عبدالرضا احمدی

In order to investigate the herbicides sulfosulfuron and mesosulfuron methyl + iodosulfuron methyl-sodium in pure form and together with salicylic acid in the control of weeds, yield and yield components of wheat, a study was carried out in 2021 in the research farm of Lorestan University. The experiment was carried out factorially based on a randomized complete block design (RCBD) in three replications. The first factor included the application of the recommended dose and 50% of each of sulfosulfuron (Apirus, 75% WG) and mesosulfuron methyl + iodosulfuron methyl-sodium (Atlantis, 1.2% OD) herbicides. The second factor was foliar spraying of salicylic acid in combination with herbicide treatments. The results showed that the lowest density (0.2) and dry weight (0.4242) was related to Asperugo procumbens L. Also, the reduction of dry weight of weeds and the highest number of seeds per spike, height, number of spikes per square meter, seed yield and chlorophyll (a and b) were obtained from the application of (Apirus + Atlantis with salicylic acid). Based on the obtained results, it is recommended to use salicylic acid along with herbicides to increase wheat yield and reduce weeds.

Faba bean growth and yield are constrained by weeds. Thus, field experiments were conducted in Khorramabad, Iran in 2020-2021 to evaluate the effect of trifluralin 960 g ai ha–1 pre-plant applications (PPI), imazethapyr 100 g ai ha–1 pre-plant applications (PPI), imazethapyr 100 g ai ha–1 plus one hand weeding (OHW), imazethapyr100 g ai ha–1 POST (post-emergence herbicide), bentazon 960 g ai ha–1 POST, oxyflorfen 192 g ai ha–1 preemergence (PRE), oxyflorfen PRE + OHW, diclosulam 21 g ai ha–1 PRE, diclosulam PRE plus OHW, one or two hand weeding on weed control and yield in faba bean. Weeds, such as safflower, wild mustard, cow cockle, and three-horn bedstraw were dominant in both years. Weed biomass in uncontrolled plots was 173 g m-2 in 2020 and 145 g m-2 in 2021. The lowest weed biomass was observed in diclosulam PRE + OHW, bentazon POST, and two hand weeding treatments. Imazethapyr PPI, trifluralin PPI, and imazethapyr POST herbicides negatively affected faba bean yield. In 2020 and 2021, Diclosulam + OHW decreased total weed density by 85% and 82%, respectively, compared to the untreated sample (control). These ideas resulted in 53% and 61% yield reductions in the weedy check plots compared to the weed-free control plots in 2020 and 2021, respectively. All herbicides resulted in minor damage to the beans, with diclosulam and OHW + diclosulam exhibiting the least impact.

To evaluate the efficacy of several herbicides for weed control in wheat fields, an experiment carried out as complete randomized block design with three replications at Lorestan province during 2020-2021. The experiment treatment was the pure clodinafop-propargyl (Topik®) application at 32, 48, 64 and 80 g active ingredients (a.i.) ha-1, pinoxaden pure application of pinoxaden (Axial®) ans also ready mix of pinoxaden + clodinafop-propargyl (binary mixture) (Traxos®) application at 33.75, 50.62, 67.5 and 84.37 g a.i. ha-1. The results showed that herbicide different doses were significant on all weeds density and dry weight. All crop characteristics such as biological yield, spike length, grain yield except crop height were significant by herbicide different doses as well. But seed 1000 weight was not significant by herbicide herbicide different doses. Also based on results, some weeds such as wild oat, ryegrass, blackgrass and canarygrass were sensitive to clodinafop-propargyl and pinoxaden pure application as their reduced dry weight compared to control were 24.01, 29.31, 27.71 and 51.92 for clodinafop-propargyl and 30.84, 22.32, 20.90 and 51.29 for pinoxaden, respectively. Binary mixture of pinoxaden + clodinafop-propargyl had more efficacy than their pure application. According to visual observations results, the only 50 percent control of wild barley, rye and downy brome were achieved when the mixture of pinoxaden + clodinafop-propargyl were used at high dose. The highest of grain yield was also attained at doses of 67.5 and 84.37 g a.i. ha-1 of pinoxaden + clodinafop-propargyl which increased grain yield 18.32 increase compared to the pure application of each herbicide. Therefore, due to the frequent application of clodinafop-propargyl and pinoxaden and the possibility occurring of weed resistance to these herbicides, using mixture of pinoxaden + clodinafop-propargyl can be suitable not only to more effective in weeds control but also as a appropriate replacement in herbicide rotation for managing and delaying of possible resistance in weeds.

Grapes with the scientific name (vitis vinifera L) have a prominent position among the country's fruit trees as from the entire level of gardens in the country,  about 306 thousand hectares, equivalent to 11.4% , belongs to small fruits and about 96.2% of which is related to the grape surface. West Azerbaijan province is one of the most important regions of Iran for planting vines and the area under grape cultivation is close to 21808 hectares. Subsequently its production amount is reported more than 265 thousand tons which is important in the prosperity of the region's economy in terms of currency. According to the importance of grapes and raisins and its position in the country's economy and region and due to the lack of basic information about the weed status of this product at the national level and especially in the state of West Azerbaijan (which has an important share in the production of grapes), with identifying weed cover and determining the abundance status and distribution of weed species, it can be achieved to the substructure information for designing weed management programs in this important crop.

 Miandoab city (has a semi-arid climate with hot and dry summer and semi-humid winter) has 2694 square kilometers area with geographical longitude 46 degrees and 6 minutes east of the Greenwich meridian and 36 degrees and 58 minutes north From the equator. It is located in the middle of the plains leading to Lake Urmia with a height of 1314 meters above sea level. In order to identify and determine the density and dominance of weeds in the vineyards of Miandoab city 25 vineyards in 25 areas of the Miandoab city were investigated in late May 2016. Frequency, uniformity, density, mean density and dominance index of different weed species were calculated in each garden. Then experiment to investigate the effect of weeds on grape yield is done in mid-September. For this Weed biomass from 25 rural areas were collected in 4 replications. At the same time as sampling weeds, also characteristics of grape were evaluated in 4 replications. These characteristics include fruit weight, volume, length, density and number of berries per grape cluster. After calculating the Shannon-Wiener index of different regions, Ward's cluster analysis with SPSS software was used to compare and group regions. After these steps, the desired map was prepared using Google earth software.

