نشریه تولیدات گیاهی
سال چهل و ششم شماره 4 (زمستان 1402)

 Sesame is one of the most important oil plants in the world, especially in arid and semi-arid regions and is known as the queen of oil seeds. The high percentage of oil with the combination of suitable fatty acids, medicinal properties and very low water requirement are the characteristics of this oil plant. The main challenge for the lack of development of sesame cultivation all over the world is seed shattering at the time of ripening. Many efforts have been made to obtain non-shattering sesame cultivars with the characteristics of indehiscent capsule at the ripening stage and resistance to seed loss. In this article, we introduce and evaluate the agronomic characteristics of new indehiscent sesame cultivars named Barkat, Mohajer, Chamran and Dezful.

 Indehiscent sesame cultivars with the proposed names of Barkat, Mohajer, Chamran and Dezful have been improved during a breeding program at Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz in collaboration with Shahid Rajaei Agriculture Company. For registration and commercialization, these cultivars were subjected to Distinctness, Uniformity and Stability (DUS) tests and agricultural Value of Cultivation and Use (VCU) experiments under the supervision of the Seed & Plant Certification and Registration Research Institute during the two cropping years 2022-2023. In these experiments, new indehiscent sesame cultivars along with commercial cultivars of dehiscent sesame named Oltan, Sardar and Shevin as control cultivars were evaluated in four regions with different climatic conditions of Iran, including Dezful, Darab, Mughan and Gorgan in the frame of complete blocks design with four replications. In addition, the mechanized cultivation of four promising indehiscent sesame cultivars was performed separately in 100-hectare fields in the Dezful region, and harvesting was done with a combine harvester.

The highest plant height was obtained in Barkat with an average of 144 cm and the lowest in Chamran with 140 cm. The highest number of capsules per plant, with an average of 89.8 and the highest number of seeds per capsule, with an average of 72.3, was observed in the Mohajer. The thousand-seed weight was reported between 2.41 and 3.72 g in Dezful and Mohajer respectively. A significant difference (P≤0.01) was observed in the group comparison between indehiscent and dehiscent (control) sesame cultivars, whilst dehiscent cultivars with an average of 1.05 tons per hectare were completely superior to the control cultivars with 0.80 tons per hectare. The highest average seed yield of cultivars in different regions during two years of experiment was obtained with 1.08 tons per hectare in Barkat and Mohajer cultivars. In the mechanized harvesting of indehiscent sesame cultivars with a combine harvester, the amount of seed loss was estimated to be less than 2.8%. The evaluation of morphological traits showed that indehiscent sesame cultivars had indeterminate growth habits and could produce 1-6 sub-branches per plant depending on the genotype and plant density. The superiority of seed yield for all indehiscent sesame cultivars was observed in compare with the control cultivars. The indehiscent sesame cultivars had appropriate agronomic features and could increasing about 24% seed yield in compare to control cultivars. This issue promises a significant increase in sesame production in Iran.

Finally, Barkat, Mohajer, Chamran and Dezful sesame cultivars were introduced as the first cultivars with resistance to seed shattering during ripening in the country. In addition to the higher seed yield in compare to the control cultivars. These cultivars are able to be harvested using a combine harvester in the mechanized systems at the time of full ripening. Ultimately, the widespread use of these cultivars in the agricultural cultivation pattern of the country promises food security in oil production and water consumption reduction in the stressful season of summer.

 Cotton (Gossypim hirsutum L.) has a special position as one of the most important crops in the country. Considering that salinity stress is one of the most important stresses, it threatens cotton production in arid and semi-arid regions of the country and the world, it is possible to reduce the adverse effects of salinity stress through application of organic fertilizers (manure and humic acid). In addition, Organic inputs can guarantee both agricultural production and nature conservation. The current approach is to employ the organic compounds like manure and humic acid (that are cost-effective and eco-friendly) as an appropriate substitute for chemical fertilizers.

