Ghasem Gheicari; Mohammad Reza Asgharipour; Mohsen Mousavi Nik; Ahmad Ghanbari
Abstract
Conventional tillage methods result in resource waste and the release of greenhouse gases into the environment. An experiment with a randomized complete block design and three treatments in four replications was conducted at Darab Agricultural Research Station for five years to determine the effects ...
Read More
Conventional tillage methods result in resource waste and the release of greenhouse gases into the environment. An experiment with a randomized complete block design and three treatments in four replications was conducted at Darab Agricultural Research Station for five years to determine the effects of different tillage methods on nitrous oxide (N2O) and ammonia (NH3) emissions in cotton-wheat rotation. Direct farming (no tillage), low tillage, and conventional wheat-cotton tillage (control) were used as treatments. Following wheat harvesting in the direct and low tillage treatments, 30% (weight) of wheat residues were dispersed on the field. Within two years, N2O and NH3 emissions from the cotton-wheat field were estimated using the DNDC 9.5 model. Data from the first three years of the study was used to validate the model. The results of model validation revealed that the model performed well in simulating the soil environment as well as N2O and NH3 emissions. The simulation results revealed that the highest and lowest N2O emission rates occurred in conventional and no-tillage treatments, with a significant difference. After five years of experimentation, average annual N2O emissions were 4.40, 2.80, and 2.14 kg N ha-1 y-1 for conventional, low, and no-tillage treatments, respectively. According to the simulation results, peak NH3 emission from soil occurred on the fifth day after fertilization in all three treatments. The overall findings of this study indicated that the use of no-tillage methods is more advantageous than other cotton culture treatments in cotton-wheat rotation under similar conditions as in the current study.
Abbas khani; Fatemeh Ordouni; Najmeh Sahebzadeh; Ali Mirshekar
Abstract
In recent years, the use of herbal compounds to control pests has been proposed as one of the alternative sources to chemical control because of their selectivity, readily biodegradable, and low impacts on non-target organisms and the environment. In this research, qualitative photochemistry and the ...
Read More
In recent years, the use of herbal compounds to control pests has been proposed as one of the alternative sources to chemical control because of their selectivity, readily biodegradable, and low impacts on non-target organisms and the environment. In this research, qualitative photochemistry and the insecticidal effect of ethanol extract of aerial parts (without flowers) of Pimpinella stocksii Boiss. (Apiaceae) on one-day old adult aphids (Aphis gossypii) in a completely randomized design with four replications for each concentration, have been investigated under laboratory conditions (25 ± 1°C, 65 ± 5 % R. H, photoperiod 16:8 L: D). The results showed that the mortality of the tested insect increased significantly by increasing concentrations from 7 to 425 µg/cm2. In the probit analysis, an ethanol extract of Pimpinella stocksii was found to be highly toxic to Aphis gossypii Glover, with a lethal concentration of 50 percent (LC50), equal to 82.57 µg/cm2. The mortality rate of one-day adult aphids treated with an ethanol extract of P. stocksii at concentrations ranging from 7 to 425 µg/cm2 ranged from 25 to 80 percent. Preliminary phytochemical analysis showed the presence of various bioactive and insecticidal constituents in P. stocksii, like glycosides (anthraquinones), flavonoids, steroids, saponins, and triterpenoid compounds. The purpose of the study is to conduct preliminary and qualitative identification of the active components of the Pimpinella stocksii extract as well as to investigate its insecticidal activity.
Abbas Nasiri Dehsorkhi; Hassan Makarian; Mehrdad Mahlooji; SeyedHassan Mirhashemi; Siavash Bardehji; Sima Sadat Seyedi; Navid Kargar Dehbidi
Abstract
An experiment was conducted at the Faculty of Agriculture, Shahrood University, as a randomized complete block design with four replications to investigate the effect of ultrasonic waves and seed priming on some quality traits of cowpea under soil application of trifluralin. Nine treatments were: T1: ...
Read More
An experiment was conducted at the Faculty of Agriculture, Shahrood University, as a randomized complete block design with four replications to investigate the effect of ultrasonic waves and seed priming on some quality traits of cowpea under soil application of trifluralin. Nine treatments were: T1: control, T2: ultrasonic waves, T3: ultrasonic waves + reduced herbicide dose (1 L ha-1), T4: ultrasonic waves + recommended herbicide dose (2 L ha-1), T5: hydro-priming, T6: hydro-priming + reduced herbicide dose, T7: hydro-priming + recommended herbicide dose, T8: reduced herbicide dose, T9: recommended herbicide dose. The results showed that the effect of treatments was significant on all traits except leaf phosphorus. The maximum chlorophyll a (1.30 mg g-1 FW), carotenoid (1.82 mg g-1 FW), leaf relative water content (79.9 %), and leaf nitrogen (3.97%) were obtained in ultrasonic treatment, which resulted in a significant increase of 28.7, 22.1, 7.9, and 18.5 percent, respectively, in comparison to the control. In comparison to the ultrasonic treatment, ultrasonic waves + recommended herbicide dose reduced chlorophyll b, RWC, and leaf nitrogen by 29.3, 21.1, and 35.3 percent, respectively. In comparison to herbicide application alone, the combination of ultrasonic waves and the recommended herbicide dose reduced chlorophyll a and total chlorophyll by 29.7 and 22.2 percent, respectively. Overall, the results of the present study showed that pretreating cowpea seeds with ultrasonic waves could increase photosynthesis pigments, relative water content, and leaf N (in the absence of herbicide use).