In total, 61 species of weeds from 24 plant families were identified in the vineyards of Miandoab city. 21 species were present in more than three regions. In terms of density, Sogli Tappeh, Mullah Shahabuddin and Shabilo villages had the highest weed density with 49.6, 49.5 and 46 plants per square meter, respectively. From the 61 identified species, 32 species (46%) belonged to 4 families: Gramineae, Asteraceae, Fabaceae and Brassicaceae. These 4 families with 11, 10, 7 and 4 species had the highest diversity in the city, respectively. In terms of weed abundance index (AI) Glycyrrhiza glabra, Sorghum halepense and Convolvulus arvensis were recognized as the dominant weeds in the city, respectively. Gara Tappeh, Gog Tappeh and Mameh Del villages with 26, 24 and 22 species, respectively, with the highest variety And Islamabad, Hyderabad and Hosseinabad villages had the least variety with 10, 10 and 11 species, respectively. Results of comparing the means of different traits of grapes (volume, weight, length and density of fruit and number of berries per spike) indicate a significant difference in the level of 5% probability between villages. The results showed that there was a positive and significant correlation between weight, length, volume and fruit density at the level of 1% probability. Thus, it is clear that increasing any of the above parameters causes the weight of the berry to increase.

In general, according to the knowledge of density, dispersion and species of weed ‎‎in the studied vineyards and using the right management methods the amount of interference of problematic species can be reduced and also the entry of weeds, especially problematic species, from one area to another susceptible area can be prevented. In addition by studying the climatic conditions, climate and soil of the region and also, by having information about the common management methods in the region, it is possible to understand the reasons for the presence and changes in the density of some species in some areas and used this information in integrated weed management.

One of the key factors contributing to crop yield reduction is competition with weeds, which can greatly reduce the density and growth of crops. Among the most important legumes in the world, beans have become a popular substitute for animal protein and are one of the highest-producing legumes in Iran, following chickpeas. Weeds present a major challenge to maximizing bean production as they compete with beans for essential resources such as light, water, and nutrients. Additionally, weeds can impede harvesting operations and negatively impact the overall quality of the final product. In unmanaged environments, the presence of annual weeds caused a 70% reduction in the yield of white beans. Specifically, for each kilogram of dry matter comprised of annual weeds, the yield of white beans decreased by 0.38 kg per hectare. The choice of cultivar and planting date can have a significant effect on the weed population and growth in white bean fields. Different cultivars have varying levels of competitiveness with weeds, which can impact the overall weed population in the field. Similarly, the timing of planting can also affect weed growth and development. Research has shown that certain white bean cultivars, such as 'ICA Pijao' and 'Goyas', have greater competitiveness with weeds than other cultivars like 'Tacarigua'. This means that fields planted with these more competitive cultivars may experience lower weed populations compared to those planted with less competitive cultivars. Planting dates can also play a role in weed management. Early planting can allow for rapid crop establishment, which can help suppress weed growth by competing for light, nutrients, and water. However, early planting may also coincide with peak weed emergence, which can lead to increased competition between the crop and weeds. Conversely, late planting may result in slower crop establishment and reduced competitiveness with weeds, leading to higher weed populations. However, late planting may also allow for the use of pre-plant or pre-emergent herbicides, which can help to control weed populations prior to crop emergence.

An experiment was conducted at Boroujerd Research Station in 2015–2016 as a split factorial in a randomized complete block design with 4 replications to evaluate the effects of planting dates and white bean cultivars on the weed population. Planting dates (21 April, 10 May, 31 May, and 20 June), bean cultivars (Line GOYONOK98 and the Almas), and weed-free and weed-infested treatments were all investigated. Data variance analysis was done using SAS 9.4 statistical software, and graphs were drawn by Excel software. The mean comparison of the desired traits was also done by Duncan's test at the 5% probability level.

The findings revealed that delaying the planting date increased the percentage of frequency, density, and weed dominance. Pigweed (Amaranthus retroflexus L.) was the most important weed species in the experiment, with the highest frequency (85.41 percent), dominance rate (39.2 percent), and biomass (711.09 g/m2). The second planting date had the highest weed frequency (54.5 percent), which increased by 34.85, 29.61, and 19.16 percent, respectively, compared to the first, third, and fourth planting dates. Weed densities were lowest on April 20 and highest on May 30, with an average of 85.76 and 195.66 plants per m-2, respectively. A 20-day delay in planting resulted in a 46.45 percent increase in weed biomass. In addition, the first and second plantings had the lowest and highest weed biomasses, with averages of 1139.65 and 2128.35 g. m-2, respectively. According to the results of this experiment, planting an indeterminate -growth cultivar of Almas on April 21 was the best candidate for cultivation in Boroujerd due to reduced weed biomass.

The experiment's findings indicate that achieving the maximum yield of white beans is only possible when one has a good understanding of various factors such as climatic conditions, agricultural practices, and environmental stresses. Planting white beans at the beginning of May was observed to result in the lowest population and biomass of weeds due to unfavorable growth conditions for weeds like low temperature and light intensity. As a result, beans had ample growth opportunities without weed competition, resulting in considerable reductions in weeding and weed control costs and ultimately leading to the highest seed yield. In conclusion, early May planting is more advantageous than other dates regarding water resource accessibility and weed competition.

Rain-fed Lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) is vulnerable to weed competition because of its tiny stature, slow establishment, and limited vegetative growth. Weed control is necessary for maximum seed yield and seed quality. Crop yield losses are primarily a result of competition with weeds for nutrients, moisture and space. Therefore, weed control at this period plays an important role to gain high roduction. Although the vast majority of lentil production is under rain-fed conditions, there is a little published information on weed control with herbicides in rain-fed lentils. Herbicides due to efficiency and expense savings play a  essential role in weed control. The purpose of this research was to determine the best time to application effective herbicides in weeds control for the maximum rain-fed Lentil production in Khorramabad.

The Lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) field experiment was carried out as split plot based on complete randomized block design with three replications during 2017-2018 in Khorramabad (48.21°E, 33.29°N, 1170 m above sea level, 450 mm average yearly precipitation) Iran. The following herbicides were used: Oxyfluorfen (EC 24%) 1 Li ha-1, Isoxaflutole (SC 480) 200 Ml ha-1, Flumetsulam(WG 800) 20 g ha-1, Metribuzin (WP 70%) 500g ha-1, Pendimethalin Aria(EC33%) 4 li ha-1, Pendimethalin Prowl (CS45.5%) 4li ha-1, Imazethapyr (SL10%) 350 ml ha-1 and Pendimethalin prowl 2li ha-1plus Imazethapyr 350 ml ha-1. Herbicide applicatioin time at 3 levels; IAP application (Immediately after planting), PRE application and IBCE (eraly post herbicide application at fourth lentil node stage) was assigned to the main and sub plots respectively. The fields were in wheat cultivation in the year before the experiments. The soil at the test sites was a silty loam with a pH of 7.9 and organic matter of 1.11%. Lentil was sown at a density of 75 kg seed ha-1 by hand on December 21, 2017. Herbicides were sprayed with an electric knapsack sprayer MATABI (calibrated to deliver 300 L ha-1. In order to evaluate the effect of treatments on weeds density and biomass, at the beginning of lentil flowering, sampling was done from a surface of 0.3 m-2 area and weed density and weed biomass recorded. At lentil physiological maturity, the yield and yield components were measured by harvesting lentil plants from a 1-m2 area in each plot (Izadi & Maghsoudi, 1400). The data were subjected to the analysis of variance using SAS. Means were compared using Duncan's Multiple Range test at P=0.05 level of significance.  