This study was carried out to assess the effect of manure and humic acid application on some elements accumulation and ions concentrations in cotton (Gossypim hirsutum L.) (cotton leaves) under salinity stress. The experiment was conducted as a factorial split plot in the form of a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with four replications in the 2019-2020 cropping year in Beshravieh city in South Khorasan. The main plot included different levels of irrigation water salinity at three levels (2.5, 5.5 and 8.5 ds.m-1) and sub-plots consisted of a factorial combination of manure at two levels (0 and 20 t/h) and humic acid at two levels (0 and 200 gr/ 100 kg of seeds as priming). In order to measure the concentration of sodium (Na) and potassium (K) elements, it was done using a flame photometer and chlorine concentration based on the method provided by Johnson and Ulrich (1995).  In order to assess the cotton yield, the yield of two consecutive harvests were added together and was considered as the seed cotton yield of each experimental unit.

The results of the present study illustrated that the salinity stress increased Na+ and Cl- concentration in cotton leaves and consequently decreased K+ concentration. The increase of salinity stress from 2.5 to 5.5 and 8.5 dSm-1 caused a significant decrease in seed cotton yield. Manure application treatment increased Na+ (13.45%), K+ (2.67%), Cl- (18.30%) concentration in the leaves and seed cotton yield (13/90 %) compared to the no use of manure. Humic acid application treatment decreased Na+ (3.08%), Cl- (9.78%) concentration and increased K+ concentration (4.17%) and cotton yield (9/15 %) and improved the growth conditions compared to the treatment of no use of humic acid. The application of manure (before planting) and humic acid (as priming treatment) increased the seed cotton yield by improving the accumulation of beneficial elements in the leaves under salinity stress conditions.

Based on the results of this experiment, it can be concluded that the application of manure and humic acid (priming) moderated the negative effects of salinity stress on seed cotton yield. In addition, manure and humic acid can be used as an effective and alternative fertilizer in order to reduce the consumption of chemical fertilizers and salinity stress in hot and dry climates. Therefore, manure and humic acid (organic fertilizers) are recommended to be applied under (environmental stresses) salinity stress conditions to mitigate the effects of salt stress and obtain a higher seed cotton yield.

Cross breeding processes including targeted crossings to increase drought tolerance, can be considered as a safe and permanent solution to reduce the harmful effects of drought stress on plants. Therefore, two issues of pistachio as a strategic crop in the country and location of Iran in arid and semi-arid region necessitated research in order to achieve rootstocks drought-tolerant hybrids are necessary.

The experiment was conducted as factorial based on a Completely Randomized Design with four replications in the research greenhouse of Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources during 2018-2019. The treatments were consisted of 10 pistachio genotypes Ahmad Aghaei, Akbari, Sorkheh Hosseini, Garmeh, Fandoghi and interspecific hybrids (Ahmad Aghaei ×Integerrima, Akbari ×Integerrima, Sorkheh Hosseini × Integerrima, Garmeh × Iintegerrima and Fandoghi × Integerrima) and three levels of drought including control (field capacity), mild stress (65% of field capacity) and Severe stress (30% of field capacity) were applied on 3 months old the seedlings for 84 days.

According to the results, fandoghi genotype showed a higher malondialdehyde concentration in leaves (280.23 %), while the hybrid genotypes of Sorkheh Hosseini × Integerrima, Ahmad Aghaei ×Integerrima and Akbari × Integerrima showed a lower malondialdehyde concentration in leaves by 70.18, 76.70, 81.03 % respectively compared to the control. Several osmotic mechanisms are carried out by plants, especially pistachios, in stressful conditions to reduce the effects of drought stress. In fact, these mechanisms have enabled plants to withstand the damages caused by drought and have made plants able to recover their biochemical and physiological functions faster after removing the stress factor. For example, a general physiological mechanism adopted by plants to cope with abiotic stresses is the production of large amounts of low molecular weight, water-soluble, non-toxic organic compounds even in high amounts called osmolytes. One of the most important of them is proline. Therefore, the genotypes with higher amount of proline can be more tolerant to drought conditions. The next osmolyte is glycine betaine, which has a significant protective role in the stability of enzymes and the structure of plasma membranes when faced with drought stress. Therefore, glycine betaine plays a significant role in the resistance of plants to stress through the protection of enzymes, the photosynthetic apparatus, the elimination of free radicals, the preservation of membrane integrity, the protection of large molecules, and as a non-toxic compatible osmolyte. It has an environment. Carbohydrates also increase membrane stability in response to drought stress. Therefore, the accumulation of carbohydrates in the osmotic responses of plants is one of the factors that can prevent disorders in the cell membrane. In addition, phenols are also one of the antioxidant mechanisms of plants in drought stress conditions, because such compounds act as scavengers of reactive oxygen species and thus stabilize membrane, cells and prevent lipid peroxidation. Malondialdehyde is also a decomposition product of unsaturated fatty acids and hydroxides and is used as a suitable marker for lipid peroxide. Therefore, the amount of malondialdehyde obtained from the peroxidation of membrane lipids is used as an indicator for oxidative damage in most cases.

