بابک متشرع زاده

To study the effects of 6-benzylaminopurine (6-BAP) and methyl jasmonate (MJ) on various quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the Albion strawberry, a factorial experiment based on randomized complete blocks design was carried out with three replications in a greenhouse located in Damavand county. The first factor was 6-BAP at two levels (control and 100 mg/L) and the second factor was MJ at three levels (control, 100 and 200 µM). Plants were sprayed twice with 6-BAP and thrice with MJ, during the vegetative and the reproductive growth phases, respectively. Application of 6-BAP during the vegetative stage, resulted in production of plants with more and larger leaves and increased crown diameter. The highest fruit count and weight, SPAD, flavor index, total anthocyanin and fruit shelf-life, was related to the 100 mg/L 6-BAP + 200 µM MJ treatment. Using cytokinin combined with each of the MJ concentrations, resulted in significant improvement of the plant yield and fruit firmness compared to the control. Therefore, pre-harvest application of these plant growth regulators can be suggested for increasing production rates, improving the quality, and the shelf-life of this vulnerable fruit and also reducing its waste.

This study was conducted to investigate the potential of copper (Cu) absorption and accumulation and the effects of its contamination on the growth and mineral nutrient content of Artemisia absinthium and Silybum marianum under greenhouse conditions. This was done under factorial experiment based on a completely randomized design and Copper sulfate (CuSO4.5H2O) solution was added to the pots with three replicates at 0 (control), 100 and 200 mg/kg and then seeds of two plant species were sown. Plant harvesting was done after two months when growth was completed and then plant growth characteristics and mineral elements (Ca, Mg, K, P, Fe, Zn, Mn, and Cu) were measured for roots and shoots. The results showed that there was no effect of copper sulfate stress on roots and shoots of A. absinthium while shoot biomass and root volume, area and length of S. marianum were significantly reduced. The Cu accumulation in roots of both plant species and in shoots of S. marianum significantly increased by increasing the copper sulfate in soil. The highest level of Cu accumulation was found in shoots and roots of S. marianum with 53.50 and 168.72 mg/kg dry matter, respectively. A transfer factor less than one for both plants indicated their ability to copper accumulation in the roots. Potassium content in the shoot of S. marianum was significantly greater than that in A. absinthium at treatment of 200 mg/kg. There was no effect of copper sulfate stress on the micronutrients content of A. absinthium while it caused a significant decrease in Mn and Zn in shoot and root of S. marianum, respectively, and a significant increase in Fe in the shoot of S. marianum.

In order to investigate the effects of irrigation, planting date, and biofertilizers on phenological traits, yield, and some qualitative traits of quinoa as a new plant, an experiment has been conducted on a farm located in Bilehsvar region of Ardabil Province in two cropping years from 2019 to 2021 in split - split plot design based on a randomized complete block design with three replications. Experimental factors include irrigation at three levels, including (complete irrigation, irrigation termination in budding stage, and irrigation termination in seed filling stage) as the main factor, planting date at three levels (namely 27 July, 11 August, and 27 August) as the sub-factor, and four levels of nitrogen biofertilizer (the control, seed inoculant with Azotobacter, inoculant with Azospirillum, and inoculation with a mixture of Azotobacter and Azospirillum) as the sub-sub-factor. The results show that the use of complete irrigation with a planting date of 27 July and inoculation of Azotobacter and Azospirillum biofertilizers has increased the length of phenological stages and 1000-seed weight. In terms of harvest index, complete irrigation treatment with planting date of 27 July, and combined inoculation of biofertilizers have had the highest value, in terms of protein percentage and saponin content of seed, irrigation interruption at the budding stage with planting date of 27 July, while co-inoculation with biofertilizers has given the best results, and the highest biological yield (620 g/m2) and grain yield (304.97 g/m2) have been obtained from complete irrigation treatment with planting date of 11 August and co-inoculation of biofertilizers.