The results indicated that the lowest weed density and weed biomass were associated with Flumetsulam and Prowl plus Imazethapyr. The average weed densities for the postemergence and preemergence treatments of the eight evaluated herbicides were 14.9% and 31.0% lower, respectively, compared to the herbicide application immediately after planting. The least herbicide injury effects on the Lentil crop were assigned to the Pendimethalin Aria, Pendimethalin Prowl, Prowl plus Imazethapyr, Imazethapyr and Flumetsulam. In the case of Oxyfluorfen herbicide, weed density for early postemergence application treatment was 84.1% lower than in PRE application. In the case of Isoxaflutole herbicide, the mean weed density for application immediately after planting was 79.3% lower than for early post-application. In the case of Flumetsulam herbicide, the mean of weed biomass for application immediately after planting was 73.3% and 66.6% less than preemergence and early post-application, respectively. With the exception of Flumetsulam herbicide, there was no significant difference between the different herbicide application times in terms of weed biomass. The highest average Lentil grain yield per unit area was observed when Flumetsulam herbicide was applied immediately after planting. On the other hand, the lowest average Lentil grain yield per unit area was recorded when Isoxaflutole herbicide was applied immediately after planting. No significant differences in Lentil grain yield per unit area were found between the different application times for the herbicides Metribuzin and Imazethapyr. Based on cluster analysis grouping of relative efficacy of control treatments, immediately after planting application or preemergence application of Flumetsulam and early postemergence application of Imazethapyr were better than the other herbicide treatments for Lentil weed control, whereas the lowest relative efficacy was related to preemergence application of Oxyfluorfen, immediately after planting application of Isoxaflutole and Metribuzin, and preemergence application of Pendimethalin Arya.

Based on the results of this research, the application of flumezolam immediately after planting (20 g ha-1) and imazatapir( 350 ml ha-1) as pre-emergence application have had more efficiency for weed control in lentil than other herbicide treatments, while the pre-emergent application of oxyfluorfen, the application immediately after planting of isoxaflotel and metribyozin have  had the effects of plant burning on lentil crops and the pendimethalin Aria herbicide is not recommended  in lentil farms because of to the lack of control of broadleaf weeds under normal conditions in lentil fields. In general, among the experimental treatments, in terms of the level of control efficiency and the level of safety for the lentil crop, the application of flumetsulam immediately after planting was the best herbicide treatment.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of cover crops and their residues and mechanical and chemical methods on weed density and biomass in the Miandoab vineyards.

To achieve the research goal, a factorial experiment was conducted in the form of completely random blocks with 4 replications and 2 factors in the spring of 2015 and 2016 in the Sogli Tappeh (altitude 1300 meters, latitude 46 degrees and 2 minutes and longitude 36 degrees and 93 minutes) and Nasir Kandi villages (altitude 1300 meters, latitude 46 degrees and 7 minutes and longitude 36 degrees and 91 minutes). The first factor includes planting Vicia peregrina cover crop (after plowing), planting Vicia peregrina cover crop (without plowing), planting Ajowan cover crop (after plowing), planting Ajowan cover crop (without plowing), the application of glyphosate herbicide after growing (3 liters per hectare), manual weeding, weed-free control, and the second factor includes the standing and traditional systems.

The predominant weeds in the studied vineyards include Johnson grass, Binweed and Licorice. Nonplowed Vicia peregrina in the standing system (132 g.m-2 ) and Ajowan after conventional plowing in the standing system (95 g.m-2 ) had the highest and lowest biomass production of cover crops. In both Vicia peregrina and Ajowan plants, cover biomass production was the same in traditional and standing systems. Application of herbicide, similar to weed-free control, reduced weed density by more than 90%, and the highest length and weight of grape were obtained in this treatment. But Vicia peregrina and Ajowan without plowing in both horticultural systems reduced the weed density by 47% and 32%, respectively, compared to the weedinfected control. Regardless of plowing type in both horticultural systems, the weight and length of grape in planting cover crops such as Vicia peregrina and Ajowan increased significantly compared to weed-infected conditions (no weeding). Also, the amount of soluble solids varied from 10.8% in weed-infected control to 15.16% in glyphosate herbicide usage.

Since among the cover crops, non-plowed Vicia peregrina had the highest reduction in weed growth with comparing the weed density averages, it can be introduced as the best management strategy for weed control in vineyards. In general, planting cover crops in both garden systems with any type of plowing can reduce weed density and increase the quantitative and qualitative of grapes, although herbicides and weedfree control are superior to cover crops.

In order to evaluate the energy consumption efficiency in the chickpea production system, a field study was conducted in Ayvangharb, Ilam province, Iran during the 2019-2020 growing season and the required agricultural information in all stages of planting, growing and harvesting was collected by filling out a questionnaire and face-to-face interviews with 240 farmers. The results showed that the highest amount of input energy were diesel fuel, chemical fertilizers, seed and cultivation, chemical fertilizers, fuel and seed in mechanized and traditional cultivation, respectively. Energy ratio, energy efficiency, energy intensity and net energy were determined 2.83, 0.27 Kg/ MJ, 3.6 MJ/ Kg and 12272.46 MJ/ ha in mechanized cultivation and 2.41, 0.23 Kg/ MJ, 4.2 MJ/ Kg and 9608.52 MJ/ ha in traditional cultivation ,respectively. The share of direct, indirect, renewable and non-renewable energy was 47, 53, 20, 80% in mechanized cultivation and 38, 62, 31, 69% of total energy consumption in traditional cultivation, respectively. Questionnaire statistics were analyzed by modeling with DEA solver and it was found that fungicides, phosphate fertilizer and pesticides inputs are the best inputs affecting grain yield and straw yield in mechanized and traditional crops. However, these inputs were less efficient in traditional cultivation than in mechanized cultivation. Also, the analysis of indicators showed that the efficiency of mechanized cultivation is higher than traditional cultivation.

