Journal of Ornamental Plants
Volume:6 Issue: 2, Spring 2016

Crop insurance is an appropriate way to overcome the risk in agricultural production sector and increase farmer’s peace of mind for their future income. In the agricultural sector of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer Ahmad, the risk of production is high due to the substantial losses of crops and other diseases and so is the income risk. Since most local farmers have low incomes and livelihoods, natural disasters and diseases can cause irreparable damages on their livelihood. In this regard, crop insurance is one of the most supportive mechanisms to reduce instability and confronting to the unpredictable nature of these risks. But insurance can be effective on the production and income only if factors affecting insurance demand by farmers are identified and it covers a wide range of farmers. The aim of this study is to investigate factors affecting the development of insurance acceptance by ornamental flowers producers in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer Ahmad province. In this study, data were collected by a questionnaire randomly and logit model was evaluated with an emphasis on the production of ornamental flowers. Results reflect the influence of multiple economic and social factors on demand and acceptance of insurance by farmers.

Alstroemeria is one of the most beautiful flowers in the family Alstroemeriaceae. One of the major problems of this cut flower is short life of leaves, this fact reduces the economic value of this cut flower. Abscission of petal before wilting is also considered as one of the most important problems of this flower. Petals of this flower are very sensitive to ethylene. A factorial experiment based on completely randomized design was conduced to study the interaction effect of ethanol and foliar spraying cycloheximide (CHI) on the vase life and postharvest characteristics of alstroemeria with four levels of ethanol (0, 2, 4 and 6%) and foliar spraying CHI in three levels (0, 0.5, 1 mM) in three replications and 36 experimental plots with five cut flowers per plot. ANOVA showed that the effects of interaction ethanol and CHI on the measured traits were significant at 5% for the vase life and 1% for the other traits. Results showed that the treatment of 1 mM CHI and 6% ethanol with 15.94 days has the maximum vase life in compared with the control (10.74 days).

This experiment was conducted to determine the effect of foliar spray with polyamines on postharvest life of chrysanthemum cut flowers in the horticulture laboratory of Islamic Azad University of Rafsanjan in 2015. For this purpose, an experiment was conducted based on a completely randomized design with three replications with spermidine, spermine and putrescine treatments at 1, 2 and 3 mM concentrations. Different parameters such as vase life, quality, weight loss, dry matter percentage, chlorophyll, total soluble dissolved, protein, water uptake, ACC oxidase and SOD were measured. The results showed that all treatments significantly increased the survival and quality of flowers as compared to control. Spermidine (3 mM) resulted in maximum vase life so that after 9 days, the flowers of this treatment were of a good quality. The lowest weight loss and highest level of dissolved solids were observed in 3 mM spermidine and then, in 2 mM spermidine. ACC oxidase enzyme activity was reduced by a factor of quarter in 3 mM spermidine treatment as compared to control. On the other hand, superoxide dismutase activity in this treatment was 3 times higher than that in control. The highest amount of chlorophyll was observed in the treatment of 3 mM spermidine and putrescine. Solution uptake was increased when polyamines were applied so that the highest solution uptake was observed in the first stage of measurement in relation to 3 mM putrescine. But in the second stage of measurement, 1 mM spermine outperformed. Treatments had no significant effect on dry matter percentage and protein amount in leaves of cut flowers. So, according to the results of this test, treatment with 3 mM spermidine is recommended as the best treatment to enhance the quality and vase life of chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum morifolium cv. 'Bright Golden Ann') cut flowers.

Estimating urban trees growth, especially tree height is very important in urban landscape management. The aim of the study was to predict of tree height base on tree diameter. To achieve this goal, 921 trees from five species were measured in five areas of Mashhad city in 2014. The evaluated trees were ash tree (Fraxinus species), plane tree (Platanus hybrida), white mulberry (Morus alba), ailanthus tree (Ailanthus altissima) and false acacia tree (Robinia pseudoacacia). Regression analysis of tree height versus tree diameter revealed several models (linear, logarithmic, exponential and power) that could be used for estimating the tree height of these five species. The logarithmic, power and exponential functions provided a good fit to the data on tree height against tree diameter for ash tree (R2 = 0.9 and RMSE = 0.74), ailanthus tree (R2 = 0.92 and RMSE = 0.44) and plane tree (R2 = 0.72 and RMSE = 0.72), respectively.