In order to investigate the effect of benzyladenine and a kind of natural phytoncide on various quantitative and qualitative traits related to the marketing value of the strawberry (Fragaria×ananassa Duch.) plant a factorial experiment, based on a randomized complete block design was carried out with three replications in the Albion greenhouse, located in Damavand county. The first factor was benzyladenine (6-BAP) at two levels (0 and 100 mg/l) and the second, phytoncide nanoemulsion (PNE) at three levels (0, 0.75% and 1.5%). Young plants were sprayed twice with 6-BAP during the vegetative growth phase and thrice during the reproductive phase with PNE, which was comprised of the essential oils of Pinus nigra and Picea spp. Application of 6-BAP during the vegetative stage resulted in production of more leaves and higher leaf area. Also, 6-BAP increased crown diameter significantly, compared to control plants, and had a positive effect on all the studied traits at the reproductive stage, as well. This kind of cytokinin improved taste and other quality attributes of the fruits, along with plant yield. PNE was effective on increasing the fruit firmness and longevity. Furthermore, it had a significant effect on delaying the fruit weight loss and maintaining the appearance quality of the fruits for a longer time. Based on the results, taking advantage of 6-BAP and the studied PNE during pre-harvest phase is recommended for improving strawberry fruit characteristics.

The most important problem that threatens food security of any country and the world is the lack of adequate water resources, so one of the ways to deal with this crisis is to use plants with low water requirements and high water use efficiency. Among the plants, we can name Quinoa, which is one of the plants that has been less studied and exploited in Iran. Since the planting date has the greatest impact on the physiological characteristics of the crop compared to other cropping treatments, so choosing the appropriate planting date can also create the greatest correlation between plant growth trends and climatic conditions. Undoubtedly, the use of biological fertilizers, in addition to the positive effects it has on all soil properties, is also economically, environmentally and socially fruitful and can be a suitable and desirable alternative to chemical fertilizers. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the response to deficit irrigation, planting date and application of different biofertilizers in quinoa.

This experiment was carried out during two cropping years 2019 and 2020 in a farm located in Moghan region. The site has latitude of 39◦27 N, a longitude of 48◦12 E and is 120 m above mean sea level, with an average annual rainfall of 250-300 mm. In this experiment, Titicaca cultivar of quinoa was cultivated in summer in the form of a double split plot design based on a randomized complete block design with three replications. Experimental factors include irrigation at three levels (Conventional irrigation, Irrigation cut-off in budding stage and Irrigation cut-off in seed filling stage) as a main factor, planting date at three levels (27 July, 11  and 27 August) as a sub-factor and four levels of nitrogen biofertilizer (without inoculation, seed inoculation with Azotobacter, seed inoculation with Azospirillum and inoculation with a mixture of Azotobacter and Azospirillum) were considered as a sub-sub-factor. Plant height, stem diameter and panicle length in each plant were measured at the physiological maturity stage by randomly selecting 10 plants using a ruler with millimeter accuracy. Leaf area was measured by selecting 5 plants from each plot randomly and with the model Leaf area meter Li-cor. At the end of the growing season, the product of two middle planting lines with a length of 4 meters was harvested by observing the half-meter margin effect and after drying in a ventilated oven at 70 °C for 24 hours, grain yield was determined. Leaf carbon concentration was estimated by dry combustion with air flow in an electric furnace, Kjeldahl method (Sharpe et al., 2001) was used to measure nitrogen concentration. Experimental data were analyzed before analysis of variance for homogeneity of test errors through Bartlett test and then analyzed using SAS (9.1) software and comparison of means at 5% probability level using Duncan multi-range test.

The results showed that conventional irrigation with planting date of 27 August and inoculation of Azotobacter and Azospirillum biofertilizers had the best effect in terms of morphological traits and leaf nitrogen concentration and The highest grain yield (304.97 g.m-2) was obtained from conventional irrigation treatment with planting date of 27 August and inoculation of biofertilizers of Azotobacter and Azospirillum. Also, quinoa seed yield had a positive and significant correlation with plant height (r = 0.85), stem diameter (r =0. 64), leaf area (r = 0.86), panicle length (r = 0.86) and leaf carbon concentration (r = 0.38) showed.

The results of this study showed though conventional irrigation with planting date of 20 August and inoculation of Azotobacter and Azospirillum biofertilizers had the highest number of studied traits, especially grain yield (304.97 g.m-2), but with interruption of irrigation treatment at the stage of seed filling with planting date of 20 August and inoculation of biofertilizers were included in a statistical group, so in terms of the importance of water consumption, it can be said that in conditions of limited water resources, irrigation cut-off treatment in the stage of grain filling has the most favorable results.

