage corn can reduce the need for nitrogen fertilizer. The results of the mean comparisons showed that the highest dry forage yield of corn was obtained at the density of 40 faba bean plants+200 kg N ha-1, representing an increase of 155% compared to the control treatment. Corn yield is very sensitive to nitrogen deficiency. On the other hand, using of legumes in crop rotations can improve crop access to nitrogen. Addition, the highest protein yield was observed at the density of 40 faba bean plants+200 kg N ha-1 and 35 faba bean plants+200 kg N ha-1. Density of 40 faba bean plants+no application of N fertilizer had the highest nitrogen recovery efficiency and nitrogen agronomic efficiency. Thus, it can be concluded that the combined application of nitrogen fertilizer and the use of faba bean in the crop rotation increases the availability and uptake of nitrogen and also increases the efficiency of this element at a stage of plant growth when nitrogen uptake is high. Therefore, the corn yield was higher in these treatments
 
In this experiment, the effects of plant density of faba bean on the yield of this crop and the effects of crop rotation on nitrogen yield and efficiency of forage corn were studied. The results showed that the highest grain yield, 100-grain weight, biological yield, and bean harvest index were obtained at plant densities 40 and 80 plant. The results also showed that the density of 40 bean plants+200 kg N ha-1 had the highest increase in dry forage yield of corn compared to the control. It can be concluded that the density of 40 faba bean plants+200 kg N ha-1 in forage corn under similar climatic conditions may be a suitable method to reduce the use of chemical N fertilizer.

Some studies have reported that application of chemical fertilizers, especially nitrogen, is one of the most appropriate methods to increase crop production and maintain food security in the world. However, it should also be noted that the improper use of nitrogen fertilizers can disrupt natural ecosystems. Alternative methods can be used to prevent this, such as the use of plants with biological nitrogen fixation (e.g., legumes). Faba bean is one of the most important varieties of this family (Fabaceae) and contains 24-30% protein and 51-68% carbohydrates. This plant is one of the most important spices of the genus (Vicia) and has a high yield compared to other legumes. Due to its environmental, economic and agroecological performance, faba bean can improve the sustainability of agricultural ecosystems. Corn (Zea mays L.) is one of the most important annual cereals. However, maize cultivation is not economical because it requires nitrogen fertilizer, and improper use of nitrogen also increases ecosystem instability. Incorporating legumes into cropping systems is critical for sustainable management of agricultural systems and reducing nitrogen fertilizer requirements for corn production.
 
A two-year experiment was conducted in 2018-2019 as a factorial experiment based on a randomized complete block design with three replications at the research farm of the Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, university of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran. The experimental treatments were different plant densities of faba bean (25, 35, 40 and 80 plants m-2) and different nitrogen fertilizer rates (0, 100, 200 and 300 kg ha-1) of forage corn. In this experiment, the faba bean variety Shadan was planted and manually harvested at the physiological maturity stage. The corn variety was a single cross hybrid 201, which was planted at a density of 80000 plants ha-1 in the rows with faba bean residues. At the V5 stage of corn, N fertilizer (as urea) was applied in 3 stages. Three corn plants were harvested at the milk stage and then oven dried at 70°C for 72 h and weighed. Traits studied in this experiment included chlorophyll index, plant height, root nodule dry weight, root dry weight, number of root nodules, and grain yield in faba bean, and chlorophyll index, protein harvest index, plant height, number of leaves per plant, physiological nitrogen efficiency, nitrogen uptake efficiency, and dry matter yield in forage corn. Statistical analysis of data was performed using SAS 9.4 software, and significant differences between treatment means were tested using the Duncan's Multiple Range Test at P< 0.05.
 