Shahin Hassani; Mahmoud Ramroudi; Ebrahim Ahmadi
Abstract
The life-cycle assessment of two irrigated and rainfed wheat crops was investigated in this study. Tillage, planting, irrigation, fertilization, pesticide spraying, and harvesting are the basic stages of production for each crop throughout its life cycle. A farmer's questionnaire was used to collect ...
Read More
The life-cycle assessment of two irrigated and rainfed wheat crops was investigated in this study. Tillage, planting, irrigation, fertilization, pesticide spraying, and harvesting are the basic stages of production for each crop throughout its life cycle. A farmer's questionnaire was used to collect farm data. The ecoinvent models compile emissions in their reports. The functional unit is designed to produce one ton of grain. Following the calculation, emissions from each stage of production in a triple environment (soil, water, and atmosphere) are logged. Following that, a life-cycle impact assessment, or LCIA, was carried out. The environmental effects were first estimated separately for each crop, followed by a comparison of the two crops. The calculated potential for each ton of irrigated wheat equals 860 Kg of CO2 equivalent in the impact assessment of global warming, whereas it is 623 Kg for rainfed wheat. The production potential per ton for the eutrophication phenomenon is roughly equivalent for both systems: 2.625 equivalent Kg po4 for irrigated wheat and 2.601 for rainfed wheat. The data from the long-term scenario show an increase in the potential for eutrophication in both crop productions. Meanwhile, the long-term effects of chemical fertilizer use on human health and aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems indicated a potential increase in their use. Following a data uncertainty analysis, it was determined that, with a confidence interval of 95 percent, details of the life-cycle assessment results could be applied to the farms under consideration. However, some of the environmental impacts in the uncertainty analysis overlap. The highest overlapping values are insufficient to call average farm results into question.
Samin Fallahinejad; Mahammad Armin
Abstract
Over 40% of agriculture on the planet is conducted on smallholder farms with low productivity but high production costs. As a result, governments have attempted to replace traditional farms with mechanized farms in recent years. The sustainability of three distinct production systems, namely traditional, ...
Read More
Over 40% of agriculture on the planet is conducted on smallholder farms with low productivity but high production costs. As a result, governments have attempted to replace traditional farms with mechanized farms in recent years. The sustainability of three distinct production systems, namely traditional, semi-mechanized, and mechanized cultivation systems, were assessed using emergy approach in 2017-2018. These systems were practiced over areas of less than 2 ha, 2-10 ha, and more than 10 ha, respectively. The results indicated that the total emergy values for sugar beet production were 2.84E+16, 4.57E+16, and 6.21E+16 sej ha-1 yr-1, respectively, for traditional, semi-mechanized, and mechanized systems. Historically, the proportion of renewable natural inputs, non-renewable natural inputs, and purchased inputs in total input emergy was 8.88E+14, 8.88E+15, and 1.86E+16 sej ha-1 yr-1, respectively. However, the proportion of renewable natural inputs, non-renewable natural inputs, and purchased inputs was 9.06E+14, 2.56E+16, and 3.57E+16 sej ha-1 yr-1, respectively, in mechanized farms. As the rate of mechanization increased, the unit emergy value, renewable emergy ratio, emergy exchange ratio, emergy yield ratio, emergy input ratio, and environmental loading ratio increased by 11.5, 77, 13.7, 11.9, and 1.32 percent, respectively; while the renewable emergy ratio and environmental sustainability index decreased by 20.1 and 28.9 percent, respectively. In general, the results indicated that mechanization protected the environment more than traditional cultivation.
Mehrdad Mahlooji; Abas Nasiri Dehsorkhi
Abstract
Salinity is one of the most important abiotic stresses because it causes zinc to precipitate in an unusable form for plants and is influenced by saline-calcareous soils. This experiment was carried out in a strip split block design with three replications at the Esfahan Rodasht Drainage and Salinity ...
Read More
Salinity is one of the most important abiotic stresses because it causes zinc to precipitate in an unusable form for plants and is influenced by saline-calcareous soils. This experiment was carried out in a strip split block design with three replications at the Esfahan Rodasht Drainage and Salinity Research Station to investigate the effects of agrophysiological responses of barley genotypes to zinc fertilization and water saline irrigation. As vertical factors, water irrigation quality at three levels, 2, 10, and 18, dS/m, were used. Fertilizer application included Nano zinc-oxide, zinc-chelate, a mixture of Nano zinc-oxide and zinc-chelate, and water as a control. Within vertical factors, three different barley genotypes are arranged, including Morocco (moderate semi-sensitive), Nosrat (moderate tolerant), and Khatam (tolerant). The results showed that the application of Zn-chelate fertilizer resulted in the highest grain yield, K+ concentration, and K+/Na+ ratio in shoots. In Khatam, stomatal conductance (gs), the maximum quantum efficiency of PSII (Fv/Fm), K+ and Zn2+ concentrations, and the K+/Na+ ratio were all higher than in Morocco. In comparison to Morocco, Khatam had lower Na+ and Ca2++Na+ contents. Furthermore, as salinity stress increased, all barley genotypes showed a decreasing trend in K+ content and the K+/Na+ ratio in shoots.