In this study, a new approach was used to reduce the solubility of chemical fertilizers. This research was conducted in Karaj Biotechnology Research Institute in 2020. Granular urea and fertilizers were coated with starch-based polymer nanocomposite latex with three different formulations A (without nanoparticle), B (containing nanoparticle), and C (commercial latex) using a rotary drum machine. The effects of different factors such as temperature, number of coating layers and particle size on the release rate of nutrients were investigated. The results of the field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) analysis showed that the starch-based polymer nanocomposite formed a completely uniform and smooth coating film on the surface of urea granules. Fertilizers coated with formulation B (containing nanoparticles) showed higher efficiency. Therefore, the presence of natural char nanoparticles in the structure of the polymer coating controlled the release rate of nutrients by improving the coating properties. After 120 min, the release rate of urea from three formulations A, B and C was estimated to be 63.3, 48.41 and 66.85%, respectively which were significantly different from each other. In addition, the results showed that with increasing the number of coating layer, the release time of urea and phosphorus was increased while the release of potassium did not show a definite trend with increasing the coating layer and was unpredictable. With increasing temperature urea release was increased. Investigation of the effect of particle size on urea release showed that coated granules larger than 2 mm had less release rate than granules smaller than 2 mm.

Today, in order to increase the efficiency of fertilizer use and reduce environmental pollution, the production and consumption of slow-release fertilizers is considered. The objective of the current study was to apply three methods of rotary drum (A), insitu hydrogel synthesis (B) and two-stage (C) to reduce the solubility rate of urea fertilizer using starch as a cheap and environmentally friendly source and evaluation the comparative efficiency of these samples on the growth and nutritional responses of tomatoes. At first, fertilizers were synthesized in three methods. Then, the effects of synthesized samples (A,B and C) were compared with un-coated urea granules on morphological characteristics of tomatoes. A factorial based on completely randomized blocks design were utilized with three replications in 2020 in greenhouse conditions, at 180 and 420 kg/ha of each fertilizer treatment. The results showed that urea release rate after 6 hours from synthesized (A, B and C) fertilizers was reduced 87.33, 32.08 and 29.22%, respectively compared to un-coated urea. Comparison of coating methods showed that the highest amount of dry weight (roots and shoots), stem length, chlorophyll content and number of leaves and lateral branches were observed in C fertilizer treatment. Nitrogen use efficiency and apparent nitrogen recovery in C fertilizer treatment increased 36.54 and 27.04% compared to urea, respectively. The use of starch as a natural biopolymer in the structure of these fertilizers reduces nitrogen loss and environmental pollution.

In modern agriculture, silicon (Si) is considered as an essential and anti-stress nutrient for a number of plants, especially grasses and C4. There are arguments confirming that it is a quasi-essential element in relation to plants growth, development and reproduction. The present study aims to review a decade research in the field of chemistry and plant nutrition of the Si in soil and plants in the Department of Soil Science and Engineering, University of Tehran. The objectives of this article is to present the most important achievements of researches in the field of Si efficiency of maize and soybean cultivars and to investigate the effect of Si application on nutritional, physiological and morphological characteristics of different plants including wheat, corn, sorghum, etc. under stress conditions and also to assess the effect of Si application on immobilization of heavy metals in the soil. General conclusions of this study show that Si supplied by both chemical fertilizers and silicon-soluble bacteria, increase plant growth and yield via increasing the root system of plants, regulating the biosynthesis of plant hormones, stimulating the production of some antioxidant enzymes, increasing resistance to salinity/ drought/heavy metal toxicity stresses and also increasing plant accessibility to some nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen. In addition to these results, the fraction of Si in different soils have been studied and analyzed. It seems by focusing on researches done on this element in the "soil, plant and rhizosphere", it can be hopefull that these results will be more practical in the future of the country's agriculture.

Considering that most of the calcareous soils of Iran are deficient in one or more micronutrients, optimal nutrition of nutrients such as silicon under the influence of biological treatments can be highly effective in these conditions. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the effects of silicon and phosphate-soluble bacteria on the availability of micronutrients for wheat. We used a completely randomized design in three replications and treatments included 0, 150, 300, 600 mg/kg silicon from a source of silicic acid and three levels of bacteria (non-inoculation of bacteria, Bacillus and Pseudomonas). The study was conducted in the greenhouse of Soil and Water Research Institute. The results showed that the combined use of silicon and phosphate-solubilizing bacteria increased the uptake of manganese and iron compared to the control treatment. However, the antagonistic effect between nutrients reduced zinc uptake at higher levels of functional silicon. The effect of inoculation with Bacillus and Pseudomonas on the amount of zinc, manganese and iron uptake by wheat was superior to the control bacterium. On the other hand, application of silicon (600 mg silicon/kg soil with Pseudomonas bacteria) significantly increased the concentration of phosphorus in wheat to the optimum level. Since excessive use of phosphate fertilizer in calcareous soil reduces absorption of micro nutrients, the combined use of silicic acid and phosphate-soluble bacteria can be recommended as an effective method for increasing availability of micro nutrients in greenhouse conditions.