Western sanctions against Iran have a long history in the contemporary history of Iran, especially after the Islamic Revolution. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of political economy on the economic stability of the Islamic Republic of Iran by emphasizing the geography of sanctions in the Islamic Republic of Iran in the last decade and the role of illegal sanctions by the West and the United States over a decade. The main question of the present study is what is the analysis of political economy on economic stability with emphasis on the sanctions of the last decade in the Islamic Republic of Iran? The research method in this article is descriptive-analytical. The required research data have been collected from library sources and articles as well as strategic documents. The results show that sustainable economic stability and making Iran's economy resilient to the numerous shocks caused by sanctions is one of the main priorities of policymakers. Iran's economy is in a fragile position due to its high dependence on oil revenues. In fact, today, the prevalence of knowledge-based industries can replace the sale of crude oil with other income-generating economic activities, and transform the mono-product economy based on oil revenue and move towards non-dependence on oil, and according to respondents, Attitudes toward international sanctions reinforce the collective policies of the resistance economy.

The wheat aphid, Schizaphis graminum Rondani, is one of the most important pests of wheat that damages this crop by feeding on vegetable sap. Among its natural enemies, ladybug Hippodamia variegata (Goeze) is the most active predator of this pest. The application of wheat fields may affect the population of these insects. The present study investigates the effect of common wheat herbicides on wheat aphids and their predator (i.e., ladybug H. variegata).

In the present study, the lethal effects of four herbicides (i.e., Clodinafop-propargyl, Tribenuron-methyl, 2,4-D plus MCPA, and Mesosulfuron-methyl+ Iodosulfuron-methyl-sodium) versus untreated types(control) was examined on the green wheat aphid S. graminum and its predator H. variegata using a completely randomized design under laboratory conditions at 25±1oC, 60±10% RH, and 16:8 hours (L: D). The individuals were transferred from infested wheat to fresh plants every week to keep an appropriate aphid colony. After reproducing several generations on the potted plants, the adults were considered for experiments. Adult specimens of H. variegate were directly collected from the same aphid colony using an aspirator and transported to the laboratory.The leaf-dip method was employed to evaluate the herbicide’s lethal effects. Besides, the mortality rates were recorded 24, 48, and 72 hours after the treatment process. Experiments were replicated for each herbicide four times. In this case, each replication included ten adult insects as subjects.

The results showed that using Mesosulfuron-methyl+ Iodosulfuron-methyl-sodium on aphids killed all insects in the first 24 hours of the experiment. Clodinafop-propargyl plus Tribenuron-methyl caused mortality rates of 55, 70, and 92.5% at 24, 48, and 72 hours post-treatment, respectively. In the case of 2,4-D plus MCPA, the mortality rates were 20, 37.5, and 57.5% after 24, 48, and 72 hours of the experiment. Mesosulfuron-methyl+ Iodosulfuron-methyl-sodium causes lady bug mortality rates of 45, 52.5, and 57.5% after 24, 48, and 72 hours, respectively. These valuesfor Clodinafop-propargyl plus Tribenuron-methyl were 17.5, 37.5 and 45%, while 2,4-D + MCPA caused 12.5, 15, and 27.5% mortality rates on ladybugs. Therefore, the present study recommends Mesosulfuron-methyl+ Iodosulfuron-methyl-sodiumto implement weed control in wheat fields and control S. graminum. Also, it is suggested to utilize Clodinafop-propargyl + Tribenuron-methyl and 2,4-D + MCPA in combination with biocontrol (using H. variegata) to perform the relative control of wheat aphids.

Agricultural herbicides can affect various insects such as pests and natural enemies. This procedure occurs through their direct toxicity or their effects on the population and diversity of their plant hosts. The present study is one of the few studies that simultaneously investigate the influence of herbicides on a pest and its natural enemy. The findings demonstrated that herbicides could directly affect insect populations. The principal purpose of the present study was to determine whether common and widely used herbicides in the cultivation of wheat in Iran can directly cause death in adults of aphids and their main predator (H. variegata). Since both of them have a high population in most wheat fields, their adults were simultaneously established and activated in the wheat farms during herbicides. Based on the recommended concentrations and direct application, four herbicides caused death in adults of green wheat aphids and ladybugs.

Bentazone is a postemergence herbicide used to control weeds in bean fields. This study aimed to isolate and identify bentazone degrading bacteria in some areas of Selseleh city. According to the results of phenotypic and biochemical tests, 30 isolates of bentazone herbicide-degrading bacteria were divided into four phenotypic groups, including Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, and Stenotrophomonas. Highly degrading isolates including BaBLU3 in the Bacillus group, PsBLU2 in the Pseudomonas group, StBLU5 in the Stenotrophomonas group, and AcBLU2 in the Acinetobacter group were selected, according to the results of the minimum inhibitory concentration and the minimum bactericidal concentration. The sequencing results of housekeeping gene 16S rRNA, revealed the BaBLU3, PsBLU2, StBLU5, and AcBLU2 isolates belonged to the B. altitudinis, Pseudomonas sp., Stenotrophomonas sp. and A. calcoaceticus, respectively. This study is the first report of in vitro bioassay of the Bentazone herbicide biodegradation by using the isolates of B. altitudinis, Pseudomonas sp., Sthenotrophomonas sp. and A. calcoaceticus. Due to the ability of these bacterial isolates in degrading Bentazone herbicide, their use in bioremediation research to remove the remains of this herbicide in bean fields is recommended.

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is one of the important crops in Iran with high nutritional value. Potato is grown on approximately 159.061 ha-1 in Iran during 2015-2016 (Sajedi et al., 2012). Even though potato plants have robust growing and quick spreading nature but it turns as a weak competitor with weeds. Potato yields and quality can be seriously affected by the presence of weeds. It was observed that the most critical period of crop-weed competition is first 4-6 weeks after planting when the crop must be kept free from weeds. The yield reduction due to weeds in potato is estimated to be as high as 10 to 80 percent (Auskarniene et al., 2010). The most important weeds in potato field are redroot pigweed (Amaranthus retroflexus L.) and common lambsquarters (Chenopodium album L.). Chemical techniques have been still preferred by growers due to less cost and easier implementation. Weed control with herbicides is limited to a few older compounds with the primary criterion for herbicide selection being previous weed problems, or standard routines not only in Iran but also in the North America (Ivany, 2010). Among herbicides registered (e.g. metribuzin, sulfosulfuron, paraquat and rimsulfuron) in Iran, pendimethalin (Prowl) is a new selective herbicide belong to dinitroaniline family used to control most annual grasses and certain broadleaf weeds in field potatoes.