Faba bean
The highest grain yield (g m-2), plant height (cm) and chlorophyll index of faba bean were obtained at the density of 80 plant m-2. At the densities of 25 and 35 plants m-2, the number of root nodules and the dry weight of root nodules (g) were the highest. As plant density increased, root dry weight (g m-2) also increased, so that the density of 80 plants m-2 had the highest root dry weight per m2. The highest fertility rate was observed at the densities of 80 and 40 plants m-2.
Corn
Our results showed that the interaction between faba bean density and N fertilizer had effects on plant height, chlorophyll index, protein harvest index, physiological nitrogen efficiency, nitrogen uptake efficiency, and dry forage yield. The results of the mean comparisons showed that the highest dry forage yield was obtained at the density of 40 faba bean plants+200 kg N ha-1 an increase of 155% over the control treatment. The highest number of leaves was observed in the treatments at the density of 40 faba bean plants+100 kg N ha-1, at the density of 40 faba bean plants+200 kg N ha-1 and at the density of 35 faba bean plants+200 kg N ha-1. The density of 40 plant of faba bean+100 kg N ha-1 and the density of 40 plant of faba bean+200 kg N ha-1 had the highest plant height. The highest chlorophyll index was obtained at the the density of 40 faba bean plants+200 kg N ha-1. Finally, the results showed that employment of faba bean in rotation and non-application of nitrogen fertilizer increased nitrogen uptake efficiency of forage corn.
 
Comparison of the different treatments showed that the density of 40 plants of faba bean and 200 kg N ha-1 was superior in most of the evaluated traits. Overall, the results suggest that the use of faba bean in crop rotation is an appropriate approach to reduce the use of chemical fertilizers in agricultural systems, according to the results, the use of the density of 40 plants of faba bean and 200 kg N ha-1 were recommended under the same weather conditions.

In temperate climates, cool-season plants are usually grown in autumn. Due to the proper establishment of the plant in autumn, better use of rainfall, and avoidance of late-season heat and drought stresses, autumn planting leads to better plant stability and yield compared to spring planting. In chickpeas, autumn sowing increases plant height and nitrogen fixation. Scientists believe that autumn cultivation of chickpea leads to higher yields due to the longer vegetative growth period and coincides with the reproductive growth period with favorable humidity and temperature conditions. On the other hand, studies have shown that in severe freezing temperatures in cold regions, chickpea has a lower tolerance threshold than autumn cereals. This study aimed to evaluate the freezing tolerance of chickpea genotypes -desi type- in field conditions to select superior genotypes for autumn cultivation.

This study was conducted in the research farm station of the Faculty of Agriculture, the Ferdowsi University of Mashhad in 2018. In this study, 255 desi type genotypes and a Kabuli type genotype (Saral) as control were evaluated in a Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications. Seeds were provided from the Mashhad Chickpea Collection (Seed Bank of Research Center for Plant Sciences, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad). Planting was done in October with a density of 30 plants per square meter. Irrigation was done in three stages including immediately after planting, 14 days after the first irrigation, and at the flowering stage. To determine survival percentage, the number of plants for each genotype was counted 30 days after emergence and immediately after winter. Genotypes were classified into four groups (0-25, 26-50, 51-75 and 76-100% survival). Plant height, plant length, lowest pod height, number of branches, number of pods per plant, percentage of filled pods, plant dry weight, grain weight per plant, 100-seed weight, biological yield, grain yield, and harvest index were measured at the end of the growing season.

The lowest minimum temperature during the growing season was -12°C. Results showed that among 255 genotypes, 25 genotypes were lost before freezing stress and 20 genotypes were lost by freezing stress. Significant differences were observed among the genotypes in terms of plant height, plant length, lowest pod height, number of branches, number of pods per plant, percentage of filled pods, plant dry weight, seed weight per plant, 100-seed weight, biological yield, grain yield, and harvest index. The survival percentage of 39 genotypes was between 76 to 100%, 75 genotypes between 51 to 75%, 61 genotypes between 26 to 50%, and 55 genotypes less than 25%. Ten genotypes (MCC373, MCC658, MCC755, MCC212, MCC83, MCC864, MCC371, MCC756, MCC749 and MCC885) had a survival percentage higher than 90%. Plant height in 21 genotypes was higher than 50 cm and the lowest pod height in 47 genotypes was more than 15cm. The number of branches per plant increased as the survival range increased. Also, in different survival ranges, grain yield decreased as survival percentage decreased. The average grain yield in the survival range of 100-76% was 257 g.m-2, which was 24%, 2.5, and 8.6 times higher than the survival ranges of 51-75, 26-50, and 0-25%, respectively. No significant difference was found among survival ranges of 100-76, 75-51, and 50-26% according to the harvest index.