The use of biochar as a soil amendment is one of the new methods to improve soil properties and increase plant yield. In this study, in order to evaluate the effect of adding natural biochar on soil properties and yield of Pamirian winterfat (Eurotia ceratoides) plant, an experiment in a completely randomized design were performed with 11 treatments by different levels of biochar (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10% by weight) and three replications in greenhouse conditions. After the end of the growing season, some physical and chemical properties of the soil (pH, EC, organic matter (%), lime, bulk deisty, particle density, and porosity percentage), germination percentage, and yield of E. ceratoides were measured. In all the studied traits of the soil (except for the particle density), and the characteristics of the E. ceratoides plant, the statistical difference between the various levels of biochar was significant (a = 0.01). Adding different levels of biochar increased pH, ECy, soil porosity percentage, soil organic matter, whereas decrased bulk density, lime percentage, clay percentage, sand, and silt.

Identifying morphoanatomica, physiological and biochemical responses of plants exposed to heavy metals is important for the vegetation restoration on coal mine sites. In this study, the effects of lead (Pb) were assessed on the growth and mineral nutrient content of Artemisia absinthium and Silybum marianum. A factorial experiment based on a completely randomized design was conducted with three replicates in a glasshouse using Pb(NO3)2 at 0 (control), 300 and 600 mg/L as treatment. After two months of the growth period, plants were harvested and their growth characteristics and mineral elements were measured for roots and shoots. The results showed that there was no effect of Pb stress on roots and shoots of A. absinthium while root biomass and volume of S. marianum significantly reduced under Pb treatments. The Pb content in roots of both plant species and in shoots of S. marianum increased. The maximum level of Pb accumulation was found in shoots and roots of S. marianum with 14.73 and 57.16 mg/kg dry matter, respectively. The Pb translocation factor was less than one for both plant species. Fe content in the shoot of S. marianum significantly increased under Pb stress. Mn concentration in the shoot of S. marianum was significantly greater than that in A. absinthium. According to the presence of these plants on coal mine waste and their abilities to grow and accumulate Pb in high concentrations, they can be used for soil remediation in a similar situations or in Pb-contaminated soils.

Mining activities causes substantial damage to the environment worldwide. Abandoned mine wastes from mining activities limit the growth of plants due to unfavorable conditions and the concentration of a wide range of heavy metals. Identifying plant species growing on mine waste and assessing their seed germinations are important for vegetation restoration on mining areas. This study aimed at assessing the germination characteristics of Artemisia absinthium, Lepidium draba, and Silybum marianum naturally growing on coal mine wastes in Mazandaran province under different concentrations of copper (Cu), lead (Pb), and cadmium (Cd).

Seeds were collected from plants growing in coal wastes during 2 years. Completely randomized design was conducted with three replicates. Treatments were CuSO4 and Pb(NO3)2 at 0 (control), 50, 100, 200, and 300 mg/L, and Cd(NO3)2 at 0 (control), 5, 10, 20, and 30 mg/L. In each replicate 20 seeds were placed in a Petri dish containing a layer of filter paper. Then treatments were applied and Petri dishes were taken to a germinator under controlled temperature, moisture, and light. Germinated seeds were counted daily and then germination percentage, germination rate, allometric coefficient, seed vigor index, phytotoxicity percentage and seed tolerance index were calculated.

The results showed that increasing the concentration of lead, copper, and cadmium significantly affected the seed germination of studied plants. S. marianum had better germination percentage and rate in lead, and copper while germination of A. absinthium, L. draba, was better in cadmium, and copper, respectively. The greatest reduction in germination percentage was found for A. absinthium in 20, and 30 mg/L Cd. As the concentration of metals increased, significant reduction in germination percentage and rate for A. absinthium started in lower concentrations than the other species. Root and shoot length of all species significantly reduced even in low concentration of metals and S. marianum had greater root and shoot length under all treatments. Reduction in seed vigor index was greater under Cu than that in Pb and Cd. High tolerance index was found for L. draba in response to cadmium and for S. marianum under the stress of lead and copper. In all treatments increase in metal concentration significantly increased phytotoxicity index. Under Cu and Pb S. marianum showed least phytotoxicity index while the lowest phytotoxicity index was found for L. draba under Cd stress. Copper and cadmium in high concentration were more toxic for A. absinthium than that for the other two species. Under similar concentrations of copper and lead, all species showed reduced germination in copper stress. Cadmium in lower concentrations were tolerable for plants but generally it had the greatest inhibitory especially on A. absinthium.