Saleh Panahandeh; Maryam Pahlavan Yali
Abstract
Thrips tabacci Lind. (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), the onion thrips, is one of the most damaging pests to onion fields. By using biotic or abiotic stimuli or growth regulators, it is possible to induce resistance, which activates the plant's natural defense. The effect of foliar application of two growth ...
Read More
Thrips tabacci Lind. (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), the onion thrips, is one of the most damaging pests to onion fields. By using biotic or abiotic stimuli or growth regulators, it is possible to induce resistance, which activates the plant's natural defense. The effect of foliar application of two growth regulators, salicylic acid and potassium silicate, separately and in combination, on onion thrips population density, fresh weight, dry weight, chlorophyll concentration, and height of onion cultivars was investigated in the Jiroft region between 2016 and 2017. The experiment was conducted as a factorial design with 12 replications. Two onion cultivars (Gardesco and Milky Way F1), salicylic acid (0, 0.25, 0.5 mM), and potassium silicate (0, 1, 2 cc. lit-1) were used in three different concentrations. The analysis of variance revealed that the effect of biological fertilizer on thrips population density, fresh and dry weight, chlorophyll concentration, and the effect of onion cultivar on plant height and thrips population density were all statistically significant (Pvalue£0.01). Additionally, the interaction between fertilizer and cultivar was significant only for the pest population density parameter at the 1% level. The treatment with potassium silicate (2 cc. lit-1) resulted in the highest fresh and dry weight values, 363.29 and 120.25, respectively. Milky Way F1 plants were taller (41.16 cm) than Gardesco plants (37.10 cm). These findings indicate that salicylic acid and potassium silicate have the potential to significantly reduce the T. tabaci population
SeyedHassan Mirhashemi; Ali Asghar Bour
Abstract
Data mining algorithms were used in this study to predict Shiraz's monthly potential evapotranspiration. The CART (Classification and Regression Trees), M5P, K-star, M5Rules, and REP-Tree (Reduced Error Pruning Tree) algorithms were used to predict potential evapotranspiration. Meteorological data from ...
Read More
Data mining algorithms were used in this study to predict Shiraz's monthly potential evapotranspiration. The CART (Classification and Regression Trees), M5P, K-star, M5Rules, and REP-Tree (Reduced Error Pruning Tree) algorithms were used to predict potential evapotranspiration. Meteorological data from the Shiraz weather station from 2001 to 2016 were used in this study. The CART algorithm performed better in estimating monthly averages, according to statistical indicators. The maximum amount of potential evapotranspiration was reached when the sunshine hours exceeded 9.5 hours and the wind speed exceeded 0.3 meters per second, according to the results. When there was less than 9.5 hours of sunshine and the air temperature was less than 2 °C, the potential evapotranspiration rate was the lowest. The sensitivity analysis revealed that the parameters of sunshine hours, air temperature, wind speed, and relative humidity had a positive effect on the CART algorithm's performance in estimating monthly evapotranspiration.
Javad Arshadi; Mahdi Parsa; Amir Lakzian; Mohammad Kafi
Abstract
An experiment was conducted in 2014 in the research field of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran, to investigate the triplet symbiosis of chickpea, mycorrhiza, and rhizobium, as well as the responses of chickpea genotypes to these inoculations. The experimental design was a split-plot with three replications ...
Read More
An experiment was conducted in 2014 in the research field of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran, to investigate the triplet symbiosis of chickpea, mycorrhiza, and rhizobium, as well as the responses of chickpea genotypes to these inoculations. The experimental design was a split-plot with three replications based on a randomized complete block design. The main plot included three mycorrhiza levels as a biological fertilizer (Glomus mosseae, Piriformospora indica, and non-used), while the subplot included nine chickpea genotypes. When compared to other treatments, G. mosseae significantly increased seed yield and dry matter of chickpeas from mid-season onward. Arbuscular mycorrhiza significantly increased chlorophyll a and b levels, as well as carotenoids and SPAD levels. MCC537 outperformed the other genotypes in terms of seed yield and dry matter during the growing season and at harvest time. MCC537, MCC427, and MCC392 genotypes had the highest levels of carotenoids and SPAD readings. It appears that using G. mosseae in conjunction with rhizobium can improve the physiological traits and seed yield of chickpea.
JALAL Baradaran Motie; Hajarsadat S Lavasani
Abstract
Green almonds are a seasonal treat, and mechanical harvesting of green almonds has the potential to increase their consumption while also introducing a new method of reducing almond processing costs and residue. The purpose of this study was to investigate the physical properties and mechanical behavior ...