The results of cluster analysis of chickpea genotypes desi type under autumn cultivation showed that 230 studied genotypes were divided into four groups. The four groups included 106, 24, 43, and 57 genotypes, respectively. Standardized canonical coefficients of all traits except, the percentage of filled pods, seed weight per plant, 100-seed weight, and harvest index were significant in the first canonical diagnostic equation. These results show that these traits have the greatest impact on the diversity between genotypes. Based on the results of the analysis of the variance of groups, except for the percentage of filled pods and harvest index, a significant difference was observed between the groups in all studied traits. A comparison of the means of the groups showed that the genotypes of the second group had the highest mean survival percentage and then the fourth group was in the next rank. The difference between the means of these two groups with the total mean was 17.7 and 16.4%, respectively. The genotypes of the second group were superior to the genotypes of the other groups in terms of biomass yield and grain yield and produced 1252 and 606 g.m-2 more than the total average, respectively, then the genotypes of the fourth group were superior to the genotypes of the other groups. In general, due to the high yield in the cold-tolerant genotypes, autumn cultivation of desi-type chickpeas seems to be economical.

According to statistics released by the Ministry of Agricultural Jahad, the area under cultivation of beans in Iran is 106264 hectares, with an average yield of 2401 kg/ha. Helicoverpa armigera has recently caused extensive damage to bean fields. Young larvae feed on the leaf parenchyma and reproductive organs of chickpeas (flowers and buds) and then, at the same time as the pods form, medium and large larvae enter the pod and feed on its seeds. Farmers spray every year for fear of pests, and sometimes even in the absence of pests. In addition to polluting the environment, these sprays reduce natural enemies and cause other consequences, including the return of the pest, and imposing additional costs on farmers. Therefore, considering the key role of beans in the central province and the importance of this pest and the need to reduce and optimal use of agricultural pesticides, studying the amount of damage caused by pod worms is one of the requirements. Therefore, considering that the population of this pest has increased in bean fields in recent years and it has caused damage, and so far no research project has been conducted on this pest in this province, the distribution and damage rate of this pest was investigated.
 
The project was carried out in bean farms in Khomein, Arak, Milajerd, Khondab and Shazand cities for two years. In order to investigate the damage of bean pod worm in important areas of bean cultivation, five bean cultivation regions of Markazi province including Arak, Shazand, Khomein, Milajerd and Khondab that had relatively high density of this pest were selected. Twenty five farms, five farms from each region were selected and investigated and 5 farms and a total of each region. Twenty-five bean fields were surveyed at three times of mid-flowering and pod formation and before harvest. For sampling from each field and in all three stages of mid-flowering, pod formation and before harvest, 20 plants were randomly selected and while shaking the plants on a white paper, the number of larvae was counted and recorded. To estimate the amount of damage, before harvest, 20 plants were selected from each field and all healthy and damaged pods of each plant were identified and counted due to the pest and the percentage of field contamination was estimated.
 
The results of this study showed that in both two years of the project, Khomein and Khondab regions showed the highest and lowest pollution rates, respectively. The largest population of bean bud worm larvae is in the middle stage of flowering, so it is recommended to carry out chemical control at this stage if it is necessary. Due to the fact that among the studied local mass, red and white, respectively, were more sensitive to this pest. In order to reduce the percentage of infection, white and red local mass are preferable to cultivation in the mentioned areas. The results showed that the optimum time for chemical control of chickpea cocoons is simultaneously with the largest number of larvae which coincides with the middle of flower formation (flowering stage) and early cocooning of plants (Shafaghi et al., 2020). The results of current study are similar to the results of the present study in terms of having the largest population of larvae in the mid-flowering stage. In a study conducted in India on a weekly basis in different regions to investigate the distribution of Helicoverpa armigera Hübner (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), it was concluded that the average number of larvae per plant was 2.5 and the minimum number of larvae per plant was 1.4. The average number of larvae varied in different parts of the country (Wakil et al., 2010). Due to the differences in weather conditions and the product under study, the results of the present study are not similar to the results of this study. A research project found that first- and second-age larvae of soybean pod eaters were denser than older larvae, which may be due to the death of younger larvae that could not reach older ages (Barari et al., 2011). In the first year, the average percentage of damages in Arak, Shazand, Khomein, Milajerd and Khondab counties were 6.51, 7.87, 9.72, 5.01 and 4.43% in the second year, respectively 6.45, It was 8.68, 9.67, 5.55 and 4.26 percent, respectively. In a study it was concluded that Caboli type cultivars were more sensitive to this pest, but the compensation mechanism was more in these cultivars relative to the Deci cultivar. In this experiment, it was found that ILC537 and Pirooz cultivars showed the least infestation to this pest (Khanizad & Kanouni, 2006).
 