Overall the responses were different regarding to the plant species, metal and concentrations. All three species were able to germinate at high concentrations of heavy metals. The presence of these species in coal wastes and their ability to germinate in high concentrations of heavy metals makes it possible to use these plants in future restoration and phytoremediation programs.

In order to investigate the effect(s) of biologic and organic fertilizers on light consumption efficiency in growing maize-bean mixture, an experiment has been conducted in the form of split plots in a randomized complete block design with 12 treatments. Main plots, containing different fertilizer systems in four levels, include 30 kg/ha urea, Azotobacter, vermicompost, and Azotobacter + vermicompost, and the subplots contain cultivation compound of pure maize and pure bean being 50% maize + 50% bean, 60% maize + 60% pinto bean, and 80% maize + 80% pinto bean. Results show that leaf area index, dry matter accumulation, and light consumption efficiency of maize have been significantly higher than pure culture. The highest light use efficiency is related to the combined use of Azotobacter and vermicompost in mixed culture of 80% maize + 80% pinto beans with an average of 2.29 g / MJ, which increase light use efficiency by 63%, compared to 30 kg/ha of pure culture. Also, the highest dry matter, related to the mixed culture of 60% maize + 60% pinto beans, belongs to the amount of 1728 g/m2, which increase the dry matter accumulation by 16%, compared to pure culture. In general, the combined composition of organic and biologic fertilizers in intercropping has the ability to compete with urea chemical fertilizer in terms of mechanistic indicators of plant growth analysis.

To investigate the response of corn to combined application of chemical fertilizers with rhizobacteria plant growth promoting, an experiment was conducted in 2017 at Research farm of Agricultural and Natural Resources Campus of Tehran University, Karaj, Iran, in a randomized complete block design with four replications. Four nutritional treatments including T1 (Control treatment without applying fertilizer), T2 (Just PGPRs), T3 (Use chemical fertilizers based on soil test) and T4 (T3 + PGPRs) were considered. According to the results, the highest total dry weight (3.9 kg/m2), crop growth rate (79.8 g.m-2.day-1), net assimilation rate (15.3 g.m-2.day-1) and grain yield (18.2 ton.ha-1) were observed in T4 treatment and T2 treatment produced the highest  leaf area index (5.3), leaf area duration (205.2) and specific leaf weight (78.5 g.m-2) . Also, the lowest value of all traits was observed in in T1 (control) treatment. The results showed that the presence of rhizobacteria plant growth promotioninduction in the corn nutrition program increased the growth and growth indices of the plant. Combined application of chemical fertilizers with rhizobacteria plant growth promoting resulted in the highest growth and final grain yield of corn.

Element efficiency is one of the most important characteristics of different plant cultivars for managing nutrition and fertilizer application in plants. This study was carried out to investigate the efficiency of silicon in different maize cultivars in a calcareous soil under greenhouse conditions. Treatments included five maize cultivars (single crosses 400 (ksc400), 410 (ksc410), 704 (ksc704), 705 (ksc705), 706 (ksc706)) and two silicon levels (0 and 100 mg silicon in 1 kg soil from potassium silicate source), which was performed in a factorial arrangement based on a completely randomized design. After eight weeks of vegetative period, plants harvested and factors such as shoot and root dry weight, leaf area, root volume and surface area and plant silicon uptake were measured. Efficiency element indices including adsorption and consumption efficiency of silicon and silicon efficiency of different cultivars were calculated. Among cultivars, ksc706 with 14.54 g yield, root weight of 6.7 g, leaf area of 173700 mm2 and root area of 185185 mm2 had the best results in terms of morphological characteristics and ksc410 cultivar with yield of 10.03 g, root weight of 5.25 g, leaf area of ​​2147900 mm2 and root area of ​​136284 mm2 showed the lowest desirable characteristics, compared to the control treatment. Yield increase of cultivars compared to the control treatment were: ksc400 (20.7%), ksc706 (17.8%), ksc410 (9.2%), ksc704 (8.9%) and ksc705 (4.8%). The highest silicon uptake efficiency was in ksc706 cultivar (85.7%) and the lowest in ksc704 (58.9%), and the highest silicon consumption efficiency was in ksc705 (12.52%) and the lowest in ksc400 (5.44%). With regard of increasing the area of root system in the treatment containing silicon compared to the control, and the effects of silicon on the uptake and transfer of more nutrients from the soil to the shoots, an increase in plant yield is evident. Accordingly, it is suggested to consider the development of planting the effective element plants with the aim of managing input consumption, soil fertility and sustainable agricultural goals.