Based on the results of the present research, it seems that it is possible to use the hybrids of Sorkhe Hosseini × Integerrima, Ahmad Aghaei × Integerrima, and Akbari × Integerrima as drought-tolerant genotypes in dry areas. Therefore, based on the results of the present research, it seems that the plants in question can be used as drought tolerant genotypes in arid regions.

Food security concerns have necessitated the increase in agricultural production due to the ever-increasing world population, projected to exceed 9.6 billion people by 2050. It has been reported that various physicochemical contents of plants are increased by the solution of plant smoke. The biologically active compounds of smoke are soluble in water and in very low concentrations, they cause significant physiological responses in plants. These compounds can be used in the form of aqueous extract under the name of water smoke, by designing a device based on previous research in this field. Through various studies, it has been reported that the smoke enhancing activity is due to the presence of karrikin compounds (KARs).

This research was carried out in a factorial experiment in base of randomized complete block design (RCBD) in three replications in the research farm of the Campus of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Razi University, in the crop years 2019-2020 and 2020-2021. The factors included irrigated wheat cultivars (Mihan and Sirvan) and foliar application with a concentration of one liter per hectare in the phenological growth stages of wheat at eleven levels including no application (control), application in the stages of double ridge, second node detectable, ear emergence, anthesis, double ridge + second node detectable, double ridge + ear emergence, double ridge + anthesis, second node detectable + ear emergence, second node detectable + anthesis, ear emergence + anthesis. The studied traits in this research include seed yield, biological yield, harvest index, seed per spike, 1000-seed weight, seed filling duration and seed filling speed.

The results of this study showed that the maximum seed filling speed in foliar application at the stage of second node detectable was average (1.38 mg. day-1) in both Mihan and Sirvan cultivars, and the maximum weight of 1000-seed weight (48.93 g) in Mihan cultivar in foliar application at the stage of ear emergence was obtained, also foliar application in the stage of double ridge + second node detectable had the highest harvest index with average (45.79%) and seed filling duration with average (48.51 days) All of which were in the Mihan cultivar. Foliar application in the stages of double ridge + second node detectable and anthesis caused the highest seed yield with average (6.02 t. ha-1). The maximum number of seeds per spike with average (55.83) and biological yield with average (15.61 t. ha-1) was related to foliar application at the stage of double ridge + ear emergence in Mihan cultivar.

Smoke water has the necessary potential to increase the quantity of wheat. If the results of this research are confirmed in other researches, it can be recommended to use water smoke as a practical and low-cost technology, especially for poor farmers in developing countries.

Maize (Zea mays L.) is an annual plant from the Poaceae family, which ranks third among crops due to its special characteristics, including a wide range of adaptation in tropical and subtropical climates. In recent years, herbicides that inhibit the action of acetyl coenzyme A carboxylase and Acetolactate synthase have been widely used to control narrow leaves. One of the significant consequences of these herbicides being released into the environment is their persistence in the soil. This issue, along with the harmful effects on the activity of microorganisms and stability in the soil ecosystem, poses a serious threat to crop rotation, as their gradual leaching and runoff can lead to underground and surface water pollution.