Due to the fact that among the studied cultivars, red and white, respectively, were more sensitive to this pest. In order to reduce the percentage of infection, white and red cultivars are preferable to cultivation in the mentioned areas.

Among three market class of bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) landrace in Guilan province, black streaked (Ojo de Cabra) has the highest cultivated area. This type of bean is a determinate bush with purple flowers, kidney-shaped seeds coated with black streaks in creamy background and hundred seed weight of 37 g. The great yield loss of bean posed by weeds represents the importance of planning effective weed control programs. With respect to increasing environmental concerns, if crop suppressive ability could be integrated into a weed management strategy, then the potential for improved weed control and reduced herbicide inputs would be promising. Every agronomic practices aim to improve germination extent, evenness and rate, seedling emergence and establishment, and plant growth and development for crop rather than weeds, would lead to enhance competitiveness of crop against weeds. Seed priming is a physiological technique in which seed hydration and drying occurs. Conventional methods of seed priming are hydro-priming, bio-priming, chemical priming, osmo-priming, nutrient priming, and priming with plant growth regulators. Seed priming due to promoting germination, emergence, and early growth of crop can ensure vigorous plants which may strongly compete with weeds. Therefore, priming could be expected to confer a competitive advantage on the crop. In this experiment, the possibility of utilizing priming in order to reduce the applied dose of two common bean herbicides, trifluralin and bentazone, were investigated.

order to study the effect of seed pre-treatment with biological and chemical agents and herbicide application on growth and yield of dry bean landrace of black streaked (market class of Ojo de Cabra) as a common and widely used landrace in Guilan province, this field study was conducted at the University of Guilan in 2015. Treatments were arranged as a factorial with four seed pre-treatments and five weed management programs for a total of 20 treatments in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Seed pre-treatment consisted of priming by zinc sulphate and by salicylic acid, biopriming by Pseudomonas bacteria, and without priming. Weed management program included weed free (hand weeding), and weed infested condition, and 100, 75 and 50% recommended dose of trifluralin (Treflan, EC 48%, recommended dose of 960 g ai. ha-1) and bentazon (Basagran, SL 48%, recommended dose of 960 g ai. ha-1). To study the growth and development of bean, five stages of samples were taken. first destructive samplings were done at 16 days after planting and repeated every 14 days up to the last sampling was done at 72 days after planting (samples were taken 16, 30, 44, 58 and 72 days after planting). At each sampling, plant height, Leaf area and dry weight, and stem and total dry weight of bean plants were measured. Number and weight of pods, and biological yield were also determined at the last (5th) sampling time. Data were subjected to ANOVA, using SAS v. 9.2. Means were separated using Fisher’s Protected LSD test at the 0.05 level of significance.

The height of bean plants was higher by 11% in priming by salicylic acid compared to non-priming treatments. Seed biopriming by Pseudomonas bacteria compared to non-priming treatment increased the maximum leaf area index, maximum leaf dry weight, total dry weight, number of pods per square meter, and biological yield by 30, 69, 50, 31, and 50%, respectively. Weed management also affected crop production. The highest amounts of the measured traits were recorded for treatments of weed free condition and recommended dose of herbicides. The values of measured traits reduced as herbicide dose decreased. Full-season weed infested condition compared to weed free condition reduced the maximum leaf area index, maximum leaf dry weight, total dry weight, number and weight of pods per square meter, and biological yield by 40, 58, 58, 72, 70, and 58%, respectively. The lowest values belonged to weed infested condition. The effect of reduced rate application of 75% of the recommended dose of trifluralin and bentazon were not significantly different from recommended dose of two herbicides for all traits in all sampling times, except the stem dry weight in third sampling, and pod numbers per square meter. Therefor it seems possible to apply reduced dose of recommended herbicides while minimizing weed competitive effects and maintaining economic returns of bean production. This also would decline undesirable effects accompanied by herbicide application including herbicide-resistant weed populations that challenge sustainability of weed management programs.