Intercropping is one of the most important components of sustainable agriculture. In the present study, the effects of intercropping and bio/organic fertilizers on yield of maize and pinto beans were investigated. A split plots experiment arranged in a completely randomized design was carried out with four replications. The experiment was performed in the research filed of Agricultural Faculty, University of Tehran, Iran, during 2017-2018. Four fertilizer systems, control, no fertilization, biofertilizer (Azotobacter chroococcum), organic fertilizer (vermicompost) and integrated fertilizer (Azotobacter + vermicompost) were the main plots and five cropping patterns, single cultivation of maize, single cultivation of pinto beans, replacement intercropping patterns of 50% mazie-50% pinto bean, and additive intercropping patterns of 60% maize-60% pinto beans and 80% maize-80% pinto beans were subplots. The results indicated that the highest grain yield of maize (245.8 g/plant) was observed in 50% mazie-50% pinto beans the replacement intercropping patterns under vermicompost fertilization and also, the highest grain yield of pinto beans (5.4 g/plant) was obtained by sole cropping of pinto beans and vermicompost application. Generally, the results demonstrated that the most land equivalent ratio (LER, 1.22) was obtained from 60% maize-60% pinto additive intercropping patterns, fertilized by vermicompost. Considering the aim of sustainable agriculture, which is elimination or reduction of chemical inputs application, it seems to be appropriate and reasonable using bio/organic fertilizers for additive/replacement intercropping patterns would be appropriate and reasonable.

Soil salinity is a major abiotic constraint affecting crop yield and quality of ornamental plants. The current study aimed to investigate the melatonin and ascorbic acid regulator on the morphological and physiological characteristics of miniature roses under salinity stress, in the research greenhouse of Agriculture and Natural Resources Campus, University of Tehran, located in Karaj, on biennial cuttings of miniature roses, in plastic pots with a diameter of 14 cm containing cocopeat and perlite (1: 1), in the randomized complete block design with four replications, in the spring of 2018. The studied factors included foliar application of melatonin (at four concentrations of 0, 1, 10, and 100 μM) and ascorbic acid (at three concentrations of 0.5, 1.5, and 3 mM) and combined treatment containing two levels of melatonin 1 μM × ascorbic acid 0.5 mM and melatonin 1 μM × ascorbic acid 1.5 mM and salinity stress at three levels of zero, four and eight dS/m. The results showed that the salinity stress generally reduced morphological characteristics; in this study, the most effective treatment in the foliar application was observed with 3 mM ascorbic acid treatment, which increased the number of flowers and branch height by 36% and 86%, respectively, compared to the control. Foliar application of melatonin 100 μM showed the highest effect on the concentration of nitrogen and potassium equal to 43% and 11% as compared to the control, respectively. Accumulation of soluble sugars during salinity stress conserving osmotic potential and reducing dehydration, and the leaf soluble sugar increased by 11% as compared to the control and proline was observed in foliar application with 1 μM melatonin treatment. The results of this study showed that the ability of this antioxidant (Ascorbic acid 3 mM) can be used to improve the growth and development of miniature roses under salinity stress.

A significant part of the nitrogen fertilizers due to the high solubility in water, penetrates into the lower parts of the soil and become unavailable to the plant. To prevent nitrogen losses, various methods have been used, of which coatings is the most widely used methods to reduce the rate of dissolution in water. The objective of the current study was to produce novel slow release fertilizers (SRFs) using starch-based polymer nanocomposites (in terms of environmental compatibility and degradability) and to investigate the comparative efficiency of these samples on the growth and nutritional responses of tomatoes. Firstly, two formulations of urea fertilizer coated with starch-based polymer nanocomposite reinforced with biochar nanoparticles (A) and pristine polymer without nanoparticles (B) were synthesized. Then, the effects of two levels (180 and 420 kg/ha or 60 and 140 mg/kg) synthesized SRF samples (A and B) and un-coated urea granule fertilizer (as a control) on morphological characteristics of tomatoes were investigated. A factorial design based on the completely randomized blocks with three replications was performed at Agricultural Biotechnology Research Institute, Karaj. The results showed that the presence of nanoparticles increases the release time of urea from the coating layer, and it was prolonged with increasing the amount of NCNPs because of favorable interfacial polymer-filler interactions. So that, the nitrogen release rate from sample A, at pH= 2, 6 and 10, was respectively decreased 49.46, 18.52 and 45.13% as compared to sample B. Moreover, application of SRF samples increased nitrogen use efficiency, nitrogen agronomic efficiency and apparent nitrogen recovery. So that, the nitrogen use efficiency in fertilizer treatments A and B with usage of 420 kg/ha was respectively increased 7/85 and 14/68% compared to urea fertilizer.