Read More
Green almonds are a seasonal treat, and mechanical harvesting of green almonds has the potential to increase their consumption while also introducing a new method of reducing almond processing costs and residue. The purpose of this study was to investigate the physical properties and mechanical behavior of green almonds of the Sahand variety. The physical properties measured were length, width, thickness, arithmetic and geometric mean diameters, which averaged 29.73, 20.23, 15.02, 21.66, and 20.81 mm, respectively. Additionally, the surface and projected areas, aspect ratio, sphericity, mass, volume, true density, and porosity were determined to be 1366.77 mm2, 473.59 mm2, 0.68, 0.70, 4.14 g, 3.78 cm3, 1.10 g/cm3, and 0.44. Almost all of the physical properties of green almonds studied were found to be correlated. Green almonds had a static friction coefficient of 0.519, 0.441, and 0.523 on MDF, galvanized iron, and rubber, respectively, and the static friction coefficients on MDF and rubber were not significantly different at the 1% confidence level. A uniaxial compression test was used to investigate the mechanical behavior of green almonds under compression. The tests were conducted in three directions (X, Y, and Z, which correspond to the length, width, and thickness of green almonds, respectively) and at three speeds (10, 15, and 20 mm/min). The results indicated that only direction had a significant effect on the mechanical test results and that green almonds can withstand greater deformation along their length before rapture.
Mahdi Saravani; Ahmad Ebrahimi
Abstract
Because of the agricultural sector's importance in the national economy, and because it accounts for 17 percent of GDP and 22 percent of job labor, it is critical to support it as much as possible. Agricultural product insurance is one of the most important governmental support levers in the agricultural ...
Read More
Because of the agricultural sector's importance in the national economy, and because it accounts for 17 percent of GDP and 22 percent of job labor, it is critical to support it as much as possible. Agricultural product insurance is one of the most important governmental support levers in the agricultural sector. It not only compensates farmers for the losses caused by the small savings of a large number of farmers, but it also provides more security for agricultural producers, lowering production risks significantly. So, in this study, we attempted to use positive mathematical programming (PMP) to examine the effects of introducing wheat insurance on wheat cultivation and farmer gross margins in the Sistan region. These farmers were divided into three groups based on the size of their cultivated farms: (1) small group (less than 3 hectares), (2) average-sized group (4-10 hectares), and (3) large group (more than 10 hectares). The results showed that after introducing wheat insurance, the farmer accepted it, and the cultivated area of wheat increased from 2 hectares to 2.01 hectares, while the farm's gross return increased from 18423290 Rials to 18511721 Rials, i.e., 0.479 percent more than those farmers who did not participate in the insurance scheme. On average-sized farms, implementing this insurance increased wheat cultivated area from 4.8 hectares to 4.858 hectares, and farm gross return increased from 48803550 Rials to 49291580 Rials, i.e., about 1% more than farmers who did not participate in the scheme. Following this plan, the cultivated area of wheat increased from 16 hectares to 16.445 hectares, and the farm's gross return increased from 139151140 Rials to 142421200 Rials, a 2.35 percent increase over those who did not participate in the scheme.
Mehri Mashayekhi; Mohammad Esmaeil Amiri; Fariborz Habibi
Abstract
The effect of drought stress induced by polyethylene glycol (PEG-6000) on the growth and mineral uptake of GF677 (peach and almond hybrid) rootstock was investigated in vitro using solid and liquid mediums. Plantlets of the GF677 rootstock were subcultured into the Murashige and Skoog (MS) proliferation ...
Read More
The effect of drought stress induced by polyethylene glycol (PEG-6000) on the growth and mineral uptake of GF677 (peach and almond hybrid) rootstock was investigated in vitro using solid and liquid mediums. Plantlets of the GF677 rootstock were subcultured into the Murashige and Skoog (MS) proliferation medium containing 1 mg/l BA (6-Benzyladenine) and 0.1 mg/l NAA (naphthaline acetic acid) under four different drought stress conditions: 0 (control), 1, 2, and 3 percent polyethylene glycol. After six weeks, results indicated that the highest drought level reduced fresh weight, dry weight, shoot length, and proliferation rate, with the reduction being greater in the solid medium than in the liquid medium. Leaf abscission was greater in the solid medium than in the liquid medium. In the liquid medium, the GF677 rootstock absorbed more nitrogen (N) than in the solid medium. Drought stress had no effect on phosphorus (P) uptake. Potassium (K) uptake increased when drought levels were evaluated in both mediums, but was greater in the liquid medium than in the solid medium. Calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and iron (Fe) uptake decreased in both mediums as drought levels increased. The GF677 rootstock was capable of uptake of N and K at a high concentration. Mineral uptake was greater in a liquid medium than in a solid medium. In conclusion, the GF677 rootstock exhibited a high capacity for N and K uptake under drought stress.
Sousan Nadi Bohlooli; Abdul Shakoor Raissi; Ahmad Ghanbari; Fatemeh Nosrati
Abstract
The development and implementation of effective, beneficial programs towards restoration, conservation, and appropriate utilization of medicinal plant species are feasible only through the identification of their ecological characteristics. This research was conducted with the objective of investigating ...