Cypress tree with blue green foliage and scaly reddish brown bark is planted throughout world as an ornamental plant. One of the newest ways for determining amount and kind of environmental pollutants is natural biomonitoring. The samples were obtained from three sites (heavy traffic, moderate traffic and control) in Isfahan during August-September and November-December 2013 and February-March 2014. The concentrations of Zn, Ni and Cu in leaf and root were measured by using a flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Variations in the studied traits between sites and seasons were observed due to different anthropogenic activities. The higher concentration of the studied heavy metals in leaves rather than in roots in all locations illustrated a contribution of significant atmospheric deposition. The results of correlation coefficients between traits indicated that the sites were influenced by a different source of pollution. There was a positive correlation between zinc and copper, indicating that they could be originated from fuels as well as powder of shoe brake of vehicles. The mean metal concentration values were arranged in the following order: Zn > Cu > Ni. The level of zinc in leaf and root was moderate at the control site indicating that vehicle traffic is a minor emission source for zinc and there may be another zinc source around there, such as industrial activities. The results demonstrated the suitability of the cypress (Cupressus arizonica Greene.) tree as a biomonitorof atmospheric pollution in Isfahan.

Zinnia is a very attractive and beautiful ornamental plant due to the diversity of color and flowering period. The effect of cycocel and pot size was studied on growth and flowering of zinnia in a factorial experiment based on a randomized complete design with two factors: cycocel at 3 levels (0, 1000 and 2000 ppm) and pot size at 4 levels (10, 12, 14 and 16 cm) with 12 treatments and 3 replications. The interaction results showed that cycocel and pot size had a significant effect on all studied traits, that 2000 ppm cycocel in 12 cm pots produced the minimum height and that 16 cm pots treated with 1000 ppm cycocel or without cycocel treatment produced the maximum plant height. Maximum flowering period was related to 14 cm pots × 1000 ppm cycocel that had no significant difference with plants in 16 cm pot size in all three concentrations of cycocel. Minimum flowering period was related to 10 cm pot size at all three concentrations of cycocel. Zinnias planted in 10 cm pot size without cycocel treatment exhibited the minimum fresh weight and in 14 cm pot size without cycocel treatment exhibited the maximum root fresh weight. Overall, flowers in 14 and 16 cm pot sizes treated with 1000 ppm cycocel were found to be the best treatments.

Recently much attention has been paid by horticulturists to light-emitting diodes as a new source of economical and spectral-selective light. The reason is mainly coming from their versatility in handling and mounting, long working time, wattage use efficiency and lower heat production. In this study we examined their potential in promoting seed germination and producing quality flower seedlings for which we designed four growth chambers each equipped with a different light quality sources, namely red, blue, combination of 25% blue and 75% red and fluorescent lamps. Seeds of four annual bedding flowers including impatiens (Impatiens balsamina), zinnia (Zinnia elegans), petunia (Petunia × hybrida) and verbena (Verbena aubletia) were sown and grown to produce seedlings. Plants were illuminated 12 hours per day in the growth chambers. According to the results, seedlings under red light showed the highest emergence percentage, rate and value. Light quality variably affected growth characteristics among plant species. Impatiens and zinnia plants under blue light showed a significant increase in leaf number. The stem diameter of impatiens increased under red light. By contrast, in petunia stem diameter increased under blue light significantly. Inclusion of 25% blue light to red light reduced hypocotyl and shoot height and increased root fresh weight and root length of most plant types. Light quality did not affect the time of emergence (T50), true leaf stage, four-leaf stage and shoot fresh weight. Our study demonstrated that light-emitting diodes could be an effective and reliable source of lighting under controlled environment for production of quality flower seedlings. Generally, the pure red light enhanced seedling emergence and during growth period, high quality seedlings could be produced when 25% blue light was added to red light.