However, non-significant interaction of seed pre-treatment and herbicide application revealed that despite seed priming methods was positively correlated with growth, development and production of bean, but not with competitiveness of the crop, and thus could not provide a reliable management strategy to reduced herbicide inputs. Generally, since implementation of integrated weed management systems are of fundamental importance in modern weed control, more attention should be given to the possibility of setting up weed control programs involving herbicides reduced dose application combined with crop competitive ability.

 Terminal drought stress is one of the important factors reducing the yield of chickpea in rainfed crops in cold and temperate regions. Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) as an important grain legumes due to its special properties such as nitrogen fixation ability, deep rooting and effective use of rainfall, play an important role in the stability of crop production in sustainable agriculture (Amiri et al., 2011). In Iran, chickpea cultivation under cold regions is mainly in spring using stored moisture in the soil and spring rainfall. One of the factors affecting the yield of dryland chickpeas is water deficiency or teminal drought stress at the end of the season, which severely reduces the growth and grain yield. The possibility of using some biochemical compounds such as salicylic acid, calcium chloride and ascorbic acid increases the tolerance of drought stress at the end of the growth season and reduces the amount of damage and increases grain yield in such conditions. It has been previously reported that salicylic acid plays an important protective role in the development of tolerance to environmental stresses (Raskin, 1992). Under drought stress conditions, salicylic acid prevents the reduction of auxin and cytokinin hormones, increases cell division and improves plant growth by regulating photosynthetic and chlorophyll processes (Sakhabutdinova et al., 2003: Patel et al., 2012). Also, ascorbic acid protects and integrates chloroplast membranes, accumulates soluble carbohydrates, and enhances the normal function of the photosynthetic apparatus by neutralizing superoxide and oxygen free radicals from stresses. (Shao et al., 2008). It has been reported that the use of ascorbic acid improves morphological and physiological parameters and increases plant resistance to stress, and by increasing plant antioxidant capacity, increases photosynthesis and plant growth (Smirnoff, 2011). On the other hand it has been reported that calcium chloride plays an important role in cell adaptation to abiotic stresses and increases its antioxidant activity and photosynthesis through its effect on water uptake, root growth and maintenance of turgor pressure in plant cells (Rab & Haq, 2012).
 
The experiment was carried out in Sararod rainfed agricultural research station, located in the east of Kermanshah city, at an altitude of 1351 meters above sea level, with a mild cold climate and an average annual rainfall of 454 mm in 2018-19 growing season. The experimental cultivars were new and improved cultivars of Kabuli chickpea, named Mansour (V1) and Adel (V2). The experiment was performed as a factorial experiment in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Foliar application included salicylic acid (S1), ascorbic acid (S2), calcium chloride (S3), salicylic acid + ascorbic acid (S4), salicylic acid + calcium chloride (S5), ascorbic acid + calcium chloride (S6) and spraying with water (S7=control). Foliar application of salicylic acid at a concentration of 1.5 mM, ascorbic acid at a concentration of 10 mM and calcium chloride at a concentration of 5 mM. Triton X-100 non-ionic surfactant with a concentration of 0.01% was used to reduce surface tension. Foliar application was done in two stages: 50% flowering and 50% podding of plants.
 
Results showed that the effect of foliar application on the number of sub-stems, number of seeds per pod, 100-seed weight, biological yield, grain yield and grain protein yield was significant. The effect of the compounds used individually was less than their combined use. Grain yield in Mansour cultivar with an average of 61.87 g.m-2 was better than Adel cultivar with an average of 51.16 g.m-2. Among foliar treatments, the most effect on grain yield belonged to salicylic acid + calcium chloride solution with an average of 67.99 and the least effect was the control treatment with an average of 45.80 g m-2. In general, the highest grain yield was obtained for Mansour cultivar with salicylic acid + calcium chloride solution equal to 71.55 g.m-2. The highest percentage of grain protein was also observed in Mansour cultivar with 23.12% and the lowest percentage of grain protein was observed in Adel cultivar with 20.05%.
 