This experiment aimed to investigate the residual effect of Acetolactate synthase inhibitor herbicides on some growth and yield characteristics of corn in different rounds of irrigation was conducted at Shadid Beheshti of Andimshek Agro-industrial Company in 2020-2021 and 2021-2022. The Acetolactate synthase inhibiting herbicides used in wheat were Atlantis herbicide (Mesosulfuron-methyl+ iodosulfuron-methyl-sodium, OD 1.2%, 1.5 L ha-1), Apirus herbicide (Sulfosulfuron, WG 75%, 26.6 g.ha-1), weedy check, and weed-free check as main-plot and different rounds of irrigation (one, two, three, and four rounds between wheat harvest to corn sowing) as sub plot were examined using a split-plot design with randomized complete block design with four replications. The investigated traits included plant length, number of leaves, ear length, ear diameter, number of rows per ear, number of seeds per row, 100 seeds weight, seed yield, biological yield, harvest index, and herbicide carryover in the soil.

The analysis of variance revealed that the application of herbicide and irrigation rounds significantly affected the assessed traits of corn. The highest values for plant length, number of leaves, ear length, ear diameter, number of rows per ear, number of seeds per row, 100 seeds weight, seed yield, and biological yield were observed in the weed-free check with four rounds of irrigation. The weedy check with one round of irrigation had the lowest values for these traits. Increasing the irrigation rounds reduced the negative effect of Acetolactate synthase inhibiting herbicides on corn plants, and Atlantis herbicide demonstrated a more destructive effect compared to Apirus herbicide. Examination of herbicide carryover in the soil indicated higher residues of Atlantis herbicide compared to Apirus herbicide, resulting in a more detrimental impact on corn plants.

Based on the results of this study, Apirus herbicide, with better weed control in corn fields and lower soil stability, had a less negative effect on corn plants compared to Atlantis herbicide. The findings from the two years of testing supported this conclusion. Additionally, it was observed that increasing soil moisture through more rounds of irrigation reduced herbicide carryover in the soil and consequently minimized their negative effects on corn plants. Therefore, based on the results of this experiment, it seems that in the rotation of wheat-corn, the use of Apirus herbicide in wheat cultivation to control weeds, as well as the implementation of a rounder irrigation method for corn, can lead to a better corn yield compared to the use of Atlantis herbicide.
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 Citrus fruits are susceptible to a number of fungal diseases that cause significant losses in the citrus industry in the postharvest stage. Worldwide, diseases have been primarily controlled for many years by the application of conventional fungicides. However, human health risks and environmental contamination associated with chemical residues and the proliferation of resistant strains of the pathogens are major problems associated with the continuous and widespread use of conventional postharvest fungicides. Heat and UV radiation treatments are the most common physical means used to control postharvest diseases of fresh fruits. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of UV-C radiation and Hot Air Flow (HAF) treatment on decay control and some biochemical properties in Thomson navel oranges at cold storage.

In this experiment, the effects of heat treatments (37 °C for 24 hours), UV radiation (7.98 kJ / m2) and combination treatment (HAF*UV) on the storage life of Thomson oranges were investigated. The statistical model of factorial experiment was in the form of a completely randomized design in which two factors of storage time and treatments were considered. After treatment, the fruits were stored at 5 ° C for 90 days during the storage period, the percentage of decay, fruit weight loss, and some biochemical properties and enzymatic activity were investigated. Statistical analysis of data was performed using SAS software and the mean data were compared using Duncan's multiple range test at a five percent probability level using MSTATC software.

The results showed that radiation and heat treatment effectively reduced fruit rot . the lowest and highest percentage of cumulative rot was observed in the combined treatment with an average of 3.8% and the control treatment with an average of 12.7%, respectively.The control treatment and the combined treatment with the average of 5.68 and 2.94, respectively, had the highest and lowest fruit weight loss. During fruit storage, TSS, TA, TSS/TA and pH increased and TA decreased The amount of ascorbic acid in fruits treated with hot air flow with an average of 35.54 mg per 100 g of fresh material was higher than the control treatment with an average of 30.67 mg per 100 g of fresh material. Antioxidant activity increased at the beginning of the period, however, the treatments did not have a significant effect on inhibiting DPPH radical activity in fruit flesh The amount of total phenol, peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase enzyme activity in fruit flesh under the influence of heat treatment, initially increased with the period, which the enzyme activity decreased with increasing storage time.