Pesticides consumption, especially in fresh-use crops creates some concerns. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of chemical synthesis of essential and quasi-essential elements along with complexing compounds and their effects on pest control of two spotted spider mite in Strawberry. Treatments included the combination of virogard commercial fertilizer in two concentrations (2 and 5 per thousand, recommended by the manufacturer) and protective fertilizer synthesized in this study at a concentration of 10 per thousand (effective concentration determined in the pre-test) and the combination of protective fertilizer + pesticide (half permissible concentration) and control treatment (distilled water) in two stages of application of fertilizer treatments (pre-infested and post-infested plants to mites) with six replications which were performed in greenhouse conditions. In the growth period after fertilizer application, the death mites percent was estimated by Henderson-Tilton formula. Also, after three months, the plants were harvested and some morpho-physiological and nutritional characteristics were measured. Determination of nutrient concentrations of potassium, phosphorus and silica in aerial parts of the plant as well as determination of pH and titratable acidity, Vitamin C, Total Soluble Solids and Antioxidant Levels of Fruit as Postharvest Properties of Strawberries were also measured. The highest death percentage of mite (79.2%) was due to the protective fertilizer + acaricide treatment in both stages before and after plant infestation to mite. The synthesized fertilizer had the greatest effect on fresh and dry shoots weight.  Virogard composition at 5/1000 concentrations, It had the greatest effect on fresh and dry weights. The highest concentration of potassium (29.26 g/kg) was belong to protective fertilizer+ acaricide and the highest concentration of phosphorus (6.48 g/kg) and silicon (753 mg/kg) was belong to the synthesized protective fertilizer individually. Considering the efficacy of the compounds used, it is recommended to use these compounds as inducers of plant resistance in order to reduce the use of pesticides and improve the product quality.

The present study was carried out to investigate the effects of biological and chemical fertilizers on morpho-physiological characteristics and nutrients uptake in tomato plant (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill). A factorial trial arranged in a completely randomized design was carried out under greenhouse conditions. Treatments consisted of five levels of  chemical fertilizers applied as: control (F0), fertilizer traditionally used (F1), soil-test-based optimum nutrients levels (F2), commercial root stimulant (F3), optimum nutrients levels + application of N, P, Zn and Si by the rate of twofold of the optimum levels (F4) and five levels of  biological fertilizers including: control (BF0), PGPR (BF1), arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi (BF2), vermicompost (BF3), and biological package (BF4).The results indicated that the interaction effect of treatments was significant only for shoot dry weight. F4-BF4 and F2-BF4 treatments increased shoot dry weight up to 122% and 121% compared to the control (F0-BF0), respectively. The application of BF4 incresed the leaf area 55% and the application of F4 increased SPAD chlorophyll index 29% as compared to the control and they were the best for increasing such properties.  Among the biological treatments, the application of BF4 increased the uptake of N, P, K and Si in the shoot by 108.4, 224.7, 115.6 and 226.3%, respectively, and among the chemical treatments, the application of F4 increased the uptake of these elements by 58.7%, 14.9% 25.1% and 158% in comparison with control, respectively. The results of this study showed that in the soils with high pH, the nutrients uptake of tomato plant can be effectively improved via integrated application of vermicompot and chemical fertilizers under both optimum and even higher levels.

This study was carried out to investigate the morpho-physiological and biochemical responses of Japanese raisin (Hovenia dulcis L.) seedlings to stress conditions of salinity (Electrical conductivity), nitrate and Pb. The experiment was conducted in a factorial experiment based on completely randomized design with three stress factors including nitrate (0, 30 and 60 mg L-1), salinity (0, 3 and 6 dSm-1) and Pb (0, 300 and 600 mg L-1) and three replications. Plants were grown under greenhouse conditions for four months. The highest shoot fresh weight was observed in treatments of 300 and 600 mg/kg Pb with zero salinity and nitrate level and the lowest fresh weight was belonged to the treatment of 6 dS/m salinity, 600 mg/kg Pb and 30 mg/L nitrate. The highest Pb concentration of shoot (72 mg kg-1 dry matter) was reported in treatment of 600 mg kg-1 Pb and with zero salinity and nitrate level. The highest value of lipids peroxidation occurred at treatment of 600 mg kg-1 Pb, indicating the plant defense mechanisms activity under these conditions. Furthermore, the synthesis of proline as a plant response to stress conditions significantly increased at 600 mg kg-1 Pb; whereas, nitrate application led to reduce malondialdehyde production in plant.