Read More
The development and implementation of effective, beneficial programs towards restoration, conservation, and appropriate utilization of medicinal plant species are feasible only through the identification of their ecological characteristics. This research was conducted with the objective of investigating the morphological, nutritive, and secondary metabolite characteristics of calotrope wild populations in certain habitats of Baluchestan, as a completely random nested design with three repetitions throughout four cities during February/March 2014. The edaphic properties of habitats were also assessed. The obtained data were compared at a 5% significance level via DMRT. The samples were collected from various regions, including the cities of (1) Iranshahr (Mand-e Bala and Sarzeh villages), (2) Chabahar (Negour and Nalent villages), (3) Nikshahr (Bandaan and Bent villages), and Khash (Baluchkan and central Khash), were compared. Results showed that the majority of the investigated characteristics were significantly different among cities and regions. In this research, Nikshahr city had the highest number of morphological characteristics. The investigated soil in Nikshahr city was more suitable regarding P and K, as compared to other regions. The plants grown in Nikshahr had the highest level of foliar N, Ca, K, and P, the highest level of floral K, and the highest level of P and K in the roots. Forty-two compounds were identified in the aerial organs and root extracts of calotrope. Among the active ingredients, 9-Octadecenamide acid with 8.3% in the aerial organ, Benzyl alcohol with 8.7% in the root, and 2,6,10-Trimethyl,14-ethylene-14-pentadecane with 27.2% in the stem-extracted latex had the highest content in this plant.
Abdolreza Ahmadi
Abstract
The critical period of weeds refers to the stage of the plant's growth cycle during which weeds must be controlled to avoid crop damage. Understanding the critical period of weed control is beneficial for both biological and economic reasons when making weed control decisions and scheduling. Field experiments ...
Read More
The critical period of weeds refers to the stage of the plant's growth cycle during which weeds must be controlled to avoid crop damage. Understanding the critical period of weed control is beneficial for both biological and economic reasons when making weed control decisions and scheduling. Field experiments were conducted in 2018 in Khorramabad, Iran to determine the critical period of weed control (CPWC) in rain-fed lentil. The treatments were divided into two series: weed interference with the crop from emergence to 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, or 70 days after emergence with a control treatment (weed infested), and weed-free treatments up to the aforementioned stages. The logistic and Gamprtz nonlinear models were used to determine the start and end of the critical period of weed control, respectively. Galium tricornutum, Turgenia latifolia, Cerastium dichotomum, and Lathyrus aphaca were the most significant weed species in the experiment due to their greater biomass and size. The results indicated that weed control and interference treatments significantly increased lentil yield. Grain yields were 471 and 187 kg ha-1 for weed-free and interference-control treatments, respectively. Thus, when compared to weed-free control, weed interference reduced grain yield by 60%. The critical period of weed control began and ended 43 and 26 days after emergence, respectively, based on acceptable yield reductions of 5% and 10%.
Esmaeel Seyedabadi; Mehdi Aran; Abdolrahman Rahimian Boogar
Abstract
The drying characteristics of mallow (Malva sylvestris L.) in a microwave dryer were examined at different microwave power levels. To dry 30 g of mallow leaves, microwave power levels of 360, 450, 540, 720, and 900 W were used. The initial moisture content of samples was 6.31±0.01 g water/ g dry ...
Read More
The drying characteristics of mallow (Malva sylvestris L.) in a microwave dryer were examined at different microwave power levels. To dry 30 g of mallow leaves, microwave power levels of 360, 450, 540, 720, and 900 W were used. The initial moisture content of samples was 6.31±0.01 g water/ g dry base. To determine the kinetic parameters, which were calculated by comparing the ratio of the difference between the initial and final moisture contents to the equilibrium moisture content, experimental data were fitted to seven distinct models. At various microwave power levels, the moisture diffusivity and energy consumption were measured. Based on the results, increasing microwave power from 360 to 900 W resulted in a drying time reduction between 14 and 5 minutes. A comparison of the proposed models demonstrated that the logarithmic model (MR= a.exp(-k.t)+b) provided the best fit because it had the highest coefficient of determination (R2), the lowest sum of squared errors (SSE), and the lowest root mean square error (RMSE). This model can therefore be used to estimate the moisture content of mallow leaves during microwave drying. Also, the maximum and minimum energy consumptions for drying with 360 W and 720 W microwaves were 84.0 and 67.5 W.h, respectively. Moreover, the effective diffusivity of mallow leaves varied from 1.098×10−10 to 3.532×10−10 m2/s for different microwave powers.
Majid Rostami; Mohammad Reza Davari; Zahra Movahedi; Samira Siahpoosh
Abstract
Peppermint is one of the medicinal and aromatic plants that is widely used as a pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetic. In recent years, due to the harmful effects of fertilizers on the environment, their use has been criticized. Using bio and nano-fertilizer as an alternative source for conventional fertilizers ...
Read More
Peppermint is one of the medicinal and aromatic plants that is widely used as a pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetic. In recent years, due to the harmful effects of fertilizers on the environment, their use has been criticized. Using bio and nano-fertilizer as an alternative source for conventional fertilizers leads to the gradual realization of fertilizer nutrients in the soil and in a controlled manner. The use of these fertilizers leads to increased nutrients, use efficiency, reduce the toxicity of the soil, and reduce the frequency of the application. The current study evaluates the effect of nano- fertilizers and organic fertilizers on morpho-physiological characteristics of peppermint based a completely randomized design. Experimental treatments were the foliar application of nano fertilizers (nitrogen, iron, and potassium) and normal vermiwash, enriched vermiwash, tea compost, and control. The results showed that the effect of nano- fertilizers and bio-fertilizers on plant height, leaf area, leaf dry weight, total dry weight, photosynthetic pigments, proline, protein, and carbohydrate were significant. All treatments increased photosynthetic pigments, compared to control. The maximum amount of proline, total dry weight, and plant height was obtained using nano fertilizers of nitrogen whereas enriched vermiwash resulted in the highest protein and leaf area.