The results showed that radiation and heat treatment were effective in controlling post-harvest decay of Thomson oranges. Radiation had no significant effect on the biochemical changes of Thomson Novel orange fruit. According to the evaluated traits, heat and combination treatment succeeded in reducing the rate of rot and increasing the biochemical properties of the fruit during storage, so it can be considered as a suitable practical option.

Food safety is one of the important issues related to fresh fruits and vegetables. Most natural compounds are degradable and can be a safe compound for human health and the environment and an alternative to synthetic compounds. Research has shown that the combination of bioactive substances such as essential oils, plant extracts and nanocomposites increases the active effect of the coating as fruit packaging and reduces the rate of fruit deterioration.

In this research, physalis fruits were obtained from Khorramabad research greenhouse. Nanocellulose and pure carvacrol (extracted from Satureja khuzistanica Jamza ( were prepared from Nanovin Nano Polymer Company and GC/MS analysis from Khorramabad Pharmaceutical Company, respectively. Also, the combination of nanocellulose with carvacrol was prepared in the laboratory. The experiment was conducted as a factorial experiment with two factors in a completely randomized design with 4 replications. The first factor of material type in specific concentrations at nine levels (control, Car 0.3%, Car 0.6%, CNF 0.5%, CNF 1.5%, Car 0.3 + CNF 0.5%, Car 0.3 + CNF 1.5%, Car 0.6 + CNF 0.5 %, Car 0.6+CNF 1.5% and the second storage time factor was investigated at four levels (0, 45, 90 and 135 days). First, the fruits of Physalis were washed with distilled water, and then the extra leaves and damaged fruits were removed. The fruits were placed in the prepared solution for 2-3 minutes and after applying the treatment, the fruits were placed in a refrigerator with a temperature of 4 °and 90% RH.

The results showed that the fruits treated with nanocellulose and carvacrol had less weight loss and higher tissue firmness. Byochemiucal analysis also showed the positive effect of the treatments on parameters, so that the highest TA and vitamin C and the lowest amount of pH were obtained in the combined treatments of nanocellulose and nanocellulose/carvacrol. Also, the treatments used reduced the TSS and fruit TSS/TA ratio of the fruits, and the combined treatments had the lowest amount. The nanocellulose coating prevents water loss and reduces the metabolic and respiration processes. Also, nanocellulose/carvacrol composite coatings lead to an increase in the pH of cytochrome oxidase by reducing internal oxygen, and this enzyme increases the rate of ascorbic acid decomposition. By coating on the fruit during the post-harvest period, the aging process of the fruit is reduced the production and effect of ethylene, reducing respiration and preserving the cell wall, which ultimately leads to better preservation of TSS. Therefore, any reduction in metabolic activities causes a reduction in fruit ethylene biosynthesis and action.

In general, the results of the research showed that the investigated characteristics of physalis fruit were influenced by the treatments. As treated samples, weight loss was less, pH, soluble solids and taste index were lower, tissue firmness, titratable acids and vitamin C were higher. According to the general results, it can be stated that the application of nanocellulose/carvacrol composite treatments, especially the Car 0.6+CNF 1.5% treatment, showed more favorable results than the application of each one alone in most features.
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 Increasing the shelf life of oranges after harvesting while maintaining its quality is very important. In addition, preventing waste production and increase the shelf life of this fruit along with maintaining its quality is very important. Citrus fruits in Iran have the highest production of tree products with the production of more than 4 million tons, in the country. Mazandaran province (North of Iran), contains about 50% of orange orchards of Iran, which first ranks in orange production and the cultivated area of this product in the country. Plant nutrition is very important and the use of potassium nitrate, potassium phosphide and calcium nitrate can increase the quantitative and qualitative yield of oranges. The use of wax coating increased the shelf life of oranges in the warehouse, on the other hand, it improved their appearance quality.