Nowadays, soil contamination with heavy metals is one of the major environmental concerns. Among heavy metals, lead is one of the main concerns due to its effects on human health and environment. The most important sources of this pollution in most parts of the world are mines, industrial waste, chemical fertilizers and pesticides. In order to investigate the adsorption capacity of lead by the ornamental plant of viola (Viola tricolor) and to find the morphological and physiological responses of plant against lead stress, a study in contaminated soil with different levels of lead (0, 200 and 400 mg/kg) was done in a completely randomized design with five repetitions in the greenhouse of the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tehran. The results showed by increasing the concentration of lead in the soil, its amount increased in three parts of shoots, roots and flowers of the plant and the highest accumulation of lead in the roots was found to be 41.27 mg/kg. The high lead pollution reduced the fresh and dry weight of shoots and roots and the root length as compared to the control. Also, total antioxidants and glycine betaine as a defensive factor against stress were found at a concentration of 400 mg/kg lead, which were 61.3% and 114.33 μmol/g, respectively. Therefore, violet can be recommended as an adsorbent of lead and a stress reliever in urban and industrial green space cultivation.

Currently, the excessive application of chemical fertilizers in agriculture field is under debate due to environmental concerns. Therefore, it is important to find the alternative strategies to reduce harmful effects of farming practices. Aims of the research was to investigate the potential of rhizosphere and endophytic bacterial isolates isolated from the roots of wheat plant in terms of plant growth promoting (PGP) traits and study their effect on the wheat plant growth indices and decreased phosphorus (P) fertilizer use. To this end, the isolated bacteria were first screened for the production of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) in the presence of tryptophan in the culture medium, and then the bacteria were tested for their ability to dissolve inorganic and organic phosphates. Then, the ability of these bacteria to improve wheat plant growth was conducted in a completely randomized design under greenhouse condition. Rhizospheric isolate R185 and endophyte isolate E240 produced 299.2 and 330.1 μg / ml P respectively and also produced 19.2 and 22 μg / ml IAA, respectively. 16S rRNA sequencing showed that these bacterial isolates were Pseudomonas. The results obtained from pot assay showed that the combined use of the strains caused a significant increase in wheat growth and nutritional indices (an increase of 55.6% in the amount of plant P) compared to their single application (35.6 and 36.4% increase in plant P content by R185 and E240, respectively). Among the cultivars evaluated, Roshan cultivar had a higher percentage of P (4.7%) and biomass (14.2%) than Marvdasht cultivar.

One of the ways to improve the food security of a growing population of the world is to increase the amount of production per unit area. Some of the nutrient elements such as silicon not only increase nutrient use efficiency but also increment product quality. In this research, the effects of various sources of silicon included Potassium silicate, Calcium silicate, Humistar Si in two levels 200 and 400 mg/kg and Nano-silicon in two levels 50 and 100 mg/kg and Control treatment on morphophysiological responses of the herb of the stevia plant were examined. After three months, the plants were harvested and fresh and dry weight of shoot and root, height and diameter of the shoot, root volume and leaf area as morphophysiological indices of the plant, and leaf chlorophyll, the concentration of silicon, phosphorus, potassium in the shoots, and Glycosides in the stevia leaf, including Stevioside, Rebaudioside A and B were measured. The results showed the effects of silicon sources on the fresh and dry weight of shoot and root, height of shoot, root volume, stem diameter, leaf area and leaf chlorophyll index were significant. The treatments of calcium silicate-200, Nanosilicon-100, and Humistar silicon-200 yielded the highest fresh weight of the shoot compared to the control samples and Nanosilicon-100 led to an increase of 55, 64, and 35% of mentioned elements compared to the control treatment. The treatment of Humistar silicon-400 showed the highest amounts of Stevioside (5.23%), Rebaudioside A (0.67%). Considering the effectiveness of the use of silicon element on morpho-physiological and nutritional responses, and improving the quality of Stevioside and Rebaudioside sugars, it is recommended that along with the optimal use of nutrients, more attention should be paid to the role of this valuable element.