According to the results of this experiment, although individual foliar application of salicylic acid, ascorbic acid or calcium chloride compared to the control (foliar application with water) was effective in increasing the yield of cultivars, but in Mansour cultivar application of salicylic acid with calcium chloride or ascorbic acid and in Adel cultivar application of salicylic acid with calcium chloride had the greatest effect on reducing the adverse effects of drought stress at the end of the growing season, and preventing reduced yield and economic losses of cultivars.

Legumes are the main source of protein in developing countries, so that its protein content is about twice that of cereals and a cheap source of protein of good quality and a good supplement to cereal protein. These plants are very important in low-input agricultural systems and have a special place in the rotation of some agricultural systems in the world, especially in arid areas, and play a significant role in food production in these countries.

order to economical comparison of different cultivars production forage legumes and selecting of suitable legume, this research carried out in 2018 and 2019 in Golestan province. In this research, for determination of legumes quantity yield, randomized complete block design in three replications and for economic assessment used partial budgeting method, benefit cost ratio, the percent of sale return and the percent of cost return was used. Forage legumes including four cultivars of faba bean (Barkat, Feyz, Shadan and Mahta cultivars), grass pea (local cultivar), three cultivars of vetch (common, hairy and hungarian cultivars) and two cultivars of fodder green pea (internal and Pioneer cultivars) were evaluated in terms of quantitative traits of fresh, dry forage yield. In the partial budgeting method, the following calculations are required to decide on the choice of the most economical treatment among the different treatments in the form of a pilot project:A) Calculating the benefits of performing different treatments: (Bi + C1)1- Increase of income: Calculation of increase of income that is obtained as a result of the implementation of the new treatment (Bi).2- Reduction of costs: Calculation of the cost of the control treatment, which will no longer be necessary due to the implementation of the rival treatment (C1).B) Calculation of the cost of different treatments: (Ci + B1)Increase of expenses: calculation of costs that result from the implementation of the new treatment (Ci).Income reduction: Calculation of income related to the control treatment that is lost due to the implementation of the competitor treatment (B1).If the benefits of the treatment in question are more than its costs or in other words (Bi + C1)> (Ci + B1), it shows that the study is more economically profitable than the control treatment and Otherwise, the control treatment will be superior to the desired treatment. In order to select the best treatment from the studied treatments and rank the treatments, it is possible to act based on the amount of net benefits of the treatment or based on the ratio of benefit to cost of different treatments. In economic context, usually when the results of a project are related to different years, it is not possible to sum up the projected results of costs / revenues directly, but first the time value of money at the deposit rate. Banks should be determined at present value and then net present value (NPV) and cost-benefit ratio as profitability indicators. For this purpose, was used engineering economics creteria.

According to the results, the yield of fresh forage production of hairy vetch variety and dry forage production of common vetch variety was estimated 48755 and 8730 kg/ha, respectively, in target regions. The mean of production cost of domestic and external vetch was estimated 22.2 and 35.5 Iranian million rials/ha, respectively. The mean of production cost of internal and external of fodder green pea was estimated as 28.3 and 46.4 Iranian million rials/ha, respectively. The mean of production cost of domestic of faba bean and grass pea was estimated as 34.6 and 26.2 Iranian million rials/ha, respectively. The mean of net present value of the fresh forage production of hairy vetch and dry forage production of common vetch was estimated as 221.9 and 128.1 Iranian million rials/ha, respectively, that is more than others forage legumes. The mean of benefit cost ratio of the fresh forage production of hairy vetch and dry forage production of common vetch was estimated 10.2 and 6.3 unit, respectively. The mean of sale return of the fresh forage production of hairy vetch and dry forage production of common vetch was estimated 90.2 and 84.1 percent, respectively.

generally, economic results show that, due to low production costs and higher profitability, the fresh forage production of hairy vetch variety and dry forage production of common vetch variety were recommended to target region