This two year research (2019-2021) was carried out as factorial based on randomized complete block design with three replications in Mazandaran province, Iran, on orange fruits cv. Thomson Novel. Experimental factors were consisted of four levels of spraying ( 1. control, 2. calcium nitrate foliar spraying (2 mg.l-1), 3. potassium nitrate foliar spraying (3 mg.l-1), and 4. potassium phosphide foliar spraying (3 mg.l-1), and 9  storage coating levels (control, Nylon, Deco wax (based on petroleum polyethylene), Xeda wax (with natural carnauba gum base), Poshan Emulsion Wax (with paraffin base), Deco wax+ Rural TS fungicide (2 mg.l-1), wax remover + Rural TS fungicide (2 mg.l-1), Poshan emulsion wax + Rural TS fungicide (2 mg.l-1), and nylon + Rural TS fungicide (2 mg.l-1)).

 The results showed that the nutritional treatments as well as the coating treatments increased the yield and quality of oranges. The highest fruit weight in 45 days and 90 days after storage was seen in the interaction of Rural TS fungicide + nylon + potassium nitrate which was the same statistic group with interaction of Rural TS fungicide treatments + nylon + potassium phosphide, interaction of Xeda wax + potassium nitrate, interaction of Xeda wax + potassium phosphide and also interaction of nylon + potassium phosphide. Rural TS fungicide + nylon as well as Xeda wax increased the traits studied in this research and also improved the quantitative and qualitative yield of oranges compared to other treatments. Therefore, it is recommended to apply potassium phosphide and potassium nitrate treatments along with nylon and Xeda wax. In addition, the application of rural TS 2 fungicide in thousand decreased the diseases and the percentage of decay along with the wax coating treatments compared to the control. The increase of fruit yield and quality can be attributed to the effect of potassium on the entry of carbohydrates or the synthesis of plant regulators in young fruits. Fruit coatings with wax can effectively maintain the quality of these perishable materials after harvesting and increase their useful life. In another research on Valencia oranges, using different commercial wax coatings, it was observed that the coating Wax-containing helped preserve the appearance of fruits compared to other coatings.

The application of coatings treatments by caused to reducing the amount of decay and diseases, and kept the consumer's acceptance of orange fruits in storage for a longer period of time and increased the appearance quality of oranges in storage conditions, but among the applied treatments, rural fungicide treatment TS 2 ppm + Xeda wax increased the traits studied in this research and also improved the quantitative and qualitative yield of oranges compared to other treatments. Therefore, it is recommended to apply potassium phosphide and potassium nitrate treatments along with Xeda wax.

 To evaluate the effect of different levels of IBA (0, 1000, 1500 and 2000 mg/L) and position of take cuttings (lower, middle and upper) on rooting of greenhouse rose cultivar cherry brandy. In general, the aim of the research is to determine the best level of IBA hormone for the rooting of greenhouse rose cuttings, the possible effect of the possible of the cutting on the rooting rate of the cuttings, to determine the most suitable level of the hormone and the location of the cutting to produce the desired aerial part of the resulting cutting, In addition, to evaluate the best level of the hormone determining the most suitable position for cutting is based on some physiological parameters such as the relative content of leaf water and the efficiency of maximum chlorophyll fluorescence.

To conduct the experiment, the mother plants were purchased from a commercial greenhouse in Bostan-Abad and transferred to the physiology laboratory. To conduct the experiment, rose cuttings with a length of 10 to 12 cm and a diameter of 2 to 3 mm were prepared, and after removing the lower leaves, at least two end leaves were left on the cutting. In this research, a factorial trial based on a randomized complete block design with three replications was used. The traits measured in this experiment were rooting percentage, root fresh weight, number of roots, root length, relative leaf water content and variable to maximum fluorescence ratio.