Hamid Reza Shahhoseini; Hossein Kazemi
Abstract
Excessive use of environmental resources and excessive consumption of chemicals have exacerbated environmental problems and harmed agroecosystem sustainability. As a result, it is beneficial to study energy consumption patterns and efficient energy use in agriculture, which is one of the fundamental ...
Read More
Excessive use of environmental resources and excessive consumption of chemicals have exacerbated environmental problems and harmed agroecosystem sustainability. As a result, it is beneficial to study energy consumption patterns and efficient energy use in agriculture, which is one of the fundamental principles of sustainable agriculture. The aim of this study was to assess the sustainability of rapeseed production (Brassica napus L.) in Gorgan county during the 2017-2018 crop year using emergy essessment. Sixty questionnaires were considered for this purpose. After establishing spatial and temporal boundaries and classifying resources into four categories: renewable environment, non-renewable environment, purchased renewable, and purchased non-renewable, and some emergy indices were calculated in rapeseed agroecosystems. The results indicated that the total emergy input for the rapeseed agroecosystems consumed a total of 6.39E+15 sej ha-1 yr-1. In rapeseed agroecosystems, dependence on market and non-renewable inputs was much higher than environmental and renewable inputs. With 59.94 percent of total emergy input in rapeseed agroecosystems, fossil fuels were the primary source of emergy. The transformity of rapeseed agroecosystems was 1.09E+05 sej J-1, the specific emergy was 3.09E+09 sej gr-1, the renewability was 12.46 percent, the emergy yield ratio was 1.22, the standard emergy investment ratio was 4.56, the modified emergy investment ratio was 9.23, the standard environmental loading ratio was 10.25, the modified environmental loading ratio was 7.02, the standard emergy sustainability index was 0.12, and the modified emergy sustainability index was 0.17. Based on the evaluation of emergy indices, the rapeseed agroecosystem has an acceptable crop production efficiency and resource consumption efficiency, and a significant potential for economic productivity increase. By implementing conservation tillage and modernizing machinery, will reduce our reliance on non-renewable and economic inputs, alleviate environmental pressure, and increase the agroecosystem's sustainability.
Mehdi Khedri; Ali Mirshekar; Abbas Khani; Zaynab Mohkami; Hassan Ghorbani Ghouzhdi
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the chemical compounds in the essential oil extracted from the flowering branch of Vitex agnus-castus L., grown in the Sistan region (Sistan and Baluchestan Province), and its antibacterial effects. Samples were hydrodistilled in a Clevenger–type apparatus and analyzed ...
Read More
This study aimed to investigate the chemical compounds in the essential oil extracted from the flowering branch of Vitex agnus-castus L., grown in the Sistan region (Sistan and Baluchestan Province), and its antibacterial effects. Samples were hydrodistilled in a Clevenger–type apparatus and analyzed with gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS). In vitex essential oil, 30 bioactive compounds were identified. The most important compounds are 1,8-Cineole (39.16%), Sabinene (8.78%), β-Myrcene (6.44%), Sclareol (4.3%), and trans-Caryophyllene (3.17%). The composition of the essential oil of Vitex agnus-castus was described for the first time from Sistan region. Bacillus cereus (ATCC 11778) was the most sensitive strain against this essential oil, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ISIRI 275) was the most resistant strain. The monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes confer the chemical profile of the analyzed essential oil of vitex causing antibacterial effects. Further studies are required to explain the oil mechanism of action of this species involved in antimicrobial activities
Ramin Rowshani; Ali Solymani; Mehrdad Mahlooji; Mohammad Reza Naderi
Abstract
Salinity is one of the most important abiotic stresses and variables restricting the successful production of plant products around the world, with negative consequences for plant development and other metabolic processes. The effect of nutrient management (control, 0.5 percent K2SO4, 0.5 percent ZnSO4, ...
Read More
Salinity is one of the most important abiotic stresses and variables restricting the successful production of plant products around the world, with negative consequences for plant development and other metabolic processes. The effect of nutrient management (control, 0.5 percent K2SO4, 0.5 percent ZnSO4, and 1.5 Mm salicylic acid) on physiological parameters, antioxidant activities, and grain yield responses of three barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) cultivars (Armaghan, Goharan, and Mehr) were examined under salinity stress (1 and 12 dS/m of salinty). Salinity stress considerably lowers growth, yield components, and grain yield, according to the findings. The number of grains per spike and 1000-grain weight of all cultivars tested increased after foliar application of salicylic acid. ZnSO4, K2SO4, and salicylic acid influenced grain and biological yields. At a salinity of 12 dS/m, foliar treatment of ZnSO4, K2SO4, and salicylic acid boosted peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase, and catalase while decreasing hydrogen peroxidase and malondialdehyde. Under the influence of foliar application, the relative water content increased by 12 percent, while the leaf water potential dropped by 8 percent. Salicylic acid treatment had a stronger impact on Mehr cultivar yield and physiological parameters than ZnSO4 or K2SO4. These findings revealed that under the impact of salicylic acid, the Mehr cultivar was more appropriate than other cultivars.