In order to evaluation of the best herbicidal treatment to weeds control on potato field, an experiment carried out as randomized complete block design with eight treatments and three replication at Hamedan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research Station, during 2017. Experiment treatments included, the application of metribuzin at 0.75 Kg.ha-1, sulfosulfuron 30 gr.ha-1, paraquat 3 lit.ha-1, rimsulfuron 100 gr.ha-1 and pendimethalin in three levels of 2.5, 3 and 3.5 lit.ha-1 with Hand weeding and untreatment. 15, 30 and 45 days after spraying, sampling of weeds and potato carried out in middle of the plots with 0.5 × 0.5 quadrate, respectively. Then, samples were dried at oven-dried at 75 °C for 48 h and weighed. At the final harvest to determine yield, all treatments sampling performed from four lines of each plot by 1 × 1 quadrate. Based on final yield, tubers classified to three groups involved, small tuber (< 35 ml), middle (between 35-75 ml) and large tubers (> 75 ml), then weighted. Results

The results of analysis of variance showed the application different herbicidal treatments had significant effect on weeds density and dry matter and also potato yield. According results, In spite of significant reduce in all of herbicidal treatments on weeds, the lowest weeds density and dry matter were showed in metribuzin. Also, the different applied treatments had significant effect on potato tuber number and yield. The best treatments on increase potato plant dry weight at 15, 30 and 45 days after emergence were hand weeding with 70, 75.02 and 78.64 percent and then metribuzin with 65.09, 70.28 and 72.35 percent, respectively. The highest percentage of increase on potato tuber yield was shown in hand weeding with 22.2 percent and then in metribuzin with 19.8 and rimsulfuron with 16.9 percent.

In conclusion, metribuzin was the best of herbicidal treatment for weeds control and yield enhance in potato. In spite of being particular of paraquat in potato, this herbicide did not enough control of weed at 30 and 45 days after emergence, hence resulted a lower total yield compared to other treatments. Despite the favorable of weeds control by sulfosulfuron, yield reduce caused due to the negative effect of sulfosulfuron, necrosis and clouding of potato leaves and finally the degradation of photosynthesis in potato. Rimsulfuron was as the best treatment after metribuzin on weeds control and yield boost. But application of rimsulfuron not suggestion in potato with barley, rapeseed and alfalfa alternation because of the rate of low decomposition and long-term residues in the soil. The application of pendimethalin at the highest dose e.g. 3.5 l.ha-1 caused to 32.4 percent to promote in potato tuber yield compared to control treatment, whilst the same rate was achieved 49 percent for the metribuzin at 0.75 kg.ha-1. Hence, metribuzin at 0.75 kg.ha-1 is suggested as the best herbicidal treatment in Hamedan potato fields.

One of the new methods in reducing the pollution caused by the use of herbicides and other agricultural chemical pesticides is the use of resistant and degrading bacterial isolates of these herbicides. This study was conducted to isolate and identify resistant bacterial strains from the soil of wheat fields using the three herbicides of Othello, Atlantis, and Puma Super.

To isolate and characterize resistant bacteria, samples were collected from wheat fields treated with Othello, Atlantis, and Puma Super herbicides. Isolates were selected based on the growth on the Standard Succinate Medium containing 10 percent of the mentioned herbicides. The representative isolates were identified based on biochemical tests and amplification of the 16S rRNA gene. Also, the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) of the representatives were measured.

A total of 17 isolates could grow on a growth medium containing 10% of the tested herbicides. Based on the valid biochemical and molecular test results, the representative strains were identified as Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Ensifer adhaerens, Xanthomonas sp., Pseudoxanthomonas sp., and Acinetobacter sp. The Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) were attributed to Othello (0.28 and 0.4) and Atlantis herbicides (0.35 and 0.5) belonging to Acinetobacter and Xanthomonas (0.45 and 0.67) for Puma Super herbicides.

According to the results of this study, herbicide-resistant bacteria identified in this study can be useful in plant biotechnology applications in polluted areas and can reduce environmental pollution regarding using these herbicides. However, further studies are needed in order to identify the degrading potential of the resistant strains.

To study the effect of biochar and superabsorbent on the chemical composition of Satureja rechingeri Jamzad essential oil, under drought stress conditions, a factorial split-plot experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design with three replications in 2018-2019 at the Medicinal Plant Research Farm of Lorestan University. Treatments included drought stress as the main plot at three levels (100, 80, and 60% of water requirement) and cow manure biochar at two levels (0 and 10 ton ha-1), and stockosorb hydrogel at three levels (0, 60, and 120 mg plant-1) as subplots. Twenty-four compounds were identified in aerial parts essential oil of the plant using GC-MS. The main constituents included carvacrol (76.6%), γ-terpinene (5.8%), p < /em>-cymene (3%), terpinen-4-ol (2.5%), 1,8-cineole (2%), and linalool (0.9%). The results showed that the highest amount of carvacrol (90.8%) was observed in severe moisture stress+biochar+60 mg stockosorb and the lowest (73.8%) was observed in stress-free control treatment with biochar+120 mg stockosorb. The results showed that interactions between drought stress and biochar had a significant effect on essential oil yield. Also, no correlation was observed between the presence and absence of stockosorb superabsorbent with different compounds of Satureja rechingeri essential oil.

To evaluate the effect of time and rates of imazethapyr application on weed control of bean field an experiment was conducted in Agricultural Research Station of Lorestan University based on the randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications in 2015-2016. In this experiment, the effects of pre planting, pre emergence and post emergence applications of imazethapyr with different rates (0.25, 0.5, 0.75 and 1 lit.ha-1) and pre planting imazethapyr mixed with soil (1 lit.ha-1) plus post emergence with weed control in two levels (control and non- control) was studied. The most important weed species in the experimental site were safflower (Carthamus oxyacantha), catchweed bedstraw (Galium tricornutum), wild mustard (Sinapis arvensis), cow cockle (Vaccaria grandiflora), chickweed (Conringia orientalis). Weed density in weedy control condition was estimated to be 133 plants.m-2. The results showed the maximum percentage of weed dry weight loss, as compared to not controlling weed due to imazetapir post-treatment application of 0.75 and 1 L.ha-1, was 86.95%. Also highest average root length (12.46 cm), root dry weight (95 g), number of branches (5.33), number of seeds per pod (9.3) and seed yield were observed in hand weeding. The highest plant height (88.33 cm) belonged to weed control treatment, the highest LAI (2.59) in herbicide usage, in pre planting (0.25 lit.ha-1), the highest average number of pod per plant (10 pod), number of pod per m-2 (100 pod) and biological yield (33367.1 kg.ha-1) resulted from pre emergence herbicide application (0.5 lit.ha-1). The highest of 100 seed weight (109.6 g) for pre planting herbicide application (1 lit.ha-1) plus herbicide post emergence application (1 lit.ha-1) was seen. The results also showed that, after hand weeding, the best concentration of imazethapyr pre emergence application (0.5 lit.ha-1) that it could decrease weed density by 99% as compared to not controlling weed. This treatment (imazethapyr pre emergence application (0.5 lit.ha-1) was the best treatment. Higher concentrations of herbicides also decreased bean yield because of burning, reduction in leaf area and photosynthesis.