 The results of the average data comparison showed that the highest rooting percentage of cuttings and root fresh weight were seen in the treatment of 1500 mg/L of IBA and in the cuttings of the lower and upper parts, respectively. The lowest rooting percentage of cuttings and root fresh weight were also observed in the cuttings taken from the upper of the branch without hormone application. The cuttings taken from the lower part of the branches at a concentration of 1500 mg/L of IBA had the highest number of roots, which did not show a significant difference with the middle cuttings of the branch at a concentration of 1500 mg/L and lower cuttings at a concentration of 2000 mg/L. The cuttings in the middle part produced the lowest number of roots in the control treatment. The cuttings taken from the middle and upper of the branch had the longest and shortest root length, respectively. The cuttings taken from the lower part of the branch at a concentration of 1500 mg/L and the middle part at a concentration of 2000 mg/L of hormone had the highest and lowest relative content of leaf water, respectively. The maximum variable chlorophyll fluorescence was observed in the cuttings taken from the lower part of the branch and treated with 1500 mg/L of hormone. The terminal cuttings also had the lowest variable chlorophyll fluorescence to the maximum under the absence of hormone application.

 Finally, due to the fact that the concentration of 1500 mg/L and the lower cuttings had the highest percentage of rooting, root length, root fresh weight, relative leaf water content and maximum variable chlorophyll fluorescence. It should be the best type of cuttings and hormone concentration for the rooting of rose cuttings. At the highest concentration of indole butyric acid (2000 mg/L) in most cases, there was a significant difference in the rooting characteristics of rose cuttings compared to the concentration of 1500 mg/L.
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Papaya (Carica papaya) is a tropical tree that leaves, fruits, seeds and roots has many medicinal and edible uses. Choosing the appropriate planting medium is one of the important ways to improve seedling growth of fruit trees. By improving the physical and chemical properties, it causes better absorption of nutrients and improves plant growth. Also, aerial root pruning to produce seedlings with branched and strong root systems is one of the effective factors in growing plants.

To study the effect of different culture media and aerial root pruning on the growth of Papaya (Carica papaya), an experiment was conducted in the form of a completely randomized statistical design with three replications and two factors of planting media (cocopeat 100%, peat mass 100%, and cocopeat 70% + perlite 30%, peat moss 70% + perlite 30%) and performing or not performing aerial root pruning was implemented in the greenhouse. The seeds were sown in the culture trays containing the desired planting beds, and horizontal cuts were made in the walls of the culture tray cavities to perform aerial pruning of the roots in the desired treatments. Sampling was done 50 days after sowing the seeds and some morphologic, physiologic and biochemical traits include fresh and dry weight of seedlings, root length, seedling height, internode length, node number, leaf area, total chlorophyll, peroxidase, catalase and superoxide dismutase activity were analyzed.

The results showed that the treatments had a significant effect on the assessed traits so that the highest fresh and dry weight of seedlings (1.69, 0.66 g, respectively), root length (17.66 cm), seedling height (7.92 cm), internode length (8.61 mm) and node number (4.67) were observed in 70% peat moss + 30% perlite and no aerial root pruning. The maximum leaf area (9.14 cm3) and total chlorophyll (1.69 mg g-1 FW) content were obtained in the 100% peat moss planting bed treatment and no aerial root pruning and the 70% peat moss + 30% perlite treatment and root aerial pruning. The highest activity of peroxidase (37.60 U enzyme-1 FW), catalase (7.60 U enzyme-1 FW) and superoxide dismutase (16.08 U enzyme-1 FW) enzymes was also in 100% peat moss treatment and root aerial pruning.

In general, the results of this research showed that the combination of two organic and inorganic substrates, peat mass 70% and perlite 30%, showed the best effect on vegetative characteristics and total chlorophyll content in papaya. Also, the highest activity of peroxidase, catalase and superoxide dismutase enzymes was observed in 100% peat moss bed. Root aerial pruning also decreased the evaluated growth characteristics and increased the total chlorophyll content and activity of peroxidase, catalase and superoxide dismutase enzymes. According to the results, different culture media had different physical and chemical characteristics that can affect plant growth. In this research it is recommended to sowing papaya seeds in 70% peat moss and 30% perlite and not to perform aerial root pruning to produce this product.