Mohammad Ali Javaheri
Abstract
Bread wheat cultivars Chamran, Chamran2, and Sirvan are the dominant cultivars in Kerman province's warm regions. Due to their obsolescence and lack of purity, farmers are dissatisfied with the performance of common cultivars. Therefore, if the new cultivars outperform the conventional cultivars in terms ...
Read More
Bread wheat cultivars Chamran, Chamran2, and Sirvan are the dominant cultivars in Kerman province's warm regions. Due to their obsolescence and lack of purity, farmers are dissatisfied with the performance of common cultivars. Therefore, if the new cultivars outperform the conventional cultivars in terms of yield, they should be used to replace the conventional cultivars. The quantitative yield of 12 bread wheat cultivars was determined quantitatively in this experiment using a randomized complete block design with three replications. At a 5% probability level, the combined analysis of variance revealed that the year effect was significant for 1000-seed weight, plant height, and spike length. Additionally, at a 5% probability level, there is a significant difference between cultivars in terms of grain yield, 1000-seed weight, plant height, and spike length, indicating a genetic difference between cultivars. Sarang cultivar produced the most grain (7191.33) kg/ha, while the Chamran cultivar produced the least grain (6376.50 kg/ha). Sarang cultivar averaged 46.6 grams per 1000 seeds, while Shush cultivar averaged 35.1 grams per 1000 seeds. The Mehregan, Sirvan, and Tirgan cultivars, on the other hand, had the longest spikes at 10.16, 10.06, and 10 cm, respectively, while the Chamran2 cultivar had the shortest spikes at an average of 7.46 cm. The Chamran cultivar reached a height of 104.16 cm, while the Chamran2 and Aflac cultivars reached 94.33 and 94.16 cm, respectively. According to the findings of this study, Sarang, Shush, Khalil, and Tirgan wheat cultivars should be used in place of older and conventional cultivars in warm areas of Kerman province, depending on available facilities.
SeyedHassan Mirhashemi; Mehdi Panahi
Abstract
The need for a model for effective planning and management of water resources, particularly groundwater, is especially critical in light of water scarcity and aquifers. Given the importance of various factors in determining the amount of drop, this study used human and natural factors to predict the ...
Read More
The need for a model for effective planning and management of water resources, particularly groundwater, is especially critical in light of water scarcity and aquifers. Given the importance of various factors in determining the amount of drop, this study used human and natural factors to predict the amount of aquifer drop in Qazvin. To accomplish this, the K-Means clustering algorithm was used first, followed by the tree algorithms CART, CHAID, C5.0, and QUEST to determine the optimal ratio between different fields. Accuracy values of 0.90, 0.96, 0.94, and 0.92 were obtained for the aforementioned tree algorithms. The values obtained for the CHAID algorithm's sensitivity, transparency, accuracy, precision, false-positive rate, false-negative rate, F-measure, geometric mean, and error rate demonstrate that this algorithm outperforms other algorithms. The amount of water in the irrigation network is the most influential human factor in model production, while the amount of temperature is the most influential natural factor. The proposed model enables more accurate prediction of aquifer changes and can be used by managers and farmers to improve aquifer management.
Zahra Marzban; Shahram Torabian; Elham Faryabi
Abstract
Non-renewable energy consumption in agriculture increased greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions and global warming. The present study aimed to look at energy use, GHGs emissions and economic indicators in Azna, a city in Iran's Lorestan Province in 2019. For this purpose, data were collected applying questionnaires ...
Read More
Non-renewable energy consumption in agriculture increased greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions and global warming. The present study aimed to look at energy use, GHGs emissions and economic indicators in Azna, a city in Iran's Lorestan Province in 2019. For this purpose, data were collected applying questionnaires via face-to-face interviews. The TOPSIS method was used to find the most energy efficient and environmentally friendly crop. Investigated crops were irrigated and rain-fed wheat and barley, rapeseed, bean, potato, and sugar beet. The results revealed that sugar beet cultivation is not efficient in terms of energy consumption and global warming potential (GWP). The highest share of the total energy input was recorded for diesel fuel, N and P fertilizer with at least 80% for all crops. The maximum GHGs emission and GWP was observed in sugar beet and bean at 0.019 and 0.02, however, the lowest was recorded in rain-fed barely at 0.005. The highest relative proximity to the ideal and the shortest distance from the ideal were observed in rain-fed barley and wheat. In general, wheat and barley, especially when cultivated under rain-fed condition, had the highest cultivation priorities in the region, which can reduce environmental problems.
Maryam Bozorg-AmirKalaee; Seyed Ali Asghar Fathi; Ali Golizadeh; Seyed Esmaeil Mahdavian
Abstract
The orange pulvinaria scale, Pulvinaria aurantii Cockerell (Hemiptera: Coccidae), is one of the most significant citrus orchard pests in northern Iran. To assess the population fluctuations of this pest and its predator Cryptolaemus montrouzieri Mulsant in Tonekabon blood orange orchards, 80 leaves from ...