Chickpea is important due to its grain high protein. Chickpea is weak to compete with weeds because of the retard growth at the early stages. Therefore, weed control at this time plays an important role to gain high production. Chickpea is being grown in both dry land and irrigated systems, and growers in both systems are finding weed control to be a major obstacle to profitable production. Weed control is essential for maximum seed yield and seed quality. Selection of the herbicide plus cultivator between rows can effectively control weeds. Herbicide due to efficiency and cost savings play a basic role in weed management. Application of Isoxaflutole controlled weeds in chickpea fields with very low phytotoxicity on chickpea. But the risk of crop injury from Isoxaflutole has been reported to be greatest in soils with low organic matter content and high pH. The only herbicide registered for chickpea in Iran, is pyridate in 1998.Considering the importance of agriculture chickpea in Kermanshah and high cost of hand weeding in the fields, this study was projected to achieve the most appropriate herbicides in combination with mechanical methods (row cultivator), in order to optimally control weeds and increase the yield of chickpea. The objective of this research was to identify efficacious chemical weed-control plus cultivation options for rainfed production of chickpea in Kermanshah.

The experiment was carried out as strip plot based on complete randomized block design with four replications during 2014-2015 in Kermanshah province. The main factor included inter-row cultivation and without inter-row cultivation and the sub factor consisted of applications of Linuron (pre planting), Isoxaflutole (post emergence), Metribuzin (pre emergence), Paraquat (post emergence), Pendimethalin (pre emergence), Pyridate (post emergence) at rates 0.67, 0.48, 0.42, 0.05, 0.82, 1.5 kg a.i./ha respectively and hand weeding. Chickpea (ILC482) were sown on March 3th placing 45 seeds m-2 in rows 0.6 m apart. All herbicides were sprayed with an Elegance 18 electric knapsack sprayer equipped with flooding nozzle and calibrated to deliver 300 L/ha of spray solution at a pressure of 2.5 bar. Herbicides were applied in one-half of each plot, and the other half kept as its control. The inter-row cultivation was applied on April 29th 2014.  Percent weed population and biomass reduction in all treatments was measured separately for each weed species by counting the number of weeds 30 days after treatment within two fixed 1m2 quadrates that were dropped in the treated and untreated halves of each plot. The data were subjected to the analysis of variance using SAS. Means were compared using Duncan's Multiple Range test at P=0.05 level of significance.

Results showed that cultivation between rows reduced population of Lambs quarters and Redroot Pigweed significantly. Linurin and Paraquat could not provide acceptable biomass and population reduction. But Pyridate, Isoxaflutole and Metribuzin could control satisfactorily weeds. None of herbicide treatments could reduce Field binweed populations satisfactorily, so that the highest population reduction was observed in Lambs quarters (100%) where sprayed with Metribuzin. Percent total weed density reduction by pyridate and Isoxaflutole was highest (78% and 57%). Metribuzin reduced total weed density by at least 71%. Hand weeding plus cultivation, Pyridate plus inter-row cultivation and pyridate, caused chickpea grain yield to increase by 44.83%, 44.46%, 40.58% respectively compared with weedy check. Isoxaflutole plus inter-row cultivation and Isoxaflutole caused chickpea grain yield to increase 37.18% and 34% respectively. The highest chickpea phytotoxicity (30%) was achieved where Linuron applied.

Overall results showed that pyridate at rate 1.5 kg a.i./ha is a suitable option for control of weeds and increasing the chickpea grain yield. The results also showed that inter-row cultivation had no significant effect on weed reduction and grain yield by pyridate and Isoxaflutole. In this study, isoxaflotle controlled a wide range of weeds. It is suggested that further studies be carried out on the use of this herbicide at different times of application (pre emergence and post emergence) and different amounts.

Mungbean [Vigna radiata (L.)Wilczek] is the most important source of protein in south and southeast Asia. This plant, have the most important sources of protein in arid and semiarid regions and played a major role in the economy of the regions. Seed mung bean has 51% carbohydrate, 26% protein, 10% moisture, 4% mineral and 3% vitamin. This crop can be successfully grown on marginal lands where other crops perform poorly. Legumes, have mainly poor competition against weeds. Yield decrease in crops due to the presence of weed, depending on the area and specific weed species its area. Raman & Krishnamoorthy (2005) reported that mungbean yield decreased in infested treatment to weeds to 35 percent. Optimum plant population density is an important factor to realize the potential yields as it directly affects plant growth and development. The sowing rate of 20 kg h-1 usually recommended for small to medium seed varieties might be too low to obtain optimal yield. Barary et al. (2002) observed the effect of row and plant spacing on seed yield but it was not significant. Among the yield components, number of pods plant-1 and number of grains pod-1 and 1000 seed weight decreased with increasing seed rate. Determining the optimum plant density is very important to obtain maximum quantity and quality of economic yield. Reports show that the suitable density range of mung bean depends on the distance between plants. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of density on the morpho-physiologic traits and seed yield of the mung bean and to determine the optimum planting density on weed management in the Khorramabad. Field experiments were conducted at Lorestan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research Center, Khorramabad, Iran (48.36° E, 33.48° N, altitude), 1,125 m above the sea level with annual average precipitation and temperature of 471.5 mm and 17.7 C˚, respectively. The fields were in fallow in the preceding year of the experiments. The soil at the test sites were a clay-silt with a pH of 7.7 and organic matter of 1.0% in 2014. Prato cultivar has a 1000-seed weight of approximately 25 g. Layout system was randomized complete block design (RCBD) with factorial arrangements, with 8 treatments in 3 replications. Weed factor with two levels (controlled and uncontrolled) and seed rate per unit area (25, 50, 75 and 100 kg. h-1) equivalent (6, 12, 18 and 24 plant m-2) was calculated for each plot. In this experiment, after sowing mapping, evaluated treatments were randomly assigned to experimental plots and any density considered on the 6 lines with 6 meters length, rows spacing of 60 cm and 5 cm sowing depth. Seeds planting was done by hand in June 12, 2014. Irrigation was done immediately after planting. Due to climatic conditions, farm irrigation was carried out flooding until the end of the growing season (every 10 days). In the plots of interference treatment no operations performed against the weed control. Assessing the density and weeds biomass were randomly at flowering time of crop with samples of the two frame 0.5× 0.5m per plot. Density and dry matter of weeds were counted and measured. At the end of the growing season after physiological maturity with marginal effects deletion (half a meter from the beginning and end of each row) area of 6 m-2 from 4 central rows of each plot was measured to estimate biomass, yield and seed yield by 14% seed moisture. Determining of morphological traits and yield components was selected 10 plants from each plot at final harvest. The traits measured, including biological and seed yield, plant density, pod number per plant, seed number per plant and seed weight per plant. Analysis was done by analysis variance and by using SAS 9.1. For comparing regression coefficient and latitude of origin two treatments consisting weed free and weed infested in level of seed amount was used. The experimental maximum yield (2011 kg. h-1) was achieved for weed control treatment with crop density of 25 kg. h-1, while, the lowest yield (672.7 kg. h-1) was related to weedy plots with crop density of 100 kg. h-1. The study revealed that crop density of 25 kg. h-1 mung bean (Vigna radiate) (equivalent to 60 plant. m-2) is optimum to obtain maximum mung bean yield. Results also indicated mung bean yield increased by 82.7 by weed control, the importance of weed interference in reducing mung bean yield and necessity of weed control to achieve higher yields. Among the yield components, number of pods plant-1 and number of grains pod-1 and 1000 seed weight decreased with increasing seeding rate. It seems that seeding rate of 25 kg.h-1 reduced mung bean density in area unit, and increased weed growth probably due to abundance of resources. However, seed rate of 100 kg. h-1, the Generally, the results of this research showed that selecting mung bean varieties with runner type and optimum density performance used against weeds can increase competitive pressure. Weeds management by weeding out, not only makes more seed yield but also prevented environmental damage and will help environmental sustainability.

There are many different factors that affect yield and quality of agricultural crops, including weed management. The abundance, distribution, density and composition of weed species in a cropped field varies due to the nature of the crop, cultural practices and cropping pattern/system, soil type, moisture availability, location and season, therefore identification of weed flora is important to identify the proper weed control options and enables farmers to use the best management strategies. Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is an increasingly important cash crop for growers in western provinces of Iran. Due to the lack of basic information about the weed diversity in common bean fields in Lorestan province which is the mean producer of bean in Iran), the current study was conducted for exact identification of flora condition of weeds. The present investigation was carried out to find out weed floristic composition in common bean fields of Azna (33°45 N latitude, 49°45 E longitude, with a mean altitude of 1871 m above sea level), in the North of Lorestan province during 2014. In this study, 34 fields of bean using method of stratified random-sampling, and by assigning the suitable number of the samples for each level, were selected. The longitude and latitude and sea level of different fields were recorded exactly by global positioning system (GPS). In order to determine the density and composition of weeds, sampling in each field done using the pattern of W. According to the pattern of the W, 9 points in each field were selected and the distance between two sampling points was 20 meters and in each point by using a 0. 5 m × 0. 5m quadrate the density and composition of weed species was determined. For data analysis of weed flora in the fields, frequency, abundance index, distribution uniformity and mean density were calculated using appropriate equations. Weed frequency indicates the proportion of fields where the species was found. The diversity of weed species was described by species richness and weed density was determined by counting the number of plants in each sampling quadrate. Cluster analysis was done by JMP software using the data related to species richness index, species diversity and similarity. In the current experiment, 23 weed species from 14 families were collected and identified at the different bean fields in the studied region. The highest number of weed species belongs to Poaceae family (five species) and Asteraceae family (three species). Based on results, 78% and 22% of weed species were dicotyledonous and monocotyledon respectively. Among the identified weed about 65% were annual and the remaining species were biennial or perennial. It seems that intensive and high input cultivation of common bean in the studied region affected the composition and diversity and density of weeds. Previous studies also showed that perennial weed communities under less cultivation and reduced tillage systems are often more frequent whearase in conventional systems the annual weed are dominant. Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.), Field Bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis) and Redroot Pigweed (Amaranthus retroflexus L.) had the highest and Black Nightshade (Solanum nigrum L.) and Goat's Beard (Tragopogon pratensis L.) had the lowest density, uniformity and abundance in the common bean fields. The density of the weed species varied considerably in the different fields and the maximum density of weed (5. 5 plants. m2) in the fields was recorded for Hibiscus trionum. The most important noxious weed of studied regions were Field Bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis), (Sorghum halepense (L.) Pers. )، (Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. ) and (Echinochloa crus-galli (L.) Beauv. ). The highest value of species richness index (27. 5) and Simpsons diversity index (0. 94) were recorded for Southwest, whereas the lowest value of species richness index (17. 14) and Simpsons diversity index (0. 86) calculated for Southeast regions. Results of another study showed that species richness is related to geographical condition and increase with the height. Decrease of species richness in plain areas suggests that agronomic management has a strong effect on species diversity and weed abundance during the time. The occurrence of numerous weed species in bean fields means that different methods of weed control must be selected because some of these weeds such as redroot pigweed (Amaranthus retroflexus L.) can produce a lot of small seed which may increase the problem of weeds in further years. The higher number of dicotyledonous weeds means that special cautions for the use of chemical herbicides is necessary because many of recommended herbicides for broadleaf weeds could result in serious damages to the common bean fields. It seems that in these conditions considering the integrated weed management (IWM) methods is justified.

In order to study the diversity of weed flora in sugar beet (Beta vulgaris) fields of Kermanshah province, 92 fields in five cities of this province investigated during the spring and summer of 2014. The first stage of sampling was in May and the second stage was in September. After sampling and identification of weeds, the diversity and evenness indices were calculated for each field. Acording to results in different cities of this province, five species of weeds have the highest value of dominance index. The most important weed in this experiment were warm season species such as Chenopodium album, Amaranthus spp, Setaria viridis, Xanthium strumarium and Convolvlus arvensis. The calculated value of domoinance index for above mentioned weeds were 197.7, 187.3, 170.3, 150.6 and 105.3, respectively and calculated dominance index for the rest of observed weeds was less than 100. Considering Shannon-Wiener diversity indices at the first stage of sampling the studied cities classified in two groups whereas in second stage the cities placed in three groups. In the first stage of sampling the highest value of Simpson diversity indice (0.78) calculated for Sahneh and the lowest value (0.67) observed in Eslamabad-e-Gharb, but in the second stage the highest value (0.93) of this indices belonged to Eslamabad-e-Gharb and the lowest value (0.83) calculated for Harsin. The obtained results after t-test showed that in both of stages there was the significant difference for species diversity of weeds among the studied cities.

In his multiple writings, Aramesh Doostdar asserts that religious culture is in contrast with thinking. In his view, religious insight of believers is full of evidences and certainties. In addition, sense of duty against God, captures the mind of believers so their thought is not free. Doostdar thinks that western human has progressed because he has released his thought from the chain of religion so he could overcome the nature and the problems of life. Eastern human's effort for development is bootless unless he learn the way of thinking from western human. Thus to rise of progress, effect of religious culture must disappears from the mind of eastern human like western human did. This article views this argument with a critical perspective and elucidates its violation according to historical facts. Study of effect of eastern philosophy and science on western thought and review of some western scientists opinion about importance of Islamic sciences and its impact on formation of the new world, is some of the critics on Doostdar's view.