Read More
The orange pulvinaria scale, Pulvinaria aurantii Cockerell (Hemiptera: Coccidae), is one of the most significant citrus orchard pests in northern Iran. To assess the population fluctuations of this pest and its predator Cryptolaemus montrouzieri Mulsant in Tonekabon blood orange orchards, 80 leaves from 20 trees were randomly selected at each sampling time (with a maximum relative variation of 15%) and the number of each biological stage of the P. aurantii and its predatory ladybird were recorded per leaf. The average population of all biological stages of P. aurantii (ovisac, nymphal stages, and adult female insect) peaked on June 29 (30.05 per leaf) and September 14 (29.55 per leaf) in 2011, and on June 21 (30.09 per leaf) and September 6 (22.6 per leaf) in 2012. Similarly, the average population of all C. montrouzieri biological stages peaked on June 29 (0.34 per leaf), September 7 and 14 (0.45 per leaf), and June 21 (0.65 per leaf) and September 6 (1.00 per leaf) in 2011 and 2012, respectively. The population change curves indicated that increasing the population of ovisacs, 1st and 2nd instar nymphs of the pest attracted and increased the population of C. montrouzieri on infected trees, possibly due to the desirability of these biological stages of the pest to the predator. The present study revealed that in both years, the second generation of the pest is characterized by greater concordance and overlap between the populations of scale ovisacs and ladybird eggs. In 2011, C. montrouzieri prevented an increase in the population of P. aurantii second generation, and in 2012, due to a higher population density, it was able to significantly reduce the second generation population of this soft scale. Additionally, the regression between prey and predator populations was statistically significant, indicating a density-dependent response of the predator to the prey population.
Zahra Ghaffari Moghadam; Mehdi Hosseini; Somayyeh Mirshekari
Abstract
The disparity in agricultural production unit performance is a critical and fundamental issue that necessitates the implementation of required programs and policies to ensure an equilibrium in the distribution of resources and seeds in order to increase efficiency. Enhancing efficiency can result in ...
Read More
The disparity in agricultural production unit performance is a critical and fundamental issue that necessitates the implementation of required programs and policies to ensure an equilibrium in the distribution of resources and seeds in order to increase efficiency. Enhancing efficiency can result in economic growth and development in the agricultural sector, as well as rural development. In recent years, the potato has been regarded as the dominant crop in Kabodarahang; policy formulation based on production efficiency has become a necessity, given the importance of production and the rational use of seeds in potato production. Thus, the efficiency, effectiveness, and productivity of production units were determined under uncertain conditions using various level-cut and fuzzy data envelopment analysis methods for potato farms in Kabodarahang; the most efficient units were selected. The result indicates that 14% of producers are efficient or near-efficient. Additionally, 75% of producers operate at a level of efficiency between 70% and 100%. In total, unit 6 is the most productive and stable of the other units. As a result, this unit is chosen as the best producer. Efficiency analysis at various levels reveals that producers operate at a high level of efficiency. Therefore, to increase production, manufacturing technology should be enhanced. Thus, politicians and policymakers should take into account new technologies for planting, growing, and harvesting.
Mostafa Sarani; Maryam Allahdou; Leila Mehravaran; Halimeh Piri
Abstract
Drought stress is the primary constraint on crop and medicinal plant yields in arid and semi-arid regions. Milk thistle is a medicinal plant with antioxidant secondary metabolites (flavonolignans). The effect of drought stress was evaluated in this study at three growth stages (6, 13, and 20 weeks after ...
Read More
Drought stress is the primary constraint on crop and medicinal plant yields in arid and semi-arid regions. Milk thistle is a medicinal plant with antioxidant secondary metabolites (flavonolignans). The effect of drought stress was evaluated in this study at three growth stages (6, 13, and 20 weeks after planting) using four different levels of irrigation (100, 75, 50%, and 25% of water requirement, respectively, as non-stress, mild stress, moderate stress, and severe stress). The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse located in Shandol village, Hirmand city, Iran, as a factorial experiment with a completely randomized design. The following agronomic and physiological characteristics were determined: fresh weight, dry weight, photosynthetic pigments, proline, carbohydrates, malondialdehyde, relative water content, and ion leakage. The results indicated that the effect of various irrigation levels, harvest time, and their interaction were significant for the majority of traits, except for the relative water content and ion leakage traits, indicating that these traits react differently at various growth stages. Fresh weight, dry weight, photosynthetic pigment content, and relative water content all decreased under drought stress conditions, to the point where the lowest amount was observed under severe drought stress (25% of water requirement). Drought stress results in thylakoid protein hydrolysis, chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b reduction, and pigment and photosynthetic structure loss. With increasing stress intensity, the concentrations of proline, carbohydrates, malondialdehyde, and ion leakage increased. As a result, the highest amount was discovered under severe drought stress conditions. As a result, this increase indicates that the plant is suffering from oxidative stress as a result of the drought. Proline content increased proportionately to the severity of the stress, reaching its maximum value under severe drought stress (25% water requirement). Thus, under drought stress conditions, milk thistle responds to oxidative stress by increasing the accumulation of this osmolyte