In order to study the effects of late season drought stress and foliar application of nitrogen on physiological traits and grain yield of wheat an experiment was conducted as strip-plot based on complete randomized blocks design (CRBD) with three replications. The horizontal factor were irrigation treatments (i.e. IR1: full irrigation, IR2: cutting irrigation at grain dough stage and IR3: cutting irrigation at grain milk stage) and the vertical factor were foliar application of nitrogen as urea (N1: control, N2: foliar application of 20 kg. ha-1 urea at flowering stage, N3: foliar application of 20 kg. ha-1 urea at milk stage and N4: foliar application of 20 kg. ha-1 urea at flowering and milk stage). Based on results effects of irrigation and interaction of treatments on relative water content was significant. Effects of experimental treatments and interaction of treatments on leaf chlorophyll were significant. The main effect of irrigation treatment on canopy temperature and hectoliter weight was significant and highest and lowest values of these traits observed in full irrigation and IR3 treatments, respectively. The experimental treatments and interaction of treatments significantly affect grain protein content and decreasing irrigation resulted in increasing grain protein content. Although by cutting the irrigation, protein content in both of treatments (IR2 and IR3) increased but by considering the grain yield it seems that cutting irrigation at grain dough stage is more suitable.

Milky thistle (Silybum marianum) is an annual or biennial plant of the Asteraceae family. Possibly native near the coast of southeast England, it has been widely introduced outside its natural range, for example into North America, Iran, Australia and New Zealand where it is considered an invasive weed.
Seed is an important stage of plant life history. Most invasive plants primarily rely on seedling recruitment for population establishment and persistence. The rapid spread of many invasive plants is frequently correlated with special seed traits. Seed trait variations exist not only among species but also within species. Seed traits variations within a species are essential for the seedling establishment at different habitats.
Environmental factors, such as temperature, soil solution osmotic potential, solution pH, light quality, management practices and seed location in the soil seedbank, affect weed seed germination and emergence.
Fluctuations in temperature can influence seed germination differently than those under constant temperatures; however, such information is not available on Milky thistle. A light requirement for germination is the principal means by which germination can be restricted to an area close to the soil surface, and species requiring light for germination are potentially more likely to be prevalent in no-till and pasture systems. Soil pH affects the development and competitiveness of crops and weeds by affecting the availability of essential minerals, nutrients, the solubility of toxic elements, and soil microflora. Seed burial depth (buried by tillage or other means) also affects germination and seedling emergence of several weed species.
Better knowledge of the factors that influence seed germination and seedling emergence of Milky thistle could contribute to the development of control measures and help determine its potential for invasion into new areas. The objectives of this study, therefore, were to determine the effect of various environmental factors on seed germination and seedling emergence of Milky thistle.
Material and Germination of Milky thistle was determined by placing 25 seed in a 9-cm-diam Petri dish containing two layers of Whatman No. 1 filter paper and moistened with 5 ml of distilled water or a treatment solution.
Temperature: Germination of freshly harvested seed was determined in growth chambers under fluctuating day/night temperatures (15/5, 20/10, 15/25, 15/30 and 20/35˚ C).
Salinity: In this experiment, seeds were exposed to seven levels of increasing salinity using NaCl solutions including 0, 10, 20, 40, 80, 160 and 320 mM. Petri dishes were incubated as described in the general protocol under the light⁄dark regime.
pH: To examine the effects of pH on seed germination, buffered solutions of pH 5 to 9 were prepared.
Seed burial depth: The effect of different burial depths on seedling emergence was investigated in a growth chamber. Seeds were buried at six different depths (0, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, and 8 cm) in 15-cm-diam plastic pots.
Statistical analysis: Data were subjected to two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the difference between treatment means was separated using FLSD test. A significance level of 5% was applied by SAS 9.2.
The results showed that effect of different temperature regimes on germination percentage and rate, plumule length and seedling dry weight were significant (P

Self-care behaviors in cardiac patients are one of the essential factors in their treatments. The failure to apply proper self-care behaviors reduces their recovery and imposes high costs on the health care system.
Aim: This study aimed for design and psychometric measurement of the questionnaire on attitude, knowledge and utilization of self-care for patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery based on Waltz model
In this methodological study, the following four steps were conducted for design and psychometric measurement of the questionnaire: 1) defining the theoretical and practical self-care concept for patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery in the domains of physical activity, sexual activity, social activity, mental state, and smoking; 2) designing the items of the questionnaire using other instruments which are being used in heart diseases; 3) determining the face validity (the assessment of facility, difficulty, and ambiguity of the items and their importance for patients) and content validity of the questionnaire (the assessment of appropriateness and necessity of items by experts opinions and measuring CVR and CVI; 4) the internal consistency of the questionnaire was evaluated by determining the Cranach's alpha coefficient.
Findings: The first version of this questionnaire was produced with 56 items, of which 15 items were deleted during the process of validity and reliability confirmation. The final version of the questionnaire was provided with 41 items in three domains; knowledge domain with 14 items, attitude domain with 7 items and utilization domain with 20 items. The results of the psychometric procedure for the questionnaire was the content validity index of 0.99, the content validity ratio of 0.96 and the internal consistency of the questionnaire with Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.7 representing appropriate validity and reliability of the questionnaire.
This 41-item questionnaire can be utilized in the assessment process of these patients. Measuring construct validity is recommended for the validity of the domains of the present questionnaire.

This study was conducted to find out the weed floristic composition of 24 chickpea farms in Khorramabad during 2012. Based on a floristic study, 70 weed species belonging to 20 families were identified. The results showed that dicots were predominant in the chickpea farms. Maximum of weed densities were recorded for Gallium tricornutum (10.27 plants.m-2), Vaccaria grandiflora (4.3) and Vicia villosa (3.4) plants.m-2respectively. Maximum frequency of different weed species was recorded as G. tricornutum (93.8%), V. garndiflora, and C. dichotomum with frequency of 75%, and 59.4% respectively were the two others prevalent species. Carthamus oxyacantha, and Centaurea spp. With frequency of 56%, and Conringia orientalis, Vicia villosa, and Sinapis arvensis by frequency of more than 50% were the others prevalent weed species. Plant families of caryophyllaceae, compositae, and brassicacea any with two species, and rubiacea, and fabaceae families any with one species included the 8 species with frequency more than 50%. Among 30 species with frequency more than 10% only 4 species were biennial or perennial, that is 83.3% of weed species that had frequency more than 10% was annual. Of the total weed is detected (64 spacies , 75/92 % ) were C3, and (5 species , 25/7 %) had C4 photosynthetic pathway.